Students in Wurzweiler Block Program Focus on “The New Poor”at Annual Common Day

Common Day, the annual outside-the-classroom learning experience that brings together Wurzweiler School of Social Work students of all levels and disciplines, was held on July 6 at YU’s Weissberg Commons. The three-hour event for students enrolled in Wurzeiler’s Block Program featured activities designed to stimulate students’ empathy for others as well as increase their own sense of campus community. More than 100 participants found out what it’s like to suddenly be scrambling to pay for the basic necessities of life while learning about methods to help a burgeoning part of our society called “the new poor.”

Who are the new poor? According to Lynn Levy, professor at Wurzweiler, the members of this group recently might have had a steady source of income, a nice place to live, food on the table and a sense of stability. But “after dealing with a debilitating, financially catastrophic illness or just losing their job, they often find themselves in a sudden, desperate situation,” said Levy. “Faced with the prospect of homelessness and hunger, they might be too proud to seek help or they just might not know where to find it.”

This year’s student-government-planned and -sponsored Common Day was devised to help address this challenge. It kicked off with an icebreaker that encouraged students to buy and trade for food and other basic necessities on a shoestring budget. This was followed by a video featuring real people from across the country that had suddenly fallen on desperate times. Students and faculty then engaged in lively case discussions that illustrated the challenges facing the new poor. Prizes, a raffle and a fun-fact bingo were included in the program to help enliven the day’s events.

“Our hope is that people will walk away from today’s program understanding that social situations can change very rapidly,” said Jordan Cares, who is from Toronto, Canada, and serves in Wurzweiler’s student government. “As practitioners, it’s also important to remember that you can’t always easily identify people based on the way they present themselves, even if you’re familiar with their past history.”

Although the theme of the day was serious, the planners did their best to invoke a sense of community and the joy of working together to solve problems.

“Common Day shows how learning can mix enjoyment and education,” said Danielle Sabler, student government president and a Long Island native currently based in Israel. “We want to raise awareness about the new poor and learn about the services that can be provided to this group, but we also want students to take the time to actually enjoy themselves. That’s why we serve food and include raffles and other entertainment as part of the program. This time of year we’re usually very stressed and overwhelmed with school work. This gets us out of the classroom and helps us engage.”

This point of more relaxed learning was also highlighted by Dr. Sheldon Gelman, The Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean of Wurzeiler. But he emphasized that every detail in the planning had a purpose.

“While the main purpose of Common Day is to bring together the whole community outside a classroom setting, it should also be noted that the students are assigned seats,” said Gelman. “They’re not sitting with their friends, which means they will get to hear from students from different years. This enriches their experience and gives them a chance to start new relationships while learning and enjoying during a part of the day that’s normally very busy. That’s really what Common Day is all about: bringing us all together in new ways to share a common purpose.”

School Partnership’s YUTeach Fellowships Provide Mentoring and Support for Young Educators in Jewish Day Schools Across the Country

As part of its mission to bolster the Jewish day school movement, the Institute for University-School Partnership at Yeshiva University once again placed recent college graduates in communities across North America to begin their careers as educators.

The YUTeach Fellowships will place young educators in Jewish day schools across the country.

With support from the Legacy Heritage Fund Limited, 17 young teachers will participate in the Legacy Heritage Teacher Training Fellowship, a two-year program that provides fellows with support and mentorship within their host school, in addition to conferences, webinars and check-ins with staff at the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration throughout the academic year. Over three summers, teaching fellows will also earn a master of science in education at Azrieli through a full-tuition scholarship.

Three additional teachers will be sponsored through the GiveBack Fellowship, a program that identifies dynamic graduates to assist with student activities, observe classroom teachers and provide support in other aspects of school programming. These fellows will also participate in a summer training session at Azrieli, receive close mentoring at their host school and attend conferences and monthly webinars relating to Jewish education.

