More Work Ahead, but Positive Change Taking Root in Jewish Day Schools

Panelists (L-R) Drs. Yitzchak Schechter, Scott Godberg, David Pelcovitz and Rabbi Yona Reiss

A groundbreaking survey of child abuse identification and reporting policies among more than 135 Jewish day schools has found some very encouraging results. Conducted by the Institute for University-School Partnership, a division of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, the survey’s findings were presented at a forum for teachers, school administrators, rabbis and mental health professionals at Yeshiva University on September 15.

“This is the first survey of its kind,” said Dr. Yitzchak Schechter, research fellow at the Institute, “and it’s shown that we’ve reached a tipping point. Training is happening in the schools we’ve studied; we’re on our way.”

The study is part of a special initiative called Project CARE (Comprehensive Abuse Response Education), formally launched by the Institute at the forum. Led by Dr. Schechter with Dr. Scott Goldberg, director of the Institute; Dr. David Pelcovitz, The Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus Professor of Psychology and Jewish Education at Azrieli; and Dina Rabhan, director of recruitment, placement and induction at the Institute, CARE seeks to better equip schools to identify, report and manage cases of child abuse through research and training on protocols related to sexual, physical and psychological abuse of children. The study helped to assess the effectiveness and regularity of current practices in a wide swath of Jewish elementary and high schools, covering almost 35,000 students in total.

“This is an important program at this moment in time for the Jewish community,” said Dr. Goldberg. “Many have worked to not only bring these issues to the fore but also to directly address them. We are dedicated to building on their successes and learning from their work as we further address these issues systematically and comprehensively in partnership with schools.”

The forum, “From Research to Practice: New Directions in Abuse with Schools,” included a presentation of the study’s findings by Dr. Schechter. Dr. Pelcovitz and Rabbi Yona Reiss, the Max and Marion Grill Dean of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, also provided psychological and halachic [Jewish law] insight into the various issues involved in abuse.

All three emphasized the change the Jewish community has undergone in the last 20 years in its attitude toward abuse and the specific role day schools must play in identifying and reporting it. “I think this is an area where on a communal level, there was for many years a lack of awareness and appreciation for both the significance and magnitude of the problem of abuse,” Rabbi Reiss said. “Thank G-d, at last we’re able to deal with it in a more systematic fashion.”

“However,” he added, “proactive measures must be taken by rabbinic leaders in all institutions to make very clear that this kind of behavior won’t be tolerated, and we fully endorse all necessary reporting to improve the problem.”

Dr. Schechter noted that the high percentage of participation in the survey alone indicated the extent of awareness of the issue within Jewish day schools. “Over 40 percent of those surveyed responded,” he said—more than double the expected statistic in most field surveys. “We consider this an extremely strong response and an indicator of how important this topic is to schools.”

Also surprising and encouraging was the discovery that over 65 percent of the schools surveyed had featured training or education programs about abuse for their staff within the past five years, and 80 percent of respondents had a method of background checks for new teachers and other hires. “The attitude toward dealing with abuse is very positive,” said Dr. Schechter. “Much change is yet needed to improve child safety, but our research shows that change has begun.”

The next step? CARE hopes to address weak links that the study identified, particularly by providing training that will help teachers and staff identify signs of abuse and increase confidence in their ability to intervene. The program will work intensively with five selected schools from across the country to develop effective policies and procedures, with targeted training of teachers, support staff and parents in their individual roles.

When asked to sum up the overall message of the survey’s findings in a headline, Dr. Pelcovitz said “Recognition of the reality of child abuse and the need to intervene has greatly improved in the Orthodox community. I think the old days have given way to a very different reality.” He added, “It doesn’t make for such a good headline, but I think that’s the bottom line.”

Panelists (L-R) Drs. Yitzchak Schechter, Scott Godberg, David Pelcovitz and Rabbi Yona Reiss

Sep 29, 2010 — A groundbreaking survey of child abuse identification and reporting policies among more than 135 Jewish day schools has found some very encouraging results. Conducted by the Institute for University-School Partnership, a division of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, the survey’s findings were presented at a forum for teachers, school administrators, rabbis and mental health professionals at Yeshiva University on September 15.

