W U R Z W E I L E R S C H O O L O F S O C I A L W O R K l Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y

WurzweilerUpdateF A L L 2 0 0 6The Magazine for Alumni and Friends

Celebrating50 Yearsof Caring

Celebrating50 Yearsof Caring

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P U B L I C A T I O N S A R E A V A I L A B L E F R O M T H E R E S P E C T I V E P U B L I S H E R S O R A C A D E M I C B O O K S T O R E S .

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Tools for the social work professionImportant new publications by Wurzweiler School of Social Work faculty

M. Joanna Mellor and Patricia

Brownell (eds.) Elder Abuse and

Mistreatment: Policy, Practice, and

Research, Binghamton, NY:

Haworth Press, 2006

This is a comprehensive overview

of current policy issues, new prac-

tice models, and up-to-date

research on elder abuse and neglect.

Experts in the field provide insight

into elder abuse with newly exam-

ined populations to create an

understanding of how to design

service plans for victims of abuse

and family mistreatment. The book

addresses all forms of abuse and

neglect, examining the value issues

and ethical dilemmas that social

workers face in providing services

to elderly abuse victims and their

families.

Joan Beder Hospital Social Work:

The Interface of Medicine and

Caring, New York: Routledge, 2006

Hospital Social Work introduces

the reader to the world of medi-

cine and social work, as seen

through the eyes of actual social

workers. This book covers the

varying facets of diverse illness

situations, and presents the posi-

tion of the social worker in relation

to the illness. Over 100 social

workers in dozens of hospitals

were interviewed to give their

personal reflections on how they

see their role and function, what

they describe as the struggles and

rewards of their work, and how

they serve the hospital, the

patient, and the caregiver.

Rowena Fong, Ruth McRoy, and

Carmen Ortiz Hendricks (eds.)

Intersecting Child Welfare,

Substance Abuse, and Family

Violence: Culturally Competent

Approaches, Alexandra, Virginia:

CSWE Press, 2006

Developed from a task force meet-

ing held in 2001 by the Council on

Social Work Education, Casey

Family Programs, and the University

of Texas at Austin School of Social

Work, this book examines child

welfare, substance abuse, and

family violence in the context of

culturally competent social work

practice. Each of the 17 chapters,

written by pioneers in a variety of

fields, address sociodemographics,

history, the problems encountered,

and the recommendations for

future directions in practice, policy,

and research. The book is intended

to guide national efforts in educa-

tion and research, organizational

change, and policy making.

COVER: WURZWEILER HAD ITS BEGINNING IN THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AT YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, WHICH OPENED IN 1957.

W U R Z W E I L E R S C H O O L O F S O C I A L W O R K l Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y

WurzweilerUpdateF A L L 2 0 0 6 The Magazine for Alumni and Friends

C E L E B R A T I N G O U R 5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y

12 HOW IT ALL BEG AN

Morton I. Teicher, founding dean of Wurzweiler, recounts the early daysof the school, from its creation in 1957 to his departure in 1972.

14 THE POWER OF GROUPS

Martin Birnbaum discusses the growth of group work duringhis 16-year tenure as the Beate and Henry Voremberg Professor of Social Group Work at Wurzweiler.

18 A FRAMEWORK OF VALUES

Ethics was a key component in the curriculum from the outset.Now the school is forging ahead in the cutting-edge field of bioethics.

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22 CENTER S OF SERVICE

Through a steady stream of graduates in leadership positions at Jewish community organizations, Wurzweiler has strengthened the role of social work at these agencies.

26 AN AGING CONCERN

Gerontology has taken off as an issue of study at Wurzweiler. Faculty, students, and alumni are leading the way in raising awareness on issues of aging.

DE PARTM E NTS

3 Dean’s Message

4 Message from the President l Message from the Board Chair

5 News and Views

10 New Alumni Director

11 A Conversation with the Dean

30 50th Anniversary Save the Dates

32 Honor Your Professor

33 Fifty Years of Generosity

34 Forty Years of Atran Foundation Support

35 Donor List

36 Graduation 2006

38 Class Notes

WurzweilerUpdate24

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As we approach 2007 and the 50th anniversary of thefounding of Wurzweiler, we are all cognizant of therole that the school has played in the university andthe contributions our students, alumni, and faculty havemade to social work knowledge, the development ofJewish communal life, and service to diverse populationsthroughout the world. We will use this coming year tocelebrate those achievements through regional alumnigatherings and a major professional conference andgala in New York City next May.

As usual, I use this space to bring the Wurzweilercommunity up to date on transitions and accomplish-

ments. As you will note on page 7, Charles Levy, one of the founding facultymembers of the school, passed away in April 2006. His seminal contributionson social work ethics will forever be recognized by the profession. The end ofthe 2005–06 academic year marked the retirement of our Voremberg Professorof Social Group Work, Dr. Martin Birnbaum. We also wish good luck to PatriciaBryant, assistant director of field work, who is returning to practice as directorof Brooklyn Psychiatric Centers.

Four new professors joined the faculty at the beginning of the fall semester:Gary Stein, MSW, JD (policy, ethics), as associate professor; Jessica Strolin, MSW,PhD (research, multiculturalism) as assistant professor; and Saul Andron, MSW,PhD, as associate professor and Lynn Levy ’98W, MSW, both with strong back-grounds in Jewish communal service. (See page 6). Nancy Beckerman ’91W, DSW,has been promoted to full professor. In addition, Karen Bonuck, MSW, PhD, anepidemiologist at Montefiore Hospital and Albert Einstein College of Medicine,will join us quarter time. She will mentor faculty on grant development and createa new elective course on public health social work. We also welcome Mark Miller’06W as director of alumni relations. Associate Dean Carmen Ortiz Hendricks ’93Wserves on the Commission on Accreditation of CSWE and Dr. Ronnie Glassmanserves on CSWE’s Commission on Curriculum and Educational Innovation.

Faculty continue to appear on the programs of professional conferenceslocally, nationally, and internationally, and are regular contributors to the pro-fessional literature. Three new books of faculty are featured on the inside frontcover of the Update and selected recent peer-reviewed articles appear on theinside back cover.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Board of Governors member ElaineSchott and her husband, Rudy, for funding a new social action initiative thatwill highlight the role of social action in our curriculum and provide support forfaculty and student social action activities.

Our enrollment is steady, in spite of the growth in the number of local MSWprograms, with a diverse and academically superior entering class joining ouroutstanding student body.

Join us in celebrating our 50 years of education and service at one of ourregional alumni events and at the May conference.

Sincerely,

Sheldon R. GelmanDorothy and David I. Schachne Dean, Wurzweiler School of Social Work

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Yeshiva UniversityRichard M. Joel

PRESIDENT

Morry J. WeissCHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Robert Schwalbe, PhDCHAIR, WSSW BOARD OF GOVERNORS

v

Mark Miller ’06WDIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS, WSSW

Leslie Waltzer PollakDIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT,

WSSW

Georgia PollakEXECUTIVE DIR¡ECTOR OF

UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

EDITOR

Kelly Berman

DESIGNER

Emily Scherer Steinberg

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Norman GoldbergPeter RobertsonJane Windsor

CONTRIBUTORS

Elsa BrennerMarcy FrankJune Glazer

Lois GoldrichHelen KuttnerMelissa PaytonEsther Russell

Wurzweiler Updateis published once a year by

Wurzweiler School of Social Work2495 Amsterdam AvenueNew York, NY 10033-3299

212-960-5373

Designed and produced through theOffice of Communications and Public Affairs

500 West 185 StreetNew York, NY 10033-3201

212-960-5398

Editorial contributions and submissionsto Update are welcome. This publication

accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manu-scripts or photographs. All submissions are

subject to editing and are used at the editor’s discretion. Opinions expressed in thispublication do not necessarily reflect official

School and/or University policy.

WurzweilerUpdate

DE A N’S M E S SAG E

3W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

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In a world where there is no social, economicor cultural norm, it is the social worker who iscalled upon more and more to make sense ofthe complexity we know as our global society.This is where the Wurzweiler School of SocialWork stands out with its diverse student body,faculty and curriculum.

Our school trains people of all races, reli-gions, and sexual orientations from throughoutthe world to step forward and advocate, under-stand, and administer to those who need helpand assistance.

We live in a time of constant change and itis the social worker who has the skills andknowledge to guide the transition and helppeople adapt. In times of crisis or everyday life,the field of social work is often the very back-bone of the social structure.

The Wurzweiler environment provides anatmosphere of intimacy, where classmatesknow classmates and faculty know their stu-dents—a place where active learning, steepedin values and ethics occurs.

Wurzweiler’s Board of Governors is proud tosupport the outstanding work of this institutionand, in particular, our dean, Sheldon R. Gelman.

Dean Gelman’s academic vision is constantlyexpanding in pursuit of excellence. Togetherwith an exciting, devoted, and eclectic faculty whohave distinguished themselves way beyond thewalls of Belfer Hall, they bring commitment andintellect to the field of social work.

Congratulations to all of us for 50 years ofservice to the communities of the world. The roleof the school today and in the future will evi-dence the competence, professionalism, excite-ment, and passion embraced by our students,faculty and alumni. We look forward to the next50 years.

4W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

Message from Robert Schwalbe, PhDChair, Wurzweiler Board of Governors

There is much to celebrate on the occasion ofthe 50th anniversary of our Wurzweiler Schoolof Social Work: a unique and vital mission, anoutstanding and prolific faculty, and an alumnicorps of over 6,000 highly skilled and trainedservice providers and educators.

Since its founding, Wurzweiler has beenAmerica’s only graduate social work educationprogram under Jewish auspices in a universitysetting. The influence of Yeshiva University onWurzweiler and of Wurzweiler on YU has beenprofound.

From its earliest days, the school’s approachhas been based on values, especially the need tounderstand cultural pluralism, respect ethnicdiversity and be active in the pursuit of socialjustice. In turn, its commitment to service,

integrity, the importance of human relation-ships and professional competence has beenincreasingly ingrained in the curriculum,research, and student activities of all ourschools.

Our Board of Trustees and Chairman MorryWeiss join me in saluting Wurzweiler School ofSocial Work for a half-century of leadership,innovation, and excellence in social work edu-cation.

Cordially,

Richard M. Joel

Message from Richard M. JoelPresident, Yeshiva University

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Two well-known activists spoke aboutthe many forms of human traffick-ing around the world at “HumanTrafficking Awareness,” an afternoon

program presented by the StudentGovernment Association of WurzweilerSchool of Social Work May 3.

Aaron Cohen, an anti-slavery activist,shared his experience working undercov-er to buy back slaves’ freedom in Sudan,Cambodia, Egypt, and around the world.

Mr. Cohen spoke about the strange lifepath that led him from a career helpingproduce the Lollapalooza rock and rollconcerts to his anti-slavery activism. Herelated hair-raising stories about beingshot and wounded while rescuing anenslaved girl from a brothel in Haiti andliving with a fatwa or death sentence on

his head from Osama Bin Laden and theAl Qaeda network. Mr. Cohen document-ed some of his adventures in a book, TheJubilee Prophecy.

Documentary filmmaker GillianCaldwell discussed the work of Witness,which uses film to expose the plight ofchild soldiers and women forced into pros-titution. Ms. Caldwell presented anexcerpt from a film produced by Witnessand the Global Survival Network, calledBought and Sold, about women from theformer Soviet Union who are forced intoprostitution in Europe, Asia, and theUnited States. Global Survival Networkstaff went undercover in meetings withthe Russian mafia and in brothels aroundthe world to get an insider’s perspectiveon the international trade in women. v

Students Learn About Human Trafficking

5W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

Conference Examines Self-Neglect in the Elderly

This is a story with a happy ending, thanks to the interven-tions of a social worker. Irene, a 75-year-old woman,lived in a single-room-occupancy building in downtownSeattle. She had always been the life of the party, but

the pain from a shoulder injury began to dampen her spirits.The injury prevented her from shopping for groceries, so

an elderly friend bought her meager supplies. Irene beganto lose weight—so much so that her dentures no longer fit.Without them, she was too self-conscious to smile.

“Why would I want to go out and see people if I can’tsmile?” she asked. She isolated herself in her apartment. “Ijust want to die,” she told her visiting nurse. Irene’s situationbegan to change when a social worker, Wendy Lustbader,brought in an occupational therapist to treat her shoulder.The therapist figured out that Irene’s cane was too high,which caused her pain. Outfitted with her new cane, Irenebecame more interested in life. She got her dentures relined,regained her desire to smile, and became interested insocializing again. Irene eventually moved to an assisted-livingresidence for low-income elders and lived another 10 years.

Ms. Lustbader, an affiliate assistant professor at theUniversity of Washington School of Social Work, was the key-note speaker at ‘Self-Neglect of Older Persons: An Inter-disciplinary Approach,’ a conference at Wurzweiler School ofSocial Work on March 26. She presented Irene’s case for dis-cussion to a panel of professionals, including two social

workers, a psychologist, adoctor, a lawyer, and a rabbi.

“One of the most com-mon sources of self-neglectamong older people is grief ordepression,” Ms. Lustbadertold the audience of 150 peo-ple at the conference, whichwas co-sponsored by YU’sBenjamin N. Cardozo Schoolof Law and Ferkauf Grad-uate School of Psychology,Bronx Interagency Councilon Aging, and Washington Heights/Inwood Council onAging.

Others sources of self-neglect include ignorance, untreatedmental illness, and shame.

Ms. Lustbader emphasized that for treatment to work, itmust give the self-neglecting senior a sense of caring, hope,or meaning. But there are also ethical dilemmas involved.

“Irene’s story typifies the isolation and self-neglect ofelderly people who reject the options that are good for thembecause they have lost the will to live,” said Ms. Lustbader.

“When a social worker can turn that around by helpingclients get community resources, they can make such a dif-ference,” she said. v

Keynote speaker Wendy Lustbader

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Aaron Cohen

6W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

Wurzweiler Welcomes Four New Faculty

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Saul Andron, MSW, PhD, associate professor, will teach inthe Certificate of Jewish Communal Service Program. Hewill also help to strengthen the program’s offerings and work

on new Jewish communal initia-tives. The executive director of theJewish Education Association ofMetroWest, NJ, Dr. Andron has over25 years of progressive executiveand management experience withspecific emphasis on philanthropy,financial resource development,community and strategic planning,grant writing, program develop-

ment, agency governance, board development, and staffsupervision. He has also worked at the Jewish EducationService of North America and the Joint Distribution Com-mittee. Previously, he taught at Paul Baerwald School ofSocial Work at Hebrew University, Tel Aviv UniversitySchool of Social Work, and the University of SouthernCalifornia. v

Jessica Strolin, MSW, PhD, assistant professor, focused herdoctoral research at SUNY-Albany, on the effects of twoorganizational interventions on child welfare agency cli-

mate and workforce stability. She willteach research and child and familywelfare at Wurzweiler. She wasassistant director of the New YorkState Social Work Education Consor-tium in Albany, NY, and a researchassociate and adjunct faculty memberat SUNY-Albany’s School of SocialWelfare. She was also previously aclinical consultant at St. Mary’s

Addictions Outpatient Services in Albany, where she facil-itated treatment groups for Latino clients. v

Gary L. Stein, MSW, JD, associate professor, is the secondsocial worker-attorney to join Wurzweiler’s staff. He willteach social welfare organization and the doctoral policy

class. He did postdoctoral training inethics and bioethics at GeorgetownUniversity, Columbia College ofPhysicians and Surgeons/AlbertEinstein College of Medicine, andMontefiore Medical Center/NewYork University Division of Nursing.For the past eight years, he wasexecutive director of New JerseyHealth Decisions, where he was the

principal investigator of leadership projects on end-of-lifecare and health care decision-making. He has taught atuniversities including Seton Hall University and KeanUniversity. v

Lynn H. Levy ’98W, MSW, will draw on her considerableexperience developing educational programs for the Jewishcommunity as an instructor in the Certificate of Jewish Com-

munal Service Program. Previouslyan adjunct professor at Wurzweiler,and currently also a student inWurzweiler’s doctoral program, shereceived her MSW from Wurzweilerin 1998, the same year she receivedthe Outstanding Social Worker ofthe Year Award from the NationalAssociation of Social Worker’s NewYork Chapter. She was the director

of premarital education at the Union for Reform Judaismin New York, where her duties included leading a 20-mem-ber think tank that helped develop guidelines for the orga-nization’s premarital education program and piloting theprogram in nine cities in North America. v

Wurzweiler’s Common Day–Not So CommonCommon Day takes learning out of the classroom and into the realm of theexperiential. Speakers, films, group activities and facilitated group discus-sions create an open environment where the students and faculty can freelyinteract and ask questions.

Recent topics have included trauma, genocide, and pioneers in socialwork. Common Day for Spring 2007 will focus on the area of social action.Students and faculty will examine various case studies of individuals,groups, and families, and identify the social problems reflected in thesecases and how to address those problems. It will be held on March 8, 2007in Weissberg Commons on the Wilf Campus, from 4–8 pm and will againinclude hors d’oeuvres and a full dinner. v

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7W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

Three leading HIV/AIDS expertsshared their experience from thefrontlines of treating the diseaseat an HIV symposium spon-

sored by Wurzweiler, “Twenty FiveYears of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: AnInterdisciplinary Symposium,” at theNew York Academy of Medicine onNovember 17.

Celebrating Wurzweiler’s 50th anni-versary, the symposium attractedhealth and mental health care pro-fessionals from across the tri-state area.

The first keynote speaker, AryeRubinstein, MD, chief of the divisionof allergy and immunology at YU’sAlbert Einstein College ofMedicine, gave a brief ret-rospective of the first 25years of HIV/AIDS patientcare from a medical per-spective. After treating aseries of children with anunexplained illness in 1979,Dr. Rubinstein identified this asan infectious immunodeficiencycoined by him as Pediatric Ac-quired Immunodeficiency.

He directed one of the first USCenters for AIDS Research for 12years, and is credited with found-ing the first Center for HIV Infectionin Pregnancy, the first family HIVcenter, various educational programson pediatric AIDS, summer camps,and homes for infected children andpregnant women. His many awardsinclude one from the US Secretary ofHealth for excellence in AIDSresearch and treatment.

Kathryn Anastos, MD, associateprofessor of medicine at Einstein,offered an international perspective,drawing on her work as the executivedirector for clinical and scientific pro-grams of WE-ACTx (Women’s Equityin Access to Care and Treatment), acommunity-based organization devotedto developing high-quality, high-vol-

ume, cost-effective ambulatory med-ical services for HIV-infected patientsin Rwanda. She has provided clinicalcare, operational and clinical leader-ship in health care delivery systems,and clinical research in HIV-infec-tion in women for the past 20 years.

Lori Wiener, PhD, a social worker atthe National Cancer Institute, focusedon trends in the psychosocial care ofthose affected by HIV/AIDS. Dr. Wienerhas worked to incorporate pediatricHIV disease into the existing pediatriconcology program at the NationalCancer Institute for the past 20 years.

