Yeshiva, Montefiore Graduation Form New Roundup Entity...

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YESHIVA UNIVERSITY SUMMER 2014 VOLUME 18 • NO. 3 YU TODAY Yeshiva, Montefiore Form New Entity 4Page 3 Summer Abroad 4Page 8 Faculty Focus 4Page 7 Graduation Roundup 4Page 4 M ore than 600 students from Yeshiva University’s undergraduate schools were presented with their degrees at YU’s 83rd commencement exercises, held at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 22. A celebratory spirit was in the air as graduates clad in black caps and gowns chat- ted excitedly, embracing one another and posing for pictures with friends and family. Blue and white balloons and YU insignia adorned the walls and guests stopped to ad- mire the dozens of posters featuring pictures of students, which lined the entrances to the arena. “I am so happy to be celebrating today with my family—my immediate family and my YU family,” said Seth Feuerstein-Rudin, who was graduating from Sy Syms School of Business with a degree in business marketing. “It’s bittersweet because I learned a lot here and developed as a person and I’m sad that my experience is drawing to a close. But I’m also looking forward to being involved in the future and giving back to the school in any way I can.” President Richard M. Joel challenged the new graduates to value their time and this “momentous moment,” as members of a generation that is “nostalgic for the past, savoring the present and anticipating the future.” “How do we count time to make sure that time counts?” President Joel asked. Referencing graduate Josh Hillman, the grand- child of one of the few remaining Schindler’s List sur- vivors, President Joel emphasized the importance of sustaining and advancing the Jewish story like those of previous generations. “Take that same valued time and consciousness with you and it will remain with you for all your sacred days,” he said. “Our great hope is for you to own your future and make it count.” The keynote address was delivered by Dr. John S. Ruskay, executive vice president and CEO of the UJA- Federation of New York, who urged the graduates to find their calling in life by seeking out a fulfilling career that would allow them to make an impact in the Jewish community and beyond. “Your YU education will be an asset to treasure for the rest of your life. Let us each be able to recognize and hear our calling and respond, undertaking work to strengthen and improve our community, our nation and the Jewish people… Act as if you can change the world, or at least part of it, because you can.” President Joel conferred an honorary doctorate upon Ruskay, as well as upon F or the talented and dedicated student-athletes of Yeshiva University, the past year has been studded with unforgettable highlights. Whether it was the men’s ten- nis team earning YU’s first-ever National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament berth after winning the Skyline Conference Championship or the women’s softball team soaring all the way to the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Confer- ence (HVIAC) Championship game in its first year as a varsity sport, the Maccabees admirably represented the University’s Torah Umadda mission. “This year alone, we have seen NCAA national statistic leaders, Academic All-Amer- icans, Players of the Year and a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholar [see page 8 for our feature on Kayla Applebaum, member of the women’s softball team] playing for the Maccabees,” said Joe Bednarsh, director of YU athlet- ics. “This is a unique place where we daven [pray] between double-header games, play with kippahs on our heads and proudly emblazon ‘Yeshiva’ across our chests.” What makes the recent successes even more impressive is the rigorous dual curriculum all YU student-athletes must balance in addition to training and competing in high-level national competitions. “Our student-athletes are hands down one of a kind because of the academic workload that they commit to while putting in practice sessions five to six days a week,” said Nesta Felix, head coach of the women’s basketball team, who saw two of her players, Rebecca Yoshor and Stephanie Greenberg, lead NCAA Division III in rebounds and steals per game, respectively. “Their response to coaching and ability to learn quickly is a coach’s dream.” Felix was named HVIAC Coach of the Year, an honor also bestowed on her fellow YU coaches Arnold Ross of the men’s volleyball team and Steve Schucker of the women’s softball team. Ira Miller, head coach of the men’s tennis team, was named Skyline Conference Coach of the Year. For the stu- dents, that high-quality coaching, along with the close bonds they form with both coaches and fellow players, has propelled their game to the next level: The men’s volleyball team won the HVIAC Championship for the second year in a row and third time in five years, the men’s cross country team won the HVIAC Championship for the fourth straight year and the women’s cross country team won its first HVIAC Champi- onship, among other triumphs this season. “I think a good team starts with good people and good staff,” said Igal Mostkov, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who was named Skyline Conference Player of the Year for his work on the men’s tennis team. “Major credit has to go Game, Set, Macs: A Milestone Year for Yeshiva Athletics Class of 2014: “Anticipating the Future” Continued on Page 3 ç Continued on Page 6 ç Men’s tennis became the first Yeshiva program to compete in an NCAA tournament Honorary degree recipients Joshua Gortler and Dr. John S. Ruskay with President Richard M. Joel

Transcript of Yeshiva, Montefiore Graduation Form New Roundup Entity...

Page 1: Yeshiva, Montefiore Graduation Form New Roundup Entity ...docshare01.docshare.tips/files/23438/234381641.pdfYESHIVA UNIVERSITY ∞ SUMMER 2014. YUTODAY ∞ VOLUME 18 • NO. 3 Yeshiva,

YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

∞ SUMMER 2014

∞ VOLUME 18 • NO. 3YUTODAY

Yeshiva, Montefiore Form New Entity

4Page 3

Summer Abroad

4Page 8

Faculty Focus

4Page 7

Graduation Roundup

4Page 4

More than 600 students from Yeshiva University’s undergraduate schools were presented with their degrees at YU’s 83rd commencement exercises, held at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 22.

A celebratory spirit was in the air as graduates clad in black caps and gowns chat-ted excitedly, embracing one another and posing for pictures with friends and family. Blue and white balloons and YU insignia adorned the walls and guests stopped to ad-mire the dozens of posters featuring pictures of students, which lined the entrances to the arena.

“I am so happy to be celebrating today with my family—my immediate family and my YU family,” said Seth Feuerstein-Rudin, who was graduating from Sy Syms School of Business with a degree in business marketing. “It’s bittersweet because I learned a lot here and developed as a person and I’m sad that my experience is drawing to a close. But I’m also looking forward to being involved in the future and giving back to the school in any way I can.”

President Richard M. Joel challenged the new graduates to value their time and this “momentous moment,” as members of a generation that is “nostalgic for the past, savoring the present and anticipating the future.”

“How do we count time to make sure that time counts?” President Joel asked.

Referencing graduate Josh Hillman, the grand-child of one of the few remaining Schindler’s List sur-vivors, President Joel emphasized the importance of sustaining and advancing the Jewish story like those of previous generations. “Take that same valued time and consciousness with you and it will remain with you for all your sacred days,” he said. “Our great hope is for you to own your future and make it count.”

The keynote address was delivered by Dr. John S. Ruskay, executive vice president and CEO of the UJA-

Federation of New York, who urged the graduates to find their calling in life by seeking out a fulfilling career that would allow them to make an impact in the Jewish community and beyond.

“Your YU education will be an asset to treasure for the rest of your life. Let us each be able to recognize and hear our calling and respond, undertaking work to strengthen and improve our community, our nation and the Jewish people… Act as if you can change the world, or at least part of it, because you can.”

President Joel conferred an honorary doctorate upon Ruskay, as well as upon

For the talented and dedicated student-athletes of Yeshiva University, the past year has been studded with unforgettable highlights. Whether it was the men’s ten-nis team earning YU’s first-ever National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

tournament berth after winning the Skyline Conference Championship or the women’s softball team soaring all the way to the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Confer-ence (HVIAC) Championship game in its first year as a varsity sport, the Maccabees admirably represented the University’s Torah Umadda mission.

“This year alone, we have seen NCAA national statistic leaders, Academic All-Amer-

icans, Players of the Year and a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholar [see page 8 for our feature on Kayla Applebaum, member of the women’s softball team] playing for the Maccabees,” said Joe Bednarsh, director of YU athlet-ics. “This is a unique place where we daven [pray] between double-header games, play with kippahs on our heads and proudly emblazon ‘Yeshiva’ across our chests.”

What makes the recent successes even more impressive is the rigorous dual curriculum all YU student-athletes must balance in addition to training and competing in high-level national competitions. “Our student-athletes are hands down one of a kind because of the academic workload that they commit to while putting in practice sessions five to six days a week,” said Nesta Felix, head coach of the women’s basketball team, who saw two of her players, Rebecca Yoshor and Stephanie Greenberg, lead NCAA Division III in rebounds and steals per game, respectively. “Their response to coaching and ability to learn quickly is a coach’s dream.”

Felix was named HVIAC Coach of the Year, an honor also bestowed on her fellow YU coaches Arnold Ross of the men’s volleyball team and Steve Schucker of the women’s softball team. Ira Miller, head coach of the men’s tennis team, was named Skyline Conference Coach of the Year. For the stu-dents, that high-quality coaching, along with the close bonds they form with

both coaches and fellow players, has propelled their game to the next level: The men’s volleyball team won the HVIAC Championship for the second year in a row and third time in five years, the men’s cross country team won the HVIAC Championship for the fourth straight year and the women’s cross country team won its first HVIAC Champi-onship, among other triumphs this season.

“I think a good team starts with good people and good staff,” said Igal Mostkov, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who was named Skyline Conference Player of the Year for his work on the men’s tennis team. “Major credit has to go

Game, Set, Macs: A Milestone Year for Yeshiva Athletics

Class of 2014: “Anticipating the Future”

Continued on Page 3 ç

Continued on Page 6 ç

Men’s tennis became the first Yeshiva program to compete in an NCAA tournament

Honorary degree recipients Joshua Gortler and Dr. John S. Ruskay with President Richard M. Joel

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At Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva Uni-versity High School for Girls (YUHSG), senior Michal Lei-

bowitz’s project, “Engineering a Novel Cimex Lectularius [bedbug!] Trapping Mechanism Utilizing Electrospun Re-cycled Polymers,” won first place out of 200 submissions at the New York State Science and Engineering Fair competi-tion. The project, which she worked on with Jacob Plaut from Rambam Me-sivta and Daniel Rudin from Half Hol-low Hills High School West, also won Second Award in Environmental Man-agement at the International Science and Engineering Fair and earned a $1,500 prize. In addition, she and her fellow students will have an asteroid named after them.

The ACE (Architecture, Construction and Engineering) club at YUHSG finished off the year with a bang, with several students winning a cu-mulative $10,000 in scholarship awards at the Construction Industry Round Table (CIRT) com-petition. YUHSG’s ACE team—the only yeshiva and only all-girls team out of a national program of more than 600 students—presented its findings to an audience comprising several hundred leaders in the architectural, engineering and construction in-dustries at the CIRT competition in May. Rebecca Lowenthal, Rebecca Pasternak, Tzipora Roffe and Eden Takhalov were all awarded scholarships.

Takhalov was also named one of the ACE pro-gram’s top winners and invited to a special awards ceremony.

