Aug 31, 2006 — While many Orthodox people see the intelligent design movement as a way to reclaim the origins of the universe from atheist scientists, Rabbi Natan Slifkin, known as the “Zoo Rabbi,” feels that theory actually minimizes God’s role.

“Really, it’s trivializing God –– this movement that many people think is a friend of Jewish and religious people,” Rabbi Slifkin said during a lecture at Stern College for Women. “I find it theologically offensive.”

Rabbi Slifkin was invited to speak about “The Heresy of Intelligent Design” by the Stern College Biology Department. Rabbi Slifkin said the title of the talk was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, given the ban on his books and labeling of his ideas as heresy in some circles.

Speaking to a packed crowd of more than 110 people, Rabbi Slifkin discussed why he supports many of the concepts of evolution, and why he thinks they are not contrary to Torah Judaism. Also discussed were the age of the universe and the interplay between Torah and science.

Rabbi Slifkin has come under fire for writing that the world is billions of years old, not 5766 as a literal reading of the Torah would conclude. He also believes that the six days of creation are not literally six days, but rather a “but rather a theological text that is is superficially guised with simple lessons that speak to the broadest of audiences.” Rabbi Slifkin’s comments are based on the Rambam’s Moreh Nevuchim, saying that the creation account in Bereshit is not to be taken literally.

“You are a group of people studying science and confronting science, and you deserve to know this,” Rabbi Slifkin said to the audience of mostly Stern College students.

Students reacted strongly, with thoughtful questions. Rebecca Hazan, who just began her first year on the Beren Campus, said her biology professor Dr. Brenda Loewy suggested she attend Rabbi Slifkin’s lecture.

“The past hour and a half has really opened my eyes and changed my world view,” the Philadelphia native said.

Rabbi Slifkin explored what people mean when they talk about evolution. Sometimes people say they don’t believe in evolution because they are talking about one of two related theories: Common Ancestry or Natural Selection. Common ancestry refers to the idea that all creatures are descended from one progenitor. While critics say that gaps in the fossil record cast doubt on common ancestry, Rabbi Slifkin pointed out that there is much evidence, including the general anatomical structure of animals and vestigial organs, that support common ancestry.

Then Rabbi Slifkin turned to the idea of natural selection, the process by which individual organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with unfavorable traits. While common ancestry is a generally agreed fact for most scientists, natural selection is closer to a theory because “we don’t have just one explanation of how one species changes into another,” Rabbi Slifkin explained.

The intelligent design movement attacks the idea of natural selection by saying that since there are certain aspects of biological organisms that cannot be accounted for by natural selection, they must be evidence of God’s intervention.

“The intelligent design movement says scientific explanations are not good enough,” Rabbi Slifkin said. “The implicit message of intelligent design is that you cannot see God in things that science can explain. It would mean that the Neviim who spoke of seeing God in the majesty of the cosmos –– they got it all wrong because science can explain that!”

Rabbi Slifkin also explained that the predictability of science meshes with Judaism. Before Avraham introduced monotheism, people attributed events to the wrath or pleasure of the gods. But Avraham introduced that idea that there is an underlying order to the natural world that originates from one God.

Slifkin also addressed the concern about the “randomness” of evolution, citing the examples of Purim and the lottery that allocated land in Eretz Yisrael to the tribes as two random methods. “It seems like random events, but in the end we see it’s God behind the scenes.”

Slifkin has been in the United States for several months this summer and early fall promoting his new book, “The Challenge Of Creation: Judaism’s Encounter with Science, Cosmology and Evolution,” and giving lectures.

Aug 28, 2006 — Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future has started its third season of its Kollel Yom Rishon program for men and Midreshet Yom Rishon program for women held at YU’s Wilf Campus in Washington Heights.

Schedules for the Kollel programs are available at www.kollelyomrishon.org. Midreshet Yom Rishon schedules can be found at www.midreshetyomrishon.org. Audio recordings of past shiurim are available there as well.

Each Sunday, more than 200 men and women come from the New York/New Jersey area and as far away as Boston and Israel, to hear lessons on Torah and Halakha at Kollel Yom Rishon for men and Midreshet Yom Rishon for women.

Participants are treated to two, one-hour shiurim (classes) that begin at 9:30am and are hosted in separate buildings for men and women. Shiurim are led by Roshei Yeshiva (Professors of Talmud) from Yeshiva University affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) as well as other noted Torah personalities, including women of great scholarship. Breakfast and parking are provided, and there is no cost to participants.

By presenting shiurim on Sundays to people with busy work weeks, YU gives participants the opportunity to learn Torah with many of YU’s esteemed rebbeim and Torah scholars. Both programs were developed for individuals from diverse religious backgrounds.

