CIRCLE OF COMMUNITY:

MEDICINEREACHES OUT

CROSSING CONTINENTS

AMERICAN JEWRYMILESTONE

CIRCLE OF COMMUNITY:

MEDICINEREACHES OUT

CROSSING CONTINENTS

AMERICAN JEWRYMILESTONE

YUReviewT H E M A G A Z I N E O F Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y

W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 / H O R E F 5 7 6 5

FROM THE PRESIDENT

HE WHO KNOWS DIABETES, KNOWS MEDICINE’

Diabetes researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine are helping to transform this often-fatal disease into a manageable chronic illness.

THIRTY YEARS AND STILL COUNT(ERPOINT) ING

YU’s longest-running outreach effort celebrates its 30th anniversary.

AMERICAN JUDAISM’S SCOREBOARD AT 350

After 350 years, American Jews have now been “chosen in” as teammates in a society that generally appreciates Jewish religious values. But is there a “catch?”

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COVER: © MARK A. JOHNSON/CORBIS

Y U R E V I E W E D I T O R I A L A D V I S O R Y B O A R D

Harvey Babich, PhD

PROFESSOR OF B IOLOGY

Edward Burns, MD

PROFESSOR OF MED IC INE ,

PROFESSOR OF PATHOLOGY,

ASSOC IATE DEAN FOR

ACADEMIC AFFA IRS

Rabbi Shalom Carmy, MS

ASS ISTANT PROFESSOR OF B IBLE

Herbert Dobrinsky, EdD

V ICE PRES IDENT FOR

UNIVERS ITY AFFA IRS

Carl Feit, PhD

DR. JOSEPH AND RACHEL ADES

PROFESSOR OF PRE -HEALTH SC IENCES

Joseph Luders, PhD

DAV ID AND RUTH GOTTESMAN

PROFESSOR OF POL IT ICAL SC IENCE

William R. Jacobs, PhD

PROFESSOR OF M ICROBIOLOGY

AND IMMUNOLOGY

Howard Spierer, MA

SEN IOR D IRECTOR , DEVELOPMENT

ALUMNI

PROFILES

HELPING PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERSJANE BOWLING ’98W

Being directly involved with patients and families as they confront illness—this is the real work.”

LET THEM EAT CHREMSLACHGIL MARKS ’74Y

My grandfather once set the house on fire trying to boil water for coffee.”

BOOKSHELF

CLASSNOTES

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YUReview

from the president n

Community is a conceptthat crosses academic, communal and publicboundaries and transforms us as a university. Communitybinds us together and is the cornerstone for discovery, learninggrowth, and service. Circles of com-munities define concentric sphereswithin which our faculty, students,and alumni create value, achievegreatness, and serve our publics.

At this point in the academ-ic year, I take this opportunity toreiterate one of our goals forYeshiva University—an institu-tion whose accomplishmentsand ever greater potential nevercease to inspire me. We are aninstitution that creates circles ofcommunities with shared andinterrelated purposes. We are anincubator for nurturing futureacademic and professional lead-ers and opinion shapers. As Ilook out on the global land-scape, I am proud to be as-sociated with an institution thathas done so much to nourishJudaism, whether in America,Israel, or around the world—andan institution that has built andsustained a momentum of leader-ship and scholarship in medicine,law, social work, psychology, edu-cation, and Jewish studies.

As we begin writing the nextchapter of YU’s history, we mustbuild on that momentum. In the lastfew months alone, we have reached

out to the Jewish community withour new Kollel Yom Rishon andMidreshet Yom Rishon programs,which make available the best andbrightest among our rabbinic and

Judaic studies faculty to men andwomen who want to use theirSunday mornings for learning. AtEinstein, the development of anexciting new research focus andcampus are underway in theMichael F. Price Center and theHarold and Muriel Block Pavilion.At Cardozo, creative and pioneering

programs continue to plumb thelimits of the law in relation tohuman rights, genocide, individualfreedoms, and in philosophy and lit-erature. At Wurzweiler, social work

education and responsibilitydefine new approaches to out-reach and improvement of life.Ferkauf, Revel, and Azrieli con-tinue to excel in their respectivespheres of academic activity andinfluence.

YU has abundant re-sources—a wellspring of talentand initiative, and they shouldbe harnessed in collaborativeways to help strengthen the pil-lars of wisdom and discoverythat nourish our students anduniversity.

It takes planning to be alaunch pad for creative, effec-tive education. I am confidentthat YU has people with the tal-

ent and initiative to carry throughwith these endeavors and build suc-cessful circles of communities thatsupport and enrich each other.

RICHARD M. JOEL

,

YUReview

Y E S H I VA U N I V E R S I T Y

Morry J. Weiss

CHA IRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Richard M. Joel

PRES IDENT

Daniel T. Forman

V ICE PRES IDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT

Peter L. Ferrara

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICAT IONS AND

PUBL IC AFFA IRS

Y U R E V I E W

June Glazer

ED ITOR

Judy Tashji

CREAT IVE D IRECTOR

CONTR IBUT ING TO TH IS I SSUE :

Kelly BermanEsther Finkle ’98SGary GoldenbergJeffrey GurockCara HuzinecEsther Kustanowitz

PHOTOGRAPHY

Norman GoldbergPeter RobertsonV. Jane Windsor

Robert R. Saltzman

UNIVERS ITY D IRECTOR OF

ALUMNI AFFA IRS

Yeshiva University Review is published three

times each year by Yeshiva University’s

Department of Communications and Public

Affairs. It is distributed by mail to alumni and

friends of the university and on campus to

faculty and administrators. Paid subscriptions

are available at $15 per year.

Editorial contributions and submissions to

“Classnotes” are welcome, but the publication

cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited

manuscripts or photographs. All submissions

are subject to editing. Opinions expressed in

the Review are not “official” university policy.

Send mail to: Yeshiva University Review,

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Phone: 212-960-5285.

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© YESH IVA UN IVERS ITY 2005

3

‘He Who Knows Diabetes,

To treat a patient with

diabetes, the physician

must be an endocrinologist,

cardiologist, neurologist,

nephrologist, ophthalmologist,

gastroenterologist, and

nutritionist all wrapped into

one. Put another way,

it takes a medical center

to know diabetes.

B Y G A R Y G O L D E N B E R G

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 5

uch was the advice that the lateHarold Rifkin, MD, the pioneer-ing diabetologist and one-timepresident of the American Dia-betes Association, gave to count-less students at Albert EinsteinCollege of Medicine. Indeed, dia-

betics may face serious complications such asheart disease, stroke, hypertension, amputa-tions, kidney failure, blindness, or nerve disor-ders. To treat a patient with diabetes, the physi-cian must be an endocrinologist, cardiologist,neurologist, nephrologist, ophthalmologist, gas-troenterologist, and nutritionist all wrapped intoone. Put another way, it takes a medical centerto know diabetes.

It was this realization that sparked the for-mation of a national commission on diabetes inthe mid-1970s, which persuaded Congress tocreate—under the aegis of the NationalInstitutes of Health (NIH)—five centers ofexcellence in diabetes research and training.

One of the first NIH grants went to AlbertEinstein College of Medicine, thanks to theefforts of Norman Fleischer, MD, a young staffendocrinologist. At its founding, in 1977,Einstein’s Diabetes Research and Training Cen-ter (DRTC) was a modest affair, with just nine

research projects and less than a million dollarsin funding. Eventually, under Dr. Fleischer’sleadership, the DRTC came to play a significantrole in what has been called the golden age ofdiscovery in diabetes. Within a generation,DRTC helped to transform this severely debili-tating and often fatal disease into a manageablechronic illness.

THE DARK AGES OF DIABETES

“When I went to medical school, in the 1960s,we didn’t even think that getting blood sugarunder control was that important,” recalls Dr.Fleischer, who is Jacob and Jeanne E. BarkeyProfessor of Medicine, Division of Endocrin-ology director, and codirector of the DRTC atEinstein. “Even the doctors who thought thatglucose monitoring was important had no way ofdoing it. There were no finger-stick blood tests.People were taking insulin, one shot a day, butyou had no idea if it was working.”

The situation was only slightly better a de-cade later, when Henry Shamoon, MD, now aprofessor of medicine at Einstein, was a residentat Bronx Municipal Hospital. “It was just aboutimpossible to take care of people with diabetes,”he says. “That was the dark ages in terms of our

understanding of the disease.”Soon, however, came the development of

better ways to monitor blood glucose and admin-ister insulin, followed by genetically engineeredinsulins, oral medications for controlling otheraspects of metabolism, and the hemoglobinA1C

test (which provides a months-long look at bloodglucose levels). More recently, the DiabetesControl and Complications Trial, conducted atEinstein and elsewhere, demonstrated the criti-cal importance of keeping blood glucose undertight control through monitoring, medication,diet, and exercise. The trial also highlighted thevalue of a team approach to diabetes care,involving physicians, nurse educators, dietitians,and behavioral therapists—a concept champi-oned decades ago by Dr. Rifkin.

Thus, today, “the average person with dia-betes can expect to live essentially a normal life,with some risk, and with a bunch of major in-conveniences—but it is not a death sentence,”says Dr. Shamoon.

NOT QUITE THE ENLIGHTENMENT

Even if the dark ages of diabetes are over, dia-betes remains one of the country’s most pressingmedical problems. The sixth leading cause of

Knows Medicine’

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“When I went to medical school, in the 1960s,

we didn’t even think that getting blood sugar under control was that important.”

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death, diabetes costs the nation $132 billionannually (in direct medical expenses plus costsrelated to disability, work loss, and prematuremortality). An estimated 18.2 million people—6.3 percent of the population—have diabetes(mostly type 2). The circumstances are evenworse in minority communities, such as theBronx, where the incidence of diabetes is twicethe national average. And the numbers every-where are rising, as Americans grow steadilymore obese and more sedentary, a disturbingtrend that is filtering down to young childrenand adolescents. “This is an enormous loomingproblem, not only in this country, but world-wide,” says Dr. Shamoon.

Just as alarming, countless diabetics still donot receive proper treatment, a real tragedysince many of the complications of diabetes canbe prevented or delayed. Says Dr. Shamoon,“We could spend the next 30 years productivelyengaged in getting everybody treated to currentstandards.”

This gloomy picture, however, belies theprogress that diabetes researchers are making.Einstein’s DRTC, which now sponsors 44 majorresearch projects, with a total funding of approx-imately $33 million, is a shining example. Basicscientists at Einstein are beginning to under-stand, molecule by molecule, gene by gene,organ by organ, what causes the disease and itsmany complications, while their clinical coun-terparts are developing and testing new treat-ments and strategies for prevention. Moreover,the DRTC is active in a host of diabetes pro-grams in hospitals and clinics throughout theBronx, which constitute by far the largest com-munity effort of its kind in the city.

THE MISSING LINK

One of the most far-reaching advances in dia-betes research emerged just a few years ago fromthe laboratory of Michael Brownlee, MD, Anitaand Jack Saltz Professor of Diabetes Researchand professor of medicine and of pathology. Abasic scientist, Dr. Brownlee concentrates onthe biochemistry of diabetic complications.

“If there were no diabetic complications, dia-

betes would be like having a chronic thyroidcondition, and not the major public health prob-lem that it is,” Dr. Brownlee noted at a recentgathering of the American Diabetes Association(ADA). “The patient would take a pill or an in-sulin injection, and that would be all.”

Since the late 1960s, researchers have knownthat there are four distinct biochemical path-ways by which hyperglycemia leads to complica-tions. Although evidence back then suggestedthat the pathways are linked, no one could dis-cern how. In a series of elegant experiments, Dr.Brownlee established that all four pathwaysarise from a single process involving overproduc-

tion of a toxic substance called superoxide,which is made by the mitochondria, the cells’energy factories. “It turns out that insulin resist-ance [the initial phase of diabetes] causes fatcells to release large amounts of fatty acids,” Dr.Brownlee told the ADA audience. The fattyacids then enter cells that line the arteries andcombine with oxygen, yielding excess amountsof superoxide. This, in turn, activates pathwaysthat lead to atherosclerosis, clogging small andlarge arteries throughout the body.

The medical community has hailed the dis-covery as a new paradigm for research and drugdiscovery in diabetes. It has already led to the

“Management of diabetes, or any chronic disease, is really up to the patient. If patients aren’t motivated

or activated to use diabetes prevention strategies, it doesn’t matter that treatments have been developed.”

Dr. Luciano Rossetti’s research

focuses on the neurobiology

of appetite and metabolism.

6 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 7

identification of three new classes of medica-tions for diabetic complications, two of whichwere found by Dr. Brownlee’s team. One of thedrugs is now in clinical trials in Europe.

For a lifetime of contributions to the field,Dr. Brownlee was awarded the coveted BantingMedal of the ADA in 2003, becoming only thethird researcher to win diabetology’s three high-est scientific honors.

What makes this story especially poignant isthat Dr. Brownlee himself was diagnosed at ageeight as a type 1 diabetic. Back then, the oddswere pretty low that he would survive past his30s. Diabetes research, he says, has become his“personal and professional crusade.”

BUILDING A BETTER BETA CELL

Another example of research with potential tostretch from the lab to the clinic is the work ofDr. Fleischer, who is developing cell transplantsas a cure for patients with type 1 diabetes.

Lacking healthy pancreatic beta cells, type 1diabetics don’t make sufficient quantities ofinsulin. Right now, their only recourse is to takeinsulin shots or use an insulin pump. Trans-plants of healthy beta cells are a promising alter-native. Unfortunately, this treatment is limitedby an acute shortage of donor pancreases fromwhich to harvest beta cells. To overcome thishurdle, Dr. Fleischer’s team, which includesSanjeev Gupta, MD, professor of medicine atEinstein, and scientists from Tel Aviv Universityand the University of California at Davis, hasdevised a way to coax human liver cells into be-coming insulin factories. In a recent study,transplantation of these genetically manipulatedcells into diabetic mice returned their bloodsugar levels to normal.

“The question now is how to refine thisprocess so we can start thinking about trials inhumans,” says Dr. Fleischer. “These cells aretransplants, so the biggest problem is rejection.You don’t want to treat these patients with toxicimmunosuppressants. It’s different with heart,kidney, or liver transplants, which are usuallylifesaving interventions. However, for patientswith type 1 diabetes, we have a pretty good ther-apy—insulin—so the bar for transplantation isvery high.”

The solution may come from a collaborativeproject with Marshall Horwitz, MD, professorand chair of microbiology and immunology, whois attempting to make the pancreatic cell trans-plants immunologically stealth. His solution isto borrow traits from cold viruses, which have an

annoying ability to outsmart the body’s immuneresponse, for a time at least. “When you get acold, why does it last for two weeks?” Dr.Fleischer explains. “The answer is that the virusmakes proteins that downregulate your immunesystem, so you don’t reject the virus quickly. Ifwe can express the same proteins in our trans-plant cells, they are less likely to be rejected.”

FAT: GETTING SOME RESPECT

In another DRTC laboratory, the focus is fat. Foryears, fat got no respect. It was considered a pas-sive tissue that did little else but store energy intimes of plenty (a good trait back on the savan-nah when food was often scarce, but a liabilityin our calorie-rich environment). Scientistsknew that excess fat—or adipose—tissue con-tributes to insulin resistance, but exactly howwas not clear. Then, about 10 years ago, camethe discovery that fat cells produce a hormonecalled leptin. The more fat one accumulates, themore leptin is released into the bloodstream.Eventually, the brain gets the message that thebody would do well to consume fewer calories.

Leptin was hailed as the next great hope forcuring obesity and ameliorating diabetes. “Intheory, it was an attractive therapeutic target,but not in practice,” says Philip Scherer, PhD,an associate professor of cell biology. “Obesepeople actually have an awful lot of leptin, butthey are resistant to it.” Clearly, there are morepieces to the puzzle.

On the heels of the leptin discovery, Dr.Scherer unearthed another fat hormone, adi-ponectin. It took five years for his lab to developtools to measure the hormone in circulation andto build mouse models for assessing its function.So far, what scientists know is that adiponectinplays a role in maintaining blood glucose levelsby making the liver more sensitive to insulin.Adiponectin also is implicated in cardiovasculardisease, possibly through some sort of inflam-matory process.

That fat may contribute to inflammation hasled researchers to look at diabetes in a new light.Says the researcher, “In the last few years, wehave come to appreciate that diabetes is in ef-fect a low-level inflammatory disease. The ques-tion arises, Where does this inflammation origi-nate? Many would argue that it originates pri-marily from adipose tissue.” It appears that fatcells don’t directly cause inflammation; rather,they release substances that potentiate the ef-fects of macrophages, a type of immune cell thatinfiltrates adipose tissue as fat stores expand.

DIABETESEXPLAINEDType 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes

or insulin-dependent diabetes, is usually first

diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young

adults. In this form of diabetes, the beta cells

of the pancreas no longer make insulin because

the body’s immune system has attacked and

destroyed them. Treatment includes taking insulin

shots or using an insulin pump, making wise food

choices, exercising regularly, and controlling

blood pressure and cholesterol.

Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset

diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is the

most common form of diabetes. People can

develop type 2 diabetes at any age. This form of

diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance,

a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells

do not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas

keeps up with the added demand by producing

more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability

to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.

Being overweight and inactive increases the

chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Treatment

includes using diabetes medicines, making wise

food choices, exercising regularly, and control-

ling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Some women develop gestational diabetes during

the late stages of pregnancy. Although this form

of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is

born, a woman who has had it is more likely to

develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Gestational

diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy

or a shortage of insulin.

Source: National Diabetes Educational Program,

National Institutes of Health

There’s also evidence connecting adipose tis-sue to infectious disease and to cancer.

So, fat is finally getting its due. “We need totake a look at adipose tissue from multiple per-spectives,” says Dr. Scherer. “It’s obviously im-portant in metabolism, but that’s only part of thestory. Fat cells are ubiquitous. You find themeverywhere in the body, except the brain. Byshear mass, they make up half of your bodyweight. This is a significant ‘organ’ that we’retalking about.”

THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS

As Dr. Scherer’s work would suggest, there isample need for a research center devoted solelyto the links between obesity and diabetes. Infact, Einstein established just such a center in2004, with the help of a $1.5 million gift fromthe Skirball Foundation. The Jack H. SkirballInstitute for Nutrient Sensing in Diabetes andObesity will focus on the mecha-nisms of the brain that stimulateand suppress appetite.

