A performance by the Yeshiva Boys Choir was the main event of the evening.

Dec 31, 2008 — A capacity crowd of over 1,100 were treated to a stellar night of live music at the Annual Yeshiva University J&R Hanukkah Concert on Dec. 18.

Ta Shma, the band that won first place at the Yeshiva University Battle of the Bands competition in November, kicked off the evening. Guided by lead singer Yakov Block, a Sym Syms School of Business junior, Ta Shma graced the crowd with a medley of contemporary and animating beats.

See photos of the performances here.

Subsequent performers were Aryeh Kunstler, Dovid Gabay and Menucha.

The main event was the performance of the Yeshiva Boys Choir, which has taken the world of Jewish music by storm. The boys performed three of their major hits: “Shabchi,” “Veohavta” and “Hillel Omer.” The choir was accompanied by its conductor, Yossi Newman, and Eli Gerstner, a prominent figure in contemporary Jewish music.

“The crowd was amazing–their energy was palpable,” Mr. Gerstner, who composes, arranges and produces all of the choir’s music, said. “It was clear that the boys were reflecting the crowd’s tremendous energy”.

Rena Eisenberg, a junior at Stern College, concurred. “The crowd was incredible, and Yeshiva Boys Choir is amazing! I am so glad they performed this year!”

Daniel Bukingolts, president of the Yeshiva Student Union, took a lead role in planning the event, which was sponsored by the Undergraduate Student Councils and J&R Music and Computer World. “It was a tremendous merit to be able to put together this rocking concert,” he said. “We would not have been able to do with without the generous support of J&R.”

Proceeds from the event will be donated to Keren Achim – Tomchei Shabbos, an organization in Israel which provides food for starving families all around the country.

“The concert was a nice way to come together and start off Hanukkah with a deep sense of unity throughout the entire community,” Bukingolts said.

Dec 29, 2008 — Dr. Carol Bravmann, a psychologist practicing in Port Washington and resident of Great Neck, has been elected to the Board of Governors of Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Ferkauf prepares professionals in the fields of clinical and school-child clinical psychology for the doctor of psychology degree and develops skilled researchers in the field of clinical health psychology with health emphasis for the doctor of philosophy degree.

Dr. Bravmann is a graduate of City College of New York and earned her PhD in 1982 from Ferkauf. She has been an adjunct professor and clinical supervisor in psychology at Ferkauf since 1987. From 1984 to 1991 Dr. Bravmann was a school psychologist at the Farmingdale School District.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Carol Bravmann to the Board of Governors of Ferkauf. As an alumnus of Ferkauf’s School/Clinical Child Doctor of Psychology program and as a respected, practicing psychologist, Dr. Bravmann’s expertise and guidance will significantly enhance our efforts to further strengthen and advance our effort,” said Ferkauf Dean, Lawrence Siegel.

Dr. Bravmann’s father, Ludwig Bravmann, is vice chairman of Yeshiva University’s Board of Trustees. He is also a member of the Board of Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and the Yeshiva University Museum.

Dec 17, 2008 — New York State Governor David A. Paterson paid tribute to the values of charity and public service that guide Yeshiva University’s mission as the keynote speaker at its 84th Annual Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation at The Waldorf=Astoria on Dec. 14. President Richard M. Joel awarded honorary degrees to five leaders whose lives have embodied these values: philanthropists David Feuerstein and Roslyn Goldstein; Elliot Gibber, president and CEO of Deb-El Food Products; Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun and head of the Ramaz School; and Governor Paterson.

“We joyously celebrate five outstanding men and women who exemplify the breadth and depth of this University,” President Joel said.

The convocation and dinner, the University’s main annual fundraising event, raised $3.2 million this year, just over $1 million more than last year.

“After 122 years and only four presidents, this university is thriving,” Governor Paterson said. “President Joel is pursuing the opportunity to fulfill the true meaning of education: a higher knowledge and a greater spirit.” He was introduced by Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a 1965 alumnus of Yeshiva College.

Governor Paterson spoke about the nature of public service, saying it was not for the sake of “the congratulations but the people whose lives we change.” He drew a direct parallel to the charitable work done by Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, who were killed in the recent Mumbai terrorist attacks.

The dinner portion of the evening showcased the Points of Light, a group of students, faculty, alumni and donors who represent the excellence that YU is known for.

