Faith

Orthodox Jewish University & Campus Newspaper Cut Ties Over Student Sex Column

The student council at Yeshiva University, a private Orthodox Jewish college in New York City, has cut its funding to a campus newspaper. The action came after the publication refused to take down a column detailing a sexual encounter between two students.

Yeshiva University Cuts Ties With YU Beacon

Screen shot of controversial YU Beacon article

The YU Beacon, which is one of four campus papers, was written by an anonymous female. In her piece, the girl describes a sexual encounter with a young man at a Manhattan hotel. The writer claims that she’s a 20-year-old who attends the Stern College for Women, one of the university’s three undergraduate schools.

The article, entitled, “How Do I Even Begin to Explain This,” expresses the young woman’s regret over the incident. “The only thing I learn is how to do the walk of shame the day after,” she writes, continuing:

“My partner in crime improvises with the room key as a bottle opener and we gorge ourselves on Stella Artois and cable television. In between swigs, I glance over at him; my cheeks are flushed and my head feels lighter with every drop. Making him think I’m farther gone than I actually am helps me shut off my conscience when I kiss him hard on the mouth. That little pest of a conscience is screaming again when he starts taking off my dress, so I shut her up with a last gulp of beer.”

Yeshiva University Cuts Ties With YU Beacon

In the end, the piece was seen as inappropriate by both university leaders and the student council. Funding was threatened if the piece wasn’t removed or altered — something newspaper staffers weren’t willing to do. After YU Beacon staffers met with university personnel and the council, newspaper leaders decided to separate the publication from the college. This will essentially mean that the publication will not be entitled to a $500 reimbursement it receives each semester.

An announcement on the YU Beacon web site reads, “In light of recent developments, YU and The Beacon have agreed to separate. Over the next few days, you may see some changes as we update the site to reflect these changes. The Beacon will continue to publish as always.”

Fox News has more:

Matt Yaniv, Yeshiva University’s associate director of media relations, said in a statement Thursday that the school did not pull funding from The Beacon.

“The Beacon received their funding from the school’s student government, who allocates funds to all student clubs,” he wrote in an email to FoxNews.com. “After posting an article that made many students uncomfortable, the student council president approached The Beacon editors on behalf of the students, asking them to take it down.

“After an amicable discussion between the two sides, The Beacon decided to part ways and become an independent publication.”

Rather than claiming that the argument was between the university and the newspaper, Yaniv claims that the school acted as a mediator between the student council and the editors. Because pre-marital sex is prohibited in Orthodox Judaism, the piece was seen as especially offensive.

(H/T: Fox News)

Comments (27)

  • Rabbi Josh
    Posted on December 11, 2011 at 10:29pm

    The decision of the SG was consistent with the standards embodied in the YU motto, Torah UMada. What is normative sexual behavior in your society is debased and perverse in ours. Your morality is mot our morality. We are a nation that dwells apart (Num. 23:9). Dinah was kidnapped and raped by a gentile with modern, free-thinking notions of sexual ethics. In your world a quarter of all births are out-of-wedlock and there is no stigma to it. In our world it is virtually unheard of, as are STDs, PID, HIV or cervical cancer. So you can mock us for the Biblical standards of morality and modesty to which we hold ourselves and our families, but don’t you dare to “love Israel and the Jewish People” at the same time. PS: Rabbi Riskin, the rabbi who so warmly embraced Glenn’s visit to Israel last summer, is a distinguished alumnus of YU/RIETS.

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  • Luke21
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:06pm

    For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
    (Isaiah 43:3-10)

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    • The10thAmendment
      Posted on December 10, 2011 at 2:20pm

      Sexuality was of specific import and a subject not meant to excluded, but in fact instructed thru the Priesthood. Man makes sexuality obscene and lustful. From the very first pictures of the creation of Eve forward God has instructed man to be fruitful and multipy.

      Here’s an interesting study.

      http://www.templesecrets.info/sexsymb.html

      Report Post » The10thAmendment  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 12:31pm

    It is good that the School Leadership stood up for their religious standards.