One of the principal investiga-tors at the new institute is GarySchwartz, PhD, professor of medi-cine and of neuroscience, who isexamining the neurobiology of eat-ing. Eating seems so simple: You gethungry, so you eat; when you getfull, you stop. But behind the scenesis a dizzyingly complex array ofreceptors and signals along the so-called gut-brain axis. When foodsare ingested, Dr. Schwartz explains,all sorts of signals are relayed to thebrain—from sensory cells in theeyes, nose, and mouth that promoteingestion, from sensory cells thatdetect the mechanical distention ofthe stomach, from secretory cellsthat line the gastrointestinal tract,and from the nutrients themselves.All these signals provide feedbackto the brain, through the blood-stream or the nervous system, af-fecting how much, how long, andhow often we eat.

“We are interested in identifying the types ofsignals that are available in the GI tract thatbring about the end of feeding, how they aretransmitted, where they act in the central nerv-ous system,” says Dr. Schwartz. He also is study-ing how fat hormones modulate gut-brain com-munication, and how the various signalingmechanisms are altered in obesity.

Dr. Schwartz’s ultimate goal is to identifytherapies that can tap into the body’s naturalfeedback systems for controlling appetite, pro-viding a pharmacologic alternative to gastricbypasses, and other surgical strategies for obesi-ty. “All of these surgical strategies can be viewedas ways to increase feedback from the gastroin-testinal tract. You can’t eat as much, and you feelfull faster. It’s effective for many. However, ifthere were drug-related therapies that canmimic this effect at mealtime, they would go along way toward mitigating against obesity.”

Luciano Rossetti, MD, another principal

investigator in the Skirball Institute and thedirector of the DRTC, is also interested in theneurobiology of appetite and metabolism, with aparticular focus on the hypothalamus, a portionof the brain. Researchers have long known thateating behavior is regulated by indirect signal-ing, whereby nutrients in food stimulate thesecretion of hormones into the bloodstream,which carries these signals to the brain. Dr.Rossetti has hypothesized that there is a moredirect signaling mechanism at work.

“In animal models at least, we are findingstrong evidence that there is nutrient sensing inthe brain,” says Dr. Rossetti, who is also Judy R.and Alfred A. Rosenberg Professor of DiabetesResearch. Apparently, a small group of neuronsin the hypothalamus is capable of detecting thepresence of nutrients, particularly fats, in theblood, which then trigger the brain to make al-terations in food intake and glucose metabolism.

Thus far, the theory has held true in tests on

Until researchers find a cure, the best hope for combatting type 2 diabetes is prevention.

Dr. Elizabeth Walker and her team are designing interventions that they hope will motivate patients

to seek proper care. Back row from left: Emelinda Blanco, Severa M. Sanchez-Bravo, Kathleen McCabe,

Maria S. Mera, Hector J. Cariello, Jennifer R. Case. Front row from left: Dr. Arlene Caban and Dr. Walker.

8 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

rats. In one experiment, scientists injected adrug that blocks a critical enzyme into the ani-mals’ hypothalamuses, essentially signaling thatthey were getting a sufficient amount of fat intheir diet. The animals were left to eat as muchas they pleased, but they consumed only abouthalf the normal amount of calories and they hadlower serum glucose levels.

“Nutrient sensing is one of the first thingsthat fails in animals that are susceptible to meta-bolic disorders,” says the researcher. “Withindays after they are put on a voluntary overfeed-ing regimen, the brain fails to respond to hor-mones and nutrients, and this quickly leads tosevere insulin resistance and obesity.”

10 TO 15 POUNDS OF PREVENTION

Until researchers find a cure, or at least bettertreatments, for type 2 diabetes, the best hope forcombating this growing public health problem isprevention. Fortunately, type 2 diabetes can beprevented or delayed in persons at high risk forthe disease using relatively simple interventions,as demonstrated by the ongoing NIH-sponsoredDiabetes Prevention Program (DPP), involvingEinstein and more than two dozen other centersacross the nation. In a recent DPP study, partic-ipants reduced the incidence of diabetes by 58percent with lifestyle interventions, and by 31percent with the oral medication metformin, ascompared with placebo.

“The good news is that the interventionswere really modest,” says Jill Crandall, MD, anassistant professor of medicine and the currentleader of Einstein’s portion of the DPP. “Onaverage, people lost about 10 to 15 pounds andexercised by walking about 30 minutes a day.Small steps, big rewards—which happens to bethe motto of the National Diabetes EducationProgram,” an NIH effort.

DPP researchers are now studying the inter-ventions’ long-term effects as well as the naturalhistory of the diabetes. “On average, people havealready had diabetes for five or ten years by thetime they are diagnosed, so we don’t have a fullunderstanding of when the micro- andmacrovascular complications begin to occur,”says Dr. Crandall.

Dr. Crandall is also leading the Heart Dis-ease Risk in Older Adults with Diabetes Study.Also known as HeartROADS, the study ad-dresses the relationship between the character-istic mild hyperglycemia that occurs in the eld-erly and heart disease risk. Whether cardiovas-cular disease, the major consequence of type 2

diabetes, can be prevented byintensive glucose control is aquestion left unanswered by thelandmark Diabetes Control andComplications Trial of a decadeago. “There has been a lot of de-bate about whether the heart dis-ease of diabetes is due to elevatedlevels of blood sugar or abnormal-ities in blood lipids. I’m partial tothe theory that even mild levels ofhyperglycemia can impair theheart. But there hasn’t been thedefinitive study to answer thisquestion,” she explains.

PUTTING THEORIESINTO PRACTICE

Elizabeth Walker, DNSc, profes-sor of medicine, also works ondiabetes prevention strategies,but with a focus on motivationand behavior. Her experiences asa public health nurse earlier inher career taught her that “man-agement of diabetes, or anychronic disease, is really up to the patient. Ifpatients aren’t motivated or activated to usethem, then it doesn’t matter that treatmentshave been developed.”

The challenge for diabetes sufferers, shesays, is that “life intervenes. You’d think it wouldbe enough to tell patients that they need to getregular dilated eye exams or else they might goblind. But if it means they have to sit in a clinicfor six hours and miss a day of work, it’s not sucha simple choice. They’re just trying to take careof the day-to-day stuff. So part of our interven-tions are just reality checks, changing their per-ceptions of the risks.”

Evidently, a little motivation can go a longway. Preliminary data from her NIH-funded“Vision is Precious” study show that a simpletelephone intervention provided by health edu-cators can significantly increase the rate ofretinopathy screening among a diverse low-income population of diabetics, as compared toa standard print intervention.

In another NIH study, Dr. Walker is testingwhether a telephone intervention can increasemedication adherence, a particular problemwith diabetics, many of whom have to take anumber of pills for controlling blood sugar aswell as several drugs for lowering blood pressureand cholesterol.

In sum, says Dr. Walker, “We are trying todesign interventions that provide self-manage-ment support for patients, to do what the pri-mary-care doctor probably does not have thetime or resources or knowledge to do—which isto take care of all the interpersonal, psychosocialdetails that activate patients to get proper care.”

A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE

If physicians don’t yet “know” diabetes, they aregetting quite familiar with the disease. In themeantime, most experts in the field wouldprobably agree that to stop diabetes, we need asociety-wide effort.

“I see this as a major public health issue, likeseat-belt use and smoking cessation,” says Dr.Crandall. “There has to be a major commitmentto structural changes in our society. We have tochange the types of food that are available, theway people eat, the way we educate peopleabout nutrition, the way insurance companiesreimburse for nutrition counseling.”

“We have the means for preventing mostcases of diabetes,” adds Dr. Shamoon. “Theseapproaches have been replicated in studiesaround the world. The question arises, Do wehave the social and economic will in this coun-try to develop programs to stop this disease?” n

Dr. Philip Scherer and

his lab teammates

study how fat hormones

contribute to diabetes.

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 9

“Five Decades. One Dream,” the theme of Stern College for Women’s yearlong 50th-

anniversary celebrations, was also the title of an exhibit at Yeshiva University Museum

that traced the school’s history, through photos and artifacts, as the first organized

university-level program for women that incorporated advanced Jewish studies.

The exhibit—organized around the ideas of study, spirituality, social responsibility,

and campus life—opened Oct. 21, 2004 with a gala at which YU and SCW trustees

joined President Richard M. Joel and Chancellor Norman Lamm ’49Y,R,B. Conceived

and initiated by SCW alumnae, the exhibit included a timeline that explored the

essence of a Stern College education featuring events during the school’s history and

pairing them with milestones in Jewish life, the nation’s history, and international events.

In addition, a video, “Portraits of Promise,” brought the Stern experience to life through

testimonials by current students, accomplished alumnae, faculty, and college supporters.

While the exhibit closed January 9, the story it told lives on and continues as

students at Stern build on the achievements of their predecessors and Stern College

moves forward from its unparalleled growth over the past 50 years, energized by

a dynamic vision of a boundless future.

FiveDecades. OneDream

Kudos to Sharon Herzfeld, MD, ’88S and

Susan Ungar-Mero, MD, ’87S, Jubilee

cochairs, whose dedication, effort, and

hard work spearheaded a successful—

and meaningful—series of events.

Their love for Stern College was evident

in every detail, whether at Family Day in

November 2003, the yearlong Jubilee

Lecture Series, or the museum exhibition.

ThirtyYears and Still

Count(erpoint)ingOn April 8, 1966, the cover of Time magazine posed a question that shocked the world perhaps more

for its red-on-black boldness than its suggested blasphemy: IS GOD DEAD? Certainly, Jews in

America—heirs to a long and thriving religious culture in this country—were facing a major crisis of

observance as many among them were abandoning ritual and religion for a more secular worldview.

B Y J U N E G L A Z E R

ut at Yeshiva University, by then theacknowledged flagship of ModernOrthodoxy, God not only was aliveand well, but informing YU’s vision asan academic institution and its role

as the leader of a dynamic religious movement.Within its walls, the institution placed equal

emphasis on general and Jewish studies. Out-side its confines, energized by the moral preceptof communal leadership and responsibility, YUtook Jewish studies to the community at large,through programs run by its Community ServiceDivision (CSD, today’s Max Stern Division ofCommunal Services).

Among these was the popular Torah Leader-ship Seminar (TLS), begun in 1954 for Ortho-dox Jewish teens attending public schools. Atretreats around the country and in Canada,often lasting a week or more, TLS increased par-ticipants’ Jewish knowledge and bolstered theirfaith while developing their leadership skills.The program also cultivated leaders from amongthe YU students who presented TLS. This two-pronged approach proved so successful that, in1972, CSD applied it to a new model, YeshivaSeminar (YS), which aimed to do for yeshiva stu-dents what TLS was doing for their public-school counterparts.

Through music, song, dance, drama, sports,movies, discussion groups, food, and friends, aformat now known as informal Jewish educa-

tion—originated at YU by the visionary AbrahamStern, PhD, ’48Y,W, then CSD’s Youth Bureaudirector—TLS and YS exposed teens to a kind ofJudaism they had never experienced and wouldnever forget, thanks to Dr. Stern. Even his staffmembers—student and faculty advisers andadministrators already steeped in religiousobservance—were transformed. They includedpeople who today are at the highest echelons ofJewish communal leadership: YU PresidentRichard M. Joel, YU Chancellor Norman Lamm’49Y,R,B, Rabbi Saul Berman ’59Y,B,R, RabbiKenneth Brander ’84Y,R, Cantor SherwoodGoffin ’63Y,C, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg YH’49,Rabbi Shlomo Riskin YH,’60Y,R,B, and RabbiJonathan Rosenblatt ’82R, among others.

“The programs were successful because theycreated self-contained pseudo families whereeverybody counted and where participants couldexperience spiritual, joyous, celebratory Jewish-ness,” said President Joel, who was TLS headadviser from 1972 to 1975. When he assumedthe presidency in 2003, he made the renewal ofYU’s vision of communal activism a priority.

“They also succeeded because we used thebest and brightest. We expected a lot from ouradvisers, and they were dying to come because itwas a wonderful environment for them to showtheir talents, to grow, and to form a hevraschaft[circle of friends] with each other from which Ican’t tell you how many shidduchim [matches]were made.”

President Joel met his own wife, Esther(Ribner) ’83F, then a student at Barnard, whenshe served with him as a TLS cohead adviser.

Together, they ran Summer in Israel andEurope, a premier summer tour for high-schoolstudents innovated by Dr. Stern that employedinformal educational techniques.

By the mid 1970s, Dr. Stern and his teamhad so perfected “Seminar”—Youth Bureaushorthand for TLS and/or YS—that many con-sidered it fail proof. Seminar’s impact was pro-found: Teens across North America were engag-ing with authentic Yiddishkeit and loving it; kidsat yeshivas and Jewish day schools were wit-nessing the dawn of a revolution, as informaleducation began creeping into the curriculumand schools began hiring nonfaculty personnelas in-house informal educators.

Yeshiva University reaped Seminar’s benefits

as well, as many “Seminarians” opted to continuetheir encounter with Judaism as students at YU.

SEMINAR GOES TO AUSTRALIA

By 1973, Seminar was in high gear, with pro-gramming on the East and West coasts andCanada—“a formidable movement and a majorfeeder of students into SCW and what is nowthe JSS program,” President Joel said. That sum-mer (winter, Down Under), Dr. Lamm, then aprofessor of philosophy at Yeshiva College, trav-eled to Australia and delivered a series of lec-tures in Melbourne and Sydney, reportedly tooverflow crowds. One of his talks took place atMt. Scopus Memorial College, among thelargest Jewish high schools in the world withnearly 2,500 students at the time, where headdressed the senior class.

In those days, approximately 80 percent ofJewish students in Melbourne were exposed tosome sort of Jewish education, with the majori-ty learning full-time at Mt. Scopus or in Mel-bourne’s smaller Hasidic, Mizrachi, and Bundistinstitutions. Nevertheless, by some estimates,sophisticated Jewish education in Australia sig-nificantly lagged behind that in the UnitedStates, and many of its students, from tradition-al Jewish families, were less than solid in theirJewish commitment and observance.

“I was surprised that young people who werein their twelfth year of day school asked ques-tions such as why they shouldn’t intermarry, whythey should remain Jewish,” Dr. Lamm said. Heand his wife, Mindy, had come to Australia at

“The programs were successful because they created

self-contained pseudo families where everybody

counted and where participants could experience

spiritual, joyous, celebratory Jewishness.”

B

IN COUNTERPOINT, COLLEGE-AGE ADVISERS HELP HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPLORE THEIR JEWISH ROOTS AND HERITAGE.

1 2 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

the behest of the late Hans Bachrach, a wealthyand distinguished member of the Melbournecommunity who was interested in fosteringJewish education. “As Mindy and I left that par-ticular lecture, she commented that what thesekids needed was Seminar, and at that Mr. Bach-rach perked up,” Dr. Lamm recalled.

The rest of the story is the stuff of lore: Mr.Bachrach asked Dr. Lamm to explain; Dr. Lammenlightened him; Mr. Bachrach said he wasready to sponsor Seminar in Australia and askedDr. Lamm to bring him the program. Dr. Lammwent back to YU and enlisted Dr. Stern in thenewborn project. In February 1974, the Youth

Bureau director traveled to Melbourne, and thefollowing summer a team of 15 handpickedStern protégés brought a tailored Seminar pro-gram to Australia for six weeks. It was the begin-ning of what became known as Counterpoint,which this year, as YU’s longest-running out-reach effort, celebrates its 30th anniversary.

COUNTERPOINT

When Dr. Lamm took his idea to Dr. Stern, ayoung Hillel Davis ’72Y,B,R (today a PhD who isvice president for student life) was working atCSD as assistant to Richard Joel, then the TLShead adviser. Richard was Dr. Stern’s first choice

to head the new initiative, but because the futureYU president was a second-year Root TildenScholar at NYU School of Law and would bebusy with an internship the following summer,Dr. Stern turned to Hillel. A RIETS and Revelstudent, Hillel spent 1973–74 developing a pro-gram for the students at Mt. Scopus MemorialCollege and assembling a top-notch team com-prising mostly YU undergraduate and RIETS stu-dents and recent RIETS musmakhim (graduates).

“I remember thinking back to my first experi-ence as a Seminar leader, at the Monsey ParkHotel in 1972 with about a hundred kids fromthe Yeshiva of Flatbush and from Ramaz,” Dr.

Dr. Abraham Stern’s professional association

with Yeshiva University began in 1950 after a

stint as director of Mizrachi Youth of America.

He came on board at YU as a psychiatric social

worker-educator and an associate professor of

education at Erna Michael College, IBC’s

forerunner. He became the first Youth Bureau

director of the Community Service Division (CSD, now the Max Stern

Division of Communal Services) in 1954, and in 1981 was appointed

director of YU’s now defunct Center for Continuing Education.

There he innovated the establishment of the Institute for the Middle

Years, the Computer Training Institute, the Rabbinic-Medical Institute,

the Wall Street Institute on Business Ethics, the Judaica Institute for

Art and Antiques, and Lifetime of Learning, a program of study in the

humanities and Judaica for older adults leading to an Associate of Arts

degree. In 1985, he became a full-time faculty member at Wurzweiler,

where he taught sociology, social-group work methods and materials,

and leadership development and outreach. He retired from YU in 1991.

Though he had several careers at the university (also including an

instructorship at RIETS in its Supplementary Rabbinics curriculum), the

one that will “endure forever,” according to President Richard M. Joel,

is Dr. Stern’s leadership of the Youth Bureau, which he directed until

1981. In that position, he pioneered the development of youth programs

including Torah Leadership Seminar (TLS), Yeshiva Seminar (YS),

Summer in Europe and Israel, youth Shabbatonim and conclaves, the

Youth Leadership Training Institutes, and Counterpoint.

Through CSD, Dr. Stern mentored President Joel and others who

worked under him at the Youth Bureau. “I always saw him as the

teacher. His genius was that he never viewed his initiatives as just

youth or social work programs. They embodied Jewish education using

informal techniques. That was a major insight,” President Joel said.

Hillel Davis, PhD, vice president for student life, said Dr. Stern is

an individual who was strongly committed and passionate about

education for students, “but in a way that was holistic. It was very

important to him that our programs be well grounded within boundaries

that lessened the chance for kids to ‘flip out.’ He was committed to

working with advisers to make sure that their messages were consistent,

that they were sensitive to kids’ needs.”

Though Dr. Stern left the Youth Bureau in 1981, his vision continues

to inform new Max Stern Division programming. And he and his wife,

Malka, role models for a past generation, continue to inspire future

leaders through their initiatives and legacy.

Dr.Abraham Stern: Innovation as Legacy

COUNTERPOINT’S SUCCESS DEPENDS IN LARGE PART ON THE BONDS THAT DEVELOP BETWEEN ADVISERS AND “SEMINARIANS.”

