YUJA Expands YU’s Fine Arts Publication
Yeshiva University’s Journal of Fine Arts was a small publication that flew under the radar of most of the student body. Having put out five issues in the last 10 years, with each issue averaging about 40 works, it was not nearly expansive enough to showcase the boundless creativity that YU students have to display. This semester, all of that is changing.
The Journal has undergone a makeover in nearly every facet of its existence, including its name. It is now called simply The Journal of the Arts; dropping the “Fine” from the Journal of Fine Arts has enabled the publication to expand its scope and provide a platform for those whose creativity shines in other media. “Judaism thrives on self-expression, which is really what art is all about,” remarked Aharon Nissel, one of two editors of the newly-added Performing Arts section.”If art is about self-expression, then any way that students are expressing themselves, including photography, performances, and poetry, should be [shared].”
In the past, the Journal only featured visual art and creative writing. This year, YUJA is accepting submissions of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, fine art, photography, film, music, performing arts, and design. The Journal will feature student-made works in each category, as well as written pieces that review, critique, and explore a specific work or genre. A board of 14 students — Editors-in-Chief Rocky Pincus (SCW ‘20) and Elazar Krausz (YC ‘20) and 12 section editors — are working to publish a bi-monthly issue online as well as a semiannual printed edition. The Journal has received more than 80 submissions for its first issue, which will be published this week. YUJA will be active on Facebook and Instagram, and the YUJA website will also feature a blog, with contributions by its editorial staff.
The editors hope that the revamp of the Journal will bring together a community of artists at YU and validate art both as a hobby and a course of study. “YU's students deserve to be able to showcase their creative endeavors. Having an arts journal on campus legitimizes students' work, by sending the message that YU students are making things that are worthy of publication, things that the public deserves to be able to see,” Krausz explained. “There's a feeling within YU, and within academia as a whole, that the arts aren't as important as they used to be. It feels like society can only progress through scientific and technological advances. But all the science in the world isn't going to help us understand each other better. Empathy is born from art. And I think that's the real goal of the Journal, to validate those students who focus their efforts on making the world a little more beautiful.”
Editor’s Note: The publication can be viewed and submissions made at yeshivaarts.com.
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Photo Caption: The Journal has received more than 80 submissions for its first issue, which will be published this week.
Photo Credit: YUJA
