Why Y(o)U Should Stay in For Shabbos

One of the most common complaints I hear from YU students is that the university doesn’t always feel like a yeshiva. We have the shiurim, we have the rebbeim and we have the learning, but it can’t be compared to a traditional yeshiva. Something about the atmosphere feels different from the Israeli yeshivas many YU students are familiar with. I believe that one major reason for the difference is the rhythm of Shabbos on campus.

Because most classes wrap up on Thursday afternoon, and a large percentage of YU students are “in-towners,” many feel a natural instinct to pack up, head home for Shabbos and only return on Monday morning. This phenomenon is exacerbated by the fact that YU doesn’t schedule “in-Shabbosim” the way Israeli yeshivas do. This is college; nothing is mandatory. Why should anyone stay in if they can enjoy a 72-hour weekend with home-cooked food and their own bed?

As a result, many people raise eyebrows at the students who do remain on campus for Shabbos, especially when an “in-towner” chooses to stay in. But I believe that if we genuinely want YU to feel more like a yeshiva, with a stronger sense of community, a richer spiritual life and a more satisfying college experience, then more students should try staying in for Shabbos. When I started to stay in for Shabbos, I felt so much more grounded and productive, and the atmosphere on campus shifted completely.

Let me dispel any quick concerns: Shabbos at YU isn’t boring, empty or second-rate. In fact, it’s pretty amazing. Every week, on the Wilf Campus, YU brings in rabbanim who give shiurim, host tisches and create the yeshiva-environment kind of energy that we crave. 

While it will never compete with a home-cooked meal, the food, which is now fully catered, has seriously improved after some early-semester mishaps. More importantly, staying in offers the opportunity to daven with your friends, just like you would do in yeshiva. There are plenty of davening options depending on what style you’re looking for. Friday night alone has four different options for davening (five, if you count Shenk), with a fast-paced minyan, a slow one, a Sephardic minyan and even a vibrant Carlebach-style minyan. Shabbos day has many options also, with times ranging from hashkama to 9 a.m. YU allows you to essentially tailor your Shabbos experience to your personality and preferences.

Staying in for Shabbos doesn’t just elevate 25 hours; it transforms your whole weekend. Thursday nights come alive with pickleball in the gym and SOY’s Deep Into the Night Kollel (DINK) complete with cholent. Friday mornings offer multiple opportunities to learn: Rav Schachter gives a parsha shiur, Rav Djavaheri gives a mussar shiur (plus breakfast) and there is an open beis medrash all day. The gym is also open, giving everyone a chance to reset and release some energy after a long week. Sunday on campus is also surprisingly active, with intramural frisbee games and plenty of relaxed but productive campus time. Without a commute, weekends are longer, which is ideal for catching up on assignments, doing laundry, organizing your week or just taking a breather without the pressure of running between Manhattan and home. Staying in also ensures that you don’t have to worry about missing shiur on Sunday!

For me, maybe the best part of staying in for Shabbos has been the people. YU is a busy campus. With everyone running on different class schedules, shiur times and extracurriculars, it is often difficult to find time to hang out with friends. Shabbos slows everything down. Meals become long conversations. Shabbos gives the opportunity to meet people you’ve never met before and reconnect with friends you’ve been meaning to catch up with. The campus feels smaller, warmer and more like a genuine community. That sense of belonging, of being part of something bigger, doesn’t happen during the Monday-to-Thursday rush. It happens on Shabbos. 

So why should you stay in YU for Shabbos? Because you’ll feel more connected. Because you’ll help foster a yeshiva environment. Because you’ll be more productive and you’ll build real friendships. You should stay in for Shabbos because YU is at its best when students choose to be here not because they have to, but because they want to. 

I’m not trying to convince anyone to stay in every week, or even every other one. But I think that every YU student can gain from trying out Shabbos on campus at least once. You might find that YU feels a lot more like home.

Photo Caption: A Wilf Campus Shabbos Schedule

Photo Credit: Baruch Bluth