YUToday FALL 2013

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Rabbi Lamm’s Legacy 4Page 2

YU Around The World 4Pages 4–5

Einstein’s $16 Million Grant 4Page 6

Fall Orientation 4Page 8

YUTODAY
Tenure Awarded to 20 Faculty Members
YESHIVA COLLEGE DR. SILKE AISENBREY,

YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

∞ FALL 2013 ∞ VOLUME 17 • NO. 3

chair of the sociology department, has served as a visiting professor in Germany and Amsterdam and as a post-doctoral associate at the Center for Research on Inequalities and the Life Course at Yale University. Her research interests lie in the areas of gender inequality, welfare states and sociology of education. She works mainly with innovative quantitative methods in the ﬁeld of sequence analysis.

The Tragedy of a Generation: The Rise and Fall of Jewish Nationalism in Eastern Europe, was published in June, and his second, Oyfn Sheydveg, at the Crossroads: Jewish Intellectuals and the Crisis of 1939, will be released in 2014.
DR. AARON KOLLER, associate professor of Bible and newly appointed assistant dean, is proﬁcient in an array of ancient languages and has established himself as an expert in the ways in which language and archaeology can illuminate life in ancient times. His 2009 dissertation on the subject was published as a book, The Semantic Field of Cutting Tools in Biblical Hebrew: The Interface of Philological, Semantic, and Archaeological Evidence. Koller’s second book, Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought, will be published in December. DR. JESS OLSON, associate professor of Jewish history and associate director of YU’s Center for Israel Studies, is a graduate of Stanford and Oxford universities. He was offered a Fulbright Fellowship for research in Ukraine in 2011 and was a Yad Hanadiv/Beracha Foundation Fellow
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Dr. Anna-Lisa Cohen, associate professor of psychology, was among the 20 faculty members to receive tenure.

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his year, Yeshiva University appointed 20 of its most distinguished faculty members in the ﬁelds of the arts, sciences and Judaic studies to tenured positions in both its undergraduate and graduate schools. “Granting tenure to a professor shows our conﬁdence in his or her teaching abilities, research potential and ser-

vice to our University,” said Dr. Lawrence Schiffman, vice provost for undergraduate education. “These phenomenal professors are experts in various areas, and we want to invest in them. Through their grants, publications and working for the University as a whole, they help build the reputation of YU.”

DR. ANNA-LISA COHEN, associate professor of psychology, is a cognitive psychologist whose research focuses on gaining a better understanding of human memory and studying the inﬂuence that intentions have on behavior. Her scholarly interests include theory of mind, decision-making, subjective well-being and nonconscious goal pursuits. DR. JOSHUA KARLIP,

associate professor of Jewish history, has served as a visiting scholar at Leipzig University and as a fellow at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, Harvard University and the Center for Jewish History. His ﬁrst book,

Envisioning a Brighter Future for Israel’s Ethiopian Immigrants
or doctoral candidate Shmuel Legesse, the journey to Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration has not been easy. As a child growing up in the poverty-stricken town of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, life was full of hardship and danger. But it was also full of dreams—speciﬁcally his father’s dream, as magistrate, to help his family and all the Ethiopian Jews in their town make aliyah [immigration to Israel]. Sadly, Legesse’s father never achieved that goal, but on his deathbed, he asked Legesse to promise to keep ﬁghting for it. “He told me that we all needed to Azrieli’s Shmuel Legesse is helping improve life for Israel’s Ethiopian youth. make aliyah, and if we wore Israeli uniforms and protected Jerusalem, it would bring happiness to him in heaven,” Legesse said. The strength of his father’s belief and dedication to Judaism made a powerful impact on Legesse. He obtained an academic scholarship to Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School and later served in the Israeli police force. While he was proud of his identity as an Ethiopian Israeli Jew, he realized that many Ethiopians, especially teens, didn’t share that pride. Continued on Page 2 ç

Presidential Fellowship Celebrates 10 Years of Developing Leaders

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The 2013–14 Presidential Fellows

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U’s Presidential Fellowship in University and Community Leadership, initiated in fall 2004 by President Richard M. Joel and led by Senior Vice President Rabbi Josh Joseph, is celebrating its 10th year. The program, which has over 150 alumni, places top YU graduates in key positions across the University, where they undergo a year of intensive training and mentorship by University leadership and participate in graduate seminars and retreats. “I remember when the Presidential Fellowship was just a dream, which makes it remarkable to reﬂect today on the scores of outstanding young men and women who have come through the ranks of this truly unique program,” said President Joel. “They represent the very best of Yeshiva University, and as such are invaluable ambassadors for us.” In addition to adding energy, inspiration and commitment to the University, Fellows gain skills that serve them well in their future studies and careers, with many moving on to the ﬁelds of law, medicine, psychology, business administration and nonproﬁt management. n
k For more information, visit www.yu.edu/president/fellows

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YUTODAY
YUTODAY WEB EXCLUSIVES

After 60 Years of Service, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm Retires
increased the educational standards of Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women and appointed many of the Roshei Yeshiva who remain in those roles today. Both the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and the Sy Syms School of Business were established during his tenure as president, and enrollment grew under his leadership. “Dr. Lamm’s greatest contribution was that he gave a new level of intellectual gravitas to the philosophy of Torah Umadda,” said Dr. Jeffrey S. Gurock, the Libby M. Klaperman Professor of Jewish History at YU. “He further concretized that teaching for a new generation of students and saw them embrace it.” Since retiring as president in 2003, Dr. Lamm served as chancellor of the University and Rosh HaYeshiva of RIETS. In his retirement letter, Dr. Lamm wrote, “Yeshiva nurtured me, challenged me and formed me. Yeshiva took me in as a young, untested and unproven boy and gave me opportunities for religious and intellectual growth, personal development and professional achievement. For these 60 years, I lived and breathed Yeshiva, its problems, its challenges and its successes.” He added: “Yeshiva University is not only an institution. It is a faith, a vision, a dream, a destiny.” Dr. Lamm has gained wide recognition for his writings and discourses on interpretation of Jewish philosophy and law in the modern world. He has authored 10 books, including The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary, which won the coveted Jewish Book Award in Jewish Thought in 1999. Dr. Lamm has edited or co-edited more than 20 volumes, including The Library of Jewish Law and Ethics. He was the founder and ﬁrst editor of Tradition and associate editor of Hadarom, a journal of Jewish law; founder of the Torah U-Madda Journal; and founder of the Orthodox Forum. n

www.yu.edu/news
WEB

Explore the Core
Discover the new and improved Yeshiva College Core Curriculum k yu.edu/yeshiva-college/core

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VIDEO

fter more than a half-century of service as faculty member, president, chancellor and Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm announced his retirement from Yeshiva University on July 1. A graduate of Yeshiva College, YU-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Dr. Lamm was elected as the third president of Yeshiva University, succeeding Dr. Samuel Belkin and Dr. Bernard Revel, in August of 1976. He was the ﬁrst native-born American to head the University. “During Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm’s tenure, he helped guide the University with steadfastness and vision,” said President Richard M. Joel. “Dr. Lamm’s contributions to the Jewish world as a distinguished rabbi, philosopher and scholar are unparalleled.” During his presidency, Dr. Lamm focused on improving the University ﬁnancially, academically and spiritually. He created new kollel programs,

ELI @ YU
Select presentations from July’s ChampionsGate National Leadership Conference are available online as part of a series of ELI Talks (www. elitalks.org), short 12-minute videos that share innovative and thoughtprovoking Jewish content. Featured talks include: “Jewish Perspectives on Happiness” by Dr. David Pelcovitz, the Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus Chair in Jewish Education at Azrieli; “Patience and Process” by Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, University Professor of Jewish history and Jewish Thought and senior scholar at the CJF; and “Being in the Business of Tikkun Olam” by Anita Zucker, CEO of the InterTech Group and recently-elected member of the YU Board of Trustees (pictured). k Watch them at www.yu.edu/elitalks

Azrieli’s Shmuel Legesseç

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According to Legesse, many Ethiopian Jewish children in Israel experience deep confusion and alienation caused by the cognitive dissonance between their religious upbringings in Ethiopian Jewish culture, the Judaism they are taught in schools and the larger secular world around them. He believes that this confusion leads many teens to drop out of school or the army and become involved with drugs or crime, further disenfranchising them from Israeli society. “People get fed up with them because they do these things, but they’re too young to be branded as criminals and given up on,” he said. This realization led Legesse to Azrieli. He began by starting a six-week summer day camp called Yechalale [It is Possible] that provides leadership training to more than 100 disadvantaged teens of all backgrounds each summer, primarily aimed at Ethiopian youth. But Legesse also started thinking of ways to prevent Jewish Ethiopian teens from feeling alienated in the ﬁrst place. “There need to be schools that integrate Ethiopian and modern Jewish practice in the same place, teaching our children to respect who they are as Ethiopians and making sure they emerge from their schooling with self-esteem, self-respect and self-identity,” he said. “Once we have that, we can talk about how they can contribute to the modern religious world, Israeli society and the international Jewish community.” Legesse knew he’d have to start from the

ground up and that Azrieli was the right place to begin. “Here, I can learn not only how Jewish day schools are structured, but also about concepts in American education that provide me with different perspectives, while strengthening my English skills,” he said. Courses in School Management, Jewish Educational Policy and Community Relations and Jewish Education have given Legesse a solid foundation on which to build his own school—as well as the opportunity to study closely with leading educators and administrators such as Dr. David Schnall, dean of Azrieli, who has provided him with a framework for how school leaders are facing many of today’s toughest educational challenges. “Shmuel Legesse has committed his life to creating opportunities for his fellow Ethiopian Jews to succeed economically and socially in their new homes in Israel,” said Schnall. Legesse hopes that ultimately, after years of hard work, study and preparation, he will turn his skills and dreams into action when he graduates and returns to Israel. He is proud of his Azrieli education and excited to begin building his school. But for him, the school is only the beginning. “I want to make sure all disadvantaged Israelis can get a better education and even attend university,” he said. “We need to break the cycle of poverty and ignorance and make these people a resource for our Jewish nation.” n

YUTODAY
DR. HENRY KRESSEL

YESHIVA UNIVERSIT Y ∞ FALL 2013 ∞ VOLUME 17 • NO. 3

Chairman, YU Board of Trustees
RICHARD M. JOEL

President
MICHAEL SCAGNOLI

Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs YUTODAY
MATT YANIV Director of Media Relations, YAFFI SPODEK GISEL PINEYRO

Editor

Art Director

Editor in Chief Barbara Birch, Philippe Cassamajor, Perel Skier Hecht, Linda Hsia, David Huggins, Meg van Huygen, Elie Klein, Peter Robertson, Tova Ross, Sam Ulrich, V. Jane Windsor 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, community 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 2013 • 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, Chairman, 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, Chairman, 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 October 1, 2013.

