Ambassador Yehuda Avner to Speak at May 24 Commencement; Honorees Include Alan Willner, Eleazer Hirmes and Ethel Orlian Former Israeli diplomat, Ambassador Yehuda Avner, will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary doctorate at Yeshiva University’s 81st Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 24, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. [caption id="attachment_10367" align="alignleft" width="138" caption="Ambassador Yehuda Avner"][/caption] Avner, an author of two books, served as speechwriter and secretary to Israeli Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir, and as an adviser to Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin and Shimon Peres. Visit the commencement page for dates, locations, directions and information on ceremonies for all Yeshiva University schools and affiliates. President Richard M. Joel will also confer an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters upon Dr. Alan Willner and Eleazer Hirmes. Willner, a 1982 graduate of Yeshiva College, is a highly decorated physicist, who has published more than 950 papers on his research in optical technologies. Currently a chaired professor of engineering at the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California, he holds 24 patents. His research has been supported by institutions such as Cisco, the Department of Defense, Google, Hewlett Packard, Intel, the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency. [caption id="attachment_10373" align="alignright" width="143" caption="Dr. Alan Willner"][/caption] Hirmes’ family relationship with Yeshiva University dates back to the early years of the 20th century, when his father, Rabbi Abraham P. Hirmes, left the Slabodka Yeshiva in Lithuania to pursue his rabbinical ordination at YU-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. Eleazer attended YU High School and graduated from Yeshiva College in 1944. He received an MBA from New York University and spent 60 years practicing as a CPA, becoming a noted philanthropist in the Five Towns of New York. Hirmes and his wife Greta have set up a scholarship fund in honor of his parents. [caption id="attachment_10375" align="alignleft" width="135" caption="Eleazer Hirmes"][/caption] Ethel Orlian, the associate dean of Stern College for Women, will be awarded the Presidential Medallion. Orlian has spent more than 50 years as a student, teacher and administrator at Yeshiva University. A graduate of YU High School and Stern College, she began her YU career as a researcher, but left to live in Israel before returning to Stern in 1979 as the assistant to Karen Bacon, dean of Stern College for Women. Known to generations of Stern College women, she has remained at the college since—serving as assistant dean and academic counselor and teaching chemistry prior to her appointment as associate dean. [caption id="attachment_10378" align="alignright" width="140" caption="Ethel Orlian"][/caption] “Each of our honorees embodies a different piece of the principles of Yeshiva University, their commitment to the Jewish people, the State of Israel, their hometowns and to the University itself,” said President Joel. “We hope they inspire our graduates to leave our school for success now, but know they always have a home at YU.” In all, more than 1,400 undergraduate students from Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women and Syms School of Business, as well as graduate students in the fields of law, medicine, social work, education, Jewish studies and psychology, will be awarded degrees from YU during its commencement season. Learn more about the honorees here. none

Ambassador Yehuda Avner to Speak at May 24 Commencement; Honorees Include Alan Willner, Eleazer Hirmes and Ethel Orlian Former Israeli diplomat, Ambassador Yehuda Avner, will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary doctorate at Yeshiva University’s 81st Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 24, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. [caption id="attachment_10367" align="alignleft" width="138" caption="Ambassador Yehuda Avner"][/caption] Avner, an author of two books, served as speechwriter and secretary to Israeli Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir, and as an adviser to Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin and Shimon Peres. Visit the commencement page for dates, locations, directions and information on ceremonies for all Yeshiva University schools and affiliates. President Richard M. Joel will also confer an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters upon Dr. Alan Willner and Eleazer Hirmes. Willner, a 1982 graduate of Yeshiva College, is a highly decorated physicist, who has published more than 950 papers on his research in optical technologies. Currently a chaired professor of engineering at the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California, he holds 24 patents. His research has been supported by institutions such as Cisco, the Department of Defense, Google, Hewlett Packard, Intel, the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency. [caption