They were Stern College student and physics major Malka Bromberg, who is conducting in-depth research as a Kressel Scholar; Yofi Jacob, a junior at Yeshiva University High School for Boys, whose family plays a crucial role in supporting the Jewish community in Mumbai; Professor Leon Wildes, director of the Immigration Law Externship, and Professor Peter Markowitz, director of the Immigration Justice Clinic at YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Yeshiva College senior Avi Amsalem, co-president of the student-run Medical Ethics Society; Rabbi Ari Zahtz, a fellow of the Dr. Lamm Kollel L’horaah at RIETS and assistant rabbi at B’nai Yeshurun in Teaneck, NJ; Dan Kelly, a 2008 Einstein graduate, who founded a national nonprofit, the Global Action Foundation, and built a free clinic for amputees and other victims of Sierra Leone’s devastating violence; and Sofia Gordon, a student at Stern College and a Wilf Scholar, who discovered her true Jewish identity as a young Russian immigrant in Germany.

“The brilliance of our faculty, students, researchers, alumni and philanthropists inspires us and brings the promise of light and hope to the world around us,” said President Joel.

An actor playing Shylock in a dramatization of 'The Merchant of Venice.'

Dec 15, 2008 — Antonio must repay Shylock the 3,000 ducats that he borrowed in Shakespeare’s famed drama “The Merchant of Venice.” That was the five-to-two decision in a mock appellate trial held at Cardozo recently, “Shylock v Antonio on Appeal” featured scenes from the play, arguments by two prominent New York attorneys representing the main characters–Antonio, the merchant who defaults on a loan, and Shylock, the lender who demands a pound of flesh as repayment–and public deliberations by a panel of judges, composed of authors, lawyers, academics and real judges.

The event, organized by Richard H. Weisberg, the Walter Floersheimer Professor of Constitutional Law and an expert on law and literature, was held on December 1.

A group of professional actors performed relevant scenes from the play, including the signing of the contract, the trial scene, and Shylock’s and Portia’s famous monologues. Then the spotlight turned on the attorneys who had previously submitted legal briefs to the court and who now presented their cases before the seven judges.

Shylock’s lawyer, Michael Braff ’82C, a partner at Kaye Scholer LLP, argued that the case was a clear example of breach of contract and was about such fundamental principles as a citizen’s obligation to repay his debts. Contracts, said Braff, need to be honored if Venetian trade—or any kind of business—is to flourish. “Antonio did nothing but wait to be sued…that’s not how a gentleman should act,” Braff said.

Antonio’s attorney, Daniel Kornstein, a partner at Kornstein, Veisz Wexler & Pollard, argued that the contract was illegal because of its “outrageous” clause to claim a pound of flesh in the event his client was to default. He drew a parallel to the current mortgage crisis, saying that the case presents a cautionary tale for predatory lenders and should be voided so that lenders do not engage in such business practices in the future.

“We need to make an example of Shylock so that it never happens again,” said Kornstein.

The judges peppered the litigators with both serious and humorous questions, and then rendered their verdicts in the English fashion, with each individual jurist offering his or her decision separately. “The Merchant of Venice” features a trial with no legally trained people, said legal scholar and renowned jurist Hon. Richard Posner of the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh District, who served as Chief Judge. He also voiced concern about the trial’s “irregularities,” such as Portia impersonating a doctor of law.

Hon. Jed Rakoff of the US District Court, Southern District of NY, delighted the audience when he began, “My views will seem less amateur, if I respond in iambic pentameter,” and then recited his decision in a rhyming poem with contemporary references to bailouts and cross dressers.

Others, such as renowned British solicitor-advocate Anthony Julius of Mishcon de Reya, said, “The question arises: what is the case being considered? A 16th century case, a 20th century case, or a play? Plainly, it’s a play. Justice that ignores the integrity of the play is not really justice.”

He, along with Posner, ruled in Antonio’s favor. Having fun with the play within the play concept Prof. Julie Stone Peters of Harvard University, said the “theatrical” contract had no meeting of the minds.

First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams of Cahill Gordon & Reindel, who deplored the characters’ anti-Semitism said, “We are living in a 21st century by norms we know. The trial was a travesty, beautiful sometimes, funny sometimes and ugly sometimes. The bond is a punishment that no civilized society should enforce, the only equitable resolution is to force the 3,000 ducats to be repaid.”

