The belated (April 3, 2025) publication of the Hareni Club Protocols (“Exhibit B”) has allowed us to clarify and, perhaps for the first time, accurately contextualize elements of the Hareni Club agreement.
The recent agreement contractually commits to, sanctions and institutionalizes not only the L.G.B.T.Q. nomenclature but its agenda as well.
In April 2021, the Y.U. Pride Alliance filed suit against Y.U., alleging discrimination and demanding that Yeshiva recognize a Gay Pride Club.
Y.U., in its filing with the courts in 2021 and 2022, correctly exposed the Plaintiffs’ heretical goals “to change Yeshiva’s Torah-based understanding of L.G.B.T.Q. issues.” Y.U. even incorporated the Plaintiff’s actual self-revelatory words, as evidenced in this next sentence. “And (the) Plaintiff’s desired goal – forcing Yeshiva to make “cultural changes” to its religious environment and “make a statement.”” (See pages App.246, App.251 here.)
The Plaintiffs’ strategy and methods were also exposed. As summarized by Justice Alito, “To facilitate these goals, the Alliance planned to host events that framed Jewish practices and religious events through an LGBTQ lens.” (See Yeshiva University, et al, v. YU Pride Alliance, et al.)
All this notwithstanding, Y.U., לדאבון לבנו ולעגמת נפשנו, on March 20, 2025, incredibly announced that it had agreed to a club wherein students openly identify as (and thereby openly identify with the philosophy of) L.G.B.T.Q. In its contractual commitment to this L.G.B.T.Q. club, which was revealed when “Exhibit B” was later unsealed, Y.U. pre-approved events such as “Mishloach Manot project”, “pre-holiday events such as pre-Rosh Hashana/ pre-Pesach (dinner and discussion)” etc. – i.e., events which implement the very strategy and methods of the Pride Alliance.
Y.U. also pre-approved “a professional networking/career development event” which further signified the ignoble agenda of the students’ Hareni Club. Such an event fosters active L.G.B.T.Q. identification in the workplace, while clearly betraying Y.U.’s ostensible, exclusive goal of a club which fosters and strengthens genuine commitment to Torah.
The Pride Alliance embarked upon a heretical campaign “to change Yeshiva’s Torah-based understanding of L.G.B.T.Q. issues” and to make “cultural changes.” They formulated a strategic plan for this campaign, i.e., to “frame Jewish practices and religious events through an L.G.B.T.Q. lens.” Y.U., in the Hareni Club agreement, mind bogglingly approved that insidious plan.
Effectively, Y.U. approved not only a social, professional gay club but one for כפירה.
אוי לעינים שכך רואות, אוי לאזנים שכך שומעות.
The mythical, illusory notion that the goals or methods of the club have changed since 2021-2022 is belied by the fact that the current students also insist upon identifying as L.G.B.T.Q. and by the representative, self-revelatory, celebratory, triumphant reactions of the co-presidents of the Hareni Club. (e.g., “I think this will really show that there is no separation between being queer and being a Jew . . .”, Hayley Goldberg (New York Times, March 20, 2025); “This agreement was a huge step in terms of normalizing being queer at YU”, Schneur Friedman (InsideHigherEd.com, March 26, 2025).)
This communication is intended to provide clarity and direction, not engage in condemnation. But without recognizing that this agreement is a staggering, sacrilegious, self-destructive travesty, it is nigh impossible to recognize Yeshiva’s exigent obligations at this moment.
Moving forward with clarity and correct(ed) context, it is abundantly clear that such a club categorically cannot (continue to) exist. The agreement constitutes a חלול השם, זיוף התורה and חורבן הישיבה, and, as such, cannot be countenanced at all for any period.
Mayer Twersky
1 Iyar, 5785