Rabbi Kenneth Brander, dean of the Center for the Jewish Future, said the program helps participants set aside time to study Torah.

“Kollel Yom Rishon and Midreshet Yom Rishon provide a time for men and women to grow spiritually,” Rabbi Brander said. “The amazing dynamic of these programs are that the veteran scholar can enjoy the same class as someone who is new to Torah study.”

Aug 22, 2006 — For those attending Orientation 2006, August 20-22, summer may be over, but the excitement of a new adventure has just begun as hundreds of new undergraduate students arrived at the Wilf and Beren campuses.

Click here to view photo gallery.
http://spider.mc.yu.edu/news/photogallery/photogallery_show.cfm?categoryID=8121

This year’s cohort hails from across the United States and as far away as Israel and Brazil. At both campuses, teams of student Orientation staffers and administrators greeted students and assisted them as they moved in and became acclimated.

“I’m a little nervous but also excited,” said Yonina Teitelbaum of Denver, CO. “I’m looking forward to the experience,” said Shena Falic, a transfer student from the University of Miami.

For many, their excitement stems in part from feeling that they’ve “come home.” According to Tzvi Twersky, of Philadelphia, “there is no other place in the world like YU.” Yaakov Samberg, of Memphis, asked: “Where else would I pick to go? I never seriously considered other schools.”

Binyamin Mor, of Haifa, arrived at YU on his 22nd birthday. A former IDF soldier, he made the decision to attend YU late last spring and completed the entire application process — including SAT and TOEFL exams — within a month. “I found that YU is the best place for me, even more than in Israel. There is nowhere else that combines Torah and Madda [general studies] the way YU does.”

For many, the first day of Orientation was a time to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and enjoy the day’s activities. Among them were separate gatherings for students and parents at each campus with President Richard M. Joel.

“You are now taking your place in that chain of human destiny,” President Joel told students at the Beren Campus. “Forward is where you have to look and upward is where you have to aspire.”

To their parents he said,” Encourage your children to take full advantage of the life that is here,” so that they can continue to develop as “aspiring builders of our world.”

At the Wilf Campus, he thanked parents for entrusting “your greatest wealth — your children — to us.”

Aug 18, 2006 — Yeshiva University will break ground on Monday, September 18 at 6:30 pm for The Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study and The Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Beit Midrash—the university’s first new building at the Wilf Campus since the Max Stern Athletic Center in 1983. Festivities will take place at the construction site (the former Parking Lot “A” at 185th Street, directly across from Furst Hall).

The future center will house a two-level beit midrash (study hall) with seating for more than 400 students, two large lecture halls, 15 classrooms, and 50 faculty offices.

Aug 17, 2006 — The fall semester will begin with new quarters for many of the deans and administrative offices at Stern College for Women.

Students looking for Karen Bacon, The Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean at Stern College for Women, or Associate Dean Ethel Orlian will find them on the 14th floor at 205 Lexington Ave. The Center for Academic Advisement, the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program, Student Accounts, and Pre-Health Advisement are also in that new suite of offices.

“Without a doubt, these major physical enhancements will lead to an even more invigorated and supportive environment for faculty and students to interact both inside and outside of the classroom,” Dean Bacon said.

People may walk into the first floor of 245 Lexington Ave. and wonder where the Department of Student Services has gone. “Student Activity Central” has been relocated to the 7th floor of 215 Lexington Ave., where Associate Dean of Students Zelda Braun has installed a human-sized bubble gum dispenser for student visitors.

The 12th floor of 215 Lexington Ave. has also been renovated and will house Career Services, Sy Syms School of Business’s Beren campus offices, and the Registrar’s office. A new conference center and the Gottesman Board of Trustees room are also on that floor.

What will occupy the first floor of 245 Lex? The entire entranceway is being redone and modernized with a larger lobby area, including seating areas and plasma screen information boards. The facade of the building will be changed to glass, to let in more natural light. The rest of the entrance level floor will contain two large classrooms with multimedia capabilities. These classrooms will be separated with a movable, soundproof wall which, when opened, will create one very large room that will be used for special events. This work is still in progress and is scheduled for completion by late fall.

Plans are underway for an expanded Beit Midrash in 245 Lexington. With greatly increased seating capacity and creative design, the new Beit Midrash will be “reflective of the seriousness of Torah study at Stern College,” Dean Bacon said.

As the campus continues to expand, faculty offices will be grouped by departments with the Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies and the departments of Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, Speech Pathology and Audiology, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics located at 245 Lexington Ave. Other departments including Art, English, Philosophy, History, Math, and Speech will be located at 215 Lexington Ave.