1 3

Davis recalled. “I, a senior in college who hadbeen in yeshivas all my life including a year inIsrael, was completely mesmerized by the ses-sions. The energy, the excitement, the quality oflearning—I wanted to bring that same passion toAustralia, to create that feeling for the kidsthere,” Dr. Davis said.

Team selection began with a core of individ-uals who had distinguished themselves throughSeminar: Saul Berman, who became the group’sCentral Torah Personality (scholar-in-residence)and his wife, Shelley ’79W, Ephraim BuchwaldYH,’67Y,F,R, and Joe Telushkin ’70Y,R,B. Theteam expanded to include Ezra Bick YH,’70Y,R,Rachayl Eckstein ’75S (who later married Hillel),Selwyn Franklin ’71Y,R,B and his wife, Eileen(and baby son, Lani), Mindy Ganz ’74S, ShmuelGoldin YH,’73Y,F,R, Howie Kahn, Sema Kreiger(Reich) ’75S,F, Susan (Metzger) Weiss ’74S,DavidRibner ’68Y,B,R,W (who later married MindyGanz), and Hillel. The group quickly becamethe envy of the kiruv (outreach) world, in partbecause of its “dream team” status and because

of the glamour in those days associated withtraveling anywhere that was 12,000 miles away.

“Technically I was the leader, but even now Ihave trouble saying so because the team was avery powerful group of people. I was honored tobe among them,” Dr. Davis said.

The group planned two nine-day “camps” for

10th and 11th graders at the Shalom ResidentialCollege at the University of New South Wales inSydney, followed by a five-day camp for 9th and12th graders at the Lions Village at Licola inGippsland, near Melbourne. The plan alsocalled for group members to run several eventsfor the Melbourne Jewish community; to minglewith the community between camp sessions asguests of local Jewish families; and to fly toAuckland, New Zealand, for a weekend to con-duct a Shabbaton and a lecture for adults.

After months of team building and intensivepreparation, they left for Australia at the end ofJune, with a stopover in California to leadShabbatons at several Los Angeles synagogues.The group arrived in Melbourne two days

before the start of the first program.“Hans Bachrach had managed to make

Counterpoint a compulsory part of a Mt.Scopus education. But parents were unhappybecause they had to pay extra for it, and kidswere unhappy because they had no interest in a‘group of rabbis from America’ telling them how

to be better Jews,” Dr. Davis said.“That first day, we came to the school to intro-

duce ourselves, tell some jokes and stories, singsome songs, and show the students that we wereregular people. Their reaction was, yeah, youguys are okay, but we know this is a setup. Whenwe get to that camp, old rabbis with long beardsand black coats will be there,” he recalled.

In fact, what students found when theyarrived was a tight-knit, well-prepared, indefati-gable, and wholly dedicated cadre of leaderswho, along with a contingent of Australian ad-visers the Americans had trained, were offeringan Orthodoxy that was as “cool” as it was excit-ing. A film shot by local organizers during thatsummer exudes energy despite its dark and

COUNTERPOINT ADVISERS ARE WELL-GROUNDED IN TORAH AND POSSESS A WIDE ARRAY OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT INFORM AND SHAPE THEIR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.

Dr. Davis, then a first-year RIETS student, spent

a year assembling a team of advisers and creating

a program that would engage Australian students.

Rabbi Telushkin, a 1974 group member, went

on to become a well-known author of books

on Judaism, mystery novels, and a screenplay.

Also, he is an associate at CLAL—the National

Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership,

and serves as rabbi of the Synagogue for the

Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

Rabbi Zack, today a pulpit rabbi, had just finished

his first year of semikhah studies when he went

to Australia in 1981 as a Counterpoint adviser.

He photographed these 11th graders (right) at one

of the seminars he helped to run.

1 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

grainy images. Not only are there snippets of theAmericans as they whooped and danced andsang, but the camera also captured many of thestudents clearly in the midst of an epiphanyexperience.

“To see a rabbi in his sweatshirt and jeans sit-ting on the floor with the kids—who was ascomfortable picking up a guitar as a Gemara—that was something new for these kids,” saidJohn Krug, PsyD, ’74Y,F,R. A rabbi and psychol-ogist, he is dean of student life and welfare atThe Frisch School in New Jersey, a RIETS fac-ulty member working with Wexner Fellows, andan adjunct assistant professor at AGS where heteaches courses in informal Jewish education.He joined Counterpoint in 1976 as a graduatestudent at FGS. The acknowledged Counter-point historian, he went back in 1977 and withhis new wife in 1979, “because Counterpointhad been such an incredible experience in mylife and I wanted to share it with her.” In 2000and 2001 the couple returned to Australia head-ing up teams that included their five children,and in 2002 and 2003, he and his childrenreturned.

“Counterpoint was important for kids be-cause for them it meant looking, exchanging,growing, being. It was important for the leadersand for YU because it was the ultimate experi-ence of taking what YU is and what we learnedthere, and carrying it out to the field and testingit under battle conditions,” Dr. Krug said.

ne of the more poignant

stories associated with Torah

Leadership Seminar is that of

Yolanda Benson. Born in

Poland, she hid with Christian neighbors

when her parents fled the Nazis. After the

war, when Yolanda was still a young girl,

her parents returned to reclaim their

daughter—their only child—but by then

Yolanda, having been raised a Christian, no

longer remembered them or her Judaism.

Her parents slowly won her back over

the course of repeated visits with her,

though she still clung to her Christian faith.

Finally reunited, the family immigrated to

the United States, settled in Freehold, NJ, a

community where other Holocaust survivors

were living, and began an egg farm.

Over the years, Yolanda’s parents

worked hard to reconnect their daughter

with Judaism. When she entered public

high school in Freehold, Yolanda became

one of 28 participants in the first Yeshiva

Youth Seminar—later renamed Torah

Leadership Seminar. Year after year she

returned, first as a Seminarian then as an

adviser, attending as many of the gatherings

as she could, according to Malka Stern,

wife of Dr. Abraham Stern. The Sterns, who

live in Monsey, NY, often hosted Yolanda for

Shabbatot and visited her and her parents

at their farm. The Bensons were thrilled

that their daughter was growing in her

Yiddishkeit.

On Oct. 9, 1959, just days before Yom

Kippur, when Yolanda was a 19-year-old

student at Trenton State College in New

Jersey, she was killed. She had been return-

ing to the school with 40 students and a

professor from a Broadway performance of

the play J.B. The work was based on the

biblical story of Job, a righteous man whose

faith in God was tested by unspeakable

suffering. The students’ two buses had

stopped at a traffic light when a speeding

truck struck one from behind. The bus’s

gasoline tank exploded and fire engulfed

both vehicles. Yolanda was one of 10 fatali-

ties. The Trentonian called the accident

“one of the worst in New Jersey history.”

Her death devastated all who had known

her. At YU, Dr. Stern established the

Yolanda Benson Honor Society in her mem-

ory to offer young Seminarians who were

finding their way to observance an opportu-

nity to maintain contact with friends and

advisers between seminars, and to provide

them with role models who had already

achieved success in changing their lives.

According to Rabbi Richard Bieler

’74Y,R,B, new YU senior executive director

of community affairs and a former Yolanda

Benson Honor Society president, the society

sponsored Shabbatons, activities, and a

pen-pal program to facilitate the sharing of

experiences and feelings among partici-

pants. “Often TLS participants faced difficult

situations at home, or wondered if they

could really meet the challenges of

becoming observant. The Yolanda Benson

Honor Society put them in contact with

others who were aspiring to those same

goals, and also with those who had attained

them,” he said.

The Yolanda Benson Story

O

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 1 5

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

In a report by the Mt. Scopus administration inthe aftermath of the 1974 program, an un-identified Hebrew teacher who accompaniedthe 10th graders to the Sydney camp wrote, “If acrowd of almost 200 modern-day teenagers cantravel for almost 14 tiring hours by train and, onfinally reaching their anxious parents and luxurycars, just break into a stormy two-hour dance,ignoring everything, the only important thingbeing ‘Am Yisrael Chai,’ then the seminar isbeyond all criticism.” Indeed, no sooner had thestudents returned to Melbourne than the Jewishcommunity in Perth, some 3,000 miles away,invited the Americans to run a session for itsyouth, and four team members, chosen by lot-tery, flew out to oversee a Tisha B’Av weekendseminar.

“Counterpoint showed people that you couldbe modern and Orthodox, that it was cool to bereligious,” said Tallilah May, a Melbourne resi-dent who attended all of Dr. Lamm’s lecturesduring his sojourn to Australia and became theAustralian coordinator for the 1974 group. “A lotof kids became observant as a result, went on tostudy in Israel and to become more involved inYiddishkeit.” Some also enrolled at YU, thebeginning of a small but steady flow of studentsfrom across the world that has continued for30 years.

“What happened [in Australia] was revolu-tionary,” said Rabbi Buchwald, director of theNational Jewish Outreach Program and rabbi ofthe beginners’ service at Lincoln Square Syna-gogue in NYC. “By exposing these children tomeaningful, joyous Judaism, they demandedmuch more in school. The program raised thelevel of commitment of the entire Jewish com-munity all across the board.”

Rabbi William Altshul ’72Y,R,F, principal atMt. Scopus Memorial College from 1992 to1997, said, “Counterpoint introduced personali-ties to Australia that fascinated, inspired, andenergized people. And it provided support andencouragement to the Australian advisers tomake their own lifestyle choices. Counterpoint

provided them with a great religious and socialexperience.”

During his tenure at Mt. Scopus, Rabbi Alt-shul oversaw the program from the Australianside and was one of the many families who bil-leted (hosted) the overseas guests. “There wastremendous competition in the community tohave a Counterpoint member stay at your home.It was considered a great honor,” he said.

While Counterpoint was helping to reinvigo-rate the Australian Jewish community, it wasalso forging new generations of American Jewishleadership from among the YU advisers, many ofwhom, over the years, have credited Counter-point with influencing their choice of careers.

“There was no one who wasn’t a leader.Everyone was responsible, and everything waseveryone’s job,” said Rabbi Joseph Oratz YH,’78Y,W,R, assistant principal at Bruriah HighSchool in Elizabeth, NJ. He went on Counter-

point in 1977 and 1979 and said, “It was one ofthe most intense experiences I’ve ever had.”

Rabbi Howard Zack ’80Y,B,R, a pulpit rabbiat Cong. Torat Emet in Columbus, OH, creditsCounterpoint with “actualizing my potential. Iwanted to be a rabbi, but I didn’t know if I hadthe talent. Counterpoint challenged me onmany different levels that were relevant to mychosen career. Can I teach in a way that’s engag-ing to kids? Can I talk one-on-one with someonewho is going through a crisis? Can I reach acrossa broad spectrum of backgrounds, interests, andpersonality types?”

Jonathan Rimberg ’84Y was his team’s musi-cian in 1981, when he was a freshman, andagain in 1985. A keyboardist, he described

music as integral to the Counterpoint experi-ence, with singing at every meal and a part ofmost programming and activities. By the timehe went abroad, he was already thinking ofmaking music his career—today he co-owns afull-service wedding and bar mitzvah musicalgroup, Nafshenu Orchestra—but said, “Beingpart of the program helped me develop theskills necessary to succeed at a full-time careerin music.”

COMING FULL CIRCLE

In recent years, Counterpoint has undergonesome streamlining. Funding issues and a reap-praisal of needs at Mt. Scopus in 2000 resultedin YU partnering instead with a different highschool, Melbourne’s Leibler Yavneh College,which renamed the program ATID (YU contin-ues to call it Counterpoint); and though teams

have decreased from 15 to 10 or less members,the original model remains unchanged.

Toby Goldfisher ’02S, a second-year studentat YU’s Graduate Program for Women in Ad-vanced Talmudic Studies, served as last sum-mer’s group leader. In part because of her expe-rience in Australia—she also participated inCounterpoint in 2002 and 2003—Ms. Gold-fisher enrolled in the Studies in Education mas-ter’s degree program in informal Jewish educa-tion at the Bank Street College of Education,now offering an advanced degree in the fieldcreated by Dr. Stern. “As a madricha [adviser]for the same kids over the past three summers,I’ve watched them grow in how they view them-selves and their place within the Jewish world.

I tell them that Counterpoint has produced some

tremendous communal leaders, but that

30 years ago they were students just like you.”

“

THE INTENSITY OF THE COUNTERPOINT EXPERIENCE OFTEN HAS A LIFE-CHANGING EFFECT ON ADVISERS AS WELL AS PARTICIPANTS.

1 6 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

Many of their parents, including the chairmanof the board at Yavneh, the director of theschool, and their wives, are Counterpoint ‘grad-uates’ and know how integral Counterpoint wasfor their own growth,” she said.

Ms. Goldfisher does not plan to be a part ofthis summer’s team, but is working to develop aCounterpoint experience for American Jewishyouth. “There are so many talented students atYU and abroad—last year I interviewed about ahundred people for six team slots. Most of theapplicants were more than qualified for the job.I’d like to see YU use this talent to createCounterpoint camps in other communities

around the world as well as in the US,” she said.Which, if that happens, would bring the Semi-nar concept—exported from America to Aus-tralia—full circle.

L’DOR V ’DOR (FROM GENERATIONTO GENERATION)

While Counterpoint is now attracting a secondgeneration of students in Australia, it is also tap-ping into a new generation of leaders at YU.Among them, Penny Joel ’97S, daughter of Pres-ident Joel, was a Counterpoint adviser in 1998,and her brother, Avery ’00Y, went as team leaderin 2002. Josh Lamm YH,’79Y,A, son of Chancel-lor Lamm, went on Counterpoint in 1977. Julie(Yocheved Pianko) Feinerman ’02S, a teacher atYUHS–Girls, went in 2003. She is the daughterof Dale (Eichenbaum) Pianko ’78S,W, who washead adviser in 1979. Rabbi Binyamin Blau’86Y,R and his brother, Rabbi Yitzchak Blau’90Y,R, went in 1986 and 1992, respectively.They are sons of Rabbi Yosef Blau YH,’59Y,BG,R, YU mashgiach ruchani, who went onCounterpoint four times, and Rivkah (Teitz)Blau YH’58, who went twice. Dr. Stern’s daugh-ter, Judi Becker ’85S, went in 1983.

“Each summer, I always tell the groups theyare stepping into big shoes,” said Rabbi AriRockoff, ’99SB,R, director of community initia-tives at the Max Stern Division that overseesCounterpoint. “I tell them that Counterpointhas produced some tremendous communal

leaders, but that 30 years ago they were studentsjust like you. That’s an empowering message. Ithink we can be confident, as we move forwardinto the future, that YU has really done the jobof shaping communal leadership.”

A CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP

Over the years, YU has replicated Counterpointin some form in South Africa, South America,Turkey, and Canada. And after three decades,the model is as enduring as ever. Today it dove-tails with President Joel’s vision for communitybuilding and is part of a continuum of program-

ming under YU auspices that creates and sus-tains outreach efforts in communities in the USand overseas. These efforts include

• YU Global Kollel Initiative, or “yeshivawithout walls,” a network of kollels that bringsyear-round Torah study to Jews of varied back-grounds in Jewish communities around theUnited States

• Blanche Schreiber Torah Tours, whichsends undergraduate men and women andRIETS students to outlying communities forShabbat and holidays

• Eimatai, providing a forum for high-schoolstudent leaders to encounter complex commu-nal issues and to empower students with theskills to realize their vision

• Torah Leadership Network, creating dy-namic learning programs for yeshiva high schoolstudents around the country and staffed by stu-dents from YC, SCW, and RIETS

• PANIM College Outreach Program, whichpartners with Hillel and other organizations to

create a renaissance of Jewish identity andactivism in the collegiate community

• Yeshiva Torah Seminar, which sends under-graduate and RIETS students during their win-ter and summer breaks to communities to learn,teach, and share the Torah they have learnedduring the year.

Much of this programming will become thepurview of Rabbi Kenneth Brander when hearrives in July as the inaugural dean of theCenter for the Jewish Future, a new initiativeof President Joel’s that will serve as the nucle-us of YU’s educational and community-strengthening efforts. As a student, Rabbi

Brander—who has led the Boca Raton Jewishcommunity for 13 years and overseen itsextraordinary growth—was educational coordi-nator for TLS and YS, assistant head adviserand tefillah (prayer) coordinator for several oftheir programs, and captain of a Counterpointteam to Winnipeg, Canada.

“Events of the Youth Bureau not only trans-formed a generation, but challenged and in-spired the program’s spiritual architects andengineers to become the Jewish community’s layand professional leaders,” he said.

“We must continue to tap the wellspring oftalent in our student community, create a syner-gy within the institutions under the Yeshiva um-brella, engage our partners involved in Jewishcommunal work, find the most talented educa-tors, and harness the newest forms of technolo-gy and communication,” he added. “All of this inan effort to continue Yeshiva University’s man-date—guaranteeing the eternality and im-mortality of the Jewish people.” n

Attention all Counterpoint and Seminar alumni: In celebration of the

30th anniversary of the Counterpoint program, Yeshiva University is planning

a gala event to be held this May. For more information, or if you would like to

be part of the planning committee, please email counterpoint@yu.edu.

MANY OF TODAY’S COUNTERPOINT ADVISERS AND PARTICIPANTS MAY WELL BE AMONG THE JEWISH LEADERS OF TOMORROW.

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 1 7

B Y J E F F R E Y S . G U R O C K , P H D

L I B B Y M . K L A P E R M A N P R O F E S S O R

O F J E W I S H H I S T O RY 350On balance, American Jews have to admit

that times are good, even as they may worry about

the fate of fellow Jews overseas or in Israel.

American Judaism’sScoreboard at 1

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Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 1 9

or example, today, the inner offices ofexecutive suites of America’s majorcorporations, law firms, and bankshave more than their share of Jewishnames on the doors. And some even

have mezuzahs on their doorposts. Of course,those who wish to obsess about the futurefragility of Jewish life in this country can stillfind enough anti-Semitic incidents and state-ments to discuss. Louis Farrakhan and histroops or some skinheads in Wyoming are cer-tainly enough to keep the community con-cerned, vigilant, and active. On balance,though, American Jews have to admit that timesare good, even as they may worry about the fateof fellow Jews overseas or in their homeland ofIsrael. Even better: This unique Diasporic set-ting—this contemporary national environmentthat hallows diversity—permits Jews to have itall—as Americans—without asking that theyabandon their religious identity.