Bernhard Schlink, the internationally noted jurist and author of “The Reader,” and a visiting professor at Cardozo, said in a serious vein, “Public policy ties society together in a specific time and place. In this specific society, principles were not violated in contract.”

Hon. Dianne T. Renwick ’86C, who serves on the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, said, “Shylock should be returned his money. Vacate the convictions, as there was a total lack of due process. And someone should report Portia to the authorities.”

Stephanie Daventry French, chair of the theater arts department at East Stroudsberg University, was the drama director. The program was sponsored by Cardpozo’s Jacob Burns Institute for Advanced Legal Studies and the Program on Holocaust and Human Rights Studies, and the Law & Humanities Institute.

Article Photo L-R: Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the New York State Assembly; Michael Jesselson, member of the YU, RIETS, and YUHS Boards, Einstein Overseer and vice chair of the YUMuseum Board; Governor David Paterson of New York State; Felix Glaubach, YU Trustee and member of the Yeshiva College, YUHS and RIETS Boards; and President Richard Joel.

Dec 15, 2008 — New York State Governor David A. Paterson paid tribute to the values of charity and public service that guide Yeshiva University’s mission as the keynote speaker at its 84th Annual Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation at The Waldorf=Astoria on Dec. 14. President Richard M. Joel awarded honorary degrees to five leaders whose lives have embodied these values: philanthropists David Feuerstein and Roslyn Goldstein; Elliot Gibber, president and CEO of Deb-El Food Products; Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun and head of the Ramaz School; and Governor Paterson.

View photo gallery from the Hanukkah Convocation and Dinner.

“We joyously celebrate five outstanding men and women who exemplify the breadth and depth of this university, which we seek to inspire in our students and kindle a light throughout the entire community,” President Joel said.

The convocation and dinner, the University’s main annual fundraising event, raised $3.2 million this year, just over $1 million more than last year.

“After 122 years and only four presidents, this university is thriving,” Governor Paterson said. “President Joel is pursuing the opportunity to fulfill the true meaning of education: a higher knowledge and a greater spirit.” He was introduced by Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a 1965 alumnus of Yeshiva College.

The governor, New York’s 55th and its first African-American to hold the office, has held several offices over the course of his political career. At the age of 31 in 1985, he was elected to represent Harlem in the New York State Senate, becoming the youngest senator in Albany. In 2003, he became the minority leader of the New York State Senate, the first non-white legislative leader in New York’s history. He made history again in 2004 as the first visually impaired person to address the Democratic National Convention. His inclusive approach to governing has won him the respect of colleagues and a reputation for uniting disparate forces toward consensus that benefits all New Yorkers.

Governor Paterson spoke about the nature of public service, saying it was not for the sake of “the congratulation but the people whose lives we change.” He drew a direct parallel to the charitable work done by Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, who were killed in the recent Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Speaking at the convocation, President Joel invoked the story of Hanukkah, which tells of the Maccabees’ triumph over the Greeks and the miracle of the Temple candles that burned for eight days. “We as a community, even during seemingly dark times, focus on investing in the world through the majestic and timeless Jewish mission to illumine, to ennoble, to enable,” he said.

In a ceremony punctuated by moments of warmth and humor, President Joel spoke eloquently about each of the honorary degree recipients’ achievements. To read more in-depth biographies of the honorees, click here.

Elliot Gibber was honored for his crucial role in helping the University to grow and his commitment to Jewish education and community involvement. He sits on YU’s Real Estate Committee with a special focus on development and acquisition for the Wilf Campus and serves as liaison to the University’s Board of Trustees for space planning and capital expenditures. “You bring a special sense of loyalty to our sacred goals and a willingness—indeed, a gentle determination—to assist us in fulfilling our mission in any way asked and to offer ideas in ways not asked but profoundly needed,” President Joel said in his citation.

Joining in the hooding of Gibber were all six of his children—a first at a YU convocation—five of whom are alumni with the sixth a student at Yeshiva University High School for Boys.