Ori Putterman, a senior at Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, was named a winner of the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program, winning $2,500 to go toward his college tuition. He was one of just 2,500 students chosen from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists nationwide who were judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Putterman eventually hopes to major in either eco-nomics or computer science when he begins his studies at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College. n

YUTODAYYESHIVA UNIVERSITY

∞ SUMMER 2014

∞ VOLUME 18 • NO. 3

DR. HENRY KRESSEL Chairman, YU Board of Trustees

RICHARD M. JOEL President

YUTODAY

MATT YANIV YAFFI SPODEK GISEL PINEYRO Director of Media Relations, Editor Art Director Editor in Chief

Barbara Birch, Enrique Cubillo, John Denatale, Caitlin Geiger, Sari Goodfriend, Perel Skier Hecht, Linda Hsia, David Huggins, Megan van Huygen, Tova Ross, Keren Simon, Adena Stevens

Contributors

[email protected] www.yu.edu/cpa

YUToday is published quarterly by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs and is distrib uted free to faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and friends. It keeps them informed of news from across Yeshiva University’s undergraduate and graduate divisions and affiliates. The quarterly newsletter covers academic and campus life, faculty and student research, com-munity outreach and philanthropic support. It showcases the University’s mission of Torah Umadda, the combination of Jewish study and values with secular learning, through stories

about the diverse achievements of the University community.

© Yeshiva University 2014 • Office of Communications and Public Affairs Furst Hall, Room 401 • 500 West 185th St. • New York, NY 10033-3201 • Tel.: 212.960.5285

Stanley I. Raskas, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Yeshiva College; Shira Yoshor, Chair, Board of Overseers, Stern College for Women; Alan Kestenbaum, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Sy Syms School of Business; Ruth L. Gottesman, Chair, Board of Overseers, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Leslie E. Payson, Chair, Board of Overseers, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Froma Benerofe, Chair, Board of Overseers, Wurzweiler School of Social Work; Mordecai D. Katz, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies; Carol Bravmann, Chair, Board of Overseers, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology; Moshael J. Straus, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration; Joel M. Schreiber, Chairman, Board of Trustees, (affiliate) Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary; Miriam P. Goldberg, Chair, Board of Trustees, YU High Schools; Michael Jesselson and Theodore N. Mirvis, Co-chairs, Board of Directors, (affiliate) Yeshiva University Museum.

Board listings as of June 30, 2014.

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Rabbis Take Part in Workshop on Conflict Resolution

A group of 15 rabbis convened in May for a three-day seminar on mediation training, organized by Yeshiva University’s Center

for the Jewish Future (CJF)–Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), in conjunction with the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The training was presented by attorneys Adam Berner ’90SB, ’94BR, ’94R, ’94C and Sequoia Stalder, both expert trainers in the field of media-tion and conflict resolution.

“By definition, rabbis are serving so many different roles—in the pulpit, as teachers and as educators, working with many people—and peo-ple have differences,” said Berner, an assistant professor at Cardozo. “This workshop is a frame of how best to help these leaders deal with differ-ences, how to manage the realities of being in a community and how to take conflict and see it as an opportunity for growth.”

Through discussions and collaborative role-playing activities, the training was designed to teach participants “how to maximize the chance of being on the positive side of a conflict,” said Stalder, who serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution. “We cre-

ate a framework for a dialogue, teaching specific skills that sup-port that dialogue. We teach how to get to the root of the con-flict, with the goal being collab-oration, to determine how the needs of both sides can be met.”

For Rabbi Shaanan Gel-man ’97YUHS, ’02YC, ’06R, the workshop and the topics it cov-ered hit close to home.

“Not a week goes by with-out me being personally en-gaged in conflict resolution in some form, whether it’s com-munal, ritual, familial or on an organizational level,” said Gel-

man, rabbi of Kehilat Chovevei Tzion in Skokie, Illinois. “This conference provided the building blocks of managing conflicts on all fronts of the rabbinate, infinitely valuable skills which touch upon every aspect of the job.”

Others viewed the training as a vital part of their ongoing rabbinic education.

“To be connected to YU and have the oppor-tunity to attend these trainings is an asset for me in my perpetual education,” said Rabbi Jeremy Donath ’08YC, ’11A, ’11R, who leads Congregation Darchei Noam in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. n

CJF-RIETS, Cardozo present seminar on mediation training

Michal Leibowitz Ori Putterman

YU High School Students Take Home Top Prizes in National Competitions

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YU, Montefiore Reach Historic Agreement Over Future of Einstein

Class of 2014 ç Continued from Page 1

Joshua Gortler ’54YUHS, ’58YC, ’60W, president of the Kline Galland Center Foundation, and YU benefactor Dorothy Schachne, who along with her husband en-dowed the Dorothy and David I. Schachne deanship at Wurzweiler School of Social Work and created several scholarship funds at YU. Dr. Morton Lowengrub, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, received the Presidential Medallion for his more than 15 years of service as a leader of the YU academic team.

“Dr. Lowengrub is a consummate mathematician who has scaled the totem pole in intellectual acuity,” said President Joel. “He recognized the magical transforma-tive power of education and dedicated his life to enabling thousands of students to explore the meaning of life.”

In her address to fellow graduates, Malia Weiss, one of two valedictorians from Sy Syms School of Business, reminded the Class of 2014 that despite the challeng-ing life decisions they would face after graduation, the unique values-based education they received at YU has left them equipped to make those tough calls.

“Yeshiva University is an oasis of Judaism and mo-rality, while also extending the best the secular world has to offer in terms of education and career advancement,” she said. “YU has provided us with a decision-making structure and a moral compass. We benefit from the val-ues, the culture and the tradition of Judaism, which YU has helped instill in all of us. These Jewish values form the lodestar that guides us as we pursue success in our life plan.”

The ceremony also featured live coverage from The Shield News Team, YU’s student-run broadcast news channel. After a prepared video that highlighted the se-nior story and featured students discussing their unique experiences at YU, the screen cut to a live shot of the

graduating student anchors, Ben Scheiner and Shimra Barnett, signing off for the last time.

For the Cohen family of Stamford, Connecticut, commencement was a unique three-generation mile-stone. Stern College for Women graduate Sara Malka Cohen ’14S was joined by her father, Rabbi Daniel Cohen ’89YC, ’94R, ’96A, who was celebrating his 25th reunion, and her grandfather, Rabbi Herbert Cohen ’64YC, ’70F, ’70R, who traveled from Israel to mark his 50th reunion.

“This celebration means so much to us, and it’s re-ally a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Rabbi Dan-iel Cohen, who leads Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford. “YU has always been part of our family, and we are committed to the values of Torah Umadda. I grew up in a home where we tried to see the world in all its

holiness, with a strong commitment to Halacha [Jewish law] and spiritual growth. My father made the effort to be here today because that is what the commandment of pru u’rvu [be fruitful and multiply] is all about: not just about children but about grandchildren who embody the same values that you do, ensuring the continuity and the perpetuity of multiple generations.”

The reunion classes of 1954, 1964, 1974 and 1989 were recognized at the graduation ceremony for their 60th, 50th, 40th and 25th reunions. More than 1,400 undergraduate students from Yeshiva College, Stern College and Sy Syms, as well as graduate students in the fields of law, medicine, social work, education, Jewish studies and psychology, were awarded degrees from YU during its commencement season. n

Y eshiva University and Montefiore Health System have come to a historic agreement to build upon a long-standing 50-year relationship that has

trained generations of physicians and medical research-ers. A new entity will be jointly formed by Montefiore and YU, with Montefiore assuming greater responsibility for the day-to-day operations and financial management of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and with YU re-maining the degree-granting institution with a key role in the educational aspects of the entity. Montefiore has agreed to assume significant governance and financial re-sponsibility for the new Einstein entity.

“We are undertaking this historic process of trans-forming our relationship with Montefiore and Einstein

to match the extraordinary opportunities and challenges in the healthcare environment of the 21st century,” said President Richard M. Joel. “We are delighted to emphasize our shared commitment to assuring the conti-nuity and growth of the educational and re-search functions of Einstein while remaining a leader in medical education. At the same time, we are taking a powerful and important step toward building a financially sustainable Yeshiva University.”

The agreement enhances and strength-ens the organizations’ shared missions of re-search, teaching, patient care and community service and will ensure Einstein remains a leading medical school.

“This agreement marks an important milestone for the future of each of our insti-tutions as well as for healthcare as a whole,” said Dr. Steven M. Safyer, president and CEO of Montefiore. “We look forward to further

strengthening Einstein as a major research institution that spans the scope from bench science to healthcare delivery transformation.”

Through the agreement, it is anticipated that there will be one unified faculty, retaining academic appoint-ments from YU while being employed by Montefiore, as they continue to teach and mentor Einstein’s students and Montefiore residents. Einstein faculty members will continue to collaborate with all areas of Montefiore and their faculty counterparts in YU’s other schools.

The Yeshiva Board of Trustees and Montefiore’s Board Leadership endorse the decision to move forward with developing a final agreement, which will be subject to regulatory approval. n

The Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology offered a new course last spring called “Working With Asylum Seekers,” which taught students how to

psychologically evaluate asylum seekers and write re-ports that would be presented in court on their behalf.

The class was given by Dr. Bill Salton, associate clinical professor of psychology and clinical director of the Max and Celia Parnes Family Psychological and Psy-choeducational Services Clinic, and Dr. Carl Auerbach, professor of psychology.

“We are training our students to conduct asylum interviews themselves, under our supervision,” said Auerbach. “The course is a combination of training and practical experience working with asylum seekers as well as hearing from other professionals involved in asy-lum cases about their work in the field.”

During the semester, students completed three asy-lum evaluations and worked with clients who faced a range of threats, from political persecution and gang ha-rassment to an asylum seeker who was dealing with po-tential discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

After meeting with the clients, students wrote up an affidavit, or a written account, of what they deter-mined about the client based on the interview. The af-fidavit was then given to a lawyer, who submitted it into evidence in support of the client’s case.

The course also included a presentation from the legal team at the Human Rights and Genocide Clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, which gave students a better understanding of how their work as fo-rensic evaluators fit into the legal structure of the cases.

Salton eventually hopes to establish a sector within the Parnes Clinic dedicated to asylum seekers.

