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  • 7/21/2019 YUToday Summer 2014

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    YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

    SUMMER 2014

    VOLUME 18 NO. 3YUTODAY

    Yeshiva,MontefioreForm NewEntity

    4Page 3

    SummerAbroad

    4Page 8

    FacultyFocus

    4Page 7

    GraduationRoundup

    4Page 4

    More than 600 students from Yeshiva Universitys undergraduate schools were

    presented with their degrees at YUs 83rd commencement exercises, held atthe 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 familymy 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. Its bittersweet because I learned

    a lot here and developed as a person and Im sad that

    my experience is drawing to a close. But Im 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 thefuture.

    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 Schindlers 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 mens ten-

    nis team earning YUs first-ever National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

    tournament berth after winning the Skyline Conference Championship or the womens

    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 Universitys 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 womens 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 womens 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 coachs dream.

    Felix was named HVIAC Coach of the Year, an honor also bestowed on

    her fellow YU coaches Arnold Ross of the mens volleyball team and Steve

    Schucker of the womens softball team. Ira Miller, head coach of the mens

    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 mens

    volleyball team won the HVIAC Championship for the second year in a row and third

    time in five years, the mens cross country team won the HVIAC Championship for the

    fourth straight year and the womens 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 mens 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

    Continued on Page 6

    Mens 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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    2 YUTODAY

    s WWW.YU.EDU/NEWS SUMMER 2014 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER ATWWW.TWITTER.COM/YUNEWS

    At Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva Uni-

    versity High School for Girls

    (YUHSG), senior Michal Lei-

    bowitzs 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. YUHSGs ACE teamthe only yeshiva

    and only all-girls team out of a national program of

    more than 600 studentspresented 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-

    grams 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

    YUTODAY

    YESHIVA 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 PINEYR O

    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

    YUTodayis published quarterly by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs and isdistributed free to faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and friends. It keeps them informedof news from across Yeshiva Universitys 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 Universitys mission of TorahUmadda, 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 AffairsFurst 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, Boardof Overseers, Stern College for Women; Alan Kestenbaum, Chairman, Board of Overseers, SySyms School of Business; Ruth L. Gottesman, Chair, Board of Overseers, Albert Einstein Collegeof 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; CarolBravmann, 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 TheologicalSeminary; Miriam P. Goldberg, Chair, Board of Trustees, YU High Schools; Michael Jesselsonand Theodore N. Mirvis, Co-chairs, Board of Directors, (affiliate) Yeshiva University Museum.

    Board listings as of June 30, 2014.

    YUTODAY WEB EXCLUSIVES

    www.yu.edu/news

    Watch the complete commencement ceremony

    k yu.edu/commencementvideo

    View the 2014 commencement photo gallery

    k yu.edu/commencementpics

    Meet Alex and Deena, and discover their unique YU stories

    k yu.edu/support

    PHOTO

    VIDEO

    WEB

    Rabbis Take Part in Workshop

    on Conflict ResolutionA

    group of 15 rabbis convened in May for a

    three-day seminar on mediation training,

    organized by Yeshiva Universitys 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 rolesin the pulpit, as teachers and as

    educators, working with many peopleand peo-

    ple have differences, said Berner, an assistant

    professor at Cardozo. This workshop is a frameof 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 Universitys 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, theworkshop 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 its 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 t he 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 mein 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 HomeTop Prizes in National Competitions

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    YUTODAY 3

    SUMMER 2014 WWW.YU.EDU/NEWS s FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/YESHIVAUNIVERSITY

    YU, Montefiore Reach Historic

    Agreement Over Future of Einstein

    Class of 2014 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, YUs 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 its 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 toHalacha[Jewish

    law] and spiritual growth. My father made the effort to

    be here today because that is what the commandment of

    pru urvu[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

    Yeshiva 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 hasagreed 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 communityservice 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 Einsteins students

    and Montefiore residents. Einstein faculty members will

    continue to collaborate with all areas of Montefiore and

    their faculty counterparts in YUs other schools.The Yeshiva Board of Trustees and Montefiores

    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 t heir 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 Serv ices 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 t heir 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 g iven to a lawyer, who submitted it into

    evidence in support of the clients 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 u nderstanding 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 worlds diverse population. n