id="attachment_10373" align="alignright" width="143" caption="Dr. Alan Willner"][/caption] Hirmes’ family relationship with Yeshiva University dates back to the early years of the 20th century, when his father, Rabbi Abraham P. Hirmes, left the Slobatka Yeshiva in Lithuania to pursue his rabbinical ordination at YU-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. Eleazer attended YU High School and graduated from Yeshiva College in 1944. He received an MBA from New York University and spent 60 years practicing as a CPA, becoming a noted philanthropist in the Five Towns of New York. Hirmes and his wife Greta have set up a scholarship fund in honor of his parents. [caption id="attachment_10375" align="alignleft" width="135" caption="Eleazer Hirmes"][/caption] Ethel Orlian, the associate dean of Stern College for Women, will be awarded the Presidential Medallion. Orlian has spent more than 50 years as a student, teacher and administrator at Yeshiva University. A graduate of YU High School and Stern College, she began her YU career as a researcher, but left to live in Israel before returning to Stern in 1979 as the assistant to Karen Bacon, dean of Stern College for Women. Known to generations of Stern College women, she has remained at the college since—serving as assistant dean and academic counselor and teaching chemistry prior to her appointment as associate dean. [caption id="attachment_10378" align="alignright" width="140" caption="Ethel Orlian"][/caption] “Each of our honorees embodies a different piece of the principles of Yeshiva University, their commitment to the Jewish people, the State of Israel, their hometowns and to the University itself,” said President Joel. “We hope they inspire our graduates to leave our school for success now, but know they always have a home at YU.” In all, more than 1,400 undergraduate students from Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women and Syms School of Business, as well as graduate students in the fields of law, medicine, social work, education, Jewish studies and psychology, will be awarded degrees from YU during its commencement season. Learn more about the honorees here. none

Students Commemorate Israel with Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut Programs Hundreds of students filled the Wilf Campus' Lamport Auditorium on April 25 for Yeshiva University's Yom Hazikaron (Israel Memorial Day) ceremony honoring the memories of Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. [flickrslideshow acct_name="yeshivauniversity" id="72157629905512039"] The student-organized event featured readings by the Yeshiva College and Stern College Dramatics Societies, an a capella performance by the Y-Studs, a video presentation and a memorial candle lighting service. President Richard M. Joel delivered an emotional El Male Rachamim [memorial prayer] and was followed by keynote speaker Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer '71YC and Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, Joel and Maria Finkle Visiting Israeli Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS. The ceremony concluded with a Yizkor prayer led by Rabbi Yosef Blau, senior mashgiach ruchani [spiritual advisor], and closing words from Avital Chizhik '12S, president of the YU Israel Club. The moving program was followed by song and dance at the annual Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) Chagigah in the Max Stern Athletic Center, celebrating Israel’s 64th birthday. Yom Ha’atzmaut festivities continued on April 26 with more dancing, a barbecue and carnival on the Wilf Campus. Download YU Torah’s Yom Ha’atzmaut To-Go, featuring articles from Roshei Yeshiva, faculty and prominent Torah personalities. none

YU Screening of “Kony 2012” Sheds Light on Ugandan Rebel War Crimes, Offers Students Chance to Get Involved On March 26 more than 150 Yeshiva University students filled the Koch Auditorium on the Beren Campus for a special screening of the short film “Kony 2012” and an open dialogue with members of the movement that created it. [caption id="attachment_10113" align="alignleft" width="430" caption="Invisible Children volunteers Bony and Funk addressed YU students at the Stern College Social Justice Society event."][/caption] The video was produced by Invisible Children—a group that seeks to raise awareness of war crimes committed by Ugandan rebel militant Joseph Kony—and has taken the world by storm. Employing an innovative mix of social media, pop culture and documentary, “Kony 2012” has quickly become one of the most viral videos of all time. In its first minutes, director Jason Russel narrates: “The next 27 minutes are an experiment, but for it to work, you have to pay attention.” And people around the world certainly have. The video has been viewed more than 137 million times over platforms like YouTube and Facebook since its March 5 release—about 136.5 million more than expected, according to Invisible Children volunteer Brian Funk. “This is our 14th tour with Invisible Children and we’ve never seen people as honestly and eagerly engaged,” he said. Addressing the students, Funk and fellow volunteer Bony, a