David Feuerstein, a Holocaust survivor who fought in the Polish resistance before moving to Chile, has dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the 6 million Jews who perished. He serves as president of the Chilean Society for Yad Vashem and established the Yom Hashoah Prize in 1988 to recognize Chilean citizens for their outstanding work in keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. In 2004, Feuerstein built a memorial monument to the martyrs of the Holocaust, which stands in the Estadio Israelita of Santiago, Chile. “You grappled with some of the greatest challenges facing a Jew in the past century, triumphing over adversity and helping to write an extraordinary chapter of the Jewish story,” remarked President Joel.

Through their foundation, Roslyn Goldstein and her husband, Leslie, are key supporters of stem cell and cancer research, many Jewish agencies and synagogues, health care and other philanthropic organizations. Mrs. Goldstein, who sits on the board of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, supports the research of Dr. Mark Mehler, founding director of Einstein’s Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration. “You are a woman whose desire to heal has shaped an extraordinary life,” said President Joel.

The President lauded Rabbi Haskel Lookstein as “one of the bright lights of the rabbinic firmament, glowing brighter and brighter for 50 years.” His influence in the pulpit and his commitment to advocacy and chesed [acts of kindness] have earned him a national reputation, with “Newsweek” naming him the second most influential pulpit rabbi in America. He serves as the Joseph H. Lookstein Professor of Homiletics (named for his father) at RIETS, where he has taught since 1979 and form which he received his ordination in 1958.

The dinner portion of the evening showcased the Points of Light, a group of students, faculty, alumni and donors who represent the excellence that YU is known for. They were:
- Stern College student and physics major Malka Bromberg, who is conducting in-depth research under the guidance of Dr. Anatoly Frenkel as a Kressel Scholar
- Yofi Jacob, a junior at Yeshiva University High School for Boys, whose family in Mumbai plays a crucial role in supporting the Jewish community there
- Professor Leon Wildes, director of the Immigration Law Externship, and Professor Peter Markowitz, director of the Immigration Justice Clinic at YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
- Yeshiva College student Avi Amsalem, co-president of the student-run Medical Ethics Society, whose experience as a bone marrow donor prompted him to spearhead an on-campus bone marrow recruitment drive that resulted in eight potential matches
- Rabbi Ari Zahtz, a fellow of the Dr. Lamm Kollel L’horaah at RIETS and assistant rabbi at B’nai Yeshurun in Teaneck, NJ, who compiled two volumes of serious Torah scholarship to mark the occasion of Rabbi Zevulun Charlop’s transition from his 37-year deanship of RIETS to become the President’s special advisor on yeshiva affairs
- Dan Kelly, a 2008 Einstein graduate, who founded a national nonprofit, the Global Action Foundation, and built a free clinic with his Sierra Leonean colleague Dr. Mohammed Barrie for amputees and other victims of that country’s devastating violence
- Sofia Gordon, a student at Stern College and a Wilf Scholar, who discovered her true Jewish identity as a young Russian immigrant in Germany

“The brilliance of our faculty, students, researchers, alumni and philanthropists inspires us and brings the promise of light and hope to the world around us,” said President Joel.

Chancellor Norman Lamm, left, and President Richard M. Joel, right.

Dec 13, 2007 — A $5-million endowment will serve as an enduring imprint of the legacy of Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor of Yeshiva University who has spent his entire career in service of the university, including 27 years as President. The Lamm Heritage, a series of initiatives that will honor exceptional scholarly, spiritual, and leadership contributions to the university and the world Jewish community, was announced by President Richard M. Joel at the 83rd Annual Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation at the Waldorf-Astoria in December.

The Lamm Heritage was announced in celebration of the 80th birthday of Dr. Lamm, who also holds the position of Rosh HaYeshiva of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS).

“Norman Lamm is a visionary of Torah Umadda who continues to guide and inspire us,” President Joel told the crowd of some 770 attendees at the dinner. “He is a miracle worker who made a small jar of oil burn not just for eight days but for decades.

“Those of us who are inspired by his leadership and seek to build on his achievements need to be surrounded by his legacy—to remember his work and keep it alive.”

The Lamm Heritage will consist of four initiatives.

The Norman Lamm Prize will be awarded annually to a preeminent scholar who exemplifies the values of Dr. Lamm. As visiting scholars at YU, Lamm Prize winners will give lectures, teach courses, and lead discussions with the YU community and receive a substantial financial award.

