Very few colleges in America are able to combine secular and religious studies in one setting; however the Yeshiva University (http://www.yu.edu/) located in Midtown Manhattan, is a private university that combines Jewish knowledge with the studies of liberal arts, sciences, mathematics, law, business, Jewish studies and education, psychology, and social work. Yeshiva University in New York allows students of a non-denominational or non-Jewish background to learn the teaching of the Torah and to combine its philosophy in their studies.
The history of Yeshiva University established all the way back to 1886 when the Etz Chaim Yeshiva was founded on the Lower East Side of Manhattan as an elementary school for the Eastern European immigrants. It was here that the Rabbi Issac Elchanan Theological Seminary(RIETS) in 1896, which allowed graduates of the Etz Chaim to continue their education. In 1897 the school was charted by New York, and in 1903 the first class of three rabbis were ordained.In 1915 the RIETS and Etz Chaim merged.
Over the years the Yeshiva University in New York has expanded itself into about 20 different colleges, high schools, centers and other affiliations. There are six campuses around Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, and there is also one in Israel. It has three undergraduate schools: the Stern College for Women, Yeshiva College, and the Sy Syms School of Business. The Stern College for Women was established in 1954; it is the women’s undergraduate college for arts and sciences. Yeshiva College established in 1928 is the men’s counterpart of Stern College for Women. It is the men’s college for liberal arts and sciences. The Sy Syms School of Business established in 1987 is both an undergraduate and graduate programs for both men and women . About 3,100 undergraguate students, 3,500 graduate students, and 1,000 high school students across the city. In 2007 the university announced having 1,822 degrees to study.
Yeshiva University has been extremely successful in its years as a university. It has been ranked 50th best National University in 2009. It has been placed as one of the top three universities in New York along with Columbia University and New York University. They were also ranked 68th in by The Times Higher Education in 2011. Throughout Yeshiva University’s history, the school has managed to keep true to its motto: Torah Umadda, meaning “Torah and secular knowledge” combining the best of contemporary education and the timeless teachings of the Torah.
