100th Commentator Editor-in-Chief Announced for Volume 87
Sruli Fruchter (YC ‘22), current senior news editor for The Commentator, has been selected as the 100th editor-in-chief of The Commentator by outgoing Editor-In-Chief Yosef Lemel (YC ‘21). The transition will occur after this year’s final print issue is distributed on the Wilf Campus, which will most likely occur on Tuesday, May 4 or Wednesday, May 5. As of the time of publication, there are no plans to immediately select a managing editor.
Fruchter, a rising senior, is a pre-law student studying International and Global Affairs. He began writing for The Commentator in his first year at YU in Fall 2019 and has written 47 articles since. He was promoted to junior news editor in April 2020, and soon after, in May 2020, was offered the senior news editor position. Fruchter is a Dean’s Scholar and a fellow for the World Jewish Congress. Additionally, Fruchter is a co-founder and one of the heads of the YU Stands with Uighurs club.
Lemel told Fruchter of his promotion to the newspaper’s top position on March 25. Commenting on why he selected Fruchter, Lemel said, "Over the past two years, I have been impressed by Sruli's work ethic. Though he had little editorial experience at the time, I appointed him as the senior news editor in May because I thought he had what it took to make the news section great. Indeed, he did.” He continued, “This year's news section, under Sruli's leadership, has regularly released high-quality and accurate articles on a host of issues. I am confident that Sruli will continue maintaining a high level of professionalism and competence at the helm of Yeshiva's newspaper of record."
Jared Scharf (YC ‘22), incoming senior news editor and former co-editor with Fruchter, commented as well, saying: “Sruli and I have known each other since we were little. I was excited to work with him when I joined the team as a news editor, and am even more excited to work with him in his new capacity as Editor-in-Chief.” Scharf added, ”Editor-in-Chief Yosef Lemel’s leadership was also amazing to work under; he left large shoes for Sruli to fill, but Sruli has large feet.”
Fruchter’s parents were also excited about the news.“We are so proud of Sruli. His dedication, commitment and love for YU is very strong,” they expressed in a joint statement. “We know he will be an outstanding editor-in-chief and a welcome addition to the long, proud history of The Commentator.”
Senior editors of the 2021-2022 board will include Jared Scharf (YC ‘22) as senior news editor, Daniel Melool (YC ‘22) as senior features editor, Naftali Shavelson (YC ‘ 22) as senior opinions editor and Max Ash (SSSB ‘22) as senior business editor.
“For next year, I am excited to continue propelling The Commentator’s growth in serving the YU community,” shared Fruchter. “We hope to broaden our coverage and staff — in all sections — to include our fellow students on the Beren Campus. The Commentator is seeking to further strengthen and enhance each of its sections in terms of quality, content and initiatives. I encourage all students, faculty, rebbeim and administrators to reach out to get involved.”
