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by Benjy Gottesman (5763) The month of Elul, due to its singular place at the tail end of the Jewish calendar, serves as a unique time of reflection about the changes that we have undergone during the past year, as well as the events that we have experienced which have colored our outlook on life. These events of which I speak leave long-lasting impressions on our consciousnesses, and render us different people from whom we were beforehand.
One such event, or series of events, which I had the merit to experience this past year was spending Shabbos at NYU with HaRav Aharon Bina, Shlita, Rosh HaYeshiva of Netiv Aryeh. To say the least, it came as quite a shock to me, albeit an exciting one, when I heard for the first time a couple of months earlier that Rav Bina would be coming for Shabbos to Greenwich Village, a neighborhood that is not only geographically distant from the Old City, but has developed a reputation for being far away spiritually as well. Adding to my amazement was the fact that the particular Shabbos he chose to come for was “Shabbos for 1000,” an annual event in which the Bronfman Center, the Center for Jewish Life at NYU, invites more than a thousand people, most of whom are Jewish students from across Manhattan, to a free Friday night dinner. This Shabbos is known among the Orthodox students for being one of the most chaotic, and ironically, least Shabbosdik weekends of the year.
I must admit that as I walked into the Thompson Center for Friday night davening and saw Rav Bina so characteristically lounging in a plush office chair, I had to pinch myself a few times to make sure that I was really awake and not just dreaming. After greeting each other warmly, I sat down to question Rav Bina about his choice of this unlikely venue for Shabbos, when there were so many other places he could have gone to. In his typical blunt way, he answered that he wants to see the guys, to check up on them. Being that at the time, there were only about five or six of his alumni studying at NYU, and about fifteen alumni guests, I found his answer unsatisfying and evasive. I persisted: “So why don’t you have a Shabbaton at YU or something?” He humorously answered that he spent enough Shabbosim in Washington Heights in his old YU days and he wanted a change of scenery (Unfortunately, I can’t do Rav Bina justice when quoting him, but you get the idea).
I figured I wasn’t going to get any other information, so I changed the subject, though I remained as baffled as ever. At that point, as my shock of his presence slowly faded, it dawned on me how much Rav Bina values his continuing relationship with the alumni that he would make time in his busy schedule to spend time with us, even if there were only a few alumni there. Maybe he was also curious to see if Orthodox Judaism could be genuinely adhered to, its standards upheld, on a secular college campus. All Shabbos long, I patiently waited for Rav Bina to say some words in some sort of public forum; a speech, a little vort, a l’chaim, anything! But he chose instead to remain in the background, content to observe the activity around him and spend time with the alumni. Fortunately, Rabbi Dr. Krug, who accompanied Rav Bina for Shabbos, came to the rescue and delivered a number of shiurim in his characteristic engaging, witty manner. I think he had some people in his audience wondering if this wildly gesticulating man, so lithe and comfortable before a crowd, was really a rabbi, or an award winning actor in disguise. Finally, at long last, Rav Bina spoke at Seudah Shlishit, and said one of those classic Rav Bina speeches that we all know and love; a perfect mix of humor mussar, and Torah. I was really shepping nachas the whole time from both rebbeim. Looking back on that weekend, I realize that for the Rosh Yeshiva of a prestigious institution like Netiv Aryeh, spending Shabbos at NYU was quite a gutsy move. The fact that Rav Bina made that move is a testament to his commitment to the alumni and their well-being. I realize now that Rav Bina’s decision to come to NYU speaks louder than any speech or shiur that he ever could have ever given. By coming to a secular college atmosphere, where holding on to one’s religious values and beliefs is not always as easy as it is in yeshiva, Rav Bina declared that he will remain supported and devoted to his alumni even after they leave yeshiva and enter the sometimes hostile world which exists outside its walls. I know that I, for one, felt my spiritual goals and aspirations encouraged and strengthened by his presence. In this period of reflection, that Shabbos is imprinted on my memory as a unique opportunity to experience the seamless intersection of two of my lives as I witnessed my yeshiva life of the year before and my new life at NYU momentarily merge into one.
Shabbat for 1000 is an annual program sponsored by The Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life: Hillel at NYU. The goal of Shabbat for 1000 is to offer a positive Jewish experience to as many Jews as possible, regardless of their differences in background. It hopes to open the door to Jewish life for any Jew who wants to step through it. It also aims to reinforce the sense of belonging and community of the involved students through meeting many different types of Jews as well as introducing their non-NYU friends to each other.
The main part of Shabbat is the dinner which will draw over 1000 Jews. The Shabbat spirit at the dinner will swell from the ground up; we encourage individual tables to start zemirot and others to pick it up. There will be a 20-minute performance by the Cooper Union Step Team at the far end of the large hall, which you may or may not feel comfortable watching, so feel free to move around at that time. Because of our inability to collect huge amounts of birkonim, single sheets of birkat hamazon will be placed under each table cloth.
We are blessed to have with us two all-star guests who will enhance our Shabbat experience. The substance of the shabbat will consist of talks given by Rabbi Dr. John Krug, (a Broadway producer, psychologist and teacher) and a tish with Harav Aharon Bina, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh (formerly Yeshivat HaKotel).
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