    Ferkauf StudentsAid 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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    p Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law marked its 36th commencement ceremonyon May 27, with 463 graduates earning JD and LLM degrees. Keynote speaker PreetBharara (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 orderto truly form a more perfect union, i t needs an assist from human beings who think and

    feel beyond, he said. In his remarks, Cardozo Dean Matthew Diller (right) urged the newlyminted attorneys to be agents of change and to make their mark in the legal profession.I want to assure youyou really are ready for the road ahead, and Im confident you will

    have much to celebrate in years to come, he said. n

    p Azrieli 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. Hewas introduced by his successor, Dr. Rona Novick. President Richard M. Joel and HenryRothman, vice chairman of the Azrieli Board of Trustees, also addressed the graduatesduring the ceremony. n

    p Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies celebrated the graduation of48 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 professorof 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, deanand 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

    p Wurzweiler School of Social Work held its 55th commencement on May 15. Dr. JayS. Schachne (center), chief of cardiology at Southcoast Physicians Group and associateprofessor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, deliveredthe keynote address. Look up from your smartphones and into the eyes of the needy,he told the graduates. Wurzweilers Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean, Dr. CarmenOrtiz Hendricks (left), bestowed an honorary degree upon Dr. Schachnes 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 withher late husband, endowed the eponymous deanship at Wurzweiler. She also received anhonorary degree at YUs commencement (see page 1). n

    p Albert Einstein College of Medicine celebrated its 56th graduation ceremony onMay 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 Centers Avery Fisher Hall. In his speech, Casade-vall discussed the importance of learning and generating new knowledge to respond tothe challenges of a rapidly changing medical and scientific environment. The way forwardis to continue to embrace knowledge and generate knowledge to ensure an even betterworld built with the tools of science and ethics, on the wings of curiosity and the humanspirit, 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 combinedMD-PhD degrees. Spiegel also presented more than a dozen awards recognizing selectalumni members for their achievements and commitment to Einstein and faculty mem-bers for their teaching excellence, respectively. n

    COMMENCEMENT |ROUNDUP

    p Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology celebrated its commencement ceremonyon May 20. Following opening remarks by President Richard M. Joel and Ferkauf DeanDr. Lawrence Siegel, Dr. Donald Bersoff, president of the American PsychologicalAssociation, delivered the keynote address to the nearly 80 graduates who received an

    array of advanced degrees in mental health counseling and clinical psychology. CherylEpstein 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 t han

    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 t hen 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 Childrens 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

    virtua lly 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 t rip would be four days long.

    Gortler flourished in his Jewish stud ies at TA, having lear ned Hebrew

    fluently in the DP camps, a nd took night classes at nearby Ge orge 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 mar ried his wife, Sarah

    Barash 61S.

    Gortler graduated from Wurzweiler in 1960 with a masters 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 K line

    Galland Home, a nursing home for Jewish seniors in Seattle. Although heinitially told the boa rd he would serve a two-year commitment, he stayed for

    several decades and continues to be affil iated with the organization today.

    Under Gortlers 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 t he homes 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 Gortlers vision and fiscal

    stewardship. The Kline Galland Home is considered one of the finest nurs-

    ing homes in America today.Gortlers accomplishments have been recognized with numerous

    awards, including the Distinguished Administrator Award of Honor from

    the Association of Jewish Ag ing Services in 1997.

    When Gortler retired, the board asked him to assume t he presidency of

    the Kline Galland Foundation, which works with major donors to support

    the nursing homes 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 likea 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 scholarshipnow at $250,000 thanks to Gortler, his

    friends and his colleagues making additional contributionswas 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 elderlyand the

    determination to embrace a new language, culture and opportunities after

    emigrating to the United Statesare shared values.

    Yeshiva University is a very unique institution that has educated Jew-

    ish men and women ldor vdor[from generation to generation], said Gortler.

    I am very pleased t hat my generation of graduates is now helping a new gen-

    eration of students become leaders in their Jewish communities and greater

    society.

    Gortler met Lukht man at YUs 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 futu re 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 sta ndard 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 a n adjunct

    professor at the University of Memphis. They have five g randchildren. n

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

    ALUMNITODAYYESHIVA UNIVERSITY

    SUMMER 2014

    Joshua and Sarah Gortler Fund Scholarship inGeriatric Social Work at YU

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    Marion Talansky53YUHS, 57TIannounces the birth of her great-grandson,born to Elisheva and Hillel Talansky. Mazaltov to grandparents Naomi (Millen)86Sand Rabbi Alan Yitzchak Talansky85YC.

    1960sMiriam and Rabbi Edward Feigelman65YUHS, 69YC, 69BZ, 71R, 72Fannounce the birth of their grandson, TzviYehuda (Julius Hirsch), born to Tikva andShulem Weinreich. Mazal tov to grand-parents Roiza and Feivel Weinreich andgreat-grandfather Moshe Perlman.

    Michael (Mechy) Frankel64YUHS,68YC, 71BR, 71R, senior scientist atPennsylvania State University, gave aninvited talk to the Joint Chiefs of StaffScience and Technologies FuturesSymposium on the subject of nuclearelectromagnetic pulse. In addition, hismonograph, The Uncertain Consequencesof Nuclear Weapon Use, was published byJohns Hopkins University.