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  • CulperGang
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 12:27pm

    The Haredi Jews are the taliban of Judaism. This is normal for them. They are five centuries behind in cultural thinking. Freedom of choice to experience life in its trials and errors to learn and grow is evil to them. They are a cult. Pure and simple.

    Report Post » CulperGang  
  • blazingaway
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:00pm

    People can learn just as much if not more about what is wrong and regretful from this article as they can from the Torah and Bible … both are full of the same sort of experiences. GET A DAMN CLUE, LIFE IS ABOUT REDEMPTION NOT PERFECTION … STUPID RELIGIOUS PEOPLE DON”T SEEM TO HAVE A CLUE ABOUT SALVATION, RECONCILIATION, JUSTIFICATION and RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH CHRIST.

    Report Post » blazingaway  
    • Luke21
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 10:11am

      Amen. I would only add that life is about God’s glory in the person of Jesus Christ:

      For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
      (John 3:17-21)

      that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
      (Ephesians 1:10-14)

      We must repent for the time to i

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  • BannedByHuffpo
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:50pm

    Oy Vey!

    Report Post » BannedByHuffpo  
  • Jennifer_D
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:23pm

    The University made a good call with their decision to sever ties with the campus newspaper. Continuing to provide financial support would have been an endorsement of what was printed. I have seen much worse than what was printed in the article, but there is always a gradual progression in printing questionable material. It also translates to changing the perspectives of those reading the column. It is good to see this University, including the student council, standing up for decent goodness.

    Report Post » Jennifer_D  
    • foobear
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 4:28am

      Yes, you wouldn’t want a Jewish university to endorse shameful guilt over what they perceive as sinful activity… wait…?

      Actually, it doesn’t seem that out of line with the horrid conga-line of guilt and shame that you can find Christian college students engaging in at Campus Crusade for Christ meetings. Members are encouraged (at least at the college I went to) to spill their guts about having lustful thoughts, so that the group can castigate them publicly and dress them down for essentially being normal human beings.

      We’re not talking about college students lusting after married women, or any of the other *actual* sexual sins listed in the Bible, but the normal attraction between the sexes that keeps the human race alive on the surface of our planet.

      Report Post » foobear  
  • garyM
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:28pm

    This_Individual>>>>If the Bible, the whole Bible is truth and it is and Christians believe the Bible including the New Testament, if Christians don’t tell people that Jesus is the only way, we are hypocrites because we are willing to stand by silently and not point people to Christ and let them bust hell wide open. I’m appeasing men rather than God if I do that. I am not responsible if anyone should or blow off searching the scriptures to confirm I’m correct or be convicted that all men are born sinners and are condemned already unless they be drawn by the Holy Spirit, cry out to Jesus and be saved. As a Christian I would be a hypocrite not to point people to Christ in any situation if I actually believed my Bible. If we are Christian‘s it’s not very difficult to understand that all the Apostles were killed for that very thing, except John who was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. I don’t understand how anyone can throwout the New Testament scriptures as we read them they confirm in every way what is prophesied by the Prophets of the Old Testament about how the Messiah would come to the world, how he would be rejected and crucified, a full description in the Old Testament of exactly to the T of what is recorded in the New Testament. The Jews did not crucify Jesus, our sins crucified Jesus. Jesus’s death on the cross and His resurrection was not plan B, it was God’s plan all along. Some one had to pay for our sins and thank God He sent His Son to atone for whosoever will!

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  • mscott2112
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:17pm

    TO JOHNNY916: Thank you for that summary and posting it. I also liked the way you approached the subject. I being of the Jewish faith grapple with explaining this to my gentile friends.

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    • mscott2112
      Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:19pm

      Clarification: I liked the post explaining how Jews atone for their sins.

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  • Doctor Nordo
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:08pm

    Having read the article in its entirety, the thing that offends me the most is that her and her boyfriend were “gorging themselves on Stella Artois”. Gross! Stella?! /GAG!

