Nearly a dozen members of Yeshiva University’s faculty came to San Francisco this fall to participate in the annual conferences of the American School of Oriental Research, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the American Academy of Religion.  In addition to participating and presenting their research at the conferences, five faculty members served as scholars-in-residence at three synagogues in the Bay area over the 11/17 Shabbat.  Dr. Ari Mermelstein served as scholar-in-residence at Congregation Adath Israel in San Francisco; Dr. Shalom Holtz and Dr. Aaron Koller were the featured speakers at Beth Jacob Congregation in Oakland; and Dr. Moshe Bernstein and Dr. Chaviva Levin lectured at Congregation Emek Bracha in Palo Alto.

“The professors and rabbis at Yeshiva University are a rare breed, capable of synthesizing Torah study of the highest order with first-rate biblical scholarship,” said Rabbi Judah Dardik ’01R of Oakland’s Beth Jacob Congregation. “As a student there I had exposure to some of the greatest minds in the world today and I treasure the opportunity to bring a taste of this level of learning to my community.” During President Richard M. Joel’s visit to Los Angeles in early December, he spoke with students at YULA Boys and Girls Schools and Shalhevet and visited with YU alumni serving as teachers and administrators in those schools. He also served as a scholar-in-residence at Yeshivat Yavneh in Hancock Park over the 12/2 Shabbat, where he spoke on the topic “Dare to Dream: Charting Our Future for the Next Generation.” President Joel was hosted at the home of Helena and Steven Usdan ’92YC for a Yavneh Trustees Society Shabbat luncheon, where the group of 50 guests participated in a lively Q&A. Dr. Scott Goldberg, director of YU’s University-School Partnership, participated in the OU West Coast Convention on December 15 in Los Angeles and served on a panel with other leaders in the field of Jewish Education at LA’s Beth Jacob Congregation discussing issues and solutions involved in funding Orthodox Day School Education. He also served as scholar-in-residence at Beth Jacob Congregation of Irvine over the 12/16 Shabbat where he spoke on “Motivation in the iWorld: Raising Children and Students who Crave Learning, Not Just the Highest Grade.“ YU Rosh Yeshiva Rav Hershel Schachter also participated in the OU West Coast Convention. He gave a pre-Shabbat rabbinic enrichment shiur, a presentation at the LINK Kollel Friday night oneg, a Shabbat morning drasha at Adas Torah, a Shabbat afternoon shiur at the Young Israel of Century City on “The Rav’s Approach to Tefilla” and participated in the Kashrut Event at the Young Israel of Hancock Park speaking on “The Kashrut of Fish.” The second seminar of YU’s Experiential Education Certificate Program will be held at the Camp Shalom Institute in Malibu January 5-12. The group consists of a cross-section of 20 practicing and emerging educators from across the Jewish denominations, working in settings ranging from classrooms to campuses, camps and community centers, who will gather to explore cutting-edge methodologies, models and techniques for creating powerful Jewish experiences. For more information about the program, run with support from the Jim Joseph Foundation, visit ejewisheducation.com. Finally, YU’s Center for the Jewish Future will be running its popular Jewish Life Coast to Coast mission January 12-22 for 20 current Yeshiva University undergraduate students centered on Jewish communities in the Northwest, specifically San Francisco, Seattle, WA, and Vancouver, Canada. Through this program, students will learn about the vast and innovative landscape of Jewish education. Along the way they will meet rabbis, educators, and communal leaders who will inspire them to make a difference in their own communities. Rabbi Kenneth Brander, the David Mitzner Dean of the Center for the Jewish Future, will join the group in Oakland and serve as a scholar-in-residence at Beth Jacob Congregation in Oakland over the 1/13 Shabbat.