“There is not much literature or research on this, and as we learn more, we hope to develop a team of clini-cians and patients to answer some of those questions,” he said. “In that way, we can better train our students to work with the world’s diverse population.” n

Ferkauf Students Aid Asylum Seekers

Valedictorians: Isaac Merkel, Malia Weiss, Avi Levinson, Devorah Levinson, Eli Shavalian, Eli Grunblatt, Benjy Lebowitz, Bella Wolf and Natan Koloski. Read more about their YU experiences at yu.edu/valedictorians

New Entity Enhances and Strengthens Shared Missions in a More Sustainable Model

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pBenjamin N. Cardozo School of Law marked its 36th commencement ceremony on May 27, with 463 graduates earning JD and LLM degrees. Keynote speaker Preet Bharara (left), United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, told gradu-ates to reflect on what they bring to the law. “The law can have great force, but in order to truly form a more perfect union, it needs an assist from human beings who think and feel beyond,” he said. In his remarks, Cardozo Dean Matthew Diller (right) urged the newly minted attorneys to be agents of change and to make their mark in the legal profession. “I want to assure you—you really are ready for the road ahead, and I’m confident you will have much to celebrate in years to come,” he said. n

pAzrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration awarded diplo-mas to 52 graduates at its May 29 commencement ceremony. The majority of the gradu-ates earned a Master of Science degree, with two students receiving doctorates and one earning a specialist certificate. Dr. David Schnall, the keynote speaker, offered part-ing words to the students as he marked his own commencement as dean emeritus. He was introduced by his successor, Dr. Rona Novick. President Richard M. Joel and Henry Rothman, vice chairman of the Azrieli Board of Trustees, also addressed the graduates during the ceremony. n

pBernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies celebrated the graduation of 48 students at its year-end reception on May 28. Dr. Daniel Rynhold, associate profes-sor of Jewish philosophy, delivered a mini lecture and Dr. Sid Leiman, visiting professor of Jewish history and literature, presented a gift to retiring University librarian Zalman Alpert, in recognition of his many years of service to the school. Dr. David Berger, dean and Ruth & I. Lewis Gordon Professor of Jewish History, and Dr. Mordechai Cohen (right), associate dean, also addressed the students, along with Ahuva Gold Wiesenfeld, who spoke on behalf of her fellow graduates. n

pWurzweiler School of Social Work held its 55th commencement on May 15. Dr. Jay S. Schachne (center), chief of cardiology at Southcoast Physicians Group and associate professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, delivered the keynote address. “Look up from your smartphones and into the eyes of the needy,” he told the graduates. Wurzweiler’s Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean, Dr. Carmen Ortiz Hendricks (left), bestowed an honorary degree upon Dr. Schachne’s late father, David I. Schachne, who served as chair emeritus of the Wurzweiler Board of Overseers. The degree was accepted by YU benefactor Dorothy Schachne (right), who along with her late husband, endowed the eponymous deanship at Wurzweiler. She also received an honorary degree at YU’s commencement (see page 1). n

pAlbert Einstein College of Medicine celebrated its 56th graduation ceremony on May 28. Dr. Arturo Casadevall, professor and chair of microbiology and immunology at Einstein and attending physician at Montefiore, offered the keynote address to an audi-ence of nearly 3,000 that filled Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. In his speech, Casade-vall discussed the importance of learning and generating new knowledge to respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing medical and scientific environment. “The way forward is to continue to embrace knowledge and generate knowledge to ensure an even better world built with the tools of science and ethics, on the wings of curiosity and the human spirit,” he said.

Dr. Allen M. Spiegel, the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean, was joined by Presi-dent Richard M. Joel in conferring 178 MD degrees, 52 PhD degrees and 14 combined MD-PhD degrees. Spiegel also presented more than a dozen awards recognizing select alumni members for their achievements and commitment to Einstein and faculty mem-bers for their teaching excellence, respectively. n

COMMENCEMENT | ROUNDUP

pFerkauf Graduate School of Psychology celebrated its commencement ceremony on May 20. Following opening remarks by President Richard M. Joel and Ferkauf Dean Dr. Lawrence Siegel, Dr. Donald Bersoff, president of the American Psychological Association, delivered the keynote address to the nearly 80 graduates who received an array of advanced degrees in mental health counseling and clinical psychology. Cheryl Epstein addressed the graduates on behalf of the Ferkauf Class of 2014. n

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Joshua Gortler ’54YUHS, ’58YC, ’60W had a more arduous journey than most young men en route to Yeshiva University.

He arrived in the United States with his parents from Germany, where they had spent the previous five years living in three different dis-placed persons camps following World War II. At the start of the Holo-caust, when Gortler was 3 years old, the Nazis occupied his shtetl [village] in Poland. With the assistance and protection of non-Jewish friends, the Gortlers managed to escape Poland and fled to Siberia and then Uzbekistan, where they stayed until the war ended. When they returned to Poland, they found a cold reception and moved to German DP camps, awaiting resettle-ment in the United States.

In 1951, sponsored by the Jewish Family and Children’s Service in Phoenix, the Gortlers were brought to Arizona.

“At the time, there was little yiddishkeit [Jewish life] there,” recalled Gortler, “so my parents decided to send me to New York so I could receive a Jewish education.”

Through the help of a rabbi, who was a YU graduate, at the local Conser-vative synagogue (there were no Orthodox synagogues in Phoenix at the time), the Gortlers were told that Yeshiva University High School, then called Talmudical Academy (TA), had agreed to educate and house their son for free. He also received a modest stipend from TA, since his parents had virtually no money.

Gortler, who knew no English when he arrived in Arizona, was sent on a Greyhound bus by his parents. They had only packed a couple of sand-wiches for him, not realizing the trip would be four days long.

Gortler flourished in his Jewish studies at TA, having learned Hebrew fluently in the DP camps, and took night classes at nearby George Washing-ton High School, where he worked hard to hone his English skills. Gortler continued on to Yeshiva College and worked throughout his time there, pri-marily in the cafeteria. “My experiences in high school and college,” he said wryly, “certainly helped me learn how to budget.”

When it came time for graduation, Gortler knew he would continue studying at YU, this time at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. “I saw how much the social workers did with DP camp survivors, helping them with their trauma and with putting their lives back together,” he said. “I felt like I wanted to dedicate my career to helping people and giving back to society as well.”

During his time at Wurzweiler, Gortler met and married his wife, Sarah Barash ’61S.

Gortler graduated from Wurzweiler in 1960 with a master’s degree in social work and administration. For the next nine years, he was employed by a number of organizations, working with Holocaust survivors, the elderly, street gangs and troubled youths.

In 1969, he was recruited to become the executive director of the Kline Galland Home, a nursing home for Jewish seniors in Seattle. Although he initially told the board he would serve a two-year commitment, he stayed for several decades and continues to be affiliated with the organization today.

Under Gortler’s leadership, several successful fundraising campaigns allowed for the expansion of the nursing facility and its programs, including the Polack Adult Day Center, Kosher Meals on Wheels and the SPICE Senior Nutrition Program. The Kline Galland Center & Affiliates were incorporated in 1981 and Gortler served as its chief executive officer until his retirement in 2006.

In 1993, the addition of 60 special care beds brought the home’s capacity to 205 residents. Gortler oversaw the planning and construction of the Sum-mit at First Hill, which is a state-of-the-art retirement and assisted living facility built in 2000.

When Gortler assumed leadership of the Kline Galland Home, the annual budget was $250,000. Currently, the budget of the Kline Galland Center & Affiliates is over $30 million, thanks to Gortler’s vision and fiscal stewardship. The Kline Galland Home is considered one of the finest nurs-ing homes in America today.

Gortler’s accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Administrator Award of Honor from the Association of Jewish Aging Services in 1997.

When Gortler retired, the board asked him to assume the presidency of the Kline Galland Foundation, which works with major donors to support the nursing home’s expanded programs for seniors. “We invest the donors’ gifts and use the income to provide for people who cannot afford to live in our facilities,” Gortler explained. “The foundation also subsidizes the defi-cits in our various programs.”

The board of directors at the center wanted to do something special for Gortler when he retired as CEO. They asked him what he would like—a trip around the world, perhaps? Gortler had something nobler in mind: “I asked them to establish a scholarship to train people in social work, since social work is so vital for so many vulnerable populations,” he said. The board granted $150,000 to establish the Joshua H. Gortler and Sarah B. Gortler Scholarship in Geriatric Social Work, with first priority of scholarship assis-tance given to graduates of Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women who plan to attend Wurzweiler.

Recently, the scholarship—now at $250,000 thanks to Gortler, his friends and his colleagues making additional contributions—was formally announced, as was its first recipient, Alexander Lukhtman ’10YC, originally from the Ukraine.

While Gortler and Lukhtman might be from different generations and different parts of the world, their dedication to helping the elderly—and the determination to embrace a new language, culture and opportunities after emigrating to the United States—are shared values.

“Yeshiva University is a very unique institution that has educated Jew-ish men and women l’dor v’dor [from generation to generation],” said Gortler.

“I am very pleased that my generation of graduates is now helping a new gen-eration of students become leaders in their Jewish communities and greater society.”

Gortler met Lukhtman at YU’s 83rd Commencement Ceremony on May 22 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Lukhtman hooded Gortler onstage before he received an honorary doctorate from President Richard M. Joel.

“I am very grateful to receive this scholarship, especially after learning more about Mr. Gortler and how he used his past to inform his future work with the geriatric population and how devoted he was to a call of personal duty,” said Lukhtman. “I hope I live up to the standard that he has set for me and so many others, and I remain indebted to him both for his generosity and for being a wonderful role model for me.”

The Gortlers have two children: a son, who is a tenured professor of computer science at Harvard University, and a daughter, who is an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis. They have five grandchildren. n

Alexander Lukhtman, the first recipient of the Gortler scholarship, with Joshua Gortler

ALUMNITODAYYESHIVA UNIVERSITYSUMMER 2014

Joshua and Sarah Gortler Fund Scholarship in Geriatric Social Work at YU

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Marion Talansky ’53YUHS, ’57TI announces the birth of her great-grandson, born to Elisheva and Hillel Talansky. Mazal tov to grandparents Naomi (Millen) ’86S and Rabbi Alan Yitzchak Talansky ’85YC.

1960s Miriam and Rabbi Edward Feigelman ’65YUHS, ’69YC, ’69BZ, ’71R, ’72F announce the birth of their grandson, Tzvi Yehuda (Julius Hirsch), born to Tikva and Shulem Weinreich. Mazal tov to grand-parents Roiza and Feivel Weinreich and great-grandfather Moshe Perlman.

Michael (Mechy) Frankel ’64YUHS, 68YC, ’71BR, ’71R, senior scientist at Pennsylvania State University, gave an invited talk to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Science and Technologies Futures Symposium on the subject of nuclear electromagnetic pulse. In addition, his monograph, “The Uncertain Consequences of Nuclear Weapon Use,” was published by Johns Hopkins University.

Sheila (Belove) Frankel ’68S, senior computer scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was awarded a Gold Medal by the Department of Commerce for her technical leadership.

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg ’69YC edited the 100th anniversary edition of The Intermountain Jewish News, of which he is executive editor, and he published Unexpected Road: Storied Jewish Lives Around the World

(Philipp Feldheim, 2013). He and his wife, Elaine, announce the birth of their twin granddaughters, Rachel and Chanah, born to Batya and Rabbi Mattis Goldberg.

Miriam and Dr. Philip Josowitz ’64YC announce the birth of their grandson, Yair Nahman, born to Ella Bar and Dr. Yehonatan Yosef.

Chava and Eli Klein ’61YC announce the birth of their great-granddaughter, Techelet. The Kleins and Tova and Dr. George Rubin celebrated the marriage of their grand-children, Hodaya Klein and Nachum Rubin.

Phyllis (Curchack) Kornspan ’69S announces the birth of her granddaughter, Tair, born to Yael and Yishai Kornspan.

