Women’s Basketball Team Places in WBCA Academic Top 25, Twelve Yeshiva Student-Athletes Named to All-Academic Teams

Each year, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) puts together a list of teams with the best GPA’s amongst the three NCAA divisions. Yeshiva’s 3.457 team GPA ranked them 19th in the country among all Division 3 women’s basketball programs. The top team in the country, Case Western Reserve University, had a 3.609 team GPA. This is the sixth time since the 2000-01 season that Yeshiva has made the Top 25, and the 4th time in the past 6 seasons. The YU Lady Macs ranked as high as 2nd in 2001 and have been in the top 10 three times.

The Hudson Valley Men’s (HVMAC) and Women’s Athletic Conferences (HVWAC) have announced the All-Academic Teams for the winter and spring semesters. To make the team, a student-athlete must be a sophomore or higher with an overall GPA of at least 3.5 (cumulative for their careers). The team recognizes those student-athletes that met that criteria and were participants on the basketball, swimming and softball teams (women) or basketball, tennis and volleyball teams (men).

Four women’s basketball players made the All-Academic team: Mercedes Cohen, Ayelet Friedman, Lauren Kempin and Malka Lebovic. That is the only YU team that competes in the HVWAC during the winter/spring semester.

On the men’s side, eight volleyball players made the team: Moshe Cohen, Eitan Finkelstein, Raphael Herskovits, Kevin Katz, Elchanan Margolis, Jared Rechnitz, David Wagner and Jonah Wilkof. The volleyball team is the only team for Yeshiva that competes in the HVMAC during the winter/spring semester.

Keep up with all the latest Yeshiva Athletics news at www.yumacs.com.

Sep 13, 2010 — Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), an affiliate of Yeshiva University, will honor dedicated leaders and educators of the Jewish community at its Annual Dinner of Tribute on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at The Grand Hyatt in New York City. Honorees include Guests of Honor Joel and Judy Schreiber and Dr. Joel Wolowelsky, who will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Jewish Education. The dinner will also pay tribute to Alvin Blumenfeld z”l through the establishment of a scholarship fund in his name.

Joel Schreiber has served as a member of the RIETS board of trustees since 1996. He is a graduate of Yeshiva College, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and RIETS. His wife, Judy, is a graduate of YU’s Brooklyn Girls High School and received a master’s degree from YU’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work. The Schreiber family’s generosity has supported many YU initiatives including the Aaron and Blanche Schreiber Torah Tours Program that provides critical Jewish education and outreach around the world.

Dr. Wolowelsky is dean of the faculty at the Yeshiva of Flatbush in Brooklyn, NY, where he teaches math and Jewish philosophy. He is associate editor of Tradition, the journal of Orthodox Jewish thought published by the Rabbinical Council of America and the series MeOtzar HoRav: Selected Writings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

Mr. Blumenfeld, a distinguished and widely admired trustee of RIETS and a former board member of the Yeshiva University High Schools, was a graduate of YU High School for Boys and Yeshiva College. Together with his wife, Lois, they established the Lois Blumenfeld Personal Endowed Scholarship Fund at YU’s Stern College for Women and the Lois and Avi Blumenfeld Kollel Fellowship in Israel and supported many other YU initiatives.

Founded in 1896, RIETS is the leading center for education and ordination of Orthodox Rabbis in North America. To learn more about the RIETS Annual Dinner of Tribute, make a reservation or to participate in the Scroll of Honor visit www.riets.edu/dinner, call 212-960-0852 or email rietsdinner@yu.edu.

Mar 1, 2010 — Yeshiva University will honor Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks as the inaugural recipient of the Norman Lamm Prize, March 16-21.