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Tenure Awarded to Facultyç
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in 2010. Olson’s areas of research include the Jews of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany, the history of Zionism and the intersection between Jewish Orthodoxy and political engagement. His ﬁrst book, Nathan Birnbaum and Jewish Modernity, was published in January 2013.
STERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN DR. MARIAN GIDEA, a new associate professor in the mathematical sciences department, has taught at Princeton University and Northeastern Illinois University. His research focuses on ﬁnancial mathematics, dynamical systems, differential equations and space mission design. DR. MARINA HOLZ, associate professor of biology, earned

bullying prevention program through YU’s Institute for University-School Partnership.
BERNARD REVEL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JEWISH STUDIES DR. JONATHAN DAUBER, associate professor of Jewish mysticism, received a PhD from New York University and specializes in historical stages of kabbalah and Eastern European Hasidism. His book, Knowledge of God and the Development of Early Kabbalah, was published in 2012. ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE DR. JILL CRANDALL, professor of clinical medicine, holds joint appointments in the divisions of endocrinology and geriatrics. She is the director of the Diabetes Clinical Trials Unit and principal investigator for the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. DR. NIKOLAOS FRANGOGIANNIS is a professor of cardiology specializing in cardiac injury and repair. His research aims to identify therapeutic targets for attenuation of adverse remodeling following cardiac injury and preventing the development of heart failure.

Goldberg Appointed Vice Provost
Dr. Scott J. Goldberg has been appointed vice provost for teaching and learning at Yeshiva University. His new role is to advance the teaching and learning at YU’s undergraduate and graduate schools through 21st-century methods and media, including online and blended learning. He will also work to develop new educational programs locally and globally. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with deans, faculty and students to ensure that we remain on the cutting-edge of higher education,” said Goldberg. “Higher education is at a critical inﬂection point—people are asking what the role of the university is in a global information age. What is learned and how and when it is learned may change, but universities must continue to be centers of teaching and learning.”

her PhD from Harvard University. She has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in awards and grants—from the American Cancer Society, National Institutes of Health and others—to help fund the research done in her lab, which uses biochemical and cell-based techniques to dissect signaling pathways and study their role in normal and cancerous cells. Holz was honored as a Point of Light at YU’s 88th Annual Hanukkah Dinner in 2012.

DR. ANN PETERS, associate professor of English, specializes in 20th-century American literature, literary nonﬁction and gender studies. She is the recipient of the McGinnis Ritchie Award from The Southwest Review for best published essay and the Dean Karen Bacon Award for Excellence. Her ﬁrst book, House Hold: A Memoir of Place and Property, will be published in January. DR. EMIL PRODAN, associate professor of physics, has received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, lectured extensively at international conferences and obtained several research grants. Prodan’s contributions to

Schneider Explores Jewish History of Lower East Side
A three-volume set of books, titled Jews: A People’s History of the Lower East Side (Clayton Books LLC), co-edited by Dr. Mareleyn Schneider, associate professor of sociology at Yeshiva University, has been made available as an institutional set. The 1,349-page volume addresses the social history of Judaism in the neighborhood and follows it into modern culture, examining contributions to art, business and community in downtown New York. Contributors include an international host of historians, neighborhood preservationists, artists, rock stars, poets, ﬁlmmakers and others. Schneider, a lifelong Lower East Sider, is the author, co-author or editor of eight previous books. She co-edited this volume with Clayton Patterson, a photographer, artist, historian and community activist.

Dr. Nikolaos Frangogiannis

DR. MIMI KIM

is the Harold and Muriel Block Chair in Epidemiology & Population Health and head of the Division of Biostatistics. Her research focuses on statistical methods for designing and analyzing clinical trials and epidemiologic studies.

Dr. Rona Novick

the ﬁeld range from theories of electronic structure and transport of novel nanomaterials to a new theory he developed on topological insulators.
DR. LEA SANTOS, associate professor of physics, received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, as well as multiple grants, and has published over two dozen articles in peer-reviewed scientiﬁc journals. Santos’ research has focused on understanding and ﬁnding ways to control quantum many-body systems far from equilibrium. SY SYMS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

of anatomy and structural biology. Utilizing existing and novel red-shifted ﬂuorescent proteins and chromoproteins, his work aims to develop three types of novel protein labels with applications to biomedical research.
BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO SCHOOL OF LAW RICHARD BIERSCHBACH

DR. VLADISLAV VERKHUSHA is a professor

is an expert in criminal law, administrative law and corporations. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of criminal law and procedure, speciﬁcally on the relationship of procedural and institutional design to substantive law concerns.

Kanarfogel Named University Professor
Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel has been appointed a University Professor at Yeshiva University—the sixth faculty member to be granted this prestigious distinction, reserved for those who have achieved outstanding goals in teaching, publications and research. His new title designates him as the E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish History, Literature and Law. Kanarfogel teaches Jewish history at YU’s Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and at Stern College for Women, and is the founding and current director of the Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies at Stern.

a new associate professor, will occupy the Mel Harris Chair in Financial Risk and Insurance. He earned a PhD in economics from Princeton University and previously taught at York University and Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business.
DR. ARCHISHMAN CHAKRABORTY, AZRIELI GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JEWISH EDUCATION AND ADMINISTRATION DR. RONA NOVICK

ALEXANDER REINERT specializes in civil procedure, constitutional law and prisoners’ rights. He argued before the United States Supreme Court in Ashcroft v. Iqbal, which held that government officials are not liable for unconstitutional actions of their subordinates. WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK DR. GARY STEIN, associate professor, focuses on areas of social policy, palliative care and health care ethics. He was named a Fulbright Specialist in 2010 and has been vice chair of the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network since 2006. n

is the director of the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Doctoral Program and a clinical psychologist. During her time at Azrieli, she expanded the BRAVE

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

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YUTODAY
From academic conferences and programs to volunteer work and events, a glimpse into the worldly excursions of YU students, faculty and alumni

Summer Abroad
CANADA In July, Dr. Debra Kaplan, the Dr. Pinkhos Churgin Associate Professor of Jewish History, traveled to Montreal to participate in an international research project titled “Recovering the Records of Early Modern European Jewry: The Pinkassim Project.” Dr. Eliezer Schnall, clinical associate professor of psychology, served as scholar-in-residence at Congregation B’nai Torah in Toronto, lecturing on marital satisfaction and stressors in the Orthodox Jewish community. The 53rd annual convention of the Cantorial Council of America, an afﬁliate of the Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music , was held at Congregation Beth Ora in Montreal.

ENGLAND In August, Dr. Gareth Roberts, research fellow in psychology, presented at the annual meeting of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain in London. In June, Cardozo hosted its third international alumni reunion in London, a two-day event featuring a walking tour of the city, along with dinner and brunch at two local restaurants. Rabbi Kenneth Brander, vice president for university and community life and the David Mitzner Dean of the CJF, delivered three lectures at a two-day rabbinic conference organized by Chief Rabbi-Elect of the United Kingdom, Ephraim Mirvis. In June, Dr. Thomas Otway, chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, gave a mini-course on Differential Geometry and Continuum Mechanics at an International Centre for Mathematical Sciences workshop in Edinburgh. CANADA: Canadian Friends of YU (CFYU) paid tribute to community leaders at its June dinner in Toronto. Standing: Stuart Haber, national director, CFYU; Hy and Helen Bergel, Legacy Award; and Shayna and Dr. Gerald Friedman, Alumnus of the Year Award. Sitting: Shaya Berglas, event co-chair; Allan and Malka Rutman, Keter Shem Tov Award; and Jeremy Magence, president of CFYU and event co-chair. Dr. Nora Nachumi, associate professor and acting chair of Stern College’s English department, presented a paper titled “Is Theatre to Masquerade as Performance Is to Disguise? ” at a conference in Hampshire called “Pride and Prejudices: Women’s Writing of the Long Eighteenth Century.”

ITALY Dr. Bruno Galantucci, chair of Yeshiva College’s psychology department, delivered a lecture on experimental semiotics at the Galilean Academy of Sciences, Literature and Arts in Padua in June. Dr. Avi Giloni, associate dean of Sy Syms and director of the Sy Syms Business Honors and Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, presented a paper at the European Conference on Operational Research at Sapienza University of Rome in July.

ACROSS THE U.S. WITH THE CJF
The Center for the Jewish Future organized several programs this summer, with undergraduate students interning and teaching Torah in Jewish communities throughout the country. In August, students spent two weeks at the Boston Beit Midrash, studying Torah with community members in Newton and Brookline, MA. Students traveled to East Brunswick, NJ, in June, where they interned with doctors in 12 different ﬁelds and learned with community members in the local beit midrash. In June, four pre-med students spent three weeks in Houston, Texas, performing clinical internships at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. In June, eight students interned during the day and spent evenings and weekends running programs for community members and learning in the Kansas City Beit Midrash Program in Overland Park, KS. For three weeks in June, YU students interned in the ﬁelds of information technology, accounting and the sciences in South Bend, IN. Learn more at www.yu.edu/cjf

PORTUGAL In July, Dr. Paula Geyh, associate professor of English, presented a paper at the 6th Annual International Deleuze Studies Conference in Lisbon.

MOROCCO Cardozo professor Justin Hughes completed his work as chief negotiator for the United States at the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Diplomatic Conference in Marrakesh, joining delegates from over 150 countries.

PERU Yeshiva College student Daniel Benchimol interned in Lima over the summer at South American Gaming, where he gained experience in accounting, ﬁnance, marketing and human resources.

HUNGARY In June, Cardozo offered a two-week alternative dispute resolution program through the Central European University in Budapest, where students learned about conﬂict resolution processes with international peers. Dr. Bruno Galantucci presented a lecture titled “Experimental Semiotics: What Is It? What Is It Good For? ” at the Central European University in Budapest in June.

UKRAINE: Twenty undergraduat days in Odessa as part of a ser led by the Center for the Jewis ship with the American Joint Dis The group engaged in hands-on relationships with members of th and learned about local Jewish life

RWANDA Dr. Carl Auerbach, professor of psychology at Ferkauf, continued his research on the psychology of trauma at the University of Rwanda, where he previously served as a Fulbright Fellow.

