More than 200 YU Students and Alumni Attend Career Center Fair; 95% of Graduates Employed or in Grad School

Two hundred Yeshiva University students and alumni had an opportunity to connect with more than 45 employers in 17 industries, ranging from finance and technology to fashion and healthcare, at the YU Career Center’s Spring Career Fair on March 15.

Employers such as the American Red Cross, Kenneth Cole Productions, Simon & Schuster and Young & Rubicam participated in the fair—networking with and interview promising YU students and graduates. “We came here because we’ve heard YU has a lot of great programs and as an IT company, we thought we’d find the people who have the background we’re looking for here,” said Jean Paul Jean-Louis, a representative for Capgemini. “It’s our first time here but we’ve already met a few very talented people with a lot of potential.”
Read the rest of this entry…

Jun 15, 2010 — Yeshiva University recently celebrated its inaugural class of students who earned a master’s of science degree in accounting from Sy Syms School of Business, a clear indication of the University’s commitment to ensuring that its students are prepared for careers as CPAs.

This first graduating class, comprised of nine students, has set the tone for the future of the master’s program, according to Margie Martin, associate director of program recruitment for the MS in accounting program. “These students set a high standard for what a SSSB MS in accounting student will need to be, and those standards will help us to recruit other students of high quality.”

The master’s program launched last summer with co-ed classes on the Beren Campus, conveniently located for those working in accounting firms in midtown. Students had the option to take courses on a full-or part-time basis, but were required to complete a total of 10 courses to earn their degree. This summer, the curriculum will feature added courses so that students who majored in a business discipline other than accounting can enroll in the program.

Martin classifies the significance of a master’s program at Syms as twofold. “Now, students can continue their education on the graduate level at SSSB in an environment that they are comfortable in—a number of the professors in the MS in accounting teach at the undergraduate level of SSSB, so they know the students and can continue the relationships that have been built,” she said. “Secondly, SSSB has a reputation to the outside world as being a leader in business education, and now with the MS in accounting, students who graduated from other institutions can be a part of this learning experience and benefit from everything we offer: dynamic course offerings, strong ties to the accounting profession and all that YU stands for.”

Students who have successfully completed the program are already reaping the benefits. For instance, Montreal native Daniel Newman ‘09SB landed a job as a tax associate in Deloitte’s accounting department; he intends to take the CPA exam next year. “My master’s degree makes me more competitive,” he said. “In addition to nuts-and-bolts accounting courses, I got to take general business courses as well, which has helped me to prepare for the CPA exam.”

For more information on the MS in accounting program, contact Margie Martin at 917-326-4852 or mmartin4@yu.edu or visit www.yu.edu/sysyms/msa.

Jun 3, 2009 — Chavi Schwartz, who graduated as co-valedictorian from Sy Syms School of Business, always had a head for numbers. “I always enjoyed having to work through problems and come to conclusions based on a given set of rules,” said the accounting major from Highland Park, NJ.

But while Syms’ accounting program—taught by professors who have worked in the profession—qualified her for a job at KPMG starting this fall, the school had a further-reaching impact on her life. The University equipped her for a life as a Torah-observant Jew in the modern workplace, she said.

“YU’s dual curriculum has prepared me to enter the business world with superior skills and knowledge and a deep-rooted commitment to Torah values and laws regardless of the situation I am in,” Schwartz said. “The teachers and atmosphere at YU have taught me how to integrate Judaism into yet another area of my life and that is something that will stay with me forever.”

Schwartz, whose father and two brothers attended Yeshiva College, said her teachers at the business schools modeled this fusion of religious lifestyle with business interests. On a weekend trip out of the city she coincidentally walked into a shiur [lecture] being given by one of her accounting professors.

“Observing how my teachers are able to teach and excel in their business careers while still being actively involved in their religious communities made a major impact on me and is something that motivated me to continue on the path that I am on,” she said.