As the capstone of the Lamm Heritage—a tribute to Dr. Lamm—the Lamm Prize pays homage to Dr. Lamm’s lifetime of scholarly achievement. In addition to the Lamm Prize, the Lamm Heritage is comprised of the Yad Lamm—physical space dedicated to telling the story of Dr. Lamm’s 27 years as YU president through text and visual displays—and an endowment to the Rabbi Norman Lamm Kollel L’Hora’ah (Yadin Yadin). In addition, visitors to the site can access Dr. Lamm’s numerous scholarly works through the Lamm Archives, which include over 800 digitized sermons and audio and video of his lectures.

“Celebrating Dr. Norman Lamm is in many ways celebrating the best that is within us and the best that we want to be,” said President Richard M. Joel. “We have established the Lamm Heritage so that we keep growing from Dr. Lamm’s teaching and values. There can be no better way to inaugurate the Lamm Prize than to award it to Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks who as a teacher, preacher and philosopher echoes and harmonizes the values of Dr. Lamm through his commitment to Torah Umadda and his belief in the ability of young people to build a future based on sacred nuance and steadfast principles.”

Dr. Lamm has gained worldwide recognition for his writings and discourses on interpretation of Jewish philosophy and law, especially in the fields of science, technology and philosophy in the modern world. The author of ten books, including The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary, which won the coveted Jewish Book Award in Jewish Thought from the Jewish Book Council, he has solidified his place as a distinguished rabbi, philosopher and teacher.

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks certainly measures up to the esteemed Lamm legacy, having served as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth for more than 18 years. He was ordained at Jews’ College and Yeshiva Etz Chaim. He attended Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge, England where he obtained first-class honors in philosophy, before pursuing postgraduate studies at New College, Oxford, and King’s College London, earning his PhD in 1981.

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks is a visiting professor of theology at King’s College London and holds honorary doctorates from several universities. In addition to penning several books, he received the Jerusalem Prize for his contribution to diaspora Jewish life in 1995 and was awarded a Knighthood by the Queen of England in June 2005.

In celebration of Dr. Lamm and Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, the Lamm Prize will be bestowed upon Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks during a community assembly on March 16, followed by the delivery of his lecture to the greater community at Nathan Lamport Auditorium in Zysman Hall, Amsterdam Ave. at 186th St. in New York City at 7 PM.

Throughout the week, Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks will significantly enhance the academic life of the University by actively engaging with students and faculty. On March 17, he will address high school students and hold a question-and-answer session with them. Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks will also spend Shabbat on the Beren Campus with his wife, Lady Elaine Sacks, who along with Esther Joel, wife of President Joel, will discuss their roles in the Jewish community.

Visit www.yu.edu/lammheritage for more details.

May 13, 2009 — Yeshiva University’s three undergraduate schools–Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women and Sy Syms School of Business–will hold their first combined Undergraduate Dinner on June 17 at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers in New York City. The dinner will honor distinguished members of the schools’ Boards Benjamin S. Chouake, MD, Suzanne and Miles Berger and Philip Friedman, who are all New Jersey residents.

Chouake founded Emergi-Med, an eight-physician primary care practice in 1984, and holds certifications in internal medicine and emergency medicine. As president of NORPAC, the nations’ largest pro-Israel political action committee, he has become a nationally recognized advocate of U.S.-Israel relations. He sits on the National Council of AIPAC, among other boards, and received its Community Leader Award in 2008. A resident of Englewood, Chouake brings integrity and tenacity to his work as a Board member of Yeshiva College, a position he has held since 2003.

Chouake, who also serves on the Board of Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, and his wife, Dr. Esther Hershenbaum, established the Esther and Ben Chouake Scholarship at Yeshiva College.

“It is incumbent upon us—those who have the ability–to build the community,” he said. “And that’s why I am involved.”

Suzanne Berger joined Stern College’s Board four years ago, a move precipitated by her commitment to Judaism, understanding of its underlying importance and value in a secular-dominated education system and her daughter’s attendance at Stern.

“I have witnessed a unique group of Jewish women committed to making a mark in the world through active participation in societal issues as well as in the fields of science, medicine and literature,” Mrs. Berger said. “Simultaneously, by embracing their Jewish values, these young women truly epitomize what it means to be women of valor.”