    Sheila (Belove) Frankel68S, seniorcomputer scientist at the National Instituteof Standards and Technology (NIST), wasawarded a Gold Medal by the Departmentof Commerce for her technical leadership.

    Rabbi Hillel

    Goldberg69YCedited the 100thanniversary edition ofThe Intermountain

    Jewish News, of whichhe is executive editor,and he publishedUnexpected Road:

    Storied Jewish Lives

    Around the World(Philipp Feldheim, 2013). He and his wife,Elaine, announce the birth of their twingranddaughters, Rachel and Chanah, bornto Batya and Rabbi Mattis Goldberg.

    Miriam and Dr. Philip Josowitz64YCannounce the birth of their grandson, YairNahman, born to Ella Bar and Dr. YehonatanYosef.

    Chava and Eli Klein61YC announce thebirth of their great-granddaughter, Techelet.The Kleins and Tova and Dr. George Rub incelebrated the marriage of their grand-

    children, Hodaya Klein and Nachum Rubin.

    Phyllis (Curchack) Kornspan69Sannounces the birth of her granddaughter,Tair, born to Yael and Yishai Kornspan.

    Naomi (Minder) Lehrfeld64S announcesthe birth of her grandson, born to Rivkie andDan Lehrfeld.

    1970s

    Esther (Gross)79S and Danny Behar77YC, 81E announce the birth of theirgrandson, Daniel Yaakov, born to Racheland Mordechai Behar.

    Beryl75YUHS, 79YC and DoreenEckstein78S celebrated the marriage of

    their daughter, Rebecca, to Judah Orlinsky.Mazal tov to parents Mindy75YUHS andHenry Orlinsky74YUHS, 79YC and tograndparents Beila and Rabbi Dr. ShimonEckstein44YC, 44BR, 46R.

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

    Francine (Mermelstein)73S and EzraFleischmannannounce the marriage oftheir daughter, Laya, to Shragi Rabinowitz.

    Dr. Rosa Resnick

    Helfgot76W, chairof the subcommitteeon intergenerationalrelationships, NGOCommittee onAgeing at the United

    Nations, chaired a conference titled AgeingIs An Intergenerational Journey at theUnited Nations.

    Pearl (Steinmetz) and Martin Herskovitz73YUHS, 77YC announce the birth of theirgrandson, born to Michal and NetanelHerskovitz.

    Dr. Shifra Hochberg70S published The LostCatabomb(EnigmaPress, 2014), a historicalmystery.

    Peshie73YUHS, 77S and Rabbi YaakovNeuburger77YC, 79R announce the birthof their granddaughter, born to Chaya andAryeh Westreich. Mazel tov to great-grandfather Rabbi Zevulun Charlop47YUHS, 51YC, 54R, dean emeritus ofRIETS and Special Advisor to the Presidenton Yeshiva Affairs.

    Rabbi Marc Schneier76YUHS, 80YC, 83A,83R was honored for25 years of leadership

    as president of theFoundation for EthnicUnderstanding at theCongressional Ceremonyin Washington, D.C.,

    commemorating the 50th anniversary ofthe 1964 Freedom Summer.

    Edwin F. Simpser75YUHS, 78YC, 82Ewas appointed presidentand CEO of St. MarysHealthcare System forChildren.

    1980s

    Rabbi Gary Beitler89YC, 92R was the

    faculty honoree at the Yeshiva UniversityHigh Schools Annual Dinner.

    Rabbi Zvi Grumet83R released hisbook, Moses and thePath to Leadership(Urim, 2014).

    Dena Weiss Levie87S created apapercut, The Kiddush, that is on displayat the Jewish Childrens Museum.

    Tzipporah and Rabbi Dr. Jonathan I.Rosenblatt82R were honored for their30 years of service at the Riverdale JewishCenters 60th Anniversary Dinner.

    Stephanie (Schechter) Strauss85YUHS, 89S was appointed actingdirector of Yeshiva University in Israel.

    Dr. Deena88E and Rabbi SammyShalom Zimmerman77YUHS, 81YC,84BR, 84R celebrated the marriage oftheir son, Ari, to Hodaya Rosh and the BatMitzvah of their daughter, Tikva.

    1990s

    Rabbi Hayyim Angel93BR, 93YC, 95R,96A, adjunct instructor of Bible, publishedhis book, Peshat Isnt So Simple: Essays onDeveloping a Religious Methodology to Bible

    Study (Kodesh Press, 2014). Rabbi Angeland his wife, Maxine, also announce thebirth of their son, Mordechai Pinhas. Mazaltov to grandparents Gilda67S and RabbiMarc Angel67YC, 70R, 75BR.

    Rabbi Yaakov Blau93YC, 93BR, 96R,97A published hisbook, MedievalCommentary in the

    Modern Era: The

    Enduring Value of

    Classical Parshanut.