    One should probably only mention the beer you‘re drinking by name if said beer isn’t indistinguishable from goat piss.

    Report Post » Doctor Nordo  
  • Joshua7
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:47pm

    I only read the part of the article copy/pasted on this story but based on that it seems the article presents a negative view of pre-marital sex so I don’t really understand why that would so controversial. I do, however, understand people who just wouldn‘t want to read about someones sexual experiences but can’t that be solved by putting a disclaimer at the top of the page?

    Well, it’s not my college or my publication so whatever.

    Report Post » Joshua7  
    • Patriot Z
      Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:13pm

      ok then this is a non story. forget religious views. a provider stopped paying for a newspaper because it did not like what it printed. thats free market nothing more. you could substiture premarital sex with cookie recipies and the end is still the same. lord knows if it wasnt for premaritial sex i would get sex at all , but i have nothing against people who practice sex only after marriage.

      Report Post » Patriot Z  
  • Bernard Gui
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:30pm

    How inspiring to find a group of students that has religious and moral standards
    and stands up for them! Congratulations YU student council. Your are a cut above the rest.
    “Righteousness raises a people to honor.”
    .

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  • chips1
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:17pm

    It appears that the “COLUMN” was longer than normal.

    Report Post »  
  • Johnny916
    Posted on December 8, 2011 at 6:37pm

    I’m Jewish and I can understand how many conservative Jews would be outrage after certain subjects relating to sex and modesty. Young Jews are more secular in their lifestyles compared to older traditional Jews.

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    • garyM
      Posted on December 8, 2011 at 6:54pm

      What I can’t understand is why anyone would be upset with anyone who said Jesus Christ was the only way, whether there be Jews, Atheist, Buddhist, Muslims or any other religion PRESENT, because JESUS is the only way. Anyone who would think not saying that Jesus is the only way is Love, really don’t understand the GOSPEL! That what I heard Glenn say tonight on GBTV!

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    • garyM
      Posted on December 8, 2011 at 6:56pm

      A Christian or any saved person isn’t interested in winning a popularity contest, only giving the truth, the most important eternal truth and that is Jesus Christ is Lord, Love is not possible without a person comes by the cross and is a witness the rest of their life!

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    • Johnny916
      Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:23pm

      I would have to respectfully disagree that Jewish the “truth or only way to be saved.” Many Christians do not understand what Jews believe in and how they view their faith and atone for sins. I’m proud to be Jewish and that I do not to believe in Jesus. Here is a good snippet from Jews for Judaism website.

      “The Christian belief that atonement can only be effected through Jesus runs counter to the provisions for atonement prescribed in the Jewish Scriptures. First and foremost, God, and no one else, provides the means of reconciliation and fellowship (2 Chronicles 7:14), which precludes any claim for atonement through the death of Jesus. In contrast to the Christian concept that man is hopelessly entrapped in sin, the Jewish Scriptures provide ample testimony that although man may have an inclination towards evil (Genesis 8:21) the means of personal reconciliation with God are always at hand (e.g. Psalms 51:16-19, Jeremiah 29:13).”

      “The Christian missionary’s Question, “Are you saved?” is a Question having no basis in the Jewish Scriptures. Its origin lies in the New Testament and has no bearing on the spiritual life of the Jew.”

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    • This_Individual
      Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:38pm

      GARYM- “What I can’t understand is why anyone would be upset with anyone who said Jesus Christ was the only way, whether there be Jews, Atheist, Buddhist, Muslims or any other religion PRESENT, because JESUS is the only way. ”

      The discord would come from your telling others that they are wrong for what they believe, discrediting their free will to either choose to believe that your messiah is the son of Adonai or burn in hell. You militancy does a great disservice to your faith, and more importantly your God. By the way which other religion do you know that says that their God is the only true God for every human being? ISLAM. A learned person of the Jewish faith would tell you that their God (although an exclusive diety), aknowledged the existance of other Gods in Exodus 20:3 “Thou shalt have no other GODS before me” And :5 “For I the Lord Thy God am a jealous God”. This impresses exclusivity to Moses and his people who Adonai led out of Egypt. Not those of us who have chosen of out free will to pray to whom we please. Proslytizing breeds contempt. If you truly think that we are wrong for not believing in your God, then sit back and let your God deal with us.

