Wurzweiler School of Social Work Announces Spring 2012 Conference Series Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work has announced its 2012 Spring Conference Series. Addressing topics as varied as the composition of North American Jewish family and what professionals can do to combat poverty, the series will convene educators and social work professionals on three Fridays in March and April to immerse themselves in some of the biggest challenges facing Jewish communities. On Friday, March 23, a Symposium on Poverty and Professionals, titled “From Concern to Action,” will be held at the Yeshiva University Museum, 15 West 16th Street, New York City. Keynote speaker Bob Herbert, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and renowned New York Times journalist, will focus on how poverty affects political, economic and social conditions in American society, with follow-up comments delivered by Dr. Robert L. Hawkins, McSilver Assistant Professor in Poverty Studies at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work, and Ruth W. Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service. A panel exploring the professional response to poverty will feature Dr. Paris R. Baldacci, clinical professor of law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Dr. A. Hal Strelnick, chief of the division of community health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Dr. Richard Caputo, professor at Wurzweiler. The Sixth Annual Joanna M. Mellor Aging Conference will be held on Friday, March 30, at the Jacob Burns Moot Court Room in Cardozo, 55 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Keynote speaker Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging, will discuss changes in New York City that will impact services and policies affecting older populations. Co-sponsors of the conference include Emblem Health and the Washington Heights-Inwood Council on Aging. On Friday, April 20, a half-day conference titled, “The Diversity of the North American Jewish Family: Challenges and Opportunities,” will also be held at Cardozo’s Moot Court. Keynote speaker Dr. Sylvia Barack-Fishman, chair of the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department and Joseph and Esther Foster Professor of Contemporary Jewish Life at Brandeis University, will bring her expertise to a discussion of some of the dynamic changes that have taken place within the Jewish family structure, such as later and smaller families, blended families, and evolving status and gender hierarchies. A panel featuring Rabbi Andy Bachman, senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim; Paul Levine, executive vice-president and chief executive officer at JBFCS; and Rabbi Joy Levitt, will respond to her remarks. “These conferences represent the diversity within the social work profession and at Wurzweiler,” said Dean Carmen Ortiz Hendricks. “These are cutting-edge topics that professionals and students need to understand. The faculty and administration at Wurzweiler are very excited to bring this range of issues to the forefront with such scholarly speakers and forums.” For more information about any of these conferences or to register, visit www.yu.edu/wurzweiler/events. none

From New Master’s Programs to a Certificate in Experiential Jewish Education, Yeshiva University Expands its Offerings Graduate education at Yeshiva University continues to thrive—and grow. A new Executive MBA program and master’s programs in arts and education join an academic landscape already home to one of the nation’s top medical schools, one of the finest law schools, and leading graduate schools for social work, psychology, Jewish studies and Jewish education and administration. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Hv2ALnJno&feature=relmfu In the past year, the University has introduced a variety of new master’s and certificate programs and expanded existing ones, in response to student demand and interest.

The Center for Executive and Professional Education at the Syms School of Business will launch an Executive MBA program in August, featuring classes on Sundays.

Syms’ MS Program in Accounting, now in its third year, is continuing its successful expansion and has nearly tripled in size since its inception. A new feature offers classes during the summer for non-accounting majors who choose to attend.

YU’s Graduate Programs in Arts and Sciences is also expanding its offerings. The math department unveiled a new PhD program in Mathematical Sciences this past fall, a selective program open to students who have already completed 60 credits of graduate-level study.

The math department is also continuing to offer its MA program in mathematics, currently in its second year, in addition to a BA-MA option that is now open to current YU students who wish to take graduate level courses during their senior year on campus and apply those credits toward a master’s degree.

The department of economics is launching a new MS program in quantitative economics (MQE), slated to begin in September. It is considered a pre-experience program, open to recent college graduates. Similar to the master’s in math, the MQE also includes a BA-MS option open to current YU students who wish to earn credits towards their graduate degree.