Yet, this anniversary is no time for untem-pered celebration. As prize-winning journalistSamuel Freedman put it so well just a few yearsback, “American decency rather than Americanbias challenges American Jews.” 2 In an Ameri-can world where Jews increasingly see Gentilesas more than simply neighbors, but as truefriends and, in so many instances, lovers, thepossibilities for assimilation have increased

exponentially. The edge of unfriendliness—thatmainstay that helped preserve Jewish alle-giances even in hospitable early postwar subur-bia—has melted away substantially. Maybe,after a day’s work, most Jews still prefer endingup with their own kind; but the new Jewishfriendship circle very often includes the non-Jewish spouse of one or more of its members.

For most contemporary observers, the Jews’sense that they can be all they aspire to be inAmerica was given its greatest real-time person-ification during the 2000 presidential electioncycle, when an Orthodox Jew, Joseph Lieber-man, was nominated for this country’s second-highest office. While a few anti-Jewish back-biters raised their eyebrows, most Americanswere comfortable with his nomination and manywere impressed with his strong commitment tohis Jewish religious values.

On the other hand, for those who wouldmaximize the threat that full integration repre-sents for Jewish survival, figures on Jewishmixed marriage are very hard news. In someplaces, 6 of 10 Jews under age 30 are marryingout of their faith. Perhaps more important thanthe figures themselves, there is troubling evi-dence that negative attitudes toward intermar-riage have dropped significantly since a genera-tion ago. In the early postwar period, suburbanparents of baby boomers worried about their

F

Jeffrey S. Gurock is author or editor

of 13 books, including A Modern Heretic

and a Traditional Community: Mordecai

M. Kaplan, Orthodoxy and American

Judaism (Columbia University Press,

1997), winner in 1998 of the bi-annual

Saul Viener Prize from the American

Jewish Historical Society for the best

book in that field, which he wrote with

Dr. Jacob J. Schacter; American Jewish

Orthodoxy in Historical Perspective

(KTAV, 1996), a compendium of 15 of

his essays on the history of Orthodoxy

in the United States; and American

Jewish History (Routledge, 1997),

a 13-volume series of more than 200

articles on American Jewish history,

selected and edited by Dr. Gurock.

His Orthodoxy in Charleston:

Brith Sholom Beth Israel and American

Jewish History (College of Charleston)

was published in October 2004 (see

“Bookshelf”); and his latest project,

Judaism’s Encounter with American

Sports (Indiana University Press)

is scheduled for publication in 2005.

As American Jews pause to commemorate 350 years

of life since landing upon the shores of the New World,

they can rest assured that, now more than ever,

they have the respect, friendship, and even admiration

of most of their fellow Americans. Signs of enduring

social acceptance and integration can be seen almost

everywhere. Even the longest-standing bastions of social

anti-Semitism have finally been effectively breached.

0

future marriage partners. Their now-grown chil-dren do not have those concerns.3

While other scholars and communal spokes-people may use politics or demographics toframe the opportunities and the challenges thatthe American Jewish community faces duringthis milestone year, I prefer to use a different setof lenses to view the advantages and dilemmasof present-day Jewish life. My context or meta-phor is Judaism’s contemporary encounter withthe world of American sports.

For example, a telling sign of Jewish minori-ty group acceptance in America is the highly vis-ible interest that this country’s sports media stir,and the deep level of sympathy America’s athlet-ic community and the public in general showtoward Jews and their traditions. Just as Ameri-cans from most walks of life respected the Con-necticut senator’s observance of his Sabbath,Jews and Gentiles alike have crowned as cham-pions of religious devotion those Jewish athletes

who stand up for their faith in the sportingrealm. Three stories—one nationally reportedand two sagas that are more personal—drama-tize this point.

The coaches and manager of the JesseBurkett All Stars—representing Worcester,MA—showed just how tolerant they could be ofthe religious practices of a Jew when, in August2002, they readily went along with 12-year-oldMicah Golshirazian’s decision not to play in acrucial Little League World Series game until

the Sabbath was over, late Saturday night. ForGolshirazian to be part of an aspiring nationalchampionship team without violating tradition-al strictures, Micah and his family stayed at ahotel close to the field. He walked to the gameand remained in the dugout until the time wasright. The Golshirazians’ uncommon bow toJewish law, while remaining true to the call ofthe national pastime, became an internationalstory when ESPN, intrigued by this story line,got in on the action. The network counted

15001585 Joachim Gaunse (Ganz)

lands on Roanoke Island, NC;

a year later he departs.

16001630 Holland captures

Pernambuco, Brazil from Portugal

and invites Jewish settlement.

A significant Jewish community

develops in Recife, Brazil.

1649 Solomon Franco remains in

Boston until he is “warned out.”

1654 Portugal recaptures Brazil and

expels Jews and Protestants. While

most Jews return to Holland, 23 Jews

sail into New Amsterdam.

1655 Jews win the right to settle

in New Amsterdam and establish a

Jewish community.

1655–64 New Amsterdam has an

organized Jewish community.

1664 England conquers New

Amsterdam and renames it New York.

1678 Newport, RI, Jews buy a

cemetery though no permanent

community exists.

17001730 New York Jews build their first

synagogue, Cong. Shearith Israel, the

Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.

1733 Savannah, GA, has an organ-

ized Jewish community. It does not

become permanent until the 1790s.

1740 The British Plantation Act

offers Jews a limited form of

citizenship.

1740s Philadelphia Jewry has a

cemetery and conducts services.

1745 The last time Portuguese is

used in the official records of

Cong. Shearith Israel.

1750 Newport and Charleston, SC,

have organized Jewish communities.

1755 New York Jewry has an

all-day school.

1760s Philadelphia and Montreal

have organized Jewish communities.

1763 Newport builds its first

synagogue.

1776 The British colonies in North

America emerge as the United States

of America.

1777 New York State

emancipates Jews.

1780s Richmond, VA, has an

organized Jewish community.

1783 Philadelphia Jewry

establishes the first immigrant aid

society in the US.

1784 Charleston Jewry establishes

its first social welfare organization.

1787 The Northwest Territory Act

offers Jews equality in all future

territories and states.

1788 The US Constitution is adopted

by a majority of the states. Under

federal laws—but not state laws—

Jews are given full rights.

1791 The Bill of Rights becomes

part of the Constitution. The First

Amendment guarantees freedom

of religion.

1796 Dr. Levi Myers of Georgetown,

SC, is the first Jew to serve in a

state legislature.

18001801 Charleston establishes the first

American Jewish orphan care society.

1802 The first US Ashkenazic

synagogue, Rodeph Shalom,

is established in Philadelphia.

1819 Rebecca Gratz helps

organize the Female Hebrew

Benevolent Society.

1824 Charleston Jewry organizes

the first Reform Jewish religious

group in the US, the Reformed

Society of Israelites.

AmericanJewish HistoryTime Line(excerpted from the Commission

for Commemorating 350 Years of

American Jewish History)

…as we walked onto the court,

one of the referees told us that “they [our players]

have to take those things off their heads.”

Ketubbah (marriage contract).

Philadelphia, 1773. Ink on parchment.

Groom: Yehiel son of Naftali Katz.

Bride: Leah daughter of Yaakov.

Collection of Yeshiva University

Museum (83.4).

2 0 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

down the time until 8:43 pm with a clock in thecorner of the screen. Then Golshirazian enteredthe game as a pinch runner and was quicklyerased at second base. Still, he remained a heroto his friends back in Boston—and became, forthat moment, at least, a star to a worldwide TVaudience that learned, through the sportingexperience, as much as it cared to know aboutJewish concepts of time and calendar. The nextday, Micah’s club lost in the Series finals.

Just a few months earlier, Abraham Genauerhad joined Micah in feeling, at a sports venue,a sense of really belonging in America. In May2002, this self-described “expatriate Seattleiteliving in New York City” attended a Yankees-Mariners game at the big ballpark in the Bronx.As an “Orthodox male” with an ongoing alle-giance to a higher authority, he was certain tokeep his head covered at the game, as he did atall other times. He had a problem, however:Should he wear a yarmulka—“an outward

recognition of my faith, heritage and history”—at the stadium? Or should he wear a Seattle ballcap—to “take pride in the fact that I was aMariners fan before they were any good?”Which form of identification, he wondered,would bring out the intolerance of what hecalled “those beer-swilling, battery-throwing,fussing, cussing Yankees fans?” His compro-mised decision was to sit among the “bleachercreatures” with his yarmulka on, but in closeproximity “to some Mariner fans to get anappreciation for what I was missing.”

To his delight as a Jew, he sat through theathletic encounter “in blissful anonymity.” Noone bugged him about “that thing on your head.”No one referred to his kipa as a “Yamaha.”Meanwhile, a youngster garbed in a Mariners’jersey was heckled. Genauer would later report,“As a Jew I belonged—and even as a WASP, theafflicted Seattle fan didn’t.” That experience inthe House that Ruth Built caused Genauer tosay quite emotionally that while anti-Semitismin America is by no means dead, given Jewishhistory and the current events in Israel and

1825 Mordecai Manuel Noah

proposes the founding of a Jewish

colony on Grand Island, NY.

1829 Isaac Leeser, father of

American modern Orthodoxy,

becomes the cantor-minister-rabbi of

Cong. Mikvey Israel in Philadelphia.

1830s German Jews begin

immigrating to the US in large

numbers.

1837 The first Passover

haggadah is published in America by

S. H. Jackson.

1838 Rebecca Gratz establishes the

first Jewish Sunday school in the US,

in Philadelphia. It is Orthodox.

1841 Charleston’s Beth Elohim

becomes the first permanent Reform

Jewish synagogue in the US. David

Levy Yulee is the first Jew to serve in

Congress and also to become a

US senator.

1842 Isaac Leeser, cantor of the

Sephardic synagogue of Philadelphia,

publishes the Occident, a strong

advocate of Orthodoxy. B’nai B’rith,

a mutual aid and fraternal order,

is established.

1852 The first East European

congregation in NYC is organized.

1853 Isaac Leeser publishes an

English translation of the Bible.

1859 The Board of Delegates of

American Israelites is organized,

the first attempt by American Jews to

create an overall national Jewish

organization.

1860 Morris Raphall becomes the

first rabbi to open a session of the US

Congress with prayer.

1861–65 At least three Union

officers of Jewish origin are brevetted

generals during the Civil War.

1862 The US government appoints

army chaplains to serve Jews. Judah

P. Benjamin, formerly a US senator,

is appointed secretary of state of the

Confederacy. On Dec. 17, General

U. S. Grant expels some Jews from

the area occupied by the Army of

Tennessee, charging that they

engaged in commercial traffic with

the South. President Lincoln revokes

the expulsion decree.

1871 Hazofeh B’eretz Hahadashah,

the first Hebrew weekly in America,

is published.

1875 Hebrew Union College is

established in Cincinnati.

1876 Felix Adler creates the Ethical

Culture movement.

1880 According to a Union of

American Hebrew Congregations

census, approximately 250,000 Jews

live in America.

1881 Pogroms in Russia impel large

numbers of Eastern European Jews to

immigrate to the US.

1882 A Yiddish play is

performed in NYC.

1885 Tageblatt, the first Yiddish

daily paper, is launched in NYC.

1887 Jewish Theological Seminary

opens in NYC.

1888 Jewish Publication Society

of America is founded. Rabbi Jacob

Joseph is elected chief rabbi of

New York’s Orthodox community.

1892 American Jewish Historical

Society begins functioning.

1893 Educational Alliance, a

settlement house, opens on NYC’s

Lower East Side. National Council of

Jewish Women is founded. Jewish

Chautauqua Society is organized.

We had made a point with the help of basketball’s

officialdom, and in the long run, we were winners.

Letter from Thomas Jefferson to

Mordecai Manuel Noah discussing the

importance of religious freedom and

the dangers of anti-Jewish prejudice

in America.

Monticello, May 28, 1818.

Ink on paper.

Collection of Yeshiva University

Museum (86.59), gift of Erica and

Ludwig Jessleson.

Model of Touro Synagogue. Newport,

Rhode Island, ca. 1873.

Architect: Peter Harrison.

Collection of Yeshiva University

Museum (89.90), endowed by Erica

and Ludwig Jesselson.

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 2 1

Europe, it was an amazing pleasure to watch abaseball game, flaunting his Jewishness for all tosee and with no one accusing him of dominat-ing, oppressing, crucifying, or drinking anyone’sblood.4

As coaches of Yeshiva University’s men’s bas-ketball team, Jonny Halpert [YH,’66Y,F] and Ihave our own yarmulka-sports story that speaks,with its own humorous twist, about Jewish com-fort zones in America. Several years ago, as wewalked onto the court at Drew University, one ofthe referees told us that “they [our players] haveto take those things off their heads.” There is anNCAA rule that prohibits players from wearing“head decorations, head wear or jewelry” duringplay. Our response in unison was: “Fine, we areout of here.” Although not all of our players woreyarmulkas during games, we would be damned—and I mean that literally—if we would forceour kids to play bareheaded. Having heard thisofficial’s demand, the Drew coach then said to

Yeshiva University Museum will mount an exhibition,

“350 Years of American Jewish Life,” from May through August 2005.

It will highlight the American Jewish experience from the first

settlement in New Amsterdam in 1654 to today’s vital community,

featuring artifacts from the exhibition organized and presented by the

Library of Congress. The museum is located in Manhattan at

15 West 16th Street. For information, call 212-294-8330.

Excerpted from Remnant of Israel:

A Portrait of America’s First Jewish

Congregation, Shearith Israel (Riverside

Book Company, Inc., 2004) by Rabbi

Marc D. Angel ’67Y,R,B, senior rabbi of

Cong. Shearith Israel, the historic Spanish

and Portuguese Synagogue of NYC.

The book is a chronicle of the

congregation’s history from its beginning

as the first Jewish congregation in North

America until today. Rabbi Angel has

served the congregation since 1969.

Jews in the American Militaryn their book An Old Faith in the New World, Dr. David andTamar de Sola Pool describe the participation of members ofShearith Israel in wars from the American Revolution throughWorld War II. They present the impressive record of heroism

and courage demonstrated by the members of this congregation,and by extension, the dedicated military service of American Jewsin general. The Jews of the United States have served as officersand recruits in defense of their country. They have been fully cog-nizant of the blessings they have enjoyed in America, and havesought to do their share—more than their share—in maintainingthe strength and honor of the nation.

Shearith Israel’s list of military personnel includes a number ofparticularly interesting individuals. Uriah Phillips Levy, as a young

man of 20, served in the War of 1812 as master of the brig Argus.After Levy destroyed 21 English ships, the British captured andimprisoned him for 16 months in England. Once released, he con-tinued his service in the American navy, rising to the highest rank,commodore. The navy named a destroyer-escort built during WorldWar II after him. Commodore Levy, who was subjected to anti-Semitism throughout his career, persisted in serving the UnitedStates and fighting for its ideals. He is credited with having con-vinced the navy to abolish its cruel and inhumane policy of punish-ing sailors by flogging.

Another participant in the War of 1812 was Joseph B. Nones,whose father, Major Benjamin Nones, had served on the staffs ofLafayette and Washington during the American Revolution. Josephjoined the navy in 1812 at the age of 15. In 1814, he was privatesecretary to Henry Clay on the mission to Ghent that led to a peacetreaty between the United States and England. Nones was soonback at sea, and was badly wounded in the Algerian War of 1815.He retired from the navy, due to wounds, in 1823.

Shearith Israel member Samuel Noah, a cousin of MordecaiNoah, was graduated from West Point in 1807. During the War of1812, he served in the defense of Brooklyn.

One of the largest subscribers to a wartime issue of governmentbonds—to help finance the War of 1812—was Harmon Hendricks,a leading figure in the Shearith Israel community.

In the Mexican War, Commodore Uriah P. Levy’s brother Jonaswas commander of the USS America. He served at Vera Cruz, andwas appointed captain of the post.

Lieutenant Colonel Israel Moses served as a surgeon in theMexican War. n

2 2 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

I

him, “What are you talking about? They havebeen wearing those things for the 40 years thatwe have been playing them.”

Besides being a good guy, the Drew coachwas no fool. A forfeit would be of little advantageto his team. But the ref was adamant, and so weprepared to depart. In desperation, the Drewcoach took the official into the back room withus and raised the supervisor of officials for theentire East Coast Athletic Conference on thephone. The Boston-based overseer quickly gotthe ref on the line and told him, in no uncertainterms, to let Yeshiva players “wear those things.”Chastened, the red-faced official complied.

Then the game started, and we were slaugh-tered by some 30 points. On the bus back tocampus, one of the players came up to the frontrow where we sat and said: “Too bad about theECAC decision. It might have been better if wehad gotten out of town while we had thechance.” Of course, our kid was wrong. We had

made a point with the help of basketball’s offi-cialdom, and in the long run, we were winners.

However, if Jews are today truly “safe athome” in America, there is also much turmoil inour clubhouse. Relatively few 21st-century Jewsshare Golshirazian’s or Genauer’s—or, for thatmatter, YU athletes’—religious values. The num-bers on “the scorecard in the running battlebetween Jewish assimilation and Jewish sur-vival,” to borrow a sports metaphor that anotherobserver of communal life has used, do not pointin favor of this country’s “loyal and faithful”Jews. Rather, at this stage of the game, disaffec-tion may be grounds for—with another rhetori-cal assist from this passionate source—a “sev-enth inning kvetch [complaint].” 5 Among the un-deniable specific problems is that sports tend tolure Jewish kids, with their parents’ acquies-cence, away from Judaism’s life. Generations ago,kids slipped away from their elders on holy daysto play their informal street games. Today par-

ents carpool their youngsters to events and con-stitute the largest parts of the cheering sections.

In my research, I have spoken to numerousAmerican rabbis who have lodged public com-plaints against their communities’ priorities. Onerabbi, possibly in a moment of elevated exaspera-tion, went so far as to publicly link this endemicdilemma with sports’ earliest undercut of Juda-ism’s future. It was Hanukkah when he suggestedthat the Maccabees lost the war and that the gym-nasium had triumphed over the synagogue be-cause our children were opting for Little Leagueand youth soccer over junior congregation.

Another of my interviewees has challengedhis congregants on the heavy investment theymake in sports in their kids’ lives by asking, withonly partial irony, how many parents amongthem want their children to be professional soc-cer players. When confronted in this way, a fewlisteners generally raise their hands—“in a kid-ding way.” The rabbi advises them “to move to

1896 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan

Theological Seminary, the first

American yeshiva based on the

European model, is founded in NYC.

The Jewish Daily Forward, in NYC,

publishes its first issue.

1898 Union of Orthodox Jewish

Congregations of America is

established. Federation of American

Zionists is established in NYC.

1899 National Conference of Jewish

Charities is organized. American

Jewish Yearbook begins publication.

19001900 Arbeter Ring (Workmen’s

Circle) begins functioning.