    David Brofsky94YC, 94BR publishedhis book, Hilchot Tefilla: Mekorot Ve-Iyunim(Mosad HaRav kook, 2014).

    Joseph Gitler92YUHS won two

    prestigious prizes. TheJerusalem Post namedhim one of the 50 mostinfluential Jews in theworld, and NefeshBNefesh awarded him

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

    Bonnie94S and Dovid Kupchik89YC,93R, 98A celebrated the Bar Mitzvah oftheir son, Abie.

    Nava and Rabbi Uri Orlian98YC, 02A,instructor of Talmud, announce the birthof their son, Shimon. Mazal tov to SternCollege Associate DeanEthel57YUHS,61S and Dr. J. Mitchell Orlian51YUHS,55YC, 60F, 73BR, professor of Bibleand Hebrew.

    Dr. Arie Pelta96YC joined Kaplan MedicalCenter in Rehovot to build the Colon andRectal Surgery department, after makingaliyah to Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wifeAlyssa and their seven children.

    Dr. Dale Rosenbach99YUHS, 03YC willspeak at the 2014Greater New York DentalMeeting on Atraumatic

    Exodontia: Principles,Concepts andTechniques.

    Yitzchak Schechter93YC, 99Fhusband ofShoshana91S,93BR, professor ofBible and director ofthe Mechina programat Stern Collegewas featured in

    YOUR NEWS IS OUR NEWS!

    Class Notes is where YeshivaUniversity celebrates the milestonesand accomplishments of its al umni.In this section, you can catch up oneverything your classmates have beenup to over the years, from marriagesand births to professional and personalachievements.

    Submit your class note by [email protected] the subjectline Class Notes or by visitingwww.yu.edu/alumni/notesto completethe online form. We hope that you enjoyreading about your fellow alumni andfriends, and we look forward to hearingabout your achievements.

    1940s

    Rabbi Nisson Shulman48YUHS, 52YC,55R, 70BR announces the birth of hisgreat-granddaughter Chaya Shaindle, bornto Dassi and Mordy Tiefenbrunn. Mazal tovto grandparents Baila and Moshe Shulman.

    Rabbi Mordechai Schnaidman48YC,52BR, 52R announces the marriage ofhis grandson, Ephraim Schnaidman, toRivka Weiser.

    1950s

    Claire and Rabbi Joshua Hertzberg51YC, 55R announce the birth of theirgreat-grandsons, Aharon Simcha to Tali andYosef Friedman and Aharon to Rabbi Meirand Gila Arnold.

    Elke59YUHS and Nachman Kupietzky55YUHS, 59YC and Judi63YUHS andRabbi Harris Guedalia57YUHS, 63Rand Hilda Cohen announce the birth of agreat-grandson, born to Gilat and AsherSacks.

    Two classicbiographies ofmajor 20th centuryOrthodox Jewish

    leaders, written byRabbi Aaron

    Rakeffet-Rothkoff 59YC, 61R, 67BR,professor ofrabbinic literatureat YUs Carolineand Joseph S.

    Gruss Institute, will be republished:TheSilver Era: Rabbi Eliezer Silver and His

    Generation(OU Press, 2014) and BernardRevel: Builder of American Jewish

    Orthodoxy(OU Press, 2014).

    CLASSNOTES

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    Mishpachamagazine for his work creating aresearch institute to address the behavioralhealth and social issues of the orthodoxJewish communities.

    Bonnie and Rabbi Gideon Shloush93YC,97R celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of theirson, Michael.

    Penny Harow Thau92S, 96W publishedher childrens book,Theres a Shark in the

    Mikvah: A Light-Hearted

    Look at Jewish Dunking

    Experiences(CreateSpace, 2014).

    David Wagner90YUHS,94SB was appointedChief Financial Officer ofElderplan, Inc.

    Michal and Rabbi Ari Zahtz97YUHS,01YC, 04R announce the birth of their son.

    2000s

    Pnina Baim09Apublished her book,

    A Life Worth Living(Amazon Digital

    Services, 2014).

    Sara and Rabbi Yaron Barach05YC,08R, 09A announce the birth of theirdaughter, Zissel Chaya.

    Dr. Debra (Marcus)03S, 08F, 10F andRabbi Michael Bashist94YUHS, 99YC,05R announce the birth of their son,Mordechai. Mazal tov to great-grandparentsMarylin and Rabbi Alvin Marcus44YUHS,48YC, 52W, 52R.

    Rebecca07A and Rabbi Eli Belizon00YUHS, 07SB, 10R announce the birthof their daughter.

    Elana (Lani)09S

    andJoshua

    Berman04YUHS,09YC announce thebirth of theirdaughter, NavaAshira. Mazel tov tograndparents Judy84S and ZevBerman82YC,

    member of the Yeshiva College Board ofOverseers, and to great-grandparentsDorothy59S, 60F and Rabbi Julius

    Berman56YC, 59R, chair emeritus of theRIETS Board of Trustees, and Sara andRabbi Michael Hecht57YUHS, 61YC,64BR, 64R.

