NYC Gazette

During the winter break of 2025, Yeshiva University's Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought organized a trip to Vienna, Austria. The trip was designed for Straus Scholars to explore the historical and contemporary Jewish community in Vienna through the lens of Torah and Western thought.

The program commenced with a lecture by Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik, Director of the Straus Center, at Chabad House of Vienna. He spoke on "The Light of the Torah and the Enlightenment: Jewish Ideas in German-Speaking Lands." Rabbi Soloveichik remarked, “To visit Vienna is unlike anything else on Earth. The buildings from the Hapsburg empire still stand.” He discussed notable Jewish figures such as Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and Moses Mendelssohn, highlighting their contributions to religious freedom and equality.

Rabbi Soloveichik also contrasted Lessing’s views with Friedrich Schiller's "Ode to Joy," noting that while Jews embraced universalistic ideals, they faced persecution in later centuries. This backdrop inspired Viennese journalist Theodore Herzl to found the modern Zionist movement. Herzl argued that “Jews will only be accepted if we illuminate the outside world and proclaim monotheism - teaching of the one God that creates all humans.”

The following day, scholars toured the Austrian Parliament to learn about its political history, including Herzl’s Zionist party. They visited an exhibit curated by Rifka Junger showcasing Jewish life in Vienna and addressing antisemitism. Discussions with Jewish members of Parliament Dr. Martin Engelberg and David Pinchasov highlighted the revival of Jewish life in Vienna.

Rabbi Soloveichik led a walking tour featuring significant sites like Hofberg Palace and a residence of Herzl where he recounted Herzl's meeting with Mark Twain. Students also met Yaffa Olivitsky, Israeli consul to Austria, who shared her diplomatic experiences.

The group visited locations linked to both Herzl and Freud, though they never met each other. At the Freud Museum, Rabbi Soloveichik lectured on Freud's complex relationship with Judaism. They also visited Holocaust memorials where they prayed and paid respects.

Dinner discussions included efforts towards positive relations between local Jewish and Muslim communities in Vienna compared to other European cities facing antisemitic riots. Dr. Shaina Trapedo delivered a lecture on biblical translation politics in Shakespeare’s works.

Rabbi Soloveichik concluded with reflections on dreams in Freudian thought and biblical narratives, emphasizing seizing opportunities when they arise: “Sometimes they will rise or fall. But it is crucial to seize the moments, to be awake when they present themselves, and realize their potential.”