Naomi (Minder) Lehrfeld ’64S announces the birth of her grandson, born to Rivkie and Dan Lehrfeld.

1970s Esther (Gross) ’79S and Danny Behar ’77YC, ’81E announce the birth of their grandson, Daniel Yaakov, born to Rachel and Mordechai Behar.

Beryl ’75YUHS, ’79YC and Doreen Eckstein ’78S celebrated the marriage of their daughter, Rebecca, to Judah Orlinsky. Mazal tov to parents Mindy ’75YUHS and Henry Orlinsky ’74YUHS, ’79YC and to grandparents Beila and Rabbi Dr. Shimon Eckstein ’44YC, ’44BR, ’46R.

Helen (Eris) ’77W and Daniel Flatauer announce the birth of their grandson, Ari, to Yifat and Gilad Flatauer.

Francine (Mermelstein) ’73S and Ezra Fleischmann announce the marriage of their daughter, Laya, to Shragi Rabinowitz.

Dr. Rosa Resnick Helfgot ’76W, chair of the subcommittee on intergenerational relationships, NGO Committee on Ageing at the United

Nations, chaired a conference titled “Ageing Is An Intergenerational Journey” at the United Nations.

Pearl (Steinmetz) and Martin Herskovitz ’73YUHS, ’77YC announce the birth of their grandson, born to Michal and Netanel Herskovitz.

Dr. Shifra Hochberg ’70S published The Lost Catabomb (Enigma Press, 2014), a historical mystery.

Peshie ’73YUHS, ’77S and Rabbi Yaakov Neuburger ’77YC, ’79R announce the birth of their granddaughter, born to Chaya and Aryeh Westreich. Mazel tov to great-grandfather Rabbi Zevulun Charlop ’47YUHS, ’51YC, ’54R, dean emeritus of RIETS and Special Advisor to the President on Yeshiva Affairs.

Rabbi Marc Schneier ’76YUHS, ’80YC, ’83A, ’83R was honored for 25 years of leadership as president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding at the Congressional Ceremony in Washington, D.C.,

commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Freedom Summer.

Edwin F. Simpser ’75YUHS, ’78YC, ’82E was appointed president and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children.

1980s Rabbi Gary Beitler ’89YC, ’92R was the faculty honoree at the Yeshiva University High Schools Annual Dinner.

Rabbi Zvi Grumet ’83R released his book, Moses and the Path to Leadership (Urim, 2014).

Dena Weiss Levie ’87S created a papercut, The Kiddush, that is on display at the Jewish Children’s Museum.

Tzipporah and Rabbi Dr. Jonathan I. Rosenblatt ’82R were honored for their 30 years of service at the Riverdale Jewish Center’s 60th Anniversary Dinner.

Stephanie (Schechter) Strauss ’85YUHS, ’89S was appointed acting director of Yeshiva University in Israel.

Dr. Deena ’88E and Rabbi Sammy “Shalom” Zimmerman ’77YUHS, ’81YC, ’84BR, ’84R celebrated the marriage of their son, Ari, to Hodaya Rosh and the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Tikva.

1990s Rabbi Hayyim Angel ’93BR, ’93YC, ’95R, ’96A, adjunct instructor of Bible, published his book, Peshat Isn’t So Simple: Essays on Developing a Religious Methodology to Bible Study (Kodesh Press, 2014). Rabbi Angel and his wife, Maxine, also announce the birth of their son, Mordechai Pinhas. Mazal tov to grandparents Gilda ’67S and Rabbi Marc Angel ’67YC, ’70R, ’75BR.

Rabbi Yaakov Blau ’93YC, ’93BR, ’96R, ’97A published his book, Medieval Commentary in the Modern Era: The Enduring Value of Classical Parshanut.

David Brofsky ’94YC, ’94BR published his book, Hilchot Tefilla: Mekorot Ve-Iyunim (Mosad HaRav kook, 2014).

Joseph Gitler ’92YUHS won two prestigious prizes. The Jerusalem Post named him one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world, and Nefesh B’Nefesh awarded him

the inaugural Bonei Zion Prize for his contribution to social welfare in Israel.

Bonnie ’94S and Dovid Kupchik ’89YC, ’93R, ’98A celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Abie.

Nava and Rabbi Uri Orlian ’98YC, ’02A, instructor of Talmud, announce the birth of their son, Shimon. Mazal tov to Stern College Associate Dean Ethel ’57YUHS, ’61S and Dr. J. Mitchell Orlian ’51YUHS, ’55YC, ’60F, ’73BR, professor of Bible and Hebrew.

Dr. Arie Pelta ’96YC joined Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot to build the Colon and Rectal Surgery department, after making aliyah to Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife Alyssa and their seven children.

Dr. Dale Rosenbach ’99YUHS, ’03YC will speak at the 2014 Greater New York Dental Meeting on “Atraumatic Exodontia: Principles, Concepts and Techniques.”

Yitzchak Schechter ’93YC, ’99F— husband of Shoshana ’91S, ’93BR, professor of Bible and director of the Mechina program at Stern College—was featured in

YOUR NEWS IS OUR NEWS! Class Notes is where Yeshiva University celebrates the milestones and accomplishments of its alumni. In this section, you can catch up on everything your classmates have been up to over the years, from marriages and births to professional and personal achievements.

Submit your class note by emailing [email protected] with the subject line “Class Notes” or by visiting www.yu.edu/alumni/notes to complete the online form. We hope that you enjoy reading about your fellow alumni and friends, and we look forward to hearing about your achievements.

1940s Rabbi Nisson Shulman ’48YUHS, ’52YC, ’55R, ’70BR announces the birth of his great-granddaughter Chaya Shaindle, born to Dassi and Mordy Tiefenbrunn. Mazal tov to grandparents Baila and Moshe Shulman.

Rabbi Mordechai Schnaidman ’48YC, ’52BR, ’52R announces the marriage of his grandson, Ephraim Schnaidman, to Rivka Weiser.

1950s Claire and Rabbi Joshua Hertzberg ’51YC, ’55R announce the birth of their great-grandsons, Aharon Simcha to Tali and Yosef Friedman and Aharon to Rabbi Meir and Gila Arnold.

Elke ’59YUHS and Nachman Kupietzky ’55YUHS, ’59YC and Judi ’63YUHS and Rabbi Harris Guedalia ’57YUHS, ’63R and Hilda Cohen announce the birth of a great-grandson, born to Gilat and Asher Sacks.

Two classic biographies of major 20th century Orthodox Jewish leaders, written by Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff ’59YC, ’61R, ’67BR, professor of rabbinic literature at YU’s Caroline and Joseph S.

Gruss Institute, will be republished: The Silver Era: Rabbi Eliezer Silver and His Generation (OU Press, 2014) and Bernard Revel: Builder of American Jewish Orthodoxy (OU Press, 2014).

CLASSNOTES

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Mishpacha magazine for his work creating a research institute to address the behavioral health and social issues of the orthodox Jewish communities.

Bonnie and Rabbi Gideon Shloush ’93YC, ’97R celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Micha’el.

Penny Harow Thau ’92S, ’96W published her children’s book, There’s a Shark in the Mikvah: A Light-Hearted Look at Jewish Dunking Experiences (CreateSpace, 2014).

David Wagner ’90YUHS, ’94SB was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Elderplan, Inc.

Michal and Rabbi Ari Zahtz ’97YUHS, ’01YC, ’04R announce the birth of their son.

2000s

Pnina Baim ’09A published her book, A Life Worth Living (Amazon Digital Services, 2014).

Sara and Rabbi Yaron Barach ’05YC, ’08R, ’09A announce the birth of their daughter, Zissel Chaya.

Dr. Debra (Marcus) ’03S, ’08F, ’10F and Rabbi Michael Bashist ’94YUHS, ’99YC, ’05R announce the birth of their son, Mordechai. Mazal tov to great-grandparents Marylin and Rabbi Alvin Marcus ’44YUHS, ’48YC, ’52W, ’52R.

Rebecca ’07A and Rabbi Eli Belizon ’00YUHS, ’07SB, ’10R announce the birth of their daughter.

Elana (Lani) ’09S and Joshua Berman ’04YUHS, ’09YC announce the birth of their daughter, Nava Ashira. Mazel tov to grandparents Judy ’84S and Zev Berman ’82YC,

member of the Yeshiva College Board of Overseers, and to great-grandparents Dorothy ’59S, ’60F and Rabbi Julius

Berman ’56YC, ’59R, chair emeritus of the RIETS Board of Trustees, and Sara and Rabbi Michael Hecht ’57YUHS, ’61YC, ’64BR, ’64R.

Josefa ’02SB and Ari Bunim announce the birth of their daughter, Magnolia Sally.

Shonnie ’05S and Rabbi Jonathan “Yoni” Chambre ’04YC, ’07R, ’10BR announce the birth of their son, David Eliyahu. Mazal tov to grandparents Alisa ’79YUHS and Rabbi Allen Schwartz ’79YUHS, ’85YC, ’86R, ’87BR, the Raymond J. Greenwald Chair in Jewish Studies.

Sheera (Hefter) ’04S and Rabbi Yosi Eisen ’04YC, announce the birth of twins, Batsheva and Simcha.

Rabbi Zev Eleff ’09YC, ’11R was awarded the 2014 Rockower Award for Excellence in a Single Commentary for his article, “The Decline of the Rabbinic Sermon,” published last year in Jewish Action.

Chana ’06S, ’08A and Rabbi Ephraim Glatt ’06YC, ’09R, ’12C announce the birth of their son, Eliezer Nissan. Mazal tov to grandparents, Marjorie and Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt ’76YUHS, ’79YC and Syma and Dr. Jerry Levine ’72YUHS, ’76YC.

Rabbi Mark Goldfeder ’07YC published an op-ed on the CNN website in June titled “The Age of Robots Is Here.”

Julie and Rabbi Uri Goldstein ’06R announce the birth of their daughter, Ayalah Nitzan.

Sara and Rabbi Simcha Hopkovitz ’02YC,’14R announce the birth of their son, Avigdor Shimon Tzvi. Rabbi Hopkovitz was also installed as Rabbi of the Queens Jewish Center in Forest Hills, New York.

Sharona ’00S, ’02W and Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan were profiled in the Orthodox Union blog in May in “10 Years on the Job at UCLA, OU Torah Educator Rabbi Aryeh and Sharona Kaplan Reflect on Students Past, Present, and Future.”

Orit and Rabbi Binyamin Lehrfield ’07YC, ’11R announce the birth of their son, Shaya Zev.

Avital and Darren Levin ’05SB, ’08W announce the birth of their son, David Yair.

Menachem Menchel ’07YC, ’13A received the The Jewish Education Project 2014 Young Pioneers Award for designing and

coordinating the youth programming for 800 families at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.

Devorah Miriam and Rabbi Nachum Rybak ’06YC, ’10R announce the birth of their son, Yaakov Dovid. Mazal tov to grandparents Shoshana and Rabbi Dr. Solomon Rybak ’63YC, ’66R, ’80BR.