This past fall, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration introduced an Accelerated Master’s Program in Jewish education.  The one year, full time program balances intensive course study alongside practical teaching experience in the classroom.  A select cohort of ten students proceed through the program together, enriching one another by sharing their knowledge and learning experiences.  The program is fully sponsored by the Jim Joseph Foundation and applications are currently being accepted for the fall, 2012 cohort.

Azrieli Graduate School continues to expand program offerings and was recently approved by the New York State Education Department to offer two new Master’s degrees leading to New York State teaching certification.  Students who hold an initial certification in Childhood Education 1-6 can now enroll at Azrieli in the 36-credit Advanced Childhood Education 1-6 program leading to NYS professional teacher certification.  Students who wish to teach at the middle/high school level can enroll in a 42 credit Adolescence Education program leading to initial/professional certification in grades 7-12 biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, social studies, English and Hebrew.  Additionally, undergraduate students can begin these MS programs as seniors in the joint BA/MS program with Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women.  Both certification programs will begin in the fall, 2012.

The Institute for University-School Partnership, with generous support from the Jim Joseph Foundation, currently has 51 educators enrolled in the 2nd year of its Online Certificate Programs in Differentiated Instruction, Educational Technology Integration, and Student Support. In the coming year they will be adding a brand new program in Online/Blended Instruction and Design. Each online program lasts 30 weeks and is broken up into 3 courses of 10 weeks each. These programs are taught entirely online and asynchronously with weekly assignments and outstanding instructors who provide weekly feedback and practical take-aways to enhance the learning of students in the classroom.

For the first time this year, the Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) partnered with the Machon Puah Institute to offer a certificate program for graduates of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary to educate them on halachic and medical issues related to infertility.

In June, the CJF will launch the second installment of its Certificate Program in Experiential Jewish Education, sponsored by the Jim Joseph Foundation. The curriculum comprises four seminars that focus on the theories and applications of experiential education: imparting values, creating experiences, cultivating communities and self development. Participants are also connected with a mentor who works with one on one and guides them in developing a final focal project.

Learn more about all of YU’s graduate schools by visiting www.yu.edu/academics/graduate-schools/. none

Wurzweiler School of Social Work Offers Scholarship to Applicants Returning from Service Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work is teaming up with the Peace Corps to help returning volunteers do even more good back home. Wurzweiler was recently approved to join the Corps’s Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program. Through the program, participating graduate schools across the country can offer financial assistance to returned Peace Corps volunteers completing substantive internships in underserved American communities as they pursue advanced degrees. According to Dr. Catherine Pearlman, director of admissions at Wurzweiler, the school’s decision to become part of the Coverdell program reflects its desire to make careers in social work more available to Corps volunteers and to increase the depth of its student experience. “At Wurzweiler, we are trying to grow as a global program,” said Pearlman. “Having students who have done international service will give us a more global feel and presence which broadens the experience of our school. It’s a win for everyone.” Returned Corps volunteers applying to Wurzweiler will be eligible for up to $14,000 in scholarship. It is the only participating school of social work in New York and one of seven total participating social work programs in the United States. “The Peace Corps is delighted to partner with Yeshiva University and help more Americans pair Peace Corps service with graduate school,” said Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams. “Peace Corps volunteers are creative problem solvers who have demonstrated a commitment to public service and a desire to learn about other cultures, languages, and skills. A returned Peace Corps volunteer will make an excellent addition to any graduate program.” For more information about the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, visit www.peacecorps.gov. To learn more about Wurzweiler, visit www.yu.edu/wurzweiler. none