“With the recent shifts in HIV/AIDScare, health and mental health care

providers need an overview ofmedical, psychiatric, and psycho-social issues that confront indi-viduals affected by HIV/AIDS,”said Nancy Beckerman ’91W, DSW,professor at Wurzweiler and

director of the symposium.Wurzweiler facultywho led workshops

included RozettaWilmore-Schaeffer,PhD, assistant

professor; CarmenOrtiz-Hendricks, DSW, associate

dean and professor; and Gary Stein,JD, MSW, associate professor. AnitaSeptimus ’82W, PhD, director of theAIDS Family Center at Montefiore,and Alan Rice ’83W, co-director ofsocial and case management at theCenter for Comprehensive Care St.Lukes/Roosevelt Hospital AIDSProgram, also presented.

The HIV symposium was spon-sored by Wurzweiler, Albert EinsteinCollege of Medicine, MontefioreMedical Center, and the Center forAIDS Research. This event was madepossible by the tremendous generos-ity of Dr. Robert Schwalbe, chair ofWurzweiler’s board, and his wife,Janie. v

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Symposium Looks at HIV From Medical,Global, and Social Work Perspectives

Charles (Chuck) Samuel Levy, DSW, professoremeritus, died on April 8, 2006 inWashington, D.C. After living most of his life

in New York City, heand his wife hadmoved to Bowie, Mary-land eight years ago tolive near their daughter.

In 1957, Dr. Levy wasone of the three found-ing faculty members ofWurzweiler School ofSocial Work. He spentmany years working inthe field of Jewish

communal service, fulfilling his and theschool’s mission to prepare social workersfor Jewish communal work.

His contribution was essential in devel-oping Wurzweiler’s doctoral program. Healso served the school as associate dean andacting dean during his tenure. His stamp is tobe found on many of the school’s policies,programs, and procedures. Dr. Levy taughtsocial group work and was recognized as astimulating, provocative, and well-lovedteacher.

He is best-known for his groundbreakingwork on professional values and ethics. Hechaired the NASW Task Force on Ethics,which, in 1979, produced the original SocialWork Code of Ethics, the basis for all subse-quent revisions. As a professional practition-er, he made significant contributions to theJewish Community Center field and theB’nai B’rith Youth Organization. DuringWorld War II, he served as director of USO(United Service Organization) Centers formen and women in uniform.

He authored many books and articles,including his important volumes, Social WorkEthics, and Social Work Ethics on the Line. Hewas mentor, confidante, and advisor to manystudents, colleagues, and family members.

He is survived by his wife, Faye, his twodaughters, Barrie Levy and Helena (Leni)Stern, his five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. v

Charles Levy, FoundingFaculty Member,Passes Away

8W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

Wurzweiler gathered more than 50 of its alumni in Israel fora symposium at Yeshiva University’s Jerusalem Campusthat was part of Yeshiva University’s first weeklongcolloquium in Israel, “Torah Umadda in the 21st Cen-tury: Engaging Israel, Engaging the World,” in March.

The program, “A Sense of Community: Internal and ExternalBoundaries,” featured a keynote presentation by Rabbi StanleySchneider YH,Y,R,BR,’72W, PhD, chair of the Magid InstituteProgram for Integrative Psychotherapy at Hebrew University,and a response by Reuven Schindler ’73W, PhD, dean of the Schoolof Social Work at Ashkelon, a satellite program of Bar-IlanUniversity. Sheldon Gelman, Wurzweiler’s Dorothy and David I.Schachne Dean, gave an update on Wurzweiler.

A panel discussion on crisis, conflict, and reconciliation fol-lowed. It included David Bedein ’80W, director of the IsraelResource News Agency and president of the Center for Near EastPolicy Research; Joy Epstein ’83W, clinical supervisor for thedepartment of social services of Nefesh B’ Nefesh; and Dyna Tover

’86W, a staff member at the Counseling Center for Women.The event was capped by a wonderful dinner. Planning com-

mittee members included Joyce Brenner ’64W, ’83W, DSW; SueFreedman ’74W; Chaim Jatkowitz ’77W; Marva Perrin Levine ’94W;Goldie Marans ’76W; David Ribner ’74W; Stanley Schneider ’72W;Yossi Winiarz ’87W; and Mordecai Holtz ’06W. v

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Alumni Gather for Symposium at YU’s First Colloquium in Israel

Victor Geller Honored at YUConvocation in Israel

Victor B. Geller ’50W, a retired Jewish communal administrator,author, and lecturer, was one of four Israeli educators awardedhonorary doctoral degrees at Yeshiva University’s inaugural

academic convocation in Israel on March23. The convocation was the closing eventof a weeklong colloquium, “Torah Umaddain the 21st Century: Engaging Israel, En-gaging the World.”

Mr. Geller played a leading role in YU’sMax Stern Division of Communal Services

and was chosen because, like the other three honorees, heembodies YU’s philosophy of Torah Umadda, which balances theinteraction between tradition and modern society—the hallmarkof Modern Orthodoxy.

More than 500 people attended the convocation, whichunderscored the strong relationship that YU has formed with thepeople and government of Israel. More than 3,000 YU alumni livein Israel, a core component of which are Wurzweiler graduateswho either studied in the school’s Block Program or relocated toIsrael after graduation. v

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LGBT ‘Lunch and Learn’ Draws Large Audience

As part of a series of Lunch and Learn mini-conferences, Wurzweiler’s Student Government offered students a two-hourworkshop, “LGBT 101: Strategies for Sensitive Social Work Practice with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and TransgenderClients.” Over 60 people attended, including students and faculty.

Eleanor Nealy, MDiv, MSW, an ordained minister of the Metropolitan Community Churches, delivered the keynoteaddress. Laura C. Booker, LCSW, a mental health counselor at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Com-munity Center, provided useful information about working sensitively and effectively with LGBT clients. Finally RayCarannante, MSW, a clinical social worker at the Gender Identity Project of the LGBT Community Center, providedthe assembly with information and experiential exercises to better understand transgender clients.

The program generated much interest from and discussion among faculty and students. Thanks, in particular, toMichael Folickman ’06W, who moderated the panel, and did his internship at the LGBT Center. v

Dean Sheldon Gelman speaks with Yael Amir ’02W at the symposium.

9W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

• David Strug, PhD, professor, was a co-curator with Dr. Jeanne Lemkau of WrightState University, of a photo exhibit of CubanAmericans (see example alongside), whichopened in May at the Rayburn House OfficeBuilding in Washington, DC and is now ontour across the nation. The exhibit sponsoredby The Latin America Working Group and theWashington Office on Latin America, documentsthe negative mental health consequences ofgovernment travel restrictions for many CubanAmericans and their families in the US andCuba. Titled “Love, Loss, and Longing: TheImpact of US Travel Policy on Cuban-AmericanFamilies,” it featured narratives that Dr. Strugcollected in interviews he conducted in thecourse of his research with Dr. Lemkau, aswell as photos by Nestor Hernández, Jr, andJuan-Sí González. The exhibit can be viewedonline at www.yu.edu/ wurzweiler andwww.lawg.org (scroll down to the Cuba section and click on “View Exhibit.”)

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Faculty News

Nestor Sr. [above right] left Cuba more than 50 years ago hoping for a better life in the

United States. He was 20. He settled in Washington, married and raised six children. Nestor

Jr., photographer for this exhibit, is his oldest son. Vicente [above left] is his youngest.

Under the US travel restrictions neither Nestor Jr. nor his father, Vicente, can return to

Cuba—ever. Their grandmother is deceased and their cousins aren’t eligible for visits as

“family.” Nestor Sr. wonders, “When I die who will take my ashes to Cuba if my sons

can’t go?”

New Presidential Fellow in the Dean’s Office

This year, Rivvy Ackerman, a 2006 graduate of Stern College for Women, is working asthe Fredda S. Leff Presidential Fellow in the office of Sheldon R. Gelman, PhD,Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean. She is one of 15 graduates of Yeshiva Univer-sity’s undergraduate schools who are spending another year on campus developingleadership skills. The fellowship program was conceived by President Richard M.

Joel and is now in its third year.The program takes some of YU’s top graduates behind the scenes of the institution and

gives them the opportunity of being mentored by a senior administrator.Ms. Ackerman, who majored in psychology, says she chose to work at Wurzweiler

because she is thinking of pursuing a career in social work or psychology. “This experienceis giving me a lot of background in the mental health field,” she says.

She helped with Orientation at the beginning of the year and is helping to plan alumnievents for the school’s 50th anniversary. What does she like best about Wurzweiler so far?“Its really diverse student population,” she says. v

• As part of its Social Work Month celebration, the AmericanAssociation of Indian Social Workers honored Susan Bendor,DSW, associate professor, “in appreciation of her commitmentand support” to their association. In January, Dr. Bendor wasgiven the Pauline Zischka Social Worker of the Year Award byMolloy College’s department of social work. Dr. Bendor is thefounder of that school’s social work program.

• The Alzheimer’s Association of New York has identified Wurz-weiler School of Social Work as a community partner. RozettaWilmore-Schaeffer, PhD, assistant professor, represented theschool at the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual gala/fund raiseron June 31. Dr. Wilmore-Schaeffer was also one of the honoreesat the Red Cross of Bergen County/ Hudson County, New Jersey“Salute to Volunteerism” at the New Jersey Performing ArtsCenter on May 20.

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N EW A LU M N I DI R ECTO R

Mark Miller ’06W, MSW, isWurzweiler’s new directorof alumni relations. Anative of Dayton, Ohio, Mr.

Miller is also a student in the doc-toral program and sees patients atMetropolitan Center for MentalHealth in Manhattan.

“My vision is to expand communi-cation between students and alumniand allow everyone to feel thattheir contribution—be it time ortreasure—was documented duringtheir time at Wurzweiler,” says Mr.Miller. “I believe that we need toilluminate the practice of all of ourgraduates and encourage everyoneto write or call me.”

He reports that he is developingan online support network for groupwork alumni under the mentor-ship of Dr. Martin Birnbaum, whoretired as chair of the group worksequence in July. Alumni will beable to present their practice aswell as questions they encounterduring the course of their practice.

“We envision a digital networkwhere instant messaging and virtualconferencing will be common-place,” says Mr. Miller, adding that hehopes the project will launch onWurzweiler’s Web site this fall.

Although he came to social

work later in life, he says he wasalways involved in public serviceand community activism. He grewincreasingly involved with volun-teering with the homeless popula-tion in soup kitchens and sheltersin New York City and by 1983 hetransitioned from a career in theentertainment industry to full-time work with the homeless.

He was the first director ofoperations for City Harvest, whichcollects surplus food for distribu-tion among agencies serving thehomeless and hungry of New YorkCity. While coordinating a home-delivered meal program at theFulton Senior Center, Mr. Millerdiscovered a passion for case work,which he continued in his workwith the homebound frail elderlyat the Burden Center for the Aging.

He was an early leader in theLCRNYC and other political causesembracing civil liberties and wasmore recently a member of theLesbian and Gay Leadership Com-mittee of the Democratic NationalCommittee. Throughout his master’sstudies at Wurzweiler, he wasinvolved in student government.He was instrumental in coordinatinga remarkable year of practice-focused programming in 2005–06,including a panel discussion onculturally sensitive work with theLGBTQ community and a presen-tation on human trafficking (seeNews and Views section).

“I would love to see 100 percentparticipation from alumni duringthe events of the 50th anniver-sary—just suit up and show up!”says Mark, who is proud that heshares the same birth year asWurzweiler. v

100%Alumni Director’s Goal for 50th Year:100 Percent Participation

1 1W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

What sets Wurzweiler apart fromother social work schools inNew York City?Dr. Samuel Belkin [president of Yeshiva

University when Wurzweiler was founded

in 1957] did not want a model that would

mirror the other schools of social work in

New York City. So the school started as a

school of group work and gradually added

case work and community social work.

The school has always had at its heart

an emphasis on values and ethics. The tra-

dition of ethical inquiry and the exploration

of ethics to practice began with founding

professor Dr. Charles Levy’s seminal work

on social work ethics and continues

through the contributions of Dr. Norman

Linzer. The new Center on Ethics at Yeshiva

University, led by Dr. Adrienne Asch,

Millstein Professor of Ethics, who is a

trained social worker and is based at Wurz-

weiler, continues that tradition. The center

brings together ethicists from across the

various divisions of the university, including

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Ben-

jamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Rabbi Isaac

Elchanan Theological Seminary, and Wurz-

weiler. It is an evolving enterprise. As we

get additional funding, there will be annual

conferences and its impact on the gradu-

ate and undergraduate curricula will

broaden. We have the first scholar-in-resi-

dence, Dr. Michael Walzer, a professor of

political science at Princeton University,

coming for three days in 2007.

How did this focus on ethics come tobe at the heart of Wurzweiler?Ethics became a core part of Wurzweiler’s

curriculum long before it became a popular

field within social work. It originated from

Yeshiva University’s recognition of the

importance of values in a Jewish context

and of learning how to confront and resolve

the ethical dilemmas that occur when delive-

ring services to vulnerable populations.

What do you see as your greatestaccomplishments during your tenure?Over the past two decades, the school has

continually proven its ability to recruit a

high-quality faculty who are committed to

teaching and scholarship, and who have

earned national and international reputa-

tions through their research and writing and

through their visibility in the professional

social work community. That, in turn, has

enabled us to recruit quality applicants, who

choose Wurzweiler because of our curriculum

and the research interests of our faculty.

How has the make-up of the studentbody changed over the years?Our students’ diversity mirrors the demo-

graphic make-up of New York City. Over a

good many years, we attracted large num-

bers of students of African-American

descent. They are now joined by an increas-

ing number of students from Latino and

Asian backgrounds. Our diversity among

our Jewish students continues, from those

who identify strongly with their Jewish her-

itage to those who are integrated into the

mainstream of life in the City. We’ve always

had students coming from around the

world—from Israel and from countries in

Africa and South America, and now even

from countries such as China, India, France,

and Nepal.

How do you see the faculty profilechanging and growing over the nextfew years?Our success in recruiting Dr. Carmen Ortiz

Hendricks, a 1993 doctoral graduate of

Wurzweiler, as associate dean and as a full

professor, made a major statement about

who we are. The fact that we shifted the

administrative position of associate dean

to a faculty position speaks to her qualifi-

cations and to the respect that our faculty

has for her leadership.

Of our new appointments, Lynn Levy

and Dr. Saul Andron, both with strong back-

grounds in Jewish communal service, will

help expand and modify the Certificate

Program. Part of our strategic plan—and

part of the university’s vision for Wurz-

weiler—is to become, in President Richard

Joel’s words, the ultimate address for the

training of Jewish communal professionals.

Gary Stein, who is both an attorney

and an MSW with training in bioethics,

brings added policy and ethics strength to

the faculty. Jessica Strolin, a dynamic

young researcher from SUNY-Albany who

has an interest in cultural competence and

is bilingual in Spanish and English, will

strengthen all of our offerings. Karen

Bonuck, an epidemiologist from Einstein

College who is trained both as a master’s

and doctoral-level social worker, will have

a part-time appointment here as a teacher

and mentor to our faculty.

What role has the Board of Governorsplayed in this evolution?Over the 20 years of its existence, the

board has worked hand in hand with the

administration and faculty on initiatives to

enhance the learning experience—hiring

an alumni director, creating a career devel-

opment office, engaging in systematic ad

campaigns to get the school’s name out,

expanding our emphasis on social action

and advocacy, holding regular interdiscipli-

nary conferences on HIV/AIDS, and main-

taining a close connection with Israel.

What message do you want to send to alumni?Wurzweiler alumni should be proud of

their school, their own achievements and

those of their fellow alumni, and the quality

of the faculty that they were exposed to

and that future generations of students

will have available to learn from. We

encourage them to support the school and

to attend all of the events we’re organizing

for our 50th anniversary.

A CONVE RSAT ION W ITH TH E DE A N

Leading the Charge

Sheldon R. Gelman, the longest-serving dean in Wurzweiler’s history, reflects on how far the

school has come in 50 years and looks ahead to developments in the future.

“We encourage

alumni to attend

all of the events

we’re organizing

for our 5oth

anniversary.”

1 2W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

How It All Began…Morton I. Teicher, founding dean of Wurzweiler School of

Social Work, recounts the early days of the school, from

its creation in 1957 to his departure in 1972.

How It All Began…Morton I. Teicher, founding dean of Wurzweiler School of

Social Work, recounts the early days of the school, from

its creation in 1957 to his departure in 1972.

In 1956, Dr. Samuel Belkin, presi-dent of Yeshiva University, invitedme to come to New York to developwhat eventually became WurzweilerSchool of Social Work. He wantedYeshiva to have an accredited schoolemphasizing the preparation of stu-dents for Jewish communal service.

My task was to prepare for the school’sopening in September 1957, by hiring afaculty, recruiting students, developinga curriculum, arranging field placements,and establishing policies and procedures.

I appointed Everett Wilson andCharles (Chuck) Levy; arrangements

were made for Sol Green to join us later.Student recruitment was difficult be-cause we had to tell candidates foradmission that there was no guaranteethey would graduate from an accreditedschool. The earliest we could receiveaccreditation was May 1959, just in timefor the first class to receive their degreesin June 1959. Curriculum developmentwas relatively simple since there was astandard curriculum for all schools ofsocial work. Ours was somewhat differ-ent since we required an extra courseeach semester reflecting our Jewishinterests.

Field placements were readilyarranged since we planned to expressour Jewish emphasis by concentratinginitially on social group work. Wesought placements in the Y’s and Jewishcommunity centers, which were large-ly cooperative.

Establishing policies and proce-dures flowed from an initial decision toadopt as our mantra, “quality, quality,quality”—in terms of students, faculty,and the educational program.

We decided this could be bestachieved in a small school so we limitedour total enrollment to about fifty stu-

Small classes and personal attention distinguished Wurzweiler from the start. Pictured above, L-R, with students are Everett Wilson, Victor Sanua,

and Morton Teicher, standing under the clock, and top, teaching a class.

1 3W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

dents. We envisaged a time when wewould be extremely selective in admis-sions decisions and, indeed, in just a fewyears, only one out of seven candidateswas accepted. We also decided that wewould base our admissions decisionslargely on the admissions interview thatwe required for all candidates.

Selecting from the function of uni-versities to develop knowledge throughresearch, to transmit knowledge throughinstruction, and to apply knowledgethrough service, we insisted on stressinginstruction. We wanted to be student-

centered, with our resources focused onhelping each student to get the mostout of the educational opportunity.

We planned an intensive faculty ad-vising process and periodic “gradingconferences” in which the faculty wouldreview the progress of each student.Also, at the end of the first year, a com-prehensive examination would be re-quired for students to enter the secondyear. We were determined to becomeknown as a school that was hard to getinto and hard to get out of.

From the beginning, and throughoutour first two years, we were preoccupiedwith accreditation. Documents wereassiduously prepared and we steeledourselves for the site visiting team thatcame to look us over in January 1959.

We expected them to challenge our con-centration on social group work since,to the best of our knowledge, no schooloffering only social group work hadbeen previously accredited. We alsoworried that the visitors might questionthe four Jewish courses in our curricu-lum. We were prepared to defend oursingle emphasis on social group workby pointing out that Smith College wasaccredited although it only offered socialcasework. This was the height of chutz-pah, since Smith College’s school hadbeen in business since 1918 and was

nationally respected. As for the extracourses required of our students, we wereprepared to argue that our students werevery bright and could manage the load.