Secondly, Yad Norman Lamm—a permanent, visible tribute to Dr. Lamm and his legacy—will be dedicated to telling the story of “the Lamm years” at YU through text, pictures, memorabilia, and other displays.

The already existing Norman Lamm Yadin Yadin Kollel (institute for advanced rabbinic study), which prepares the most outstanding RIETS rabbinical students to serve as judges on rabbinical courts, will be enhanced by additional funding.

Lastly, a Web site dedicated to the ideas and scholarship of Dr. Lamm will make more than 800 of his sermons available to the millions who live in Jewish communities around the world through email, message boards, and live video-conferencing sessions.

“In Yeshiva University, we have an opportunity to influence future generations,” Dr. Lamm said in accepting the honor. “My faith in President Joel when he began his tenure has morphed into knowledge of his tremendous energy and creative leadership.”

Argentinian native Martin Leibovich was named Skyline Conference Player of the Week and three other awards in the same week.

Dec 12, 2008 — Yeshiva University men’s basketball junior Martin Leibovich, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has earned four major weekly awards after an outstanding week of play during which the guard/forward led the Maccabees to a 1-1 record.

For terrific play during a competitive loss to CUNY powerhouse Baruch College and a 74-71 overtime win of Maritime College on Dec. 11, Leibovich was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Week and ECAC-Metro Co-Player of the Week, and was named to the PrestoSports/Metropolitan Basketball Writer’s Association Honor Roll and D3Hoops.com Team of the Week. The honors were the first weekly awards of Leibovich’s career.

Against Baruch College, Leibovich scored a team-high 23 points after shooting 6 for 10 from the floor, and added six rebounds and three assists as Yeshiva battled back from a 24-point deficit and gave the host Bearcats all they could handle.

Two nights later, Leibovich enjoyed perhaps his finest all-around game in the Yeshiva uniform, scoring 26 points (on 11 for 19 shooting) and added 13 rebounds and four steals as Yeshiva overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to stun Maritime College 74-71 in an overtime Skyline Conference thriller.

During the week, Leibovich averaged 24.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.0 steals while shooting 58.6 percent from the floor (17-for-29) and 80 percent from the free throw line (12-for-15).

The Skyline Conference Player of the Week is awarded every Monday through a nomination and selection process among the 10 Skyline Conference programs. A year ago, now-junior Alex Claster earned the honor, and since the 2004-05 season, YU alums Harel Vatavu and Shuki Merlis earned Skyline Conference Player of the Week honors.

The ECAC Player of the Week honor is a regional award chosen among the dozens of Division III men’s basketball programs in the metropolitan area.

The PrestoSports/MBWA Honor Roll is a regional award chosen by members of the media covering New York City college basketball and is chosen from a group of nominees that includes Division I, II, and III Basketball players.

The D3Hoops.com Team of the Week is a weekly national award chosen from a group of nominees spanning more than 350 NCAA Division III men’s basketball programs.

For the 2008-09 season, Leibovich leads Yeshiva in scoring (16.8 points per game), rebounding (7.2 per game), blocked shots (five), and steals (12). He also has both of Yeshiva’s double-doubles this season, and has scored double digits in eight games, and scored 20 points or more five times.

Gary Stein, associate professor at Wurzweiler School of Social Work, organized the conference.

Dec 12, 2008 — When a hospital team confers with terminally ill patients and their loved ones, the discussion may trigger personal anxieties and questions: Is hospice care possible? Can the patient remain at home with pain management and support from a social worker? What about “do not resuscitate” orders or removal of feeding tubes?

“Health care professionals sometimes fail to communicate effective end-of-life care options or provide needed support for patients and families,” says Gary Stein, associate professor at Wurzweiler School of Social Work and a co-founder of the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, a professional group that calls for the advancement of the social worker’s role in assisting seriously ill individuals and their supporters with decision making and quality-of-life issues.

“Social workers help ensure that both the patient’s and family’s psychosocial and emotional needs are being met,” Stein said.

As part this advocacy, Wurzweiler recently hosted “Social Work in Hospice and Palliative Care: The Emerging Landscape,” a first-time conference exploring the role social workers can play as part of an interdisciplinary palliative care team.

The event, held at the Moot Court Room at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, was co-sponsored by Wurzweiler, the Palliative Care Organization, the Center for Ethics at Yeshiva University and Columbia University School of Social Work, another Network member.