The YUTeach Fellowships—comprised of the Legacy Heritage Teacher Training and GiveBack programs—provide “much more than a placement in a school for an aspiring teacher,” said Scott J. Goldberg, PhD, director of the YU School Partnership. “They offer a supportive structure in which to grow as a new teacher and a transformative experience for the students who are inspired by these young energetic educators. Schools asked us to get them teachers, and we’ve sent them much more.”

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“The fellowship seemed like an ideal entry into teaching because of the structure and the guidance it provided, in addition to the network and the courses at Azrieli,” said Raffi Rosenzweig, a Legacy Heritage Fellow who taught chumash and Jewish History at Dallas’s Yavneh Academy for the past two years. “As someone who had always enjoyed informal education but had no experience in a formal setting, I was hesitant at first to make the switch. That first summer before I started teaching I was in class at Azrieli and got that kind of professional training before I started, which helped me learn about the best practices in the field and how to implement them.”

Raffi Rosenzweig, left, a Legacy Heritage Fellow, has taught at Dallas’s Yavneh Academy for the past two years.

Aryeh Wasserman, a first-year Legacy Heritage teacher fellow who will lead gemara classes at Kohelet Yeshiva High School in Philadelphia, appreciated the program’s support in placing young teachers in their first positions. “When an institution like YU recommends you, it gives these teachers who want to make a difference and have the desire to grow into great teachers the chance to do so while we’re still young,” said Wasserman. “The fellowship really supports a culture of young, innovative teachers who want to bring their excitement to Jewish youth.”

That excitement is shared by the schools. “Having a fellow means everything to us because we are constantly looking for new talent,” said Raizy Wilk, a teacher and administrator at Maimonides Academy in Los Angeles who will be mentoring Rabbi Ouriel Hazan and Malka Nutkiewicz, two fellows at her school this year. “We want teachers who understand where our students are coming from emotionally, psychologically and religiously and who are dedicated to becoming the best professionals they can be and that’s what YU looks for in a fellowship candidate. By partnering with YU, we provide the most exciting and innovative experience for our students.”

The Legacy Heritage Teacher Training and GiveBack Fellowships are open to students from all colleges. Visit the YU School Partnership’s Web site at www.yu.edu/azrieli/schoolpartnership for more information or to apply.

Tune into YU’s Internet Radio Show, Thursday at 2 P.M.

Join Mayer Fertig and Miriam L. Wallach for “Who’s on Furst?” –  Thursday at 2 p.m. EST. This week’s show features a discussion on the state of Jewish youth and the controversial topic of “half-Shabos” with Dr. Scott Goldberg, director of the YU School Partnership and Dr. David Pelcovitz, Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus Chair in Psychology and Jewish Education at YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration. All this, plus a review of the stories making headlines in the Jewish media, live Thursday at 2 p.m. on www.yu.edu/radio and www.nachumsegal.com.

And don’t forget to tune in tomorrow beginning at 6 a.m. for LIVE coverage from YU’s Champions Gate Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida. It’s “JM in the AM” with Nachum Segal from 6-9 a.m. and then “Who’s on Furst?” from 9-10 a.m.

Dr. Gordon Tomaselli Becomes President of The American Heart Association

Gordon Tomaselli, M.D., who earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in 1982, became president of the American Heart Association (AHA) on July 1. AHA is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization focused on the nation’s number one killer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, which together claim more than 800,000 lives each year. Dr. Tomaselli is professor and director of the division of cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he has worked for the past 25 years.

Dr. Gordon Tomaselli

“My time at Einstein really launched my career in medicine,” said Tomaselli. “I am incredibly gratefully to have learned in an environment that focuses on compassionate and scientifically rigorous medicine.”

In addition to his medical school classes and clinical rotations during the school year, Tomaselli conducted research at Einstein during the summers. “I was always interested in biological electricity,” he said. “I worked closely with Bill Norton in neurochemistry. He and my other mentors always reinforced the notion of intellectual curiosity and asking not just ‘what’ but the ‘why’ questions as well.”