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GERMANY Dr. Joseph Angel, assistant professor of Bible at Yeshiva College, was awarded the Humboldt Research Fellowship by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, allowing him to conduct research in Germany, collaborating with colleagues at the Georg August University in Göttingen. Dr. Gareth Roberts presented at the ﬁfth Joint Action Meeting and at the 35th annual meeting of the Cognitive Science Society in Berlin. Dr. Debra Kaplan received a National Endowment for Humanities Summer Stipend, allowing her to travel and research the archives of Frankfurt am Main. Peninnah Schram, professor of speech and drama at Stern College, was featured in two storytelling events at Jüdische Kulturtage 2013, a 10-day festival of Jewish Culture held in Berlin in August. GREECE In June, Dr. Lawrence Schiffman, vice provost for undergraduate education, and Dr. David Berger, Ruth and I. Lewis Gordon Professor of Jewish History and dean of Revel, participated in a three-day conference to help improve relations between the Orthodox Christian and Jewish faiths in Thessaloniki.

YUTODAY
ISRAEL The CJF’s Counterpoint Israel program tripled in size this summer, with 70 YU undergraduates running ﬁve summer camps for 300 Israeli children from varied socioeconomic backgrounds. Twenty-eight science majors from YU participated in the third Summer Science Research Internship program, a joint initiative with Bar-Ilan University that enabled students to gain hands-on experience in emerging scientiﬁc ﬁelds while being mentored by Israel’s top scientists. Dr. Eric Goldman, adjunct associate professor of cinema, participated in the Jerusalem Film Festival in July. In July, Dr. Debra Kaplan was a panelist at an international conference on Medieval and Early Modern Ashkenaz at the Leo Baeck Institute in Jerusalem. Stern students participated in an archaeological dig this summer at Tel Saﬁ, the biblical city of Gat, under the guidance of Dr. Jill Katz, clinical associate professor of archaeology, as part of a program organized by Bar-Ilan University. In July, nearly two dozen YU faculty members presented on various topics at the 16th World Congress of Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Nechama Price, instructor of Jewish studies and Bible at Stern College, graduated from the ﬁrst class of Nishmat’s American Yoetzet Halacha Program this summer, and completed her ﬁnal exam for the program in Jerusalem in August.

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GERMANY: Fourteen Yeshiva College students spent two weeks exploring Germany’s rich Jewish history and culture as part of the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors study abroad program. The group visited iconic sites in Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar. Pictured: students at a plaza near Berlin’s Holocaust memorial.

In August, Dr. Michelle Levine, associate professor of Bible at Stern College, presented a lecture in Efrat on “Testimony for the Generations: Nahmanides’ Analysis of the Song of Ha’azinu.” Dr. Fredy Zypman, professor of physics at Yeshiva College, delivered a lecture to the Israel Vacuum Society in Herzliya in September.

ISRAEL: Participants in the Sy Syms Executive MBA Program spent nine days in Israel gaining an in-depth understanding of the country’s innovative and entrepreneurial business environment as part of ﬁeld study for students’ Management of International Business course.

CHINA Cardozo’s Justin Hughes signed an international treaty on intellectual property in Beijing in June. He also led the U.S. delegation at the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances in Beijing.

SOUTH KOREA Dr. James Kahn, the Henry and Bertha Kressel University Professor of Economics, attended the Society for Economic Dynamics in Seoul, along with fellow economics professors Dr. William Hawkins and Dr. Omer Acikgoz.

te students spent nine rvice-learning mission sh Future in partnerstribution Committee. service projects, built he Jewish community e.

INDIA: Dr. Sonia Suchday, director of the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Program and associate professor at Ferkauf, led a group of students from Ferkauf, Stern College and Baylor University to India as part of YU’s Summer Institute in Global Health to learn about the challenges of research on health in a globalized world.

KENYA: Chanie Shalmoni (left), business major at Sy Syms, and Avital Levine (right), biology major at Stern College, traveled to Nairobi for ﬁve weeks this summer as part of the Advance Africa internship, where they spent time volunteering at a hospital and orphanage.

SOUTH AFRICA In October, President Richard M. Joel delivered the opening keynote address, “Building Wholeness in Our Community: Knowing Our Story and Owning Our Story” at the Cape Town Board of Jewish Deputies Conference. He also keynoted the Yeshiva College Centennial Dinner in Johannesburg.

UGANDA For 11 months each year, faculty, residents and medical students from Einstein join with Doctors for Global Health and Monteﬁore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Einstein, to staff Kisoro District Hospital in southwestern Uganda.

AUSTRALIA In August, Rabbi Kenneth Brander visited shuls and schools in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, where he met with rabbis, community leaders and students and delivered lectures on topics related to Israel, Orthodoxy and Jewish life. Dr. David Pelcovitz, the Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus Chair in Psychology and Jewish Education at Azrieli, traveled to Melbourne and Sydney to meet with local leaders and discuss approaches to preventing child abuse in the Jewish community.

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YUTODAY
Rabbi Penner Named Acting Dean of RIETS
our 2,200 living alumni to give back to their alma mater,” said Rabbi Menachem Penner, acting dean of RIETS. “Usually, it’s the rabbis who are raising the money, but RIETS alumni have a long history of supporting the University—beginning in 1890, preceding even Yeshiva College— and we want to build on that legacy by encouraging them to join the Elef L’Mateh Society and make a donation that will beneﬁt other rabbis and the greater Jewish community.” Rabbi Ari Rockoff, associate dean of institutional advancement for YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration and the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, is spearheading the campaign with assistance from the Rabbinic Alumni Committee—rabbis throughout the country who are volunteering their time and resources to help in the fundraising efforts. n
k For more information about the campaign and to donate, contact [email protected], call 646.592.4022 or visit www.yutorah.org/elef

Rabbinic Alumni Give Back

RIETS’ Elef L’Mateh campaign aims to raise $1 Million.

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eshiva University-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) has launched Elef L’Mateh, a fundraising campaign appealing to rabbinic alumni to make an annual donation of $1,000 to the school in an effort to raise $1 million to help support the institution and its programs. The brainchild of Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, the

Joel and Maria Finkle Visiting Israeli Rosh Yeshiva, who gave the ﬁrst donation, the campaign hopes to reach a goal of $360,000 by the upcoming Chag HaSemicha ceremony, which will be held on March 23, 2014. “As one of the country’s only institutions of higher learning that does not charge tuition, we want to galvanize

Rabbi Menachem Penner has been appointed acting dean of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). Rabbi Penner has been at RIETS since 2001, serving as associate dean and director of professional rabbinic education, and as a mentor to rabbinical students. He also serves as the rabbi of the Young Israel of Holliswood, Queens.

YU Unveils GeneSights Online Educational Resource

Einstein Researchers Secure $16M NIH Grant to Study HIV
he Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Monteﬁore Medical Center have received a $16 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on women. The funds allow Monteﬁore and Einstein to continue as a scientiﬁc and clinical site for the Women’s Interagency HIV Study, an observational study of women who are either HIV positive or at risk for HIV infection. The grant supports research on strategies to defeat HIV and will allow researchers to investigate whether epigenetic changes that the HIV virus genome undergoes might present potential targets for Dr. Kathy Anastos curing the disease. “Anti retroviral medications have transformed HIV infection from a deadly disease to a chronic condition for the entire world,” said Dr. Kathy Anastos, principal investigator on the grant and professor of epidemiology and population health at Einstein. “Information on the long -term effects of infection and treatment and predictors of a favorable response to treatment are critical for effective care.” n

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he Program for Jewish Genetic Health, a joint initiative of Yeshiva University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, recently unveiled a new online educational resource called the GeneSights Jewish Genetics Online Educational Series to inform people about the various genetic health conditions that affect the Jewish community. “Advances in scientiﬁc research have identiﬁed many genetic diseases and conditions that are commonly found among Jews,” said Dr. Nicole Schreiber-Agus, scientiﬁc and programming director for the Program for Jewish Genetic Health. “GeneSights is designed to provide easy access to information and a better grasp of genetics.” GeneSights consists of individual lessons with topics on diseases, medical conditions, genetic technologies and bioethical issues. Once registered, viewers can access a full-length webinar presented by an expert in the ﬁeld, supplemental materials and links to other resources. GeneSights also features a two-part “Genetics 101” webinar that provides a genetics overview. Seed funding for the GeneSights series was provided in part by UJA-Federation of New York and by a generous grant in honor of Beatrice Milberg. n

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k For more information, visit www.genesights.com

Cardozo Launches Video Series
Yeshiva University Women’s Organization President’s Society for Torah Chesed and Future Builders Young Leadership

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eshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law has launched Benchmarks, an online video series featuring faculty analysis on important legal cases that have made the headlines. To date, law professors have offered their expertise and opinions on major Supreme Court decisions, including DOMA, gene patenting and affirmative action, as well as the trial of George Zimmerman and the role race plays in the legal system. “Our faculty are world-class scholars and practitioners,” said Cardozo Dean Matthew Diller. “The Benchmarks series allows our community and others to hear their analysis and insights about the justice system in America today.” n

68th Annual Beneﬁt Performance and 31st Dinner Gala
Saturday evening, December 7, 2013
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center Following a performance by the New York Philharmonic, featuring pieces by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Adès
Elissa and Michael Katz, Guests of Honor Rabbi Yonason and Adina Wassner Shippel will be awarded the Dr. Diane Wassner President’s Society for Torah Chesed Award

For more information, please call 212.960.0855 or email [email protected]
k Watch the Benchmarks videos at www.cardozo.yu.edu

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p Bringing Classroom Lessons to TV Charlie Harary, assistant clinical professor of management and entrepreneurship at Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business, is ﬁlming a TV show called the “Elements of Success.” “The show is based on my class at Sy Syms, Principles of Success, where we try to identify various principles, values and strategies present in different types of success and bring to life those values that we learn in the classroom,” said Harary. “We want to be able to articulate certain principles from our classroom, show their application to the world and connect them back to the classroom again.” The show, which debuted on The Jewish Channel this fall, tries to identify the traits of successful leaders such as Michael Steinhardt (pictured above left with Harary) and explore how their strategies are implemented in daily practice. Harary plans to enlist the help of his students to assist with ﬁlming and production of future episodes. n
k Learn more at www.yu.edu/elements-of-success

p YU Undergrads Conduct Advanced Research at Einstein Eleven Yeshiva University undergraduates were selected to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), an advanced biomedical research program at YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In ﬁelds ranging from neuroscience to epidemiology to microbiology, the students received hands-on research experience in their areas of interest normally reserved for graduate-level work. The program provided participants with a stipend and on-campus housing at Einstein. Group seminars and workshops gave a broad overview of the many types of research conducted at Einstein, while providing students with strategies to become better scientists. In August, the students shared their work as part of a poster session. n

u Athletic Center Gets a Makeover The Yeshiva University athletics department completed a monthslong renovation of the Max Stern Athletic Center in August. The centerpiece of the project was the renovation of the ﬂoor of the Melvin J. Furst Gymnasium, which was originally put down in 1985. The design features the new YU athletics shield logo, longtime men’s basketball Coach Jonathan Halpert’s updated signature on both sides of the court and a new NCAA logo. Other improvements included a new lighting system and a renovated ceiling. n
k For the latest YU athletics news, visit www.yumacs.com

p A Fresh Perspective President Richard M. Joel captured his ﬁrst words of welcome to new students at Fall Orientation with Google Glass, inviting them to imagine shaping their college experiences through a different lens: Torah values. “Education is not just downloading information,” he said. “It’s creating an environment where we converse with you to enable you to pursue any career or profession you desire in a values-oriented way. You’re a partner with all of us in this sacred community where you can work together to make a profound difference in the world.” n
k Follow @PresJoel on Twitter

t Summer of Science at Central This summer, a select group of students at the Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central) were chosen to conduct high-level scientiﬁc research for several weeks, as part of the school’s Science Institute Program. The institute is designed and led by Ruth Fried, chair of Central’s science department, and includes a post-10th-grade summer internship, Advanced Placement science and math courses during 11th and 12th grades and a post-junior year internship. Central students worked alongside doctors and researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Jacobi Hospital, Stony Brook University and the American Museum of Natural History, among other places, and conducted hands-on research on topics ranging from reproductive endocrinology and stem cells to corneal ulcers and pharmaceutical genetics. n

