Jun 4, 2004 -- At the 104th Gratz College Commencement on May 16 in suburban Philadelphia President Richard Joel was awarded the degree of Doctor of Hebrew Laws. More than 600 people attended the ceremony, which had 16 graduates from the Jewish programs and approximately 150 from the general MA-Ed program. Gratz is one of the oldest academic institutions of Jewish studies in America and is home to the largest Jewish college preparatory program in the United States, offering intensive Jewish studies to Jewish students attending public and private high schools. JCHS teaches social responsibility through its Service Learning Institute and offers several self-contained programs for students with significant developmental and learning disabilities. Dr. Jonathan Rosenbaum, President of Gratz College, remarked that "President Richard Joel pinpointed the pivotal challenges that face the next generation of American Jewish Leaders and suggested active responses. He linked Gratz College and his own Yeshiva University as profoundly Jewish institutions serving a broad community, and he inspired our graduates by showing that serving humanity has rewards that make life itself worthwhile.”