New Format for YCT Newsletter

Rabbi Linzer heading one of the early parashah sheets

Earlier this summer, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School changed up its newsletter, going for a weekly format sent out in pdf. As stated with the earliest issues, “the YCT newsletter is undergoing some significant reconstruction. More than simply a new design, the changes reflect our desire to better connect with and serve our supporters, our friends, and the broader community. We aim to give you more interesting, relevant, and useful content, and to do so more regularly.”¹   Previously, YCT’s newsletters had been going out on a monthly basis, but, since there was a lot going on, it was decided to switch to a weekly format.²

The new format started off with an experiment in the first couple of issues – 2 June 2014 & 13 June 2014 – with a four-paged parasha section in one pdf, each featuring a דבר תורה from Rabbi Dov Linzer (ראש הישיבה and dean), Rabbi Asher Lopatin (president), and an alumnus, along with a brief highlighting of an alumnus (2 June) or a current student (13 June).  The second pdf was a one-page feature on the alumnus or student who was mentioned briefly in the weekly parashah file.

The first section two of the new YCT newsletter

The next few went similarly for section 1, which was the parashah element, with Rabbi Linzer, a guest דבר תורה by either an alumnus or a current student, following up with a דבר תורה from Rabbi Lopatin, and finishing up with a little teaser of a highlight of a student or alumnus.   In these following three, the new second section featured news and more, including the alumnus/student spotlight and ran for 2-4 pages.

The following couple of issues changed up a little bit in section 1: Rabbi Lopatin’s דבר תורה was moved up to the front of section 1, followed by Rabbi Linzer’s, then an alumnus or student, followed by the brief snippet of a spotlight on an alumnus or student.  Section 2 in these issues consisted of 2-3 pages of news, etc., including the expanded spotlight on an alumnus or student.

Rabbi Lopatin newly heading parashah section

The two most recent issues have changed only slightly in section 1: Rabbi Lopatin’s דבר תורה is still the first one, followed by Rabbi Linzer, then a guest דבר תורה by either an alumnus or a current student (so far, just alumni), but now there is no brief teaser spotlight of a student or alumnus, presumably because it’s expanded in the second section, anyway.  The reason that there had been a spotlight teaser on a student or an alumnus in the first section was because it was initially intended for this first section to be printed out for availability at shuls.³   The second section continues to have a bunch of interesting updates and more, with such sections as News, Coming Events, In The Press, Alumni Spotlight, and Mazal Tov.

It seems that this new style of communication may still be undergoing some changes, but it is an exciting new way for this school to communicate with its stakeholders.  If you would like to receive the YCT newsletter, you can email SLevee@YCTorah.org to be on the email list.  For a listing of all of the newsletters of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in the new format, you can see below:

¹ Sara LeVee, “Changes Coming to the YCT Newsletter”, News from YCT (2 June 2014) [email] ↩
² Sara LeVee, phone conversation with author (29 July 2014).↩

³ Sara LeVee, phone conversation with author (29 July 2014).↩

Related posts:

New Center for Halakhic Studies to Open Under the Direction of Rabbi Ysoscher Katz