VP Appointments t Rabbi Josh Joseph has been appointed senior vice president of Yeshiva University. In addition to his current responsibilities, Rabbi Joseph will launch the next phase in the University’s strategic planning process and guide its University-wide implementation. He will also work to ensure the efﬁciency of various departments around the University, developing collaboration opportunities and partnerships among faculty, administration, staff, students and trustees. n t Rabbi Kenneth Brander has been appointed vice president for university and community life at Yeshiva University. For the past eight years, he has served as the inaugural David Mitzner Dean of the Center for the Jewish Future (CJF). In his new role, Rabbi Brander will be responsible for the broad areas of community service, undergraduate admissions, student life and programs in Israel. He will retain the CJF deanship pending appointment of a successor. n

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Nowhere But Here

Save the Date!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

The Waldorf Astoria 5:30 p.m.
Hundreds of new students embarked on their collegiate journeys at Yeshiva University’s Fall 2013 Orientation. k To see the full photo gallery, visit www.yu.edu/orientation2013

Wurzweiler Celebrates Linzer’s 47-Year Journey
This past June, Wurzweiler held a tribute event to celebrate Linzer’s 47 years at the school before his retirement from his position as Samuel J. and Jean Sable Professor of Jewish Family Social Work. Attended by his students, colleagues and mentors, the event reﬂected on Linzer’s journey from student to professor and the many lives he touched along the way. “An international leader, scholar and colleague extraordinaire, Dr. Linzer’s passion is teaching and he loves to teach and be taught by inquisitive minds,” said Dr. Carmen Ortiz Hendricks, Wurzweiler’s Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean. “We can’t thank Dr. Linzer enough for his contributions to Wurzweiler and all his efforts toward making us an internationally renowned school of social work.” A graduate of Yeshiva College as well as RIETS, Linzer received his master’s in social work from Wurzweiler in 1960 before joining its faculty as assistant professor in 1966. He earned two additional degrees—a master’s and PhD from the New School for Social Research and published ﬁve books. “By his values, his manner, his interest in others, his concern and his love, and by his self-effacing strength, Dr. Linzer has been an absolute poster child for what Yeshiva University is, what it aspires to be and for what it says to the world,” said President Richard M. Joel. “The work he has done, both in teaching and in his profession, is the very manifestation and translation of Torah Umadda, the philosophical underpinning of this great institution.” “Norman Linzer was the ﬁrst professor I met when I began my master’s program at Wurzweiler, and I knew that he would have an enormous inﬂuence on my life,” said Dr. Lynn Levy, an assistant professor at Wurzweiler, in a tribute video titled “Norman Linzer, Full Circle: Celebrating a Career of Accomplishment and Distinction,” which was screened at the event. “As a teacher, he has the ability to inspire, and as a friend, he has the capacity for enormous empathy, kindness and a generosity of spirit that is incomparable.” In his honor, Wurzweiler has established the Diane and Norman Linzer Endowed Scholarship. Linzer himself pledged $25,000 and an additional $37,000 has been raised by current and former students, colleagues, friends and the Linzer family. Looking back on his career, Linzer shared the reason he never left the school. “I felt at home here,” he said. “Whether it was through colleagues, the courses I taught, the supervision I received in the course of teaching, the opportunities that the school provided for me in terms of giving lectures at outside conferences, presenting papers or developing myself intellectually—all of those came true for me right here during the course of my career at Wurzweiler.” n
k To learn more about the Diane and Norman Linzer Endowed Scholarship, please contact Tamar Major at [email protected] or 212.960.5393

Rabbi Norman Linzer

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n 1958, newly ordained Rabbi Norman Linzer decided to do something different with the semicha he had just received from Yeshiva University-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). Rather than lead a congregation, Linzer wanted to pursue a career in Jewish communal work. So he turned to YU’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, which had opened its doors the year before, to pursue a degree that would equip him with all the right tools to accomplish his dream. Linzer had been there ever since.

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ALUMNITODAY
Ari Goldman ’71YC Shayndi Raice ’05S, ’07BR Gary Rosenblatt ’68YC

YESHIVA UNIVERSITY FALL 2013

Telling It Like It Is: YU Alumni In Journalism

Avital Chizhik ’12S

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he British playwright Tom Stoppard once said, “I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate shortterm weapon.” Yeshiva University is proud to have many alumni who believe that the pen is mightier than the sword and who are changing the world through their written words.
ARI GOLDMAN ’71YC: RELIGION AND REPORTING INTRINSICALLY TIED

The decision to attend YU was not a difficult one for Ari Goldman, originally from Hartford, CT. “It was the only school I applied to,” he said. His father, Rabbi Marvin Goldman, was a 1944 YC graduate; an uncle, Rabbi Israel Miller, served as the senior vice president of YU; and another uncle, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, was YU’s third president. As a freshman, Goldman joined The Commentator. “From the time my ﬁrst byline appeared in the Commie, I decided I wanted to be a journalist,” he said. Goldman’s fondest memories include those of putting out the paper every two weeks. “This was in the precomputer era, so it was a very laborintensive process,” he explained. “Late at night, we’d pile into cars and head for the printing district in Lower Manhattan, where we’d write headlines, size pictures and lay out the paper, sometimes ﬁnishing in the wee hours of the morning.” It wasn’t only the Commentator that inspired him. “I also credit Professor Leo Taubes with imbuing me with a love of literature and the belief that I could be a writer someday.” While at YU, Goldman’s work on the Commentator led to a gig as a New York Times campus correspondent. After YU, he attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he graduated in 1973, he went to work at the Times as a copy boy, and, from there, worked his way up to news clerk and then to reporter, where he primarily covered the religion beat and also politics, education and transportation. “When I look back at my body of work at the Times, I realize that many of my stories were incremental, such as the passing of a bill, a budget enacted or a candidate elected,” he said. “What seems to be most lasting were the obituaries that I wrote, including obits of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach.” Goldman often had to ﬁeld angry questions from fellow community members, who asked him why the Times printed certain religion stories but chose not to cover others, about its perceived anti-Israel slant and even about articles in sections that had nothing to do with religion or Goldman at all. Goldman’s work has also appeared in the Washington Post, the Forward, The New York Jewish Week and the New York Daily News. He has written three books: the best-selling memoir The Search for God at Harvard, about his year studying religion at Harvard Divinity School; Being Jewish: The Spiritual and Cultural Practice of Judaism Today; and Living a Year of Kaddish. Goldman has also been a Fulbright Professor in Israel and a Skirball Fellow at Oxford University, and sits on the boards of several organizations, including the Jewish Book Council and the Covenant Foundation. He was also a visiting professor for a semester at Stern College for Women. Goldman began teaching at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1993, where he is currently the director of the Scripps Howard Program in Religion, Journalism and Spiritual Life. He teaches a popular seminar, Covering Religion, which features an annual trip abroad to places like Israel, Jordan, Russia, Ukraine, India and Ireland. His students have gone on to cover religion in newspapers across the United States.

“I agree with Rabbi Chanina, who says in the Talmud that he learned the most from his students,” said Goldman. “My students have opened my eyes to so many new ideas and ways of thinking. What I try to teach my students is not explicitly in the Talmud, but it is certainly rooted there. I tell them to write about other people the way they would like to be written about—with respect, knowledge and sensitivity.” Goldman is excited whenever a YU graduate shows up in his classes at Columbia, and he encourages current students to truly consider a journalism career if they maintain an interest in the ﬁeld. “Don’t be afraid; take chances and do something you love,” he said. “Many people told me that I shouldn’t be a journalist, and said that I couldn’t be observant, that I couldn’t make a living. I am glad that I didn’t listen to them.” Goldman remains optimistic about the future of journalism. “Too many people complain about the state of journalism, but these young people are going to make it better,” he said. Goldman is married to Shira Dicker and lives in Manhattan. They have three children: Adam, Emma (who is engaged to Michael Goldberg ’09YC) and Judah.
SHAYNDI RAICE ’05S, ’07BR: WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER FINDS SCOOPS AND CHALLENGES IN DIFFERENT BEATS

Shayndi Raice ’05S, ’07BR comes from a longtime YU family. “My family believes strongly that a Jewish education should not stop after high school,” she said. With their encouragement, Raice attended YU’s Stern College for Women, where she double-majored in Jewish studies and English, with a concentration in journalism. At Stern, Raice had visions of entering academia until she became involved with the student newspaper, The Observer. “I had written an opinion column that criticized a YU humanitarian mission to Israel for being too political and realized the power of the press,” she said. She began writing regularly and, eventually, served as editor-in-chief of the paper in her senior year. She also made great friends and found professors whose courses really challenged her, like Rabbi Ephraim Kanarfogel’s class on the Tosaﬁsts and Rabbi Haym Soloveitchik’s class on the Rishonim. “Ari Goldman also taught a great class, and he ended up writing my recommendation for Columbia,” she said. Raice graduated with a joint BA/MA in modern Jewish history through an undergraduate program with the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. She began working for the Jewish Advocate and later the Boston Courant, a larger paper, where she covered city issues, including transportation and real estate development. After three years of professional experience, Raice attended Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. During her studies, she interned at Dow Jones Newswires, a ﬁnancial news organization that is owned by the same company that oversees The Wall Street Journal. Her clips that appeared in the Journal impressed several editors, who hired Raice after her internship to cover the telecom industry. A year later, she was sent to San Francisco to cover social media companies like Facebook, Groupon, LinkedIn and Zynga, all of which were about to go public. Raice’s big scoops included breaking the news that Verizon planned to sell the iPhone and almost every aspect of Facebook’s IPO. “My favorite part about journalism is ﬁnding out news that nobody else knows and getting people to tell me things they aren’t supposed to tell me,” she said. “SomeContinued on Page 2 ç