“Grouping departments in this fashion will enable students to consult more easily with professors and will help to create a community of scholars for the various academic disciplines,” Dean Bacon explained.

Back row from left : Eliana Rudolph, Eli Hagler, Menachem Menchel, YU President Richard M. Joel, David Herring, Yoel Eis, Avi Narrow-Tilonsky, Joshua Jacoby, and Director Josh Joseph. Front Row from left: Rivvy Ackerman, Barrie Zigman, Jennifer Kraut, Aliza Mainzer-Hughes, Laya Pelzner, Beth Katz, and Coordinator Elysia Stein.

Aug 9, 2006 — Fifteen 2006 graduates of Yeshiva University’s undergraduate schools will remain at the university as Presidential Fellows for the 2006-2007 school year.

Established by President Richard M. Joel and now in its third year, the Presidential Fellowship in University and Community Leadership is part of a broader effort to train top graduates at the university and expand YU’s service to the Jewish community.

“The program has motivated the participants to reflect on the positive experiences they have had at Yeshiva University and examine the opportunities in the Jewish community –– both for laypeople and professionals –– in light of their interests and skills,” said President Joel. “The Fellowship inspires the participants to reach for the nobility –– and responsibility –– that come with leadership.”

The Presidential Fellows were chosen after an intense screening process based on their academic performance, campus leadership, and involvement with the Jewish community. Each fellow will work with a senior administrator, who will mentor them and elicit their feedback as former students.

The new Presidential Fellows are: Rivvy Ackerman, a psychology major at Stern College for women, who will work in the Wurzweiler School of Social Work Dean’s Office; Yoel Eis, a history major at Yeshiva College, who will work in Enrollment Management; Eli Hagler, a management major at Sy Syms School of Business, who will work in the Office of Student Affairs on the Wilf Campus; David Herring, also a management major at Sy Syms, who will work in the Office of Purchasing and Materials Management; Joshua Jacoby, a political science major at YC, who will work at the Yeshiva University High School for Boys; Tiffany Khalil, an English literature major at Stern, who will work in the Office of Student Affairs on the Beren Campus; Jen Kraut, a history major at Stern, who will work in the Stern College Dean’s Office; Menachem Menchel, a psychology major at YC, who will work in the Office of Institutional Advancement, Department of Community Affairs; Eliana Rudolph, an English communications major at Stern, who will work in the Office of the President; Eliezer Shaffren, a psychology major at YC who will work in the Office of the Vice President for University Life; and Barrie Zigman, an English communications major at Stern who will work in the Department of Communications and Public Affairs.

Three Presidential Fellows will work in YU’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) : Beth Katz, a history major at Stern; Avi Narrow-Tilonsky, an economics major at YC; and Laya Pelzner, an English communications major at Stern.

For the first time, the program will place a fellow, Aliza Mainzer Hughes, an art history major at Stern, at the Yeshiva University Museum.

The program is administered by Elysia Stein and directed by Rabbi Josh Joseph. The Fellows attend a graduate-level weekly leadership seminar covering key topics in university administration and Jewish communal leadership.

“I hope the fellowship will build on some of the skills that I have, and teach me more about Jewish communal leadership at a level I would not be exposed to elsewhere,” said Stern College graduate Laya Pelzner.

Ms. Pelzner will be working for YU’s Center for the Jewish Future when the fellowship begins in July, organizing its newsletter and assisting with programming.

Some of the new Presidential Fellows are considering careers in Jewish communal service and see their participation as a good way to test the waters. Others will use their new skills and experiences as future lay leaders in the Jewish community.

Some of last year’s Presidential Fellows have been hired by the university. Aviva Needle will continue to work in the dean’s office at Stern College, and Aliza Abrams will work for CJF overseeing programming and will also attend Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Hindy Poupko, Presidential Fellow at CJF, will attend the dual program in Nonprofit Management and Israel Studies at New York University as a Wexner Fellow. Aaron Gavant, a Fellow at the Association of Modern Orthodox Day Schools and Yeshiva High Schools (AMODS), a division of the CJF, will attend law school at the University of Maryland. Michael Rosman will take a position in the consulting division at Ernst & Young.

“The fellowship gave me a sense of empowerment, that what I do really matters. The ability to contribute and help cultivate the ideas and ideals for which the institution stands is truly amazing,” said Mr. Rosman, who worked in the President’s office. “The fellowship program has provided me with a strong foundation to go on to take a leadership role in the business world

Aug 4, 2006 — Students in the Honors Program at Stern College for Women and in the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College set their sights on something very, very small this summer when they participated in the “Nanoscience for Poets” and “Discover Nanoscience” courses co sponsored by Yeshiva University and the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

“Nanoscience for Poets,” was an opportunity for non-science majors to see and study cutting-edge science in the making.