East European labor groups organize

the International Ladies’ Garment

Workers Union.

1901 Rabbinical Assembly, the

organization of Conservative rabbis,

is established.

1902 Union of Orthodox Rabbis of

the United States and Canada is

formed. Solomon Schechter is elected

head of the Jewish Theological

Seminary.

1906 American Jewish Committee is

established. Jewish students at

Harvard establish the Menorah

Society. During this year, 153,748

Jewish immigrants arrive in the US,

most from Eastern Europe.

1907 Dropsie College for Hebrew

and Cognate Learning is chartered in

Philadelphia as a graduate school

awarding a PhD degree.

1908 Hebrew Sheltering and

Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) is

established.

1909 Social Zionists (Poale Zion)

establish the first Yiddish secular

school system.

1910 American Jewry succeeds in

persuading Congress to abrogate the

1832 treaty with Russia because the

czarist regime would not honor an

American passport carried by an

American Jew. A fire in the Triangle

Shirtwaist Factory kills some 140

women, most of whom are Jews.

1911 Young Israel is organized in

NYC. Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist

Organization of America, is

established by Henrietta Szold.

1912 United Synagogue of

Conservative Judaism is organized.

The Promised Land, an immigrant’s

evaluation of the US by Mary Antin,

is published.

1915 Leo Frank is lynched in

Marietta, GA. Rabbi Isaac Elchanan

Theological Seminary and Yeshiva

Etz Chaim are united under the

leadership of Bernard Revel.

Moses Alexander, a German-Jewish

immigrant, is elected governor

of Idaho.

1916 Louis D. Brandeis is appointed

to the US Supreme Court.

1917 US enters World War I. About

200,000 Jews serve in the armed

forces. The British government issues

the Balfour Declaration favoring the

establishment of a homeland for Jews

in Palestine. The Bolsheviks gain

control of Russia. Jewish Telegraphic

Agency, serving the Jewish and

general press, is established.

1918 The first American Jewish

Congress meets in Philadelphia.

1920 Henry Ford’s Dearborn

Independent begins publishing anti-

Semitic propaganda, including the

Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

1921, 1924 The Immigrant Act

of 1921 and 1924 close America to

East European Jews and others.

Reconstructionism, founded by

Mordecai Kaplan, creates the Society

for the Advancement of Judaism.

Agudath Israel of America is

established. Hebrew Theological

College opens in Chicago.

Stephen S. Wise founds the Jewish

Institute of Religion.

Medal commemorating the 250th

anniversary of Jewish settlement in

America.

Artist: Isidore Konti.

USA, 1905. Bronze.

Collection of Yeshiva University

Museum (81.24).

Charity container for Rabbi Isaac

Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS).

New York, early 20th century.

Tin, pressed glass.

Collection of Yeshiva University

Museum (96.178).

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 2 3

1921 The first B’nai B’rith Hillel

Foundation is established at the

University of Illinois at Champaign-

Urbana.

1925 Synagogue Council of America

is organized.

1926 World Union for Progressive

Judaism is founded.

1928 National Conference of

Christians and Jews is established.

Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological

Seminary establishes Yeshiva College,

the first general studies institution of

higher education under Jewish

auspices.

1929 Union of Sephardic

Congregations is organized.

1932 Council of Jewish Federations

is established.

1933 Jewish Labor Committee

is established.

1934 Rabbinical Council of America

is established.

1939 Felix Frankfurter becomes

an associate justice of the

US Supreme Court. United Jewish

Appeal is founded.

1940 YIVO Institute for Jewish

Research moves from Vilna,

Lithuania, to NYC.

1941–45 More than 500,000 Jews

serve in the American armed forces

during World War II, among them

numerous Jewish generals and

several Jewish admirals.

1942 Jews become aware of the

Holocaust. American authorities,

including high-ranking Jewish leaders,

do little to persuade President

Roosevelt to admit large numbers of

European Jewish refugees to the US.

Secretary of the Treasury Henry

Morgenthau Jr. is an exception.

1944 National Society of Hebrew

Day Schools (Torah Umesorah)

is established.

1945 Yeshiva University established.

1948 Brandeis University is

established in Waltham, MA.

1954 Yeshiva University establishes

Stern College for Women, the first

liberal arts college for women under

Jewish auspices.

1955 Conference of Presidents of

Major American Jewish Organizations

is established.

1964 Congress passes the Civil

Rights Act, guaranteeing all rights to

blacks and Jews.

1968 Reconstructionist

Rabbinical College is established

in Pennsylvania.

1971 Touro College is established

in NYC.

1983 Jewish Theological Seminary

faculty votes to ordain women

as rabbis.

1993 The opening of the US

Holocaust Memorial Museum in

Washington, DC, and the release of

the film Schindler’s List heighten

public awareness of the Holocaust

in the US.

20002000 Democrats pick Joseph

Lieberman as their US vice

presidential candidate, the first Jew

to be nominated for this office by

a major political party.

The ticket loses the election.

2002 Surveys point to a decline in

America’s Jewish population, the first

since the colonial era.

2004 Jews celebrate 350 years of

American Jewish history.

Brazil or Romania” to pursue that unrealizabledream. He then asks how many want their chil-dren to be Jews, to which there is always major-ity assent. Then why, he inquires of them, doparents “invest in a project whose return is notdesired?” To this have come honest responsesthat best explain what Judaism ultimately facesin an integrated, inclusive America. Parents say,“I don’t want my kid to feel left out!”

Rabbis like these might have had more suc-cess had they lived in a town that possessed a“Never on Saturday” or “kosher” Little League.Over the past quarter-century a number of pre-dominantly Orthodox or intensely committedConservative communities have created theirown athletic loops that have schedules that donot challenge youngsters to choose betweenJewish commitments and team allegiances.However, none of these leagues has ever comeclose to capturing the allegiance of the majorityof any community’s Jewish youths. Though often

constituted as all-inclusive, kosher league mem-bership comprises mostly athletes from obser-vant homes. Essentially, these leagues are morepreventive than palliative. In some cases, theykeep a new generation of youngsters from slip-ping away from their family traditions. Moregenerally, they simply give observant kids thechance to look and play like all the others.

And there is the rub of our times as seenfrom the playing fields of this country. Jews inAmerica have achieved much of what theyprayed and worked for in modern times; theyhave now been “chosen-in” as teammates in asociety that generally appreciates Jewish reli-gious values. Yet most Jews intent on holdingdear to their newfound friendships heed thecalls to join, to participate, rather than feel leftout. “Kosher” or observant cohorts may pridethemselves on their successful integration notonly with America’s pastimes, but also with somany other aspects of this country’s experience.

In the end, however, committed Jews are but asmall minority that is being sorely tested underthe conditions of unparalleled freedom within acontemporary community. n

NOTES

1. This essay is adapted from Dr. Gurock’s forthcoming

book, Judaism’s Encounter with American Sports, to be

published in Sept. 2005 by Indiana University Press.

2. Samuel G. Freedman, Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for

the Soul of American Jewry (New York: Simon and

Schuster, 2000), p. 347.

3. Charles S. Liebman, “The Quality of American

Jewish Life: A Grim Outlook,” in Facing the Future:

Essays on Contemporary Jewish Life, Steven Bayme, ed.

(KTAV Publishing House and the American Jewish

Committee, 1989), pp. 14, 16.

4. Abraham Genauer, “Yankee Stadium’s a Two-Hat

Sort of Place,” Forward (May 24, 2002):19.

5. Michael Freund, “Seventh Inning Kvetch,” Jewish

Sentinel (August 16–22, 2002), p. 4.

Trowel presented to

Nathan Levy on the occasion of

the laying of the cornerstone of RIETS.

New York, 1927. Silver, ivory.

Collection of Yeshiva University Museum

(95.502).

Commemorative plate depicting

Shearith Israel Mill Street Synagogue.

Artist: Esther H. Oppenheim.

New York, 1954.

Porcelain: transfer printed and hand-

painted.

Collection of Yeshiva University

Museum (75.40).

Poster announcing the appointment of

Pauline Dolitsky as president of the

Women’s League of Yeshiva University.

New York, 1918.

Collection of Yeshiva University

Museum (95.502).

2 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

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Printing theTalmud: From Bomberg to SchottensteinA N E X H I B I T I O N AT Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y M U S E U M • O P E N I N G I N A P R I L 2 0 0 5

As the core of Rabbinic Judaism, the Talmud is the

pre-eminent source for countless commentators,

studied by millions, it occupies center stage in

Jewish culture and learning. In our time, Talmud

study has reached unparalleled proportions. In

every Jewish community across the globe, private

individuals, groups, yeshivot, and seminaries are

vigorously engaged in learning Talmud daily.

This exhibition will provide a fascinating

exploration of the world of Talmud study, and

will illustrate how technological advances—the

invention of the printing press over 500 years

ago and the impact of the computer in recent

decades—have transformed the ancient

discipline of Talmud study into an accessible

pursuit available to all.

The centerpiece of the exhibition will be one

of the few extant complete sets of the printed

edition of the famed Bomberg Talmud; this set is

composed primarily of tractates from the second

edition printed in Venice between 1526 and 1531.

Bomberg established the layout of the Talmud

page for future generations.

For the first time, an 11 by 14 feet mosaic

floor from the 6th century ancient synagogue at

Rehov, in the Beit Shean Valley, will be shown out-

side Israel. This Late Antique mosaic, belonging

to the Israel Antiquities Authority, is the oldest

extant copy of a Rabbinic text, and the only

example of such text to survive from the exact

time period when the Talmud was compiled and

redacted. It has never before left the Holy Land!

Another element of the exhibition, a multi-

screen video presentation partially sponsored by

Sony Electronics, features 12 minutes of Talmud

study around the world—filmed live in communi-

ties as far-flung as Glasgow, Moscow, Warsaw,

and Bogotá—to emphasize that in our time more

people are studying Talmud in more places than

ever before in history.

TA L M U D, F R A N K F O R T A M D E R O D E R 1 6 9 7 – 1 6 9 9

t takes a village of socialworkers to help the manycancer-stricken individualsand families who seek treat-ment at Memorial Sloan-

Kettering Cancer Center in NYC.Since 1997, that village has beenguided by Jane Bowling ’98W,director of the hospital’s depart-ment of social work, who is putting

her decades of experience andeducation to use on behalf of thecritically ill.

“The art of social work is to befully present for patients and theirfamilies as they cope with illness,”said Dr. Bowling, a graduate ofWurzweiler’s Doctor of Social Wel-fare program. She began her pathto social work as a mental healthprofessional, working in psychiatryafter earning her MSW degreefrom Adelphi University in 1977.She spent 11 years at the New YorkState Office of Mental Health atCreedmoor Psychiatric Center inQueens, eventually becoming di-rector of social work services there,and 8 years as assistant director of

the department of social work atthe Hillside Division of Long Is-land Jewish Medical Center.

It was at Hillside, while workingwith Wurzweiler’s Prof. EmeritusAaron Beckerman, that Dr.Bowling was inspired to pursuedoctoral studies, which she calls“one of the most stimulating educa-tional experiences I ever had.”

Guidance from mentors, especiallyNorman Linzer YH,’55Y,R,W, Sam-uel J. and Jean Sable Professor ofJewish and Family Social Work,helped her stay motivated. Her dis-sertation topic, “Continuity of Carefor the Seriously and PersistentlyMentally Ill,” was informed by herpast experience with patients whowere removed from institutions anddischarged to the community. “Ipersonally witnessed all aspects ofdeinstitutionalization, so when thelocus of care began to shift, theissue of developing services to fol-low patients [after their discharge]became critical,” she said.

In December 1997, Dr. Bowl-ing began work as assistant direc-

tor of social work at Sloan-Kettering. Although she had neverbefore worked in an oncology envi-ronment, she found that herknowledge, education, and experi-ence were transferable. When,after several months, she becamedepartment director, she assistedin the transformation of the role ofsocial work at the hospital so thatthe 35 social workers on her staff,until then responsible for the total-

ity of a patient’s care from diagno-sis to discharge, became free toconcentrate on psychosocial coun-seling and emotional support whilenurse case managers took over thedischarge process.

This change benefited both pa-tients and caregivers, and requiredthat roles for both social workersand nurse case managers be clear-ly defined. This became Dr. Bowl-ing’s main task: how to effectively

alumni

2 6 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

Helping Patients andTheir CaregiversBY ESTHER D. KUSTANOWITZ

IThe art of social work is to be fully present for patients and their families as they cope with illness.”

“

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 2 7

collaborate with the department ofcase management. According toDr. Bowling, the move reflects theinstitution’s commitment to pa-tient care.

“It is very unusual for a hospitalsocial work department to just pro-vide counseling and psychosocialsupport. This opportunity allowsus to work with patients and fami-lies through the entire course of ill-ness,” she said.

For social workers at Sloan-Kettering, constant exposure topatients and families strugglingwith critical illness can take anemotional toll. “Social workersbear witness [to trauma] every day,so we create an atmosphere where

they can self-replenish,” Dr. Bowl-ing said, noting that the well-beingof her staff is a great priority. “Mostwould agree that their work ismeaningful, and they consider it aprivilege to work with people incrisis. My biggest challenge is toalways be mindful of the intensitythat my staff experiences, helpingthem to maintain balance in theirlife, so they can better serve ourpatients.”

Dr. Bowling also considers herown work a privilege—her onlyregret is that her direct interactionwith patients is limited. “Beingdirectly involved with patients andfamilies as they confront the ill-ness—this is the real work.” n

The Office of University Alumni

Affairs thanks the following

authors for submitting their books

to the Alumni Authors Library.

Publications received since the

last issue of YU Review include:

The Yeshiva and TraditionalEducation in the Literature of theHebrew Enlightenment Period

For Our People and Our Country

Not To Forget—Impossible ToForgive (Poignant Reflections onthe Holocaust)

Moshe Avital, PhD, ’53TI,F,B

The Man Who Shocked the WorldThomas Blass, PhD, ’63Y,F

The Library of Everything: Poemsand Torah CommentariesRabbi David Ebner ’65Y,R,B

Living in Divine Space

Rectifying The State of Israel

Body Mind and Soul

Awakening the Spark Within

The Mystery of Marriage

Transforming Darkness into Light

The Hebrew Letter

Rabbi Yitzchak (Robert)

Ginsburgh ’65Y

The Hasidic Masters’ Guide To ManagementMoshe (Morris) Kranc YH’72

Understanding Your Neighbor’sFaithRabbi Philip Lazowski ’54IBC

The Biblical Outlook—Topics inJewish PhilosophyRabbi Solomon Polachek

’71BG,B,R

Yomin YaakovRabbi Jacob Rabinowitz

YH,’46Y,R

Thoughts on the HolocaustRabbi Bernhard Rosenberg

’69Y,F,R,AG

Hydrogenated Amosphous SiliconAlloy Deposition ProcessesY. Simon Tsuo ’78BG, PhD

The Kaddish Minyan: From Pain To Healing: Twenty Personal StoriesRabbi Herbert A. Yoskowitz YH’59

To display your work in the

Alumni Authors Library, please

send a copy to the Office of

University Alumni Affairs,

Yeshiva University,

500 West 185th Street, BH723,

New York, NY 10033-3201.

New Alumni Directories Are Here!The Yeshiva University Alumni Directory project is complete and

the distribution of this impressive new volume has begun. It is

a comprehensive compilation of the most current data available on

more than 43,000 alumni. Information was obtained from question-

naire mailings, telephone verification, and from alumni records.

All alumni who reserved a copy during the project’s verification

phase should have already received one. If you have not, or if you

have questions about your order, please call 800-877-6554.

The new directory is an excellent way to relive your school days

and get reacquainted with former classmates.

The Office of University Alumni Affairs may be reached at alumdesk@yu.edu; by phone at 212-960-5373; or by fax at 212-960-5336.

Our mailing address is Yeshiva University, 500 West 185th Street, BH723, New York, NY 10033-3201.

ALUMNI AUTHORS LIST

il Marks, kosher chef,cookbook author, andrabbi, has his grandfa-ther to thank for hiscareer in cooking. The

recipe for his success as a Jewishfood expert has its origins in asmall-scale household disaster.“My grandfather once set thehouse on fire trying to boil waterfor coffee,” said Rabbi Marks, aNYC resident who grew up inRichmond, VA. “My mother saidher kids would know better, so shetaught them all how to cook.”

Unlike his grandfather, this1974 YC graduate has masteredthe art of Jewish cooking. He canmake chremslach (fried pancakesin honey) and simmer a tzimmes(beef and vegetable stew) to per-fection. But he didn’t stop at hiseastern European roots for culi-nary inspiration; he has also col-lected recipes from places wheremany people don’t know Jews havelived, let alone had distinctive waysof cooking.

Rabbi Marks’s first book, TheWorld of Jewish Cooking, exploresthe full range of traditional Jewishfood from countries such asPoland, Italy, India, Iran, Georgia,Bukhara, Romania, Greece, Ethio-pia, and Yemen. The book—aJames Beard Award finalist, de-scribed by the author as a compila-tion of “the Oscars of the cookbookworld”—is equally about Jewishhistory as seen, or tasted, throughthe food once eaten in shtetls, mel-lahs (the Jewish quarters in Mus-lim countries), and tents, and stillprepared by descendants of thosedisplaced communities around theworld.

But what makes food Jewish?For Rabbi Marks, it is the nostalgiavalue of traditional dishes thatreflect the environment, history,and emotions of the culture. It is

food that evokes the spirit of acommunity.

“Most Jews today are more like-ly to eat lasagna than most of theitems in my books,” he said. “I waslooking for traditional dishes, sanc-tified by their use in the mosaic ofJewish kitchens over the centuries.”

The author’s other books—TheWorld of Jewish Desserts, The World

of Jewish Entertaining, and his lat-est, Olive Trees and Honey: ATreasury of Vegetarian Recipes fromJewish Communities Around theWorld, which came out in Novem-ber—take a similar approach, plac-ing recipes alongside snippets ofhistorical information and inter-views with the people who sharedtheir ancestors’ recipes with him.Rabbi Marks is currently finishing

n alumni

2 8 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

YU LAUNCHES ONLINE GIVING

he Internet provides numerous opportunities for generosity, and

donors are turning to the Web. Now, you can show your support

for Yeshiva University by making a gift online. Launched last

August, online giving is a quick, easy, and safe way to contribute

to YU. Jonathan Scheinberg ’04C gave his first gift to the univer-

sity through the new service. Mr. Scheinberg said he found the process

simple and convenient.

“I spend several hours a day in front of my computer, and I take care

of all my business online. It is much easier for me to give to YU in this

manner,” he said.