    Josefa02SB and Ari Bunimannouncethe birth of their daughter, Magnolia Sally.

    Shonnie05S and Rabbi Jonathan YoniChambre04YC, 07R, 10BR announcethe birth of their son, David Eliyahu. Mazaltov to grandparents Alisa79YUHS andRabbi Allen Schwartz79YUHS, 85YC,86R, 87BR, the Raymond J. GreenwaldChair in Jewish Studies.

    Sheera (Hefter)04S and RabbiYosi Eisen04YC,announce the birthof twins, Batshevaand Simcha.

    Rabbi Zev Eleff09YC, 11R was awardedthe 2014 Rockower Award for Excellence ina Single Commentary for his article, TheDecline of the Rabbinic Sermon, publishedlast year in Jewish Action.

    Chana06S, 08A and Rabbi EphraimGlatt 06YC, 09R, 12C announce the birthof their son, Eliezer Nissan. Mazal tov tograndparents, Marjorie and Rabbi Dr.Aaron Glatt 76YUHS, 79YC and Symaand Dr. Jerry Levine72YUHS, 76YC.

    Rabbi Mark Goldfeder07YC publishedan op-ed on the CNN website in June titledThe Age of Robots Is Here.

    Julie and Rabbi Uri Goldstein06Rannounce the birth of their daughter,Ayalah Nitzan.

    Sara and Rabbi Simcha Hopkovitz02YC,14R announce the birth of their son,Avigdor Shimon Tzvi. Rabbi Hopkovitz wasalso installed as Rabbi of the QueensJewish Center in Forest Hills, New York.

    Sharona00S, 02W and Rabbi AryehKaplanwere profiled in the OrthodoxUnion blog in May in 10 Years on the Jobat UCLA, OU Torah Educator Rabbi Aryehand Sharona Kaplan Reflect on StudentsPast, Present, and Future.

    Orit and Rabbi Binyamin Lehrfield07YC, 11R announce the bi rth of theirson, Shaya Zev.

    Avital and Darren Levin05SB, 08Wannounce the birth of their son, David Yair.

    Menachem

    Menchel07YC,13A received theThe JewishEducation Project2014 YoungPioneers Award fordesigning and

    coordinating the youth programming for800 families at the Hebrew Institute ofRiverdale.

    Devorah Miriam and Rabbi Nachum Rybak06YC, 10R announce the birth of their son,Yaakov Dovid. Mazal tov to grandparentsShoshana and Rabbi Dr. Solomon Rybak63YC, 66R, 80BR.

    Malka00S, 02A and Rabbi ShimonSchenker02SB, 03R, 06A announce thebirth of their daughter, Hadassah Miriam.

    Shira04S and Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Schnall95YUHS, 00YC, 02F, 03R, 06F,professor of psychology at Yeshiva College,announce the birth of their daughter, BaylaLielle. Mazal tov to big brothers Yonatanand Gavriel, and to grandparents Tova andAzrieli Dean Emeritus Dr.David Schnall65YUHS, 69YC, 72BR, 72R, and Rosalynand Dr. Irvin Hirsch67YUHS.

    Naomi and Ari Schwarzberg07YC, 09A,09R announce the birth of their son, SimonJustin Ephraim Bunim. Mazal tov to grand-parents Judy81S and Rabbi RonaldSchwarzberg80YC, 82F, 83R, directorof the Morris and Gertrude BienenfeldDepartment of Jewish Career Developmentand Placement at the Center for theJewish Future.

    Devora and Rabbi Simcha SimmyShabtai 06YC, 10R, 10BR announcethe birth of their daughter, Elisheva Sara.

    Estee05S and Rabbi Elon Soniker05SB, 08R, 11A announce the birth of

    their son.

    Alexander

    Taub09YCco-published hisbook, Pitching& Closing:

    Everything You

    Need to Know

    About Business

    Development,

    Partnerships, and Making Deals That

    Matter(McGraw-Hill, 2014).

    Tamar (Grun)07S and Joshua Vogel07YC announce the birth of their daughter,Temima. Mazal tov to grandparents Cheryl80S and Alan Vogeland Yehudit andJacob Grun.

    Eliana andMoshe Watson

    07YUHS,12SB, 14R announce the bi rth of theirdaughter, Tamar Tema. Mazal tov tograndparents Ora and Mark Watson88SB and Mandy and Dr. Rubin Brecher80YC, 84E.

    Rabbi Chananya Weissman01YC,04A, 05R, Mazal Mizrahi, and AssociateProfessor of Hebrew Haim Tawil publishedtheir book, The Rebel of Savannah(KodeshPress, 2014).