Malka ’00S, ’02A and Rabbi Shimon Schenker ’02SB, ’03R, ’06A announce the birth of their daughter, Hadassah Miriam.

Shira ’04S and Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Schnall ’95YUHS, ’00YC, ’02F, ’03R, ’06F, professor of psychology at Yeshiva College, announce the birth of their daughter, Bayla Lielle. Mazal tov to big brothers Yonatan and Gavriel, and to grandparents Tova and Azrieli Dean Emeritus Dr. David Schnall ’65YUHS, ’69YC, ’72BR, ’72R, and Rosalyn and Dr. Irvin Hirsch ’67YUHS.

Naomi and Ari Schwarzberg ’07YC, ’09A, ’09R announce the birth of their son, Simon Justin Ephraim Bunim. Mazal tov to grand- parents Judy ’81S and Rabbi Ronald Schwarzberg ’80YC, ’82F, ’83R, director of the Morris and Gertrude Bienenfeld Department of Jewish Career Development and Placement at the Center for the Jewish Future.

Devora and Rabbi Simcha “Simmy” Shabtai ’06YC, ’10R, ’10BR announce the birth of their daughter, Elisheva Sara.

Estee ’05S and Rabbi Elon Soniker ’05SB, ’08R, ’11A announce the birth of their son.

Alexander Taub ’09YC co-published his book, Pitching & Closing: Everything You Need to Know About Business Development,

Partnerships, and Making Deals That Matter (McGraw-Hill, 2014).

Tamar (Grun) ’07S and Joshua Vogel ’07YC announce the birth of their daughter, Temima. Mazal tov to grandparents Cheryl ’80S and Alan Vogel and Yehudit and Jacob Grun.

Eliana and Moshe Watson ’07YUHS, ’12SB, ’14R announce the birth of their daughter, Tamar Tema. Mazal tov to grandparents Ora and Mark Watson ’88SB and Mandy and Dr. Rubin Brecher ’80YC, ’84E.

Rabbi Chananya Weissman ’01YC, ’04A, ’05R, Mazal Mizrahi, and Associate Professor of Hebrew Haim Tawil published their book, The Rebel of Savannah (Kodesh Press, 2014).

2010s Daniel Goldberg ’13SB was selected to be part of an international ethics program for religious leaders, FASPE—Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics.

Netanel Goldstein ’13YC married Sarah Kaszovitz ’14S. Mazal tov to parents Naomi (Skolnick) ’87S, ’90C, current Stern College for Women tennis coach, and David Kaszovitz ’80YUHS and Chana (Weglein) ’85S and Dr. Shmuel Goldstein ’85YC, ’90E, and to grandparents Bonnie and Gabriel Kaszovitz, Beverly Skolnick, Helen (Stone) ’63S and Ernst Weglein, Shulamis ’63S, ’89BR and Dr. Alan Einstein ’59YC, ’63E.

Michael “Micha” Hershkop ’10YC married Ahuva Magder in Thornhill, Ontario. Mazal tov to parents Judy and Eli Magder and Alyssa and Sheldon Hershkop.

Sarah (Deneroff) ’10S and Daniel Kolat ’10YC announce the birth of their son, Eitan Yaakov.

David Schlusselberg ’10YC, ’13A released a new album called Mizmor L’Dovid.

Tamar Devorah ’10S and Noson Waintman ’08YC announce the birth of their son.

The New York Jewish Week included six YU alumni in their annual “36 Under 36” section (June 6) profiling Jewish leaders:

Anat Coleman ’04W Margaret Esther Engel ’14S Rebecca Fischer ’07C Alexander Goldberg ’10YUHS Dina Muskin Goldberg ’12S Eliezer Lunzer ’97YUHS

In Memoriam Abby Belkin, widow of Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin z”l,

former president and chancellor of Yeshiva University

Menachem David ’59YUHSKaren (Teitelbaum) Ehrenreich ’70SSeymour Eisenstat ’70BSRabbi Dr. Armin Friedman ’50YC, ’52R, ’71FRabbi Moshe (Whitey) Horovitz ’48RSema (Chaimovitz) Menora ’60SHarry Perlmutter ’37YUHS, ’41YC

69th Benefit Performance and 32nd Dinner GalaSaturday, November 15, 2014, 8 p.m.

Grand Promenade, Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center Following a performance by the New York Philharmonic

Joshua Bell, Violinist Debussy – Prelude to the Afternoon of Faun

Glazunov – Violin Concerto Prokofiev – Symphony No. 5

Special presentation to Bar Mitzvah-age boys

Dinah Pinczower, National Chairwoman of the BoardMichele Hering, Yosefa Knoll, Michelle Salig, Debbie Schwartz, National Presidium

Elissa and Michael Katz, Chairs, Future Builders and Collegiate Young Leadership

Yeshiva University Women’s Organization Future Builders and Collegiate Young Leadership

Plea

se J

oin

Us

69th Benefit Performance and 32nd Dinner GalaSaturday, November 15, 2014, 8 p.m.

Grand Promenade, Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center Following a performance by the New York Philharmonic

Joshua Bell, Violinist Debussy – Prelude to the Afternoon of Faun

Glazunov – Violin Concerto Prokofiev – Symphony No. 5

Special presentation to Bar Mitzvah-age boys

Dinah Pinczower, National Chairwoman of the BoardMichele Hering, Yosefa Knoll, Michelle Salig, Debbie Schwartz, National Presidium

Elissa and Michael Katz, Chairs, Future Builders and Collegiate Young Leadership

Yeshiva University Women’s Organization Future Builders and Collegiate Young Leadership

Plea

se J

oin

Us

To join us in supporting our Yeshiva, its Rebbeim,

and its Talmidim, visit www.yutorah.org/elef

For questions and comments, please email

[email protected] or call 646.592.4022

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In the Business of Making Memories

JEREMY JOSZEF ’09SB: THE CAMP DIRECTOR

Jeremy Joszef ’09SB may have studied marketing and entrepreneurship at Sy Syms School of Business, but compared to the hedge fund industry, the job he holds now is like summer camp.

In fact, the job is summer camp. As the director of Camp Morasha, one of the premier summer camps servicing the Modern Orthodox community, Joszef uti-lizes the skills he learned at Syms every day. “From developing a product, mar-keting that product and most importantly, believing in the product, it was the

core ideas I learned at Syms that help me succeed in my current role,” said Joszef.

For Joszef, who grew up in Woodmere, New York, the choice to attend YU was simple. “It was an obvious next step in my family’s commitment to Torah learning and education and giving back to the community,” he said. At Syms, where he earned a BA in marketing, Joszef enjoyed attending shiur [lec-ture] with Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky and Jewish history classes with Dr. Debra Kaplan, the Dean Pinkhos Churgin Chair in Jewish History and associate pro-fessor of Jewish history. “While the

content was certainly distinct, their shared passion for the subjects they were teaching was contagious,” Joszef recalled. “It’s still a pleasure staying in touch with Rabbi Sobolofsky and his wife, Efrat.”

Joszef was also closely involved with YU’s Center for the Jewish Future. Its founding coincided with Joszef’s first year on campus, and he held a part-time job there throughout his years at YU.

Immediately after graduating, Joszef was recruited to work full time for Camp Morasha as its director of programming and development, where he focused on creating programming, recruiting campers, developing the board and fundraising. In September 2011, he was asked to serve as camp director, making him—at age 26—only the fifth and youngest director in Morasha’s rich and sto-ried 50-year history.

Those who merely show up to the picturesque summer camp in the north-eastern Pocono Mountains come June might be surprised to learn that running a summer camp is a year-round job. “While preparing a summer program for over 1,300 people requires attention to detail, organization and lots of patience, it’s the intense focus on enhancing and furthering the camp’s mission that keeps me and my staff of 25 full-time employees and 320 seasonal employees busy year-round,” said Joszef. “We work with our colleagues, parents and campers throughout the year to design policies and programs that will create a summer experience that’s not only loads of fun but one that instills the Morasha values in each and every camper. We truly believe that a mere two months at camp can be equally if not more impactful than 10 months at home.”

Directing a summer camp is not only a year-round job but one that surpasses the classic 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. hours. For Joszef, however, the real challenge is not the atypical daily schedule. “All too often, organizations get caught up in what decisions will bring in more campers, and while of course we would like to offer the Morasha experience to as many people as we can, we’re more concerned with focusing on quality and not quantity,” explained Joszef. “It’s a crucial balance.”

Any challenging parts of the job are far outweighed by its abundant positives aspects—for instance, its uniquely transformative impact on the campers. “The opportunity to develop independence, self-esteem and leadership skills offered at camp are hard to replicate anywhere else,” said Joszef. “In fact, we see more schools designing camp-like programming throughout the year, like experien-tial educational events including color wars and overnight trips.”

There is no greater reward for Joszef than when he sees positive change tak-ing effect. “There’s really nothing more rewarding for me and my fellow adminis-trators and staff members when we hear from a parent that their child has set up a chavruta [Torah study session] with his or her counselor during the year, is more committed to attending minyan [quorum of 10 males] or has more confi-dence and self-esteem,” said Joszef. “Seeing an individual camper or staff mem-ber leave camp more inspired, educated or committed to his or her Judaism than the day he or she arrived is a huge benefit of the job.”

The intersection between Camp Morasha and YU is strong: several YU Roshei Yeshiva also teach in Camp Morasha’s kollel, including Rabbi Yitzchok Cohen and Rabbi Mordechai Willig, the Rabbi Dr. Sol Roth Chair in Talmud and Contemporary Halacha. Joszef returns to the YU campus time and again to see friends who are now YU employees and to meet with current students who serve as staff members during the summer. “While YU and Morasha don’t have any

official connection,” said Joszef, “we share a similar mission in instilling the val-ues of Modern Orthodoxy in the young men and women we serve.”

In fact, Joszef said one of the unofficial camp mottos is this: Built on Values, Runs on Fun. “This saying perfectly encapsulates our goal here at Morasha. Pro-spective campers should know that they will never find a place quite like Mora-sha, and that the friends they meet at camp will be their friends forever and, in fact, feel more like family.”

ALIZA LEIBTAG KLEIN ’08SB: THE CRUISE MANAGER

Exotic cruises to the Baltic Islands. Pesach in a luxurious Florida hotel. Odd hours in the middle of the night after putting her kids to bed and running assorted household errands.

It’s all just another day in the professional life of Aliza Leibtag Klein ’08SB, general manager of Kosherica, the leading glatt kosher cruise and tour company.

Klein grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. “Most people I knew, including my father and my siblings, went to Yeshiva University, and I had heard really good things about its business school [Sy Syms],” said Klein, who knew she wanted to pursue a business career.

Klein thrived at Syms. “I loved the small class size, which fostered an environ-ment where you could form close relationships with your professors and get per-sonal attention that would be difficult in a larger college,” she recalled. “I really enjoyed learning from Professor Steven Nissenfeld, who taught management.”