A cardiac electrophysiologist, Tomaselli is an internationally recognized expert in sudden cardiac death and heart rhythm disturbances. He has focused most of his research on arrhythmias, and especially on new therapies aimed at warding off the potentially fatal heart rhythm disturbances that claim the lives of more than a quarter million Americans each year. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed research articles and many book chapters on various aspects of arrhythmia.

In 2007 and 2008, Tomaselli served as program chair for the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, the world’s premier conference for cardiologists. He is currently chairman of the association’s 2010-2013 Strategic Planning Task Force and president-elect. He also remains an active member of the American College of Cardiology and the Heart Rhythm Society.

Yeshiva University Establishes Scholarship Fund in Honor of Sheldon Gelman, Longest Serving Dean of Any North American Social Work School

Some 40-plus years ago, Sheldon Gelman was starting what he envisioned would be a long and fulfilling career as a social worker, providing counseling and services to children with special needs and disabilities at an agency in central Pennsylvania. As part of his work, he was also asked to help supervise a group of social work students from nearby Penn State University.

“I must have done a good job, because I was then invited to join the Penn State faculty,” said Gelman. “So getting into academia was a total fluke.”

What hasn’t been a fluke has been Gelman’s unparalleled success over the past 21 years as the dean of the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. Indeed, when he steps down from the position—formally the Dorothy and David I. Schachne Deanship—in September to return to research and teaching, he will have already been the longest tenured current dean of a social work school in North America by many years.

“The length of my tenure is certainly unusual,” said Gelman. “The average term of service for a social work school dean is about five years, so I’ve quadrupled that. What can I say, I’ve loved the job.”

And the students, faculty, alumni—not to mention his many peers in the social work profession—love him. Indeed, in his honor, Yeshiva University has established the Dr. Sheldon R. Gelman Scholarship Fund and, thanks to the generosity of so many of those who have been touched by Gelman over the years, more than $125,000 has already been donated for the initiative. Monies from the fund will be used to provide scholarship support for future generations of social work students.

Recently, the New York State Assembly has issued a proclamation in Gelman’s honor and he has received an official letter from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recognizing his service. He was also presented with awards from the Latino Task Force of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the New York City Children’s Services. In 2009, he was named a “Social Work Pioneer “ by NASW and last year was elected a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.

“For nearly a quarter of a century, Dean Sheldon Gelman has nurtured, sustained and advanced Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work into a force for good, the impact of which is felt around the world,” said YU President Richard M. Joel. “With passion and commitment, Dean Gelman has championed the nobility of his profession and sent forth thousands of students to serve humanity.”

Dr. and Mrs. Schachne echoed these sentiments, noting that it has been a “great honor to have Dean Gelman as the first Schachne Dean at Wurzweiler. Through his life’s work of giving teachers and students the tools to help those in need, Dean Gelman has represented Yeshiva University with the highest distinction…Dean Gelman has been our guide, our mentor and our leader, as well as our friend. Although he is retiring, we know that his teachings and example will endure in the acts of those who follow. We are grateful to him and wish him and his family health and peace.”

“Twenty-one years ago, when Sheldon Gelman was inducted as dean, he entered the office knowing that ours was a school with a solid reputation,” said Dr. Norman Linzer, the Samuel J. & Jean Sable Professor of Jewish Family Social Work at Wurzweiler. “And over the years, he raised the stature and reputation—so much so that at a recent site visit by the Council on Social Work Education we were told we were the best school in the country. Such an achievement attests to the spirit of gevurah [heroism] with which he has endowed this school. In his own quiet, self-effacing way, he took a very good school and made it a great one.”

While he said he is “profoundly moved” by the outpouring of support in his honor, Gelman noted that his years at Wurzweiler have been filled with one highlight after another. He said he is especially proud that the school was among the first in the nation to address the physical and mental health and public policy challenges of HIV/AIDS and to champion Black-Jewish and Hispanic-Jewish dialogue.

Gelman said he also takes particular pride in the passion and commitment of Wurzweiler students, faculty and alumni, “all of whom do our school and our university proud,” he stressed. “And I’ve also enjoyed working with faculty and administrators in other YU schools on a number of multidisciplinary programs and initiatives, as well as with faculty and administrators at other social work schools on efforts to promote and further the profession.”

