Learning Tolerance, Raising Money
Hannah L. Golden
Issue date: 12/21/09 Section: News
The Stern Beit Medrash was busy Thursday night, December 3, when the Yeshiva University Tolerance Club (YUTC) held the first club-sponsored Learnathon. The Learnathon was designed so that every person in attendance would be sponsored to learn from Shlomit Cohen (SCW '09, GPATS '10), on the development of tolerance in Judaism. All proceeds were given to the American Anti-Defamation League (ADL), who sent representatives to the Learnathon to introduce the organization and their work against Anti-Semitism.
The group of thirteen women who gathered to hear Cohen collected $22 for the ADL. "We achieved our goal: we raised money for the ADL, we raised awareness of the ADL at Stern," stated Miriam Gofine (SCW '11), co-President of YUTC. "We felt that one way we could respond to anti-Semites is to support an organization dedicated to that goal."
The shiur (lecture) was only open to women, though the Wilf contingent of the YUTC held a men-only Learnathon at the same time. "We felt that doing a religiously themed event it was most appropriate to have it men and women separately so that everyone would feel comfortable," explained Gofine. The Wilf YUTC is still collecting the money from its sponsors, but they expect to donate over $100 to the ADL.
Cohen was personally chosen by Gofine to lead the habura (group learning). "I thought: because she's a woman, because she's really learned, because she was a leader of the Social Justice Society-she's someone a lot of people would learn from," said Gofine. Cohen, gesticulating with her source sheet, spoke intently with her audience about how Judaism approaches tolerance for sinners. "Recognize halakhic-dictated hatred, but [also a] continued level of compassion," Cohen, framed by the snack table, explained. The beit midrash (study hall), usually busy with people, was quiet as the audience listened attentively, adding ideas to Cohen's theme of tolerance in Judaism. "Essentially you're supposed to treat them [sinners] with peace and with kindness," Cohen concluded.
Until now the YUTC has hosted speakers on a variety of social issues within the Jewish community. "The reason we did the shiur was to try to create an opportunity where everyone in YU could participate in the Tolerance Club," clarified Gofine, "It could be a forum for participation that has not previously existed." She acknowledged, however, that attendance was lower than expected. "The Thursday night experiment might not have been the best," she said. Overall, Gofine expressed satisfaction with the event. "I was really happy and proud to have a Tolerance club event that was religious-themed and not just social justice," she stated.
The group of thirteen women who gathered to hear Cohen collected $22 for the ADL. "We achieved our goal: we raised money for the ADL, we raised awareness of the ADL at Stern," stated Miriam Gofine (SCW '11), co-President of YUTC. "We felt that one way we could respond to anti-Semites is to support an organization dedicated to that goal."
The shiur (lecture) was only open to women, though the Wilf contingent of the YUTC held a men-only Learnathon at the same time. "We felt that doing a religiously themed event it was most appropriate to have it men and women separately so that everyone would feel comfortable," explained Gofine. The Wilf YUTC is still collecting the money from its sponsors, but they expect to donate over $100 to the ADL.
Cohen was personally chosen by Gofine to lead the habura (group learning). "I thought: because she's a woman, because she's really learned, because she was a leader of the Social Justice Society-she's someone a lot of people would learn from," said Gofine. Cohen, gesticulating with her source sheet, spoke intently with her audience about how Judaism approaches tolerance for sinners. "Recognize halakhic-dictated hatred, but [also a] continued level of compassion," Cohen, framed by the snack table, explained. The beit midrash (study hall), usually busy with people, was quiet as the audience listened attentively, adding ideas to Cohen's theme of tolerance in Judaism. "Essentially you're supposed to treat them [sinners] with peace and with kindness," Cohen concluded.
Until now the YUTC has hosted speakers on a variety of social issues within the Jewish community. "The reason we did the shiur was to try to create an opportunity where everyone in YU could participate in the Tolerance Club," clarified Gofine, "It could be a forum for participation that has not previously existed." She acknowledged, however, that attendance was lower than expected. "The Thursday night experiment might not have been the best," she said. Overall, Gofine expressed satisfaction with the event. "I was really happy and proud to have a Tolerance club event that was religious-themed and not just social justice," she stated.
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