As it turned out, neither of theseissues concerned the site visitors. In-stead, they criticized our heavy relianceon the admissions interview to deter-mine who would be accepted. Theyurged us to consider the GraduateRecord Examination, undergraduategrade point average, the applicant’sessay, and reference letters. We agreedto think about their recommendation;fortunately, they did not make it manda-tory.

In May 1959, I flew to San Franciscowhere the Accrediting Commission wasmeeting. I waited outside the door just

as a PhD candidate waits after defend-ing the dissertation. Finally, the chair-man of the commission came out andcongratulated me. We were accredited!That was the text of the telegram I sentto the school. That telegram was postedon the school’s bulletin board for morethan a year.

The success of Wurzweiler in achiev-ing a reputation for high quality wassoon recognized by our being invited tohelp start schools of social work inNorthern Rhodesia (now Zambia) andat Bar Ilan University in Israel.

During the planning year, 1956–57,I studied the history of previous effortsto start Jewish schools of social work.Four survived for brief periods; the long-est lasting one was the Graduate Schoolfor Jewish Social Work, which was inbusiness for fifteen years. My objectivewas to survive for at least fifteen years.In 1972, when that goal was reached, Ileft to become the dean of the School ofSocial Work at the University of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill.

In my judgment, Wurzweiler Schoolneeded fresh leadership. The correct-ness of my decision is attested to by thefact that we are now happily celebratingthe 50th anniversary of Wurzweiler. v

TH E B E G I N N I NG

“ We were determined to become known

as a school that was hard to get into

and hard to get out of.”

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Charles Levy teaching a class.

A student signs up for the new School of

Social Work in 1958.

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ThePowerofGroupsThePowerofGroups

14

“As I look back, what stands out isthe importance of academic change,as well as the values of collabora-tion, connection and communitythat have personal meaning for me,”said Dr. Birnbaum, who was the Beateand Henry Voremberg Professor inSocial Group Work until he retiredin July of this year. He reflects hereon developments in group work edu-cation at Wurzweiler.

UNDERSTANDING GROUP WORK

From the outset, an ongoing issueamong students was a limitedunderstanding of the difference be-tween working with groups anddoing group work. “Why do I haveto study group work when I amalready working with groups?” was aprevalent attitude. So was the ideathat social workers could workeffectively with groups without for-mal training. We needed to explainthe difference between working withgroups and doing group work, and topoint out that working with groupswithout formal training usuallyleads to doing casework in the grouprather than group work. We demon-strated that the group work methodis based upon a theoretical founda-tion requiring knowledge of groupdynamics, systems theory, and

stages of group development.Over the years, students them-

selves became involved in efforts tostrengthen group work by demon-strating how their practice changedas a result of studying group work.They made presentations to first-year students who were consider-ing a choice of methods to study inthe second year. Latanya Bispham’02W, Nicole Goodman ’02W, BarbaraJackson ’02W, Juliet Smith ’02W, andI addressed frequent misconcep-tions about group work in a papertitled “What Group Work Is—WhatGroup Work is Not: The Role of theSocial Worker in the Group” pre-sented at the Annual Symposium onSocial Work With Groups in 2002.

CONNECTING THE CLASSROOM

WITH THE FIELD

A vital part of the group work cur-riculum is field instruction. How-ever, a national problem is that manyfield instructors lack formal train-ing in group work. Students oftenare assigned groups without instruc-tion in how to define group pur-pose and on the necessary steps forforming a new group.

To help remedy this limitation, Iundertook two initiatives. First, Iorganized the curriculum to start

where the students were in theirfield practice. The first semesterassignment was to develop a state-ment of group purpose for a fieldwork group. Over the years, suchstatements served as models forclarifying group purpose with dif-ferent group types and populations.

Second, Wurzweiler offered train-ing and provided educational mate-rials to field instructors to strengthengroup work field instruction.

G ROUP WO RK

Group work holds a special place in Wurzweiler’s history: it was

the first and only method offered to students when the

school was founded in 1957. As chairperson of the group work

sequence at Wurzweiler from 1990 to 2006, Martin Birnbaum,

PhD (left), was uniquely placed to watch its growth.

Sarah Mirsky ’06WVolunteer social worker

Nechama, Jerusalem

WHAT I LEARNED “At Wurzweiler,

I saw firsthand the power a group

experience has on its members by

virtue of the commonality and

mutuality that exists among them.”

CURRENT GOALS “Upon realizing

the scarcity of group work resources

in Israel, I proposed a digital resource

support network for graduates of

Wurzweiler, which will provide a

venue for group work alumni to

share information, ideas, stories,

and dilemmas.” Visit www.yu.edu

/wurzweiler for updates on the

group work online network.

A Historyof Wurzweiler

School ofSocial Work

1956 – 20061957 l Dean Teicher recruits the first faculty—

Charles Levy, Sol Green, and EverettWilson—and the school opens in thefall, focusing on group work

Dr. Samuel Belkin, President of Yeshiva University,invites Morton Teicher to develop the School of

1956 l Social Work at the Washington Heights campus

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BY MARTIN BIRNBAUM

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A third initiative, still to be accom-plished, is to select and train groupwork alumnae as field instructors.

DEVELOPMENT OF GROUP

WORK PRACTICE THEORY

Andrew Cicchetti ’95W, a former student,and I became interested in the power ofpurposeful sessional endings, aneglected area of group work practice.In a published paper, we conceptual-ized the sessional ending stage for eachgroup session. Students receivedinstruction about purposeful sessionalendings and were encouraged to apply

their knowledge to practice groups. In1999 and 2000, student volunteers par-ticipated in a study to test the impact ofsessional endings and found them to bea positive addition to their group prac-tice skills in a variety of groups andwith diverse client populations.

STRENGTHENING GROUP WORK PRACTICE

IN COMMUNITY AGENCIES

The group work sequence has playedan active role in working with JewishCommunity Centers (JCCs) and the New

York City Administration for Children’sServices (ACS) to enhance group workpractice and field instruction.

Wurzweiler joined forces with theAssociation of Jewish Center Pro-fessionals to hold an integrative semi-nar for group work students placed inJCCs. We established a Committee toStrengthen Group Work in JCCs, whichdeveloped field work standards forgroup work students in JCCs. BessiePine, former associate director of per-sonnel services at the JCC Association

in New York, and I conducted stafftraining in four Jewish communitycenters to enhance group work skills.

A group of Wurzweiler alumni atACS—including Therese Hargrove ’01W,Barbara Jackson ’02W, Shanaz Moham-med ’04W, Angela Dielingen ’01W andNodica Johnson ’00W—together with anumber of field instructors for ourschool, formed a steering committee tostrengthen group work practice at theagency. This year the steering commit-tee sponsored a group work conferenceattended by 200 ACS staff members.

After 16 years of teaching at Wurz-weiler, I can say that group work isalive and well—and I am confident itwill continue to evolve and grow underthe direction of Dr. Jay Sweifach andDr. Shantih Clemans, the acting chairsof the group work sequence. v

G ROUP WO RK

School of Social Work receives initial accreditation from the

1959 l Council on Social Work Education

1958 l School of Social Work moves to 110 West 57th Street

Charter amended to authorize granting of degrees of masterof social service (later changed to master of social work)

1960 l Case work addedto the curriculum

Yaakov Nadler ’06WSocial worker, Kadimah Psychosocial

Club, Brooklyn, NY

WHAT I LEARNED “With proper cultural

sensitivity, group work with the ultra-

Orthodox mentally ill can be highly

effective. The group can help its members

alleviate loneliness, internalized shame,

and denial.”

CURRENT GOALS “I hope to publish my

essay, ‘Social Group Work with the Jewish

Ultra-Orthodox Mentally Ill,’ as a guide for

other professionals working with this

population.”

Andrew Cicchetti ’95WPsychotherapist and PhD candidate, City

University of New York Graduate Center

WHAT I LEARNED “My social work edu-

cation at Wurzweiler provided me with a

solid foundation for my ongoing profes-

sional development. I co-authored three

articles with Dr. Martin Birnbaum that

address group work theory and practice.”

CURRENT GOALS “I plan to focus my

dissertation research on group work in

substance abuse treatment.”

Steven Rod ’68WVice president of professional development

services, Jewish Community Center Asso-

ciation of North America, New York, NY

WHAT I LEARNED “Wurzweiler provided

me with insights into how to use myself

with clients and group members. To this

day, I am guided by the principles of group

work I learned there—for example, that

a group has a beginning, a middle, and

an end.”

CURRENT GOALS “I am involved in

recruiting, training, and retaining those

involved in Jewish communal service—a

challenging task as turnover in the field

today is very rapid. I am also striving to

get lay boards to understand the needs

of Jewish professionals.”

Barbara Jackson ’02WYouth development training manager,

Administration for Children's Services,

New York NY

WHAT I LEARNED “The most important

thing I learned at Wurzweiler was how

group process leads to mutual aid and

how leadership can emerge from the

group. Dr. Martin Birnbaum emphasized

the importance of not doing case work

in a group, which was particularly benefi-

cial because my training at ACS is in

case work.”

CURRENT GOALS “Group work is not

new to ACS, but there has been a big

discrepancy between what it is and isn’t.

I co-chair ACS’s Steering Committee to

Strengthen Group Work Practice. Our

focus for 2007 is continuing to educate

staff about group work practice and

maintaining practice standards as

stipulated by the Association for

the Advancement of Social Work

with Groups.”

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G ROUP WO RK

As a specialization, group work hasdisappeared from most social workschools across the country. In fact,Wurzweiler remains one of only fourschools in the United States to offerthe group work concentration, saysAssistant Professor Jay Sweifach ’88W,’02W, DSW. This despite the fact thatits cost effectiveness and success withclients made it a popular mode ofagency practice over the past fiveyears.

This quandary translates intoopportunities for Wurzweiler facultyand students in areas of group workeducation, practice, and research.

“As new types of groups are need-ed by agencies, and as clients withnew needs emerge, we plan to in-corporate the necessary knowledgeand skills into the curriculum torespond to demands,” Dr. Sweifachsays.

In his own research, this has led tocollaborations with Heidi Heft LaPorte’87W, ’00W, DSW, on a survey ofgroup work students in the fourremaining schools; with MartinBirnbaum, PhD, and Dr. LaPorte on

outcomes of group work field instruc-tion without knowledgeable super-visors; and with Dr. LaPorte on theimplementation of group work mod-alities with Orthodox Jewish womenin domestic violence groups.

“The immediate plan is to promoteour program through outreach,research, and conference presenta-tions; integrate new course materialto adapt to changing trends; andprovide continuing education oppor-tunities to those in the field who lackthe skills and knowledge necessary toeither facilitate groups or superviseMSW students,” Dr. Sweifach says.

The movement away from groupwork training across the countrymakes Shantih Clemans, DSW, assis-tant professor, even more focused onunderscoring its benefits to her stu-dents.

“I want students to see that study-ing group work keeps them close tothe root of the social work profession,and equips them with an extra set ofskills that distinguishes them whenit comes to finding a job. I am hope-ful about students’ continued inter-

est in the method,” she says.In her experience running groups

with mostly female survivors of rape,domestic violence and child sexualabuse, she observed the benefitsthat shared support offered to mem-bers of the group.

“A group is a remarkable avenueto foster empowerment, strengths,self-determination, and mutual aid,”she explains. “Many of the clients Iworked with in these groups madetremendous strides in their recoverybecause they were getting the sup-port and guidance they needed andthey were able to help each other.”

Dr. Clemans’ current research withSusan Mason, PhD, involves lookingat the success of rape survivor groupsfrom the survivors’ perspectives.

“There is a lot written on causesof rape and incidences of violence,but very few studies involve groupmembers—in this case, rape survi-vors—as the experts on their ownexperiences, and to help create evi-dence on the effectiveness of treat-ment approaches, such as survivorgroups.” v

The Road Ahead for Group WorkBY HELEN KUTTNER

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

t

School named Wurzweiler Schoolof Social Work to honor a$1 million gift from the

1962 l Gustav Wurzweiler Foundation

l Dean Teicher takes leave of absenceto help establish the Oppenheimer Collegeof Social Service in Northern Rhodesia

t

1964 l Wurzweiler publishes inaugural issueof the Jewish Social Work Forum

Susan Mason Jay Sweifach Shantih Clemans Heidi Heft LaPorte

A Frameworkof Values

A Frameworkof Values

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School moves to Brookdale1965 l Center at 55 Fifth Avenue

l Dean Teicher undertakes feasibility studyinto establishing a social work school atBar-Ilan University in Israel at the request ofRabbi Joseph Lookstein, chancellor of Bar-Ilan

1969 l Doctoral Program established,granting the Doctor ofSocial Work degree

Before ethics became a fashionabletopic for social workers and acade-mics, it was a fundamental part ofthe Wurzweiler curriculum. In part,the focus on ethics was born of theschool’s emergence out of a Jewishcontext that emphasized a spiritualorientation and service to the com-munity. But it was championed bythe faculty, who set the bar on aquality social work education fromthe very outset—and it was pioneeredin particular by Charles “Chuck”Levy, DSW, a founding professorwho joined Morton Teicher in start-ing the school in 1957.

Dr. Levy was at the forefront ofteaching and writing about ethics.He wrote one of the first books onthe topic—Social Work Ethics, in1976—which analyzed social work

values in-depth, organizing theminto a typology of three groups. Hewent on to publish another book onthe subject, Social Work Ethics onthe Line, in 1993. Dr. Levy chairedthe National Association of SocialWorkers’ Task Force on Ethics, whichproduced the Social Work Code ofEthics in 1979—the basis for all theNASW’s subsequent revisions.

He cemented the place of ethicsin Wurzweiler’s curriculum whenhe developed the “Values andEthics” course in the mid-’60s andmade it a requirement for MSW stu-dents. He passed his legacy down toNorman Linzer ’60W, PhD, theSamuel J. and Jean Sable Professorof Jewish Family Social Work, whowas a student of Dr. Levy’s andthen a colleague after joining thefaculty in 1966. He took over theteaching of the course in 1982when Dr. Levy retired, adding hisown twist by applying his teacher’stheories to real-world cases.

“We are at the forefront of teach-ing these kinds of issues,” Dr. Linzersays. While other social work schoolsteach ethics as part of the curricu-lum, Wurzweiler is one of the fewto give the study of values and ethicssuch a high profile and make it arequired course.

Dr. Linzer hit his stride in the

field of ethics when he published apaper in Families in Society about hiswork helping a Baltimore agencyset a policy on sexual behavior ingroup homes for the developmen-tally disabled.

“I used Dr. Levy’s typology of val-

Roy Wilkins, executive directorof the NAACP receives honoraryDoctor of Human Letters at

1972 l commencement

l Community social worksequence launched

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Dr. Simone Gordon ’94WAdjunct assistant professor,

Wurzweiler School of Social Work;

forensic social work consultant and

psychotherapist, New York, NY

ROLE OF ETHICS “Social work prac-

titioners are constantly faced with

situations that place them at the

forefront of potential litigation; they

need to know how to explain their

choices and interventions. They must

have a sound grasp of values, clinical

knowledge, and the capacity to pre-

sent competing ethical theories in

order to justify their ethical decisions.”

MY PRACTICE “My dissertation

research examined how ethics were

taught at the master’s level in several

schools of social work in the North-

eastern United States. Since I teach

casework in the master’s program, I

have had an ongoing interest in ethi-

cal dilemmas presented in the prac-

tice classes.”

ethicsFrom Wurzweiler’s earliest days, ethics was a key component in the curriculum. Now the

school is forging ahead in the cutting-edge field of bioethics.

BY MELISSA PAYTON

E TH ICS

Dean Teicher leaves to become dean of theSchool of Social Work at the University of North Carolina; Dr. William A. Rosenthal

1972 l appointed acting deanDr. Solomon H. Green

1974 l appointed acting dean

l First of 20 national conferenceson bereavement and griefhosted by Wurzweiler

ues and applied it to this case,” Dr.Linzer says. “No one had done thatbefore.”

Dr. Linzer went on to publish twobooks about ethics in social work,including Resolving Ethical Dilemmasin Social Work Practice (1999), which

is used in the class today.“All students are offered the

opportunity to explore conflictsbetween their personal and profes-sional values,” says Dr. Linzer.Nowhere is this interplay more evi-dent, however, than among the stu-dents in the InterdenominationalClergy Program, which ProfessorIrving Levitz established in 1979 andwhich, with Dr. Linzer’s input overthe years, has grown into a strongand viable program at Wurzweiler.“The religious values of these cler-gy men and women confront clientand social work values in their day-to-day work,” he says. “The programenables them to work through thisconfrontation in the classroom.”

Other faculty who have madesignificant contributions in thefield include Sheldon R. Gelman, theschool’s Dorothy and David I.Schachne Dean. In the late 1980s,his research covered the ethics ofwithholding treatment to handi-capped newborns. Later, he and thelate Margaret Gibelman, professor atWurzweiler, focused on ethicalbreaches in non-profit organiza-tions, publishing a series of articlesin academic journals on variousscandals and the misuse of fundsby non-profit management.

More recently, Dean Gelmanworked with Dr. Gibelman, onresearch misconduct. “The wholeissue of plagiarism has obviousethical implications,” he says.“Addressing ethical dilemas in ananalytic fashion not only informspractice and increases accountabil-ity, it also leads to quality practice.”

Dean Gelman will present hislatest research on responsibleresearch and safeguards againstplagiarism, data falsification andfabrication at the bi-annual researchconference of the National In-

stitutes of Health’s Office of Re-search Integrity in December.

Now Adrienne Asch, PhD, theUniversity’s Edward and RobinMilstein Professor of Bioethics, whojoined the University in August

Dr. Frederick J. Streets’81W, ’97WChaplain, Yale University; adjunct

associate professor, Yale Divinity

School; assistant clinical professor

of social work, Yale Child Study

Center, New Haven, CT

ROLE OF ETHICS “Discerning the

ethical and moral implications of a

given personal matter, public issue,

or policy is an essential aspect of

being a social worker, a citizen and

member of the clergy.”

MY PRACTICE “My Wurzweiler

education provided me with an

important framework from which to

consider the tensions and complexities

inherent in making personal and

professional decisions.”

Dr. Marsha Wineburgh ’01WPsychoanalyst/clinical Social

Worker, New York, NY

ROLE OF ETHICS “In the absence of

strong criteria for diagnosis and sub-

sequent treatment, the central deci-

sion for what is in the patient’s best

interest is at stake, particularly in

managed care treatment situations.

In the end, it is the practitioner’s val-

ues, standards, and professionalism

that has the most profound effect on

the quality of service.”

MY PRACTICE “Ethics becomes an

even more poignant issue in private

practice because the private practi-

tioner is totally responsible for all

aspects of patient care, including

managing and collecting fees, and

confidentiality of records.”

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Norman Linzer

Adrienne Asch

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2005, is expanding the scope ofethical studies at Wurzweiler bycreating a new Center for Ethics atYeshiva University.