Gelman, himself, has done much towards achieving this end. He has held office and served on national commissions of the Council for Social Work Education, NASW, National Association of Social Work Deans, and American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Gelman has been involved in social services research and has served as a consultant to various legislative and administrative bodies. He has conducted extensive research and published more than 100 professional journal articles and book chapters on topics related to social policy, developmental disabilities, human service delivery systems, liability issues in non-profit organizations, ethics, and child abuse.

That Gelman has been able to accomplish all this while running one of the most prestigious social work schools in the country—an institution that has graduated more than 7,000 social work professionals who occupy positions of leadership in Jewish communal organizations, social welfare agencies in the private and public sector, clinical social work, the clergy and private practice—is testament to his abiding commitment, creative leadership and far-reaching vision.

So, what’s his secret to longevity and success? “It’s essential to surround yourself with equally committed and competent people, from fellow administrators to the highest quality faculty,” said Gelman. “Of course, I would also note how important it is to keep your eye on the budget and not to give up your academic interest. And, most of all, never stay in the same office for too long. You collect way too much stuff to have to move!”

For more information about the Dr. Sheldon R. Gelman Scholarship Fund or to make a donation contact Doris Holz at holz@yu.edu.

From Chechnya to Stern to Harvard, Alla Digilova Continues to Overcome the Odds

Alla Digilova, a 2010 graduate of Stern College for Women and soon-to-be Harvard Law student, has come a long way since she arrived in Brooklyn at age 14. She and her family came from Nalchik, a city in Southern Russia, thanks to a loan from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Fleeing war and strife, Digilova’s parents relied on welfare to get by, while her mother studied toward a degree in nursing to improve the family’s situation.

Stern College graduate, Alla Digilova, will begin her studies at Harvard Law this fall.

Nurturing her desire to become a scientist, Digilova entered Brooklyn Technical High School, a specialized science school, where she excelled despite her limited knowledge of English. She also co-founded an organization to promote women’s rights in the workplace.

One of the only observant Jewish students at Brooklyn Tech, Digilova reveled in the atmosphere of Flatbush, Brooklyn, where Judaism flourished openly. “When I first arrived in New York and saw all the Jewish people walking proudly to shul on Shabbat in their finest clothing, it was so beautiful to me because in Russia, Judaism is not something that was encouraged publicly,” she said. “When it came time to continue my education in college, I knew I wanted to be in a place where my Judaism could thrive.”

When she heard about Yeshiva University, with its dual curriculum and Jewish environment, coupled with the prestigious S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program, Digilova was hooked. As an honors student at Stern with almost full tuition coverage, Digilova majored in both biology and economics, and discovered that legal complexities fascinated her, especially the laws surrounding patents for medicine. For her senior project, she worked under the tutelage of Dr. Marina K. Holz, assistant professor of biology, to research new mechanisms of breast cancer cell regulation.

“Alla has always been one of my top students and I have been impressed with her drive, ambition and cheerful disposition,” said Holz. “She co-authored, with me, an article based on our research together for her senior project that was published in a peer-reviewed journal [the Journal of Biological Chemistry], which is quite an accomplishment for an undergraduate student.”

When Digilova decided to apply to law school, she studied on her own for the LSATs. By November 2010, she was accepted into Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, New York University and Harvard, among other top-tier schools. She chose Harvard for its strong program in intellectual property and hopes to work on patent laws and biotechnology, in addition to cases in humanitarian law.

“It’s rare to come across a student as capable, poised and well-spoken as Alla,” said Dr. Cynthia Wachtell, founding director of the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program. “She’s an incredibly impressive young woman who has demonstrated remarkable academic accomplishment and her achievements are made even more striking by the atypical journey that brought her to Stern.”

Never one to let an opportunity pass her by, Digilova spent this year learning at the Shearim College of Jewish Studies for Women in Jerusalem. She will begin Harvard Law School in the fall along with at least two Yeshiva College alumni.