survivor of the conflict from Northern Uganda, answered questions about Kony and spoke about their own experiences with Invisible Children. Bony told students about the long trek he and other children made from their homes to sleep in the city hospital each night, where armed guards protected them from being abducted by Kony’s forces into his Lord’s Resistance Army, largely composed of child soldiers. He also described United Nations refugee camps where natives fled to avoid being abducted or killed by the LRA, as well as some of the tactics Kony employed to keep his army in line. “He forces young kids to kill their parents because he knows that if you do that, you probably know there is no one who will take care of you if you escape and run home,” said Bony. Today, Bony is finishing vocational training and is about to begin university studies as one of 950 students sponsored by the Legacy Scholarship Program. He hopes to pursue a career in international relations and has come a long way, Funk noted, since he was filmed in Invisible Children’s first work, 2007’s “The Rough Cut,” making his nightly journey to the hospital to sleep. “Bony’s story inspired me to get involved five years ago,” said Funk. “I never thought I’d actually be greeting him at an airport and living and working with him on a daily basis. I think that’s the power of human connection and how we truly are, through this social media revolution that’s taken place over the past few weeks, a world without borders.” He added: “We do have a commonality between all of us and Bony being here is a testament to that.” Aviva Kott, president of Stern College for Women’s Social Justice Society and an organizer of the event, agreed. “I love that organizations like this invite students from across North America and Uganda to work together,” said Kott, a senior majoring in political science. “I’m proud of the close, tight-knit community we have on campus here but I think students also gain a lot from this kind of diverse interaction with the world around us.” The event was hosted by the Social Justice Society and co-sponsored by the YU Democrat and Republican Clubs. Kott noted that though Invisible Children has visited YU in the past, this year’s gathering drew a significant increase in attendance, up from 30 students last year. In addition to introducing the YU community to the complexities of this 26-year conflict, the event also offered them an opportunity to question Funk and Bony about the “Stop Kony” campaign and the media frenzy that has surrounded it. Students discussed financial concerns and future goals of the organization, including whether it planned to target other war criminals and its approach to rehabilitating former child soldiers. “I saw the video on Facebook and wanted to learn more about what’s going on and how to help from people who know what they’re doing,” said Alan Verbitzky, a freshman studying finance at the Syms School of Business. “I think bringing Invisible Children to campus shows YU’s commitment to a global society and keeping its students aware of these world situations.” Watch "KONY 2012" below: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc none

Students Celebrate Purim at Yeshiva University Men’s and Women’s Chagigot [flickrslideshow acct_name="yeshivauniversity" id="72157629176313496"] none

Students Raise Dough and Awareness for Breast Cancer at Yeshiva University Cake Wars On February 29, more than 300 students filled Furst Hall’s Room 501 on the Wilf Campus for Cake Wars, a cake decorating competition that raised funds and awareness for breast cancer. Thirty teams comprising 150 participants went head-to-head to impress a team of judges that included Joey Bodner of Main Event Caterers; L'via Weisinger, a Stern College for Women graduate and owner of Her Royal Cakeness; David Himber, dean of students; Tami Adelson of Student Life; Shera Dubitsky of Sharsheret; Tzvi Goldstein of Strauss Bakery and Zechariah Mehler, a food critic and contributor to The Jewish Star newspaper of Long Island. [flickrslideshow acct_name="yeshivauniversity" id="72157629496807813"] In all, more than $2,400 was raised for Sharsheret, a national not-for-profit organization supporting Jewish women and their families who are facing breast cancer. Sponsors included Chiffon Bakery, Strauss Bakery and Main Event Caterers, as well as student organizations TAC, YSU, SYMS and SCWSC. The event was organized by YU students Faygel Beren, David Bodner and Tzvi Solomon as part of the third annual Sharsheret Pink Day Around the World—a campaign conceived of and organized by Solomon. “Yeshiva University is a shining example of an institution that fosters its students’ creativity and assists in implementing their ideas,” said Solomon. “Given the strong foundation YU has in the Jewish community I knew it would be the perfect place to hold such an incredible event for Sharsheret.” Mehler, a 2004 graduate of Yeshiva University, shared his thoughts on Cake Wars: There are a number of words in various foreign languages that describe food as abstract concepts. Words like “shemomedjamo,” which is Georgian and expresses when someone eats beyond the point of hunger simply because they enjoy the taste. Or “pelinti,” a word in Buli, spoken in Ghana, which describes the reaction of someone biting down on food that is too hot to eat. There are dozens of examples of these sorts of words in as many languages—words that describe the emotion of eating, the joy of cooking or the beauty of food presentation—but no matter how hard I looked I could not find a word that describes the concept of using food to do something virtuous. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuYN54oyoPE&list=UUCSL29jZjeAWwMsby_H7msQ&index=1&feature=plcp What makes the lack of such a word unfortunate is that last week I witnessed an event that truly utilized food for an honorable cause. I was at an event hosted by Yeshiva University and run by several of its students called Cake Wars. Cake Wars was a cake decorating competition set up by YU students David Bodner, Tzvi Solomon and Faygel Beren, to help raise breast cancer awareness and to benefit the breast cancer support group Sharsheret on what the organization calls Pink Day. For Cake Wars, 30 teams consisting of 150 student participants had one hour to decorate a cake with a specific theme that focused on raising awareness. In addition to the 150-odd participants, an additional 150 or so students came to root for their favorite team, watch the action or simply to support the cause. Regardless of why they were there, during the decorating the room was a cacophonous sea of frenetic, pink-clad action. Let’s face it; an hour is not a lot of time to figure out how to decorate a cake when you have never decorated a cake before. However, despite their lack of experience, the students really threw themselves into the competition. They sawed at their cakes with plastic knives to create intricate shapes. They spackled greasy frosting down as mortar to construct three-dimensional shapes and in general made a great mess of things in a truly endearing way. Some teams had clearly thought up a serious plan. The winning team, for example, created a three-dimensional Miss Pacman sporting a pink bow on a cake decorated to look like a maze in the game. Another team used frosting to paint an image of a popular internet meme in what I must admit was stunning detail. There were other impressive showings, like the miniature hedge maze or the giant pink ribbon one team was able to carve their cake into. Other teams…well they gave it their best shot. Mostly students focused on variations of a concept described to me by one contestant as “beating breast cancer is like climbing a mountain, so our cake represents climbing that mountain.” The young man who said this to me was covered from head to toe in white frosting and sprinkles. His cake was a beautiful mess of a lopsided mound intermittently dotted with various confections. This guy knew that his cake was not going to win but it was clear that he didn’t care. He’d had a blast with his friends decorating it and he had done it to benefit a good cause. When the dust settled and the noise died down I looked around at the carnage in the room. Cake parts, frosting, cookies and sweets were everywhere. But all around were happy students, all of whom contributed to the event and used food as their medium to do something good. So here I am, days later, looking through foreign languages dictionaries to try and find a word, in any language, that adequately describes how these young adults used food to do something truly decent. Zechariah Mehler ’04YC is a widely published food writer and marketing expert. Follow him on Twitter @thekoshercritic. none

100 Yeshiva University Students Volunteer at Soup Kitchen in Memory of Alumnus and Friend On Sunday, March 4, 100 students and alumni of Yeshiva University gathered at the Masbia soup kitchen in Brooklyn to help prepare meals and Purim food packages for more than 500 needy people as part of the Center for the Jewish Future's First Annual Day of Service in memory of Ilan Tokayer z"l. [caption id="attachment_9857" align="alignleft" width="430" caption="YU student volunteers prepared meals and food packages at the Masbia soup kitchen as part of CJF's Day of Service."][/caption] Tokayer, a YU graduate, passed away a year ago at the age of 25. As a student at Yeshiva College, he had been very involved in volunteer work—participating in numerous charitable initiatives and CJF programs, including Jewish Life Coast to Coast and a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua. “Ilan was always quick to volunteer and was always the first to roll up his sleeves and help whenever it was needed,” said Aliza Abrams, assistant director of CJF’s Department of Service Learning and Experiential Education. “We chose to volunteer at Masbia because we recognized that the week of Purim is a wonderful time to involve ourselves in the mitzvah of Matanot L’evyonim, giving gifts to the poor, and Masbia does just that. This was a great way to involve ourselves in that mitzvah and to honor Ilan's memory.” httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZmp_IEIWgw Noam Tokayer, Ilan’s brother, took part in the Day of Service and said that volunteering at Masbia was a “very appropriate” tribute. He recalled that as a graduate student studying viticulture and enology at UC Davis, Ilan would regularly invite guests over to his home for skillfully prepared Shabbat meals. “He was able to tie his passion for chessed and community service with his passion for food,” said Noam, a Yeshiva College junior. “I think the programs offered by the CJF help provide students with a sense of perspective. It’s not just about good grades and academics—it’s about being a quality person.” Check out the Day of Service photo gallery. Read the article in the New York Daily News. none