Klein majored in business management and, during her last two semesters, worked part time at the American Zionist Movement as a bookkeeper. She might have transitioned to a full-time job there after she graduated in 2008, but instead, she made aliyah [immigration to Israel] while expecting her second child with her husband, Elie Klein ’03SB. They settled in the Sheinfeld neighbor-hood in Beit Shemesh, and Elie got a job as a senior account executive for Ruder Finn, a public relations firm. While Klein was getting the lay of the land, she noticed an email circu-lating with a job posting for a part-time office worker. She applied to the company that turned out to be Kosherica and was offered the job on the spot. She began a few weeks after her son was born.

A typical day of work entails a lot of basic office responsibilities, like returning emails, following up with potential clients, coordinating ship-to-land logistics and perform-ing general administrative duties. “Most of my colleagues are based in New York or California, so the work that I do in the morning in Israel is being done while the rest of the company is still sleeping in the United States,” she said. When her children return home from school at around 3 p.m., Klein takes a break until around 8 p.m. when they go to sleep, at which point she restarts her work and can go until anywhere from midnight until 2 a.m.

“It’s challenging sometimes to have these unorthodox hours, and sometimes I think it would be nice to have a more normal business schedule, but I’m actually in really good company,” said Klein. “A lot of olim [immigrants] who work for American companies also share this kind of atypical workday.”

Kosherica operates about 10-15 cruises each year to locations such as Alaska, the Caribbean, Russia, Scandinavia and Australia as well as Pesach programs to Florida and Whistler, Canada. Klein generally travels on two cruises during the winter season and two cruises during the summer season, and though the back-drops are often breathtakingly beautiful and the accommodations plush and well-appointed, Klein is actually working on these trips.

“As general manager, I’m responsible for all the details involving the logistics of pricing, booking and administrative work and oversight of food and beverages,” explained Klein. “For the Pesach programs, I also handle the guest bookings and programming.”

Amid all her careful attention to detail and her job-related obligations, Klein is able to enjoy the trips she goes on. “I’m very lucky that I get to visit many places a lot of us hear about but don’t really get to witness in person, like Copenhagen and Estonia,” said Klein. “There’s so much history and natural beauty in places like these, and I’ve been to shuls all over the world and spent time in such diverse Jewish communities. That’s an exciting thing to be able to experience.”

But Klein especially loves the Pesach program, her only “work” trip on which she brings her family—Elie and their sons Netanel, 7, and Amichai, 5—because she actually has some time on the holiday to unwind with them. “I love seeing my kids enjoy the amazing programming we provide there,” said Klein.

The balancing act of logistics that Klein must juggle is sometimes challeng-

From summer camps to cruises and tours, meet Yeshiva University alumni who work to create meaningful experiences

ALUMNITODAY

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ing, but it is always rewarding. “Being able to work hard on a cruise or hotel pro-gram for months and then seeing everything brought to fruition and receiving a lot of positive feedback is incredibly gratifying,” Klein said. “Our work at Kosherica is to provide vacations for our customers, and seeing them enjoy what we put together while they spend time with their families is a very special thing that I try never to take for granted.”

SCOTT SHULMAN ’09SB: THE TAGLIT-BIRTHRIGHT COORDINATOR

Nearly 2,500 young men and women from a variety of Jewish backgrounds will have experienced a magical 10-day trip to Israel this year thanks to Scott Shul-man ’09SB, who is at the helm of the Orthodox Union’s Israel Free Spirit program, one of the most popular tours under the umbrella organization Taglit-Birthright Israel to provide Israel experiences to Jewish adults ages 18-26.

It’s a big job to direct the pro-gram, and Yeshiva University helped Shulman get there.

Shulman grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and was set to attend Ohio State University when he was pre-sented with the option of attending YU. “I had been increasingly feeling that to help contribute to the future of the Jewish people, YU would be a better place for me,” he said. “I embrace the Torah Umadda values that YU represents, and I decided to make it happen.”

As a marketing major at Sy Syms, Shulman took many courses where he learned the fundamentals of analyzing competition, custom-ers and the environment to maintain a competitive advantage as well as how to build customer and partner relationships by harnessing technology and other global opportunities. But Shulman highlighted his final semester’s capstone course with former Syms Associate Professor Daniel Laufer—where teams of students simulated products and competed for market share—as a memorable lesson in real-life marketing tactics.

“It was an awesome opportunity to envision what the current trends are in the marketing world and strategize around them by creating products to appeal to cer-tain target markets,” said Shulman. “It was a fun and interactive exercise, and more than any other class, it really inspired me to apply the things I had learned in school to situations where they would be practical in my career afterward.”

Shulman enjoyed learning from famous entrepreneurs as part of the Doris and Dr. Ira Kukin Entrepreneurial and Executive Lecture Series, which allows students to hear from and speak with influential business leaders about current challenges in entrepreneurship.

Shulman was also closely involved with the Center for the Jewish Future, participating in a number of its programs including Teach for Israel; Eimatai Leadership Development Project; Aaron and Blanche Schreiber Torah Tours in Charleston, South Carolina; a summer kollel in Los Angeles, California; and Yeshiva University Political Action Committee, among others.

“One of the most amazing parts of YU is that aside from being a renowned aca-demic institution, it gives students a lot of opportunities to become involved in social action and form a holistic Jewish perspective,” said Shulman. “These pro-grams really give you an appreciation of the Jewish world beyond yourself and YU—and even beyond the United States. Realizing that there’s a bigger picture and zoning in on that collective focus has added a lot of value to my YU experience.”

After graduation, Shulman was recruited to work at the Orthodox Union in its OU Alumni program, a natural extension of the work the organization does with NCSY and includes recruitment of former NCSY members to participate in Birthright Israel trips. “That first year I was there, the Birthright part of OU Alumni experienced tremendous growth beyond what was expected, and it became obvious that someone was needed to devote attention to it full time,” said Shulman. “That’s been my role at the OU ever since.”

Shulman works to attract participants to the trips and to create partnerships with other nonprofit and communal groups, like campus-based and young pro-fessional organizations. When he first started, he helped organize about 30 trips per year. The past couple of years, the number has averaged closer to 48, and this past year, the number of trips totaled 58. There are approximately 40 people on each trip, who are joined by eight participants in Israel.

That’s a lot of people and a lot of paperwork for each one, not to mention the ensuing logistics for the participants as well as coordinating the locations they visit in Israel such as the Kotel, Masada, Mount Herzl, Yad Vashem, the city of Tzfat and more.

As the program director of one of about 15 providers in North America of Birthright Israel trips, Shulman also gets to flex his creative muscles by tailoring some of the trips to fit specific interests. “Every Birthright trip, whether it’s coed or single gender, has similar components, and about 75 percent of each trip will be nearly identical,” he said. “That last little bit, though, can be customized to cater to niche groups, and the OU has offered tours with themes like literature, the media, arts and entertainment, social justice and entrepreneurship. Often these customized themes will help us attract the people who need a little more incentive to join a Birthright tour than just a free experience in Israel.”

Shulman is grateful that he’s been able to staff four trips thus far and bear witness to the incredible and transformative impact Taglit-Birthright Israel has on so many people.

“In today’s fast-paced information age, it can be difficult to have one of those moments where you see a paradigm shift in someone’s thinking and an experi-ence that makes him or her see the bigger picture,” said Shulman. “On every Birthright trip, though, these opportunities are being provided each day. That’s a priceless thing to be connected to.” n

s CHECK OUT WHAT ALUMNI EVENTS ARE HAPPENING ON CAMPUS AND AROUND THE WORLD AT WWW.YU.EDU/ALUMNIEVENTS ALUMNITODAY 5

Alumni in ActionDR. DANIEL GORDIS DISCUSSES THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MENACHEM BEGIN (APRIL 4, 2014)Yeshiva University’s Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought hosted an evening of conversation at the Yeshiva University Museum with Straus Center Director Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik ’02YC, ’03R and Dr. Daniel Gordis, author of Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel’s Soul (Nextbook, April 2014), to discuss the complexities and contradictions of the Prime Minister’s life and legacy. YU and the Straus Center express their gratitude to the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation and its president, Hart Hasten, for their lead sponsorship, as well as to Benjamin and Lynda Brafman and J. Philip and Malki Rosen for their generous support.

m President Richard M. Joel ’68YUHS welcomes guests to the YU museum

m Philip Rosen ’78YC, vice chairman of Yeshiva College’s Board of Overseers; Hart Hasten; Rabbi Meir Soloveichik; Moshael Straus ’70YUHS, ’74YC, member of Yeshiva University’s Board of Trustees; Dr. Daniel Gordis; and President Joel

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REUNION CLASSES CELEBRATE MILESTONE (MAY 21, 2014)This year’s 25-, 40-, 50- and 60-year reunion classes celebrated their milestones on May 21 at a gala dinner at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. The next morning, they participated in the undergraduate Commencement ceremony, where the members of the Class of 1964 received special recognition from President Richard M. Joel, who reissued their diplomas. Ruth (Schuster) Diamond ’60YUHS, ’64S and Henry Rothman ’64YC accepted the diplomas on behalf of their classes. The dinner program featured remarks from Shira Yoshor ’89S, Rabbi Marc Wildes ’89YC, ’93C, ’94R and President Joel. Leon Wildes ’54YC welcomed the new members of the Silver and Golden Shield Society, and Leonard Glass ’60YUHS, ’64YC thanked those who contributed to the Reunion Class Gift.

ALUMNI IN ACTION

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s WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS FOR PROGRAMMING IN YOUR REGION. CONTACT BARBARA BIRCH AT [email protected] OR 212.960.0848. ALUMNITODAY 7

YU WALL STREET GROUP: CURRENT TRENDS IN ACTIVIST INVESTING (JUNE 19, 2014)The Yeshiva University Wall Street Group, chaired by Lawrence Askowitz ’87YC and Evelyn Havasi ’82S, ’87C, presented “Current Trends in Activist Investing,” featuring Peter W. May, president and founding partner of Trian Partners, in conversation with Andrew Conway, managing director at Credit Suisse. The program was hosted by Credit Suisse.

m Moshe Bajnon with speakers Peter May and Andrew Conway Danzig m Avi Kwestel; Ari Kadish ’00SB; and Alan Danzig

m Robert Fuchs ’83YUHS, ’87YC; Yosef Rabinowitz ’87YUHS; Marc Davis; and Lawrence Askowitz ’87YC, member of Yeshiva College’s Board of Overseers

m Ezra Blumenthal ’07YC, ’08BR; Evelyn S. Havasi ’82S, ’85C, member of Stern College’s Board of Overseers; Michael Heino ’13YC; and Michael Mazin

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m Bruce Ratner answers questions on development and real estate m Joshua Muss delivers introductory remarks

m Michael Stoler; Joshua Muss ’58YUHS, ’62YC, member of Yeshiva University’s Board of Trustees; and Bruce Ratner

m Bruce Schanzer ’91YC, ’93C, member of Yeshiva College’s Board of Overseers, introduces the speakers

YU REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS: BRUCE RATNER IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL STOLER (JUNE 25, 2014)The Yeshiva University Real Estate Professionals, chaired by Marc Kwestel ’87YC and Bruce Schanzer ’91YC, ’93C, presented Bruce Ratner, executive chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies in conversation with Michael Stoler at The New York Times building. YU Trustee Joshua Muss ’58YUHS, ’62YC introduced the program and remarks were given by Ralph Herzka of Meridian Capital Group. The program was sponsored by Forest City Ratner Companies and Meridian Capital Group, with additional sponsorship by Chicago Title Insurance Company.