Digilova attributes her strong work ethic to her early struggles in Brooklyn and the inspiration she received from her mother. “When we got to Brooklyn and lived in a small apartment, sleeping on mattresses on the floor and struggling for every dollar, it was quite a psychological blow,” Digilova recounted. “Nevertheless, I think it also helped me turn all my energies and focus toward becoming successful in my academics, as I know that is the best way to better my life.”

Wall Street Group Offers Alumni and Friends of Yeshiva University Professional Networking and Career Development Opportunities

More than 150 alumni and friends of Yeshiva University gathered for the most recent meeting of the YU Wall Street Group on June 23 to network, catch up and listen to a panel of experts discussing the latest trends in the real estate market.

Michael Stoler (standing) moderated a panel featuring Bradford Klatt, Brahm Cramer, Jeffrey Barclay, Ralph Herzka and Richard Born.

Moderated by Michael Stoler, president of New York Real Estate TV and managing director of Madison Realty Capital, the panel, titled “Changing World—What’s Next for Real Estate,” included Jeffrey Barclay of Goldman Sachs; Richard Born of BD Hotels, LLC; Brahm Cramer of AllianceBernstein, Ralph Herzka of Meridian Capital Group, LLC; and Bradford Klatt of Roseland Property Company.

The event, hosted at AllianceBernstein’s New York City offices, served as the third meeting of the YU Wall Street Group in the past four months, providing many alumni the opportunity to network with a sizable cohort of individuals from the full spectrum of the business world. These encounters have resulted in group members securing new job opportunities ranging from beneficial internships to senior-level positions in respected firms.

“Yeshiva University has such a wide range of talented people associated with it,” said Yigal Marcus ’97YC, vice president of Bernstein Global Wealth Management. “It is always wonderful to spend an evening with such professionals.”

Started more than 15 year ago, the group now counts over 1,500 members in its ranks, nearly 70 percent of whom are alumni, according to Lawrence Askowitz ’87YC, the group’s co-chair. “I know that there is momentum gathering from these events,” said Askowitz, whose company has taken on two YU interns in the past year. In addition to hosting these gatherings, the Wall Street Group had also started sending out frequent e-mail blasts since March, alerting its members to new job openings in a significant selection of business-related fields.

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In introducing the panel, University Trustee and Chair of the Real Estate Committee Joshua Muss ’62YC, spoke of his satisfaction that the Wall Street Group dedicated an evening to discussing current developments in the real estate market. Aside from spreading the information gleaned from the panel, Muss also hoped that those present share with their firms, employers and colleagues an “understanding that at YU you will find as good a group of bright and eager students as any university in the world.”

Many of those in attendance hoped to take advantage of this sentiment. “It is wonderful to join this large group of professionals with YU connections,” said Jeremy Apfel ’10YC. Similarly, former Yeshiva University Presidential Fellow Daniel Neiss ’09YC viewed the panel “as a great chance to expand my network and find new opportunities.”

Klatt, co-managing partner of Roseland Property Company, delighted in his invitation to speak on a panel at a YU event. “I think it is vitally important that YU penetrate the secular business world in a much stronger way and these forums enable YU to do that,” he said. “YU has a lot to offer. Our demography is spectacular. We believe in Torah values that make for a good business framework, and to bring those to the business world is invaluable.”

To learn more about the Yeshiva University Wall Street Group or to get involved contact Alan Secter at yuwsg@yu.edu.

In addition to the offerings of the Wall Street Group, alumni and friends of YU are invited to participate in a Continuing Professional Education series on “Optimizing Your Clients’ Retirement Benefits—Social Security, Medicare and Pension Maximization” on July 13 that is presented by the newly formed YU Accounting & Financial Planning Network, a growing community of accountants and advisors in complimentary fields. To learn more about the group and the CPE series e-mail AFPNetwork@yu.edu. For more information on upcoming alumni events visit www.yu.edu/alumnievents.

Check out photos from a Wall Street Group event held in March at Bloomberg here.