Wurzweiler's Eight Fulbright Specialists Gain International Perspective The handiest item among academics at Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work may be a passport. [caption id="attachment_9372" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Dean Carmen Ortiz Hendricks became Wurzweiler's first Fulbright Specialist three years ago."][/caption] Since 2008, eight members of the school’s faculty have been named Fulbright Specialists. The highly acclaimed program grants awards to U.S. faculty and professionals in select disciplines ranging from agriculture to urban planning to participate in two- to-six week projects at colleges and universities in more than 100 countries. As Specialists, Wurzweiler professors have taught and studied across the globe, in countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom, on topics as disparate as palliative care and ethnic tensions. “We’re an adventurous faculty,” said Dean Carmen Ortiz Hendricks, who became the school’s first Fulbright Specialist three years ago and has since spread her enthusiasm for the program to her colleagues. “We like new experiences. The Fulbright forms an international exchange of scholars, sending us to places where we can make a difference, learn something new and bring knowledge back with us to our home institutions.” Hendricks’ project took her to Israel, where she shared her expertise in cultural competence with students and social workers at Tel Hai College in the north and Ben Gurion University in the south, stopping along the way at Hebrew University, the Jerusalem Intercultural Center and YU’s own campus in Israel. “It was an incredible experience not only because I got to teach but because Israel is such a diverse country,” she said. “In Ben Gurion, which has the largest Arab student population, I learned about Bedouin Arabs’ conflict with the Israeli government about abandoning their nomadic lifestyle and move into towns. In Jerusalem I spoke to an audience of Ethiopian, Russian and native Israeli social workers, asking them to define their own concept of cultural competence.” She added: “Israel truly is the crossroads of the world.” [caption id="attachment_9374" align="alignright" width="300" caption="As a Specialist, Wilmore-Schaeffer focused on improving relationships among racially diverse students and faculty in South Africa."][/caption] Following Hendricks’ trip, other faculty began to take flight. Dr. Jerry Streets, The Carl and Dorothy Bennet Professor of Pastoral Counseling, traveled with colleague Dr. Rozetta Wilmore-Schaeffer to South Africa, where he assisted in the establishment of an International Institute for Diversity at the University of The Free State (UFS). Wilmore-Schaeffer’s work at UFS focused on building a relationship within, between and among racially diverse students and faculty in an institution whose history has been one of racial intolerance. In Israel, Dr. Joan Beder taught a masters’-level two-week seminar at Hebrew University (HU) about social work with the military and met with scholars from Bar-Ilan and HU to explore possible research and collaboration. For Dr. Gary Stein, a two-week Fulbright at Lancaster University’s International Observatory for End of Life Care provided valuable insight into the way palliative care is evolving in other countries. “The students in my seminars at LU came from around the world: Slovenia, Nepal, Kenya, Canada, the U.S. and the UK,” he said. “In our discussions, I heard international perspectives on how people practice, varying access to resources, how social workers are trained.” Stein also collaborated with leaders at St. Christopher’s Hospice to create a field placement for Wurzweiler students in the Manchester area and met with British experts in palliative care for aging lesbian and gay populations. “We’re creating a cadre of recognized leaders who are putting Wurzweiler on the map as one of the most prestigious and respected programs for sharing knowledge and academics on an international level.” [caption id="attachment_9377" align="alignleft" width="430" caption="Wurzweiler Fulbright Specialists: Stein, Streets, Wilmore-Schaeffer, Fast, Beder, Hendricks, Andron and Linzer."][/caption] More Fulbright projects are in the works. In the spring, Dr. Norman Linzer, The Samuel J. and Jean Sable Chair in Jewish Family Social Work, will lecture on the teaching of ethics at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. Dr. Saul Andron has also been approved to develop a project which will center on Jewish communal service. In April, Dr. Jonathan Fast, an expert in school violence, will travel to the University of Temperi in Finland to deliver a series of lectures about the link between school shootings and extreme shaming. “Finland has had a spate of shootings: two in schools and one in a mall that was particularly horrifying,” said Fast. His research analyzes 13 school violence cases and the perpetrator’s history of social isolation and shame in each one. At Temperi, he will present his findings and pool knowledge with local academics whose work focuses on this area. “Universities travel on their prestige,” Fast said. “The Fulbright gives us experience working internationally and prevents us from being insular or provincial. We’re dealing with a shrinking world, and in that sense it’s critical to meet scholars around the world and exchange information with them.” He added: “Newton said, ‘I accomplish what I do because I stand on the shoulders of giants.’ All intellectual progress is built with collaboration.” The Fulbright Specialists will share their experiences in podcasts available on the Wurzweiler Web site. none