She and her husband, Miles Berger, chairman of the Berger Organization, have been married for 30 years. “We are very proud to be honored by Yeshiva University,” the Livingston residents said. “We believe in Yeshiva and what it represents.”

Philip Friedman founded Computer Generated Solutions, which specializes in software, systems integration, help desk, consulting and training, with just five employees in 1984. Today, the company employs 3,000 professionals and maintains a global presence spanning North America, Europe and Asia. In 1996, Friedman was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the City of New York, Ernst & Young, Inc., Merrill Lynch and Inc. Magazine.

A Board member of Sy Syms School of Business since 2003, the Livingston resident takes an active role in its growth and future. “Sy Syms School will be one of the leading institutions in the field of business,” Friedman said. “And I will do what I can to get them there. The mere fact that we can educate thousands of Jewish kids to follow our traditions and give them a great education is deserving of my support.”

To make a reservation, place a message in the Dinner Scroll of Honor or for more information, visit www.yu.edu/undergraduatedinner, e-mail undergraduatedinner@yu.edu or call 212-960-5468.

Feb 26, 2009 — Yeshiva University received an Eddy Award from “Pensions & Investments,” an international newspaper that focuses on money management, at the newspaper’s 17th annual Defined Contribution Conference in Miami Beach, Fla., on February 9. The Eddy Awards recognize the highest caliber investment education programs of defined contribution plan sponsors — corporate, union and not-for-profit — and service providers.

Yeshiva University received a first-place award in the category “Ongoing Education: Not-for-Profit” for its campaign to educate staff, faculty and administration about changes in its retirement plan, as provided by Prudential Retirement.

The award stated that Yeshiva’s campaign “was totally branded, featuring its own employees and the same colors as the school itself. The information was solid and complete. And, kudos for warning people about the negatives of taking loans.”

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.

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.”

Students in the new Honors College are selected based on academic standing and interpersonal skills.

Oct 30, 2008 — This fall, Yeshiva University High School for Boys (YUHSB) inaugurated its Honors College, a forum for enriched spiritual and intellectual stimulation geared to engage gifted students.

Twenty-four students were recruited from the top echelons of their elementary school classes for the incoming class of the Honors College. The program reflects a synergy of Torah principles with the broader intellectual world.

Edward Berliner, director of the Honors College, said the program will establish an “intellectual hothouse for participating students.”

“We spend a lot of time at yeshiva high schools with students who need extra attention but the question is how much time are we spending with students who need and deserve special attention to further their intellectual growth?” Dr. Berliner said.

After eight months of planning, the program was developed with four academic features in mind: investment in academic excellence, interdisciplinary studies, experiential learning and directed mentoring.

Throughout their four years in the program, students will have additional thematic readings and will read perspectives of various authors ranging from Mark Twain to Rav Joseph Soleveitchik. They will also go on field trips, which will include preparatory research and debriefing. They have studied both the biology and politics that play a role in the preservation of the Meadowlands wetlands in preparation for a scheduled pontoon boat tour of the wetlands.

Members of the Honors College are selected based on academic achievements and interpersonal skills. During their first semester at YUHSB, candidates will be observed and counseled by members of the Honors faculty to determine if the program is a fit. It is only then that the student will be invested as an Honors College chaver [member], a term that Dr. Berliner explained that was meant to indicate “a combination of brotherhood, peoplehood and responsibility.”

The program will be adjusted as it progresses based on student feedback. Taking into account the transition to a heavier workload and longer hours of high school, the faculty want to be careful not to overburden the students, Dr. Berliner said.

Meir Hirsch, a freshman from Teaneck, NJ, said he joined the Honors College in the hope of a deeper challenge in both secular and Judaic studies. “I saw the opportunity as a chance to gain knowledge and skills from sources that are not available to all the high school students, such as advanced fieldtrips and speakers,” Hirsch said.