“Why shouldn’t bright poets, social scientists, and humanists understand science in a meaningful way, not just superficially?” asked Dr. Anatoly Frenkel of Stern College, who taught the class with Drs. Gabriel Cwilich and Fredy Zypman of Yeshiva College.

“Discover Nanoscience” was developed to introduce students to exploration of alternative energy sources, one of the most urgent scientific and technological challenges.

The goal of the course was to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between design and performance of the fuel cell –– one of the major goals in nanotechnology, Dr. Frenkel explained.

Students worked in teams on the design, synthesis, manipulation and characterization of nanoparticle catalysts, which are key components of hydrogen fuel cells.

The central component of both courses was a week long stay at Brookhaven National Laboratory and experiments at its National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). To get participants up to speed with the concepts of nanoscience and nanotechnology, the course started with introductory lectures and labs at Yeshiva College. About half way through the course, the students relocated to Stern College for Women where they spent three days preparing samples for their research.

Finally, the students moved to Brookhaven National Laboratory where they split their time between experiments at the NSLS and short trips to nearby Stony Brook University (SBU). At SBU, they tested how their nanoparticles enhance power output of fuel cells. Their course was featured on the NSLS Web site available here.

“This course gave people of varying backgrounds an opportunity to take part in real research,” said Eliot Deutsch of Silver Spring, Md. Mr. Deutsch is a student in the honors program and a mathematics major at Yeshiva College. “We got to experience state-of-the-art technology and facilities that we wouldn’t normally be exposed to.”

“The course really opened my mind to a lot of new things, like alternative energy sources and nanotechnology, said Atlanta, Ga.-native Sarah (Azrin) Pachter. Mrs. Pachter is a speech therapy major and an honors program student at Stern College for Women.

Aug 2, 2006 — Ten undergraduate students—five women from Stern College and five men from Yeshiva College—spent their summer working in a community service project in the Negev in Israel.

During the four-week program, called Counterpoint Israel, the students had many opportunities to reach out to underprivileged Israelis and learn the importance of advocating for social justice.

Click here to view more more photos of YU students working in the Negev.

“Counterpoint Israel fulfills a vision of Yeshiva University that fosters leadership laboratories for students to learn how to change the world and become future Jewish leaders in Israel and abroad,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, dean of YU’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF). The center sponsored the program in cooperation with local municipalities and Meir Panim, a humanitarian organization known for running soup kitchens and enhancing quality of life for thousands of Israelis. Meir Panim is providing room and board for the students throughout their stay in Israel.

Beginning July 4, the students spent a week restoring Dimona in Meir Panim’s Rebuilding Communities Project. They built a playground for children of one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, cleaned streets, and renewed the face of the town with volunteers from the Israel Defense Forces, the police and fire departments, and the local electric company.

“This is the first time I’ve come to Israel to work the land,” said Victoria Stone, SCW ’08. “It has been very meaningful and I do feel that we are making a difference.”

Over the following three weeks, the students ran a summer camp for teens from Yerucham, with the assistance of three Israeli counselors. The camp’s curriculum was designed to give teens tools to deal with adolescent issues such as peer pressure, low self-esteem, and setting goals. The program was conducted in cooperation with a local English teacher to encourage teens to improve their English language skills to help them succeed in the professional lives.

At the closing ceremony and awards evening, Yerucham Mayor Amram Mitzna spoke passionately about his appreciation to YU for their commitment to building Israel, Yerucham, and the broader Diaspora/Israel relationship.

Having benefited from the multi-faceted training program, campers applied their new skills by planning a special day of activities for underprivileged children in nearby Sderot.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling to be of service to the Israeli community,” said Shmueli Perkel YC ’08. “I am so much richer from this experience and feel closer to our brothers and sisters here in Israel.”

Upon their return home, the YU students are better equipped with leadership skills to teach and promote chesed activities (charitable deeds) in local schools and communities.

Aug 1, 2006 — Students in the Honors Program at Stern College for Women and in the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College are exploring the land and the sea this summer with several interesting programs.

The first program of the summer for Stern College students was a marine biology course taught by Stern biology professor Joseph DeSantis. The first week was spent on campus and the second at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole, Maine, the marine laboratory of the University of Maine.

“During this week, students met with local marine biologists, conducted research on the open ocean, studied the intertidal zone and mudflats, dredged in the Damariscotta River, and collected live specimens for laboratory analysis,” Dr. DeSantis said.