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times I feel like being a journalist is like being a spy, except everybody knows you’re a spy, so it makes your job much harder. But the fact that it’s so challenging is what makes it so much fun.” Last summer, the Journal brought Raice back to New York to cover the banking industry, which she calls her biggest career challenge to date. “I write about complex regulatory issues, like how banks are struggling to meet new capital ratios or charge all sorts of punitive fees, even as regulators crack down on them,” she said. “My job is to make it all easily relatable and, at the end of the day, fun to read. When my Savta [grandmother] calls me and tells me she understood my story, then I know I’ve done a good job.” Current students encouraged by Raice’s success should ignore those who downplay their own budding journalism dreams. “I think a lot of people think that journalism is not the kind of job that an observant Jew can do,” said Raice. “I take off for all the Jewish holidays, and I’ve never once had anything but complete and total support from my editors at the Journal.” Lawyers also have grueling schedules, she pointed out, “and nobody tells an observant Jew that he or she can’t be a lawyer.” Raice advises students who wish to pursue journalism to obtain internships at publications. “Journalism is not something that’s easily taught in school,” she said. “It’s something you learn by trial and error. If you can, in addition to internships, get a lot of clips in different publications outside of the Jewish community. Mainstream experience is really important and, you don’t want to get pigeonholed as a Jewish journalist, even if that’s ultimately what you decide to do.” Above all, Raice advised, “Just do what you love and don’t worry about the rest. I wish more people had told me that along the way.”
GARY ROSENBLATT ’68YC: EDITOR COMMITS TO HIS CRAFT DESPITE CRITICS

of an achievement in itself; it’s a tough, fast-paced business and a constant learning experience. “There’s a certain corrective element to managing a newspaper, and we make mistakes all the time,” he said. “There’s always that pressure to be both timely and humane, and you certainly need a measure of humility in this business. Journalism is not a science but an art, if you do it well, and it needs constant reﬁnement. But if young people love it and worry about where the ﬁeld is headed, I think there’ll always be a need for talented professional journalists, whatever the format.” Rosenblatt lives with his wife, Judy ’68S, in Teaneck, NJ. They have three children: Avi (and Daniela), Tali (and Sender Cohen ’90YUHS, ’94YC, member of the YU Board of Trustees) and Dov ’08YC (and Aura) and six grandchildren.
AVITAL CHIZHIK ’12S: A CAREER TAKES ROOT WITH A NEW YORK TIMES BYLINE AND ASSIGNMENT ABROAD

Gary Rosenblatt’s long and storied career as editor-in-chief and publisher of two of the most prominent papers in the Jewish community almost never happened. There are a lot of stories that would never have been told and a lot of injustice that would have been left unearthed. Rosenblatt, who grew up in Annapolis, MD, as a son of the rabbi (Morris Rosenblatt ’38R) of the only shul in town, majored in English at Yeshiva College with the vague idea of entering academia. A stint as a freshman writer for The Commentator, the college’s undergraduate newspaper, led to a full-blown case of the journalism bug, with Rosenblatt writing a wide variety of features and news stories over the next four years. “Some of my fondest memories at Yeshiva are going downtown and laying out the paper all night at the printers before putting it to bed, and the camaraderie of the whole staff heading to Ratner’s at 5:30 a.m. for breakfast,” Rosenblatt recalled. That love of journalism stayed with him through his graduate studies in English at the City College of New York, where he also wrote part time for the Jewish Chronicle of London. Gradually, Rosenblatt came to realize that he wanted to pursue journalism as a full-time career. “It had never occurred to me that you could be shomer shabbos and work in journalism, because I was only thinking of reporters who write for daily newspapers,” Rosenblatt said. “Of course, today there are many outlets you can write for without working on Shabbos.” Rosenblatt took a position as a sports editor for TV Guide, which, at the time, had a weekly circulation of more than 20 million. In 1972, he began working at The New York Jewish Week, which was under different management then and was a more modest version of the paper he edits today. “I was probably 35 years younger than the next editor, but that meant I was the one who got sent out in the ﬁeld to cover all sorts of stories,” said Rosenblatt. “I got to learn from veteran editors who covered events like World War II; it was a great training ground.” Rosenblatt worked there for two years before heading to Baltimore to become the editor of The Baltimore Jewish Times, where for the next 19 years he helped the paper grow in circulation and prominence. His investigative report on the Simon Wiesenthal Center—which explored the rapid growth of the famous Holocaust museum and education center and the marketing of it as a nonsectarian, humanitarian institution qualiﬁed to receive state funding—was one of two ﬁnalists for the Pulitzer Prize in the category of Special Reporting in 1985. “That remains one of my proudest journalistic achievements, as it was the ﬁrst time that an article in a Jewish publication was recognized and nominated for a Pulitzer,” said Rosenblatt. In 1993, Rosenblatt returned to New York as editor and publisher of The New York Jewish Week, a post he still holds. He has written more than 1,000 weekly “Between the Lines” columns, and he has written and overseen major breaking stories in the Jewish world. Rosenblatt often receives disapproval from critics who question why he feels the need to “air dirty laundry,” so to speak, of the Jewish community, and it is something Rosenblatt frequently grapples with and does not take lightly. “It’s a little bit like having people look in the mirror and not always liking what they see reﬂected there,” he said. “It’s a very big responsibility, and one of my constant challenges is not to dismiss the criticism but use it as an opportunity to learn and grow.” Rosenblatt spoke to YU students at the annual Commentator/Observer Shabbaton this past April, where he shared some of the wisdom he’s accumulated in Jewish journalism over the years. He considers his longevity in the ﬁeld something

Writers sometimes work their entire careers for that coveted New York Times byline, but for Avital Chizhik, that measure of journalistic success came early on: as a recent graduate of Stern College for Women. “Somehow, I always knew I wanted to write,” said Chizhik, now 21. “When my family ﬁrst began keeping Shabbat when I was 7 years old, the most difficult part for me was not being able to write stories.” Chizhik grew up in Highland Park, NJ, with her parents—Russian immigrants who came to New York in 1980. “I was really excited about Stern’s honors program and its courses and community. Later on, I appreciated the experience of writing my honors thesis, too,” said Chizhik, who majored in English communications with a concentration in journalism. At Stern, Chizhik headed the Israel Club and wrote for The Commentator, although the majority of her writing was done on the side or in class. “I found more value in meeting people, attending lectures, researching literature in the library and exploring New York City than I did attending editorial staff meetings,” Chizhik said. In 2011, Chizhik was honored as a Point of Light at YU’s 87th Annual Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation, where she was recognized for her award-winning writing and involvement in extracurricular activities at Stern, including the World Zionist Organization, Political Science Society and a CJF service mission to Kharkov, Ukraine. Since graduating, Chizhik has written for many publications in addition to the Times, such as The Jewish Daily Forward, Moment Magazine, Tablet Magazine and Haaretz, where she is a regular contributor. She is also working on a collection of short stories, set mostly in the Orthodox and Russian Jewish émigré communities. Chizhik recently traveled to Belarus and Russia for her ﬁrst reporting assignment abroad. “It was my ﬁrst time in both countries, and it was incredibly meaningful to walk the streets of Moscow, a city I have heard about my entire life, to see the city for what it is today and to decide what it should mean for me, a generation after my family’s exodus.” While Chizhik writes often on the Russian Jewish community, many of her pieces are personal in nature: thoughtful essays on observant life and being a religious Jewish woman. She has written about modesty and dress codes, professional ambition within Orthodoxy and, for the Times, a piece on the similarities between marriage-minded young women of both the Jewish and Muslim faiths. “I write about what I know, and I try to offer glimpses into communities that might be underrepresented or misrepresented in the media,” said Chizhik. “I am constantly inspired by the present, by images and conversations, but also by texts of the past, like the Torah and writings by Chekhov, Agnon, Borges, Oz and Keret.” Chizhik also ﬁnds herself returning to many of the readings and lessons of her English and journalism courses at Stern: Holocaust Literature with Dr. Linda Shires; The Philosophy of Literature with Dr. Kim Evans, The Art of the Essay with Dr. Ann Peters; and The Craft of the Newspaper Feature with Professor Alan Tigay. Chizhik’s favorite part of being a journalist is the positive and inspiring letters she receives from readers. “I read each message I receive and always try to respond,” she said. “Knowing my words resonated with someone, or that something in my work moved him or her to think differently, is a great blessing.” One thing that doesn’t come easily is dealing with criticism, which Chizhik said is constant. “I think I was pretty naive when I began writing about life as a frum Jew,” Chizhik said. “I had no idea what a Pandora’s box I was opening, and a part of me wonders if this will be a lifetime struggle as I cover the Jewish community.” Despite the naysayers who would rather Chizhik not “expose” certain less favorable aspects of Orthodox life, she remains undeterred. “I strive to write with an unﬂinching eye because I want to offer my readers full and real experiences,” said Chizhik. “I hope to capture the nuances of what it means to be Orthodox in the modern world, and that demands both celebrating the beautiful and confronting the difficult.” Chizhik admits that her conﬁdence has taken some time to build, and she is helped along by the unwavering support of her parents. “Upsetting readers is certainly not my purpose in writing, but if that’s a consequence, I think it only indicates the urgency of the problem I’m addressing.” n

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CLASSNOTES
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Marlene and Dr. Yale I. Port ’53YC, ’56R, ’59F announce the birth of their great-grandson, Noaz Uriel, born to their grandchildren, Dr. Shani ’09S and Shawn Moritz. Mazel tov to grandparents Evelyn ’78YUHS, ’83W and Milton Elbogen ’74YUHS, and Leah and Frank Moritz. Judy ’58YUHS, ’62S and Yitzchak Rosenbaum ’60YC, ’62R, ’63BR announce the marriage of their granddaughter, Shifra, daughter of Rivky and Moshe Rosenbaum to Tzvi Pfeffer ’11SB, son of Jessica and Steven Pfeffer. Liza and Rabbi Benjamin Samson ’57YC, ’60BR, ’60R celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, Doniel Yaakov, son of Chana and Victor Braverman. Rabbi Hershel Schachter ’58YUHS, ’62YC, ’67R, Rosh Yeshiva and Nathan and Vivian Fink Distinguished Professorial Chair in Talmud, was the Guest of Honor at the RIETS Annual Dinner of Tribute in May.
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Sheila ’63S and Shelly Schneider announce the marriage of their daughter, Arona ’01S, to Moshe Berow ’09YC. Tova (Fishman) ’65YUHS, ’69S and Alan Taragin celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their two grandsons, Hillel Ezra, son of Peninah and Greg Gershman ’99YC and Netanel Micha Shields, son of Yehudit and Meyer Shields. Tova (Fishman) Taragin ’65YUHS, ’69S co-led a “tech book camp for educators” at the Center for Jewish Education in Baltimore, MD, helping teachers succeed at 21st-century education. Esther Zollman Wachsman ’65YUHS, ’67TI was the Guest of Honor at the Inaugural Shalva Beit Nachshon Dinner in Airport City, Israel on May 12, 2013. Dr. Chaim I. Waxman ’63YC, ’66BR, ’66R edited a volume of essays and articles of his late father, Rabbi Nissan Waxman ’26R, Shvilei Nissan: Chidueshei Torah, Biographiot Uma-Amarim (Mossad Harav Kook, 2012). Bernice ’66YUHS and Rabbi Dr. Tzvee Zahavy ’66YUHS, ’70YC, ’72R, ’73BR announce the birth of their grandson, Zev, to Miriam and Barak Zahavy. Zev is named after his great-grandfather Rabbi Dr. Zev Zahavy ’39YC, ’42R.