“This is the first of what we hope will be many programs on palliative care,” said Dr. Sheldon R. Gelman, Wurzweiler’s Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean, in his greeting to a room filled with academics, students, professionals and guest panelists from around the country.

The conference’s three panels focused on “Evolving Opportunities and Challenges for Social Workers in Hospice and Palliative Care,” “Professional Roles, Team Perspectives,” and “Family Perspectives: A Case Approach.”

“We hope we can encourage new dialogue among social work education programs and hospice and palliative care professionals on the role social workers play in the field,” Stein says. “There is a practical need to look at outcomes: that social workers improve care and deliver services in a cost-effective way. I especially hope that we can train social workers for this field.”

Dr. Eliezer Schnall, clinical assistant professor of psychology at Yeshiva College, co-authored the study.

Dec 11, 2008 — A study published by researchers at Yeshiva University and its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, strongly suggests that regular attendance at religious services reduces the risk of death by approximately 20 percent. The findings, published in Psychology and Health, were based on data drawn from participants who spanned numerous religious denominations.

The research was conducted by Eliezer Schnall, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of psychology at Yeshiva College of Yeshiva University, and co-authored by Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and population health at Einstein, as an ancillary study of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). The WHI is a national, long-term study aimed at addressing women’s health issues and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The researchers evaluated the religious practices of 92,395 post-menopausal women participating in the WHI. They examined the prospective association of religious affiliation, religious service attendance, and strength and comfort derived from religion with subsequent cardiovascular events and overall rates of mortality.

The study got significant media attention, including a spot on CBS News:

[flv]http://www.yu.edu/flv/VTS031.flv[/flv]

Although the study showed as much as a 20 percent decrease in the overall risk of mortality for those attending religious services, it did not show any consistent change in rates of morbidity and death specifically related to cardiovascular disease, with no explanation readily evident.

The study adjusted for participation of individuals within communal organizations and group activities that promote a strong social life and enjoyable routines, behaviors known to lead to overall wellness. However, even after controlling for such behavior and other health-related factors, the improvements in morbidity and mortality rates exceeded expectations.

“Interestingly, the protection against mortality provided by religion cannot be entirely explained by expected factors that include enhanced social support of friends or family, lifestyle choices and reduced smoking and alcohol consumption,” said Dr. Schnall, who was lead author of the study.

“There is something here that we don’t quite understand. It is always possible that some unknown or unmeasured factors confounded these results,” he added.

During WHI enrollment, study participants, aged 50 to 79, were recruited on a voluntary basis from a variety of sources, from all over the nation. The women answered questions about baseline health conditions and religiosity and were followed by WHI researchers for an average of 7.7 years, with potential study outcomes of cardiovascular events and mortality adjudicated by trained physicians.

To evaluate the impact of religiosity on mortality and morbidity, the investigators looked at variables including self-report of religious affiliation, frequency of religious service attendance, and religious strength as well as comfort, in relation to coronary heart disease (CHD) and death.

It is important to note that the study did not attempt to measure spirituality; rather, it examined self-report religiosity measures (irrespective of the participant’s religion). Participants answered three key questions at registration, regarding:

1) religious affiliation (yes or no);
2) how often services were attended (never, less than once per week, once per week, or more than once per week);
3) if religion provided strength and comfort (none, a little, a great deal).

Those attending religious services at least once per week showed a 20 percent mortality risk reduction mark compared with those not attending services at all. These findings corroborate prior studies that have shown up to a 25 percent reduction in such risk.

The study investigators concluded that although religious behavior (as defined by the study’s criteria) is associated with a reduction in death rates among the study population, the physical relationships leading to that effect are not yet understood and require further investigation.

“The next step is to figure out how the effect of religiosity is translated into biological mechanisms that affect rates of survival,” said Dr. Smoller. “However, we do not infer causation even from a prospective study, as that can only be done through a clinical trial.

She added, “There may be confounding factors that we can’t determine, such as a selection bias, which would lead people who are at reduced risk for an impending event to also be the ones who attend services.”

The investigators are considering doing an analysis of psychological profiles of women in the study to determine if such profiles can help to explain the apparent protective effects of attending religious services.

Psychology and Health is the official journal of the European Health Psychology Society.

A link to the full journal article can be accessed free here until Dec. 19, 2008.