“This is the first survey of its kind,” said Dr. Yitzchak Schechter, research fellow at the Institute, “and it’s shown that we’ve reached a tipping point. Training is happening in the schools we’ve studied; we’re on our way.”

The study is part of a special initiative called Project CARE (Comprehensive Abuse Response Education), formally launched by the Institute at the forum. Led by Dr. Schechter with Dr. Scott Goldberg, director of the Institute; Dr. David Pelcovitz, The Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus Professor of Psychology and Jewish Education at Azrieli; and Dina Rabhan, director of recruitment, placement and induction at the Institute, CARE seeks to better equip schools to identify, report and manage cases of child abuse through research and training on protocols related to sexual, physical and psychological abuse of children. The study helped to assess the effectiveness and regularity of current practices in a wide swath of Jewish elementary and high schools, covering almost 35,000 students in total.

“This is an important program at this moment in time for the Jewish community,” said Dr. Goldberg. “Many have worked to not only bring these issues to the fore but also to directly address them. We are dedicated to building on their successes and learning from their work as we further address these issues systematically and comprehensively in partnership with schools.”

The forum, “From Research to Practice: New Directions in Abuse with Schools,” included a presentation of the study’s findings by Dr. Schechter. Dr. Pelcovitz and Rabbi Yona Reiss, the Max and Marion Grill Dean of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, also provided psychological and halachic [Jewish law] insight into the various issues involved in abuse.

All three emphasized the change the Jewish community has undergone in the last 20 years in its attitude toward abuse and the specific role day schools must play in identifying and reporting it. “I think this is an area where on a communal level, there was for many years a lack of awareness and appreciation for both the significance and magnitude of the problem of abuse,” Rabbi Reiss said. “Thank G-d, at last we’re able to deal with it in a more systematic fashion.”

“However,” he added, “proactive measures must be taken by rabbinic leaders in all institutions to make very clear that this kind of behavior won’t be tolerated, and we fully endorse all necessary reporting to improve the problem.”

Dr. Schechter noted that the high percentage of participation in the survey alone indicated the extent of awareness of the issue within Jewish day schools. “Over 40 percent of those surveyed responded,” he said—more than double the expected statistic in most field surveys. “We consider this an extremely strong response and an indicator of how important this topic is to schools.”

Also surprising and encouraging was the discovery that over 65 percent of the schools surveyed had featured training or education programs about abuse for their staff within the past five years, and 80 percent of respondents had a method of background checks for new teachers and other hires. “The attitude toward dealing with abuse is very positive,” said Dr. Schechter. “Much change is yet needed to improve child safety, but our research shows that change has begun.”

The next step? CARE hopes to address weak links that the study identified, particularly by providing training that will help teachers and staff identify signs of abuse and increase confidence in their ability to intervene. The program will work intensively with five selected schools from across the country to develop effective policies and procedures, with targeted training of teachers, support staff and parents in their individual roles.

When asked to sum up the overall message of the survey’s findings in a headline, Dr. Pelcovitz said “Recognition of the reality of child abuse and the need to intervene has greatly improved in the Orthodox community. I think the old days have given way to a very different reality.” He added, “It doesn’t make for such a good headline, but I think that’s the bottom line.”

Scholars Engage the Place of the Sukkah at Yeshiva University Museum

One of the Sukkah City entries, “In Tension” by SO-IL, on display at the YU Museum

On Monday, September 27, the Yeshiva University Museum, together with the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at New York University and YU’s Center for the Jewish Future, hosted “Judaism and Sacred Space,” a panel discussing Jewish narrative, legal and thinking approaches to sacred space.