She also announces the birth of her great-granddaughter, Dalia Chanah Glasser. Mazel tov to uncle Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot ’81YUHS, ’85YC,’89A, ’89R. Rabbi Marc Mandel ’79YUHS, ’83YC, ’88W, ’88R celebrated Touro Synagogue’s 250th year with keynote speaker U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan at the 66th annual Reading of the George Washington Letter. Arney Rogoff ’79YC was named Director of Broadcast Operations for the City of Milford, CT. Susan (Schreiner) ’72S and Michael Weingarten announced the marriage of their son Adam to Philippa Levenberg. Chana and Rabbi Steven Stein ’70YC, ’72R of Efrat announce the birth of their ﬁrst grandchild, Yehuda Mevaser Shalom, born to Eliana and Shlomo Lechiani.

1980s
Rabbi Kenneth Brander ’84YC, ’87R was appointed Vice President for University and Community Life of Yeshiva University. Marcia Bronstein ’82W was named Regional Director of American Jewish Committee for Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. Bruce Cohen ’88YC launched Bruce Cohen Designs and debuted his new collection at Surtex 2013, the leading annual tradeshow for selling and licensing surface designs (brucecohendesigns.com). Shulamit (Pessin) ’85S and Rabbi David Ginsburg ’86R celebrated the marriage of their daughter, Avigayil ’12S, to Menachem Rapp ’12YC. Their son, Yeshayahu Ginsburg ’11YC, completed a siyyum shas of Daf Yomi. Dr. Mark Ingwer ’82F published his book, Empathetic Marketing: How to Satisfy the Core Emotional Needs of Your Customers (Palgrave MacMillan, 2012). Benjamin Kaufman ’81YUHS, ’85YC, ’88C joined the law ﬁrm of Wolf, Haldenstein, Adler, Freeman & Herz LLP as a partner specializing in class action and commercial litigation. Benjamin resides in Lawrence, NY, with his wife Linda ’80YUHS and their three children. The eldest, Jordan, is a student in the Yeshiva College Honors program.

Class Notes is where YU 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.

Dr. David Spindel ’58YUHS, ’62YC completed a six-year adult semicha program headed by Rabbi Dovid Schochet of Toronto. His klaf was also signed by Rabbi Yisrael Mair Lau, former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel.

1960s
Donald S. Davis ’65YC was the recipient of the 2013 Jerusalem Prize, awarded by the World Zionist Organization and the Canadian Zionist Federation at a ceremony in Montreal. The Jerusalem Prize was established in 1990 to demonstrate the Diaspora’s solidarity with Jerusalem and to recognize an individual or organization for demonstrating concern for the Jewish people. Lippy Friedman ’66YC, ’69BR, ’69R and Maureen Goldsmith Friedman ’74E of Yerushalayim announce the birth of their great-grandson, Yoseph Tuvia Fishman, born to Talia and Yedidya Fishman of Yad Binyamin. Naomi (Minder) Lehrfeld ’64S announced the birth of her granddaughter, Batsheva Esther, born to Brocho and Yoni Lehrfeld. Ruth ’69YUHS, ’73S, ’77F, ’92A and Rabbi Elchanan Lipshitz ’67YUHS, ’71YC, ’76F, ’77R announce the birth of their granddaughter, Kamah, to Elana and Elyasaf Shweka. Rabbi Shmuel Goldin ’69YUHS, ’73YC, ’76F, ’76R published his book, Unlocking the Torah Text: Bamidbar (OUPress, 2013). Miriam ’65TI and Shimshon Halpern ’56YUHS, ’60YC announce the birth of their grandson, Neta Yisrael, born to Chani and Yoni Gur. Miriam and Shimshon also celebrated the wedding of their granddaughter, Naama Anbar, to Avishai Oberman and celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, Roee, born to Efrat and Eli Halpern. Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg ’69YC, ’74R, ’74F, ’92A published his article “Dating 101” in the June 2013 online edition of The Jewish Magazine. He and his wife, Charlene, announce the birth of their grandson, born to Ilana and Josh Rosenberg.

1970s
Dr. Jeanne (Lichtman) Abrams ’72S published her book, Revolutionary Medicine: The Founding Fathers and Mothers in Sickness and in Health (NYU Press, 2013). Rachayl ’75S and Rabbi Dr. Hillel Davis ’73YC, ’75BR, ’75R announce the marriage of their daughter, Nahva ’95YUS, ’99S, to Isaac Maman. Rabbi Eliot B. Feldman ’72YC, ’75R was appointed as Head of School of the Bess and Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford, where he is an alumnus. Forensic podiatrist Dr. Bryan Kagan ’76YC presented his study “Comparing Static Shod Foot Impressions with Barefoot Impressions” at the 98th International Educational Conference of the International Association for Identiﬁcation in Providence, RI in August. Judy (Miller) ’76YUHS, ’80S and Jay Kalish ’79YC, ’82C announce the birth of their grandson, Sahar David, born to Yael and Gavriel Kalish. Chava (Willig) ’73S and Michael Levy announce the birth of their granddaughter, Temima Etta, born to Tehilah and Tuvia Negreann. Dr. Rosa Perla Resnick Helfgot ’76W chaired a conference titled “Intergenerational Relationships in the Changing Family: Impact on Society,” held at the UN in May. Dr. Resnick Helfgot is the Chair of the NGO Committee on Ageing, Subcommittee on Intergenerational Relationships at the UN.

1940s
Ann and Rabbi Hyman Arbesfeld ’49YUHS, ’53YC, ’56R received the Eitz Chaim award at the RIETS Annual Dinner of Tribute in May. Sylvia and Rabbi William Herskowitz ’48YC, ’50W, ’55R, ’74BR celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in June as well as the graduation of their grandson, Eitan Katz, from Yeshiva College; the graduation of their grandson, David Herskowitz, from Yeshiva University High School; and the engagement of their granddaughter, Jennifer, to Shlomo Shenker. Their daughter, Amy Katz ’76S, ’78W, the executive director of Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, was the speaker at commencement for the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration in June. Rabbi Dr. Menachem Raab ’44YC, ’47R, ’70BR celebrated his 90th birthday.

1950s
Shifrah and Steve Adler ’57YUHS announce the birth of their granddaughter, born to Chagit and Amit Geron. Claire and Rabbi Joshua Hertzberg ’51YC, ’55R celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their great-grandson, Yitzchak Aryeh Arnold. Rabbi Elihu Levine ’50YUHS, ’54YC, ’56R published the third volume of his translation into English and annotation of the Kli Yakar. His ﬁrst translations and annotations were on Shemos and Bereishis through Toldos.

Jacqueline ’86S and Rabbi Dr. Marc Mandel ’79YUHS, ’83YC, ’88R, ’88W celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their ﬁfth son, Carmi. Mazel tov to grandparents Phyllis and Eddie Berkowitz and Marian and Mel Klausner.

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CLASSNOTES
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1954, 1964, 1974 OR 1989?
SAVE THE DATE | MAY 21, 2014
60-YEAR REUNION
of the Class of 1954

50-YEAR REUNION
of the Class of 1964

40-YEAR REUNION
of the Class of 1974

25-YEAR REUNION
of the Class of 1989

It’s been 10 years since your graduation! Contact [email protected] to ﬁnd out more about a special celebration just for your class.

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2004:

Help plan this milestone event for your class and ensure a successful event. Contact the Ofﬁce of Alumni Affairs at [email protected] or 212.960.5412 to ﬁnd out how you can get involved.

Sandy ’86YUHS, ’90S and Rabbi Ari Waxman ’88YC, ’90A, ’90R announce the birth of their grandson, born to Rachel (Waxman) ’99YUHS and Eliad Dennis. Mazel tov to great-grandparents Myra and Rabbi Dr. Yisrael Levitz ’55YUHS, ’59YC, ’63R, ’73F and Chaya and Prof. Chaim Waxman ’63YC, ’66BR, ’66R. Shelly (Lieberman) ’99S and Rabbi Joel Padowitz celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Yonah Elisha in Ramat Bet Shemesh. Dr. Matthew Levitt ’92YC published his book, Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon’s Party of God (Georgetown University Press, 2013).

Dr. Rebecca (Steiner) Solomon ’93S completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida Atlantic University. Her dissertation focused on the impact of parent communications and expectations on teacher practices in private Jewish day schools. Benson Stone ’90YC is a pre-school teacher in the Head Start Program at Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency. Caren ’96S and Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner ’93YC, ’97R celebrated the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Meira.

Sarah ’06S and Rabbi Noah Cheses ’09YC, ’11R announce the birth of their son, Netanel Moshe.

Aviva Miller ’09S married Avi Cohen ’09YC in Throggs Neck, NY.