Legend for school abbreviations:

A: Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration • BR: Bernard Revel Graduate School • BS: Belfer Graduate School of Science • BZ: Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music • C: Cardozo School of Law • E : Albert Einstein College of Medicine • F: Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology • R: Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • S: Stern College for Women • SB: Sy Syms School of Business • TI: Teacher’s Institute • W: Wurzweiler School of Social Work • YC: Yeshiva College • YUHS: Yeshiva University High Schools

YOM HA’ATZMAUT (MAY 6, 2014)Nearly two dozen phone-a-thon participants and Students Helping Students club members worked together to raise awareness of the growing need for undergraduate scholarship support and to build school pride.

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SUPPORT THE MACCABEES!Go to www.YUmacs.com/blueandwhite

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tRabbi David Baruch Lau, the Ash-kenazi chief rabbi of Israel, visited YU in May. The chief rabbi met with Roshei Yeshiva at YU-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and President Richard M. Joel. He also spoke with Center for the Jewish Future senior staff about their communal work around the world and toured the Wilf Campus and the Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study. n

pOver 700 people attended the RIETS Shavuos Yarchei Kallah at the Hilton Westchester. Speakers included President Richard M. Joel; Dr. Chaviva Levin, visiting assistant professor of Jewish history; Dr. Rona Novick, dean of Azrieli; Rabbi Men-achem Penner (right), Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS and Undergradu-ate Torah Studies; and Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Nathan and Vivian Fink Distinguished Professorial Chair in Talmud, among others. n

tLed by President Richard M. Joel, more than 1,400 students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of Yeshiva University marched up Fifth Avenue, cheering and greeting the crowds as they celebrated Israel’s 66th year of independence at the 2014 Celebrate Israel Parade in June. The student contingent included representatives from YU’s undergraduate schools and affiliated high schools, as well as the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. n

pSy Syms School of Business celebrated its 27th anniversary and the graduating class of 2014 with a gala awards dinner in April at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. The evening honored students and faculty who excelled academically and professionally, demonstrated exceptional character and exemplified the significant strengthening of Sy Syms. n

NEWS | BRIEFS

pClose to 100 students participated in a four-day financial training seminar given after classes ended in May by Adkins Matchett & Toy, global experts in training analysts and investment bankers at leading financial companies, hedge funds and corporate law firms. Organized by YU’s Career Center, in partnership with Sy Syms School of Business, the seminar touched on many topics including financial statement analysis, modeling, valuation, balance sheets, capital expenditures and cash flow statements. n

pNineteen musmachim [ordained rabbis] were honored at a May Chag HaSemikhah Ceremony in Israel, along with three musmachim celebrating their 50th years as alumni of YU-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). Dr. Yisrael Levitz represented the 50th year alumni and recounted his memorable experiences with his rebbeim at RIETS, and Rabbi Ari Yablok spoke on behalf of the current musmachim. Rabbi Dovid Miller, Rosh Kollel at RIETS Israel Kollel, and Rabbi Menachem Penner, Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS and Undergraduate Torah Studies, also shared inspiring words of Torah with the musmachim and their families. n

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From Tape Cassettes to Mobile Apps

Azrieli Revamps Doctoral Program

It started with one semicha [rabbinic] student.

While studying at Yeshiva Uni-versity-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), Rabbi Marc Spivak was training for a career as a pulpit rabbi outside of the tri-state area but didn’t want to miss out on the advanced learning and shiurim [lectures] he loved at YU. He began taping shiurim, building a collection he’d be able to listen to anywhere, any time. When his apart-ment could no longer hold the sheer vol-ume of tapes he’d created, he tried digital storage, learning how to encode the shi-urim and burn them to CDs. Eventually, with help from YU student Chaim Jaskoll and others still exploring the Internet’s

then-fledgling potential, Rabbi Spivak turned to the emerging world of online media, uploading all the shiurim he had recorded to a single website where they would remain accessible, for free, to any Jew, anywhere in the world.

The site was an instant hit. Rabbi Spivak joined what would eventually be-come known as YU’s Center for the Jew-ish Future (CJF) to embark on an even more ambitious project: recording and uploading shiurim Yeshiva-wide. Before long, the site had expanded beyond YU’s borders, receiving submissions and listen-ership from Torah figures and institutions around the world. Today, that website is known as YUTorah, and with over 90,000 shiurim—and counting—it’s the leading site for online Torah study. In 2014 alone, YUTorah received more than four million page views from 185 countries worldwide and thousands of downloads of its mobile apps for Android and iPhone.

“It’s grown exponentially,” said Rabbi Robert Shur, director of YUTorah since 2007. “We started out limited to just shiurim that were happening at YU and RIETS. Then we made a decision to expand it to become more of a forum for the Torah happening throughout the YU community, a one-stop shop for high-quality Torah content from a whole range of speakers and topics. Today, all kinds of Jews from nearly every country on the planet come to YUTorah to learn. You

don’t get a broader audience than that.”Dr. David Arbesfeld got involved

with YUTorah more than 10 years ago, when he offered to donate all the record-ing equipment that was needed and stayed involved as the site expanded under the CJF’s Isaac Shalev. “It’s a big mitzvah to be marbitz Torah b’rabim [to spread Torah to the masses],” he said. “If there’s some-thing you can do so people won’t have to pay, many more will be able to listen.”

With the help of Yoni Cohen, CJF di-rector of operations, Rabbi Shur works on the site to ensure it’s always evolving and customizes it to make it more personal and user-friendly. In 2006, Marcos and Adina Katz gave a generous gift to endow YUTorah, and users can sponsor days, weeks or months of learning.

“Since YUTorah’s inception, we have convened the academic talent of our Roshei Yeshiva, our academic com-munity and our alumni to create one of the most robust Torah sites in the Jewish world,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, the David Mitzner dean of the CJF and vice president for university and community life. “It has been a personal privilege to be involved with Rabbi Shur and the YU community in the development of this ini-tiative, sharing Torah with 250,000 Jews annually from across the world.” n

k To listen to a shiur or sponsor a day of learning, visit www.yutorah.org

Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration will soon be offering a new doc-

toral degree in Jewish educational lead-ership and innovation. Slated to begin in the fall, the program will combine vir-tual learning opportunities with live ses-sions throughout the year and replaces Azrieli’s existing doctoral degree in Jew-ish education and administration.

While Azrieli’s current program fea-tured a more traditional model of 14-week semesters and three-credit courses and was accessible only for those living locally, the new program aims to reach a broader group of educators, through blended learning techniques and a more hands-on approach to learning.

“Azrieli’s and YU’s mission is not limited to the New York geographic re-gion,” said Dr. Rona Novick, dean of Azri-eli. “The idea of a day school leader having to leave their community to ac-cess our resources is not ideal. We want this program to be available to a wider range of educators and communities.”

The new program combines live five-day sessions held during the sum-mer, three-day conferences during the year and virtual learning experiences.

“We are focused on problem-based learning—redesigning our program to meld the best of research and academics with professional training and on-the-job practical applications,” said Novick. “We present students with scenarios in which they address issues confronted by

typical school leaders.”Collaboration is a focal point of the

new program, where students will work together as cohorts, utilizing distance learning technology such as Google Hangouts, web and phone conferencing, online discussion boards and webinars, in addition to face-to-face meetings.

The emphasis on collaboration also helps improve upon the flexibility of the current model and contributes to the valuable dialogue between students and faculty, who serve as mentors to the doc-toral candidates.

“I came to Azrieli for the stellar, world-renowned faculty who are experts in psychology, education, leadership and cognitive science, and because I wanted close mentoring at the doctoral level,” said doctoral fellow Suzanne Brooks. “The program has surpassed my expectations.”

For current students, the coming changes are exciting innovations that aim to serve as a model of teaching and learning for the 21st century.

“The new model is more hands-on,” said Brooks, who helped revamp the pro-gram. “It’s about taking concepts from theory to practice and using cognitive skills to address issues versus just reading about them.”

The classes are taught by current Az-rieli faculty and enriched by the efforts of adjunct professors, many of whom are veteran educators and administrators.

“We want students to benefit from learning with academic and research-based individuals and also those experi-enced in the field,” Novick said. “The program is extraordinarily fluid and pro-vides students with great potential for learning, harnessing all that technology has to offer. We are also exploring part-nerships with other university programs to take advantage of the incredible re-sources and potential for synergy across the impressive YU landscape.” n

k Learn more about Azrieli’s offerings at yu.edu/azrieli

to our coach, Ira Miller. Having a former Division I coach helped the professional environment on our team.”

More than ever, though, what sets the Macs apart is the strong team dynamic that makes them a force to reckon with on the court and a true family off it.

“I think that our team gained con-fidence this year,” said Greenberg, from Cedarhurst, New York, a guard for the women’s basketball team. “My proud-est moment this season would have to be winning our last game—we just played as the united team that we were and proved what we are truly capable of on the court. We won more games this season than we have in the past and we’re finally ac-knowledging that we are a competing force in this division.” n

k Keep up with the latest athletics news, schedules and scores at www.yumacs.com

Former Mac Comes Home to Lead Men’s Basketball

Elliot Steinmetz ’02SB, who let-tered on YU’s basketball team from 1999–02, has been selected as head men’s basketball coach.

He has served with distinction as head coach of the varsity basketball team at North Shore Hebrew Acad-emy High School and of the gold medal-winning United States 18 and Under Boys Basketball Team for the Maccabiah Games in Israel. Steinmetz is the former owner of JV Elite, Inc. where he managed an intense summer basketball training program for top Jewish high school basketball players nationwide until its sale in 2008.

“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to once again be a part of YU basketball,” said Steinmetz. “Studying and playing at YU was one of the most memorable and educational experiences of my life. I am humbled by the history at Yeshiva University and thrilled to be a part of the future as we move for-ward with the basketball program.”

Steinmetz was hired after an international search that attracted more than 200 applicants, led by a 14-member advisory committee that included athletics and coach-ing personnel from high schools, universities and professional sports teams. In his role, he will be respon-sible for overseeing all aspects of the basketball program while ensur-ing the academic success of its student-athletes.

Game, Set, Macs ç Continued from Page 1

Dr. Rona Novick

How YUTorah Grew Into The Leading Site For Online Torah Study

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Dr. Aaron Golden, an astrophysicist and data scientist who holds a joint appointment as a research associate professor in the Depart-ment of Mathematical Sciences and an associate professor of genetics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to observe a brown dwarf, as part of the NASA exoplanetary space mission K2, a search for extraterrestrial planets using a space-based telescope.