Inspired by Sukkah City, a competition that received over 600 submissions for architecturally innovative sukkot, the panel featured three scholars from distinct fields: Dr. Jill Katz, adjunct professor of anthropology and archaeology at Yeshiva University;Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, YU Professor of Jewish History and Jewish Thought and Senior Scholar at the Center for the Jewish Future; and Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman, Ethel and Irvin A. Edelman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and Chair of the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU. Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, rabbi of the Bronfman Center and university chaplain of NYU, moderated the panel.

Dr. Schacter began with theological perspectives on Jewish sacred spaces. Starting with the time of the Talmud, he presented two opposite interpretations of physical sanctity developed: one as permanent and inherent to the space by divine investment, and the other as temporary sacredness contingent on human action.

While Dr. Schacter provided historical and contextual grounding, Dr. Katz defined sacred space anthropologically and archaeologically, with features such as increasing exclusivity, ritual sanctification areas, and high concentrations of garments and symbols. According to Dr. Katz, the sukkah is thus both an interpretation of, and a response to, those defined guidelines of sacred space, as one not reserved for the elite but rather open to all. The sukkah, she pointed out, does not symbolize or gratify material wealth as other religious spaces do, a concept embraced by a Sukkah City competitor who designed a sukkah clad with cardboard signs bought from the homeless.

Dr. Schiffman detailed the religious development of sukkot from pilgrimage-related desert shelters to sacred and symbolic spatial representations of the Temple, after the latter’s destruction led to an adoption of sukkot as replacements.

Dr. Jacob Wisse, director of the Yeshiva University Museum, said the panel connected relevant cultural occurrences to the museum’s particular mission, studying “how Jewish art and culture in their different forms across time reflect on Judaism.” He also pointed to the intersection between individualism and communal commitment, a popular theme during the open question-and-answer session following the scholars’ presentations.

“The panel raised important issues,” said audience member David Pruwer, visiting from London. “It was interesting to see different perspectives from different disciplines all focused on the same topic.” Rabbi Sarna, the moderator, echoed the significance of the panel: “bridging the gap between art and religion is one of the most important conversations of today.”

One of the Sukkah City entries, “In Tension” by SO-IL, on display at the YU Museum.

Sep 28, 2010 — On Monday, September 27, the Yeshiva University Museum, together with the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at New York University and YU’s Center for the Jewish Future, hosted “Judaism and Sacred Space,” a panel discussing Jewish narrative, legal and thinking approaches to sacred space.

Inspired by Sukkah City, a competition that received over 600 submissions for architecturally innovative sukkot, the panel featured three scholars from distinct fields: Dr. Jill Katz, adjunct professor of anthropology and archaeology at Yeshiva University; Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, YU Professor of Jewish History and Jewish Thought and Senior Scholar at the Center for the Jewish Future; and Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman, Ethel and Irvin A. Edelman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and Chair of the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU. Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, rabbi of the Bronfman Center and university chaplain of NYU, moderated the panel.

Dr. Schacter began with theological perspectives on Jewish sacred spaces. Starting with the time of the Talmud, he presented two opposite interpretations of physical sanctity developed: one as permanent and inherent to the space by divine investment, and the other as temporary sacredness contingent on human action.

While Dr. Schacter provided historical and contextual grounding, Dr. Katz defined sacred space anthropologically and archaeologically, with features such as increasing exclusivity, ritual sanctification areas, and high concentrations of garments and symbols. According to Dr. Katz, the sukkah is thus both an interpretation of, and a response to, those defined guidelines of sacred space, as one not reserved for the elite but rather open to all. The sukkah, she pointed out, does not symbolize or gratify material wealth as other religious spaces do, a concept embraced by a Sukkah City competitor who designed a sukkah clad with cardboard signs bought from the homeless.

Dr. Schiffman detailed the religious development of sukkot from pilgrimage-related desert shelters to sacred and symbolic spatial representations of the Temple, after the latter’s destruction led to an adoption of sukkot as replacements.

Dr. Jacob Wisse, director of the Yeshiva University Museum, said the panel connected relevant cultural occurrences to the museum’s particular mission, studying “how Jewish art and culture in their different forms across time reflect on Judaism.” He also pointed to the intersection between individualism and communal commitment, a popular theme during the open question-and-answer session following the scholars’ presentations.

