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∞ SPECIAL COMMENCEMENT ISSUE

SUMMER 2013

Rabbi Joshua Fass, YU Alumnus and Executive Director of Nefesh B’Nefesh, Tells Graduates to Script the Future Story of the Jewish People

Hundreds of students from Yeshiva University’s undergraduate schools were presented with their degrees at YU’s 82nd commencement exer-

cises, held at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ, on May 30.

Excitement for the future was in the air as students and their families hugged and snapped pictures in the crowded box office area, but a shared sense of purpose and empowerment was also an essential theme of the day’s celebration.

“Your experience at Yeshiva has been exciting, var-ied, formative and informative in magnificent ways,” YU President Richard M. Joel told the new graduates. “Ye-shiva instilled within you not merely the makings of ma-terial success, but a mandate to matter in this world, to partner with God in somehow making it better.”

In his keynote address to the Class of 2013, Rabbi Joshua Fass ’91YUHS, ’94YC, ’96A, ’98R, reflected on the way his own YU education had equipped him to pursue his difficult but world-changing vision as co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization that has helped more than 36,000 Western olim [immi-grants] actualize their dream of settling in Israel.

“Heroically and astonishingly, YU transmits a unique and noble approach, a derekh ha-chayim [way of life], a mesorah [tradition] that resonates this extraordi-nary synergy,” he said. “We have been taught to open our eyes and see the myriad number of concerns that need to be addressed and repaired in our community and beyond, to have the fortitude and courage to make those changes,

while being grounded securely in Torah and Halacha [Jewish law].”

Urging the new alumni to remain engaged and ac-tive as members of the Jewish community and staunch advocates of the State of Israel, Fass added, “As YU gradu-ates, you are uniquely positioned to make a difference—you have the talent, conviction, passion and ideological drive to script the future story of our people.”

President Joel conferred an honorary degree upon Fass, as well as on Tony B. Gelbart, co-founder and chair-man of Nefesh B’Nefesh and a serial entrepreneur who serves as a member of the national board of directors and adviser to the president of the Jewish National Fund; businessman and philanthropist Abraham Naymark, whose contributions to YU include the establishment of the Naymark Scholarship Fund at the Sy Syms School of Business; and Dr. Merryl H. Tisch, chancellor of the New

York State Board of Regents and chairwoman of the Met-ropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.

Meirah Shedlo, valedictorian of Stern College for Women, echoed the message of engagement and respon-sibility in her remarks to her classmates. “As we, the Class of 2013, depart from the house of learning that is Yeshiva University, we have been charged with the mission of using our personal development in service of our com-munities,” she said. “At YU, we’ve had the opportunity to gain a stellar education and achieve a high level of accom-plishment in our respective fields. Now we’re all starting on new paths that will build upon the ideas, challenges and triumphs we have encountered here.”

Dr. Mark Skier ’83YUHS, ’87YC, ’91E, flew in from Milwaukee, WI, to watch his son Rafi graduate from Ye-shiva College. “I’ve been a member of the YU family for a long time and when

Yeshiva University’s 82nd Commencement

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The greatest representatives of a university are its students. Yeshiva University is privileged to have an incredibly talented cadre of students who seek

to harness their unique skills and YU education to en-rich the lives of others and make a lasting impact on the world around them. In this special commencement

issue of YUToday, we are proud to feature a select group of new alumni from YU’s high schools, colleges and graduate schools—some of the best and brightest men and women from the Class of 2013.

These remarkable graduates, of varying ages and diverse backgrounds, came to YU with a common goal:

to pursue a range of personal and professional dreams, from scientific research and medicine to law, Jewish education and public policy. As they embark on the next stages of their careers, they will always embody the powerful message that unites all Yeshiva University students, past and present: the mandate to matter. n

Meet the Class of 2013Profiles of the Graduating Students of Yeshiva University

Rabbi Joshua Fass ’91YUHS, ’94YC, ’96A, ’98R, delivers keynote address.

