Posted to Chabad News on

“OT @ YU” – Spreading Chassidus at Yeshiva University

A quiet revolution has been taking place between two prominent institutions in New York.

With the encouragement of the Oholei Torah Hanhola, the Zal bochurim have been going Thursday nights to Yeshiva University to learn chassidus with the YU students and arrange farbrengens. They also host annual Shabbatons in Crown Heights.

Now in its fifth year, the “OT @ YU” program has expanded to almost double its size in just this year alone. There are over seventy Chavrusas, and a demand of even more bochurim to participate due to the interest shown by the Yeshiva University students and faculty.

Each week, bochurim from Oholei Torah travel to Washington Heights to the Yeshiva University Campus, where they pair up with a student and engage in learning “Chassidus B’Chavrusa”, learning a variety of topics including Tanya, Sichos, Ma’amorim and even Gemorah with Chassidic insights.

The idea is for the Oholei Torah bochurim to use their acquired knowledge and share with others –Hafotzas Hamayonos – in a most in depth fashion. This program gives the YU students an introduction to Chabad, a warm feeling, and a good understanding of chassidus.

Its amazing to see the achdus and friendships that are built from these learning sessions. This achdus is especially expressed through the annual ‘OT@YU Shabbaton’ which brings hundreds of students from Y.U. to Crown Heights for a memorable Shabbos experience. The students have been graciously hosted by various families in Crown Heights, and they enjoyed a Shabbos filled with farbrengens, warmth and inspiration.

In addition to the weekly chavarusas this year “OT @ YU” had a special farbrengen with Rabbi Chaim Kantor, Shliach in Thailand, who gave insights into the world of shlichus.

As the weekly program and friendships continues to grow there are many more events being planned for the current year of “OT @YU”.

Its noteworthy to mention that this program is run completely by the Oholei Torah Bochurim, in a most professional manner.

If you know any YU students that can benefit from this program, or to help in sponsoring part of this project please contact Meir Dubrawsky at 347-586-3983 – or at meirdubrawsky@gmail.com.

Related Articles

36 Comments

  • Who-da Thunk

    I case anyone had any doubts about Chabad going mainstream….

    Kol Hakavod to the “OT Boyz”!!

  • Moishe Sachs

    I was zoicheh to see the Rebbe’s, z“l, very dear friend, Harav JB Soloveitchik, z”l, at the Rebbe’s 30th anniversary of his nesios. The Rav had to be supported by men on each arm since he wasn’t well & was quite weak at the time. It was quite difficult & risky for the Rav to attend, but it was something he would not miss for the world. When asked what he thought of the Rebbe’s words at the farbrengin , he gave one of the larges smiles I’ve ever seen and said something like, “like diamonds & gold!” Both men would be thrilled at the achdus, the wonderful learning, & the sharing & caring they’re showing each other.

  • scmaness@gmail.com

    b’h l guess learning chassidus is turning the yu boys into a higher level of g-diness,especially after that gay form last year,imm geula

  • oiss vorff

    i remember in the 70`s and i also heard from older guys from the 60`s ,, this was done very quietly , i had a licence , early , so i would drive yosel raitses to bais hadalmid in bensonherst , the tanya sheurim was not in there yeshiva , we met in a shul near by , and so it was in chaim berlin , after they close the lights when the bacurim were learning chasidus, way back in the 60s rabbi greenberg would learn in torah vodath , and in the 40s and 50s rabbi jacobson went to teach chasidus in torah vodath , and my father was in the class , and i went to ohhiol torah , as u can tell ,i cant spell

  • Proud Chabad Stern Woman

    Great job OT!! Yes, there is a Chabad Club at YC (Yeshiva College) and at Stern College. They are separate and amazing!

  • meir dubrawsky

    meir dubrawsky

    keep up the amazing work!

    i hear the program is bigger then ever

    hatzlachah rabbah

  • Is David Berger aware?

    This seems to be an unbelievable revolution in light of the fact that David Berger is the head of Jewish Studies at YU. THis particular project is probably outside the control of his department, but it is a tremendous Nitzachon over a man who attempted, and B“H failed, to convince mainstream Orthodoxy to distance itself from Chabad. B”H the opposite has happened and the Rebbe and his indomitable force has continued to revolutionize yiddishkeit in modern times beyond anyone’s wildest imagination!

  • impressed

    yaasher koach to you all!!!the maayanos are spreading-and will bring Moshiach now!!!!

  • Curious

    Are you sure it’s not just that more lubabs are ending up in YU so the bochurim have with whom to study?

  • Retire YU Chabad Club Pres

    There is a Chabad Club at YU. The number of actual lubavitchers is pretty low (probably under 10), but there are a lot more that have a connection to Chabad, or just enjoy a good Shabbaton to Crown Heights and Chassidus.

  • god-s right hand man

    tuition isn’t nothing so pay the heights because it is on someone’s account as more than two kinds of jews agree everyone wants a blessing~*!*~&!chazack the wok and talk of communities reading vayechi worldwide~*!~&!*~!&~

  • Support them

    Wow!! What an amazing job well done by Oholei Torah. I am encouraging everyone to support them and helping spreading Chassiduss. Meir, you are doing a great job. Keep up the good job

  • Mordechai Yisroel

    This is truely Hafatzas Hamyanos Chutza. This is spreading Chassidus. Don’t have 2 start with Tanya Hychaltzu is also just as good or Derech Mitzvosecha. Y does every1 think u gotta start with tanya. Big Mistake bec they only think that Tanya is Chassidus & they know nothing of the other parts.

  • Chabad at YU

    Number 20, so what if there are? That just means there are more to spread the light of Chassidus.

  • Shvencianer

    My friends-do not go into hispayles so quickly. Every year more and more fellas from Lubavitch register as full time students at YU. Kiruv is a two way street-the mushpoyim can influence the mashpiyim as well.If I’m not mistaken wasn’t the policy in Lubavitch one of no college?

  • Chabad of YU

    These programs have been going on for far more than five years. I was at YU eight years ago and we had weekly learning with OT bochurim and annual Shabbatons. Yosef Levine is the godfather of it all, thanks should go to him.

  • DWELVE -- see poster wording

    The use of English by OT “boyz” is picturesque, indeed!

    Note the use of the made-up word “dwelve” (a combination of “dwell” and “delve”?) on the poster. Actually, even though it’s either a typo or a mistaken notion that there is such a word, it’s a very nice invention for this purpose.

    Hashgocha pratis?

    (Nevertheless, I don’t think the powers that be would be happy to see such embarrassing errors in a document going to a college, meant to attract participants by speaking “their language” with respect.)

  • Svencianer

    No. 32: I’m sorry but it was a tremendous discouragement. You couldn’t go to college and remain a chosid in good standing unless you got special permission.

  • YU bochur

    Readers should be aware that “faculty” actually do not really encourage this. Many RIETS/YU Rashei Yeshiva are publically against it