Next profile: Alison Brill, who advocated for prisoners’ rights at Cardozo, awarded clerkship for NJ Supreme Court Justice

Jun 2, 2009 — Entrepreneurship runs in the family for Michael Levy, who graduated from Sy Syms School of Business this May with a major in finance. While a student, the Lawrence, NY, native helped develop TriSpecs, his father’s consumer electronics company whose flagship product, TriSpecs Eyewear, incorporates wireless headphones and Bluetooth technology into a pair of fashionable sunglasses.

Levy’s father, Isaac, started the company four years ago. TriSpecs now consists of a team of industry designers, engineers and technicians holding worldwide patents. The product, officially unveiled at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas in January, is now available in stores.

Levy said the entrepreneurial courses he took at the business school and the support of faculty, including Brian Maruffi and Mike Strauss, helped him develop solid business strategies for TriSpecs.

“They are some truly special educators,” Levy said. “From the after-class strategy meetings to the personal contacts they afford students, the professors really take a personal interest in each student.”

Levy won joint third prize of $1,000 at the Sy Syms Business Plan Competition in May, which is judged by a group of established business executives and entrepreneurs.

He now works full time on TriSpecs, developing features, designing marketing materials, planning new styles and working with major retail operators to increase distribution.

The young entrepreneur is excited to continue developing the business in an expanding market.

“The concept stems from a philosophy of simplicity,” Levy said. “Something I believe is an important part of life.”

Next profile: Chavi Schwartz graduates from Sy Syms School of Business with head for numbers and a heart for Torah

Deborah Ifrah, vice president of investment banking at J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc, was one of the alumni honored at the dinner.

May 2, 2008 — Sy Syms School of Business (SSSB), Yeshiva University’s undergraduate business school, officially welcomed Dr. Michael J. Ginzberg as the school’s new dean and honored distinguished alumni at its student and alumni gala dinner on Wednesday, April 30, at Bridgewaters at the South Street Seaport.

To see photos from the event, click here.

Dr. Michael J. Ginzberg, who was named dean of Sy Syms in July 2007, told how he came to the school because it had the “potential to be a great business school. All I have seen has convinced me that I was right.”

The dinner honored Rabbi Moshe (Martin) Blech of Teaneck, NJ, director of international taxation at Deloitte LLP; Deborah Ifrah of Buffalo, NY, vice president of investment banking at J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc.; and J.J. Sussman of Israel, director of business development at SanDisk Corporation.

The honorees spoke about how the school’s distinctive ethics-based education had impacted their careers.

“Caring for others and being sensitive to surrounding circumstances will give you a balanced platform to make more compassionate, ethical business decisions,” said Blech, a graduate of Yeshiva University’s High School for Boys, Sy Syms School of Business, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Ifrah, a 1999 graduate of Syms, urged the students and recent graduates to “apply the lessons and skills that Yeshiva University and Syms’ unique education affords, and be a living example of a true God-fearing leader.” Ifrah serves on the board of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, specifically supporting its Mishkon Division, serving the needs of individuals with mental retardation or developmental disabilities.

Sussman, a 1997 Syms graduate who is head of the Modiin Chapter of YU Israel Alumni, reminded the guests that “success is about turning our ideals into practice.”

“Living in Israel makes other ideals increase in significance as we build up our promised land,” he said, praising Dean Ginzberg for creating opportunities to prepare students for life in Israel.

The Sy Syms School of Business Student and Alumni gala dinner began last year as a student- and alumni-initiated celebration of the schools 20th anniversary and is now an annual event to recognize its achievements and reach for new levels of accomplishment.

To watch the video that was shown at the dinner, click here.

Apr 29, 2008 — The Sy Syms School of Business (SSSB), Yeshiva University’s undergraduate business school, will host a gala dinner officially welcoming new Dean, Dr. Michael J. Ginzberg, and honoring three distinguished alumni, Wednesday, April 30, 6:30 p.m. at Bridgewaters at the South Street Seaport (11 Fulton Street).