Dr. Asch, who came fromWellesley College, says she expectsto learn a great deal at her new job,including “how to bring a Jewishperspective into ethics, which isnot my expertise.” She notes thatmaster’s students must take asemester of “Jewish Social Phil-osophy,” a requirement that con-tinues even as the student bodyhas become more diverse.

The course’s goal is “not tomake you Jewish, but to make youthink about what values you bringfrom your own religious traditionand help you understand your val-ues and your clients’ values, recog-nizing that those traditions influ-ence how you deal with a clientand how your client deals withyou,” she says.

Dr. Asch’s expertise in suchhigh-profile issues as cloning, stem-

cell research, end-of-life questionsand distribution of health-careresources means she will be teach-ing frequently at Yeshiva Univer-sity’s other schools. (Wurzweilerstudents will be able to take thosecourses.) As bioethical topicsbecome increasingly prominent,more social workers will need tobecome familiar with them.

Contributing to that effort isGary Stein, MSW, JD, appointedassociate professor this year, whoattributes his attraction to Wurz-weiler to its emphasis on the roleof ethics in social work education.He believes social workers needmore training to be effective in thefield of bioethics (he did his own atGeorgetown University, ColumbiaCollege of Physicians and Sur-

geons, Albert Einstein College ofMedicine, and Montefiore MedicalCenter) because “they struggle toassume a primary role in shapingpolicy and practice in bioethicsand end-of-life care,” he says.

“With our skills in patient advo-cacy and in understanding individ-ual and family dynamics duringtimes of serious illness, socialworkers should be on the forefrontin conducting ethics consultationand formulating institutional prac-tices,” says Professor Stein.

What better place to start thanat the very outset of the socialworker's career? With its new cen-ter, Yeshiva Univeristy is showingthe way. “Ethics needs to be talkedabout in all schools of social work,”says Dr. Asch. v

E TH ICS

Dr. Lloyd Setleis is1975 l appointed dean

t

Dr. John Winer ’00WExecutive director, Jewish

Association for Developmental

Disabilities, Hackensack, NJ; adjunct

professor, Wurzweiler School of

Social Work

WHAT I LEARNED “Wurzweiler

taught me to look at my concrete

practice, not just hypothetical situa-

tions. I attribute my strong sense of

social justice in part to the doctoral

program’s integrated approach to

teaching ethics.”

MY PRACTICE “My training in ethics

together with my practice in admin-

istering an organization have been

incredibly influential in my teaching

at Wurzweiler.”

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Dr. Celia Weisman appointedhead of YU’s GerontologicalInstitute and its Postmaster’sCertificate in Advanced

1976 l Gerontological Practice

l Block Program initiated

Charles “Chuck” Levy pioneered the study of ethics in social work.

2 2

Centers of Service

“Jewish organizations are compli-cated places,” says Norman Linzer’60W, PhD, Samuel J. and JeanSable Professor of Jewish FamilySocial Work, and one of the earliestgraduates of Wurzweiler.

Dr. Linzer, believes that studentsin the master’s program need addi-tional knowledge to serve theJewish community.

The Certificate Program—estab-lished 16 years ago with a pilot groupof eight students—responded to theexpressed need of Jewish organiza-tions for personnel whose trainingincluded not only traditional socialwork skills but enhanced Jewishcontent. While Wurzweiler itself,founded in 1957, has traditionallybeen committed to preparing stu-dents for the Jewish communalworld, Dr. Linzer explains that theCertificate Program was createdspecifically to provide that addi-tional knowledge.

“Wurzweiler is unique,” says Dr.Linzer. Other schools offer similarsocial work or Jewish material, “thisis the only program that fully inte-grates the two.” Many of the program’smore than 450 graduates now holdkey leadership positions in federa-tions and large Jewish agenciesthroughout the world.

“We hope that by integratingJewish content [into the electives],we will entice students,” says Dr.Linzer, noting that two new facultymembers—Lynn Levy ’98W, MSW,former director of premarital edu-cation at the Union for ReformJudaism, and Saul Andron, PhD,who is active in the federation

world—will help expand its offer-ings. Prof. Levy will focus on thearea of family systems; Dr. Andronon organizational structure.

Joel Daner ’62W, Wurzweiler boardmember and another early graduateof the school, recalls the “incredible

J EW I S H CO MM U N A L S E RVICE

Since Wurzweiler opened its doors fifty years ago, and more recently since the inception

of the Certificate Program in Jewish Communal Service in 1990, a steady stream of graduates

have filled key positions at Jewish community organizations across North America, securing

the role of social work in these fast-changing agencies.

1978 l 43 students from 11 statesand from Canada graduateat the first commencementof Block Plan

Interdenominational ClergyPlan and Plan for Employed

1979 l Persons (PEP) launched

1982 l Wurzweiler moves backto its present home inWashington Heights

Wurzweiler’s Boardof Governors established,headed by Herbert H. Schiff

1984 l of Columbus, OH

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BY LOIS GOLDRICH

Joel Carp ’65WSenior vice president emeritus for

community services and government

relations, Jewish Federation of

Metropolitan Chicago, IL

BUILDING COMMUNITY “It’s very

easy to take away someone’s dignity,

but almost impossible to give it back.

Ours is a tradition of social justice—

a strong connection must be drawn

between the practice of social work

and Jewish principles.”

TAKING THE LEAD “In the early 80s,

we created a service network for the

old, poor, disabled, and new immi-

grants in Uptown Chicago. Today,

the project boasts a five-story multi-

service complex with a $1.2 million

budget and represents the first time

an organization went back into a

neighborhood to recreate a sense

of Jewish community.”

Eric Levine ’79W, ’94W, DSWVice president, Jewish Renaissance

and Renewal Pillar, United Jewish

Communities, New York, NY

BUILDING COMMUNITY “Wurz-

weiler taught me not only the basic

techniques and strategies of com-

munity organization but also the skill

of active listening and relationship-

building. My understanding of and

competence in organizational

dynamics, social conflict, and com-

munity building was deepened in

ways I could not have predicted.”

TAKING THE LEAD “In working with

federations and sister organizations,

I have been able to take the lead in

international issues related to Jewish

education, identity, and affiliation.”

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camaraderie and warmth betweenthe [then] small student body andfaculty.” He graduated the first yearthe school accepted clinical students;prior to that, the focus was entirelyon group work.

“Wurzweiler has always walkeda kind of tightrope [since] there’sbeen a fine line between being anaccredited school of social work,with all the skills that entails, and

offering unique material to preparefor Jewish communal service,” saysMr. Daner.

As director of personnel services,training, and human relations for

United Jewish Communities for overa decade, he has seen first-handthe need for more trained Jewishprofessionals. “The most important

thing needed in Jewish communalwork today is a knowledge andunderstanding of how the Jewishcommunity operates,” he says. “Andthat requires effective networking.”

Different organizations in theJewish communal world have dif-ferent needs. Jewish Family Servicesand vocational services demandclinical experience; national groups,fundraising organizations, and fed-erations need community organi-

Joel Daner Lynn Levy Saul Andron

Max Kleinman ’76WExecutive vice president, United

Jewish Communities of MetroWest

New Jersey, Whippany, NJ

BUILDING COMMUNITY “Profes-

sors Charles Levy and Louis Levitt

helped me understand the political

climate, the role of interest groups,

how to mobilize, and how to encour-

age people.”

TAKING THE LEAD “Jewish communal

professionals need to be master moti-

vators, organizers, and fundraisers,

and they must know how to measure

success and failure. I helped create

senior citizens camps in New Jersey

and Minneapolis, and an endowment

program for Jewish education.”

1986 l Dr. Samuel M. Goldstein appointed dean

l The first group of students from South Dakota graduate fromthe Block Plan—they include Patricia Mechling ’86W, Bonnie Rigenbach ’86W, and Constance Watson ’86W

Dr. Norman Linzer1989 l appointed acting dean

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J EW I S H CO MM U N A L S E RVICE

Amy Wasser-Simpson ’94WVice president for planning and com-

munity services, Jewish Federation

of Greater Seattle, Seattle, WA

BUILDING COMMUNITY “I used my

internship to broaden the scope of

my responsibilities at my workplace,

the Jewish Federation. That’s how I

discovered I wanted to work in plan-

ning.”

TAKING THE LEAD “In 2001, we did

a demographic study that looked at

how our community had grown over

the past 10 years and the implications

of that data so that it would be easier

for the institutions in our community

to form a plan of action. Many other

communities across the country

have used this model.”

Robert Aronson ’78WDirector and chief executive officer,

Jewish Federation of Metropolitan

Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, MI

BUILDING COMMUNITY “The most

important thing I learned at Wurzweiler

was that there was such a thing as a

Jewish professional. It was a turning

point in my life. Meeting people who

cared about Jewish communal service

was a revelation.”

TAKING THE LEAD “We launched

the $60-million Millennium Campaign,

with each gift of $1 million targeted

to a different area of Jewish life. And

with the Professional Leaders Project,

we came up with a national initiative

to assure a steady flow of Jewish

leaders from generation to generation

by providing generous scholarships.”

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Dr. Sheldon R. Gelmanappointed professor andDorothy and David I.

1990 l Schachne Dean

l The Certificate inJewish CommunalService is inaugurated

1

zation skills; and JCCs need both.Mr. Daner says he would like to seeWurzweiler focus more on adminis-trative skills, offering a variety ofcontinuing education courses.

Jay Sweifach ’88W,’02W, DSW,who received his master’s and doc-torate from Wurzweiler and nowserves as assistant professor, agreesthat “responding to the unique chal-lenges and complexities of theJewish community today requiresspecialized knowledge and skill.”

“A social work education with afocus on Jewish communal serviceis a standard of excellence” in train-ing Jewish professionals, he says.With this in mind, the Certificatefocuses on specialized practice andadministration in Jewish settings.

Dr. Sweifach, who worked asdirector of youth services for 10

years for JCC MetroWest in NewJersey, recalls that during that time,the JCC had eight full-time MSWyouth workers, all with degrees fromWurzweiler. In a scholarly papercomparing JCC personnel with andwithout social work training, Dr.Sweifach reported that there arepronounced differences—in knowl-edge, skills, values, and perceptions—between the two groups.

According to Dr. Sweifach’s find-ings, a great deal of worker time isspent on the agency’s social ser-vice function, “emanating out of itsconcern for individual, family, andcommunity interaction.” And, heconcluded, “as long as these goalscontinue to permeate agency func-tion, there will be a continued needto maintain a social work presencein agencies such as JCCs.” v

Marc Terrill ’88WPresident, The Associated: Jewish

Community Federation of

Baltimore, MD

BUILDING COMMUNITY

“Wurzweiler instilled an appreciation

and awareness of the complex nature

of community and the role of the

practitioner in facilitating the nurtur-

ing of healthy and empowered com-

munities.”

TAKING THE LEAD “Last year, the

Baltimore Jewish Community had

more volunteers engaged in agency

work, more donors who supported

our resource development efforts,

and an Annual Campaign which

surpassed the $30 million mark for

the first time in our history. I’m most

pleased with our veteran and next

generation leadership in bridging

generational differences and working

in unison on our community’s

Strategic Plan.”

J EW I S H CO MM U N A L S E RVICE

In collaboration with the Jewish Board of Family Children’s Services and the New York Association for New Americas, Wurzweiler enrolls Russian

1990 l émigré professionals for retraining

l The Carl C. Icahn Institute for Child Protectionestablished to train students in detection, treatment, and prevention of child abuse

t

Silvia and Irwin Leiferman Centerfor Professional Training in theCare of the Elderly established

1993 l through a gift from Irwin Leiferman

1994 l David I. Schachneappointed BoardChair

Pinchas Berger ’71WDirector of Jewish community ser-

vices, Jewish Board of Family and

Children’s Services, New York, NY

BUILDING COMMUNITY

“Wurzweiler provided a context of

Jewish values that has continued to

inform my work. I also received

invaluable feedback from the faculty.”

TAKING THE LEAD “I helped to

develop a variety of programs to

serve the Jewish community that

have become significant models

of practice—in particular, the place-

ment of social workers in synagogues,

an HIV/AIDS prevention education

protocol in response to the epidemic,

and designing mental health ser-

vices for émigrés.”

Jay Sweifach teaches in the Certificate Program.

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8

An Aging Concern

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When she arrived at Wurzweiler in1988, Associate Professor SusanBendor, DSW—who conducted thealumni study with Charles Auer-bach, PhD—knew that gerontologywas “the wave of the future.” TheGerontology Institute, which hadbeen led by Dr. Celia Weisman, washeaded for dissolution due to a lackof interest. Dr. Weisman had retired,taking her interest in developingpolicies and programs for theelderly to agencies in the metro-politan New York area and to theUnited Nations NGOs.

Nonetheless, “I had to make surethat students could still study geron-tology,” recalls Dr. Bendor. Follow-ing in Dr. Weisman’s footsteps, shebecame involved with the Washing-ton Heights & Inwood Council onAging, Inc. (WHICOA), an umbrellaorganization of 25 community andgovernment agencies serving theelderly in Northern Manhattan. Dr.Bendor saw good field opportunitiesfor students to work with the activeelderly population served byWHICOA agencies. As many sitesdid not have an MSW-level socialworker to supervise students, shehelped hire a roving supervisor, paidfor by a grant from the United Way

Strategic Alliance Fund. “In the last 10 years, we have had

42 student internships in the Geron-tology Student Project,” Dr. Bendorsays. With a grant from the LeslieFox Samuels Foundation, professorSusan Mason, PhD, and David Strug,PhD, are now researching whetherthese graduates are still workingwith the elderly.

Thanks to a grant from the

National Center for GerontologicalSocial Work Education—an initia-tive funded by the John A. HartfordFoundation through the Council onSocial Work Education—Wurzweilerfaculty Joanna Mellor DSW, RichardCaputo, PhD, director of the doctoralprogram, and Dr. Mason, are help-ing to infuse aging-related contentinto Wurzweiler’s curriculum.

“We work with curriculum chairsin each content area to make sure

G E RONTOLO GY

Wurzweiler’s involvement in gerontology has come a long way. Despite

the existence of a post-graduate Gerontology Institute at the school from

1976 to 1988, a study by faculty in the late 1980s showed that many

alumni had little knowledge of the field. Today, faculty, students, and

alumni are leading the way in raising awareness on issues of aging.

Fern Hertzberg ’87WExecutive director, ARC XVI-Fort

Washington, Inc., New York, NY

WHAT I LEARNED “Social work is

about building community. My

Wurzweiler field assignments gave

me contacts that led to my first job

at the agency I now lead. There is

such an interlocking history between

my years at Wurzweiler and my

position in the community—it’s

hard to know where one ends and

the other begins.”

CURRENT GOALS “We’re working

on extending the senior center to be

open on the weekend. People have

nowhere to go—they need a place

to socialize and have a meal.”

On its 40th anniversary, Wurzweiler is presented with two NY State Assembly proclamations

1996 l by Assemblyman Vito Lopez ’70W

l Wurzweiler creates the Gerontology Student Project with the Washington Heights andInwood Council on Aging

Wurzweiler hosts its first symposiumexamining Black-Jewish issues, featuring Kweisi Mfume,

1997 l Hugh Price, and Israel Singer

1998 l Wurzweiler hosts second “AfricanAmericans and Jews: A Dialogue forthe 21st Century,” featuring Martin Luther King, III as keynote speaker

First HIV/AIDS conference held

Joint MSW/JD program initiated

l with YU’s Cardozo School of Law

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BY HELEN KUTTNER

Susan Bendor 50

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aging is included in our coursesand to see that the faculty is edu-cated about aging,” says Dr. Mellor, afellow of the Gerontological Societyof America who recently co-editedBaby Boomers: Can My Eighties BeLike My Fifties?

Dr. Mason, chair of the curricu-lum committee, views this effort asurgent and far-reaching.

“It’s a challenge to get young

students interested in working witholder people. Because we offer elec-tives and encourage students tothink in that direction, it is happen-ing, but we have to keep workingon it—we have to think of it as along-term goal.”

Dr. Caputo, author of the recently-published Challenges of Aging on USFamilies: Policy and Practice Implica-tions, reports that the PhD Programis attracting students with interestsin the area of aging. Five recentdoctoral graduates, Phyllis Erlbaum-Zur ’03W, PhD; Ilan Ledner ’00W,PhD; Jinsheng Qiu ’99W, ’05W, PhD;Evelyn Laureano ’04W, PhD; and JillBecker-Feigeles ’97W, ’06W, PhD, havecompleted dissertations related togerontology.

For the past several years, theschool has hosted conferences onissues in aging that have attractedpractitioners and policy makersfrom across the New York Metro-politan area. “Meeting the Challen-

ges of Older Persons: CombiningPractice and Policy, National andInternational Perspectives on

Dr. Evelyn Laureano ’04WExecutive director, Neighborhood

Self Help by Older Persons Project,

Inc. (SHOPP) Bronx, NY

WHAT I LEARNED “At Wurzweiler,

I found my niche as a strengths-

based practitioner. The ‘Theoretical

Foundations’ class opened my eyes

to empowerment theory. I have built

my organization using this theoreti-

cal framework—it has proved to be

most valuable professionally.”

CURRENT GOALS “We want to

expand the services we offer to

reflect the continuum of needs for

elders of color. We’re in the planning

stage with the proposal for a grant

to develop a NORC supportive

services program.”

Third “African Americansand Jews: A Dialogue for the21st Century,” features the

1999 l Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

l Career DevelopmentCenter opened

t

2000 l NY State Department of Education approves conversion of DSW degreeto Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare degree

The Fifth HIV and Diversity2001 l Conference is held at Wurzweiler

2003 l Wurzweiler establishes fieldwork program for ACSemployees at Child ProtectionCenter, Montefiore Hospital

Joanna Mellor

Dr. Phyllis Erlbaum-Zur’02W, ’06WDirector of admissions and discharge

services, Jewish Home and Hospital

Lifecare System, Bronx, NY

WHAT I LEARNED “My education

has broadened my horizons and vision-

ary ability while firming up a sense

of humility necessary in the field of

social work. This has enabled me to

enjoy a strong leadership position at

Jewish Home and Hospital.”

CURRENT GOALS “I’m making the

transition into academia—I will be

teaching “Social Work in Health

Care” in the fall.”

Phyllis Erlbaum-Zur, of Jewish Home and Hospital, focused on gerontology in her PhD.

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G E RONTOLO GY

Aging,” co-chaired by Rosa PerlaResnick Helfgot ’76W, DSW and Dr.Bendor, explored the local implica-tions of the UN International Planof Action on Aging in 2002. “TheFuture of Aging” conveyed policyand service recommendations to the2005 White House Conference onAging in Washington, DC. and “Self-Neglect of Elder Persons,” in 2006,took an interdisciplinary approachto issues such as hoarding, depres-sion, and social isolation (see storyon page 5). Gerontology is also oneof the symposia themes beinghighlighted in the 50th anniversaryconference, Celebrating a Tra-dition of Caring, on May 6–8 2007.

