Q. I am a student in a secular university. They have a policy of religious accommodation and if requested, they record classes given on religious holidays so that the religious student can listen to the class after the holiday.

My question is if this is permitted as they are working on Yom Tov for me.

Please note that they do not make a separate recording for each student and there is a chance that they need the recording for another non-Jewish student but I think that that is a small chance.

I would also like to point out that there are many non religious Jewish students in my class some who may be requesting the recording even if I do not so I am not adding any more work, does that make a difference?

Thank you

A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is that there is a reasonable standpoint to be lenient in the fact that this case contains a possible “sfeik Sfeiko” or double doubt. Firstly, it is quite possible that in the taping of the lecture no significant Shabbos prohibition has been done. The lecturer is talking to a recorder that is already on and the device could have been set and prepared before Yom Tov began. Additionally, as you pointed out there may be also other non-Jewish students that could benefit from the taped material and the recording was done also for their benefit.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a