The alumni honorees are Rabbi Moshe (Martin) Blech of Teaneck, NJ, Director of International Taxation at Deloitte LLP, Deboral Ifrah of Buffalo, NY, Vice President of Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc., and J.J. Sussman of Israel, Director of Business Development at SanDisk Corporation.

Co-chairs of the event are: Jo Ann Catalano, Managing Partner of Deloitte’s Northeast International Tax Group; Warren Eisenberg, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO at Bed, Bath & Beyond; Yehuda Feldman and Michelle Laufer, Student Council Presidents at SSSB; Ezra Lightman, Senior Vice President at Jefferies & Company; Alexander P. Lynch, Chairman of North American Mergers & Acquisitions at J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.; and Cyrus Schwartz, President of Dora’s Naturals Inc.

Rabbi Moshe (Martin) Blech is a four-time graduate of Yeshiva University schools. After graduating from Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, he received a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Sy Syms School of Business. He earned his rabbinical ordination from the University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and law degree from YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He advises students to appreciate YU’s unique blending of the secular with Judaism.

At JP Morgan, Deborah Ifrah focuses on clients within the business services and industrial technology industries. She joined the bank in 1999 as an analyst in mergers and acquisitions. Promoted to vice president in 2006, she spent three months in Mumbai, India as global integration manager for JP Morgan’s investment banking offshoring efforts. She received her Bachelor’s degree in finance from the Sy Syms School of Business in 1999. Active in the Jewish community, she currently serves on the board of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, specifically supporting its Mishkon Division, serving the needs of individuals with mental retardation or developmental disabilities.

J.J. Sussman is responsible for building strategic partnerships and content acquisition at SanDisk. He began his career at Jerusalem Global, raising capital for early stage technology companies. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Sy Syms School of Business in 1997 and earned a MBA in 2003 from Kellogg/Recanati, the Joint MBA Program of Tel Aviv University and Northwestern University. He is currently head of the Modiin Chapter of YUIA (YU Israel Alumni) and president of his synagogue, Beit Knesset Ashkenaz, in Buchman, Modiin.

Dr. Michael J. Ginzberg was named Dean of SSSB in 2007. He is a nationally prominent expert and prolific author on management information systems and the international aspects of business. He helped build both the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management into world-class research, teaching, and training departments.

The Sy Syms School of Business offers a complete business curriculum together with an intensive Jewish studies component. Students take their liberal arts requirements through Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women, and complete their mandatory Jewish studies component through the appropriate Jewish studies programs at the University.

Jan 2, 2008 — Students at Sy Syms School of Business will have the opportunity to learn from and meet the founders of successful start-ups and CEOs of international corporations when the Spring 2008 Doris & Dr. Ira Kukin Entrepreneurial Lecture Series begins on February 1.

Each week during the spring semester, a business personality is invited to speak to Sy Syms students. Students and alumni of Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business are invited to attend the series

The lectures are held in the Levy Commons at 215 Lexington Avenue (corner of 33rd Street) on the Beren Campus on Fridays at 10 am. This year’s speakers are:

February 1 – Jeffrey R. Brown, managing director, advanced planning, Cowan Financial Group; David J. Sondheim, CLTC managing director, wealth management & planning, Cowan Financial Group

February 8 – Russell Galbut, managing principal, Crescent Heights

February 15 – Robert Catell, vice chairman, National Grid

February 22 – Michael J. Granoff, founder and CEO, Maniv Investments, LLC

February 29 – Elizabeth Browning, president, Luminaire

March 7 – Dr. Marshall (Sonny) White, Jr., president,Midlands Technical College, South Carolina (Former president, CIBA Specialty Chemicals)

March 14 – Howard Jonas, CEO and founder, IDT Corp.