To make a gift online, go to www.yu.edu /onlinegiving.

New Associate Director of Annual Giving

The Office of University Alumni Affairs

welcomes Joseph Glass ’98Y as associate

director of annual giving. He works with

volunteer groups to promote the Annual Fund

and focuses on reunion-class giving, parent giving, and under-

graduate student giving. Mr. Glass, from Teaneck, NJ, formerly

worked at Metropolitan Telecommunications and Net2Phone, and

was a candidate for the United States Congress in 2002.

Yearbooks Available

The Office of University Alumni Affairs has a surplus of college

and high school yearbooks available from an assortment of years.

Please contact us for information and to receive one.

Let Them Eat ChremslachBY KELLY BERMAN

G

ERRATA An incorrect yearbook photo, identified as Velvel Pasternak, appeared with the

“Preserving Music as History” story in the last issue (page 20). Also, the chairperson of an

event for SCW alumnae in the fields of health and medicine should have been identified

as Dr. Cheryl (Tzipie) Frenkel ’97S (page 23). We regret the errors.

T

Spin•achThe derivation of the

word spinach from the

Farsi isfanakh (“thorn”),

referring to its prickly

seeds, reflects the plant’s

Persian origins….

Spinach arrived in Italy

in the thirteenth century,

and subsequently the

Italians, Arabs, and

Sephardim helped to

spread it across most of

the Mediterranean.

Excerpted from Olive Trees and Honey

by Gil Marks (Wiley, 2004)

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 2 9

a book on food in the Torah.Writing and cooking are the

two “obsessive” pursuits of this for-mer history teacher at YUHS–Boys. After ordination, he earnedan MSW degree at Wurzweiler,thinking he would work in Jewishorganizations. He spent a few yearsrunning interreligious and inter-communal programs at the JewishCommunity Relations Council in

Philadelphia, and then found hisway back to YU in 1982, this timeleading the high school’s guidancedepartment.

He left after four years to turnhis hobbies into a career. By then,with a reputation as a gourmetkosher cook on Manhattan’s UpperWest Side, Rabbi Marks launchedKosher Gourmet magazine, a laborof love that he single-handedly

produced for seven years.Rabbi Marks never received

any formal training as a chef, al-though he has taught many class-es—at Macy’s De Gustibus, theCulinary Institute of America, andJewish community centers nation-wide. He also has appeared severaltimes on a show hosted by DonnaHanover, which aired on FoodNetwork TV.

His cooking has helped peoplereconnect with their Jewish her-itage. “I mentioned Hungariandelkel [cheese Danish] in my firstbook and, after it came out, I re-ceived a letter from a readerrequesting the recipe. Her motherand grandmother always used tomake it and she never had therecipe, so I sent it to her,” he said.

Why does food occupy such acentral place in Jewish culture?Rabbi Marks has a few theories.“All persecuted communities ob-sess over food. They take theplainest of ingredients—in thecase of Ashkenazic food, grains,schmaltz, and animal parts—andtransform them into somethingdelicious.”

Every ritual in some way con-nects to the presence or absence offood. “When you eat matzah onPesach, you are transcending timeand connecting with 3,500 years ofJewish history and your ancestorswho did the same thing,” he noted.

“The Jewish dietary laws arenot intended as health related.There is a religious aspect to themthat transforms food from physicalfuel for the body into somethingspiritual,” Rabbi Marks said. “Ko-sher food is literally soul food.” n

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the

onion and, if using, the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent,

about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the spinach, matzah

meal, salt, pepper, and, if using, the nutmeg. Stir in the eggs.

If the mixture is too loose, add a little more matzah meal. The mixture

can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.

2. Shape the spinach mixture into patties 3 inches long and 1 1/2

inches wide, with tapered ends. In a large skillet, heat about a thin

layer of oil over medium heat. In batches, fry the patties, turning,

until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm, accompanied with lemon wedges.

3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced(optional)

2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed,cooked, chopped, and squeezeddry, or 20 ounces thawed frozenchopped spinach, squeezed dry

About 1 cup matzah meal or finedried bread crumbs

About 3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg or 1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Vegetable oil for frying

Lemon wedges for serving

Sephardic Spinach Patties(Keftes de Espinaca)About 16 patties

—Reprinted from Olive Trees and Honey

?YESHIVA COLLEGE• Class of 1954Morton NarroweHerbert Rosenberg• 1955Aaron BorowJerome ChervinSimon CohenArnold EnkerBernard FinkelsteinSol FlugMilton FreundlichHenry HarmanDavid KatzOscar KraterNorman LissAlvin SchreiberStuart SloyerMarvin Spiegelman• 1964Moshe BursteinMichael FellerDavid LazarJeffrey TillmanFrederick Werbell• 1979Jordan BeckAryeh BlumbergMarc Phillip BodnerDan Harry CheifetzIra Lawrence HermanMark KleinmanPatrick LandauMichael Stanley OrelowitzJoseph RappaportErnie Hillel RollMartin Leo SamoshGlenn Winter• 1980Eli Ronald BernsteinJeffrey BernsteinWarren BursteinSimon GrunbaumGary Stuart GutreimenMichael Jay KahnVidal KeslassyDavid KirschenbaumEdward Alan LevinIsaac LivniJeffrey ReinMurray RosenthalBarry Jay TokayerAharon Unger• 1994Adam BalkanyDaniel BaronHoward BeigelmanSeth BerkowitzBarry Dov BesslerJoshua DyckmanUri EliasSteven GlanzUri GutfreundBenjamin HainDavid HazonyRobert Liveanu

Stephen MoskowitzAvraham SchwartzAmir Sedaghat-ZandiDavid SilverbergHoward SragowElly Storch• 1995Gil DersovitzYair (Gil) ElmalehJeffrey GoldmanMatthew J. GoldsmithJason A. GottleibDavid KaplanAvi RosenfeldJeremy Rosner

STERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN• Class of 1964Ofra Bilha GersteinTamara Platnick Seelig• 1979Toby AllensteinDeena BesdinRita Milstein ButinskyJill Ellen HackerSandra HahnSusan HymanCindy Oxman KleinLeah LeibowitzRoza LeibowitzEllen Levine• 1980Shari Thea EhrmanJoy Anne Gris EpsteinNina Feld-DaganRuth GangerPeggy GoldbergRochelle May Schwartz GoldbergMindy Sara HellerBeverly HeymanFlorie Birns JerushalmiBonnie KletterKaren Shulamith Bendheim

LevineGreta NathansonMedea RizinashviliLinda Susan RubinBarbara Michael SilvermanRoslyn Fendel SteinbergMelanie WolfRoselle Socol Zaret• 1995Leah Koslowski BenscherBridget F. BurrowsMaya A. CohenArielle ElbazMichelle Litman ElmalehMalki Blond FogelAdeena Davis HaberPessi Elias HornblassRachel IskowitzSara Y. KaminSara Sudwertz MorLeslie J. Tuchman SasnowitzLeba SpiegelmanEsther Stein

SY SYMS SCHOOL OFBUSINESS• Class of 1995Simon AbadiMarc A. BrugerEric ReinheimerRena Ennis Reinheimer Phyllis B. RothSarit Stein

BENJAMIN N. CARDOZOSCHOOL OF LAW• Class of 1980Dorothy AckermanLinda BenjaminAnthony BucaroDr. Daniel CaspiLinda FarinRise GlasenbergPatrice HussDiane JanoffRoberta KoeppelCarolyn MargoliesHarriet Zang• 1985David AkselradLaurie GrohSarah JohnsonJeremiah KaplanJan KidermanNancy McPhillipsCharles PhillipsAndy RainbowVictor RicciGlenda RothbergRichard SchulmanJim SolomonJane TheaWeldon TurnerDavid Widman• 1990Edward BroutMichele CohenDaniel FederMarianne FreedmanSofia GruskinDebra Hirsch LevranDavid KlarmanPamela MozerLiane NewtonLisa PashkoffLisa RogellNancy SaccoccioJennifer Weiner• 1995Herbert ChanDavid FainkichPamela FlakowitzAdam GlucksmanCatherine KeanJonathan MadriganoMelissa MartinTanya MillinerAlissa RosenbergBarry SendrovicAdrian SuttleKaren Thompson

Lisa YearwoodIan Zaretsky• 2000Betty ChenMargy CohenAndrew FrischMelissa JolivetMichael LanzillottaJohn LeeLisa LondonKatherine LyonMiranda McFaddenShoji OtaniRaviprasad PisupatiJohn PotterMarnie PulverJessica ReinmannJared ShapiroMelanie SiegelNick Wilder

ALBERT E INSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE• Class of 1960Gerald GalstDaniel Stern• 1965Robert BernzweigVictoria M. LeviEthel M. Van Kirk• 1970Francine BrentFred L. Pasternack• 1975Jonathan D. AbramsonSandra L. BlethenRobert A. FoxHelaine G. LevineWilliam J. WhiteSamuel D. Wilchfort• 1980Neil CheungRichard J. DubocqBruce KimmelKathleen A. KoehlerRichard M. KreamRobert MonosonRalph NagerElizabeth Dragon OosteromEugene Spencer OssaDavid L. PerkinsPaul S. SchneidmanJudith ShayBellina Veronesi• 1985Elaine ElionManoj KhandelwalSusan MackensenAndrea N. MeyerhoffNina E. RobbJaime R. SanchezLawrence Aaron ShafronRandi S. SilibovskyAndrew J. SteinMark I. Zakowski• 1990David I. Becker

Genhong ChengKimberly DeschenesToni A. GahnMehran GolparianiKingsley B. HongShoshanah KahnRobert KraftWacharee LimpanasithikulXiangyi LuTanmoy MukherjeeMayumi NagakawaThai-Van X NguyenYvette OrtizOctavio E. PajaroThomas S. PortzlineRahnana SegalChen-Fu S. ShawKe ShuaiJacqueline A. TejedaPierre J. VaysseAlice L. Vuoso• 1995Kyra B. BlattNorbert W. BrunhuberLin-Chi ChenMichael S. CohenKallol DasMel B. FeanyLyle D. FishkinDelroy T. FosterRichard F. GarriRonen GoldkornBarbara A. HesselSuzanne KasetaShihong LiAmy F. MandelJoseph R. OrchowskiOctavio E. PajaroDavid ReserGregory A. SahagianMalini SenHelen M. SungErik VandendriesAustin H. Yu• 2000Noujan Adl-TabatabaiDirk Matthew BernoldAnne Anru ChenLin-Chin ChenFelipe S. Diaz-GrifferoRichardson M. FleuridorSwati GhoshInessa A. GoldmanMark David HaberKarin Baong Hoang-WoodmanGregory A. KicskaJames Jay LeeSeung-Hoon OhDanmei QinDavid ReserDenise Mary RyanIoana Smaranda SchiporYael SpinatJulia SuSean SukalKristen Anne Vinyon

n alumni

3 0 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

The Office of University Alumni Affairs is looking for these “lost” reunion-class alumni. If you know anyone’s whereabouts, please contact the YU Alumni Office.

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 3 1

Month of Learning

Carl Feit ’67Y,

PhD, Dr. Joseph

and Rachel Ades

Professor of

Pre-Health

Science and YC

chair of natural

sciences, spoke

on “Chaos and

Cloning: The

Intermarriage of Science and Religion” at the Riverdale, NY, home

of Alan ’79C and Miriam ’79S Goldberg. Dr. Feit discussed how

halakhic principles and modern scientific concepts, including stem

cell research and cloning, relate. From left: Dr. Feit, Jeremy Spierer

YH,’96Y,B,R,AG, and Meir Laker ’79Y.

Alumni and friends gathered at the home of Charles

and Seryl ’76S Kushner in Livingston, NJ, for an

evening with Rabbi Hanoch Teller ’79Y (left). Author,

teacher, lecturer, and Jewish storyteller, he spoke

on the life and impact of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman

Auerbuch, a Torah giant of the past generation.

Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, Joel

and Maria Finkle Visiting

Israeli Rosh Yeshiva, present-

ed his analysis of the signifi-

cance of Yom Ha’atzmaut and

Yom Yerushalayim at Cong.

Shaaray Tefila in Lawrence, NY.

Norman Adler,

PhD, YC dean,

spoke on “The

Idea of a Jewish

University: From

Valojin and Ox-

ford to Yeshiva University,” at the Jamaica Estates,

NY, home of Zev ’82Y and Judy ’94S Berman.

Henry Rubin,

YU senior

director of

development

for gift plan-

ning, offered

tips to alumni

and guests

gathered at

the Beren

Campus on IRAs, pensions, 529 Plans, and

insurance in a talk titled “How to Be a Good

Grandparent: Pension and Tax Tips Your

Grandchildren Will Thank You For.” From left:

Mr. Rubin and Albert Kahn.

Author Barbara Kessel ’71S

recounted some of the mov-

ing and personal tales of

escape and relocation from

her new book, Forgotten

Exodus: Jews who Fled Arab

Countries Since 1940, at the Manhattan home of

Rose ’71S and Morton ‘69Y Landowne.

Charles Snow ’73Y, PhD, SSSB dean (right), accom-

panied alumni for a behind-the-scenes tour of the

New York Stock Exchange and led a discussion about

his eight years working on the NYSE trading floor.

WSSW hosted its first-ever Back-to-School Day

during which alumni returned to their alma mater

to spend a few hours learning with professors

and reconnecting with former classmates.

Ronald L. Hoffman, MD, ’83A,

one of America’s foremost

complementary medicine prac-

titioners, spoke on “Intelligent

Medicine: New Thoughts on

Prevention and Treatment” at

the Beren Campus.

More than 100 real estate professionals attend-

ed the YU Professional Network’s (YUPN) first

real estate networking event. From left: Ryan

Hyman ’98Y, event chairman; and Gary ’67Y and

Reuven Eisen ’96Y, father and son managers of

Pira Energy Group.

n alumni

3 2 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

EINSTEIN:

Classes of 1960, ’65, ’70, ’75, ’80, ’85, ’90, ’95, ’00, June 1

CARDOZO:

Class of 1980, June 9 • Classes of 1985, ’90, ’95, ’00, May 19

YESHIVA COLLEGE:

Class of 1955 & Golden Shield Society, May 26

Class of 1980, May 22 • Class of 1995, TBA

Spring Reunions

Cardozo Class of 1979 reunion planning committee. From left:

Bruce Lederman, Cliff Elgarten, Wayne Greenwald, Bonnie

Steingart, Mark Yagerman, Wayne Halpern, and Hon. John Marks.

SCW Classes of 1973 and 1974

YC Class of 1979

SCW Class of 1979

Save the Date: UpcomingSpring 2005Reunions

STERN COLLEGE:

Class of 1980, May 22 • Class of 1995, TBA

SY SYMS:

Class of 1995, TBA

LATER IN 2005: Commentator Reunion, Stern College for Women

Student Council Reunion, Observer Reunion, Counterpoint

Program Reunion

YC Class of 1954

SCW Classes of 1958 and 1959

SCW Israel Reunion

2004

bookshelf

3 3 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

rieda (Reches) WishinskyYH,’71F may have taughtspecial education for 23years, but at heart, she’s al-ways been a writer.

“I was one of those kids whowould have rather done an essaythan taken an exam,” said Ms.Wishinsky, who was born in Ger-many, raised in New York, and nowresides in Toronto with her hus-band, Dr. Solomon WishinskyYH,’66Y, and their two children.

The writer of 17 children’sbooks and numerous educationalreaders, Ms. Wishinsky traveled toManchester, England, in October

to receive the Stockport Children’sBook Award for Jennifer Jones Won’tLeave Me Alone (Random HouseUK, 2003).

“I was thrilled to win an awardin another country where theydon’t even know me,” she said.“What could be nicer?”

Indeed, Ms. Wishinsky said herbackground in special educationhelps her write with clarity. Chil-dren with learning disabilities needmaterial to be presented in a clearand engaging way, she said, and allchildren need writing that speaksdirectly to their experiences.

In addition to the Stockport

award, Jennifer Jones was also nom-inated for The Sheffield Children’sBook Award in England, and in1999, Ms. Wishinsky was nomi-nated for Canada’s most presti-gious award: the Governor GeneralAward of Canada for Each OneSpecial (Orca, 1999), winner ofthe 1999 Print Braille Book of theYear Award and nominee of the2001 Washington Children’sChoice Picture Book Award. JustCall Me Joe (Orca, 2003), whichdeals with the Jewish immigrantexperience in New York, was short-listed for the 2004 CanadianLibrary Association Book of theYear. Her latest book, A Bee in YourEar (Orca Echoes, 2004), centersaround a school spelling bee thatcould ruin a friendship.

It seems that Ms. Wishinsky’ssuccess lies in her niche—and shehas no plans to change genres.

“Children’s books explain thingsin an honest, straightforward waythat you don’t always find in adultliterature,” Ms. Wishinsky said.“The stories are very powerful, andthey leave a strong imprint. Younever forget them.” n

F

For Children’s Author,Clarity is KeyBY CARA HUZINEC

Children with learning disabilities need material to be presented in a clear and engaging way, and all children need writing that speaks directly to their experiences.”

“

Holocaust Hero: Solomon Schonfeldby David Kranzler ’71B

KTAV

New York

A profile of Rabbi Solomon Schon-feld, a young British cleric who sin-gle-handedly brought to Englandseveral thousand children, rabbis,teachers, ritual slaughterers, andother religious functionaries dur-

ing 1938–48and providedthem with ko-sher homes,Jewish educa-tion, and jobs.He also creat-ed uniquemobile syna-gogues—thefirst to serve

the spiritual and physical needs ofsurvivors in liberated areas.

The Hasidic Masters’ Guide toManagementby Moshe Kranc YH’72

Devora Publishing

Jerusalem, New York

The author posits that today’s man-agers, seeking to provide inspira-tional leadership, clear direction,business vision, and organizationalguidance to their team, have muchto learn from the Hasidic masters.

Veheye Brachaby Levi Meir ’71R

Devora Publishing

Jerusalem, New York

Rabbi Meir, Jewish chaplain atCedars-Sinai Medical Center inLos Angeles and a clinical psychol-ogist, takes the teachings of theTorah and applies them to daily lifeand to the complexities and chal-lenges that inevitably become partof everyone’s existence.

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 3 4

FROM THE FACULTYEyewitness to Jewish Historyby Benjamin Blech ’54Y,R

assistant professor, Talmud

John Wiley and Sons

Hoboken, NJ

Through diaries, journals, letters,newspaper accounts, public testimony,official communications, and ancientdocuments, the reader encounters the people, places, and events thatshaped, and have been shaped by, theJewish experience from ancient timesto the modern day.