    2010sDaniel Goldberg13SB was selected tobe part of an international ethics programfor religious leaders, FASPEFellowshipsat Auschwitz for the Study of Professional

    Ethics.

    Netanel Goldstein13YC married SarahKaszovitz14S. Mazal tov to parentsNaomi (Skolnick)87S, 90C, currentStern College for Women tennis coach,and David Kaszovitz80YUHS and Chana(Weglein)85S and Dr. Shmuel Goldstein85YC, 90E, and to grandparents Bonnieand Gabriel Kaszovitz, Beverly Skolnick,Helen (Stone)63S and ErnstWeglein,Shulamis63S, 89BR and Dr. AlanEinstein59YC, 63E.

    Michael Micha Hershkop10YC marriedAhuva Magder in Thornhill, Ontario. Mazaltov to parents Judy and Eli Magder andAlyssa and Sheldon Hershkop.

    Sarah (Deneroff)10S and Daniel Kolat10YC announce the birth of their son, EitanYaakov.

    David

    Schlusselberg10YC, 13Areleased a newalbum calledMizmor LDovid.

    Tamar Devorah10S and

    Noson

    Waintman08YC announce the birth oftheir son.

    The New York Jewish Weekincluded six YU alumni in theirannual 36 Under 36 section(June 6) profiling Jewish leaders:

    Anat Coleman04WMargaret Esther Engel14SRebecca Fischer07CAlexander Goldberg10YUHSDina Muskin Goldberg12SEliezer Lunzer 97YUHS

    In MemoriamAbby Belkin,

    widow of Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin zl,former president and chancellor ofYeshiva University

    Menachem David59YUHSKaren (Teitelbaum) Ehrenreich70SSeymour Eisenstat70BSRabbi Dr. Armin Friedman50YC,

    52R, 71FRabbi Moshe (Whitey) Horovitz48RSema (Chaimovitz) Menora60SHarry Perlmutter37Y UHS, 41YC

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

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

    Joshua Bell, ViolinistDebussy Prelude to the Afternoon of Faun

    Glazunov Violin ConcertoProkofiev Symphony No. 5

    Special presentation to Bar Mitzvah-age boys

    Dinah Pinczower,National Chairwoman of the Board

    Michele Hering, Yosefa Knoll, Michelle Salig, Debbie Schwartz,National Presidium

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

    Yeshiva University Womens Organization

    Future Builders and Collegiate Young Leadership

    , ,

    ,

    .

    i i r,

    i ri , , i i , i r ,

    i i , ,PleaseJoin

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    To join us in supportingour Yeshiva, its Rebbeim,

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    In the Business of Making MemoriesJEREMY 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 jobissummer camp. As t he 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 anobvious next step in my familys

    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. Its still a pleasure staying in touch

    with Rabbi Sobolofsky and his wife, Efrat.

    Joszef was also closely involved with YUs Center for the Jewish Future. Its

    founding coincided with Joszefs first year on campus, and he held a part-timejob 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 ca mpers, developing the board and

    fundraising. In September 2011, he was asked to serve as camp director, making

    himat age 26only the fifth and youngest director in Morashas 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 lear n that running a

    summer camp is a year-round job. While preparing a summer program for over

    1,300 people requires attention to deta il, organization and lots of pat ience, its the

    intense focus on enhancing and furthering the camps 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 a nd 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 notmore impactful tha n 10 months at home.

    Directing a summer ca mp 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, a nd while of course we would like to offer

    the Morasha experience to as many people as we can, were more concerned with

    focusing on quality and not quantit y, explained Joszef. Its a crucial balance.

    Any challenging par ts of the job are far outweighed by its abundant positives

    aspectsfor 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. Theres really nothing more rewarding for me and my fellow adminis-

    trators and staff members when we hear f rom a parent that their child h as set up

    a chavruta[Torah study session] with his or her counselor during the year, ismore 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 Morashas 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 dont have any

    official connection, said Joszef, we share a similar mission in instill ing the val-

    ues of Modern Orthodoxy in t he 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.

    ALI ZA LE IBTAG KLE IN 0 8SB : THE CRU ISE M ANAGER

    Exotic cruises to the Baltic Islands. Pesach in a luxurious Florida hotel. Odd

    hours in the middle of the night af ter putting her kids to bed and r unning assorted

    household errands.

    Its 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 Sy ms], 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 af ter 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 administ rative duties. Most of my colleagues a re 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 stil l sleeping in the United States, she said. When her

    children return home from school at around 3 p.m., Klein takes a break untilaround 8 p.m. when they go to sleep, at which point she restar ts her work and can

    go until anywhere from midnight until 2 a.m.