Stuart Halpern, Yeshiva Student, Alumnus and Employee, Builds on Strong Relationship Between University and Lifesaving Organization

Stuart Halpern wears many hats.

Halpern's stem cell donation will help a 12 year old girl battle leukemia.

As coordinator of student life at Yeshiva University, assistant director of operations for YU’s new Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought and assistant director of student events at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Halpern carries many titles. Recently, Halpern—a graduate of Revel and a doctoral student at Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration—added one more: lifesaver.

On June 23, his essential donation of blood stem cells went toward saving the life of a 12 year old girl with leukemia.

The process began in 2006, when, as a student at Yeshivat HaKotel in Israel, Halpern registered with Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation—a bone marrow, blood stem cell and umbilical cord blood donor registry. “It’s something I felt was natural for me to do,” said Halpern, “and it’s such a simple thing to do to potentially save someone’s life.”

Halpern, who is also busy co-editing a sequel to 2010’s Mitokh Ha-Ohel—a collection of original essays on the weekly Torah portions authored by YU faculty—was called back twice for further stem cell testing, but, as he said, “third time’s a charm.” Halpern completed the five-hour procedure, in which IVs filtered out stem cells from his blood, and was able to return to work the next day.

“In a month, I get a report of how she’s doing,” said Halpern. “And there’s potential for me to even meet her personally in a year but my first priority is to hear that she’s fully recovering. That’s my only concern.”

Yeshiva University and Gift of Life have a longstanding relationship. The University has facilitated more bone marrow transplants, 31 to date, than any other institution through Gift of Life’s on-campus recruitment program.

In 2005 at YU’s 81st Annual Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation, President Richard M. Joel conferred an honorary degree on Jay Feinberg, Gift of Life’s founder and executive director. Feinberg, a leukemia survivor, has devoted his life to educating and encouraging people to be tested for bone marrow registries.

Avi Amsalem ’09YC, and a former Presidential Fellow at YU, donated stem cells to the Gift of Life Registry as a student in 2007. He met Jack, a survivor of leukemia who benefitted from Amsalem’s gift, two years later at an emotional celebration hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field.

The Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation honored Yeshiva University with its Partners for Life Award at the foundation’s annual gala dinner in 2008 with President Joel accepting the award on behalf of YU students.

The YU Student Medical Ethics Society has dedicated February as Bone-Marrow Awareness Month on campus. Throughout the month, the group holds drives to recruit new donors to the Gift of Life registry and raise awareness about medical issues and halacha.

“We are proud to call Stu a member of the Gift of Life family,” said Feinberg. “The selfless deed of donating his peripheral stem cells to a total stranger is an act of pikuah nefesh—or saving the life of another person. His mitzvah reminds us that the partnership forged between Yeshiva University and Gift of Life is a strong and everlasting relationship, built on the passion and commitment of students like Stu.”

Participants in YU’s Kansas City Summer Experience Volunteer for Disaster Relief Clean-Up in Joplin, Missouri

For the second year in a row a group of Yeshiva University students descended upon the Kansas City Jewish community as part of the University’s Kansas City Summer Experience, hosted by Congregation Beth Israel Avraham & Voliner (BIAV). The program, which ran May 31 through June 26, offered participants the opportunity to integrate with the community, spending their days working at a variety of businesses and dedicating their nights to energizing and learning Torah with the Jewish community.

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This year, however, their plans changed after a tornado hit nearby Joplin, Missouri, on May 21, killing more than 150 people. The group of eight students, led by Tuvia Brander, a recent YU graduate and second-year RIETS student, worked with community members to organize a Red Cross-sponsored disaster relief mission to the devastated area on June 12.

“We have done more than fulfill the mitzvah of tikkun olam,” said Brander. “We have added to the dialog of the community and inspired others to get involved.”
Joining Brander on the Kansas City Summer Experience were YU students Baruch Cohen, Sarit Cohen, Malkie Krieger, Asher Lindenbaum, Gabrielle Moskowitz, Mindy Sojcher and Yaakov Taubes.