Seminar Led by Wurzweiler's Saul Andron Explores Social and Political Realities of Israeli Life Ten outstanding social work students from select New York-based graduate programs have arrived in Israel to participate in a unique seminar that will explore the social and political realities of life in Israel. Scheduled to run through January 5, the program will play a significant role in preparing the students for professional practice in the Jewish community. [caption id="attachment_9292" align="alignleft" width="159" caption="Wurzweiler's Dr. Saul Andron will help lead the unique seminar."][/caption] The seminar also marks a strategic educational alliance of Yeshiva University, the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), Columbia University, NYU and the UJA-Federation, focused on developing the skills of Jewish communal professionals. Led by Dr. Saul Andron, associate professor and the Hausman Chair in Communal Social Work at YU’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, and Rebecca Grabiner, director of the JTS Graduate School's Jewish Professional Leadership Program, the students will visit locations around the country to examine Diaspora-Israel Relations, the Tzedek Hevrati protest movement as well as different models developed in Israel to respond to emergencies and trauma. "Our goal is to paint the full picture for our students, to expose them to as wide a range of social, cultural and political developments as possible within the time allotted, allowing them to cultivate an understanding of each as individuals, social work and Jewish communal professionals, and caring and committed Jews," said Andron. "It is important to us that the students come away from this experience with a deep appreciation of Israel's religiously and culturally diverse population, the many varied perspectives on Jewish and Israeli identity, and the role for social workers in responding to emerging needs among vulnerable populations. But it is just as important that we help the students develop their own personal connections to the people and State of Israel." The program—organized by the Israel Seminars JCC Association— includes students from Wurzweiler, JTS, Columbia University School of Social work and NYU School of Social Work, and is funded by Wurzweiler, JTS and in part by UJA-Federation of NY. In addition to meeting with a collection of the country's most notable social work professionals and academic experts, and with the directors of many of the top social welfare organizations, the students will also spend several days with social work students enrolled in Tel Hai College and participate in a special emergency response field exercise.  The group will also have the privilege of meeting with Ralph Goldman, the Joint Distribution Committee's honorary executive vice president and an icon of Jewish philanthropy and Jewish communal life in Israel. none

