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How The Forward Stanned Yeshiva University

Yeshiva University, founded as "Yeshiva College of America" in 1928 has historically provided a seminary level Jewish education alongside a modern academic one. Like many Jewish educational institutions, as it grew, Yeshiva College, whose class of male students are seen here in this image, moved on up from the Lower East Side to Washington Heights where its campus is still located. "YU" as it's known by its legions of fans, emerged out of the merging of two historically important orthodox Jewish educational facilities: the Eitz Chaim elementary type traditional Jewish school known as a "cheder" founded in 1886 and a rabbinic seminary was known as Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) established a decade later in 1896. Both located on the Lower East Side and founded by Eastern European Jewish immigrants.

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Yeshiva University

Designed to offer both a traditional, deeply informed and rooted orthodox Jewish education alongside an equally rigorous academic one, classes included some liberal arts. Here, our archival photo depicts a sunny moment in a music appreciation class. The male students wear traditional orthodox head coverings called "yarmulkes" or "kippahs" expressing humility before god.

Yeshiva University

The Forward's art section of June 1932 reported on the college's very first commencement class to receive their Bachelor of Arts degrees. For an avowed secular Jewish progressive paper, The Forward showed an abiding interest in the development of a modern academic and yet deeply orthodox and traditional institution. The caption to this 1938 image by photographer George Grau, notes that Yeshiva College's library, seen here, had, at the time, over 22,000 rare books and manuscripts.

Yeshiva University

In 1926, The Forward's art section further stanned Yeshiva when they presented an architect's rendering of the future "Yeshiva College" seen in the image above. Breathlessly, the Yiddish caption in the paper read: A Yeshiva College in New York! These etchings, The Forward noted, will soon be a reality on 188th Street and. Amsterdam Avenue. And they performed due diligence for their socialist readership: These eight buildings, they reported, will cost five million dollars to build and will include a seminary, a library and high school.

Radio City Music Hall

In April 1948, a mere month prior to the historic recognition and founding of the State of Israel, The Forward's art section featured a head shot of Radio City Music Hall's Gus S. Eysell. Eysell, president and managing director of Radio City, was heading up the movie industry's fundraising drive for none other than Yeshiva University (their name had changed in 1945. Founded in 1939, the "Motion Picture Industry Scholarship Fund For Yeshiva University" had set a goal of 50 scholarships that year. Eysell's own story, as reported in the New York Times is no less unpredictable. Born Gustav, but known as "Gus", Eysell could not afford higher education for himself, and so found work in a local Kansas theatre, where he born. His rise through the industry included the bold move of introducing motion pictures to Radio City.