Yeshiva University: A New York Court Denies Its Religious Freedom

LGBTQ issues are some of the most controversial and divisive in the country. They touch on difficult questions, generating passionate views on both sides. Accordingly, we should cultivate a space where such issues can be appropriately reconciled through honest persuasion. We should not, however, use the heavy hand of government to force religious institutions into violating their collective conscience.

That is exactly what occurred on Tuesday in a court case involving my school, Yeshiva University. YU, an Orthodox Jewish university in New York City, is the flagship institution of American Modern Orthodoxy, a religious ideology that seeks to meld the richness of Jewish tradition with modern advances in science, technology, and general knowledge. To me and many other American Jews, YU represents the remarkable nature of the Jewish experience in the United States, a country that has allowed us to participate in public life while representing our faith proudly. But YU’s right to act according to its deeply held religious beliefs took a blow when a New York judge issued an injunction forcing the school to recognize an LGBTQ club on campus.

About the Author

Natan Ehrenreich

Natan Ehrenreich, a recent graduate of Yeshiva University, is a writing fellow at National Review.

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LGBTQ issues are some of the most controversial and divisive in the country. They touch on difficult questions, generating passionate views on both sides. Accordingly, we should cultivate a space where such issues can be appropriately reconciled through honest persuasion. We should not, however, use the heavy hand of government to force religious institutions into violating their collective conscience.

That is exactly what occurred on Tuesday in a court case involving my school, Yeshiva University. YU, an Orthodox Jewish university in New York City, is the flagship institution of American Modern Orthodoxy, a religious ideology that seeks to meld the richness of Jewish tradition with modern advances in science, technology, and general knowledge. To me and many other American Jews, YU represents the remarkable nature of the Jewish experience in the United States, a country that has allowed us to participate in public life while representing our faith proudly. But YU’s right to act according to its deeply held religious beliefs took a blow when a New York judge issued an injunction forcing the school to recognize an LGBTQ club on campus.