Yeshiva University, the Jewish College Basketball Powerhouse The NBA cheers the Maccabees after their 50-game win streak.By Ari Berman
The Jewish people can take pride in collective accomplishments across a range of human endeavors. I never imagined that basketball would be one of them, but it’s not the only thing that’s taken me by surprise since I became president of Yeshiva University four years ago.
As 2021 came to an end, so did our Division III basketball team’s remarkable 50-game winning streak. The Yeshiva University Maccabees had not lost a game since Nov. 9, 2019, when they fell to Illinois Wesleyan on Dec. 30. The accomplishment still was notable enough for the National Basketball Association to tweet congratulations, and I’ve spent some time reflecting on what it all means.
When I took this job, I anticipated celebrating student success in rabbinics, law, the humanities, business, tech and science. I never expected the energy and excitement of presiding over a sports powerhouse. For the past few years, I have watched game after game in which young men with great Jewish pride score basket after basket. It is beautiful and breathtaking to see their graceful play and teamwork in action.
Many have asked me if I think these wins are an act of divine intervention. This is the wrong question. As a rabbi—as a Jew, for that matter—I believe that everything in life involves divine intervention coupled with human agency. Even losing. The right question is: How could a small research university produce such a team?
Yeshiva University’s motto and curriculum are based on the integration of the best of Jewish studies, prayer, and piety with the best of general studies. Because our graduates are secure in their faith, and their particularism, we hope that they will leave here confident in their universalism. Our tradition drives us to become leaders who make significant contributions to the world at large.
In that tradition, we are told to ask questions, to be curious, to experience wonder, to strive for truth. We believe from the first chapter in Genesis in the infinite worth of every human life and in the value of life itself. Our aspiration is to advance a more just and moral society with compassion and kindness. In the spirit of the prophets, we teach our children that faith shapes their character, helps them endure hardships, and galvanizes them to redeem the world. We try to live up to these ideals, which continue to guide us daily.
Throughout history, the Jewish people have always been small in number. We’re often put on the defensive but find the ingenuity and inner strength to view setbacks as springboards. And we tend to set the bar high to drive future success.
That is why this team, the Maccabees, inspires so many. It’s not only that they win but how they win. They play with sportsmanship and selflessness. They rise early in the morning and practice late at night, fitting basketball into a daily regimen that includes a dual curriculum of academic and Torah studies. Against seemingly all odds, they set as their goal to win the National College Athletic Association championship. And they know that by playing for Yeshiva University, they represent not just a school but a people.
In these days filled with rapid change, confusion and uncertainty, our students fill me with confidence in the next generation. To have spent this past season cheering for our team has been an unexpected gift and a respite from the swirling news cycle. It also has confirmed why Jews have stayed relevant from Sinai to today. We are strong on the court because we are strong off the court.
Our history has taught us a lot about resilience and adaptability. It has infused us with a set of values that gives us an enduring mission and purpose. In Hebrew, the root of the word for victory is the same as the word for eternity. By playing for eternity, we always walk off the court as champions.
Rabbi Berman is president of Yeshiva University.
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