“We are making ourselves visi-ble and identifying ourselves as

players in this big arena,” says Dr.Mellor. She hopes to get ongoingfunds for the development of agerontology specialty, now a pilotproject in which two students willrotate between two agencies fortheir field requirement, and gradu-ate with four different experiencesin working with the elderly. Dr.Mason and Dr. Strug are also examin-ing the effect of culture on copingmechanisms in Hispanic andChinese American elderly in NewYork City post-9/11, research thathas already been published in TheJournal of Gerontological Social Work.

In its capacity as a member ofWHICOA, Wurzweiler also cospon-sors the interagency council’sannual conferences on aging.Among the issues the conference

tackles—and that havebeen championed by Drs.Bendor and Mellor, andalumni such as FernHertzberg ’87W, executivedirector of ARC XVI FortWashington Senior Center—is the development ofNaturally Occurring Re-tirement Communities(NORCs), in which peopleage together in housingcomplexes not originallyintended for seniors.

Wurzweiler faculty viewthe Baby Boomer retire-ment wave and its impacton service needs as awake-up call for studentsand faculty to become in-volved in aging issues.

“My hope is that wecan end up with a univer-sity-wide, interdisciplinaryinstitute on aging,” saysDr. Mellor.

Somewhere, CeliaWeisman is smiling. v

G E RONTOLO GY

Dr. Robert Schwalbe2004 l appointed Board Chair

2005 l Center for Ethics atYeshiva Universitycreated, led byDr. Adrienne Asch

Wurzweiler launches 50thanniversary celebrations withalumni gatherings and professionalsymposia across the United

2006 l States, Canada, and Israel

l Sixth multidisciplinary HIV/AIDSsymposium held at the New YorkAcademy of Medicine

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Dr. Rebecca Mushkin ’80WDirector of senior services,

Sunnyside Community Services, New

York, NY

WHAT I LEARNED “Wurzweiler

emphasized getting in touch with

clients’ feelings, which still influ-

ences how I practice social work.”

CURRENT GOALS “After the opening

of our $2 million state-of-the-art

center for active older adults, I will

be focusing on the needs of our

members, as well as the needs of

the community of Western Queens,

in line with our commitment to

building and maintaining strong and

integrated communities.”

Student Carmen Lopez (right) works at ARC XVI-Fort

Washington Senior Center.

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Joseph Bensmihen ’95WPresident and chief executive officer,

United Elder Care Services and Boca

Home Care, Boca Raton, FL

WHAT I LEARNED “By incorporating

my field placement into my academic

studies, my education taught me to

foresee outcomes. I’m like the surro-

gate son in Florida: when adult chil-

dren have questions, they call me.

It is sometimes difficult for them to

grasp what the problem is. If you can

foresee the difference between the

question that is being asked versus

the actual need, you can have a plan

that works 100 percent of the time.”

CURRENT GOALS “I was recently

elected president of the Florida

Private Care Association, the trade

association which represents the

interests of care givers and families

in the pursuit of home health care

services. I will also be on the new

Governor of Florida’s Health Care

Transition Team.

Wurzweiler School of Social Work50th Anniversary Conference and Gala DinnerMay 6–8, 2007

Celebrating a Tradition of Caring: Social Work Practice Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The culmination of our golden anniversary celebration willbe marked by a major professional social work conferencein New York City. We invite your submission in our Call for

Papers. E-mail wsswabstract@yu.edu with your submission orfor more information. This landmark event will include a galadinner on Sunday, May 6, honoring various political dignitariesand individuals whose contributions throughout the years havehelped distinguish Wurzweiler from among this nation’s leadingacademic institutions. Join your classmates in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pay tribute to the school where youbegan your journey as a social worker.

Sheraton New York811 7th Avenue at 53rd StreetNew York, NY 10019

Special room reservation rates areavailable for out-of-towners.

For more information about any of the 50th anniversaryevents, contact Mark Miller, director of alumni affairsWurzweiler School of Social Work212-960-0127 cmmiller@yu.edu

M O N T R E A L Catastrophic Events: The Challenges of Working with People in Crisis

Tuesday Hillel House, McGill University, 3460 Rue Stanley, Montreal, QuebecOctober 24, 2006 Featuring Dr. Heidi Heft LaPorte and Dr. Jay Sweifach, assistant professors. Alumni reception6:00 PM from 6 PM to 7 PM, program open to Montreal community from 7 PM to 9 PM.

TO R O N TO Inheriting the Past and Influencing the Future: A Conference forAdult Children of Holocaust Survivors

Sunday Baycrest Wagman Centre, 55 Ameer Avenue, Toronto, OntarioOctober 29, 2006 Dr. Susan Bendor, associate professor, will discuss “Strong at the Broken Places:8:45 AM–3:30 PM Diverse Voices from the Second Generation.”

5:30 PM–7:30 PM Gladstone’s Wine Bar and Grill, 398 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, OntarioAlumni reception. Featuring remarks by founding dean Morton Teicher and Dr. Susan Bendor .

N E W YO R K Twenty-five Years of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: An Interdisciplinary Symposium

Friday New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NYNovember 17, 2006 Featuring Dr. Arye Rubenstein, director of The Family Immunology Clinic and9:30 AM–3:30 PM professor in the departments of pediatrics and of microbiology and immunology at

Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Wurzweiler School of Social Work50th Anniversary Conference and Gala DinnerMay 6–8, 2007

S A V E T H E D AT E

3 0W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

S AV E T H E D AT E

FA I R L AW N The First 50 Years at Wurzweiler

N J Fair Lawn Jewish Center, 10-10 Norma Avenue, Fair Lawn, NJ

Wednesday Alumni reception featuring Dr. Morton Teicher, Wurzweiler’s founding dean; Dr. Sam Goldstein,December 6, 2006 former dean; Dr. Elsbeth Couch, former professor; and Dr. Sheldon R. Gelman,6:00 PM Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean, WSSW.

B A LT I M O R E How Historical Developments at Wurzweiler Reflect Changes in Society

Thursday The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore,December 7, 2006 101 West Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, MD6:00 PM Alumni reception featuring Dr. Sheldon R. Gelman, Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean, WSSW;

Dr. Morton Teicher, founding dean; and Dr. Norman Linzer, Samuel J. and Jean Sable Professorof Jewish Family Social Work.

B O S T O N Healing Individual and Collective Traumas

Sunday The Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center,January 28, 2007 333 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA1:00 PM-6:00 PM Dr. Shantih Clemans, assistant professor, and Tamar Miller ’80W participate in a panel discussion.

Alumni cocktail reception to follow.

LO S A N G E L E S Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice

Sunday Beth Jacob Congregation, 9030 W. Olympic BoulevardFebruary 11, 2007 Beverly Hills, CA 11:00 AM Alumni brunch with Dr. Norman Linzer, Samuel J. and Jean Sable Professor of Jewish Family

Social Work. Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel will deliver greetings.

S I O U X FA L L S Boundaries: When Your Neighbor is Your Client – Ethical and Cultural Considerations

Monday–Tuesday Avera McKennan Transplant Institute, March 26-27, 2007 1001 East 21 Street, Sioux Falls, SD

Conference in conjunction with NASW, featuring Dr. Simone Gordon, adjunct assistant professor, and Dr. Carmen Ortiz Hendricks, associate dean. Alumni reception to follow.

B O C A R ATO N Ethical Issues in Social Work: Organizational and Individual Responses

TBA Venue and time to be announced.Alumni conference featuring Dr. Adrienne Asch, Edward and Robin Milstein Professor of Bioethics, as keynote speaker Dr. Morton Teicher, founding dean, speaks about the history of Wurzweiler at lunch reception.

J E R U S A L E M Wurzweiler’s Contribution to Israel

Sunday–Tuesday Time and venue to be announced.June 24-26, 2007 Dr. Sheldon R. Gelman, Dorothy and David I. Schachne Dean, WSSW, will speak at a reception in

conjunction with the World Conference of Jewish Communal Service, where Professor Naomi Abramowitz and Dr. Sol Green, former Wurzweiler faculty, will be honored.

3 1W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

On the occasion of

Wurzweiler’s 50th anniversary,

celebrate the faculty members

who have had the greatest

impact on you and your

career. Consider a contribution

in honor of your favorite faculty

member/s and his/her name

will be listed alongside yours

in the upcoming issue of

The Update alumni magazine.

YOUR GIFT CAN BE DESIGNATED FOR ONE OF FOUR FUNDS:

1) Wurzweiler Unrestricted FundA general fund that helps cover the deficit between operational expenses and tuition revenue. This fund is vital to the school.

2) Wurzweiler General Scholarship FundA fund to assist students with established financial need.

3) 50th Anniversary Israeli and International StudentScholarship FundA newly established fund that will help us continue our support of Israeli students and increase our recruitmentefforts for students from other countries.

4) The Elaine Schott Advocacy and Social Action InitiativeEstablished by Wurzweiler board member Elaine Schottand her husband, Rudy, this fund will support programsand activities to educate students about social action.

Our Goal is 100% Participation. Please Consider a First-Time

Gift or an Increased Gift During This Milestone Year.

Gifts of any amount will be truly appreciated. (Pledges of $5,000 or more may be paid over 5 years.)Use the accompanying envelope to make your contribution.We look forward to your participation in this historic event!

Contact Leslie Waltzer Pollak, director of institutional advancement, at 212-960-0872 orMark Miller, director of alumni relations, at 212-960-0127 for more information.

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Honor YourMost Inf luential

Professor

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Alice and Herbert BarbanelScholarship Fund

Amy Bodian EndowedScholarship Fund

Anfang Jewish CommunalService Scholarship Fund

Anfang Publication Fund

Anolic Scholarship

Asher Melzer Scholarship Fundfor Students Studying JewishCommunal Services

Atran Lecture Series

Beate and Henry VorembergEndowed Scholarship Aid Fund

Benerofe Family ScholarshipFund

Carl and Dorothy Bennett Chairin Pastoral Counseling

Carl C. Icahn FoundationInstitutes Scholarship forChild Protection

Carole Scherz Memorial Fund forLandowne Library

Central Bureau Jewish AgedScholarship Fund for StudentsCommitted to Advocacy

Cielia Dicker MemorialScholarship Fund

Computer Learning CenterLaboratory

Daniel N. Davis Scholarship

David Dubin Scholarship Fundfor Students Interested inEntering Jewish CommunityCenter Field

David Goldman StudentRecruitment Advertising

David H. Zysman ScholarshipFund

David Michael Kagan MemorialScholarship Fund

David Schachne EndowedScholarship Fund

Dean’s Discretionary Fund

Dennis Mehiel 4H EndowedScholarship Fund

Doctoral Alumni ScholarshipFund

Doctoral Fund on Child Abuse

Dorothy and David I. SchachneDeanship

Dorothy and David I. SchachneScholars Program

Dorothy and Philip ZaroScholarship Fund

Dorothy Carroll EndowedScholarship Fund

Dr. Israel Jacobowitz Scholarshipin Memory of Father Nathan

Dr. Margaret Gibelman MemorialDoctoral Scholarship Fund

Dr. Maurice B. HexterEndowed Fund

Dr. Norman Lamm MeritScholarships ProgramEstablished by Lorin Silverman

Dr. Norman Lamm ScholarshipAward

Earmark for Ethiopian Jewry inIsrael Project

Ed Grupper MemorialAward Fund

Eileen and Peter RhulenEndowed Scholarship Fund

(Peer) Evaluation Project

Eugene Korda J. EndowedFellowship Established by AnnaBerta Mann

Florence and Herbert TenzerScholarship

Frank Selma DoctoralScholarship Fund

Fredda S. Leff PresidentialFellowship Endowment Fund

Gerentological Studies

Grace Mary ZimmermanScholarship

Harvey M. Krueger ScholarshipFund

Health Policy Conference

Hedi Steinberg Library

Henry and Beate VorembergChair in Social Group Work

Henry and Joan Katz Scholarship

Henry Taub EndowedScholarship Fund

Henry Voremberg EndowedScholarship Fund

Herbert and Florrie TenzerPersonal Scholarship Fund

Herbert Schiff ComputerProgram

Herbert Schiff Scholarship

Ira and Rose YavarkovskyEndowed Scholarship

Israel Humanitarian FoundationScholarship Israel Program

Israeli and International StudentScholarship Fund

Jack D. Weiler EndowedScholarship Fund

James Young Scholarship Fund

Janet Saporta Adler ScholarshipFund

Janie and Robert SchwalbeProgram for Aids Education

Janie and Robert SchwalbeScholarship

Jewish Communal ServiceScholarships

Jewish Foundation for Educationof Women Scholarships

Joyce and Arthur JosephEndowed Scholarship Fund

Krueger Scholars (Three Second-Year Students)

Lawrence and Ruth KobrinEndowed Scholarship

Leah Chinitz Memorial Fund forStudent Emergency Loans

Leon Luchansky MemorialScholarship Fund

Lifelong Center for Learning andSocial Development

Lilian Kitt Golden Award

Lilly Tempelsman Scholarship

Martha K. Selig (Judaica Fund)

Martin Birnbaum Group WorkScholarship Fund

Marvin and Dassie BienenfeldIsraeli Student Working withRussian Jews

Marvin Bienenfeld ScholarshipsStudents from Long Beach

Meri Kraidman EndowedScholarship

Mildred and Philip P. GoodkinScholarship Fund

Milton Gralla Scholarship Fund

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey M. KruegerScholarship

Mr. and Mrs. Martin PrinceEndowed Scholarship

Muriel and David GoldmanScholarship Fund

Murray Raim Scholarship Fund

Naomi Anolic MemorialScholarship

Nathan and Sadie Garfinkel andRose and Irving Closter MemorialScholarship

Native Leadership Scholarship

Neil Norry Endowed ScholarshipFund

Norman Seiden EndowedScholarship

Peter Krueger Scholarship

Phyllis G. Minces MemorialBook Fund

Rachel and Felix KraidmanMemorial Scholarship

Rachel and Felix KraidmanMemorial Lectureship

Rita and Martin PrinceScholarship

Riverside Memorial ChapelPersonal Endowed Scholarship

Robert W. Schiff Scholarship,Landowne Library

Ronald Shear Scholarship forNeedy Students

Roselyn and Walter WeitznerEndowed Scholarship Fund

Ruth and Lawrence KobrinCertificate Program in JewishCommunal Service

S.H. and Helen R. Scheuer FamilyFoundation Scholarship

Samuel and Jean Sable Chair inJewish Family Studies

Samuel Hausman Chair inCommunal Social Work

Sarah Lederman EndowedScholarship Fund

Scheuer Family FoundationScholarship in Gerontology

Scheuer Foundation Scholarshipfor New Soviet Emigres

Scholarship Fund for Studentsin Oncology

Shield Institute Scholarship

Shirley and Milton GrallaScholarship for Resettlement ofSoviet Jewry

Silvia and Irwin LeifermanCenter for ProfessionalTraining/Care of Elderly

Simon Gold Scholarship

Soviet Jews ResettlementScholarship

Stanton Gerontological Lecture

Student Discretionary Fund

Beate and Henry VorembergEndowed Scholarship Fund

Central Bureau for the JewishAged Scholarship

Dr. Israel Jacobowitz Scholarshipin Memory of his Father, NathanJacobowitz

Elaine Schott Social ActionInitiative

Isadore Orenstein EndowedScholarship Fund

Sadinoff-Katz Scholarship Fund

Schott Family EndowedScholarship Fund

Thelma and Maurice LeighMemorial Scholarship

Linda C. Cooper Memorial Award

United Way Scholarship Fund

Wexner Foundation FellowshipGrant

William E. Wiener Chairin Jewish CommunalOrganization

Wurzweiler School ofSocial Work Committeeto Strengthen GroupWork in JewishCommunity Centers

Board Member ElaineSchott EstablishesSocial Action Project

Wurzweiler Board member ElaineSchott and her husband, Rudy,have established a fund at Wurz-weiler to motivate and empower

students to be effective advocates andchange agents, promoting social andeconomic justice both in their role asprofessionals and as citizens.

“The aims of the Elaine Schott Advo-cacy and Social Action Initiative areconsistent with the objectives of ourexisting Social Action Committee,” saidSusan Bendor, DSW, associate professorand the committee’s chair. “We antici-pate that the initiative will build Wurz-weiler students’ competence in influ-encing social policy.”

The project will have both theoreti-cal and practical components. The the-ories of social action and advocacy willbe infused into the curriculum, partic-ularly the first-year practice courses.Two Common Day events will educatestudents and faculty about socialaction. All students will be encouragedto take part in Lobby Day in Albany.Finally, the curriculum committee willexplore the possibility of adding anelective course on the topic.

Using as a guide the ideas put forth byJudy Lee ’80W in her book, The Empower-ment Approach to Social Work Practice,the initiative will develop a more potentsense of self among students, buildtheir critical comprehension of the webof social and political realities, and cul-tivate resources and strategies to realizetheir personal and collective goals. v

FIFT Y YE ARS OF GENEROSIT Y Thanks to all of our generous graduates, parents, foundations,agencies, corporations, and friends who have established or supported the following scholarships, programs,chairs, and deanship over the last half century. Your contribution has helped our students to become some ofthe most well-respected practitioners, researchers, and educators in the world.

If you would like to support any of the funds below, or desire additional information, please contact LeslieWaltzer Pollak, director of institutional advancement, at 212 960-0872 or lpollak@yu.edu.

Representatives from American Jewish World

Service gave out information on genocide in

Darfur to Jill Becker-Feigeles ’97W, ’06W PhD

at Common Day

30W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

When Estanne Fawer andNoach Korman, founder andexecutive director respec-tively of Miklat—Israel’s only

network of domestic violence sheltersfor ultra-Orthodox Jewish womenand children—spoke at Wurzweilerin June, it was a rare opportunity forstudents and faculty to learn moreabout a little-known topic.

Ms. Fawer’s talk was sponsored bythe Atran Foundation, whose generoussupport to Wurzweiler over the pastfour decades has ensured that the AtranLecture Series deepens and enrichesstudents’ education in topics related tosocial work.

This year marks not only Wurz-weiler’s 50th anniversary, but the 40thanniversary of the establishment of thelecture series at the school.

“The Atran Foundation serves anintegral role in the education of ourstudents,” Sheldon R. Gelman, PhD,David I. and Dorothy Schachne Dean,said. “The Atran Lecture Series exposesour students every year to importanttopics and speakers that prepare themfor the field.”

Over the years, the lecture serieshas addressed such topics as theevolving role of Jewish Family Service,

cults and their impact on Jewishyouth, and changing patterns in phil-anthropy in the Jewish community.It has brought outstanding social workpractitioners, educators, and commu-nity leaders onto campus—such asBarry Schrage, president of CombinedJewish Philanthropies of GreaterBoston; Professors Uri Aviram andEliezer Jaffe from Hebrew Universityin Israel; and David Black, executivedirector of the JCC in Manhattan.

The foundation also supports thepublication and distribution of Wurz-weiler’s annual journal, The SocialWork Forum.

The foundation was established in1945 by Frank Z. Atran, an entrepre-neur in the textiles and real estateindustries. Mr. Atran grew up in theprovince of Kiev, Russia, and was sweptup in the socialist revolution, joiningthe Bund, a Jewish socialist group.He took part in the failed uprising of1905 where he was shot in both legs.

He left the Soviet Union in 1925for Berlin after the Bolsheviktakeover. There he built a successfulhosiery business, Etam, becoming apartner in Belgium, France, andLuxembourg.