Dr. Berliner and his colleagues were pleased with student participation at the program’s opening event, a seminar discussion on the boys’ summer reading assignment, ‘Huckleberry Finn,’ led by Dr. Fred Sugarman, associate dean of Yeshiva College.

“Students made comments that were so profound,” Dr. Berliner said. “These kids want to be challenged and it is our job to live up to that.”

Sep 23, 2008 — Nearly 700 people attended Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) Annual Dinner of Tribute, held this evening at The Grand Hyatt in New York City. Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, dean emeritus of RIETS and special advisor to the President on Yeshiva Affairs, was honored for his extraordinary achievement in Torah learning and leadership over 35 years as the seminary’s dean.

Herbert Smilowitz and his son, Rabbi Mark Smilowitz, were the inaugural America/Israel Dor L’Dor [generation to generation] Award recipients. RIETS also paid recognition to members of its tenth, twenty-fifth, and fiftieth anniversary classes (1958, 1983, and 1998). More than $1 million was raised for the Seminary.

The evening was marked by warm tributes and a celebration of RIETS. In recognizing Rabbi Charlop, Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel said, “You have raised all of us to be your wonderful family, and you’ve done it just by being Rabbi Zevulun Charlop.”

“He has set the pattern for the needs, and for filling the needs, of the modern rabbi in the modern community,” said Rabbi Julius Berman, chairman of the board of trustees of RIETS.

“Rabbi Charlop has left us with a legacy of excellence, a legacy of integrity, a legacy of erudition, a legacy of honor, and a legacy of kindness and compassion and sensitivity towards all students,” said Rabbi Yona Reiss, who succeeded Rabbi Charlop this year as Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS.

“I wouldn’t be who I am without the support of Rabbi Charlop,” said Rabbi Reuven Brand, a RIETS alumnus who came to the dinner from Illinois, where he is rosh kollel of The Yeshiva University Torah Mitzion Kollel in Skokie. “There’s a magic in RIETS, and a magic in what we have in this room. Thank you, Rabbi Charlop, for helping us to share this magic with others.”

President Joel announced that a wing of the Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study – now under construction on YU’s Wilf Campus in Washington Heights – would be named for Rabbi Charlop, thanks to gifts from a group of YU supporters.

“The Smilowitz family has a deep and long-standing connection to RIETS,” said Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor of Yeshiva University. “Blessed is the father who has such a son, and blessed is the son who has such a father.” Dr. Lamm hailed Herbert Smilowitz as “a quiet giant,” and noted that Mark Smilowitz is “a superb politician – not in the vulgar sense of the word, but in the Arisotelian sense: he has an intuitive knowledge of human relationships.

Herbert Smilowitz, honored tonight as “a humble man of faith,” joined the RIETS Board of Trustees in 1994 and now serves as its vice chairman. He received the RIETS Eitz Chaim [Tree of Life] award in 2002. Mr. Smilowitz and his wife, Marilyn, are Benefactors of YU and reside in West Orange, NJ.

Rabbi Mark Smilowitz, who was cited for his rabbinic leadership and educational commitment, graduated from Yeshiva College in 1992 and earned his master’s degree from YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration. He received semikhah from RIETS in 2002. Rabbi Smilowitz resides in Beit Shemesh, Israel with his wife, Michelle, and four children.

Founded in 1896, RIETS is the leading center for education and ordination of Orthodox Rabbis in North America. For more information or to support RIETS, please call 212-960-0852 or visit www.riets.edu.

For over a century, RIETS has educated and trained the Rabbis who have shaped our Jewish world. Combining the highest levels of Torah learning in the legacy of Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik zt”l, an unmatched program of professional preparation for the rabbinate, and an impassioned commitment to impact the Jewish community, RIETS continues to produce the finest rabbinic leadership for the next generation and beyond.

Honorees at the dinner were (L-R) Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, and Herbert Smilowitz and his son, Rabbi Mark Smilowitz.

