A Benediction from Rabbi Sacks

Yeshiva University’s Commencement Ceremony 2020

On June 14th, 2020, Yeshiva University celebrated its 89th Commencement virtually for the very first time in YU history. The ceremony began with a thoughtful and heartfelt benediction by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.

Rabbi Sacks suggested that Yeshiva University graduates were uniquely well-equipped to prevail over the disruptions caused by the pandemic because the values of their education have given them three things: an internal moral compass to give them proper guidance, a foundation of emotional and spiritual strength that allows them to grow stronger under pressure, and the impulse to rebuild a world greatly in need of repair. He ended by encouraging the graduates to go out into the world as “proud ambassadors” of a great institution.