The Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought of Yeshiva University

Applications now open for “Jewish and Western Texts in Conversation,” a one-day summer seminar hosted by Yeshiva University’s Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought.

Under the direction of lead faculty member Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik, students will be exposed to the richness of human knowledge and insights from the foundational texts of the Jewish and Western tradition, confronting the great moral, philosophical and theological questions of our age. Through unique interdisciplinary seminars and exclusive activities, students will have the opportunity to learn at the collegiate level and engage with the Straus Center’s renowned faculty, cultivate their knowledge of Torah and Western thought, and connect with fellow Orthodox students.

High School students who have excelled in general and Jewish studies are eligible to apply. **There is no cost, but spots are limited, so apply early.**

Learn more and apply here:
https://www.yu.edu/straus/high-school

Application Deadline: June 7, 2026

Writing for the The Wall Street Journal, Straus Center Director Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik looks to Jerusalem as a symbol of the Jewish people’s eternal endurance. (From 2023)

Opinion | The Marvel, and the ‘Scandal,’ of Jerusalem Anti-Semitism is rooted in envy of the Jewish people’s eternal endurance.

Writing for the The Wall Street Journal, Straus Center Senior Scholar Dr. Tevi Troy argues that America’s upcoming National Sabbath provides an opportunity for Jews to both express gratitude and celebrate their contributions to this great nation.

A National Sabbath for American Jews President Trump’s proclamation inviting Jews to one this weekend is an opportunity for rest and gratitude.

Writing for the Jewish Journal , Straus Center Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Halpern looks at how John Quincy Adams emulated the legacy of Aaron as he advanced in his political career.

John Quincy Adams and Aaron, the High Priest of Harvard No doubt Adams kept Aaron’s model in mind as his own political career advanced. He would seek to emulate Aaron’s elocution upon being elected president, bringing the High Priest’s legacy with him to the White House.

For his "Two Texts, Three Questions," Straus Scholar Gabriel Perla considers the political nature of friendship through the eyes of Rashi, Ramban and Aristotle.

1. Does Aristotle’s claim that lawgivers “care more for friendship than for justice” put forward that friendship primarily functions as a means of political stability, whereas the Torah’s mitzvah of וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ regards ethical concern as something preceding political order itself?

2. What does Rabbi Akiva mean when he says “וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעךָ כָּמוֹךָ” is a fundamental principle of the Torah. Is he elevating an ethical demand into law, or merely revealing that the Torah’s legal system is itself grounded in a prior moral vision?

3. If the Torah, as Ramban interprets it, commands a practical commitment to another person’s good, especially through the restraint of jealousy, rather than an emotional state, how is this different from Aristotle’s statement of political friendship as emerging from shared advantage and communal life?

4. Does the Torah’s grounding of social unity in commanded moral obligation set greater demands on humans than Aristotle’s grounding of unity in cultivated civic friendship? Does this difference indicate a tension between moral aspiration and political realism?

Writing for the Jewish Journal, Straus Center Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern reflects on counting the Omer amid war and uncertainty. (From 2024)

On Counting the Omer It feels like we’ve been counting the Omer for around seven months now.

Writing for JTA News, Straus Center Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern argues that government officials quoting (and misquoting) the Bible is good for the Jews.

Trump administration officials are quoting (and misquoting) the Bible. Is it good for the Jews? - Jewish Telegraphic Agency Biblical rhetoric in American life has helped sustain a pluralistic moral vision, writes a scholar specializing in the influence of Jewish ideas on American history.

For her “Two Texts, Three Questions,” Straus Scholar Tamara Yeshurun investigates the nature of man by comparing selections from Thomas Hobbes' “Leviathan” and the Book of Genesis.

1. According to each of these texts, who is man, if left to his own devices? How does civilization come into being?

2. Hobbes’ antidote to the nightmare of anarchy is the commonwealth. Why does God strike down the Tower of Babel (i.e., ostensibly the first ever commonwealth)? Is that not a return to the antediluvian condition?

3. What is the role of Divine intervention in the story of man’s political existence?

Writing for the Jewish Journal, Straus Center Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern highlights “The Civil War Diary of Emma Mordecai,” which offers a window into the experience of one Southern Jewish woman during this divided time in American history.

A Diary Amidst Division and the Fight for Freedom Emma’s diary represents testimony of an America, and an American Jewish community, torn asunder during America’s strenuous effort to manifest its founding ideal of the equality of all people who were created in the image of God.

Writing for Commentary Straus Center Director Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik looks to Jerusalem’s Liberty Bell as a testament to the covenantal bond between America and Israel.

Bring Back the Bell In the middle of a park, in the middle of Jerusalem, sits a replica of the Liberty Bell. Because the area is named for it—Gan Ha-Pa’amon, Liberty Bell Park—it is