Yeshiva University is starting its own club for LGBTQ students on its Upper Manhattan campus, the varsity announced on Monday.
University officials billed the brand new group as “an approved traditional Orthodox Alternative to YU Pride Alliance” in a memo to the community — referring to the student-led club that sued the varsity after being denied formal recognition.
“Now we have been working to formulate a Torah framework to supply our LGBTQ students with an enhanced support system that continues to facilitate their religious growth and private life journeys,” reads the letter from YU President Ari Berman, Rabbi Hershel Schachter of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and the chairmen of each boards.
Eric Baxter, senior counsel on the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, told reporters that the “Kol Yisrael Areivim” club — which loosely translates to “we’re all answerable for one another” — is the results of months of conversations about what’s “an accurate forum” for LGBTQ students.
“Where they will support each other, where they will share experiences, where they will enjoy some recreation together, where they will have events that that support their mission,” said Baxter, representing the university.
The group — which already has sign-off from university officials — can be a separate club from the YU Pride Alliance.
“The ‘Pride’ name means many alternative things to many alternative people,” said Baxter. “And a few of those meaning, or similar activities of other clubs with that name, wouldn’t be consistent with Torah values, and so that might not be possible at Yeshiva University.”
Baxter said that students from that club can be encouraged to affix the brand new group, though the university anticipates the continued lawsuit will proceed.
“The lawsuit is just not really in regards to the approval of any specific club, but causing to query Yeshiva’s ability to make religious decisions,” Baxter said.
4 current and former students with the YU Pride Alliance filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court last April, after the school denied multiple requests to register the group as a student club.
A state judge ruled within the group’s favor in June, finding the varsity must formally register the group.
The dispute briefly escalated to the Supreme Court in August, before it was sent back right down to the state courts to be heard on its merits.
University officials decided to suspend all student groups last month after the Supreme Court denied their attempt not to acknowledge the YU Pride Alliance — leading the scholar group to determine to face down on looking for recognition from the varsity to avoid upending campus life.
Student clubs are set to resume Wednesday, following the Jewish high holidays, including Sukkot and Simchat Torah, which ended over the past couple of weeks.