After interviewing the students, parents, deans, and religious leaders involved, it was apparent that the real cause of Yale’s displeasure with the Orthodox students could be summed up by the catchphrase “follow the money.” I quote from my article:
When Rachel Wohlgelernter wrote to John Loge, the Dean of her Resident College, to express her concern that living in the dormitory would compromise her religious convictions, she also explained that she planned to get married at the end of December. He replied that Yale was not willing to bend on its policies. However, he recognized that she was an adult and that she could choose to live elsewhere as long as she paid for a dorm room. In the past, Orthodox students have done just that, paying twice for living accommodations.
This attitude is tantamount to “exacting a poll tax from people who want to observe and live according to their religious views,” argued Rabbi Daniel Greer (father of Yale freshman Batsheva). “Yale doesn’t have bed checks. They don’t care whether these students are sleeping in their rooms.”
Helen Zegerman Schwimmer
Brooklyn, NY