“The panel raised important issues,” said audience member David Pruwer, visiting from London. “It was interesting to see different perspectives from different disciplines all focused on the same topic.” Rabbi Sarna, the moderator, echoed the significance of the panel: “bridging the gap between art and religion is one of the most important conversations of today.”

Sep 28, 2010 — The Yeshiva University (YU) Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization (CJL) at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law will present their Annual Ivan Meyer Lecture in Jewish Law on Thursday, October 21 at 6 p.m. in the Jacob Burns Moot Court Room, 55 Fifth Avenue at 12th Street, New York City. Professor Warren Zev Harvey, the Ivan Meyer Visiting Scholar in Comparative Jewish Law at Cardozo, will discuss “Rabbi Nissim of Girona on the Constitutional Power of the Sovereign.”

Professor Harvey is a professor in the Department of Jewish Thought at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of many studies on medieval and modern Jewish philosophy, including Physics and Metaphysics in Hasdai Crescas. Professor Harvey’s research has focused, among other things, on the influence of Greek and Roman philosophy upon the rabbis, the connection between poetry and philosophy in the works of Solomon ibn Gabirol and Judah Halevi, the Maimonidean elements in the teachings of Moses Mendelsohn and Solomon Maimon and the land of Israel in Jewish philosophy.

Professor Harvey received his PhD in philosophy from Columbia University and has held visiting appointments at various universities, including Yale, McGill University, Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania. He received the prestigious EMET Prize in Humanities in 2009.

The lecture is named for the late Dr. Ivan Isaak Meyer, who practiced law in Germany and New York City and was a generous supporter of Jewish education in the New York area. Admission is free and open to the public. To register online visit www.cardozo.yu.edu/cjl/registration or call 212-790-0258. For more information on The Center for Jewish L

Sep 27, 2010 — Yeshiva University’s Student Medical Ethics Society (MES) will be hosting its fifth annual conference, entitled A Beautiful Mind: Jewish Approaches to Mental Health on Sunday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at YU’s Wilf Campus, 500 West 185th Street, New York, NY. The conference is sponsored through the generous support of Rabbi Dovid and Mrs. Anita Fuld.

MES, a student run organization under the guidance of YU’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF), was founded in fall 2005 to promote education and awareness of medical ethics at YU. Since that time, it has grown from a small group of students with common interests to a major campus organization running large-scale events and educational programming with University-wide participation. Its previous conferences dealt with organ donation, fertility, end-of-life issues in Jewish law and modern genetics.

The Oct. 31 conference will provide participants with a broad foundation for the medical background needed to understand mental health, as well as the advanced medical research and practices used today to prevent and manage mental health challenges. Topics covered include suicide, depression, eating disorders, addictions, substance abuse and more. Participants will also be introduced to an overview of the fundamental ethical dilemmas surrounding mental health, as well as how the system of halacha [Jewish law] approaches these complex issues.

Jennie Kraut, a student at Stern College for Women who along with Adiel Munk, a student at Yeshiva College, serves as co-president of MES, hopes the conference will provide a public forum for issues that are considered taboo in the Orthodox Jewish community.

“We want people to recognize that the mental health issues that either they themselves, or someone that they know, is grappling with are legitimate and that it’s okay to talk about these issues” explained Kraut. “There is a large stigma against people who are struggling with mental health issues in the Jewish community and we are hoping that by educating them we will, at the very least, spark some discussion in the Orthodox Jewish world.”

“We felt that there was no better way to bring these issues to light than by convening the top experts in the country who are not only familiar with these kinds of topics but also with the Orthodox Jewish community,” added Munk.

Rabbi Kenneth Brander, The David Mitzner Dean of CJF, helped launch MES five years ago and serves as one of the group’s mentors.

“These are issues that affect all of us in one way or another,” said Rabbi Brander. “As members of families, communities and society we must not shy away from the tough issues we face. It is important that we deal with these issues with first-rate medical experts and through the prism of halacha.”