March 28 – David Galper, founder, Ruckus Network

April 4 – Peyton Patterson, chair and CEO, Alliance Bank

April 11 – Anthony E. Shorris, executive director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

April 16 – Marco Greenberg, president and CEO, Thunder 11.com

May 2 – Alan Levin, former chairman and CEO, Happy Harry’s Discount Drug Stores

Jul 16, 2007 — A nationally prominent expert and prolific author on management information systems and the international aspects of business, who helped build both the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management into world-class research, teaching, and training departments, has been named dean of Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University.

The appointment of Dr. Michael Ginzberg, who served from 2000 to 2006 as dean of Lerner College, where he was also the Chaplin Tyler Professor of Business, was announced today by Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel and Mort Lowengrub, vice president for academic affairs. The appointment is effective immediately.

“Sy Syms School of Business is part of a very serious undergraduate enterprise at Yeshiva University—one which, through its commitment to excellence, creativity, and collaboration, plays an integral role in our mission of upholding and promoting the ideals of Torah Umadda [the confluence of Torah and secular knowledge],” said President Joel. “In Dean Michael Ginzberg, we have not only an educator of rigor and experience, but someone who both respects that mission and who knows the value of dreams.”

Added Dr. Lowengrub: “Following an exhaustive and rigorous national search, we are privileged to have Dr. Ginzberg as our new business school dean. His outstanding amalgam of skills, his creative vision, and his dynamic leadership abilities will serve us well as we move forward on securing Sy Syms School of Business’ position among the top echelon of undergraduate business schools in the US.”

Dr. Ginzberg, a resident of Hockessin, DE, has been serving since 2006 as a pro bono special consultant to the president of Tulane University in New Orleans, helping develop a strategy and implementation plan for a new school of science and engineering.

He said he is excited about coming to Sy Syms School of Business because of its “unwavering commitment to preparing students not just for the challenges and complexities of today’s business world but also to be industry leaders of unquestionable ethics and principles.

“Because of the school’s dual curriculum, combining a comprehensive business education with the strongest undergraduate Jewish studies program in the country,” Dr. Ginzberg said, “Sy Syms School of Business students are imbued with the skills and values necessary to make significant contributions in their professional pursuits, their communities, and society at large.”

Dr. Ginzberg was also attracted to the deanship because it provides an ideal opportunity to build the school, which he said has “enormous potential.” To this end, he will focus in the immediate future on securing accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, enhancing existing undergraduate programs, establishing a comprehensive honors program, and exploring the introduction of selective graduate programs.

Dr. Ginzberg has amassed an impressive record in accomplishing such goals at other institutions. At the University of Delaware, his tenure as the Lerner College dean was highlighted by the establishment of the John Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, securing the endowment to name the school, strengthening several departments, and introducing graduate programs in the management of systems and technology and organizational change. He also secured a $10 million contract from the US Agency for International Development to develop a graduate school of business in Sarajevo.

Prior to that deanship, Dr. Ginzberg served as a professor and associate dean of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve. During his 15-year tenure there, he built the information systems department, which is widely regard by academic colleagues as one of the nation’s top information systems research departments, focusing on behavioral and organizational issues. He also established the Center for Management of Science and Technology, an interdisciplinary center for research and teaching; exchange programs with business schools in several European and Latin American countries; and an MBA program in partnership with the International Management Center in Budapest.

Dr. Ginzberg, who has also held faculty positions at Columbia University and New York University, earned his doctorate in management in 1975 from the Alfred P. Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His MBA in economic analysis is from Iona College and his undergraduate degree is from MIT.

A native of Cincinnati who grew up in South Florida and Westchester County, NY, Dr. Ginzberg has held leadership positions in various professional organizations, including two terms as chairperson of the Executive Committee of the International Conference on Information Systems, president of the Society for Information Management (Northeast Ohio Chapter), board member of the International Management Center, board of trustees chairperson of the Sarajevo Graduate School of Business, and board member of Beta Alpha Psi, the honorary society for accounting and financial information professionals. He is a fellow of the Association for Information Systems.