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Azrieli’s Shapiro Enriching Education

YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

∞ SPECIAL COMMENCEMENT ISSUE

SUMMER 2013

DR. HENRY KRESSEL Chairman, YU Board of Trustees

RICHARD M. JOEL DR. NORMAN LAMM President Chancellor

MICHAEL SCAGNOLI Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs

YUTODAY

MATT YANIV YAFFI SPODEK GISEL PINEYRO Director of Media Relations, Editor Art Director Editor in Chief

Aliza Berenholz, Barbara Birch, Enrique Cubillo, Daniel Gordon, Linda Hsia, David Huggins, Andrea Kahn, Elie Klein, Tova Ross, Perel Skier, Sam Ulrich, V. Jane Windsor

Contributors

yutoday@yu.edu www.yu.edu/cpa

YUToday is published quarterly by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs and is distrib uted free to faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and friends. It keeps them informed of news from across Yeshiva University’s undergraduate and graduate divisions and affiliates. The quarterly newsletter covers academic and campus life, faculty and student research, com-munity outreach and philanthropic support. It showcases the University’s mission of Torah Umadda, the combination of Jewish study and values with secular learning, through stories

about the diverse achievements of the University community.

© Yeshiva University 2013 • Office of Communications and Public Affairs Furst Hall Room 401 • 500 West 185th St. • New York, NY 10033-3201 • Tel.: 212.960.5285

Stanley I. Raskas, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Yeshiva College; Shira Yoshor, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Stern College for Women; Alan Kestenbaum, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Sy Syms School of Business; Ruth L. Gottesman, Chair, Board of Overseers, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Leslie E. Payson, Chair, Board of Overseers, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Froma Benerofe, Chair, Board of Overseers, Wurzweiler School of Social Work; Mordecai D. Katz, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies; Carol Bravmann, Chair, Board of Overseers, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology; Moshael J. Straus, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration; Joel M. Schreiber, Chairman, Board of Trustees, (affiliate) Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary; Miriam P. Goldberg, Chairman, Board of Trustees, YU High Schools; Michael Jesselson and Theodore N. Mirvis, Co-Chairs, Board of Directors, (affiliate) Yeshiva University Museum.

Board listings as of June 5, 2013.

Although Eli Shapiro has been immersed in the field of Jewish education for 15 years, he is continually looking for additional

ways to enhance his knowledge and skills as an educator. Shapiro, a graduate of YU's Wurzweiler School of Social Work, spent much of the last de-cade focusing on the social and emotional func-tioning of students and their families. He came to the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration seeking out a professional ap-proach to education, with a desire to make a differ-ence in the Jewish community.

“I feel very strongly that if in some way, I can effect positive change and bring more deliberate practices to such a significant component of Jew-ish life, I have an obligation to do so,” he said.

Shapiro, a resident of Far Rockaway, NY, was drawn to Azrieli for its stellar faculty. “Professors like Dr. Scott Goldberg, Dr. Rona Novick and Dr.

David Pelcovitz really demon-strate expertise in a range of fields and a holistic approach to education,” he said. But the peo-ple who had the greatest impact on him were his fellow students. “I never before had the opportu-nity to work with such a diverse and talented group of individu-als with such a high level of commitment to Jewish educa-tion and professionalism,” he said. “For me, it was a real op-portunity to meet and learn from people with many differ-ent approaches to the field.”

During his time at Azrieli, Shapiro completed his disserta-

tion on cyberbullying in yeshiva middle schools. He also oversaw a day school affordability initia-tive through YU’s Institute for University-School Partnership and managed a research study on the effectiveness of BRAVE, Novick’s school-based bully prevention program. Those experiences opened his eyes to the complexity of Jewish edu-cation. “A yeshiva is an entity with many gears that need to work in concert to maximize successful outcomes,” he said. “It goes beyond the classroom and pedagogy; when a school is not maximizing its potential in one area, it often affects the others.”

Shapiro’s work at Azrieli also taught him the importance of professionalism, as well as a data-driven approach to implementing any changes in a school. “Whether it’s related to academics, school culture or school business, an intervention based on poor assessment of the issue is unlikely to yield

Revel’s Weiss: From Finance to Philosophy

As a teacher and scholar, Shira Weiss has made a career of exploring reli-

gious convictions through the study of Jewish philosophy.

