importance of more than one Modern Orthodox approach

In the last few years, we have seen the growth of the Orthodox world in terms of day schools and high schools and the like. A lot of the Rebbeim in these schools used to be the products of the Chafetz Chaim, Ner Yisrael Yeshivas. However, in recent years, thanks to the advent of the year in Israel as well as the upgrade in Yeshiva University, more and more teachers in Modern Orthodox institutions are coming from Yeshiva University and to a lesser extent, the Yeshivot Hesder.



In Seattle, where I grew up, the YU presence isn't as strong, because it is hard to get Rabbis to move 3,000 miles to go to Seattle. That is why around 30 years ago, the Yeshiva Bnei Torah Rabbis came to Seattle. It is easier to break into a community like Seattle, than an established Eastern one like Baltimore or Chicago.

While I wouldn't describe the YBT philosophy as Torah U'Madda, it appeals to the Modern Orthodox crowd, which is their constituency, as opposed to the Yeshiva crowd or the Chassidishe crowd. Matt, feel free to comment on this post and amplify your thoughts on what NWYHS and YBT's purpose or mission is.

I feel it's necessary to have it, and I would rather have a YBT school than a Chovevei Torah school because Chovevei Torah is moving to the left on enough issues that a traditional Modern Orthodox person would think twice about sending their kids to that kind of a school.