Competitive Eating Champion Kobayashi Discusses the Science of Eating at Chemistry Club Event Takeru Kobayashi, world-renowned competitive eating champion, shared tips, tricks and stories from his professional career with Yeshiva University students on the Wilf Campus on February 23. [caption id="attachment_9752" align="alignleft" width="314" caption="Competitive eater Kobayashi speaks to students at Feb. 23 Chemistry Club event. "][/caption] At an event organized by YU’s Stern College for Women Chemistry Club, Kobayashi discussed training techniques and health concerns involved in the competitive eating process. He also emphasized the importance of mindful eating. “I’m a competitive eater but also a foodie,” said Kobayashi. “I enjoy food more than the average person. When I’m not competing, I like to focus on the atmosphere and the taste and texture of food.” As a college student, Kobayashi stumbled on his unique talent when a local restaurant held a contest to see who could eat the most curry rice. The prize: free curry rice. “I ate 5100 grams,” said Kobayashi, or more than 11 pounds. Not only did he win the free rice, but a friend nominated Kobiyashi for a televised competition in Japan that launched his career. Today, he holds Guinness world records for competitive eating in the hamburger, hot dog, meatball, pasta and Twinkie category, and won the Nathan’s Famous Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest an unprecedented six years in a row. The night included a question-and-answer session with Kobayashi that covered everything from the champion’s favorite foods (yogurt and tofu) to the cultural differences between Japanese and American eaters (portion sizes). Students also grilled Kobayashi about his greatest challenge (a toss-up between eating cow brains and competing with a bear), his hero(Steven Greenberg, recently deceased manager of restaurant 230 Fifth), and the life lessons he has learned in the competitive eating arena. “I’ve learned how important it is to enjoy the eating process,” said Kobayashi. “It’s such a natural part of being human. When you see someone who is very hungry finally taking that first bite—that’s a great thing.” As the event drew to a close, Kobayashi helped students devour a massive hamentasch in honor of the upcoming holiday of Purim. Kobayashi donated his speaking fee from the event to Masbia, a nonprofit soup kitchen network and food pantry in New York City. [caption id="attachment_9727" align="alignleft" width="389" caption="Kobayashi enjoys a giant hamantasch"][/caption] “I’ve always been a huge Kobayashi fan and follow him in competitions,” said Yeshiva College student Yossi Aharon. “Having the opportunity to hear from a celebrity on a global scale about his career is really exciting and fun.” Emily Levine, president of the Chemistry Club and an organizer of the event, felt that Kobayashi offered students an unusual look at the applications of food science. “We brought Kobayashi in to speak because hearing from him is a unique, exciting way to introduce students to food science,” she said. Sarah Noble, a junior majoring in art history and biochemistry who also helped organize the event, agreed. “It’s something you don’t see every day and the scientific aspect of what he does is just an incredible phenomenon,” she said. Noble has another connection to the competitive eating champion, though. “My dog is named after him,” she said. Learn more about the Stern College Chemistry Club and their upcoming events here. one

Hundreds of High School Students Learn Diplomacy at Yeshiva University Model UN More than 600 high school students from around the world gathered in Stamford, Connecticut, from February 5-7 for the 22nd Annual Yeshiva University Model UN competition, or YUNMUN. The annual competition, sponsored by the YU Office of Admissions, featured a schedule packed with committee sessions, keynote speakers and abundant networking opportunities. [flickrslideshow acct_name="yeshivauniversity" id="72157629259067447"] Students came from 45 schools, spanning 3 continents, 4 countries and 12 states, with delegations from South Africa, Brazil and Canada. “It was really amazing, coming from South Africa, and it was such an eye-opening experience,” said Ariella Blumenthal from the Yeshiva College of South Africa. Preparation for the competition starts months in advance and requires a collaboration between YU students who chair the secretariat and the YU Office of Admissions. Topics must be prepared