That wasn’t always the plan. After graduating from Stern College for Women, Weiss, originally from South-field, MI, was ready to launch her career—in finance. She began working at a hedge fund and planned to move into ven-ture capital, but soon found herself thinking of options in a field that had always been close to her heart: Judaic stud-ies. “I had actually transferred

to Stern from the University of Pennsylvania just so I could study Jewish topics for my own enrichment,” she said.

While teaching courses in Jewish philosophy and Bible at the Frisch School and eventually at Stern as well, Weiss earned a master’s and doctoral degree from YU's Bernard Revel Grad-uate School of Jewish Studies. There, she developed a unique theological perspective both in and out of the classroom. “Dr. David Shatz, Dr. Arthur Hyman and Dr. Warren Zev Harvey—a Hebrew University professor who taught a summer course

at Revel and later became an adviser for my dissertation—are all paradigmatic religious scholars who I emulate,” she said. “I valued the opportunity to learn from serious academics who shared my religious com-mitments, served as mentors and influenced my intellectual development.”

Her dissertation focused on the philosophical interpre-tation of free choice in the ex-egetical part of Joseph Albo’s work Sefer ha-Iqqarim, or The Book of Principles, furthering the academic case for the inno-

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Zamir Pearsall had been passion-ate about music all his life. But at Yeshiva College, the pianist

from Houston, Texas, discovered a way to transform his drive for self-expres-sion into a forum that connected oth-ers. “Music plays a great role in my life,” he said. “After years of learning and ana-lyzing great compositions, I was curi-ous to know what my own pieces might sound like.” After enrolling in classes at YU’s Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music, it occurred to Pearsall that other music-loving students might feel similarly.

Over the following summer, he re-searched concepts in musical theory with practical composition applications and formed the Songwriting Club, a group where members were encouraged to cre-ate and share their own music. “Launch-ing the club, moderating the discussion of its members and watching it take on a life of its own has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me,” Pearsall said.

He has had many of those during his undergraduate career, both in and out of the classroom. As a political sci-ence major, Pearsall spent years crafting a bold thesis that argues the self-expan-sion model, a theory that suggests people achieve control over their environment by expanding their sense of self to in-clude others, is an accurate predictor of close presidential elections in modern

American history. “I knew it had to be fascinating, it had to strike at the heart of political science and it had to put forth empirical arguments,” Pearsall said. His hard work paid off; in May, he presented his thesis to the New England Political Science Association.

Pearsall was also deeply affected by a trip to Moscow he coordinated with fellow YU students to teach English and Judaic studies to Jewish students. Pears-all, whose first language is Russian, acted as a translator. He felt he had something unique to bring to the group: “As a baal teshuva [newly religious person], I con-

nected with these kids in a way that counselors who had been born religious weren’t able to. My input helped create a style of programming that better spoke to them.”

Pearsall honed his own religious beliefs in shiurim [lectures] at YU. “The courses I took with Rabbi Reuven Fink, Rabbi Michael Shmidman, Rabbi Mark Dratch and Rabbi Dr. Hayyim Angel all emphasized a variety of intellectual strands in Jewish thought that I never knew could exist,” he said. “We get into the habit of saying things like ‘according to Judaism’ or ‘the Jewish belief is’ as if

there’s a singular belief or idea to point to, but I’ve learned that Judaism is actually a paradigm which accommodates a breath-taking number of perspectives, and all of these perspectives ultimately lead back to our constitution, the Torah.”

Next year, Pearsall, who was also named a finalist for the Carnegie Scholar-ship, will begin his studies at the Univer-sity of Colorado—Boulder Law School, where he has received a $50,000 schol-arship. There he hopes to jointly pursue a law degree and a master’s in public administration. He’ll also keep pursuing that other dream. “I want to compose a powerful song,” Pearsall said. “My in-fluences and inspirations have taught me that it’s not enough just to compose something—you have to compose some-thing with impact.” n

As the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors, Margot Reinstein of Teaneck, NJ, realized early on that

Torah education was integral to the con-tinuity of the Jewish people. “I wanted to become a Jewish educator to spread my passion for Judaism and love of learning to others,” she said. “Education is power, and I believe that’s one of the most im-portant values you can have.”