After fleeing Nazi Germany forthe United States in 1940, he wentinto real estate and property man-agement. The foundation provided aframework for his continuedactivism, and supported such causesas the survival of imperiled Jewsaround the world, both after theHolocaust and in the Soviet Unionand Ethiopia; Yiddish culture; laboreducation and labor relations; med-ical research; and social welfare.

Thank you to the members of theAtran Foundation, and in particularits president, Diane Fischer, for mak-ing a difference in the lives of somany individuals. v

ATRA N FOU N DAT ION

Celebrating 40 Years of theAtran Foundation’s Support

Wurzweiler Schoolof Social Work

BOARD OF GOVERNOR S

Robert Schwalbe, MSW, PhDChair

Joan Sadinoff Katz, ’80W, MSWVice Chair

Arthur JosephTreasurer

Herbert BarbanelSecretary

Joan O’Donnell, ’80W, MSWAssistant Secretary

David I. Schachne, LHDChair Emeritus

Janet Adler, ’96W, MSW

David A. Alpert

Edward Anfang

Joseph Bartlett

Froma Benerofe, MSW

Madaleine Berley, MSW

David B. Chapnick

Joel Daner, ’60Y, ’62W, MSW

Philip P. Goodkin

Richard M. Joel

Saul Kagan

Lawrence Kobrin

Meri Kraidman, ’62W, MSW

Ira Kukin

Robin Hirtz Meltzer, PhD

Eileen Rhulen

Peter Rhulen

Irving M. Rosenbaum

Elaine J. Schott, MSW

Lilly Tempelsman, ’79W, MSW

Morry J. Weiss

Roselyn Weitzner, ’76W, MSW

Honorary GovernorIra Yavarkovsky

Estanne Fawer, founder of Miklat

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3 4W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

The accomplishments of Wurzweiler’s faculty and students would not be possible without the generosity of friends like you.

Thank you to our alumnidonors, who contributedto Annual Fund 2006(July 1, 2005–June 30, 2006)

Mrs. Gail Abramson ’76W Rabbi Mitchell S. Ackerson ’89WMrs. Janet Saporta Adler ’95W Mrs. Carmeta V. Albarus-Rodney ’95W Ms. Helen L. Aldor ’92W Ms. Johane Marie Alexandre ’04WMrs. Edith Hersch Allen ’81W Mrs. Marian Davidson Amodeo ’76W Mrs. Shoshanna April ’81W Mrs. Barbara P. Arfe ’80W Mrs. Deirdre Arnowitz ’75W Mr. Gadi Aronson ’92WMs. Joan G. Astrin ’97WMrs. Sara J. Bailyn ’86W Mrs. Laura Stark Baker ’89W Ms. Shira Carol Barnett ’78W Mrs. Naomi Bar-Yam ’81W Ms. Yocheved S. Bateman ’2004W Mrs. Barbara Baum ’77W Ms. Vivian Becker ’69W Ms. Nira Miriam Beer ’81W Mrs. Sheryl Bellman ’72W Ms. Randie Robin Bencanann ’82WMrs. Lisa Bendetowicz ’92W Ms. Elisabeth A Bennett ’97W Mrs. Desiree Berkley ’03W Rabbi and Mrs Elchonon M.

Berkowitz ’85W Mrs. Lisa Berley ’77WMrs. Bertha A. Berman ’83W Dr. Lois Bernabo ’79W Dr. Charles S. Bershatsky ’83W Mr. Joshua D Bienenfeld ’85W Mrs. Yuditha R. Bienenfeld ’75W Mr. and Mrs. Stewart M.

Birnbaum ’79W Mrs. Sara M. Birnbaum ’03WMs. Alice Blue ’84W Mr and Mrs. Ruby Asuleen ’81W Mr. Stuart J. Bokser ’73W Mr. Irving Borenstein ’86W Ms. Lorraine J. Braun ’86W Mrs. Sora Brazil ’75W Ms. Stacie A. Bresler ’96W Mrs. Amy Brody ’85W Ms. Marcia Iris Bronstein ’82W Mr. Neil Bueno ’03W Ms. Maxine Angella

Campbell-Reid ’00W Ms. Laurie B. Caplan ’95W Mr. Frank J. Cassa ’91W Mr. Saul M. Chapnick ’80W Ms. Alicia Cohen ’83W Rabbi Herman Lester Cohen ’82W Ms. Lisa Cohen ’93W Ms. Susan E. Cohen ’88W Ms. Scott B. Colton ’83WMs. Helene Bell Cook ’05W Ms. Harriet B. Copeland ’65W Mr. Richard A. Corman’76W Mrs. Emily Damron ’84W Ms. Victoria David ’02W Mr. Joel Daner WS Ms Marcia Davidowitz ’75W Ms. Susan W. Davis ’97W Ms. Florence De Lavalette ’92W Mr. Allen Dickstein ’69W Mrs. Lois W. Dinkin ’63W Ms. Diane Dougherty ’95WMs. Dahrys Druck ’73WMs. Catherine Duffy ’82W Ms. Syma Echeandia ’68WMs. Jacquelyn Efram ’82W Mrs. Nancy Einbinder ’73W Mrs. Marci Eisen ’80W Ms. Lynn Ellenbogen ’82W Ms. Judith G. Ellman ’79W Dr and Mrs. Lawrence Miller ’77W Mr. Nathan Etrog ’69W

Mrs. Dolores Etrog-Friedel ’71W Mrs. Lillian Evers ’77W Ms. Mindy Evnin ’69W Ms. Debbie J. Ezersky ’89W Ms. Andrea C. Fallick ’85WMrs. Myra Coren Feinberg ’78W Mrs. Audrey Feiner ’92W Mrs. Harriet Feiner ’64W Ms. Gwendolyn C. Feldman ’98W Mr. Matthew Saul Feldman ’01W Mrs. Susan Mindy Ferbank ’78W Mr. David Fiebert ’04W Mrs. Phyllis Fien ’79W Ms. Myrna Figueroa-Henry ’04W Ms. Adell Fine ’70W Mrs. Linda Klein Fingerman ’79W Dr. Mark J. Flanzraich ’79W Mrs. Susan Forer-Dehrey ’80W Ms. Gillian D. Francis ’89W Mrs. Arlynn Freedman ’83W Ms. Barbara Gamm Frenkel ’82W Dr. Maina Fridman ’93W ’01W Ms. Lynn C. Friedman ’88W Mrs. Sari F. Friedman-Rosner ’94W Rev. Robert J. Fritz ’85W Rabbi Robyn Michelle Fryer ’01W Ms. Mildred Galonsky ’75WMs. Ilse Garfunkel ’78W Mr. Peter H. Gartner ’83W Mrs. Mari-Ann Gaynes ’90W Ms. Andrea Lamb Gaynor ’00W Mr. Lawrence Gelfand ’65W Ms. Jane K. Gelsi ’86W Iby De George-Gearey ’ 06W Ms. Norma S. Gindes ’89W Mrs. Laurel R. Gladstone ’96W Dr. Rosalie J. Gleicher ’95W Ms. Marcia B. Glenn ’96W Ms. Sheryl Glickman ’72W Mrs. Andrea Goldberg ’82W Mrs. Harriet Faith Goldberg ’93W Mrs. Mary L. Goldiner ’76W Ms. Esther S. Goldman ’76WMr. Herbert Goldman ’67W Ms. Nancy E. Goldstein ’73W Ms. Roberta I. Goldstein ’87W Mrs. Sorie Goldstein ’81WDr. William Goldstein ’62W Mr. Gary P. Golio ’97W Ms. Lorie J. Gombin-Sperling ’79W Ms. Elizabeth Gomez ’96W Dr. Nancy T. Gonchar ’93W Mr. Edward C. Goodell ’66W Mrs. Rhoda H. Goodman ’78W Mr. Barry Stephen Gordon ’81W Mrs. Sharon Gordon ’89W Mrs. Laurence Gordon ’71W Rabbi Mel Gottlieb ’73W Mrs. Prudence Robin

Gousby-Rogers ’05W Mrs. Regina Gradess ’76WMrs. Marylin S. Granat ’84W Mrs. Rachael L. Gray-Raff ’87W Ms. Nkechi P. Green ’01W Mr. Martin Greenberg ’76W Mr. Sanford B. Gruenfeld ’93W Rabbi Peter H. Grumbacher ’91W Mrs. Felice C. Grunberger ’77W Mr. Rocco Guglielmo ’73W Mr. Steven Gursky ’82W Ms. Lynne Miller Guss ’80W Mr. Martin W. Haberer ’88W Mr. Sandor G. Haft ’85W Mrs. Doris J. Hait ’74W Mrs. Laura B. Hall ’80W Dr. Marilyn Hamlin Palasky ’96W Ms. Avery Hart ’95W Ms. Anne Hartley ’91W Ms. Carol Anne Harvey ’99WMrs. Judith B. Haveson ’93W Dr. Henry Heinbach ’96W Mrs. Ann Heller ’82W Dr. Carmen Ortiz Hendricks ’93WMs. Esther Heyman ’67W

Mr. Robert H. Hickman ’83W Mr. Edward N. Higgins ’78W Mrs. Devora Hoschander ’06WMr and Mrs. Eric M. Hocky ’80W Mrs. Gayle Hoffman ’67W Mrs. Irene Hollander ’84W Mr. Stephen M. Horowitz ’66W Ms. Toby M. Horowitz ’69W Mrs. Tracy Horwitz ’92W Mr. Alan Isaacs ’83W Mr. and Mrs. Judah Isaacs ’86W Mr and Mrs. Gregg Jaclin ’01W Mr. David Lee Jacobs ’78W Ms. Hinda Jacobs ’85W Ms. Oreet Jiji ’80W Ms. Deborah Ann Josell ’00W Ms. Leslie R. Kallus ’79W Mr. Paul Kantrowitz’78W Mrs. Ellen Kaplan ’81W Ms. Carolyn Karasick ’81W Mrs. Ruth Nusbaum Katzenstein ’82W Mrs. Joan Sadinoff Katz ’80W Mr. Erik Shane Kessler’04W Mr. Jeffrey M. Kirschenbaum ’80W Mr. Larry Kirshner ’59W Ms. Relly Klarman ’94WMs. Bonnie Sherman Klem ’80W Mr. Alan Edward Klugman ’80W Ms. Eve S. Kohut ’96W Mrs. Yona I. Kollin’80W Mrs. Barbara Korson ’93W Mrs. Florence Kraut ’76W Ms. Julia B. Kronfeld ’87W Mrs. Estelle Krumholz ’73W Ms. Margarita M. Kugler ’94W Mrs. Fayanne Kuttler ’83W Rabbi and Mrs. Stuart Lavenda’80W Mrs. Naomi Eibshutz Lazarus ’80W Mr. Harold A. Lederman ’81W Dr. Judith Dimant Lentz ’83WMr. Shea Z. Lerner ’00W Ms. Lynn Susan Levanda ’89W Mrs. Ruth S. Levi ’90W Mr. and Mrs. Philip Levy ’98W Ms. Margo Joseph Levy ’85W Mrs. Jenifer Lewison ’87W Mrs. Ellen Lightman ’71 Dr. Norman Linzer ’60W Ms. Gabrielle D. Lipkin ’94W Mrs. Marcy L. Lippman ’86W Ms. Jill Feuerstein Lipson ’79W Ms. Rhonda J. Liss ’99W Ms. Inna V. Litrovnik ’93W Ms. Marilyn Litwak ’82W Ms. Marie Lopresti ’88W Mrs. Annelen Hughes Madigan ’96WMs. Sofia Desiree Temel Maisler ’80W Mr. Wsewolod Majdanski ’64W Ms. Barbara K. Maltz ’80W Rabbi Alvin M. Marcus ’52W Dr. Valerie P. Markovitz ’97W Ms. Elaine B. Marks ’90W Mrs. Michelle Rothberg Marom ’97WDr. Elaine Marshack ’84W Ms. Liduvina Martinez ’98W Mrs. Maritza Martinez ’05W Mr. and Mrs. Ben Mayer ’69W Ms. Linda D. Mccracken ’96W Ms. Cindy E. McQuade ’82W Mr. Robert A. Meyer ’87W Dr. Parivash M. Michlin ’92WC. Mark Miller ’06WMs. Estelle B. Miller ’77W Mrs. Sheryl Millstein ’76W Sarah R. Mirsky ’06W Rabbi Meir E. Mitelman ’82W Mrs. Rochelle S. Mogilner ’82W Ms. Lisa Dale Moore ’78W Ms. Riquelma Moreno ’01W Mrs. Frady Moskowitz ’81WMr. George J. Moskowitz ’84W Ms. Marilynn Myles ’92W Ms. Virginia B. Nade ’83WMs. Doris N. Neil ’04W

Mr. Jay D. Neinstein ’81W Mrs. Leah Slivko Nestelbaum ’78W Ms. Barbara Neuman ’81W Dr. Arline N. Newman ’86W Mr and Mrs. Erwin Newman ’81W Dr. Daniele Nisivoccia ’84W Mrs. Karen Novick ’93W Dr. Vukani Gaskell Nyirenda ’69W Mr. Harris Marshall Oberlander ’83W Mr. John P. O’Connell ’97W Mrs. Ethel Oderberg ’83W Mrs. Joan O’Donnell ’80W Mr. Arthur M. Okner ’95W Ms. Rebecca Oliver ’00W Mrs. Kate Osman ’93WMs. Oluwakemi O. Owolabi ’01W Mrs. Naomi S. Oxman ’81W Ms. Elizabeth M. Padilla ’93W Dr. Joan K. Parry ’83W Ms. Ruth Parzen ’93W Dr. Adria Pearlman ’89W Ms. Shoshana Pearlman ’02W Mr. Merrill Robert Penn ’00W Mrs. Harriet Pepperheim ’65W Mr. Howard M. Percival ’75W Mrs. Aviva B. Peress ’73W Ms. Jacqueline Robinson Perrier ’01W Ms. Diane E. Peterson ’95W Ms. Loraine C. Petrucci ’96WMs. Sue E. Pincusoff ’89W Mr. Gary L. Piscitelli ’80W Mr. Martin A. Pohrille ’75W Ms. Jill M. Pollack ’89W Ms. Elana R. Ponet ’90W Ms. Linda Stein Poskanzer ’79W Ms. Laura Price ’83W Ms. Madeline C. Queck ’90W Ms. Jinsheng Qiu’99WMrs. Shulamis W. Rabinowitz ’87W Mrs. Barbara Rachlin ’81W Mrs. Melissa Eve Racklin ’00W Mrs. Eileen Rafield ’80W Ms. Seeta Ramprasad ’01W Mr. Sam Rausman ’78W Mrs. Rose S. Reiss ’67W Dr. Rosa Perla Resnick Helfgot ’76W Mr. David Ribakoff ’83W Dr and Mrs David S. Ribner ’74W Mrs. Beth P. Riemer-Schachtel ’85W Mrs. Bernice Ripson ’85W Mr. Hector Rivera ’99W Mrs. Carol E. Rocklin ’74W Ms. Eileen L. Rogers ’77W Dr. Reuben L. Romirowsky ’98W Rabbi Samuel B. Rosenberg ’89W Mrs. Esther Rosenthal ’76W Ms. Pamela J. Rosmarin ’95 Mrs. Debra Roth ’80W Ms. Vivian G. Roy ’93W Ms. Estelle Royfe ’81W Ms. Madlena Rozenblyum ’93W Mrs. Stephanie K. Sabar ’70W Mrs. Jodi Lynn Samson ’82W Mrs. Martha Sarnotsky ’78W Mr. Daniel Savage ’82W Mrs. Susan G. Sawyer ’96W Mrs. Barbara Scharfstein ’73W Mrs. Esther M. Schlesinger ’80W Ms. Audrey Schottland ’75W Ms. Arondelle L. Schreiber ’71W Mr. Michael Schwartz ’71W Mr. Herbert Schwarz ’69W Ms. Francine E. Schweiger ’92W Mr. Robert H. Schweitzer ’74W Mr. Richard T. Segall ’92W Mrs. Lisa Selsby ’68WMrs. Anne Elizabeth Senter ’83W Dr. Anita Septimus ’82W Ms. Margarita Serper ’92W Ms. Helaine Shahar ’92W Ms. Donna J. Shakin ’80W Dr and Mrs William Shapiro ’71W Mr. Arie Shaw ’67W Mrs. Esther Shaw ’67W

Ms. Rebecca Shein ’66W Ms. Sellie Selma Shine ’84W Dr. Dina Shtull-Leber ’81W Mrs. Anita Shulman ’75W Mrs. Adrienne Shutt ’80W Ms. Joy Silber ’69W Ms. Esther S. Silberberg ’02W Ms. Ellen Rhoda Silberman ’83W Cantor Paul C. Silbersher ’74W Mrs. Marilyn R. Silberstein ’69W Ms. Cheryl Silver ’98 Ms. Joyce Silver ’96W Ms. Julie K. Simhi ’91W Ms. Donna B. Simon ’89W Dr. Edwin Simon ’75W Dr. Alan M. Singer ’78W Mr. Richard Sipser ’78W Mrs. Robin M. Sloma ’86W Ms. Tatiana Sloutsky ’96W Ms. Judith Sue Sokolow ’79W Mrs. Sally Love Solnica ’83W Ms. Rosie Sosnowicz ’86W Mrs. Lora Speiser ’78W Mrs. Diane Sperber ’76W Dr. Meryl Nadel Spigelman ’94W Mr. Zvi S. Spiler ’76W Mrs. Judy S. Spira ’82W Ms. Sheila Stanger ’84W Mr. Alan I. Stein ’95W Mrs. Amy Steinberg ’79W Mr. Herbert S. Steiner ’94W Ms. Jean Steinfeld ’80W Mr. Ira J. Steinmetz ’60W Mrs. Marjorie Stern ’76W Mr. Todd L. Stettner ’74W Ms. Judith Sultan ’97W Mrs. Sylvia D. Taubenfeld ’02W Ms. Helen Theodorou ’64W Mrs. Lilly Tempelsman ’79WMr. Joseph M. Tierney ’99W Mrs. Terri K. Tompkins ’00W Dr. Kathleen Triche ’94W Mrs. A. Lillian Trilling ’84W Mr. Stuart D. Trosch ’86W Mrs. Ellayda Trubetskoy ’02W Mr. Gene M. Tullio ’76W Mr. and Mrs. David Z Twersky ’82WMs. Barbara Collene Vail-Stout ’83WMr. Alan M. Vietze ’94W Dr. Florence Vigilante ’80W Sister Monica B. Vinges ’00W Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Wallach ’79W Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Wallach ’79W Derrick Thomas Watson ’06WMr and Mrs Philip Weberman ’80WMs. Mary S Webster ’79W Mr. Stephen Gary Weinberg ’79W Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Weinstein ’76WMrs. Muriel G. Weisel ’64W Dr. Bella K. Weisfogel ’78W Mr. Sidney Weiss ’79W Mrs. Judith Gordon Weitz ’79W Ms. Viva L. White ’04W Mrs. Roselyn Weitzner ’76W Mrs. Bonnie M. Wind ’81W Ms. Leslye Gail Winkelman ’81W Mrs. Sandra Wintman Welkes ’76W Mrs. Leah Wolin ’84W Ms. Eve K. Woodfin ’90W Ms. Ruth Zachary ’79W Mrs. Bella Zelkin ’03W Mrs. Janet L. Zimmerman ’79W Mrs. Susan Zito ’71W Mrs. Miriam Glassner Zucker ’71WMs. Roberta G. Zuckerman ’94W