for the students, the committees must be chosen and the hotel prepared for the convergence of high school students, their staff, and the staff of YU admissions and undergraduates. The competition features an intricate Internet system that provides all committee rooms access to a laptop and printing. There is also a resource room that produces four issues of a newspaper during the three-day conference. Students are encouraged to contribute thoughts, observations, artwork and articles to share with the rest of the conference. Having been previously assigned countries, the students came prepared to argue their country’s position in a variety of UN committees ranging from the Human Rights Council to the UN Environment Program on topics that had been planned by YU undergraduates. The sessions were entirely chaired and administrated by the more than 50 YU students who joined the conference to moderate the debates between the high school students and select the delegates that would receive awards. “The competition was top notch,” said Benny Smith, a senior at YU's Syms School of Business. “I had a difficult time figuring out who to award.” Certain aspects of the competition have attained an almost legendary status, such as the “midnight crisis” thrust on members of the Security Council. This year’s 4 a.m. wakeup was “definitely intense,” according to Daniel Sacks, a senior from YULA High School in Los Angeles. “But being able to solve a crisis and form coalitions at that hour was an incredible experience.” This year’s competition introduced a new initiative to add a social action component during the conference. In between committee sessions, the students were privileged to hear from Jacqueline Murekatete, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and currently a student at YU’s Benjamin N. Cordozo School of Law. Murekatete told students her story and implored them to get involved with the world around them. Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, also addressed the delegates, explaining his work in Geneva to protect the interests of Israel and other countries that are scrutinized by the Human Rights Council. “This is a very important event,” said Neuer. “I went to the Harvard Model UN competition but couldn’t participate because I was shomer Shabbat [Sabbath observant]. I am enormously impressed, and I wish the real UN was as serious as these sessions.” For the first time YUNMUN XXII also featured a Jumbotron screen in the main hall where participants could view real-time tweets with the dedicated Twitter hashtag, #yunmun2012. The conference concluded with an awards ceremony and an address from YU President Richard M. Joel, who reminded the young delegates that “it is not enough to think about ideas. It is not enough to dream—you need to do.” The author, Sophie Felder, is senior at Stern College for Women majoring in political science with a minor in economics. She is the managing editor for the Stern newspaper, The Observer. none

Students Explore Social Justice on CJF Missions to Ukraine, Central America, Israel and the West Coast Whether building libraries in the Nicaraguan heat or renovating a youth center in the cold of Kharkov, Ukraine, Yeshiva University students were hard at work during the winter intersession participating in Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) programs around the world. [flickrslideshow acct_name="yeshivauniversity" id="72157629055095573"] “As future religious and lay leaders of the Jewish people, it is important for our students to be exposed to and engaged with issues of social justice and global welfare as well as the unique and varied challenges and opportunities facing Jewish communities around the world, from small towns on the West Coast to Beit Shemesh,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, David Mitzner Dean of the CJF. “It is critical that YU students have both a broad world-view and a deep appreciation of how these issues are dealt with through the prism of Jewish thought so they can become effective agents of change in their communities and the world-at-large. The most important journey that students take on these missions is the one of self-discovery.” Comprised of seven service-learning missions across Europe, Israel, Central America and the United States, the programs ran from January 12-22 and involved 140 undergraduates. “Tzedek and Tzedaka,” an 8-day experiential education program, explored concepts of social justice in a modern democratic Jewish state. Two separate groups of 15 men and women, accompanied by YU scholars in residence Rabbi Hershel Schachter and Rabbi Assaf Bednarsh, studied religious texts and met with top Israeli rabbinic figures, supreme court justices, government officials, prison inmates and administrators, non-profit organization founders and social activists. In addition to ethical questions about society’s relationship to criminals and justice, the groups investigated several hot-button issues, including the status of women in Israeli government and law and the challenges of building a just society when faced with opposition from extremist constituents on