Dr. Steven Fine, professor of Jewish history, was selected to par-ticipate in the Getty Research Institute’s Scholars Program, which brings cultural scholars and artists from around the world to live and work in Los Angeles while conducting research. Fine’s project is titled “The Arch of Titus: From Roman Triumphal Arc to Lieu de Memoire and Post-Colonial Icon,” and his research centers on cul-tural history, visual culture, Roman history and Jewish history.

Yeshiva University Press, in conjunction with OU Press, an-nounced the republication of two landmark books by Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff, professor of rabbinic literature at YU’s Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute: Bernard Revel: Builder of American Orthodoxy and The Silver Era: Rabbi Eliezer Silver and His Generation. Ber-nard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and the Center for the Jewish Future hosted a book launch and lecture in May, featuring Rabbi Rakeffet.

Alan J. Broder, adjunct professor of computer science, was ap-pointed by Jeh Johnson, secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to the DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee, which provides advice to the secretary on mat-ters related to privacy and data integrity.

FOCUS | ON FACULTY

In Memoriam: Dr. Charles Raffel

Yeshiva University mourns the passing of Dr. Charles Raffel, professor of Jewish philosophy at Stern College for Women, who passed away suddenly on April 19. Born August 28, 1950, Raffel was a graduate of Wesleyan and Brandeis uni-versities. Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, chair of the Rebecca

Ivry Department of Jewish Studies, described Raffel as “the anchor” of the school’s Jewish philosophy program, “a con-summate mensch and colleague and a beloved teacher.” Raffel is survived by his beloved wife Rivka, and children Aliza and Josh, as well as by two brothers.

Seth Moskowitz was appointed vice president for institutional advancement. Moskowitz, who brings more than 35 years of man-agement and fundraising experience with nonprofit, political and communal organizations, succeeds Daniel Forman, who is assum-ing a new role with the University as senior philanthropic adviser, after 19 years spent leading advancement for YU.

“As a consummate professional, a man of deep Jewish passion and a person with deep commitments both to education, the Jewish community and to the land of Israel, we are excited to invite Seth into the Yeshiva University family,” said President Richard M. Joel.

Moskowitz has previously served as the senior vice president for the American Technion Society and has held positions with Ameri-can Friends of the Israel Democracy Institute, Nefesh B’Nefesh,

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Jewish National Fund and the United Jewish Appeal.“YU’s commitment to excellence and to bettering our world inspires hopes of enhancing our appeal

to the entire Jewish community,” said Moskowitz. “I’m honored to work with a team of dedicated devel-opment professionals focused on advancing community support for our vital institution.”

Dr. Rachel Mesch, director of the Yeshiva College Core Cur-riculum and chair of the Lan-guages, Literatures and Cultures department, was appointed as-sistant editor of Nineteenth-Century French Studies, the flagship journal in her field.

Dr. Anatoly Frenkel, co-chair of the physics department, was awarded a $375,000 grant from the National Science Founda-tion, through its Macromo-lecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Program, to conduct chemistry research in collaboration with a colleague at Hebrew University.

Dr. Linda Shires, Ruth and David Gottesman Professor and chair of Stern College for Wom-en’s English department, was appointed to the advisory com-mittee of PMLA, the scholarly journal of the Modern Language Association for scholars of lan-guage and literature.

Dr. Fredy Zypman, professor and co-chair of the physics department, was awarded a contract with NASA to develop and validate a method to measure viscosity. Zypman will build on his research on Scanning Probe Microscopy to create a tailored mathematical algorithm to pro-cess the measurements and turn them into a value for viscosity.

k Keep up with the latest faculty news at blogs.yu.edu/facultynews

Dr. John Condeelis, professor and co-chair of anatomy and struc-tural biology, co-director of the Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center and the Judith and Burton P. Resnick Chair in Translational Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, was awarded a $10 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to fund research into how breast cancer cells move and spread in the body, and how to predict which tumors will metastasize.

Melanie Leslie ’91C, professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, was appointed vice dean of the school, the first Cardozo graduate to hold the position. Leslie replaces Edward Stein, who is stepping down after five years and will continue at Car-dozo as professor and director of the Gertrud Mainzer Pro-gram in Family Law, Policy and Bioethics.

Rabbi Moshe Tendler, Rosh Yeshiva and the Rabbi Isaac and Bella Tendler Professor of Jewish Medical Ethics and professor of biology, received an honorary doctorate at the 41st Annual Nitzotzot Confer-ence in May at Bar-Ilan University’s Ludwig and Erica Jesselson In-stitute for Advanced Torah Studies. Rabbi Tendler also headlined the event with a discourse on “Value Judgments in Bioethics: Halakhic and General,” a summary of his life’s work.

Dr. Lea Santos, associate professor of physics, was awarded a fellow-ship from Harvard University to spend three supported months of her upcoming sabbatical there, at the Institute For Theoretical Atomic Molecular And Optical Physics.

Dr. Henry Huang, associate professor of accounting at Sy Syms School of Business, received the Outstanding Alumni Award from his alma mater, Peking University (PKU), a top university in China. The award recognizes the excellence of PKU alumni in contributing to their professional fields and to their alma mater.

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From Paris to Saint Petersburg: A Summer Abroad

Dozens of YU students are spending their summer breaks engaged in a variety of educational and recre-

ational activities around the world, from volunteer opportunities in Germany and Israel to study abroad courses in France and Russia and professional internships in Jewish communities nationwide.

• The Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) ran a weeklong trip to Germany called Germany Close Up, which gave 16 students the opportunity to learn about Germany’s contemporary Jewish com-munity as well as the effects of the Ho-locaust on its growth. Panel discussions touched on topics relating to history and anti-Semitism, allowing students to explore thought-provoking issues. Participants also visited several Jewish memorials and museums and capped off the trip by spending a memorable Shab-bat connecting with the small Jewish community in Leipzig.

• A group of 11 women from Stern College traveled to Paris, France, for 10 days as part of Art and Revolution in Paris, a study abroad course offered through the Jay and Jeanie Schotten-stein Honors Program. The students visited famous museums, including the

Louvre, and walked the streets where revolutionaries once rallied, from the Bastille to the Place Vendome, learning about the sites through the dual lens of art history and political science. They also visited popular tourist destinations including the Eiffel Tower and Ver-sailles, to appreciate how those sites are also infused with significance as sym-bols of the French Revolution.

• The CJF sent 30 students to Israel for a month to run day camps for Israeli teens in Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malachi, Arad and Dimona, as part of its Counter-point Israel program. Now in its ninth summer, the program gives YU students the opportunity to teach English and run empowerment programming for teens in addition to organizing innovative pro-grams and trips.

• Fifteen Yeshiva College students traveled to Saint Petersburg, Russia, to learn about the city through the optics of literature and science. After four weeks of studying the topics in New York in two concurrent courses, the classes united for two weeks of exploration in Saint Peters-burg. There, students learned about the region’s famous literary figures such as Nikolai Gogol and renowned scientists

like Dmitri Mendeleev. They absorbed the culture of the city through visits to historical and modern-day sites of inter-est, including houses of literature, monu-ments to writers, science museums and labs, and also got acquainted with the Jewish community.

• As in past summers, YU students traveled to Israel to investigate the ar-chaeology and history of Tell es-Safi, the biblical city of Gath. Participants gained experience digging and surveying at the

site, sampling soil and recording archi-tecture, and also took field trips to other archaeological sites in the area.

• In a program organized by the CJF, small groups of students spent the month of June interning in South Bend, Indiana; Houston, Texas; and Overland Park, Kansas, in a variety of fields, in-cluding medicine, IT and engineering, while also running Shabbat and nightly learning programs for the local Jewish communities. n

Yeshiva University has a long his-tory of educating extraordinary students who excel academically

on a national and international level. This past year was no exception, as several un-dergraduates were awarded prestigious fellowships and scholarships in recogni-tion of their outstanding achievements, particularly in the sciences.

“YU has emerged as a center of learning, scholarship and teaching—a star in the Jewish and secular world,” said Dr. Norman Adler, university professor of psychology and special assistant to the provost for fellowship mentoring. “Like other great universities and yeshivot, it is the quality of ideas and those who work with them—students and faculty—that make us who we are.”

Kayla Applebaum, a junior at Stern College for Women, was awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, a highly competitive grant for undergraduates who intend to pursue careers in science, math or engineering. Applebaum will use her scholarship to continue her study of targeting molecular pathways of breast cancer in research with Dr. Marina Holz, associate professor of biology at Stern, who she has worked with for the last three years.

“I hope one day to be able to make a difference in the life of at least one per-son,” said Applebaum, who plans to at-tend medical school and launch a career in cancer research.

“Kayla is motivated, hardworking and always aims to achieve the best pos-

sible educational experience for herself,” said Holz. “She exemplifies one of the core missions of Stern College: to pro-mote women in science and support their aspirations to succeed.”

Senior Mark Weingarten was se-lected to conduct research as part of the Emily Murray Fellowship at the Hastings Center for Bioethics this summer.

“I hope to use this research to inves-tigate the broader questions that underlie many elements of the biomedical field, and the way in which legal and religious traditions engage advancements in sci-ence and technology,” said Weingarten, who is majoring in history at Yeshiva Col-lege and also pursuing semicha [rabbinic ordination] at YU-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.

Weingarten credits his many rabbis and professors at YU for their invaluable guidance and for helping him discover new insights, particularly Dr. Yakov Peter, assistant professor of biology, who has been his mentor since he began his studies at YU three years ago.

“Under Dr. Peter’s tutelage, I have been granted exposure to the world of research and afforded opportunities that have been unparalleled learning experi-ences,” said Weingarten. “Dr. Peter was instrumental as a sparring partner to de-velop unique ideas for my thesis, and in

his brilliant and unique approaches to always push the bar higher.”

“Mark is determined, quick, re-sourceful and open to new ideas,” said Dr. Peter. “He has already co-authored two manuscripts in peer-reviewed jour-nals, a very rare accomplishment for an undergraduate.”

Applebaum and Weingarten are two examples of dozens of YU students who have received impressive scholarships and merit-based awards for their top-tier research and academic feats over the last two decades. In the past, six YU students received Goldwater Scholarships, four won Fulbright Scholarships, three were awarded graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation—including Gilad Barach ’14YC, who will instead be pursuing a PhD in physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Is-rael—and one was a Rhodes Scholar.

“Faculty members provide students with valuable research opportunities that lead to prestigious academic fellowships and admission to the finest graduate pro-grams,” said Dr. Selma Botman, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Student success is profoundly important to faculty and staff who are inspired by the determination, talent and accomplishments of our students.” n

Assisted by Faculty, Students Pursue Advanced Learning Opportunities

Kayla Applebaum

Students from Stern College, pictured at Versailles with their professor, studied abroad in Paris

Mark Weingarten