Journal of Jewish Music and Liturgy2003–2004/5764–5765edited by Macy Nulman YH,’45Y

The Cantorial Council of America

in conjunction with BSJM

Articles on a wide variety ofthemes related to Jewish liturgyand music.

Orthodoxy in Charleston: Brith Sholom Beth Israel and AmericanJewish Historyby Jeffrey S. Gurock

Libby M. Klaperman Professor of

Jewish History

College of Charleston Library

The author chronicles the history of Cong. Brith Sholom in Charleston,SC, to “bring alive and flesh out,through local details, some of thenational trends that professional historians like myself have been writing about recently.”

n bookshelf

Odeh La’ElAn album of Sephardic and

Middle Eastern Jewish songs by

Cantor Moshe Tessone

BSJM instructor

Energized arrangements of Judeo-Arabic selections that combinepulsating rhythms and originalmedleys. Incorporates sounds fromMiddle Eastern, Levantine, Bal-kan, and North African genres.

Consolation: The Spiritual Journey Beyond Griefby Maurice Lamm ’51Y,R,B

Rabbi Maurice Lamm Professor of

Professional Rabbinics, RIETS

The Jewish Publication Society

Philadelphia, PA

A sequel to the author’s best-sell-ing The Jewish Way in Death andMourning. Founder of the Nation-al Institute for Jewish Hospice,

Rabbi Lamm steers mourners on apath from sorrow to growth andshows consolers how to listen andspeak in ways that can provide sol-ace to those who grieve.

The New Victorians: Poverty, Politics, and Propagandain Two Gilded Agesby Stephen Pimpare, assistant

professor, political science

The New Press

New York

In his scholarly history of Ameri-can anti-welfare movements, theauthor shows how today’s “compas-sionate conservatives” are repeat-ing the arguments made by Vic-torian propagandists during thelate 1800s, when they persuadedthe public that government aidhurts both the poor and workingclasses.

YESHIVAUNIVERSITYPRESS

’50sn Professional News

Rabbi S. Zvulun Lieberman ’51Y,R,F,

spiritual leader of Cong. Beth Torah,

Brooklyn, and his wife, Joyce Bracha,

were honored by the synagogue for

their many years of service to the shul

and the community. He is adjunct

assistant professor of Jewish studies

and Maxwell R. Maybaum Memorial

Professor of Talmud and Sephardic

Codes (Halakhah) at YU, and holds

the university’s Professorial Chair in

Sephardic Studies.

David Scheinfeld ’51Y,R, principal of

the law firm David Scheinfeld &

Associates, NYC, authored the fore-

word to the sefer Ohr Yisrael, The

Classic Writings of Rabbi Yisrael

Salanter. The volume, translated and

annotated by Rabbi Zvi Miller and

edited by Rabbi Eli Linas, was pub-

lished by Targum/Feldheim.

Dr. Hirsch Lazaar Silverman ’51F

became an FGICPP, Board Certified,

Diplomate-Fellow, the professional

designation in advanced geriatric

psychology of the International College

of Prescribing Psychologists and

Prescribing Psychologists’ Register.

Also, he received the first-ever hon-

orary doctor of psychology degree from

Calamus International University.

Ginger (Genia Prager) Socol ’59S was

honored at the annual spring dinner of

the Women’s League Young Israel of

Kew Gardens Hills in May.

Dr. Zev W. Wanderer YH,’53Y, author of

Letting Go: A Twelve-Week Personal

Action Program to Overcome a Broken

Heart, is a psychologist and psycho-

analyst living and practicing in Eilat,

Israel. His book was made into the

ABC Movie-of-the-Week TV special

“Letting Go” starring Sharon Gless and

the late John Ritter, and in 1987 won

First Prize for Excellence at a conven-

tion of the American Psychological

Association.

Marcel Weber ’56Y was appointed

Counsel for the State of Israel by the

Administrator General of Israel. Marcel

is a partner at the law firm of Feder,

Kaszovitz, Isaacson, Weber, Skala,

Bass and Rhine LLP.

Leon Wildes ’54Y, CSL adjunct profes-

sor and YC board member, copro-

duced a play off Broadway, Ears on a

Beatle: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of

John Lennon, about the legal twists

and turns in the story of how the FBI

investigated the famous Beatle. Leon,

an immigration lawyer, represented

Lennon and Yoko Ono from 1972 to

1976 and secured lawful permanent

residence for them.

n Personal News

Yona (Beeber) ’56TIW and RabbiAvraham Basch YH,’53Y,R celebrated

the marriage of granddaughter Yaffa

Landsberg to Elchanan Bar Nitzan of

Efrat, Israel.

Sara (Lebowitz) YH,’58TIW and RabbiHersh (Zvi Moshe) Galinsky YH,’55Y,R,

of Jerusalem, celebrated the birth of

twin grandsons.

Rifka ’54TIW and Pinchus KahnYH,’53Y,F celebrated their 50th

anniversary and also the birth of a

grandson, Avraham Abba, to Yair and

Hadassah Kahn.

Pesach (Paul) Rogoway ’57Y and wife

Debbie announce the marriage of

granddaughter Esther Hadassah,

daughter of Rabbi Shimon and Shlomit

Rogoway, to Shmuel Baruch of

Ashdod, Israel.

’60sn Professional News

Leah (Segal) Aharonov YH,’69S is vice

president, International Council of

Jewish Women. She lives in Zur

Hadassah, Israel.

Harry M. Brown YH,’69Y is one of 38

attorneys named as 2004 Ohio Super

Lawyers by the Cleveland office of his

law firm, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan

& Aronoff LLP. Ohio Super Lawyers are

determined by a balloting of more than

33,000 Ohio attorneys, a screening of

credentials, and a review by a panel of

lawyers from each area of practice.

Jerome A. Chanes ’64Y, adjunct profes-

sor at SCW and WSSW, authored a

review-essay on four recent books on

Antisemitism, which appeared in the

newspaper Forward; and authored

“Who Does What? Governance and

International Jewish Communal

Organization in 2004,” for the Jewish

Agency’s Jewish People’s Policy

Planning Institute Yearbook. In spring

2004, he curated and lectured at a

five-part film series, “Antisemitism on

the Screen,” at the JCC in Manhattan;

offered a course on “The History of

Antisemitism” at the Skirball Institute;

lectured on the Jewish public affairs

agenda and organizational structures

at NYANA; and at Stern College devel-

oped a new honors seminar, “The

History and Sociology of Antisemitism.”

Last fall he lectured at the Annual

Conference of the Association of

Jewish Studies in Boston and at the

Annual Conference of the Council of

American Jewish Museums. His

monograph, A Primer on the American

Jewish Community, is going into its

third edition.

William Helmreich ’67Y was featured

in a front-page article of The New York

Times and its “Quotation of the Day.”

Also, he was featured in a Time Out

New York magazine cover story, Dec.

4, 2003, “The Super Jews.” He is pro-

fessor of sociology and Jewish studies

at City University Graduate Center and

City College of New York, codirector of

classnotes

Yeshiva University Review welcomes Classnotes submissions

that are typewritten or neatly printed. Relevant information (name,

maiden name, school, year of graduation, and a contact phone

number) must be included. The magazine is not responsible for

incomplete or incorrect information. Graduates of CSL, WSSW, FGS,

and AECOM may also direct notes to those schools’ alumni

publications. In addition to professional achievements, YUR

Classnotes may contain alumni family news, including information

on births, marriages, condolences, and bar/bat mitzvahs.

Engagement announcements are not accepted. We reserve the right

to edit submitted items. We cannot be responsible for time-sensitive

submissions that expire before publication. Items sent for the next

edition of Yeshiva University Review will be included as received

and as space permits. Photographs are encouraged.

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 3 5

the City College Conflict Resolution

Center, and the author of 10 books.

Morton Merowitz ’60Y participated in a

panel discussion on Jewish bibliogra-

phers of the 20th century at the annu-

al meeting of the Association of Jewish

Libraries. He spoke on contributions

made by Isaac Rivkind (1895–1968).

Rabbi Bernhard H. Rosenberg ’69Y,F,

R,AG, spiritual leader of Cong.

Beth-El, was commended with a

resolution by the Edison, NJ, Township

Council for helping to save the life of

an auto accident victim in nearby

Highland Park. Also, his new book,

Thoughts on the Holocaust—Where

Was G-d Where Was Man: Teenagers

Reflect on Major Themes of the

Holocaust, has been published by

Moshe Aaron Yeshiva Press.

n Personal News

Pnina (Forman) Aronson ’68S and hus-

band Yaakov, of Rechovot, Israel,

announce the marriage of daughter

Tehilla to Yedidya Hochman, a student

at the Hesder Yeshiva in Eilat.

Mazal tov to Sylvia (Uncyk) BergerYH’66 and husband Mark on the

marriage of daughter Allison Faye to

Franklin Zaromb.

Sarah (Sandra Singer) Eiferman YH’62

and husband Charles, of Jerusalem,

announce the birth of a grandson.

Mazal tov to Prof. Carmi HorowitzYH,’66Y,B,R and wife Sara, of

Jerusalem, on the birth of grand-

daughter Eliraz Alissa to parents Orly

and Yoel Manovich.

Elissa (Pitzie Friedman) ’63S and Dr.Judah Lando ’60Y, of Kfar HaRoeh,

Israel, celebrated the birth of a grand-

son.

Rifka (Richman) YH,’75TIW and DavidMonderer YH’68, of Petach Tikva,

Israel, announce the bar mitzvah of

son Avraham on Shabbat hol hamoed

Sukkot.

Dr. Velvl Reinfeld YH,’67Y and wife

Miriam, of Jerusalem, announce the

marriage of son Mordechai.

’70sn Professional News

Robert Kafes ’72W is clinical director,

Southern Arizona Center Against

Sexual Assault. He received the 2003

Governor Janet Napolitano and

Attorney General Terry Goddard Award

for Excellence as outstanding sexual

assault and mental health profession-

al. He is in private practice and also is

on the faculty at Southwest Institute

for Psychoanalytic Studies.

Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel YH,’77Y,B,R, E.

Billi Ivry Professor of Jewish History

and chairman, Rebecca Ivry Depart-

ment of Jewish Studies, SCW, was

named vice president of the Associa-

tion for Jewish Studies, the leading

professional organization for professors

of Jewish studies in North America.

He lectured at the Center for

Advanced Judaic Studies at the

University of Pennsylvania on “Prayer,

Literacy and Literary Memory in the

Jewish Communities of Medieval

Europe,” and on “The Role of Dreams

as a Determinant of Jewish Law

During the Middle Ages” at Penn’s

Tenth Annual Gruss Colloquium on

History and Anthropology. In Jeru-

salem, he presented “Between the

Tosafist Academies and Other Study

Halls in Medieval Ashkenaz” (in

Hebrew) at an international confer-

ence on yeshivot and battei midrash

cosponsored by The Hebrew Univer-

sity and Merkaz Shazar, and was

named an editor of the Festschrift

being published by Magnes Press in

honor of Prof. Israel Ta-Shma. A trans-

lation of an updated and expanded

version of his book, Jewish Education

and Society in the High Middle Ages,

which won the 1993 National Jewish

Book Award for scholarship, was

recently published in Israel by Hotza’at

ha-Kibbutz ha-Me’uchad.

Idel I. Moisa, MD, ’79Y,A, presented a

lecture, “Well-Differentiated Thyroid

Cancer in Children,” at Tumor Board,

North Shore University Hospital at

Glen Cove.

Nava Rephun YH,’76W gave an interac-

tive presentation at Kibbutz Lavi,

Israel, on the topic “Getting the Love

You Want.” Nava is a psychotherapist

and Imago Relationship Therapist who

works with couples and individuals in

her NYC private practice.

n Personal News

Deborah (Wunsch) ’04W and Moshe(Maurice) Bach ’73Y announce the

birth of grandchildren Tzur to Asaf and

Sarah Mintzer and Shulamit to Ariel

and Rachel Frish, all of Israel.

Debbie (Klaff) Dan ’71S and husband

Herby, of Beit El, Israel, celebrated the

bar mitzvah of son Ayal David and the

marriage of daughter Shana to Boaz

Bormaster, of Houston, TX.

Diane (Solomon) ’79S and Avi HorwitzYH’72, of Jerusalem, celebrated the

bar mitzvah of son Simcha Eliyahu.

Moshe Z. Mirsky YH,’77Y,C celebrated

the bar mitzvah of son David.

Stuart Pilichowski YH’72 and wife Ruth,

of Mevaseret Tzion, Israel, announce

the birth of granddaughter Naomi

Shlomit to children Rabbi Uri and

Aliza Pilichowski of Beverly Hills, CA.

Peninah (Segal) Rabin YH,’79S,W and

husband Marc celebrated the marriage

of daughter Tikva to Ilan Adler of

Petach Tikva.

Esther (Gleicher) YH’75 and Dr. MarkWeiner ’76Y,F,R celebrated the bar

mitzvah of son Aryeh Dov. Also, Mark

was promoted to Lt. Col. in the US

Army Reserve. Chaplain (LTC) Weiner

has been activated for one year at

Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

He and Esther live in Cherry Hill, NJ,

with their five children.

Malka (Wagner) YH,’78S and JeffreyWeisberg ’79Y, of Jerusalem,

announce the marriage of daughter

Ayelet Miriam to Yitzie Kempinski;

and the birth of their first grandson to

children Avi and Yosefa Weisberg.

Dina Roemer ’77S,W and Shaya Wexler’74Y,B, of Efrat, Israel, announce the

birth of first grandchild Lavi Michael to

parents Tehilla and Jeremy Gimpel.

Mazal tov also to great grandparents

Rabbi Shlomo Wexler ’49Y,R and wife

Chaya, of Har Nof, Israel.

’80sn Professional News

Dr. Adena K. Berkowitz ’85C was a fea-

tured speaker at the JOFA Conference

in February 2004 and at Makor last

spring. In October she spoke at the

Lishma conference on “Dilemmas of

Reproductive Technology.” Her article,

“Ethics of Internet Dating,” appeared

in Jewish Week’s fall supplement

sponsored by the Orthodox Caucus.

Daniel B. Rosenthal ’85Y is senior

counsel with the law firm of Quarles &

Brady LLP, Boca

Raton, FL, with a

focus on litigation.

He received the

highest score on

the bar exam in the

4th District Court

of Appeals, a six-

county area, and, because of his

score, was asked to deliver an address

at the swearing-in ceremony last May

in West Palm Beach.

Jeff Scheckner ’87Y is executive direc-

tor, the American Jewish League for

Israel (www.AmericanJewishLeague.org).

The organization supports a variety of

projects, including scholarships for US

students to attend university in Israel.

Barbara E. Ungar-Frish ’83S is an

attorney who served in the government

sector for 11 years prior to opening

her own practice. She lives in

Highland Park, NJ.

n Personal News

Rabbi Aryeh (Leonard) Fund ’82Y and

wife Yocheved, of Efrat, Israel, cele-

brated the marriage of son Yonaton to

Miriam Hecht of Cleveland, OH.

Dr. Rose Russo ’95W and AdamGleicher ’86Y announce their mar-

riage, in February 2004.

Lisa (Fishhaut) YH’83 and Gary GreenYH,’85Y, of Beit Shemesh, Israel,

announce the bar mitzvah of son

Daniel. Mazal tov also to grandparents

Claire (Reiss) YH’56 and Dr. LeonGreen YH,’55Y,R,F, and Roberta DainaYH,’59S and Rabbi Earl Fishhaut’56Y,R.

Dr. Sheldon Green YH,’81Y and wife

Debra announce the bar mitzvah of

son Jeremy. Mazal tov also to grand-

parents Dr. Leon YH,’55Y,R,F and

Claire (Reiss) Green YH’56.

Michael Greenwald ’87Y and wife

Vivian announce the birth of third

child Ari Mordechai. Mazal tov also to

grandparents Bernice (Goldberg)YH’60 and Joseph Wiesel YH’58, and

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Greenwald.

n classnotes

3 6 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

Jonathan Gruber YH’85 and wife

Sharon, of Berkeley, CA, celebrated

the birth of a daughter. Mazal tov also

to grandparents Steven Edell ’73Y,W

and wife Esther, of Jerusalem.

Dr. Gila (Hartstein) ’85S,F and

Jonathan Heimowitz YH’82 celebrated

the birth of fourth child Pnina Leah.

Mazal tov also to grandparents SamHartstein ’43Y, former CPA director,

and wife Rachel, and Denise ’54TIW

and Aaron Heimowitz YH,’54Y.

Mazal tov to Rabbi Nathaniel HelfgotYH,’85Y,AG,R and Rachel Brenner, a

student in the YU Graduate Program

for Women in Advanced Talmudic

Studies, on the birth of third child

Nehemiah Devir. Mazal tov also to

grandmother Rosa Perla ResnickHelfgot ’76W.

Mazal tov to Daniel Katsman ’81Y,R,B

and wife Hannah on the bar mitzvah

of son Hayim Yeshurun, of Petach

Tikva, Israel. Mazal tov also to grand-

parents Rabbi Phillip Katsman ’51Y,R

and Dr. Ben Zion Wacholder ’51Y,R,

and Elizabeth Krukowsky.

Nechemiah Klein ’80Y and wife Rina,

of Neve Yaakov, Israel, celebrated the

birth of daughter Eli Sheva Nava.

Mazal tov to Eric P. Rosen ’89Y and

wife Deborah on the birth of twins,

Matityahu Aryeh (Matthew Ari) and

Yirmeyahu Betzalel (Jeremy Bram).

Rabbi Meir Rosenberg YH’86, spiritual

leader of Cong. Ohav Zedek, NYC,

and wife Chaya announce the birth of

their sixth child, Ephraim Hillel.

Mazal tov also to grandparents Joan(From) Rosenberg ’65TIW and husband

Sheldon, and Rabbi Moshe and

Sara Stern.

Heshy Summer ’87Y and wife Lisi, of

Beit Shemesh, Israel, celebrated the

bar mitzvah of son Yonatan Moshe.

Mazal tov to Susan (Weitz) TeichYH’89 and husband Scott on the birth

of their bachor, Joshua Ryan.

Toby (Bergstein) YH’75 and JeffreyWoolf ’81Y,R celebrated the bat mitz-

vah of daughter Elisheva Yehudit.

’90sn Professional News

Michael J. Belgrade ’97Y is a Foreign

Service officer with the US Department

of State. His current post is as political/

economic officer at the US Consulate

General in Sydney, Australia.

Previously he was consular officer at

the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Stephen H. Garrin ’96B practices law

and is an adjunct professor in the

Department of Modern Languages and

Comparative Literature at Baruch

College–CUNY, where he teaches

European literature and philosophy.

