May 10, 2007 -- Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work celebrated its 50th anniversary at a gala dinner for over 300 people at the New York Sheraton Hotel on Sunday, May 6. The event celebrated the vision of Wurzweiler’s founders, the accomplishments of its graduates, faculty, students, and deans, and the dedication of its leaders and friends. Honorees included Congressman Charles Rangel, a 19-term member of the US House of Representatives from Harlem, and three board members. YU President Richard M. Joel presented Congressman Rangel with a special humanitarian award for his decades of support for seniors, the underprivileged, and the underserved. In accepting the award, Congressman Rangel lauded the impact of Wurzweiler on advancing social justice and human dignity. “How do you treat the lesser among us? This is what makes all the difference,” he said. “It’s what you do at the end of the day. Did you give someone the hope to dream, to inspire and make the world better for him and for his children?” Members of Wurzweiler’s Board—Herbert Barbanel, Joel Daner, and Elaine Schott and her husband, Rudy—received awards for outstanding service and for their commitment to Wurzweiler. “We are blessed with a wonderful dean, a prolific and caring faculty, terrific students, and a board that cares passionately about the school. We are deeply grateful to them for their vision and dedication,” said President Joel. Dr. Robert Schwalbe, Board chair, called the honorees examples of the concept of tikkun olam (healing the world). Joel Daner, a 1962 alumnus of Wurzweiler, was recognized for his 40 years of Jewish communal leadership and his commitment to training social work professionals. “You are the epitome of kindness and Torah leadership,” said President Joel. Herb Barbanel-“a lay leader who cares with grace and compassion” in President Joel’s words—was honored for his more than 10 years of service on Wurzweiler’s board. Mr Barbanel endowed a scholarship for Wurzweiler students with his wife, Alice, and helped establish the Wurzweiler Board Crisis Fund, which gives students the opportunity to offer their services on site in response to local, national, or international emergencies. Dr. Sheldon Gelman, the Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean of Wurzweiler, introduced the dynamic Elaine and Rudy Schott as two people who have made a difference. The Schotts established the Elaine Schott Advocacy and Social Action Initiative at Wurzweiler, which teaches students how to be effective advocates for social policy. Dr. Morton Teicher, the founding dean of Wurzweiler, was a special guest at the gala celebration. The dinner kicked off a three-day conference, “Celebrating a Tradition of Caring: Social Work Practice, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” at the Sheraton Hotel.