Statement on Preserving the Unity of the Yeshiva University Community
We, the undersigned students, faculty and alumni of Yeshiva University, write to express our concern regarding this year’s commencement speaker.
Commencement serves as a moment of reflection regarding achievement and aspiration. It is one of the rare moments when a broader university community comes together, in this case, to celebrate and honor its graduates. This makes it a uniquely meaningful occasion, one in which graduates and their families should be able to participate feeling welcomed, respected and united. This is true of any university, but especially of Yeshiva University, the flagship institution of Torah U’Madda — a worldview that, for its adherents, rises above political viewpoints of a given day.
A commencement speaker is not simply any guest speaker. He or she should represent both the message and spirit of the occasion, and should deliver a charge to the graduates — all of the graduates — that reflects the essential, timeless values of the institution.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee is perceived by many as a polarizing political figure. His public rhetoric and political identity evoke strong reactions across the political spectrum. Regardless of individual views on his positions or his strong support for Israel and the Jewish people, his selection as commencement speaker risks shifting the focus of the ceremony away from the core identity and mission of the institution and from the collective celebration of the day, towards political positioning. This makes him a difficult choice for an event intended to unify the graduating class and send them into the world with pride and inspiration.
To be clear, this is not an argument against political discourse and engaging with diversity of ideas in the university setting. Universities should host challenging, provocative and politically diverse speakers. Rigorous engagement with differing perspectives is central to both higher education and to Torah learning.
But commencement is not a forum for debate and challenge. It is a ceremonial moment of collective celebration, and a final, powerful reminder to the graduates of the core mission of their institution. Not every appropriate campus speaker is necessarily an appropriate commencement speaker.
While we respect that this decision was made with intention, we hope that future commencement speaker selections more carefully consider the unique role commencement plays in fostering a sense of shared belonging across the university community. This letter comes from a place of care for the student experience, the integrity of the occasion and the values of unity and community that commencement is meant to embody.
Sincerely,
Breindy Berger (SCW ‘26)
Bruria Schwartz (SCW ‘26)
Selma Spinner (SCW ‘27)
Tanni Cohen (SCW ‘28)
Yechiel Amar (YC ‘26)
Hindy Hamburger (SCW ‘26)
Tova Berger (SCW ‘27)
Aviv Amar (SCW ‘27)
Tamara Yeshurun (SCW ‘26)
Shayna Rose (SCW ‘29)
Tali Isaacs (SCW ‘27)
Avigail Koslowe (SCW ‘26)
Ariella Borah (SCW ‘26)
Nissim Farhy (YC ‘27)
Chaya Juni (GPATS ‘27)
Ezra Muskat (YC ‘25)
Sara Lesczynski (SCW ‘25)
Baruch Berger (YC ‘25)
Yitzhak Graff (YC ‘25)
Shoshanah Weisinger (SCW ‘13)
Joelle Bollag (SCW ‘98)
Seamus O’Malley, Professor, Department of English, SCW
Jeffrey Freedman, Professor and Chair, Department of History, YC and SCW
Rebecca Chalmé, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, YC and SCW
David Glaser, Professor, Department of Music, SCW
Nora Nachumi, Professor, Department of English, SCW
Douglas Burgess, Professor, Department of History, YC and SCW
Erik Mintz, Adjunct Professor, Department of English, SCW
Lauren Fitzgerald, Professor, Department of English, YC
Jenny Isaacs, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, YC
David Lavinsky, Associate Professor, Department of English, YC
Carrie Shanafelt, Lecturer, Department of English, YC
Ann Peters, Associate Professor, Department of English, SCW
Matt Miller, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of English, SCW
Nikola Ksiazek, Adjunct Instructor, Department of Political Science, YC
Elizabeth Stewart, Professor and Chair, Department of English, YC
Traci Tullius, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Studio Art, SCW
Gabriel Cwilich, Professor, Department of Physics, YC
William Stenhouse, Professor, Department of History, YC and SCW
Samuel Gold, Senior Academic Advisor, SSSB
Signatures are still being collected at the time of publication.
This article was edited for clarity.
Photo caption: 2024 Yeshiva University Commencement
Photo credit: Flickr