“Having the [students] be part of our community for the month has been a special experience,” said BIAV Rabbi Daniel Rockoff. “I am especially proud of the positive example they have set throughout the entire Jewish community as spirited, observant young Jews who are eager to engage the world around them.”

The students, each of whom was provided a mentor and host families, spent the month interning at local businesses including MRI Global — Midwest Research Institute, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City, Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Kansas City JCC and Metro Title Services. In addition, participants led a nightly Beit Midrash program and organized panel discussions dealing with contemporary religious and halakhic issues.

Yeshiva University Summer Programs Emphasize Professional and Religious Leadership in Communities Nationwide

This summer Yeshiva University is hosting an assortment of learning and internship programs in cities across the United States, including Kansas City, MO; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; Teaneck, NJ; Chicago, IL; Stamford, CT; and Atlanta, GA. These summer internship programs and kollels (intensive Torah and Talmud study programs) are sponsored by Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), in partnership with local congregations in participating cities. The programs range in length from two to six weeks.

Students on the Kansas City Summer Experience and members of the local Jewish community help with disaster clean-up efforts in Joplin, MO.

Students participating in the summer kollels have the opportunity to grow in their personal Torah study through rigorous Torah learning and daily shiurim [lectures] as well as to share their knowledge of Torah with their host communities in order to gain confidence and experience. Students will take part in formal and informal workshops with top educators, physicians, psychologists and other professionals on a wide variety of topics with which rabbis and communal professionals are confronted. These programs aim to help students develop skills in public speaking, as well as prompt shiur and drasha [sermon] development, and to experience Jewish life outside of the tri-state area.

Students participating in the Chicago and Kansas City kollel programs will complete internships in a variety of professions for local firms including Kenilworth Asset Management and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Additionally, participating students will lead numerous community-wide social, cultural and educational activities, interacting with the local community.

“Such opportunities allow our students multiple experiences as interns in professions they wish to pursue as careers and to realize how their knowledge and passion as lay leaders can empower communities around the world,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, David Mitzner Dean of the CJF.

• The YU Atlanta Beit Midrash Program: July 13-24 in Atlanta, GA
  • Hosted by Congregation Young Israel of Toco Hills (YITH), 2074 LaVista Road NE, in Atlanta for men and women of Yeshiva University
  • Led by YITH Rabbi Adam Starr, with RIETS Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Jeremy Wieder and Rabbi Michael Broide, professor of law at Emory University, serving as co-roshei beit midrash [heads of school]
  • Features instruction on the halakhic [Jewish law], social and political issues surrounding conversion and community
  • Shabbat meals and panel discussions dealing with contemporary religious and halakhic issues
  • Includes numerous community-wide social, cultural and educational activities

• YU Kansas City Summer Experience: May 31-June 26 in Kansas City, MO
  • Hosted by Congregation Beth Israel Avraham Voliner, 9900 Antioch in Overland Park for men and women of Yeshiva University
  • Led by BIAV Rabbi Daniel Rockoff, a Yeshiva University and RIETS graduate
  • Includes community wide social, cultural and educational activities; divrei Torah; nightly Beit Midrash program; Shabbat meals; and panel discussions dealing with contemporary religious and halakhic issues
  • Organizes full day internships at local businesses including MRI Global — Midwest Research Institute, Children Mercy Hospital, Teva, Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City, Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Kansas City JCC, and Metro Title Services
  • On June 12, Tuvia Brander, a RIETS student currently serving as rabbinic intern at BIAV, led YU students and community members on a Red Cross-sponsored Disaster Relief Mission to Joplin, MO to help residents there rebuild their city and their lives following a devastating tornado in May
  • Provides host families and professional mentors for students