Among the many opportunities alumni have to reconnect and give back to YU, one of the most significant ways they can impact the student experience is by offering assistance with career development. Many alumni participate in panels and professional events for undergraduate students to highlight different career paths, offer firsthand information, and allow for networking with like-minded peers. The Career Development Center (CDC) uses the alumni office’s Ambassador Network and their InfoLink site to maintain a list of alumni volunteers and the professional fields in which they work and then periodically invites them to speak to students and share their experiences on the job and what helped prepare them while they were still in college.  Another valuable way alumni can assist is by providing students with internship opportunities at their companies.  If your company can offer work experiences  for YU students or you know someone who can, email cdc@yu.edu. Laurie B. Davis, director of counseling and programming, says that alumni are enthusiastic about advising students. “These educational panels not only serve as great networking opportunities for YU students, but they allow alumni to give back to the community and stay connected with their alma mater,” she remarks. “As a result of meeting and hearing from alumni, many students decide to pursue new careers they had not previously thought about, and find internship and job opportunities as well.” This past semester, YU students were invited to numerous career panels on fields such as finance, and working on Wall Street; marketing; journalism; technology; women in medicine; and fashion. One of the most successful events was “Being Orthodox in an Unorthodox World,” which took place on the Wilf Campus in September. Alumni employed at prestigious law firms, investment banks, and accounting firms discussed the challenges and opportunities that arise when working in a non-Jewish environment. Rabbi Yona Reiss, the Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS, shared his experiences working at an international Wall Street law firm prior to his current position. Rabbi Reiss told students, “You have a right and a responsibility to be different." After Rabbi Reiss spoke, students dispersed into four groups with a male and female professional speaking to each group. Issues covered included head-covering, non-kosher restaurant etiquette, and the need to leave work early for Shabbat. “Wall Street Connection Series; Industry Forum” in October and “Finance Interview Boot Camp” in November allowed students to practice their interview skills with alumni and prepare for finance internship initiatives, in which firms like Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Goldman Sachs visited the Wilf Campus to recruit students for internships. December’s “Where the Jobs Are: Hot Jobs in the Tech Sector” on the Wilf Campus showcased alumni working as analysts, writers, recruiters, and business developers in NYC’s tech industry. “Tech Sector” panelist Alex Taub ’09YC, who works in business development and partnerships at Aviary.com, said, “This was my third speaking engagement with students at YU. I do it because I still remember all the people that helped me when I was in college. It can definitely leave a major impact on a student when someone that has gone through similar experiences can offer great insight on a specific career.” If you are interested in being interviewed about your career to help aspiring students volunteer at Candidcareers.com, a new resource for YU undergraduate students that is currently seeking graduates to speak about their occupations. They will film a 5-minute interview about your work, tips you have for students considering the field, and aspects of the job you find most rewarding. If you will be in the NY-area and wish to be interviewed, please contact Laurie Davis at lbdavis@yu.edu.

As we look ahead to 2012, we took a few minutes to reflect on the year that passed and compile some data from 2011, a year filled with a variety of programs and outreach from the Office of Alumni Affairs. Below is a snapshot of whom we reached and an overview of our successes; all the following information is as of December 20, 2011. 2,000 – Around 2,000 undergraduate e-mail addresses were added since January 2011, allowing us to reach an increasingly wider audience with news of events, programs, and fundraising opportunities. Much thanks to the more than 1,500 people who have participated in the YU AlumniFinder campaign that contributed to the new connections! 400 – At the start of 2011, the Facebook page for YU alumni (facebook.com/YUAlumni) had just over 100 “likes” and is now nearing 400, an incredible 300% increase. The LinkedIn group for YU Alumni (yu.edu/alumni/LinkedIn) went from just over 1,500 to close to 2,000, almost a 33% increase. $221 – The average online gift is $221, compared to $125 at peer institutions. $7,000 – The first organized senior class gift of the graduating class of 2011 raised nearly $7,000 from 350 graduating students. $60,000 – The Stern Fashion Show went from raising $10,000 in its inaugural event in 2009 to over $60,000 at October’s third annual event. $90,000 - Reunion committees helped increase reunion class giving from $30,000 in 2009 to $90,000 this past May. 100+ – The Ambassador Network has over 100 volunteers, increasing the exchange of ideas and collaboration with YU offices such as Admissions and the Career Development Center. 300 – Almost 300 people were in attendance at the Macs basketball game vs. St. Joseph’s College on December 18, with 44 captains and 10 former players present, which leads us to….

40 –The number of years Johnny Halpert has been coaching the YU men’s basketball team! On April 29, YU will honor Coach Halpert by naming the basketball court in his honor. Save the date for the special festivities and more details to come.

600 – More than 600 people came to celebrate Homecoming in September. And another 600 spent Shavuos with YU and RIETS scholars for a yom tov Yarchei Kallah at the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa in Kerhonkson, NY. $710,000 – Dollars raised by the Office of Annual Giving more than doubled from $350,000 to $710,000 through increased outreach (mailings, phone-a-thons, and online presence) to alumni. 8 – AlumniToday grew to an eight-page spread inside the quarterly YUToday publication sharing alumni profiles, alumni and University news, and Class Notes from thousands of YU graduates and friends. Finally, our professional networking groups – the Wall Street Group, Real Estate Group, and Accounting and Financial Planning (AFP) Network – held such innovative events as “After the Financial Crisis: New Strategies for Investing and Managing Risk” with Ace Greenberg, “Changing World—What’s Next for Real Estate” with Michael Stoller, and “Halacha and Charitable Giving” featuring Rav Schachter. These events sold out in record time with hundreds of guests in attendance. These are just some of our impressive statistics from 2011, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our alumni ambassadors, class captains, council members, volunteers, friends, and loyal eNewsletter readers. With your continued involvement and feedback, we expect to surpass these numbers in 2012.