In addition to gaining broad knowledge in medical, ethical, and halachic issues of mental health, conference participants will be able to choose from a series of specialized tracks, each geared toward in-depth analysis of the most pressing issues in the field. These tracks include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bullying and Harassing, Child Abuse, Living with a Mentally Ill Family Member and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

“Yeshiva University is the embodiment of Torah U’madda,” said program director and mentor, Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman, associate professor of philosophy and history of medicine at YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “The philosophy of the institution permeates its students, who are infused with a love of learning and acquiring knowledge. The Medical Ethics Society consists of men and women who truly reflect the University’s ideals.”

The conference is open to the public but pre-registration is required. For more information or to register visit www.yumedicalethics.com or contact yumedicalethics@gmail.com.

Sep 20, 2010 — Inspired by the holiday of Sukkot and the creation of Sukkah City, the Yeshiva University Museum will host a panel discussion on Monday, Sept. 27 at 6 pm entitled “Judaism and Sacred Space: Meditations on Sukkah City.” The program brings together a multidisciplinary panel of scholars and academics to discuss the nature of sacred space in Jewish thought, narrative and law in a highly interactive mode.

Sukkah City is an international design competition aimed at reimagining the Sukkah, developing new methods of material practice and parametric design, and proposing radical possibilities for traditional design constraints in a contemporary urban site. Twelve finalists were selected by a panel of celebrated architects, designers and critics to be on display in a visionary village in Union Square Park from September 19-20, 2010.

Two of the winning designs from Sukkah City will be on display at Yeshiva University Museum in The Center for Jewish History for viewing before and after the program—and throughout the holiday of Sukkot.

The panelist will explore how the conception of space in multiple areas of Jewish practice and ideals reflect: the private and public spheres; notions of home and civilization; and the encounter between the human and the divine.

Panel Participants include Dr. Jill Katz, adjunct professor of anthropology and archaeology at Yeshiva University; Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, YU Professor of Jewish history and Jewish thought, and Senior Scholar at the YU’s Center for the Jewish Future; and Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman, Ethel and Irvin A. Edelman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, Chair of Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University. The panel will be moderated by Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, rabbi of The Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life and university chaplain at New York University.

Yeshiva University Museum is located at The Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York City. The program is free to the public and organized and co-sponsored by Yeshiva University Museum and the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU.

The program is free to the public and organized and co-sponsored by Yeshiva University Museum, the Center for the Jewish Future and the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU.

Fight Against Cancer Brings Together Survivor and Einstein Researcher

On August 26, cancer researcher Matthew Levy, Ph.D., and his lab colleagues got some unusual visitors. Young actress Abigail Breslin and 13-year-old cancer survivor Pearce Quesenberry came to visit their research lab at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University as part of Stand Up To Cancer, a national effort to raise cancer awareness and fund research.

Dr. Levy is the recipient of a $700,000 Stand Up To Cancer grantthat gives young, innovative scientists funding for high-risk, high reward research. He and his team are working on developing treatments that will attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone, which could reduce or even eliminate the side effects of chemotherapy, which can range from mild to debilitating.

At the lab, the two teenage girls donned lab coats, peered through microscopes and got a look behind the scenes.

The Stand Up To Cancer telecast aired on Sept. 10 and raise funds that will accelerate innovative cancer research. The live, one-hour fundraising event was simulcast on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Bio, Current TV, Discovery Health, E!, G4, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, mun2, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, The Style Network, TV One and VH1 and hosted by network news anchors Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Brian Williams.

The Stand Up To Cancer broadcast is dedicated to the 12 million U.S. cancer survivors, illustrating how groundbreaking research can change the tide in the fight against the disease.

The 2008 telecast helped raise over $100 million. To date, five multi-disciplinary “Dream Teams” of researchers from more than 50 institutions, as well as 13 young innovative scientists who are undertaking high-risk yet potentially high-reward projects have received SU2C funding.