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    • Amos37
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 12:49am

      Although the Jews serve the same God, they believe they can achieve salvation. you can’t convince them otherwise, only God can open their eyes. Remember where it says “there is no one righteous”? That proves right there that salvation cannot come by our own righteousness, but a righteousness that comes from God. Why do you think God took away the sacrifices? Because they didn’t mean anything anymore, in fact, He detested them.

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    • Luke21
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 11:08am

      @Johnny,
      “God, and no one else, provides the means of reconciliation and fellowship (2 Chronicles 7:14), which precludes any claim for atonement through the death of Jesus”

      Agreed, God alone can forgive sins. The problem here is the personhood and nature of Messiah & God’s method for forgiving sin. Who do you say Messiah is (or will be) & what is (will be) His nature and purpose?

      The disciple of Yeshua (called Christ or Messiah), aka Jesus, claims that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son of God (making Him of the same nature of His Father – i.e. God).

      As a Jew, you know full well the purpose of the sacrificial system in Torah – the purpose of the shedding of innocent blood to atone for sins. (e.g. see Lev 17:11). 2 Chr 7:14 – which speaks seemingly near as much to America in this day as it did to national Israel – does not abolish that requirement. Much of Torah is prophetic. What, for example, was Avraham acting out in Genesis 22, when he declared it Adonai Yir’eh?

      On several occasions Yeshua made claim to be able to forgive sins (e.g. Mark 2, Luke 5:21-25) and to be equal to God (John 5:18, 10:30). And His triumph was the cross – where He became the Passover for all transgressions, for all sins to deliver those who look upon Him (reminiscent of Numbers 21 and the brass serpent on the pole – for it too was a foreshadowing of things to come). Who was Yesha (Isaiah) speaking of in Isa 7:14 & 8:18? What Isa 52 & 53 about?

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    • Luke21
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 11:14am

      @Johnny cont.

      You state: “The Christian missionary’s Question, “Are you saved?” is a Question having no basis in the Jewish Scriptures.”

      What does Y’hoshua’s (Joshua) name mean? By your own words God alone can forgive (or “save”)

      We are saved by Grace through Faith in His finished work on the cross, not by our works/deeds or sacrifice of bulls, lest any man boast. For Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God – it is His gift. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

      Shalom and may it be God’s will that He reveal the true nature & purpose of His Son to you – He is The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the World and at His name every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father.

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    • Luke21
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 12:37pm

      @Individual
      It wasn’t Gary who said Yeshua “is the only way” – it was Yeshua. Your disagreement therefor is not w/ Gary (or Christians) that are doing what Yeshua commissioned them to do (proclaim the Gospel & make disciples). Your disagreement is with Yeshua (Jesus). Your parallel between Islam & Christianity falls apart on many fronts. First, Yeshua NEVER advocated violence, or deceit, or ANYTHING contrary to the Nature of Torah’s God or His law. Yeshua said:

      “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened.” (Matthew 5:17-18)

      You said “Proslytizing breeds contempt. If you truly think that we are wrong for not believing in your God, then sit back and let your God deal with us”

      Friend, our God IS your God. That is the point. Yeshua loves Israel (His brethren in the flesh) and instructs (through His word) his disciples to love Israel (the natural branch). The apostles were all Jews. We do not condemn you, for He does not condemn you (John 3:17). He IS calling Israel (& all mankind) to repent and seek Him. Think about it, the Passover was exclusive – only those w/ the blood of the lamb on the door were spared (regardless if they were Jew or gentile). In Numbers 21, only those who looked upon the serpent

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