Benjamin Courchia ’07YC began residency in the Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Queens, NY. Elise ’08S and Rabbi Boruch Danzger ’07SB, ’10R, ’11A announce the birth of their daughter. Yoetzet Halacha Atara Eis ’03S, ’09A and Rabbi Raphael Eis ’98YUHS, ’03YC, ’05R, ’06A were honored on June 4 at Nishmat’s 23rd Anniversary Dinner at the Jewish Museum in New York City. Shoshana (Michaelson) ’07SB and Jay Nathan Feldman ’07SB announce the birth of their son, Mordechai Zev. Mazel tov to grandparents Ann (Starkman) ’72S and Rabbi Eliot Feldman ’72YC, ’75R, ’75F. Shoshanna ’09S and Rabbi Mordechai Gershon ’07YC, ’11A, ’11R announce the birth of their son, Yosef Shalom. David Gibber ’09YUHS married Eliza Bernstein. Mazel tov to parents Debbie and RIETS Board Member Elliot Gibber and Susan and Aviv Bernstein. Julie Yanofsky Goldstein ’00S, ’04BR has been awarded a Lady Davis Postdoctoral Fellowship from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Her dissertation from New York University is entitled “Children of the Sacred Covenant: Imagining Child Martyrdom in Twelfth-Century Ashkenaz.” Rabbi Joshua Goller ’01YC, ’08R was named assistant rabbi at the Young Israel of West Hempstead. Deborah ’08S and Rabbi Yakov Grun ’09YC, ’13R, ’13A announce the birth of their son, Shlomo Yitzchak. Dr. Sarah Guigui ’08S is a resident in the department of Internal Medicine at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems in Forest Hills, NY. Rabbi Gary Guttenberg ’04YC, ’07R was honored as the alumnus of the year at the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore’s annual dinner in June.

Michael Wildes ’89C hosted the founders of Community Security Service, an organization founded in 2007 to protect the lives and way of life of the American Jewish community. Donna and Rabbi Joel Zeff ’85BR, ’86R announce the birth of their grandson, born to Chana and Uri Lichtenstein-Biran. Ephraim “Effy” Zinkin ’89YUHS, ’94SB, ’96C was named president of Concept One Associates, the premier resource for licensed fashion, sports and entertainment accessories. Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein and Rabbi Joel Finkelstein ’81YUHS, ’85YC, ’89R, ’96BR were honored by their congregation, Anshei Sphard-Beth El Emeth Congregation, for their 16 years of service.

Sarah and Stuart Milstein ’96YC announce the birth of their daughter, Ella Pearl. Shira (Pfeffer) ’99S and Rabbi Zvi Romm ’95YC, ’99R, ’02A received the Rabbinic Alumnus Award at the American Friends of Yeshiva Kerem B’Yavneh Annual Dinner celebrating the Yeshiva’s 60th anniversary. Abigail and Rabbi Elie Rothberger ’93YUHS, ’97YC, ’02R, ’03A announce the birth of their son, Yehuda Zalman. Mazel tov to grandparents Deborah and Rabbi Joseph Rothberger ’54YUHS, ’58BZ, ’58YC, ’61R, ’61BR, ’68F, ’89A. Ari Sauer ’99SB, ’01C is Chair of the Mid South Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which represents attorneys in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. Ari practices in the Memphis ofﬁce of the law ﬁrm of Siskind Susser. Rabbi Eliezer Schnall, PhD ’95YUHS, ’00YC, ’02F, ’03R, ’06F, professor of psychology at Yeshiva College, presented “Positive Psychology in Jewish Texts and Tradition” at the 25th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science in Washington, DC. Rabbi Schnall also delivered a series of lectures and shiurim on psychology and Judaism at the Mount Sinai Jewish Center in NY. Tova Serkin ’98YUHS and Yair Yehuda announce the birth of their son, Gil Michayel. Mazal tov to grandparents Paul Serkin ’75YUHS, ’79YC and Marcy Serkin ’81S. Quantum Media Holdings LLC where Ari Zoldan ’99SB is CEO was listed in the 2013 edition of Inc Magazine’s list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies. Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler ’93YUHS, ’98YC, ’00R, ’04A, ’09W received the Distinguished Rabbinic Leadership Award at the RIETS Annual Dinner of Tribute in May.

1990s
Shira ’97YUHS, ’01S and Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn ’01YC, ’04R, ’09A announce the birth of their daughter. Simcha Feuerman ’93W published his book, Marriage 911 (Israel Bookshop Publication, 2013).

2000s
Dr. Aviva ’05S and Avraham Adler ’99YUHS, ’03YC announce the birth of their son, Yaakov Mordechai. Sarah ’09S, ’11W and Rabbi Jeremy Baran ’06YC, ’10A, ’12R announce the birth of their son. Mazel tov to grandparents Brenda and Rabbi Chaim Bronstein ’66YUHS, ’70YC, ’72R, ’73BR, and Ted and Shari Baran ’78W. Yeshiva University Registrar Diana Benmergui ’05S, ’10W married Dr. Ronny Chadi of Brooklyn, NY in July.

Suri ’97YUHS, ’02S, ’06A and David Landerer ’96YUHS, ’01YC announce the birth of their son, Moshe. Jonathan “Yoni” Oppenheim ’99YUHS was appointed by Brandeis University to the faculty of the threater/drama segments of its BIMA summer cultural program for high school students.

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Ari Sauer ’99SB, ’01C: Advocating for Immigrants

F

or more than a decade, Ari Sauer ’99SB, ’01C, has been helping people from countries around the world obtain visas, green cards, permanent residence and citizenship so that they can stay in the United States to continue studying, working or just being with their loved ones. It’s a tall order, but all in a day’s work for an immigration lawyer. As an undergraduate student at Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business, Sauer, who was born and raised in Memphis, TN, hadn’t even heard of the highly specialized ﬁeld of immigration law. In fact, he wasn’t planning on becoming a lawyer at all. “I had planned to become an accountant, and while I loved most of the accounting courses for my major, I didn’t care for the tax side of it,” said Sauer. “During my senior year, I realized I had enough credits from my elective courses in management, many of which were taught by the wonderful Dr. Moses Pava, to graduate with a degree in business management.” An active undergraduate, Sauer co-hosted a popular radio show—“Popular with my friends, anyway,”—where he played music and discussed current events with his co-host. “It was a great experience, and we held a party every week at the radio headquarters when we hosted the show,” said Sauer. He also ran on YU’s cross-country team for two years under Coach Stan Watson, and some of his closest friendships were formed at YU, including one with Joe Bednarsh, YU’s director of athletics, physical education and recreation. With Sauer’s change in major and career trajectory late in the undergraduate game, he decided to use his fallback plan and attend law school following graduation, enrolling in YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. There, he was a student of Professor Leon Wildes, a prominent immigration lawyer and member of the Yeshiva College Board of Overseers. “I had already balanced a dual curriculum at both the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis and at YU, so I was surprised by how few classes I had to take each semester in law school,” said Sauer. “I decided to take a position at Cardozo’s Immigration Law Field Clinic.” Though Sauer had not taken an immigration law course before starting the job, where he assisted lawyers in drafting immigrant petitions for abused spouses, he fell in love with the work. He realized the impact that immigration lawyers could have on their clients and the people in their clients’ lives. He decided to specialize in the ﬁeld and immediately signed up for immigration and administrative law courses, eventually serving as president of Cardozo’s immigration law society. Sauer worked in the tristate area for a few years before returning to Memphis to raise his family. He now works at Siskind Susser, PC, a leading immigration law ﬁrm headquartered in Memphis. “Many people think immigration lawyers just ﬁll out forms all day,” Sauer said. “While there is that component, it’s actually an extremely complicated area of law with many subﬁelds, including asylum, defense from deportation and family and employment-based immigration and naturalization, which are my areas of expertise. I help immigrants obtain the proper documentation so that they can be assured a place of residence here in the United States.” At Siskind Susser, Sauer works on dozens of cases at a time, which can each take months or years to resolve. At the time of this writing, Sauer’s varied clients include a university professor applying for a green card to continue teaching in the United States, a husband who ﬁrst came to the United States on a ﬁancé visa seeking permanent residence and a doctor who came to do his residency in the United States applying for a green card. Most of Sauer’s clients come from India and China. For Sauer, the biggest challenge of his job is also the one that keeps him on his toes and, in some ways, a perpetual student; immigration law is an ever-changing ﬁeld that requires continuous education. “There are constant changes to immigration laws, bylaws, regulations and how cases are processed,” said Sauer. “One can’t possibly remain informed in this

ﬁeld from a single book or law school class. Immigration lawyers need to remain up to date by reading government memos and speaking to each other to share our knowledge and what we’ve learned. As a result, immigration law is a very collaborative type of law and also offers a more level playing ﬁeld; younger attorneys can often catch up to more experienced ones because the rules and dynamics are always changing.” In his role as chair of the Mid South Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), a post to which he was recently re-elected, Sauer helps educate other lawyers and officials about immigration issues and possible repercussions about changes in the law. “As a general rule, immigration is a very hot-button topic in this country, and politically, there are a lot of different emotions involved,” said Sauer. As chair, Sauer facilitates communication between lawyers in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, and he also helps alert AILA’s national office when changes in immigration regulations occur in local cities. Four times a year, Sauer travels to national meetings across the country to represent the Mid South Chapter, although he did not attend a recent meeting in Austin, Texas, because it took place on Simchat Torah. “I’m not the only Orthodox Jew in AILA, and at our annual conferences, we usually do a pretty good job of organizing a minyan [quorum],” said Sauer. “As chapter chair, I also changed our meetings from Saturday to a weekday and, overall, everyone is understanding.” Sauer suggested that students who are interested in pursuing immigration law after graduating from YU would do well spending some time in the offices of practicing lawyers. “Seeing lawyers on the job in their offices is the best way to learn what it’s really about and to adopt mentors, which is essential for any immigration lawyer,” he said. “While you’re in Washington Heights, also make sure you practice your Spanish. It was a missed opportunity for me but one that certainly would have come in handy in my job today, as I have a good number of Spanish-speaking clients. My paralegals translate for me, but the more Spanish you know, the better.” “Ari is a wonderful example of a YU student who took to heart the mission of the University and used his education to go out and help people,” said Bednarsh. “It’s no surprise to me, because Ari has always been a compassionate and caring person—qualities that were evident to even the casual observer during his time at YU.” Sauer lives in Memphis with his wife, Hanielle, and their twin daughters, Lee and Magen, 10. n

Ari is a wonderful example of a YU student who took to heart the mission of the University and used his education to go out and help people… Ari has always been a compassionate and caring person—qualities that were evident to even the casual observer during his time at YU.
JOE BEDNARSH, YU’S DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND RECREATION

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ALUMNI IN ACTION
BOARD OF TRUSTEES ESTABLISHES SCHOLARSHIP IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT JOEL’S 10 YEARS
To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his presidency, members of the YU Board of Trustees donated a total of $1.25 million to establish the President Richard M. Joel Scholars program, which will support 50 full scholarships. On June 18, Ira Mitzner ’81YC (pictured on the left) presented President Joel with a certiﬁcate at a reception honoring the milestone.