He is the author and/or editor of more than 50 articles and books on information systems development and management, information technology strategy, and organizational change, and the recipient of a number of major grants.

In his Jewish community leadership, Dr. Ginzberg has served on the board of the Jewish Federation of Delaware; Congregation Beth Shalom in Wilmington, DE; Hillel at the University of Delaware; Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau; and Congregation Bethaynu in Ohio.

He and his wife, Rosemary, have two sons: Matthew, an investment banker with JP Morgan Chase in New York, and David, an incoming freshman at the University of Delaware.

Sy Syms School of Business was founded in 1987 through the leadership and support of national clothier, civic leader, and philanthropist, Sy Syms. Over the past few years, the school has established an outstanding record in each of its areas of concentration. In this period, the school has grown three-fold and its alumni are now making their mark in prestigious firms in the business world.

Jan 18, 2007 — Students and alumni of Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business are invited to participate in the Spring 2007 Doris & Dr. Ira Kukin Entrepreneurial Lecture Series.

Each week during the spring semester, a business personality is invited to speak to Sy Syms students. Students have the opportunity to learn from and meet the founders of successful start-ups and CEOs of international corporations.

The lectures are held on the Beren Campus on Friday mornings at 10 in the Levy Commons at 215 Lexington Ave., (corner of 33rd Street) New York, NY 10016.

Speakers in the 2007 Series
January 26 Robert J. Fani, President, Keyspan Energy

February 2 Michael Strauss, Chairman, Sherwood Group

February 9 Marcia Tal, Executive Vice President, Decision Management,
Citigroup

February 16 Millard J. Drexler, Chairman, J. Crew Group, Inc.

February 23 Muriel Siebert, President & Chairwoman, Muriel Siebert & Co.

March 9 Alan “Ace” Greenberg, Chairman, Executive Committee,
Bear Stearns

March 16 Abby Joseph Cohen, Chief U.S. Portfolio Strategist, Goldman
Sachs

March 23 Karen Antion, Chairman & Independent Consultant,
NY Independent Systems Operator

April 20 Warren Struhl, Founder, Popcorn Indiana and Dale & Thomas

April 27 Howard Lorber, CEO, Nathan’s Famous; President & COO,
Vector Group

Reservations are requested. Please RSVP to 212-960-5393.

Sy Syms School of Business students on steps of the U.S. Supreme Court on a recent visit to Washington, D.C.

Apr 22, 2006 — On Feb. 21 and 22, SSSB and SCW students studying business law with visiting assistant professor Dr. Robert Greenberg, traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend a session of oral argument at the Supreme Court of the United States.

The trip, conceived two years ago by Dr. Greenberg, followed the itinerary of the successful 2005 trip with some modifications and improvements.

Dr. Greenberg noted that students on last year’s trip indicated that they would have liked an additional organized activity.

Due to the efforts of Sara Lachterman (SSSB ’06), the 24 students who participated in this year’s trip enjoyed a tour of the Capitol led by staffers from the office of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

While some participants then headed off to find kosher food before the bus ride back to New York, others headed to the National Archives where they saw the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights inside their bronze, bullet-proof, and helium-infused encasements.

“I certainly thought that everything went smoothly, and that students not only learned something but had an enjoyable time as well. The only thing that we will try to add on next year is the meeting with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which did not work out this year, despite tremendous persistence on the part of participant Devora Cohen (SSSB ’06), due to scheduling issues on the part of Justice Ginsburg.”

The comment which appeared most frequently on this year’s evaluation forms was to “leave for Washington, D.C. earlier in the day so that we have even more time down there.”

Dr. Greenberg has already indicated to students that he is hopeful of repeating the Supreme Court trip in Spring 2007 and is considering other ideas for a trip during the Fall 2006 semester to accommodate more students interested in outside-the-classroom learning experiences.