both sides. Ten students also traveled to Israel for “Art in Ort,” an outgrowth of the highly successful Counterpoint Israel summer program. Drawing on their extensive graphic design, filmmaking and musical experience, YU students ran special workshops designed by renowned American art educator Andrea Rabinovitch for 160 middle school students—teens from low-income neighborhoods in Jerusalem—to help them discover their inner talents through art. “Students are walking away from these missions with a newfound understanding of some of the most important yet perplexing issues that we as a people currently face,” said Gila Rockman, programs director at the CJF’s Department of Service Learning and Experiential Education. “They have a new awareness of the complexities confronting Israel as a Jewish state in a western world.” Two humanitarian missions in Mexico and Nicaragua continued the work of previous student visits, strengthening relationships and assisting in the establishment of critical communal institutions. In Mexico, 16 students collaborated with Hombre Sobre La Tierra (HST – Humankind on Earth), a non-profit group that seeks to promote environmental sustainability, self-sufficiency and the integration of women among poor Mayan communities. Participants helped build a tilapia farm which serves as an important source of protein for the town and learned about Mayan culture as well as principles of tikkun o’lam [repairing the world] and rights-based approaches to international development. In Nicaragua, 16 participants resumed work on a library whose foundations were laid by YU students last year, in collaboration with Servicios Medicos Comunals, a non-government organization. “These types of service projects give students the opportunity to engage and truly live the value of tikkun olam,” said Tuvia Brander, program leader of the Mexico mission. “They show our students how they can be models of change.” Project Kharkov, a 10-day service learning mission, took 19 undergraduates to the heart of Ukraine to gain a firsthand understanding of the welfare challenges and identity crises faced by its Jewish community following the collapse of the Former Soviet Union, as well as how the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) addresses communal needs. Students cleaned the grounds of a Jewish day school and renovated parts of a youth center to make it more welcoming to Jewish teens. They also participated in a meaningful and heartbreaking memorial at Dobritsky Yar, the site of a mass grave where thousands of Jews were slaughtered during the Holocaust, and visited Kharkov’s Wohl Center, where a wide range of performing arts programs express the community’s Jewish identity. “We all could see the vibrancy of Kharkov’s Jewish community,” wrote Ben Scheiner, a junior at Yeshiva College, in a JDC blog. “Jewish Ukrainians of all ages poured their hearts out to us in their performances. I felt honored to witness this private concert which embodied talent, personal pride and the resurgence of the Jewish community there.” Aliza Abrams, assistant director of CJF's Department of Service Learning and Experiential Education, noted that "The most empowering part of the volunteer experience is seeing that service doesn't have a language barrier. A student can stand alongside a Ukrainian peer who doesn't speak a word of English and together they can transform a youth center. A student can take part in building a library alongside a Spanish-speaking Nicaraguan. The work is being done with compassion and it is the language of care and unity that gets the work done." In the United States, 20 undergraduates headed to one of the world’s most technologically advanced regions for the fifth incarnation of the CJF’s Jewish Life Coast to Coast program. Joined by Rabbi Brander, they traveled to San Francisco and Los Angeles, led educational programs in schools, synagogues and college campuses, and met with Jewish entrepreneurs from organizations including Google, the Jim Joseph Foundation and the Jewish Studies Network. A delegation of 15 students also participated in Limmud NY, a four-day convention of hundreds of Jews from all walks of life. The conference, in its eighth year, was held in Kerhonkson, NY, and featured more than 300 sessions presented by leading Jewish activists, artists, educators, innovators, public figures, and scholars. Topics included Jewish textual learning, art, music, film, literature, ethics, ecology, social justice and humor. “Attending Limmud NY broadened students’ sense of Jewish community and gave them an opportunity to participate in the Jewish communal conversation,” said Marc Fein, the delegation’s leader. “It also strengthened their own Jewish identity and pride in our community. The conference allowed students to bring a new perspective to their studies and all the work they do.” The CJF is grateful to the programming and institutional partners that made these missions possible for YU students. They include the Jim Joseph Foundation, the American Jewish World Service, the Eckstein Family, Repair the World and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. none