For more information, visit www.su2c.org.

Sep 16, 2010 — On August 26, cancer researcher Matthew Levy, Ph.D., and his lab colleagues got some unusual visitors. Young actress Abigail Breslin and 13-year-old cancer survivor Pearce Quesenberry came to visit their research lab at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University as part of Stand Up To Cancer, a national effort to raise cancer awareness and fund research.

Dr. Levy is the recipient of a $700,000 Stand Up To Cancer grant that gives young, innovative scientists funding for high-risk, high reward research. He and his team are working on developing treatments that will attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone, which could reduce or even eliminate the side effects of chemotherapy, which can range from mild to debilitating.

At the lab, the two teenage girls donned lab coats, peered through microscopes and got a look behind the scenes.

The Stand Up To Cancer telecast aired on Sept. 10 and raise funds that will accelerate innovative cancer research. The live, one-hour fundraising event was simulcast on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Bio, Current TV, Discovery Health, E!, G4, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, mun2, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, The Style Network, TV One and VH1 and hosted by network news anchors Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Brian Williams.

The Stand Up To Cancer broadcast is dedicated to the 12 million U.S. cancer survivors, illustrating how groundbreaking research can change the tide in the fight against the disease.

The 2008 telecast helped raise over $100 million. To date, five multi-disciplinary “Dream Teams” of researchers from more than 50 institutions, as well as 13 young innovative scientists who are undertaking high-risk yet potentially high-reward projects have received SU2C funding.

For more information, visit www.su2c.org.

Mitokh Ha-Ohel, A New Collection of Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion, Showcases the Diverse Range of Yeshiva University Scholarship

Yeshiva University will be publishing a collection of original essays on the weekly parashiyot [Torah portions], authored by rabbis and professors from every division of the University. The volume, entitled Mitokh Ha-Ohel, is sponsored by the Michael Scharf Publication Trust of Yeshiva University Press and scheduled for release by Maggid Books, an imprint of Koren Publishers Jerusalem, on October 1, 2010.
Mitokh Ha-Ohel (literally “within the tent”) brings together a diverse range of scholars and rabbinic thinkers, the multifaceted voices of Yeshiva University, to elucidate and explore all of the parashiyot of the Chamishah Chumshei Torah [Five Books of Moses] from a wide range of approaches, including textual analysis, homiletic exposition,halakhic [Jewish law] analysis and academic exploration.

“At Yeshiva University, we aspire to emulate the dwellings and philosophies of our forefathers by creating our own tent through our ideology of Torah Umadda, the marriage of Torah and secular knowledge,” said Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel.

“This truly unique volume showcases the breadth and depth of the ‘tent’ of Yeshiva University,” added President Joel, “and serves as a physical embodiment of Yeshiva University’s passion for seeking nuanced wisdom through Torah from multiple sources, and sharing that wisdom with the world.”

In addition to essays from Yeshiva University affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), the anthology, with over 500 pages, includes contributions from the rabbis, professors and administrators of Yeshiva College; Stern College for Women; Yeshiva Program/Mazer School of Talmudic Sctudies; Irving I. Stone Beit Midrash Program; Isaac Breuer College of Hebraic Studies; James Striar School of General Jewish Studies; Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy; Graduate Program for Women in Advanced Talmudic Studies; Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies; Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration; Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law;Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology; Center for the Jewish Future; and Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute of RIETS in Jerusalem.

Mitokh Ha-Ohel—edited by Rabbi Daniel Feldman, instructor of Talmud and Jewish Studies at YU’s Stone Beit Midrash Program and Stuart Halpern, student life coordinator at YU’s Office of Student Affairs—is the first of many planned projects from the new partnership between Yeshiva University and Koren Publishers Jerusalem. In the coming months, Koren plans to release a multivolume set on topics of contemporary Jewish law authored by Yeshiva University’s roshei yeshiva, as well as a 20th anniversary edition of YU Chancellor Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm’s masterwork, Torah Umadda, with a new foreward by Rabbi Lamm and an afterword by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.