More than 150 people enjoyed an evening ﬁlled with food and laughter at the second Straus Center author conversation series featuring a discussion between Rabbi Meir Soloveichik ’02YC, ’03R and Dr. Ruth Wisse on her book, No Joke: Making Jewish Humor at the Yeshiva University Museum at the Center for Jewish History.

ZAHAVA AND MOSHAEL STRAUS CENTER FOR TORAH AND WESTERN THOUGHT AUTHOR CONVERSATION SERIES FEATURES PROFESSOR RUTH WISSE (JUNE 11, 2013)

m Rabbi Soloveichik and Vice Chairman and Trustee of Yeshiva University Moshael Straus ’70YUHS, ’74YC k Rabbi Soloveichik, Eric Gomberg and Gail Propp q Rabbi Soloveichik and Wisse

m Hadassah Lieberman, YU Museum Director Jacob Wisse, Rebecca Lieberman, Dr. Ruth Wisse, Leonard Wisse and former Senator Joe Lieberman (D–CT)

YESHIVA UNIVERSITY WALL STREET GROUP EVENT “THE CONTINUING EVOLUTION OF VENTURE CAPITAL,” HOSTED BY UBS (JULY 11, 2013)

m Panelists Dan Ciporin of Canaan Partners, Danny Schultz of Gotham Ventures, Jon Medved of OurCrowd and David Teten of FF Venture Capital
ALUMNI LECTURE SERIES WITH RABBI DR. EPHRAIM KANARFOGEL (JUNE 19, 2013)

Rabbi Kanarfogel ’73YUHS, ’77YC, ’79R, ’87BR delivered the spring lecture on the topic “Making Shidduchim in Medieval Europe: History, Halachah and Life” at Blank Rome LLP hosted by Yeshiva College Board of Overseers member Emanuel Adler ’76YC.

k Moderator Andrew J. Neff of Gartner Invest and the Israel Finance Institute led an interactive discussion about venture capital

m YU alumni and friends enjoyed a lively discussion and had the opportunity to network with members of the ﬁnancial industry

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Los Angeles-based alumni representing various professions came together in June to speak to current and future YU students from Los Angeles at the home of Raphy and Rivka Nissel, parents of Tzvika Nissel ’97YC. Alumni shared their professional success stories and discussed career paths and opportunities in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES CAREER CONNECTIONS (JUNE 19, 2013)

m Head of school at YULA Girls High School Rabbi Abraham Lieberman ’86BR and Irwin Weiss ’82YC, ’86E k Tzvika Nissel and Zev Nagel ’05YC

m Lillian Lieberman, Lauren Weiss ’12S, Fay Weiss ’80YUHS and Revital Kempe ’85S

m Yitzy Katz ’06SB, Rabbi David Mahler ’02YC, ’06A and Samuel Barak ’04SB m Ryan Hyman ’99YC, Aryeh Goldberg ’01SB, Steven Bernstein ’98SB and Tzvi Pal ’98YC

Andrew J. Lauer, vice president of legal affairs, secretary and general counsel of Yeshiva University, presented the ﬁrst event for the newly launched YU Legal Professionals group. Attendees received CLE credits and had the opportunity to meet other lawyers in the YU community.

YU LEGAL PROFESSIONALS EVENT, “THE JEWISH PERSPECTIVE: A COMPARATIVE REVIEW OF SELECT WORKPLACE ISSUES,” HOSTED BY PROSKAUER ROSE LLP (AUGUST 1, 2013)

The Fall Alumni Lecture Series featured Charlie Harary, assistant clinical professor of management and entrepreneurship at the Sy Syms School of Business and a proliﬁc speaker, who discussed “How to Get Into the Book of Life.” The event was hosted by Yeshiva College Board of Overseers member Benyamin Kaminetzky ’87YUHS, ’91YC at Davis Polk & Wardwell. This lecture was recorded and is available on yutorah.org.

ALUMNI LECTURE SERIES (SEPTEMBER 10, 2013)

SAVE THE DATE

Wrestling alumni are invited to attend the 19th Annual Wittenberg Invitational Tournament

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014 | Come back to campus to see Yeshiva high school wrestling in action. DINNER AT 6 P.M. | YU Wrestling Coach Neil Ellman will join alumni and their families for a buffet dinner following the matches.
YU WRESTLING COMMITTEE | Michael C. Aberman ’93YC | Barry Martin Bender ’79YUHS | Joshua Bernheim ’90YUHS | Martin H. Bodner ’76YC | Wayne B. Brecher ’83YC Avi M. Ellman ’93YUHS, ’97YC | Yonatan E. Ellman ’02SB | Amichai Joshua Erdfarb ’94YUHS, ’99YC, ’02R | Abraham Zev Golombeck ’75YUHS, ’79YC Sheldon Mark Golombeck ’81YC | Leonard B. Holler ’88SB | Michael Kranzler ’84YC | Isaac Kuyunov ’10YC | Samuel Naftali Lamm ’09YUHS | Jay E. Lerman ’81YC, ’86E Joel A. Mael ’79YC | David H. Noble ’85YC | Noah Nunberg ’68YUHS, ’72YC | Aharon M. Roth ’85YC | Eric Samson | Nathen T. Schwitzer ’71YUHS, ’75YC David Siegel ’79YC | Avrum D. Shatzkes ’86YUHS,’90YC | Michael J. Wiener ’88JS | Ephraim Z. Zinkin ’89YUHS, ’93SB, ’96C | Lewis D. Zinkin ’66YC
To ensure you are included in all communications about this program and other wrestling events and news, please let us know when you wrestled by emailing [email protected] with your information.

s WE WANT TO HE AR YOUR IDE AS FOR PROGR AMMING IN YOUR REGION. CONTACT BARBAR A BIRCH AT BIRCH @YU.EDU OR 212 .960.0848 .

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ALUMNITODAY
CLASSNOTES
Rabbi Josh Joseph ’00R, ’00BR was appointed Senior Vice President of Yeshiva University. Dovid Strauss ’07YUHS, ’12YC is engaged to Allie Schnall ’11S. Dr. Ilana ’04S, ’07A, ’11A and Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky ’08YC, ’10R, ’11A announce the birth of their son. Ahuva ’01S and Rabbi Yehuda Willig ’01C, ’05R announce the birth of their son, Yakov. Mazel tov to Faygie ’72S and RIETS Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Mordechai Willig ’68YC, ’71R and Ofra (Kerstein) ’72YUHS and Judah Weinberger. Dinah Zaghi ’06S became engaged to Michael Irani. Stefanie Zisholtz ’09S received the 2013 1199SEIU/League’s Nurse of Distinction as Novice Nurse from Beth Israel Medical Center. Shoshana (Adler) ’10S and Jordan Kaplan announce the birth of their son, Mordechai Yeshaya. Mazal tov to grandparents Nitza ’87S and Russell Adler ’85YC and Michael and Penny Kaplan. Baila Litwak ’13S is a student at the Medical School for International Health (MSIH), a collaboration between Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Columbia University Medical Center that incorporates global health coursework into all four years of its curriculum. Sari Margolis ’11S, 12A co-authored a book, Wordwatch: A Shemiras Halashon Lesson-A-Day for Teens (Feldheim, 2012). Suzanne Mazel ’11S married Jack Voystock ’12YC in Baltimore, MD. Shira (Preil) ’12S, ’13A and Rabbi Ari Neuman ’10YC, ’12BR, ’13R will be serving as the rabbinical couple for Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at the University of Maryland. Ariel and Rabbi David Pardo ’12R will be the co-directors of the Orthodox Union Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at Brandeis University. Marganit Rauch ’13S married Ephy Weinberg. Chanan Reitblat ’12YC was accepted to Harvard Medical School where he will be studying health policy, management and neurosurgery. Ari Ackerman ’12YC, Noam Friedman ’12YC, Ari Lamm ’10YC, Rabbi David Shabtai ’09R and Daniel Sherman ’06YUHS, ’11YC received the ChampionsGate RIETS Fellowship.

Adina (Schwartz) ’08S and Eitan Kastner ’08YC announce the birth of their son, Akiva Raam. Jordy and Rabbi Meir Lipschitz ’00YUHS, ’05YC, ’07A, ’10R announce the birth of their son, Shmuel Yitzchak. Marc Merrill ’05YUHS, ’10YC is engaged to Sarah Weintraub ’08YUHS.

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Rabbi Ami Neuman ’03SB, ’06A was appointed assistant principal of Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy in Elizabeth, NJ.

2010s
Ilana and Eliezer Bercuson ’12BR announce the birth of their son, Dov Netanel.

Rabbi Hillel Rapp ’04YC married Racheli Meister. Michal ’01S and Dr. Dale Rosenbach ’99YUHS, ’03YC announce the birth of Elisheva Dinah. Congratulations to Dale on being named a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology in May. Dale gave the membership beneﬁt continuing education course at the Nassau County Dental Society’s annual general membership meeting in October entitled, “What You Need to Know About Anterior Immediate Implants.” Rebecca ’04S, ’06W and Rabbi Ariel Schochet ’99YUHS, ’03SB, ’06A, ’06R announce the birth of their fourth child, Batsheva Meira. Mazel tov to grandparents Shelley ’76W and Stuart Schochet ’70YUHS and Miriam ’70YUHS and Lenny Halstuch . Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik ’02YC, ’03R was elected to serve as rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York.

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Rachaeli Berman ’10YUHS married Tuvi Bacharach of Riverdale, NY. Mazel tov to parents Yeshiva University High School Board of Trustees member Judy ’84S and Yeshiva College Board of Overseers member Zev Berman ’82YC and grandparents Stern College for Women Board of Overseers Vice Chair Dorothy ’59S, ’60F and Rabbi Julius Berman ’56YC, ’59R, chairman emeritus of the RIETS Board of Trustees and Sara and Rabbi Michael Hecht ’57YUHS, ’61YC, ’64BR, ’64R.

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Lisa Goldman ’11C and Joshua Reiss announce the birth of their daughter, Daniella Emily.

In Memoriam
Dr. Jonah Botknecht ’60YUHS Rabbi Eliezer Cohen ’68YC, ’72R Dr. Arnold Grant ’63YC, ’82F Rabbi Dr. Leon “Laibel” Green ’55YC, ’58R Rabbi Sidney Kleiman ’31YUHS, ’35YC, ’36R Rabbi Stanley Levin ’49YC, ’54R Rabbi Dr. Elihu Marcus ’53YC, ’56R, ’99F RIETS Board Member Dr. Alvin Schiff ’47YC, ’99F Rabbi Joel N. Smilchensky ’54YC, ’56R Rabbi Maurice Wohlgelernter ’37YUHS, ’41YC, ’44R

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