The “open secret” of the Eliezer Society at Yale University has a strong Jewish association at the former WASP-only institution and may help Jewish activism among the elite at Yale and other American campuses, where anti-Zionism is rampant.
The Eliezer Society was founded in 1997 by Lubavitch Rabbi Shmully Hecht and Oliver Benjamin Karp and is modeled after both Yale's oldest societies and clubs – Skull and Bones and the Elizabethan Club. Rabbi Hecht has written several op-ed articles for Israel National News, including an obituary of the Oslo Accords and an Open Letter to Thomas Friedman.
The society is not secret but is not widely known – until now. A feature in this week’s TIME Magazine reports on the Eliezer’s origins and its impact today. The concept of the society may be expanded to Harvard, Columbia and Princeton universities, the magazine reported.
"Eliezer is much more than a club at Yale," Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz was quoted by TIME as saying. "It is a global network of activists who care deeply about the Jewish people and about the world."
The society originally was named “Chai," the Hebrew word for “Life,” and five years ago was changed to “Eliezer,” which in Hebrew means “May G-d help.” Yale is closely identified with “Eli” because Elihu Yale was a large benefactor at the university’s beginning.
Eliezer’s aim is to create a dialogue among Jewish secular and religious elements.
Featuring get-togethers on Friday night, the evening of the Jewish Sabbath, it has attracted a wide variety of important public figures, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Muslim activists and former Israeli Chief Justice Aharon Barak
TIME described the Eliezer Society as “the secret Yale society that's hiding in plain sight,” explaining that the secret is its “private networking and intimate bonding among a cohesive, self-selecting, truly diverse membership,” which is not disclosed.
The magazine added, “The [Eliezer] society was originally founded as a thumb in the eye to Yale history: Jews, blacks, Muslims, women and gays had been prohibited from joining the traditional secret societies. This secret society, however, would include everyone, so long as you were a promising Yale-affiliated leader of tomorrow.”