New York – With record number of Americans expected to tune in for Super Bowl XLVII, organizers at the self described oldest and most comprehensive Jewish educational institution in America are planning a halftime show of their own, this one with a twist of Torah.
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The idea for Yeshiva University’s Torah Halftime Super Bowl Halftime show was born last year and close to 3,000 people tuned in last February to be inspired by a twenty minute video presentation featuring words of Torah, sports and inspiration by Rabbi Ely Allen, Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff and Dr. Yitzchak Schechter.
“There was a lot of talk in the media about spirituality in sports last year because of quarterback Tim Tebow,” Moshe Isaacson, director of interactive marketing at Yeshiva University told VIN News. “The idea of combining emerging spirituality and sports was right up our alley so we spoke to a few rabbeim and the idea just took off from there.”
In addition to featuring the video on YouTube, Facebook and its own website, the yeshiva also mailed out 300 DVDs of the program to shuls, yeshivos and individuals.
“Everyone enjoys the Super Bowl,” explained Matt Yaniv, director of media relations at Yeshiva University. “Instead of making the day only about football, let’s get some Torah into the festivities.”
This year’s Torah Super Bowl show consists of a sixteen minute clip featuring three different speakers, all of whom are on the yeshiva’s faculty, and will be speaking about hashkafic lessons that can be learned from the Super Bowl.
Noted speaker Charlie Harary will be discussing the importance of focus in today’s high tech world as well as the virtue of patience. Rabbi Kenneth Brander, dean of the yeshiva’s Center for the Jewish Future, will offer thoughts from parshas Yisro on the benefits of perseverance and resilience, even as an outsider. Mrs. C.B. Neugroschl, head of the Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls will speak about incorporating enthusiasm and excitement, two elements of the Super Bowl, into daily life.
Given the positive response to last year’s Torah Halftime Show, organizers at Yeshiva University decided to produce four hundred DVDs of the program, one hundred more than last year. All four hundred DVDs have already been mailed out, just one week after the program was announced. There are no plans to produce any additional DVDs but organizers invite viewers to enjoy the program on Youtube, Facebook and at http://yu.edu/half-time/
while the whole “torah umadah” thing may be up for debate, how unfortunate that this is where modern orthodoxy is today. on paper the modern orthodox ideas may make a lot of sense and have some in the yeshivish community wondering, why can’t that work? become a doctor, pursue a secular career and also maintain a vibrant torah way of life. well here is your answer. modern orthodoxy on paper and modern orthodoxy in practice are two different things. when the foremost torah institution representing modern orthodoxy has a super bowl halftime show you know modern orthodoxy is in trouble. maybe being a little more insular isn’t that bad after all…
what a great idea!!! as a mom of a teenage son who’s obsessed with football this is one half time show that i would happily endorse!!!
A definite improvement!
I so like this, and one need not worry about wardrobe malfunctions 😉 Luke