Annual Hanukkah Dinner Highlights Eight of Yeshiva University’s Best At Yeshiva University’s 87th Annual Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation, held December 11 at the Waldorf=Astoria, President Richard M. Joel recognized eight people who exemplify YU, and called each one up to light a candle on a symbolic menorah. “There are many lights that shine brightly at Yeshiva, and we have made it our tradition to identify eight points of light who serve as exemplars of the past, present and future of Yeshiva University, and of our hopes for tomorrow,” he said. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvGotuFg4qY&feature=relmfu The Points of Lights included a pair of Yeshiva College students, Yair Saperstein and Menachem Spira, two award-winning science majors and Roth scholars at YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who founded a program called START (Student, Teachers and Reasearchers Teach) Science, in which YU students volunteer to teach science in local public schools. Saperstein, of Lawrence, NY, is a member of the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program and was a recipient of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. In addition to being a trained cantor at YU’s Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music and winning numerous piano awards, he is also a member of YU’s Debate Society, and received awards for excellence in Talmud and having the highest GPA of any junior. [caption id="attachment_9122" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Saperstein and Spira light a ceremonial menorah at the YU Hanukkah Dinner."][/caption] Spira, a native of Atlanta, GA, has conducted research at Einstein, the Emory University School of Medicine and at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a teaching assistant at YU, holds leadership positions with the Chemistry Club and the Medical Ethics Society, and writes for several science publications. He also works with disabled children, as a volunteer for Kids of Courage, Yachad and Camp Simcha Special. Joseph “JB” Bensmihen, an alumnus of Yeshiva College and the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, was recently appointed to the Yeshiva College Board of Overseers. Born with spastic cerebral palsy, he overcame a doctor’s prognosis that he would be unable to walk and operates Boca Home Care, a Medicare-certified home health agency in Florida. A father of four and a former president of Boca Raton Synagogue, he also runs the David Bensmihen Charitable foundation, which provides scholarships for deserving students in his fathers’ memory. [caption id="attachment_9124" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bliss, who is pursuing a PhD at Wurzweiler, has been awarded the Vincent Fontana Foundation Grant."][/caption] Heather Wright Bliss is a social worker and psychotherapist pursuing a PhD at Wurzweiler, who overcame a cancer diagnosis and now channels her skills toward helping children in the foster care system. In recognition of her work, she was one of two recipients to receive the prestigious Vincent Fontana Foundation Grant. Jennifer MacLean is a third-year student at YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, whose work for the Innocence Project, using DNA extracts, helped exonerate a jailed man who had served 20 years of an 80-year sentence, after being wrongly convicted of a rape and murder. MacLean is also involved in Cardozo’s Student Life Committee, the Mental Health Working Group and in the Battered Women’s Uncontested Divorce Program. Rabbi Reuven Brand is an alumnus of Yeshiva College, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration and the Wexner Kollel Elyon of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He now leads YU’s Torah MiTzion Kollel in Chicago and also founded Lman Achai, a student organization dedicated to the needs of Jews in Israel. [caption id="attachment_9126" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Avital Chizhik and President Joel"][/caption] Daniel O’Neil is a fourth-year student at Einstein who spent 11 months working with disadvantaged populations in Kisoro, Uganda. As part of the Chronic Disease in the Community project, he trained health workers to provide villagers with a medical education on hypertension, diabetes and asthma. Avital Chizhik, of Highland Park, NJ, is a student at Stern College for Women studying journalism, whose non-fiction and creative writing has won numerous awards and been published worldwide. On campus, she is active in the World Zionist Organization, The Commentator and the Political Science Society. A participant in the CJF’s service learning mission in Kharkov, Ukraine and summer camp in Arad, she also worked as a research assistant for Professor Linda Shires. Concluding the lighting ceremony, President Joel paid tribute to the honorees: “May their flames grow and may we continue to bask in their light.” none

Senator Gillibrand Keynotes Hanukkah Convocation; Philip Friedman, Ira Mitzner and Stephen Siegel Honored U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand delivered the keynote address at Yeshiva University’s 87th Annual Hanukkah Convocation and Dinner on Sunday, December 11 at The Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. YU President Richard M. Joel bestowed an honorary doctorate upon Gillibrand, describing her as “a voice for vulnerable citizens” and her career as one in which “fervor for family fuels [her] political passions.” The New York senator is best known for her plans to help struggling working families, rebuilding the economy by creating jobs, championing higher education, strengthening America’s armed services and fighting against childhood obesity. [flickrslideshow acct_name="yeshivauniversity" id="72157628389428169"] “Whatever issue you bring, you bring from principle, not partisanship or ideology,” said President Joel. “You devote your professional career to opening the eyes of so many who don’t want to see.” In her convocation address, a heartfelt message replete with both personal anecdotes and political aspirations, Gillibrand praised Yeshiva University for ingraining in all its students a defining mantra of giving and leadership, and inspiring students to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others all over the world. “I am most grateful for the leadership taught here at Yeshiva University… a quality education built on a foundation of faith and values,” said Gillibrand. “When times are dark and unstable, this leadership is seen in its greatest light and we need to share these opportunities for vision and commitment.” At the convocation, President Joel also conferred honorary degrees upon technology executive Philip Friedman, a member of YU’s Board of Trustees since 2009 and a former board member of YU’s SYMS School of Business; real estate developer Ira Mitzner, a trustee of YU since 2007 who established the David Mitzner Deanship of the CJF; and commercial real estate executive Stephen B. Siegel, a 25-year board member at YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. “These recipients of honorary degrees are a shining light on YU and the world, and their lights are life lessons to our students and to all of us,” said President Joel. “Tonight, we celebrate the successes of an amazing, noble enterprise, and resolve to keep it strong and sacred. “Like the ancient Maccabees, and the YU Maccabeats, we reaffirm our commitment to life and values, to success and purpose, to faith and freedom, to teach and to touch, to rights and responsibilities,” he said. “Yeshiva teaches its students to dream and to achieve. The Jewish people, the United States, Israel, indeed the whole world, needs to reignite the passion of purpose, the belief in ideas, the access to achievement and the possibilities of tomorrow.” During the dinner portion, President Joel also recognized eight Points of Lights—people who exemplify the mission of Yeshiva University—calling each one up to light a symbolic candle on the menorah. Read more about the Points of Light here. none