Also, he is the editor of the Jewish

Book Annual and a member of the

editorial board of the Jewish Book

World. He and wife Cookie (Rachel

Gottesman) have two daughters.

Ryan Karben ’96Y

won re-election to

the NY State Legis-

lature in November

by a nearly 2-to-1

margin. He repre-

sents the Rockland

County towns of

Orangetown and Ramapo.

Rabbi Ariel Konstantyn ’96Y,R,AG,

associate rabbi, The Hampton

Synagogue, Westhampton Beach, NY,

was honored with his wife, Cheryl, at

the Annual Gala Dinner for Nishmat,

the Jerusalem Center for Advanced

Jewish Study for Women. The school

was founded by Rabbanit ChanaHenkin YH,’68S,B.

David M. Rosenberg ’93SB is managing

director at Meridian Capital Group,

LLC, in NYC. He is responsible for the

placement of office, retail, and indus-

trial loans with a wide variety of lenders.

n Personal News

Gila (Insler) ’02S and Rabbi JeffreyBeer YH,’97Y announce the birth of

daughter Chana Aliza. Mazal tov also

to grandparents Cantor Bernard BeerYH,’65CTI, BSJM director, and wife

Barbara, and Rose (Mayer) Insler ’68S.

Aliza (Cooper) Berger ’92B and hus-

band Dov, of Jerusalem, announce the

birth of son Dvir Barnea.

Mazal tov to Jonathan Jay (Yoey)Frohlich YH’98 on his marriage to

Penina Einhorn. Mazal tov also to par-

ents Rosie (Loboda) ’79W and AveryEinhorn ’75Y of Jerusalem and Ben

and Ethel Frohlich of Brooklyn.

Ephraim Gopin ’94Y and wife Lisi

announce the birth of a son. Mazal tov

also to grandparents Rabbi MenachemGopin ’70Y,R,B, and wife Rachel.

Sarah T. (Friedman) ’98S and David D.Gross ’99SB announce the birth of

second child Abigail Zehava.

Margalit (Margy Berkowitz) Horowitz’94S and husband Jeremy announce

the birth of their first child, Julia Leah

(Gila Leah). Margy is a private piano

teacher in Los Angeles. Her Web site

is www.pianowithmargy.com.

Devorah (Cohen) ’97S and husband

Rabbi Menachem Linzer ’95Y,AG,R,

rebbe at Yeshivat Ramaz, celebrated

the birth of a son. Also, Menachem

received the Educational Leadership

Award from Yeshivat Shaalvim at its

annual dinner.

Josh Rosen YH’99 and wife Terri

announce the birth of their bachor,

Jonathan Aaron. Mazal tov also to

grandparents Fran (Rosenzweig) YH’68

and Sheldon Rosen ’70Y and Sandy

and Howard Tenenbaum.

Mazal tov to Jonathan Schechter ’90Y

and wife Pnina on the birth of son

Gavriel Meir. Mazal tov also to grand-

parents Jan (Jeanette Kleinman) ’63S

and Sheldon Schechter ’63Y,A.

Bonnie (Soskin) ’90S and David Sheer’91Y,AG,R announce the birth of fifth

child Eliezer Shalom. Mazal tov also to

grandparents Rabbi Charles Sheer’65Y,B,R and wife Judy; and Philip

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 3 7

SCHOOL / CLASS ____________________

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SEND OR FAX TO: Robert Saltzman, Office of University Alumni Affairs,

500 West 185th Street, New York, NY 10033-3201.

Phone 212-960-5373 • FAX: 212-960-5336 • Email: alumdesk@yu.edu

Your news is our news!

If you’ve got a new job, promotion, hobby that’s become a

“second career,” new book, award, community service honor,

addition to the family, etc., we’d like to hear about it.

Please include complete information and, if possible, a head

shot or good quality photo.

and Joan Soskin; and to great grand-

parents Bernard Schrenzel ’38Y and

wife Ester; and Trudy Sheer and

Rose Ross.

Sharon (Socol) ’92S and StevenTuckman ’90Y announce the birth of

third child Goldie Briana. Mazal tov

also to grandparents Ginger (GeniaPrager) ’59S and Sheldon Socol ’58Y,

YU vice president for business affairs.

’00sn Professional News

Chaim (Ariel) Theil ’03SB, SSSB vale-

dictorian, attends New York University

School of Law.

n Personal News

Mazal tov to Jocelyn Meridith Berger’02S on her marriage to Shmuel

Jonas. Mazal tov also to parents Sylvia(Uncyk) Berger YH’66 and husband

Mark, and to YC board member

Howard Jonas and wife Debbie.

Mazal tov to Tamar Fox ’02S and PhilipGross ’02 on their marriaage. Mazal tov

also to parents Debbie (Breidenbach)’78W and Ed Fox ’75Y,CTI, YU deputy

to the president, and Michael GrossYH’73 and Shaindy Gross.

Mazal tov to Tova (Kanarfogel) ’02S,

CSL student, and Yosef Milgrom ’02Y

on the birth of a bachor, Yehuda.

Mazal tov also to grandparents Dr.Ephraim Kanarfogel YH,’77Y,B,R, E.

Billi Ivry Professor of Jewish History

and chairman, Rebecca Ivry Depart-

ment of Jewish Studies, SCW, and

wife Devorah.

Esther Feman ’04S and Shimon Peretz’04Y announce their marriage. Mazal

tov also to parents Gwen (Felder)Peretz ’78S and husband Richard, and

Dov and Miriam Feman; and to grand-

father Marvin Felder YH’46.

Mazal tov to Gavriel Secemski ’04SB

on his marriage to Rachel Schiffman.

Mazal tov also

to parents

Miriam Ryfka(Maltz) ’80S

and PhilipSchiffman ’79Y

and Dr. Isaac

and Esther

Secemski; and to grandparents Martin

and Ilse Gruenspecht.

Dr. Sandrine Utzinger ’03F announces

the birth of daughter Catherine Rita.

Mazal tov to Tzippora (Wenreb) ’01S,F

and David Wallach ’01Y on the birth of

Shmuel Ezra, in May.

CONDOLENCES

Janet Adler ’96W, WSSW board mem-

ber, and husband Bruce on the loss of

son Kenneth.

Tzvi Atik YH,’71Y on the loss of his

stepmother, Dinah Atik.

Karen (Kermaier) Bacon, PhD, ’64S,

The Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean at SCW,

Dr. Alan Kermaier ’64Y, and RabbiBruce Kermaier YH’71 on the loss of

their mother, Esther.

Connie Beinhaker on the loss of her

mother, Janet Spector Milchin. Connie

and husband Philip, YU Guardians,

established the Philip and Connie

Beinhaker Kollel Fellowship at RIETS.

Carl Bennett, YU Benefactor, on the

loss of his sister, Sarah Bennett

Potash. Condolences also to Henry

Bennett and Esther Brandwein on the

loss of their sister, and Robert Bennett

Potash on the loss of his mother.

Rabbi Ellis Bloch YH,’70Y,R on the loss

of his mother.

Dr. Herbert C. Dobrinsky YH,’54Y,R,F,

YU vice president for university affairs,

on the loss of his mother, Lily.

A. Zev Golombeck YH,’79Y, SheldonGolombeck ’81Y, Karen (Golombeck)Kleiner YH’72, and Shalom Golombeck

on the loss of their mother, Elaine.

Condolences also to Hyman

Golombeck on the loss of his wife.

Rabbi Martin Katz ’71Y,R on the loss of

his father, David.

Dr. John Krug ’74Y,R,F AGS adjunct

assistant professor, on the loss of his

mother, Marion.

Dr. Ruth Freeman Lewis ’60A, a YU

Guardian with her husband, Dr. RobertLewis ’60A, on the loss of her mother,

Eva.

Eve Rosenfeld ’58S, Elie Rosenfeld’82Y, Rabbi David Rosenfeld, and Tova

Menken on the loss of their husband

and father, Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld

YH,’50Y,BG,R, YU honorary degree

recipient in 2000 who received a

posthumous honorary doctorate in sci-

ence in June 2004 from the Technion

in Haifa. Also, condolences to them on

the loss of Rabbi Abraham RosenfeldYH,’50Y,R, the father of Dr. Azriel,

who, at the time of his death at age

101, was thought to be the oldest

living graduate of YU.

Robert Saltzman, director of university

alumni affairs, on the loss of his

mother, Ruth.

Eli Sasson ’00Y and brothers Jacob

and Jonathan on the loss of their

father, Dr. Azra.

Nachum (Michael) Schnitzer ’78Y,R on

the loss of his father, Charles.

Toby Schneier, SCW board member,

on the loss of her father, Natan

Gotesman.

Bruce D. Shoulson, RIETS board

member and a Guardian with his wife,

Robyn, on the loss of his mother,

Sonia. In honor of his parents, Bruce

and Robyn established the Rabbi I.

Harry and Sonia Shoulson Seforim

Fund at RIETS and the Rabbi I. Harry

and Sonia Shoulson Scholarship for

YU undergraduates.

Rabbi Yechiel Weiner ’96SB,R, MYP

assistant mashgiach, on the loss of his

mother, Raisel.

Dr. Harvey D. Wolinetz, YUHS Fellow

and former YUHS board member, on

the loss of his wife, Naomi, and his

mother, Dina.

Naomi (Baumol) Zauderer ’63TIW, and

Elly Baumol on the loss of their

mother, Frieda. Condolences also to

Naomi’s father, Rabbi Joseph M.

Baumol, on the loss of his wife. The

rebbetzin was predeceased by a son,

Marvin J. (Muni) Baumol ’59Y.

WE MOURN

William Bernard Ainsberg (Eisenberg)YH’31, in May 2004. Condolences to

his brother, Louis Ainsberg (Eisenberg)YH’31 and to the entire family.

Rabbi J. Shelley Applbaum YH,’44Y, in

August 2004. He was a leading figure

in American Jewish day school educa-

tion, serving as principal, rabbi, and

rabbi emeritus of The Moriah School

of Englewood, NJ, and before that, as

principal of Kingsway Academy and

executive director of Kingsway Jewish

Center in Brooklyn. Also, he was a pio-

neer in the Orthodox Jewish summer

camp movement for 60 years, serving

as director, together with his wife,

Marilyn, of Camp Winsoki. Condolen-

ces to her, to son Allen D. Applbaum’88C, and to the entire family.

Joseph Bukiet, in June 2004. He, wife

Rose, and brother and sister-in-law Al

S. and Belle Bukiet, all YU Guardians,

dedicated the Bukiet Family Holocaust

Collection of Yeshiva College. He was a

past president of the Passaic-Clifton

Federation, and a leader of Adas Israel

Synagogue Center and other local syn-

agogues in the Clifton-Passaic area.

Rachelle (Nashofer) Chaiken ’81S, in

August 2004. Condolences to her

husband, Yossi, mother, and brother

Martin Nashofer ’77Y.

Rabbi Abraham Chill R, of Jerusalem,

in April 2004. He was a distinguished

rabbinic leader, scholar, and author.

Condolences to children Daniel ChillYH,’57Y, Deanne Shapiro, and Teme

Goldman, whose family established

the Libbie Chill Memorial Scholarship

at SCW in memory of their mother.

Selim Dweck YH,’93Y,B. The Dweck

family has established a memorial

fund to help his wife, Rochelle, and

daughters Talya and Gabriella, of

Jerusalem. Donations may be made

payable to Sephardic Bikur Holim with

“Gabriella and Talya Dweck” in the

memo. Send to Sephardic Bikur

Holim, 425 Kings Highway, Brooklyn,

NY 11223.

Colman Genn YH’53, in July 2004. He

was a member of the MSDCS-affiliated

Association of Modern Orthodox Day

Schools and Yeshiva High Schools

(AMODS) advisory council and

cochairman of its Finances committee.

Condolences to his wife, Brenda,

daughter Shari Shapiro, and brother

Emanuel Genn YH’52.

Rabbi Leonard Goldstein ’44Y, in

August 2004.

Rabbi Shlomo Gopin YH,’41Y,R, in

October 2004. Condolences to his son,

Rabbi Menachem Gopin ’70Y,R,B, and

to the entire family.

Rabbi Solomon Kahane ’54Y,R, in April

n classnotes

3 8 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 • Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W

2004. He was spiritual leader of the

West Side Jewish Center, NYC, for

38 years.

Fredda S. Leff ’78W, WSSW board vice

chair, in August 2004. A former social

worker, she was the owner and presi-

dent of Integrated Power Solutions and

also vice president and controller of

Lincoln Electric Products. Condolences

to her husband, Bruce, children

Matthew Evan and Fara Kate, and to

the entire family.

Fanny Levin, in March 2004. With her

late husband, Milton, who was a

member of the AECOM Board of

Overseers, she was among the earliest

members of the AECOM Society of

Founders and a University Guardian.

Together with her son, James, she

served on the AECOM Cancer

Research Advisory Board.

Irma Rabbino, in April 2004. A mem-

ber of the AECOM Society of

Founders, she also was a long-time

member of its National Women’s

Division and an editor of its newsletter.

Rabbi Irving Rosner ’52Y,R, in

February 2004. He was spiritual leader

of Yonkers’ Cong. Sons of Israel since

1971. Prior, he was rabbi at Young

Israel of Val Royal, Montreal, and Beth

Israel Cong. of Cote Saint Luc,

Quebec. Condolences to his wife,

Shirley, son Moshe ’82Y, daughters

Devorah Marcus ’83S and Gitty Silber,

and the entire family.

Dr. Norman (Tuly) Ruttner ’59Y,A, in

March 2004. He was a pediatrician in

private practice for 30 years in Boro

Park, NY. Condolences to his wife,

Susan, and to children Ora Kornbluth’89S, Yosef Meir ’93Y, Dr. Baruch ’91Y,A,

Chana Levin, and Karen Ruttner.

Louis (Elazar) Schoffman YH’29 of

Jerusalem, in April 2004.

Dr. Joseph Silver ’55Y, in August 2004.

He was chief of orthopedic surgery at

New York Methodist Hospital, attend-

ing surgeon at Maimonides Medical

Center in Brooklyn, and a visiting

surgeon at SUNY Downstate Medical

Center. Condolences to his wife,

Madeline, son Dr. Marc Silver ’88Y,A,

daughter Lauren Goldman, brothers

Gerald and Sheldon Silver ’65Y and

sister Arlene Rosenfelder.

Rabbi Joseph I. Singer YH,’37Y,R,B,

rabbi emeritus at Manhattan Beach

Jewish Center, NYC, in March 2004.

He served the community for more

than 50 years.

Rabbi David Stavsky ’52Y,R, in March

2004. He had been spiritual leader of

Beth Jacob Cong., Columbus, OH, for

47 years. He was instrumental in

founding Columbus Torah Academy,

Columbus Community Kollel, Colum-

bus Board of Rabbis—of which he was

president numerous times, Wexner

Heritage House, and the community

mikvah. Condolences to his wife, Ruth,

daughter Chanita Weisz ’79S, sons

Averim ’82Y, Seth ’88Y, Joel ’79Y and

Jordan Stavsky, and the entire family.

Rabbi Hugo Unger ’53Y,R, in August

2004. He was director of enrichment

programming, Hillel Academy,

Pittsburgh.

Rabbi Judah Washer ’32Y,R, in August

2004. He served as rabbi of The

Jewish Center of Teaneck for 29 years

and as president of the New York

Board of Rabbis. He and his children

endowed a scholarship at SCW in

memory of their late wife and mother,

Rabbanit Helyne Washer. In his mem-

ory, a scholarship fund campaign has

been arranged by Mr. Major L.

Landau, past president of The Jewish

Center of Teaneck and close friend of

Rabbi Washer.

Rabbi Jerome Willig ’38Y,R, in June

2004. Condolences to his wife, Betty,

and to children Rabbi Mordechai Willig’68Y,R, Rabbi Dr. Sol Roth Professor of

Talmud and Contemporary Halakhah

at RIETS, Rabbi David Willig ’77R,

Chava Willig Levy ’73S and TamarWillig YH’67.

David Wolicki ’85Y,F, in June 2004.

Condolences to his wife, Aliza(Sunshine) YH’79, of Ginot Shomron,

Israel; and to his parents, Marsha(Dubow) ’64S and Rabbi Yosef (Jerome)Wolicki YH,’60Y,B.

Philip Zaro, in May 2004. President of

Zaro’s Bread Basket, a NYC bakery

chain, he was a WSSW board member

and endowed a scholarship at WSSW

with his wife, Dorothy. Together, they

were fellows of WSSW and RIETS.

Condolences to her; to Philip’s brother

and sister, Sam and Claire; sons

Stuart, Joseph, and Andrew, and to

the entire family.

DAV ID H . ZYSMAN , YU L EADER

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y R E V I E W • W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 3 9

A, AECOM Albert Einstein College of Medicine • AG Azrieli Graduate School

of Jewish Education and Administration • BG, BGSS Belfer Institute for

Advanced Biomedical Sciences • B, BRGS Bernard Revel Graduate School of

Jewish Studies • BSJM Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music •

CTI Cantorial Training Institute • C, CSL Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

• F, FGS Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology • I, IBC Isaac Breuer College

of Hebraic Studies • J, JSS James Striar School of General Jewish Studies •

MSDCS Max Stern Division of Communal Services • Y, MYP Yeshiva

Program/Mazer School of Talmudic Studies • SBMP Irving I. Stone Beit

Midrash Program • R, RIETS Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary •

S, SCW Stern College for Women • SG Sue Golding Graduate Division of

Medical Sciences • SB, SSSB Sy Syms School of Business • T, TI Teachers

Institute • T, TIW Teachers Institute for Women • W, WSSW Wurzweiler

School of Social Work • Y, YC Yeshiva College • YH, YUHS Yeshiva University

High Schools (MSTA The Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy) (SWHSG

Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls)

The Yeshiva University community

mourns the loss of David H. Zysman,

a YU leader who also dedicated a

lifetime of professional service to the

building of the state of Israel.

Known as a passionate and imagina-

tive fundraiser, he was vice president

for development of the university for

almost 12 years and was considered

the grand architect of substantial

and unparalleled growth in its

fundraising. A Benefactor and hon-

orary YU alumnus, he established

David H. Zysman Scholarship Funds

on behalf of RIETS and all of the affiliated schools of the university and

played a major role in founding YU’s Sy Syms School of Business. The

Main Building on the university’s Wilf Campus was named David H.

Zysman Hall in recognition of his commitment to YU and the world Jewish

community. For 35 years he served as national director and New York

director of Israel Bonds, which he helped found, and helped generate

more than $10 billion in sales on behalf of Israel.

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