• Yeshiva University’s Denver Summer Kollel: June 29-August 1 in Denver, CO
  • Hosted jointly by the East Denver Orthodox Synagogue (EDOS), 98 S. Holly Street, Denver CO and the DAT Minyan, 6825 E Alameda Avenue, Denver CO
  • Rabbi Daniel Rapp, Assistant Dean of YU’s Stone Beit Midrash Program and Isaac Breuer College, will serve as community scholar-in-residence from June 29-July 21. Wexner Kollel Elyon Fellow Rabbi Etan Schnall will serve as community scholar-in-residence from July 21 to August 1.
  • EDOS Rabbi Marc Gitler, DAT Rabbi Daniel Alter, and Rabbi Asher Klein of the DAT Minyan will also participate
  • Features community Shabbat meals, a community-wide Kollel Yom Rishon, and panel discussions dealing with contemporary religious and Halakhic (Jewish law) issues, as well as social activities for students to interact with the local community

• YU Beth Jacob Summer Learning Program: June 28 to August 2 in Los Angeles, CA
  • Hosted by Congregation Beth Jacob, 9030 W. Olympic Blvd. in Beverly Hills for men and women of Yeshiva University
  • Rabbi Dr. Alex Mondrow will serve as Rosh Beit Midrash of the program
  • Features study in Talmud and practical subjects of Halakhah (Jewish law); morning and afternoon study sessions; Lunch and Learns; small group learning; shiurim; and chavruta (one-on-one learning) with the Beth Jacob community each evenings

• YU Chicago Lay Leadership Summer Program and Kollel: May 31-July 17 in Chicago, IL
  • The men’s learning program is hosted by the Hebrew Theological College, Skokie, Il. The women’s learning program is hosted by Congregation Or Torah, 3800 Dempster Street in Skokie. Both are part of the summer programming of the YU Torah MiTzion Kollel of Chicago
  • Led by Rabbi Reuven Brand, Rosh Kollel of the Yeshiva University Chicago Kollel and a YU graduate who received his ordination from RIETS
  • Features daily programs on practical subjects of Halakhah led by local Torah scholars, as well as chavruta (one-on-one learning), shiurim (lectures), and special Shabbat activities
  • Participants will complete internships in a variety of professions and local businesses including Kenilworth Asset Management, Strauss and Malk LLP, architect Dan Coffey, Office of State Representative Daniel Biss, Special Care Inc., Robinson Financial Group, Hadassah, and Moshe Klein & Associates

• YU Stamford Community Kollel: August 1-13 in Stamford, CT
  • Hosted by the Young Israel of Stamford
  • Led by Rosh Kollel Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman, Rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim of Teaneck, N.J., as well as instructor of Talmud and Jewish Studies at the Stone Beit Midrash program of YU.  Rabbi Elly Krimsky, Rav of the Young Israel of Stamford, will also participate
  • Program includes daily Rabbinic training from Rabbis and experts in the local community and offers morning/afternoon seders, Tisha B’Av programming and two Shabbatot in the local Stamford community
  • Includes youth programming and other community learning opportunities

• YU Keter Torah Summer Kollel: July 5-August 12 in Teaneck, NJ
  • Hosted by Congregation Keter Torah, 600 Roemer Ave, in Teaneck
  • Led by Rosh Kollel Rabbi Eli Baruch Shulman, Rabbi of the Young Israel of Midwood in Brooklyn, Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS and lecturer for the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies (MYP)
  • Includes full days of learning Monday-Thursday, with daily chaburot (informal group classes) given by Kollel Elyon Fellows and Night Seder learning with the community
  • Students attend morning/afternoon seders, run daily youth programming and participate in two Shabbatot at Keter Torah
  • Open to male students only

• YU Women’s Beit Midrash Program: July 5-29 in Teaneck, NJ
  • Hosted by Congregation Rinat Yisrael, 389 West Englewood Avenue, in Teaneck, NJ
  • Ms. Nechama Price, Rabbi Moshe Kahn and Rabbi Donnie Besser will lead daily, in-depth Torah learning open to all women of the community
  • Evening lecture series for men and women to feature Rabbi Jeremy Wieder, Mrs. CB Neugroschl, Mrs. Shani Taragin and Mrs. Yael Leibowitz

For more information on the CJF summer programs contact Rabbi Elie Mischel at emischel@yu.edu.