Studying Community Organization, Wurzweiler Class Examines Occupy Wall Street Firsthand Two weeks ago, a class from Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work traveled to Lower Manhattan to observe the organizational structure and leadership dynamics of the Occupy Wall Street movement in Zuccotti Park. [caption id="attachment_8627" align="alignleft" width="393" caption="Dr. Saul Andron's class is studying the organizational structure of the Occupy Wall Street movement."][/caption] Instructed by Associate Professor Dr. Saul Andron, the Hausman Chair in Communal Social Work, the community social work course of second year students jumped at the opportunity to witness firsthand the organization of the protests on the ground and get a sense of its strategies and tactics and successes to date, as well as the challenges facing this social movement going forward. From art and history courses visiting museums to scientific collaboration with other research institutions, the outing served as one of the many examples of a Yeshiva University class maximizing its setting in New York by using the city as a real-time learning laboratory to complement class instruction and course material. “We are learning about social work from the macro practice perspective, specifically dealing with communities, neighborhoods and organizations,” said Dr. Andron at a recent class debriefing on their Lower Manhattan excursion. “We together felt that it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. We needed to check out Occupy Wall Street.” The intricacies of the protesters’ organizational structures proved especially intriguing to the aspiring social workers. They spent their debriefing class dissecting all of the moving parts of the ongoing protests and applied concepts of community organization to better understand the developments on the ground. One student expressed amazement at the sanitation and food distribution operations. Another pondered over how the protestors managed their funds. Finally, the class emphasized and marveled at how the movement brought together disparate groups of people around a common cause. One student, Melanie Goldberg, greatly appreciated her experience at the protests. “It was great to see so many of the concepts we are learning in class actually employed in the world,” she said. “We are learning about mobilizing locals and how to teach people to use their voice. To see that first-hand offered a great real world scenario to what we are learning in class.” [caption id="attachment_8631" align="alignleft" width="430" caption="Organizers set up a makeshift library at Zuccotti Park."][/caption] Her classmate, Alice Blass, pointed out the connection between what she learned from the atmosphere of the protest and the discipline of social work. “One thing we always discuss is that it is important for people to find their voice and be able to express themselves in a way that will yield positive results. This is what we saw in Zuccotti Park.” The tour of the protests was just one of many experiential and hands-on classes conducted by Dr. Andron and other Wurzeiler faculty. In the past, he has brought students to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild homes in communities destroyed by the devastation and to the annual General Assembly of The Jewish Federations of North America to expose his students to innovative Jewish communal structures and program models. With his passion for experiential learning and the enthusiasm of his students for further studying the Occupy Wall Street protests, Dr. Andron hopes to return to Lower Manhattan with his class to examine the development of this movement unfolding in Yeshiva University’s backyard. one

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.” none

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. none