    Its challenging sometimes to have these unorthodox hours, and sometimes

    I think it would be nice to have a more normal business schedule, but Im actua lly

    in really good company, said Klein. A lot of olim[immigrants] who work for

    American companies also share th is 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, Im 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 carefu l attention to detail and her job-related obligations, Kleinis able to enjoy the trips she goes on. Im very lucky that I get to v isit many places

    a lot of us hear about but dont really get to witness in person, like Copenhagen

    and Estonia, said Klein. Theres so much history and natural beauty in places

    like these, and Ive been to shuls al l over the world and spent time in such diverse

    Jewish communities. Thats an exciting thing to be able to experience.

    But Klein especially loves the Pesach program, her only work trip on

    which she brings her familyElie 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 program ming 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 cru ise or hotel pro-

    gram for months and then seeing everything brought to fruition and receiving alot 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 va riety 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 Ort hodox Unions 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.

    Its 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 semesters capstone

    course with former Syms Associate Professor Daniel Lauferwhere teams of

    students simulated products and competed for market shareas a memorablelesson 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; EimataiLeadership Development Project; Aaron and Bla nche 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

    YUand even beyond the United States. Realizing that theres a bigger picture and

    zoning in on that collective focus has added a lot of value to my YU experience.

    After graduation, Shulman was recru ited 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 ful l time, said

    Shulman. Thats been my role at the OU ever since.

    Shulman works to attract participants to the tr ips and to create partnershipswith 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 t his

    past year, the number of trips t otaled 58. There are approximately 40 people on

    each trip, who are joined by eight participants in Israel.

    Thats 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 Birt hright trip, whether its 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 moreincentive to join a Birthright tour than just a free experience in Israel.

    Shulman is grateful that hes 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 todays fast-paced information age, it can be dif ficult to have one of those

    moments where you see a paradigm shift in someones thinking and an experi-

    ence that makes him or her see the bigger picture, said Shulman. On every

    Birthright trip, though, t hese opportunities are being provided each day. Thats 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 Universitys 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 Israels Soul (Nextbook, April 2014), to discuss the complexities

    and contradictions of the Prime Ministers 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.

    mPresident Richard M. Joel 68YUHS welcomes guests to

    the YU museum

    mPhilip Rosen 78YC, vice chairman of Yeshiva Colleges Board of Overseers; Hart Hasten; Rabbi Meir Soloveichik;

    Moshael Straus 70YUHS, 74YC, member of Yeshiva Universitys Board of Trustees; Dr. Daniel Gordis;

    and President Joel

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    SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND ATWWW.YU.EDU/ONLINEGIVING 6 ALUMNITODAY

    REUNION CLASSES CELEBR ATE MILESTONE (MAY 21, 2014)

    This years 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 T RENDS 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.

    mMoshe Bajnon with speakers Peter May and Andrew Conway Danzig mAvi Kwestel; Ari Kadish 00SB; and Alan Danzig

    mRobert Fuchs 83YUHS, 87YC; Yosef Rabinowitz 87YUHS; Marc Davis; and Lawrence

    Askowitz 87YC, member of Yeshiva Colleges Board of Overseers

    mEzra Blumenthal 07YC, 08BR; Evelyn S. Havasi 82S, 85C, member of Stern Colleges

    Board of Overseers; Michael Heino 13YC; and Michael Mazin

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    mBruce Ratner answers questions on development and real estate mJoshua Muss delivers introductory remarks

    mMichael Stoler; Joshua Muss 58YUHS, 62YC, member of Yeshiva Universitys

    Board of Trustees; and Bruce Ratner

    mBruce Schanzer 91YC, 93C, member of Yeshiva Colleges 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 : Teachers Institute W: Wurzweiler

    School of Social Work YC: Yeshiva College YUHS: Yeshiva University High Schools

    YOM HAATZMAUT (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.

    ALUMNITODAY

    ALUMNITODAY 8s FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/YUALUMNI AND LINKEDIN YU.EDU/ALUMNI/LINKEDIN

    SUPPORTTHEMACCABEES!Go to www.YUmacs.com/blueandwhite

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    YUTODAY 5

    SUMMER 2014 WWW.YU.EDU/NEWS s FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/YESHIVAUNIVERSITY

    t Rabbi David Baruch Lau, the Ash-kenazi chief rabbi of Israel, visited YUin May. The chief rabbi met with RosheiYeshiva at YU-affiliated Rabbi IsaacElchanan Theological Seminary andPresident Richard M. Joel. He also spoke

    with Center for the Jewish Future seniorstaff about their communal work aroundthe world and toured the Wilf Campus andthe Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center forJewish Study. n

    p Over 700 people attended theRIETS Shavuos Yarchei Kallah atthe Hilton Westchester. Speakersincluded President Richard M. Joel;Dr. Chaviva Levin, visiting assistantprofessor of Jewish history; Dr. RonaNovick, dean of Azrieli; Rabbi Men-achem Penner (right), Max and MarionGrill Dean of RIETS and Undergradu-ate Torah Studies; and Rosh Yeshiva

    Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Nathan andVivian Fink Distinguished ProfessorialChair in Talmud, among others. n

    t Led 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 Israels 66th year ofindependence at the 2014 Celebrate Israel Parade in June. The studentcontingent included representatives from YUs undergraduate schools andaffiliated high schools, as well as the Albert Einstein College of Medicine andBenjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. n

    p Sy Syms School of Businesscelebrated its 27th anniversary and the graduatingclass of 2014 with a gala awards dinner in April at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Theevening honored students and faculty who excelled academically and professionally,demonstrated exceptional character and exemplified the significant strengthening of

    Sy Syms. n

    NEWS |BRIEFS

    p Close to 100 students participated in a four-day financial training seminargiven

    after classes ended in May by Adkins Matchett & Toy, global experts in training analystsand investment bankers at leading financial companies, hedge funds and corporate law

    firms. Organized by YUs 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

    p Nineteen musmachim[ordained rabbis] were honored at a May Chag HaSemikhahCeremony in Israel,along with three musmachimcelebrating their 50th years as alumniof 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, Maxand Marion Grill Dean of RIETS and Undergraduate Torah Studies, also shared inspiringwords of Torah with the musmachimand their families. n

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    6 YUTODAY

    s WWW.YU.EDU/NEWS SUMMER 2014 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER ATWWW.TWITTER.COM/YUNEWS

    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 didnt want to miss out on the

    advanced learning and shiurim[lectures]

    he loved at YU. He began taping shiurim,

    building a collection hed be able to listen

    to anywhere, any time. When his apart-

    ment could no longer hold the sheer vol-

    ume of tapes hed created, he tried digital

    storage, learning how to encode the shi-

    urim and burn them to CDs. Eventually,

    with help from YU student Chaim Jaskolland others still exploring the Internets

    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 YUs 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 YUs

    borders, receiving submissions and listen-

    ership from Torah figures and institutions

    around the world. Today, that website is

    known as YUTorah, and with over 90,000shiurimand countingits 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.

    Its 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 theplanet come to YUTorah to learn. You

    dont 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

    CJFs Isaac Shalev. Its a big mitzvah to

    be marbitz Torah brabim[to spread Torah

    to the masses], he said. If theres some-

    thing you can do so people wont 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 its always evolving and

    customizes it to make it more personal

    and user-friendly. In 2006, Marcos and

    Adina Katz gave a generous gift to endowYUTorah, and users can sponsor days,

    weeks or months of learning.

    Since YUTorahs 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

    Azrielis existing doctoral degree in Jew-

    ish education and administration.

    While Azrielis 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.

    Azrielis and YUs 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 lea rning experiences.

    We are focused on problem-based

    learningredesigning 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. Its 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 a nd 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 Azrielis 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

    womens basketball team. My proud-

    est moment this season would have to be

    winning our last gamewe 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 were finally ac-

    knowledging that we are a competing

    force in this division. n

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

    Former Mac Comes Hometo Lead Mens Basketball

    Elliot Steinmetz 02SB, who let-tered on YUs basketball team from199902, has been selected ashead mens basketball coach.

    He has served with distinction ashead coach of the varsity basketball

    team at North Shore Hebrew Acad-emy High School and of the goldmedal-winning United States 18and Under Boys Basketball Teamfor the Maccabiah Games in Israel.Steinmetz is the former owner ofJV Elite, Inc. where he managed anintense summer basketball training

    program for top Jewish high schoolbasketball players nationwide untilits sale in 2008.

    I am honored and excited tohave the opportunity to once againbe a part of YU basketball, saidSteinmetz. Studying and playing atYU was one of the most memorableand educational experiences of my

    life. I am humbled by the history atYeshiva University and thrilled to bea part of the future as we move for-ward with the basketball program.

    Steinmetz was hired after aninternational search that attractedmore than 200 applicants, led by

    a 14-member advisory committeethat included athletics and coach-ing personnel from high schools,universities and professional sportsteams. In his role, he will be respon-sible for overseeing all aspects ofthe basketball program while ensur-ing the academic success of itsstudent-athletes.

    Game, Set, Macs Continued from Page 1

    Dr. Rona Novick

    How YUTorah Grew Into The Leading Site For Online Torah Study

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    YUTODAY 7

    SUMMER 2014 WWW.YU.EDU/NEWS s FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/YESHIVAUNIVERSITY

    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 Institutes Scholars Program, which

    brings cultural scholars and artists from around the world to live

    and work in Los Angeles while conducting research. Fines project

    is titled The Arch of Titus: From Roman Triumphal Arc to Lieu deMemoire 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 YUs 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