Thank you to the followingfriends, foundations andcorporations who contributedto Annual Fund 2006

A.M. Josephs Family Limited Partnership

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anfang Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Barbanel JeannetteP. Barron Charitable Trust Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bartlett Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Benerofe Dr. and Mrs. Martin Birnbaum Mr. Arnold Penner and

Mrs. Madaleine Berley Ms. Nicola Binglano Dr. and Mrs. Eugene L. Bodian Mr. Leonard N. Brown Mr. Irving Burkhoff Dr. Marcia B. Cohen Channel

Foundation Mr. and Mrs. David B. ChapnickCremona Fund, Inc. Ms. Madeleine L. Dale Mr. and Mrs. Joel Daner Ms. Areyeh Edelman Mr. Gavriel Fagin Mr. William Farmen Mr. Warren A. Felt Family First, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Daniel T. Forman Dr. and Mrs. Sheldon R. Gelman The Gill Family TrustMr. Ralph I. Goldman Mr. and Mrs. Philip Goodkin Ms. Patricia E. Graydon Mrs. Frances Harris Jewish Communal Fund of New York Jewish Foundation for Education

of Women Jewish Federation of Greater

Clifton- Passaic Ms Ferne Katleman Mr Abraham Katz Ms. Pat K. Kobes Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Krueger Mr. Emil Lax Ms. June M. Linden Mr. Norman Linzer Dr. Don-David Lusterman Mr. Jeffrey Mac Mr. Umberto MarcucciMinneapolis Foundation Mr. Robert G. Neuville Mr. and Mrs. Laurence O’Donnell Ms. Deborah K. Orth Mrs. Anna Smith Payne Ms. Diane Pearl Ms. Bessie PineJean and Henry PollakLeslie and Steve Pollak Mr. David M Raim Mr. John H. Ramey Riverside Memorial Chapel Mrs. Claudia J. Rosa-Bienenfeld Mr. Irving M. Rosenbaum Samuel J. and Jean Sable

Family Foundation Dr. and Mrs. David I. Schachne Elaine and Rudy Schott Dr. and Mrs. Robert Schwalbe Joel M. Schreiber Family

Foundation Inc. Ms. Barbara Schwimmer Mrs. Ethelle Shatz Eleanor

and Barry Shrage Alan B Slifka Foundation Mr. Albert Stein Mr. Maurice Tempelsman Dr. Charles Trent Mr. Gregory J. Tully Mrs. Ruth Warshauer-MetzgerWashington Center for Psychotherapy Westchester Golf Association Lauren and Steven Witkoff Wurzeiler 2005 Block Students Mrs. Roberta R. Zweifler Mrs. Dorothy Zaro

Thanks for Your Generosity

3 5W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

3 6W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

G RAD UAT ION 2006

Degrees ofExcellence

May Graduation 2006

More than 150 master’s and nine PhD students graduatedfrom Wurzweiler in 2006.

Louise Skolnick, DSW (this page: middle row, firstphoto), director of human services in the Department ofHealth and Human Services for Nassau County, and Marc

Terrill ’88W, MSW (facing page: middle row, secondphoto), president of The Associated: Jewish CommunityFederation of Baltimore, delivered commencementaddresses and were honored at the May and Block grad-uation ceremonies respectively.

3 7W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

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Block Graduation 2006

1950sVictor B. Geller YH, Y, ’50W

received an honorary degree

from Yeshiva University at its

first Academic Convocation

and Weeklong Colloquium in

Israel in March 2006 (see

News article on pg. 6).

1960sSyma (Ehrlich) Echeandia

’68W is the director of the

Behavioral Health Center,

Crittenton Hospital Medical

Center in Rochester, Mich.

Frances Slater ’64W is a

psychotherapist in Boulder,

Col., specializing in women’s

issues, PTSD, and crisis inter-

vention. She volunteers for the

Boulder County AIDS Project

and chairs the Boulder County

Victim Compensation Board.

1970sJerome A. Chanes YH, Y, BR,

’74W, authored “Who Does

What? Governance and Inter-

national Jewish Communal

Organization in 2004” for the

Jewish Agency’s Jewish

People’s Policy Planning

Institute Yearbook. He deliv-

ered a paper, “Eisav Sonei et

Ya`akov? Setting a Historical

Context for Catholic-Jewish

Relations Forty Years after

Nostra Aetate,” and delivered a

Columbia University seminar on

“Forty Years after Vatican II:

The Papacy and Catholic-

Jewish Relations in a Historical

Context.” Mr. Chanes is an edi-

tor and author of the forth-

coming second edition of the

Encyclopedia Judaica. His

widely used monograph, A

Primer on the American

Jewish Community, is going

into its third edition.

Richard Corman ’76W recently

became president of the board

of directors of Rutgers Hillel.

He is executive director of the

JCC of Central New Jersey in

Scotch Plains, and lives with

his wife, Jean, in Westfield, N.J.

Dr. Martin Garfinkle Y, ’76W

recently published The Jewish

Community of Washington D.C.

(Mt. Pleasant, S.C.: Arcadia

Publishing).

Felice (Cohen) Grunberger

’77W is a geriatric care man-

ager in private practice in the

Greater Washington, D.C. area.

She lives in Silver Spring, Md.

Rebecca Hecht ’77W is a psy-

chotherapist at Volunteers of

America, where she works with

nursing-home residents. She

lives in Lincoln, Mass.

Dr. Carl Mazza ’77W, ’95W is

assistant professor at Lehman

College of the City University

of New York, and national

chairperson of the Criminal

and Juvenile Justice

Symposium of the Council on

Social Work Education.

Sara Mills-Cohen ’75W is a

school social worker to spe-

cial education children and

families at Putnam County/

Northern Westchester BOCES.

Cyrelle Rapps-Gutman ’78W

is employed by the New York

City Dept of Education as a

school social worker, special-

izing in special education

evaluation, crisis intervention

and counseling.

Carol (Schultz) Welsch ’78W

is the clinical director of the

New Jersey Association for Psy-

chotherapy. She is the founder

of Temple Sharey Tefilo Israel’s

Parenting Center, which offers

educational and supportive

programs for families after the

birth of their first child. She

has three grandchildren, with

whom she recently learned to

ski!

Dr. Elliot M. Zeisel ’73W is a

psychoanalyst in private prac-

tice and is on the faculty at

the Center for Modern

Psychoanalytic Studies in New

York City.

1980sMyra Ackerman ’87W is a

program manager with Travels

Aid Family Services in Boston,

where she assists homeless

families with transitional

housing.

Irene (Borins) Ash ’87W is

working on an exhibit of pho-

tos and text for the Ontario

Long Term Care Association to

help change the negative

image of aging in a nursing

home. The exhibit is scheduled

for the Annual Convention for

Health Care Providers at the

Metropolitan Convention Centre

next April, after which it will

travel around Canada. The

work, she says, will be pub-

lished in her second book.

David Bedein ’80W published

Swimming Against the Main-

stream (Philadelphia, Pa.:

Pavilion Press), which collects

his writings as a social worker

and journalist. He recently

addressed the United Nations

Correspondents Association at

the UN in New York on the

subject of “How to Provide a

Humanitarian Solution to the

Plight of Palestinian Refugees.”

In addition, Mr. Bedein recently

launched the Let My People

Know Speakers’ Bureau, at

www.lmpk.com. He directs the

Israel Resource News Agency at

the Beit Agron International

Press Center in Jerusalem,

where he also serves as presi-

dent of the Center for Near

East Policy Research. He is

also a contributing editor to

the Jewish Star in Lawrence,

N.Y., and the correspondent

for Shalom Toronto, the Hebrew

language weekly newspaper

of Toronto, Canada. He is pro-

ducing a film and book, The

Wizard of Oslo: How Arafat

Was Repackaged. He publishes

the e-zine Israel Resource

Review, at www.IsraelBehind

TheNews.com.

Dr. Marcel Biberfeld ’83W is

vice president of Maimonides

Medical Center in Brooklyn,

N.Y. He has worked for

Maimonides for 33 years,

administering and running

many departments.

JoAnn M. Brill ’82W is a

regional coordinator, Advanced

Behavioral Health in Middle-

town, CT. She supervises a

case management program in

Fairfield County.

Rabbi Dr. Herman Cohen ’82W

recently received an honorary

doctor of divinity degree from

the Jewish Theological Semi-

nary in New York City.

Anita Galvan-Henkin ’88W is

a psychotherapist specializing

in depression, anxiety, PTSD,

and stress medicine in

Westport, Conn.

CL A S S NOT E S

3 8W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

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Born in Flushing, New York, to a typ-ical New York Greek-Americanfamily, Louisa Daratsos wouldnever have imagined herself as a

social worker. It was her older brother,Peter—a Wurzweiler Master of SocialWork graduate and an ordained GreekOrthodox priest, currently serving as anArmy chaplain in southern Afghanistan—who suggested that Louisa pursue acareer in social work. Peter graduatedfrom Wurzweiler School of Social Work in1986 with an MSW in the Clergy Programand had such a positive experience that heencouraged his sister to follow in his foot-steps. Peter holds the rank of major and incivilian life is a clinical social worker for

the Department of Veterans AffairsVeteran Center in Albany, New York.

Louisa followed his advice, finishedher MSW at SUNY Albany, and has beenworking as a full-time social worker forthe past 15 years at the Veterans AffairsNew York Harbor Healthcare SystemBrooklyn Campus (Brooklyn VA).

“My master’s studies took me back toexperiences in my childhood,” says Louisa.

Louisa and Peter grew up in a homewhere they observed their mother as theprimary care-giver to a series of lovedones coping with cancer. “These experi-ences instilled in me, and my brothertoo, a kind of duty, a good duty, the best

kind of duty, to take care of people whoneed help.” She describes her family ashaving very strong values of love, caring,and mutual support.

With some training and skills, Louisawas able to channel her familial inclina-tion to “help” into a viable profession. Sheassumes it was the same for her brother,who also chose a helping profession. “Itjust seemed like a natural progression forus,” Louisa describes, “to care for peoplewho need help and to be of service.”

Louisa’s love for social work inspiredher to actualize her dream of pursuing adoctorate and today she is enrolled as athird-year doctoral student at Wurzweiler.She is completing research on her doc-

toral thesis, which examines the end-of-life experiences of Vietnam veterans withterminal cancer—an interest born out ofthe work she has been doing at theBrooklyn VA.

Louisa’s work there focuses on oncolo-gy social work and palliative or comfortcare—caring for veterans who are at theend of their life. She is part of a teamthat identifies patients at the very end oflife and helps them to get the servicesand support they need.

“Research indicates that veterans areconsidered VIP’s—Very Important Per-sons—with special needs, having servedin the military. Our job is to continue

this respect and give them specializedservices and help them adjust to thenews that they’re sick now.

“People always ask me what it’s liketo work with end-of-life oncology patientsand my answer to them is that it is aprivilege to be able to provide choicesfor veterans near the end of their lives. Ieducate them about the options for carethat are available to them, such as whenthey might choose to go to the doctor, orstay home, move into a nursing home oraccept hospice services.”

Louisa has been the recipient of twoprestigious awards in the social workfield. Her first award was a Social WorkDoctoral Training Grant from the Ameri-

can Cancer Society that is awarded toselected doctoral social work studentsfrom across the country to study psy-chosocial oncology.

Her second award is through theAmerican Academy of Hospice andPalliative Care Medicine (AAHPM),which is a one year mentorship programfor palliative care research. Louisa andher mentor, Dr. Karlynn Brintzenhofe Szocof Catholic University of America,received a $4,000 grant to develop Louisa’sresearch skills in her field of expertise.

“My mother always impressed uponme the notion that there are two sides tolife. Unfortunately, bad things happen topeople, but there is the ability for life tocarry on. My life is interwoven withthese two ideas.” For Louisa and Peter, itis evident that the good things born outof the bad things, has spurred them onto do great things. v

Peter and Louisa Daratsos—The Best Kind of Duty

Peter Daratsos

’86W (left), an

army chaplain

on duty in

Afghanistan,

encouraged

his sister,

Louisa (right),

to attend

Wurzweiler.

4 0W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

Peter H. Gartner ’83W is a

staff psychologist at the

University Behavioral Center

of the University of Medicine

and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Norma S. Gindes ’86W is the

director of voluntary initiatives

at United Hospital Fund in New

York City. She is on the national

board of Hadassah and is a

trainer for the New York Associa-

tion for Voluntary Administration

and other networking organi-

zations.

Lisa (Presser) Goldberg ’85 is

administrative director of

Community Synagogue in Rye,

N.Y. Previously, she was asso-

ciate executive director,

Rosenthal Jewish Community

Center in Pleasantville, N.Y. In

2005, she completed the

Institute for Not-for-Profit

Management program at the

Columbia University Graduate

School of Business. She lives

with husband Rabbi David

Goldberg and son Joshua in

Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Dr. Joan L. Goldstein ’81W is

a group leader for the National

Alliance for the Mentally Ill

and member of the Bertha

Capen Reynolds Society. She

lives with her husband, Sam,

in New Rochelle, N.Y.

Dr. Andrew R. Gottlieb ’82W is

in private practice in New York

City and on the editorial board

of the Journal of GLBT Family

Studies. He has published

three books: Out of the Twilight:

Fathers of Gay Men Speak

(2000), Sons Talk About Their

Gay Fathers: Life Curves (2003),

and Side by Side: On Having a

Gay or Lesbian Sibling. He has

two new projects in the works:

From the Inside Out: Clinical

Interventions with Families of

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and

Transgender People and On

the Meaning of Friendship

Between Gay Men, both to be

published by the Haworth

Press.

Brenda (Felsen) Kassan ’87W

is a staff therapist at Washing-

ton Square Institute in New

York City.

Daniella Krause ’89W is the

director of the Aliyah Coaching

Institute, which specializes in

family therapy for new immi-

grants to Israel. She runs a pri-

vate practice, Kosher Date and

Kosher Marriage, with offices

in Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh.

She reports that a large part

of her work is running marriage-

preparation seminars. She is

working on an advanced degree

to qualify as a homeopathic

physician. In recent years, she

has been invited by the princess

of Thailand to lecture in the

field of family therapy at

teacher’s colleges throughout

Thailand. She invites alumni

to visit her Web site at

www.israelifecoach.org.

Dr. Judith A. Lee ’80W is pro-

fessor emerita, University of

Connecticut School of Social

Work. For the past three years,

she has done direct practice

with troubled middle-school

youth and provided consulta-

tion in the Lee County School

District. She continues to write,

and does visitation ministry

and social-work assessment

with the elderly and other

populations. She lives in Fort

Myers, Fla.

Miriam (Pollak) Lieberman

’83W is the editor of A T.I.M.E.

(A Torah Infertility Medium of

Exchange), a magazine for

Jewish couples dealing with

infertility that offers emotional

and practical support. She

recently published Saying

Goodbye with Dr. Neal Gold-

berg, a book for teens dealing

with loss and mourning.

Ethel Oderberg ’83W is busy

dividing her time between her

private practice and consult-

ing with three adult day health

care facilities in Los Angeles

working with largely geriatric

populations and individuals

with chronic mental illness.

She balances this with her

family; her oldest child

entered UC Berkley this fall.

Dr. Laura Petracek ’86W pub-

lished her first book, The Anger

Workbook for Women (Oakland,

Calif.: New Harbinger). She is

assistant professor of clinical

psychology at National Univer-

sity in Sacramento, Calif. She

maintains a private practice in

San Francisco and is a certified

treatment provider for the San

Francisco Department of

Probation.

Evelyn Queen-Baron ’83W is

the owner and director of Home

Instead Senior Care, a franchise

operating as a nonmedical

home-care company serving

Union and Essex counties in

New Jersey. She lives in

Millburn, N.J.

The Rev. Frederick J. Streets

’81W, ’97W, chaplain of Yale

University and senior pastor

of Christ Church at Yale, was

named an African-American

Trail Blazer by WTNH News

Channel 8 and UPN 9 in New

Haven. He is also a clinical

social worker at the Yale Child

Study Center.

Dr. Stefan R. Zicht ’84W,F pre-

sented a paper, “The Psycho-

therapeutic and Experiential

Dimensions of Psychoanalytic

Supervision,” at the American

Psychological Association’s

Division of Psychoanalysis

Meeting, in Philadelphia, Pa.

1990sLana Bind ’97W serves on her

local Community Board 11 in

Queens, New York City, and

lives with her husband, Leon,

and daughter, Sabina, in

Oakland Gardens, Queens.

Gila Bronner ’97W is cofounder

at the new Sexual Medicine

Center and head of the sex-

therapy service in the Depart-

ment of Urology at Sheba

Medical Center in Ramat-Gan,

Israel.

Andrea Pressman Cohen ’95W

is the director of B’nai Tzedek,

a teen tzedakah program at

Jewish Community Foundation

that empowers teens to estab-

lish their own named endow-

ment funds and donate their

time to worthy causes. She

and her husband, Greg, live in

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Barbara (Buchsbaum) Gilford

’93W runs a private psycho-

therapy practice in Morristown,

N.J., specializing in postpartum

depression, trauma, loss,

and grief.

Dr. Rosalie Grossman ’90W

is director of HIV services at

Greenwich House in New

York City.

CL A S S NOT E S

4 1W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

CL A S S NOT E S

Keith Liederman ’86W, PhD, executive director of KingsleyHouse in New Orleans, has seen firsthand that out ofextreme adversity can come the most surprisingstrength. Although the settlement house—the oldest inthe entire southern region of the United States—didn’tflood during Hurricane Katrina, seven of the eightbuildings on its four-acre campus were seriously dam-aged, resulting in 45,000 square feet of lost space andover $3 million in repairs. Of their staff of 135, about 100had to be laid off.

“When we came back at the end of September, wewere in shock,” said Dr. Liederman, who evacuated withhis family the morning before the storm. “From theoutside everything looked fine, but the interiors of thebuilding were covered in mold and were completelydevastated.”

Repairs to the physical structure began the nextday and were completed the following March. As soon asit regained enough staff and facilities, Kingsley Houserebounded, becoming the first agency in the area toestablish a resettlement and recovery program inearly October 2005.

The agency also banded together with severalother major local agencies, and two prominent areafoundations to pool their resources. They have provid-ed financial support, housing, food, clothing, utilitiesassistance, and furniture purchases to 3,000 familieswith the support of the Louisiana Recovery Corps.About 75 case managers work with the families tohelp them resettle in the area and provide counseling.

Said Dr. Liederman: “Everyone’s going through

post-traumatic stress disorder in this city. We’re at acritical juncture where the mental health issues arestarting to come to a head.”

The social service sector as a whole was “devastated,”says Dr. Liederman. About 85 percent of social serviceagencies were decimated by the storm and their staffwere displaced all over the country. Today he esti-mates it’s back to about 40 percent pre-Katrina.