Sep 19, 2008 — Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, dean emeritus of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and special advisor to the President on yeshiva affairs, was honored for his extraordinary achievement in Torah learning and leadership over 35 years as the seminary’s dean at Yeshiva University’s RIETS Annual Dinner of Tribute on September 17. Almost 700 people attended at the event at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

Herbert Smilowitz and his son, Rabbi Mark Smilowitz, were the inaugural America/Israel Dor L’Dor [generation to generation] Award recipients. RIETS also paid recognition to members of its 10th, 25th and 50th anniversary classes (1958, 1983, and 1998). More than $1 million was raised for the seminary.

The evening was marked by warm tributes and a celebration of RIETS. In recognizing Rabbi Charlop, Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel said, “You have raised all of us to be your wonderful family, and you’ve done it just by being Rabbi Zevulun Charlop.”

“He has set the pattern for the needs, and for filling the needs, of the modern rabbi in the modern community,” said Rabbi Julius Berman, chairman of the RIETS Board of Trustees.

“Rabbi Charlop has left us with a legacy of excellence, a legacy of integrity, a legacy of erudition, a legacy of honor and a legacy of kindness, compassion and sensitivity towards all students,” said Rabbi Yona Reiss, who succeeded Rabbi Charlop this year as The Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS.

“I wouldn’t be who I am without the support of Rabbi Charlop,” said Rabbi Reuven Brand, a RIETS alumnus who came to the dinner from Illinois, where he is the director of the Yeshiva University Torah Mitzion Chicago Kollel in Skokie. “There’s a magic in RIETS, and a magic in what we have in this room. Thank you, Rabbi Charlop, for helping us to share this magic with others.”

President Joel announced that a wing of the Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study–now under construction on YU’s Wilf Campus in Washington Heights–would be named for Rabbi Charlop, thanks to gifts from a group of YU supporters.

A 1951 Yeshiva College graduate, Rabbi Charlop received his semikhah [rabbinical ordination] from RIETS in 1954. He was appointed The Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS in 1971 and served in that position until this past July. Rabbi Charlop has also served as the spiritual leader of the Young Israel of Mosholu Parkway in his native Bronx for the past 54 years.

Rabbi Charlop comes from a long line of rabbinic leadership and Jewish scholarship. His father, Rabbi Jechiel Michael Charlop, was ordained at RIETS in 1921 and served as the spiritual leader of the Bronx Jewish Center for 46 years. His grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlop, was an associate of Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and rosh yeshiva of Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem from its inception.

Visibly moved by the many tributes he received, Rabbi Charlop thanked all the speakers, and added of the evening’s other honorees, “I’m extremely happy that I can share this evening with my very good friends, Herbert and Mark Smilowitz.”

The Smilowitz family has a deep and long-standing connection to RIETS. “Blessed is the father who has such a son, and blessed is the son who has such a father,” said Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor of Yeshiva University. Dr. Lamm hailed Herbert Smilowitz as “a quiet giant,” and noted that Mark Smilowitz is “a superb politician–not in the vulgar sense of the word, but in the Aristotelian sense: he has an intuitive knowledge of human relationships.”

Herbert Smilowitz, honored at the dinner as “a humble man of faith,” joined the RIETS Board of Trustees in 1994 and now serves as its vice chairman. He received the RIETS Eitz Chaim [Tree of Life] award in 2002. Mr. Smilowitz and his wife, Marilyn, are Benefactors of YU and reside in West Orange, NJ.

Rabbi Mark Smilowitz, who was cited for his rabbinic leadership and educational commitment, graduated from Yeshiva College in 1992 and earned his master’s degree from YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration. He received semikhah from RIETS in 2002. Rabbi Smilowitz resides in Beit Shemesh, Israel with his wife, Michelle, and four children.

The America/Israel Dor L’Dor Award recognizes parents and children who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of higher Jewish education in the Torah Umadda model and who have made a meaningful impact in communities in both the United States and Israel.