October News Brief: YU Celebrates Return of the Hostages; Beren Bomb Threat; YU Rises to #84 in U.S. News Ranking
Wilf and Beren Celebrate the Return of 20 Living Hostages to Israel
On Oct. 20, dozens of Stern College and GPATS students gathered in the 245 Beit Midrash to celebrate the Oct. 13 return to Israel of the 20 remaining living hostages.
Rabbi Azriel Fine led the event. He opened with words of Torah, citing a Gemara about thanking God for both good and difficult events, and reflected on the many gatherings over the past two years when students and faculty prayed and mourned for Israel — emphasizing the importance now of expressing gratitude. He then led the room in Tehillim.
“I found the event to be both inspirational and uniting,” Jessica Raksi (SCW ‘26) told The Commentator. “It delivered a sense of closure and relief to the Stern community, who has taken a large part in the care and concern over our brothers and sisters who have been and still are being held captive.”
“After gathering countless times over the past 2 years to mourn together, and daven together for the protection of acheinu Bnei Yisrael it was very meaningful to be able to join together and as a community offer hodaah [gratitude] to Hashem for the miraculous return of the remaining living hostages and the bodies of fallen hostages,” Rabbi Fine told The Commentator.
On the Wilf Campus, roshei yeshiva Rabbi Meir Goldwicht and Rabbi Eliakim Koenigsberg spoke during morning seder in the Glueck and Fischel batei midrash, respectively, “helping us frame our thoughts on the truly unique events unfolding in Eretz Yisrael,” Mashgiach Rabbi Ely Bacon wrote on WhatsApp after the event.
Rabbi Goldwicht, speaking in Hebrew, cited Tehillim 30:12 about turning mourning into dancing, while Rabbi Koenigsberg discussed “When Hashem returned the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers” (Tehillim 126:1). Tehillim were recited afterward.
Beren Campus Declared Safe Following Bomb Threat
An anonymous bomb threat emailed to YU’s Beren Campus on Oct. 8 was later deemed “unfounded and a false threat” following an investigation by the NYPD, the university confirmed.
According to YU Security, the email was not discovered until the following morning, prompting precautionary measures and a temporary advisory for students to remain indoors. “The NYPD is on the Beren Campus at 245 Lexington Avenue investigating an anonymous and unverified email bomb threat,” the initial message to students stated. “We are following our protocols that we have in place. The NYPD will advise us if any further action is needed.”
In a follow-up email, the administration reported that the police had “thoroughly investigated and confirmed that the bomb threat was unfounded and a false threat.” The statement thanked the NYPD and campus security for their “professional and comprehensive response” and reassured students that there was “no current danger to our campus community.”
This was not the first time Yeshiva University has received a bomb threat. In a similar incident on Jan. 31, 2022, a phone call threat prompted the NYPD to investigate the university’s Wilf Campus. That threat was deemed unfounded, and an all-clear was issued shortly thereafter.
The incident comes amid a rise in antisemitic threats and rhetoric across New York City. Recent controversial remarks by local political figures have intensified concerns within the city’s Jewish community about antisemitic sentiment in public discourse.
According to the NYPD, there were 344 anti-Jewish hate crimes reported in New York City in 2024, which corresponded to over half of all hate crimes that year. The trend persisted into 2025, with 54% of confirmed hate-crime incidents in NYC during March targeting Jews.
YU Rises to #84 in US News Ranking
Yeshiva University rose to #84 in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings, up from #98 last year. The university also advanced 10 spots among top national private universities, ranking #43 out of 50 schools.
Additionally, YU improved its position among Best Value Schools, achieving #44, and maintained its lead over other universities in New York City. A YU News post also noted that YU ranks “#2 nationally among schools with fewer than 3,000 undergraduates, just behind Caltech.”
“Yeshiva University’s rise in the U.S. News & World Report rankings reflects the fulfillment of its mandate — to combine academic excellence with a values-based education that actualizes every student’s potential,” a YU spokesperson told The Commentator. “Fueled by record enrollment, a surge in honors applications, and graduates achieving at the highest levels, the rise underscores the quality and caliber of YU’s student body.”
In 2023, YU fell from #67 to #105 in the national university rankings, which the university attributed to “changes in the ranking methodology.”
According to the U.S. News & World Report, the rankings are based on data from primary and secondary sources, primarily the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). This includes statistics schools provide directly for the year in question, or, if unavailable, data from the previous year.
Photo Caption: Beren Campus
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University