Because of its own speedy recovery, KingsleyHouse was well-placed to lead the charge in reaching

out to help struggling families, andthe traumatized population. As co-chair of the human services com-mittee of the Bring New OrleansBack Commission, Dr. Liedermanput together a short-and long-termplan of action based on what othercommunities have done to recoverfrom similar tragedies. “We lookedat what the 9/11 United ServicesGroup did in New York City, butthe difference there was that allthe agencies were operating at fullcapacity. We had few staff andgreatly depleted budgets.”

The agencies found new waysof doing things. They shared finan-cial and human resources so thatthere was no duplication of the

services they delivered.“We found a better way of working together,” says

the Wurzweiler alumnus. “Everyone in our networkworks off the same service plan for families so thatwhen a client walks through our door, we can auto-matically offer them access to the services of all thepartner agencies. This was one of the silver liningsthat came out of the storm.”

Kingsley House received a half a million dollars incontributions after the hurricane “without even ask-ing,” says Dr. Liederman. “A newspaper syndicate inGermany sent us $60,000 after seeing our Website.”

Before Katrina, their budget was $4.6 million; thathas now risen to over $6 million. “The outpouring ofsupport from around the world really lifted our spir-its,” he says.

He recently hosted former Presidents George Bushand Bill Clinton when they visited New Orleans toannounce the allocation of emergency funds. “Wewere very honored and humbled by that experience,”says Dr. Liederman. v

Keith Leiderman Steers Kingsley Housethrough Stormy Times

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Keith Liederman, above left, with former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton at Kingsley House.

4 2W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

Elaine (Matelli) Hoch ’93W

is working on a postgraduate

certificate to become a

certified bereavement coun-

selor through Mount Ida College,

Newton, Mass. She recently

relocated from Bloomfield, N.J.,

to North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Susan (Farkas) Hollander

’93W is director of the mobile

mental health program, Tikvah,

at Ohel Children’s Home and

Family Services in Brooklyn,

N.Y. She is also the director of

utilization review for the

entire outpatient clinic and

home visiting program.

Lynn H. Levy ’98W and her

husband, Phillip, welcomed

their first grandchild, Hunter

Myles, into the family on

October 11th. Lynn is currently

an instructor at Wurzweiler

and a full-time student in the

Wurzweiler Doctoral Program.

Laura O’Donnell ’97W is a

therapist in private practice

specializing in eating and mood

disorders in Naples, Maine.

She also works with clients

interested in gastric bypass

surgery.

Sister Madeline Queck ’90W

is chaplain of Stony Brook

University Hospital and a ther-

apist at the Ecumenical

Consultation Center in

Hicksville, N.Y.

Loretta Riley ’92W is a

psychotherapist in the Bronx,

New York City. She counsels

and directs children with learn-

ing difficulties and works with

families and individuals.

Eric Robbins ’93W is executive

director, Camp Twin Lakes in

Atlanta, Ga.

David Rosner ’97W is the dev-

elopment director of Mid-Island

YJCC in Plainview, N.Y. Before

that, he was director of annual

giving at the Gurwin Jewish

Geriatric Foundation. He lives

with his wife, Michele, and two

children in Old Bethpage, N.Y.

Lynn Siepser ’94W is a clinical

social worker at Bergen Family

Center in Hackensack, N.J.

Cheryl B. Silver ’98W is a psy-

chotherapist at the Brooklyn

Center for Psychotherapy. She

lives in Manhattan.

Molly (Jalenak) Wexler ’94W

is director of programming,

Jewish Foundation of Memphis.

Since November 2004, she

has overseen B’nai Tzedek, a

teen philanthropy program.

She lives with her husband,

Jason, and two children in

Memphis, Tenn.

Dr. Terence Williams ’92W is a

special education consultant at

the California Department of

Education in Sacramento.

Osman Yildiz ’97W is an

administrative supervisor for

the therapeutic foster-board-

ing home program at New

York Foundling in the Bronx,

New York City.

Deborah Mira Zuckerman

’97W is director of donor devel-

opment, Jewish Federation of

Greater Hartford, Conn. She

was formerly assistant director,

Young Leadership Division

of the UJA-Federation of

New York.

2000sAlison Brown ’02W is service

coordinator at Forward Shady

Apartments in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Rabbi Robyn M. Fryer ’00W

is the rabbi-in-residence at

Chicagoland Jewish High

School in Morton Grove, Ill.,

where she teaches Talmud,

Bible, and Jewish law.

Erik Kessler ’04W was

appointed development direc-

tor of Rutgers Hillel in New

Jersey in August. He will over-

see Hillel’s $700,000-plus

annual campaign as well as a

$15 million capital campaign.

Previously, he served as cam-

paign and endowment associ-

ate for the Jewish Federation of

Greater Middlesex County.

Rabbi David Kilimnick Y,’00W

recently performed his comedy

show, The Aliyah Monologues,

in Albany, N.Y. He lives in

Jerusalem, where he cofounded

Off the Wall Comedy, an

English-speaking group that

performs regularly, does impro-

visation, and provides instruc-

tional comedy classes.

Yehuda Kranzler ’06W married

Deena Amsel in November.

Mazal tov!

Tamima Kupfer ’06W is a stu-

dent at the Ackerman Institute

for the Family in Manhattan.

Barbara Rabin ’05W recently

completed a master’s degree

in education at the University

of Toronto. She continues her

work as co-executive director

of A Circle of Warmth, a multi-

faceted social service organi-

zation that she founded with

Cindy Blakely in January 2005.

Ms. Rabin reports that the

organization recently helped to

clothe over 1,000 families,

delivered gifts to over 140 fam-

ilies over the Holiday Season,

and sent a mobile unit to deliver

CL A S S NOT E S

Wurzweiler wishes board member Arthur Joseph and his wife,

Joyce, (pictured here at a Wurzweiler board dinner in their

honor in 1998) a continued recovery from their recent car accident.

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CL A S S NOT E S

David GrandProjectsHis TraumaExpertiseonto MovieScreen

Playwright, director, acting coach, teacher, author, psychother-

apist, trauma expert—these are only some of the titles that

David Grand ’76W, PhD, lists on his long and impressive resume.

Recently, the accomplished Dr. Grand added yet another title

to the list: film documentarian. In the weeks after Sept. 11, 2001,

he treated many traumatized firefighters, police, and emergency

medical technicians using “brainspotting,” a method that he

developed to identify and relieve neurophysiological pain.

Now, five years later, he has made Come Hell or High Water,

a cinema verite-style narrative documentary that follows the

healing journey of three trauma survivors from New York who,

with the filmmaker/trauma therapist, travel to post-Katrina New

Orleans. The three survivors include Rose, the mother of a fire-

fighter who died on 9/11; Judy, a singer who survived a nightclub

suicide bombing in Tel Aviv; and Dennis, permanently disabled

in an industrial accident.

According to Dr. Grand, a crucial aspect of a trauma survivor’s

recovery is telling his or her story, but the acknowledgement of

the effects of trauma on its victims has been historically short-

lived. As an example, Dr. Grand cites the fleeting attention given

to traumatized soldiers returning from the two World Wars and

from Korea and Vietnam.

“Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 were remarkable events in the

sense that they brought attention to the effects of these exis-

tential traumas, which made their mark on millions of our citizens,”

he says, explaining that when trauma is repressed, it leaves its

survivors with symptoms such as flashbacks, hypervigilance,

and exaggerated startle response.

Come Hell or High Water, which highlights in detail

some of the aftereffects of trauma, was shown at

the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical

Lutheran Church on Riverside Drive in Manhattan on

the 5th anniversary of 9/11. Thomas Taylor ’06w, a

Lutheran minister and fire chaplain who graduated

from Wurzweiler’s clergy program in July, referred many of

the survivors of the attacks to Dr. Grand for treatment.

“The film shows how we were touched and affected by the

people we met, the places we visited, and the experiences we

shared,” says Dr. Grand, who lives in Massapequa Park on Long

Island with Nina Cohen ’75w, his wife, also a graduate of

Wurzweiler and a professional singer. v

. . . . . . . . . . .

4 4W U R Z W E I L E R U P D A T E

CL A S S NOT E S

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clothing to several senior subsidized hous-

ing apartments. Thanks to Barbara and

her husband, Arnie, for their assistance in

the 50th anniversary celebration in

Toronto and for hosting the director of

alumni relations.

WE MOURN

Dr. Rivka Ausubel-Danzig ’75W, ’81W,

former faculty member at Wurzweiler.

Condolences to her family.

Herbert M. Goldman ’67W passed away

in May 2006. Condolences to his family.

Michael Massa ’99W passed away

September 2005. Condolences to his

longtime partner, Sheilah Rourke ’00W,

and his family.

Carl Newman ’61W, a school social work-

er with the New York City Board of

Education, passed away in October 2005.

Condolences to his family.

Dr. Meyer Schreiber ’83W, passed away

in August 2006. He was a professor of

sociology and social work at Kean College,

now Kean University, before retiring. He

previously worked for the Children’s

Bureau and was widely recognized for his

work in the field of mental retardation. He

was an early mentor to Dean Gelman and

influenced his pursuit of doctoral educa-

tion. Condolences to his wife and family.

Dr. Abraham Stern, former Wurzweiler

faculty member. Condolences to his family.

Marci Wargon, field instructor for the

Block Program in Canada, passed away

last winter.

CONDOLENCES TO

Sol Green, professor emeritus, on the

loss of his brother, Raphael.

Amy Wasser-Simpson ’94W, whose

husband, Charles “Chuck,” passed away

in May.

How an Accident BecameWilliam Samuels’ Callto Action

In 2002, William Samuels ’90W, a social worker with

Jewish Family Service in Memphis, suddenly found

himself ministering to his own family after his wife,

Sherri, lost her right leg from above the knee down in an

auto accident. For Mr. Samuels, his wife’s despair and

sense of isolation as an amputee became a call to action.

Out of his initial efforts evolved the organization Out

on a Limb—Memphis Area Limb Loss Support. Now part

of Jewish Family Service, the local group, which provides

peer counseling and much-needed information and con-

tacts for amputees, recently reached out to survivors of

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The organization also

helps those with limb loss to lobby on their own behalf—

most recently for a state law that would raise insurance

coverage “to a level that will allow a person with limb

loss to receive a working prosthesis,” says Mr. Samuels.

Out on a Limb’s remarkable success has earned it a Merit

Finalist Award in the 2006 Mutual of America Founda-

tion Community Partnership Competition. For the past 11

years, the Omaha-based insurance giant has bestowed the

honor on US organizations that serve people in need.

Mr. Samuels, who also is a chaplain for Jewish Family

Service, explains how his studies helped him develop

his methodology: “At Wurzweiler, I learned not to solve

problems for clients, but to enable them to solve their

own problems, and that’s how I work today.”

“The main thrust of what I learned in my first year at

Wurzweiler was to look beyond one’s immediate com-

munity and take in the larger picture, and never to give

up on people. That approach continues to stand me in

good stead.”

Asch, A. (2006). Apperance-alteringsurgery, children’s sense of self, andparental love. In E. Parens (Ed).Surgically Shaping Children: Tech-nology, Ethics, and the Pursuit ofNormality (pp. 227-253). Baltimore:The Johns Hopkins Press.

Wasserman, D., & Asch, A. (2006).Op-Ed. The uncertain rationale forprenatal disability screening. VirtualMentor: Ethics Journal of the AmericanMedical Association, 8(1), 53-56.

Asch, A. (2005). Big tent bioethics:Toward an inclusive and reasonablebioethics. Hastings Center Report,35(6), 11-12.

Asch, A. (2005). Recognizing deathwhile affirming life. Hastings CenterReport. 35(6), S31-S36.

Asch, A. (2005). Reproductive rightsand disability. In G.A. Albrecht, J.Bickenbach, D. Mitchell, W.O. Schalick,S. Snyder (Eds.) Encyclopedia ofDisability (pp. 1398-1401). ThousandOaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Gomolin, I. M, Aung, M.M., Darvesh,G.M., Alam, S., Auerbach, C., & Wolf-Klein, G.P. (2005). Older is colder:Temperature range and variation inthe elderly. Journal American GeriatricSociety, 53, 2170-2172.

Auerbach, C., Schnall, D., & LaPorte,H. H. (2005). Singwin Software. In.M. Bloom, J. Fischer, & J. Orme. Evalu-ation Practice: Guidelines forAccountable Professionals (5th edi-tion). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Auerbach, C., Mason, S.E., & LaPorte,H. H. (2007). Evidence that supportsthe value of social work in hospitals.Social Work in Health Care, 44 (4), 17 – 32.

Beckerman, N.L. (2005). Couples ofmixed HIV status: Clinical issues andinterventions. New York: HaworthPress.

Beder, J. (2005). Evaluation researchon the effectiveness of social workintervention on dialysis patients: Thefirst three months. The Journal ofNephrology Social Work, 24, 36-44.

Beder, J. (2005). Friendship anddeath: Why it hurts so much andwhat can de done to help. HealingMinistry, 12(2), 37-41.

Beder, J. (2005). Loss of the assump-tive world-How we deal with deathand loss. Omega, 50(4), 255-265.

Beder, J. (2005). Cybersolace: Tech-nology built on emotion. SocialWork, 50(4) 355-358.

Beder, J. (2006). Hospital SocialWork: The Interface of Medicine andCaring. New York: Routledge.

Birnbaum, M.L., & Cicchetti, A.(2005). A model of working with the group life cycle in each groupsession across the life span of thegroup. Groupwork, 15(3), 23-43.

Caputo, R.K. (2005). Distribution ofthe federal tax burden, share of after-tax income, and after tax income bypresidential administration andhousehold type, 1981-2000. Journalof Sociology and Social Welfare,32(2), 3-18.

Caputo, R.K. (2005). What’s moralitygot to do with it? An essay on thepolitics of moral values in light of thepresidential election of 2004.Families in Society: The Journal ofContemporary Social Services, 86(2),171-179.

Caputo, R.K. (2005). Challenges ofAging on U.S. Families: Policy andPractice Implications. New York: TheHaworth Press.

Caputo, R.K. (Ed). (2005) Inheritanceand intergenerational transmissionof parental care. Marriage & FamilyReview, 37(1/2), 107-127. Also inR.K. Caputo (Ed.) Challenges ofAging on U.S. families: Policy andpractice implications. (pp. 107-127).New York: The Haworth Press.

Caputo, R.K. (2005). Redistributiveschemes that skirt poverty: Recon-sidering social justice in light of VanParijs and Zucker. Journal of Poverty,9(3), 109-129.

Caputo, R.K. (2005). Religiousnessand adolescent behavior: A compari-son of boys and girls. Journal ofReligion & Spirituality in SocialWork, 24(3), 39-67.

Caputo, R.K. (2005). The GED as apredictor of mid-life health and economic well-being. Journal ofPoverty, 9(4), 73-97.

Caputo, R.K. (2006). The earnedincome tax credit: A study of eligibleparticipants vs. non-participants.Journal of Sociology and SocialWelfare, 33(1), 9-29.

Caputo, R.K. (2006). Review ofCunliffe and Erregers (eds.). The origins of universal grants. In BasicIncome Studies: An InternationalJournal of Basic Income Research,1(1), 1-5.

Caputo, R.K. (2006). Increasedwealth and income as correlates of self-assessed retirement. Journalof Gerontological Social Work,47(1/2), 175-201.

Clemans, S.E. (2005). A feminist groupfor women rape survivors. SocialWork with Groups, 28(2), 59-75.

Gibelman, M., & Gelman, S.R. (2005).Scientific misconduct in social wel-fare research: Preventive lessons fromother fields. Social Work Education,24(3), 275-295.

Gibelman, M., & Gelman, S.R. (2005).Ethical considerations in the changingenvironment of human service orga-nizations. In M.L. Pava & P. Primeaux(eds.). Crisis and Opportunity in theProfessions; Vol.6; Research inEthical Issues in Organizations.(pp. 1-19). Oxford: Elsevier, Ltd.

Linzer, N. (2006). Spirituality andethics in long-term care. Journal ofReligion and Spirituality in SocialWork, 25(1), 87-106.

Mason, S.E. (2005). Offering AfricanAmerican opportunities to participatein clinical trials research: How socialworkers can help. Health & SocialWork, 30(4) 296-304.

Mason, S.E., & Pollack, D. (2005).Legal aspects of hyperactivity med-ication in the schools: What schoolsocial workers need to know? SchoolSocial Work Journal, 30(1), 61-74.

Mason, S.E., & Caputo, R.K. (2006).Marriage and women’s earnings fromwork: Perspectives on TANF. Journalof Policy Practice, 5(1), 31-47.

Mason, S.E., & Miller, R. (2006).Stigma and Schizophrenia: Directionsin student training. Journal of Teach-ing in Social Work, 26 1/2, 73 – 91.

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Mellor, M.J. & Brownell, P. (Eds.)(2006). Elder abuse and mistreatment:Policy, practice, and research. NewYork: The Haworth Press.

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Pollack, D. (2005). The capacity of amentally challenged person to con-sent to abortion and sterilization.Health & Social Work, 30(3), 253-257.

Pollack, D., & Frisino, J. (2005).Federal confidentiality laws as barriersto communication between the juve-nile justice system and the child wel-fare system. Social Policy Journal,4(2), 39-50.

Hansen, M., & Pollack, D. (2005).Unintended consequences of bar-gaining for adoption assistance payments. Family Court Review,43(3), 495-511.

Schweitzer, H. & Pollack, D. (2006).Ethical and legal dilemmas in adop-tion social work. Family CourtReview, 44(2), 258-269.

Strug, D. (2006). Community-orientedsocial work in Cuba: Governmentresponse to emerging social prob-lems. Social Work Education, 25 (7),749-762.

Sweifach, J. (2005). Social work inJewish community centers: A questionof compatibility. Social Work, 50(2),151-161.

Sweifach, J. (2005). Who is a Jew?Journal of Religion and Spirituality inSocial Work: 24(4), 89-102.

Sweifach, J. (2005). Jewish commu-nity center personnel: Comparing thesocial work and non-social worklabor forces. Arete, 29(1), 17-30.

Sweifach, J. & LaPorte, H. H. (2006).Social work doctoral students andonline technology. ProfessionalDevelopment: The InternationalJournal of Continuing Social WorkEducation. 9(1), 13-22.

S E LECT E D R ECE NT FACU LTY PU B LIC AT ION S

What’s going on?Keep your classmates updated!

Take a moment to keep everyone informed of

n new jobs and career changesn promotionsn marriagesn birthsn anniversariesn memorialsn significant events

NAME

DEGREE CLASS YEAR(S)

GRADUATION MAIDEN NAME (IF DIFFERENT)

TITLE l DR. l MR. l MS. l MRS. l MISS

SPOUSE’S NAME CLASS YEAR(S)

HOME ADDRESS l CHECK IF NEW

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MAIL OR FAX TO:Mark Miller, Director of Alumni Relations

Wurzweiler School of Social Work2495 Amsterdam AvenueNew York, NY 10033-3201

Fax: 212-960-0869 Email: cmmiller@yu.edu

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