Herschel Hartz Promoted to Program Administrator of Undergraduate Torah Studies

Rabbi Herschel Hartz, former assistant director of the Office of Student Life (OSL), was promoted this July to program administrator of Undergraduate Torah Studies (UTS). 

Hartz, promoted by the UTS Dean Rabbi Yosef Kalinsky, is succeeding Rabbi Etan Schnall, who left to become a rabbi of a shul in Queens. He will be working directly with Kalinsky and BMP Mashgiach Rabbi Elisha Bacon to provide programming and create a better UTS experience for students.

Hartz’s switch to UTS was also partially due to the fact that he wanted to work more with students to help improve their Torah learning and help them grow spiritually. 

“​I switched to UTS,” Hartz told The Commentator, “because I felt my presence there would provide a more positive impact on Yeshiva in general and would allow me to pursue my true love, developing close relationships with our talmidim. Through programming, we can help to provide for the vehicles of their growth, whether that program be in the physical or spiritual realm.”

In his role, he will be able to support students on a more personal level to help better schoolwide programming and events for a better positive change on campus. 

Hartz is excited about his promotion and hopes to accomplish a lot.

“​I am beyond thrilled to be able to continue my work at Yeshiva. There are many people in UTS who care a lot about the talmidim and the experience they have in Yeshiva and in this institution, which we all deeply care about. That inspires me.

“Every talmid deserves to see that love and support that is already there and see it expressed in the great programming and Shabbos experiences we want to build for each and every one of them, each of them with different needs and demands. With that great support from UTS staff and especially Rabbi Kalinsky, I am confident we will accomplish a lot for all of our dear talmidim.”

Hartz has already planned events in his new role, including planning, together with Rabbi Kalinsky, the YUnite shabbaton at Camp Romimu.

Hartz received semicha and a master’s degree in Modern Jewish History from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies (BR) in 2013. He has also taught at Isaac Breuer College of Hebraic Studies (IBC), beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2018. In February 2021, Hartz joined OSL as a program manager, and was promoted to assistant director that September. Hartz has also founded Chabad of Inwood and Omanut: Jewish Uptown Arts, which promotes Jewish values through art, to better benefit the Jewish community in Washington Heights, where he resides. 

In the 2021–’22 academic year, in his role as assistant director of OSL, Hartz helped organize campus events, including the American Dream Mall Chanukah takeover event and the Nissim Black concert on Israeli Independence Day.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Oct. 8 to reflect that Hartz was promoted to program administrator of Undergraduate Torah studies and to more accurately detail his activities in Washington Heights. A previous version of this article stated that Hartz was appointed to program director of Undergraduate Torah Studies.

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Photo Caption: Hartz began as UTS program administrator this July

Photo Credit: Yeshiva University