Land lovers from both campuses were eligible to take a special course in Biblical archaeology held at Tel es-Safi, which is identified as Biblical Gath of the Philistines. The course was designed to provide students with the opportunity to gain academic and practical experience in the recovery and analysis of the material remains of an ancient culture.

Dr. Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University, Dr. Jill Katz of Yeshiva University and Dr. Jonathan Price of Tel Aviv University were tapped to teach the course. Students will participate in all aspects of the excavation such as digging, surveying at the site, and washing and reading pottery at the base camp. Students will take field trips to nearby historical and archaeological sites and museums, and attend evening lectures on topics relating to the site, the archaeology of Israel, and archaeological methodology.

Closer to home, Stern College students could participate in “Art of New York,” taught by YU Professor Jacob Wisse.

The three-week course offers an intensive investigation of the visual arts of New York through firsthand experience of the city’s most important museums, galleries and private institutions.

Through readings, critical analysis, discussions and firsthand research, students will be encouraged to consider issues pertaining to the collection, preservation and display of art in the modern world. Visits are planned to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Frick Collection, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, The Jewish Museum, Yeshiva University Museum, Isamu Noguchi Museum, Asia Society and Museum, Studio Museum in Harlem, Museo del Barrio, Neue Galerie, The Museum of Modern Art, American Folk Museum, and The Cloisters.

Two special science courses are being offered in conjunction with Brookhaven National Laboratory and taught by Dr. Anatoly Frenkel of Stern College and Drs. Gabriel Cwilich and Fredy Zypman of Yeshiva College. The first course, “Nanoscience for Poets,” is geared toward non-science majors.

The second course, “Discover Nanoscience” was developed to introduce students to exploration of alternative energy sources, one of the most urgent scientific and technological challenges.

Aug 1, 2006 — High school juniors from Los Angeles to Miami spent a month at Yeshiva University this summer, meeting other Orthodox high school students, enjoying New York City, and experiencing all that YU has to offer.

For photos from the program, click here.

Summer at YU began June 28, with boys will be staying in dorms on the Wilf Campus and girls on the Beren Campus. Both groups take part in a Beit Midrash program in the morning. At the Wilf Campus, boys focus on the history of halakhah. They study talmudic, medieval, and early modern halakhic texts and emphasize the intellectual and social history of the Jewish communities and the rabbinic scholars.

At the Beren Campus, participants delve into biblical themes in Jewish philosophy and thought. They study biblical texts with traditional medieval and modern commentaries and conduct analysis through the prism of Jewish philosophical literature.

In the afternoons, students chose between “The World of Finance and Investment,” a practical experience establishing and analyzing a portfolio of investments and working with traders, financial planners, and entrepreneurs; “Explorations in Genetics and Molecular Biology,” a laboratory experience introducing students to the theory and techniques of molecular biology, and political science/pre-law, which provided students with a broad understanding of politics and law through the lens of current issues and by utilizing the dynamic setting of New York City.

“It was great to have an opportunity to feel the YU experience,” said Los Angeles native Netanel Zilberstein, the first of his siblings to go to college. Spending the month at YU took some of the mystery out of the college experience. “You get to feel like you are a college student, taking real college classes,” Mr. Zilberstein said.

Jesse Katz, also of Los Angeles, took the business course. “I felt like the professors were willing to spend time with us and answer any questions we had,” he said. Highlights of the course for Mr. Katz were trips to Bear Stearns and the Federal Reserve Bank.

“Many of the students are interested in YU, but they want to see more than they would if they just came for a tour,” explained Aliza Stareshefsky, program director.

Students also took trips to area attractions, including seeing a Broadway show, the Museum of Natural History, Six Flags’ Great Adventure, a Mets game, a double-decker bus tour, a visit to the World Trade Center site, and took tours of YU’s campuses.

For Levi DeFilipp of North Carolina, the best part of the program was the people and the setting. “Just hanging out with people like me and spending time in New York City was a highlight,” Mr. DeFilipp said.

Hillel Lefkowitz, a student at Weinbaum Yeshiva High School, agreed.
“You spend enough time with these people, and they become like your family,” Mr. Lefkowitz said. He took the biology course and found that “it gave me a good idea of what college life is going to be like.”

This year, students also spent several days in the Washington, D.C. area, visiting the Capitol building, Holocaust Museum, Spy Museum, and spent Shabbat in Silver Spring, MD.

“Many of the students are interested in YU, but want to see more than they would if they just came for a tour,” explained Aliza Stareshefsky, program director.

For more information about next year’s program, email summer@yu.edu.

The program is capped off on Monday, July 24 with a barbeque and banquet at President Richard M. Joel’s home.