She joined Stern College for Women as a Legacy Heritage Fund Scholar. The program provides full tuition support in the form of grants and forgivable loans for undergraduate study and includes one-on-one mentoring, professional de-velopment, intensive Hebrew language instruction and substantial fieldwork ex-perience. But Reinstein’s involvement ex-tended far beyond the classroom. In her

first course at Stern, Rabbi Mordechai Cohen, professor of Bible, offered advice that would shape her academic career. “He challenged us to go to an event once a week, write an article for a student news-paper, seek out professors and speak with them after class, stay in for Shabbos, take the most rigorous classes we could han-dle and become active members of the YU community,” she recalled.

Reinstein lived up to Cohen’s direc-tive, joining student clubs that ranged from the Beit Midrash Committee to the Social Justice Society and the Israel Club, eventually becoming president of the Torah Activities Council, which works to create a more vibrant Jewish atmosphere on campus. Together, the Council organized daily and weekly chessed [acts of kindness] opportunities

for students, as well as programs such as Simcha Deliveries, Yachad Carnival and Cake Wars, a cake-decorating competi-tion Reinstein helped create that raises funds for breast cancer.

One of Reinstein’s proudest leader-ship moments came in the wake of Hur-ricane Sandy, when she spearheaded a relief effort of more than 50 student vol-unteers. “As we carried cases of water up flights of unlit stairs in buildings in the Lower East Side where elderly people lived, we saw the difference we were making then and there,” she said.

Making a difference was an impor-tant theme in Reinstein’s undergraduate experience. During her first winter break, she participated in a Center for the Jew-ish Future service mission to Kharkiv, a Jewish community in the Ukraine. “I was so inspired by the people I met there that I returned twice over the next two years and have developed a strong relationship with that community,” she said.

Next year, Reinstein is considering her options: living in Moscow for a year to create inspirational programming for students or spending time in Israel, pur-suing a master's degree in Tanach while teaching. “A dream of mine would be to travel around the world observing the methodologies of schools and universi-ties in different countries and communi-ties. Then I’d make the trip again, staying for some time in each place to improve each institution.” n

Yeshiva College’s Pearsall Hits All the Right Notes

Stern’s Reinstein Taking Jewish Education Global

Margot Reinstein

Zamir Pearsall

Student Spotlight

Stern College junior forward Rebecca Yoshor was named to Capital One’s 2012–13 NCAA Divi-sion III Academic All-America wom-en’s basketball second team. She is the first female student-athlete in YU history to receive Academic All-America honors.

Yeshiva College junior Gavriel Brown won first place in the 2013 Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics for his essay on Hurricane Sandy.

Gilad Barach and Eli Grunblatt, Yeshiva College juniors, have been awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, a highly competitive grant that supports undergradu-ates who intend to pursue careers in science, math or engineering.

Stern College valedictorian Meirah Shedlo was selected as a recipi-ent of the Gilder Lehrman His-tory Scholar Award, recognizing top graduating seniors across the country studying American history.

Yeshiva College students Barry Cohen, Eli Grunblatt, Yosef Korn-bluth, Yoni Mehlman and Mark Weingarten have been selected to perform advanced undergraduate level research under the guidance of YU faculty as part of the Henry Kressel Research Scholarship.

k Keep up with the latest student success stories at blogs.yu.edu/student-success

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After graduating from Yeshiva College, Willie Roth of Teaneck, NJ, sought rabbinic training that

would prepare him for the many differ-ent roles that rabbis assume through-out their careers: spiritual counselor, Torah scholar, community leader, edu-cator, fundraiser and more. “You need training in many different areas and ex-posure to many kinds of experts because a rabbi’s job entails many different re-sponsibilities,” he said.

At Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), Roth found a compre-hensive and holistic program that enabled him to learn from “first-rate talmidei cha-chamim [Torah scholars], poskim [de- ciders of Jewish law], rabbis and mental health professionals all under one roof.” He was also able to continue learning se-

riously in its kollel while gaining practical experience for the future and broadening his expertise in Judaic subjects, thanks to a generous scholarship from RIETS that allowed him to pursue a master’s degree in medieval Jewish history at YU's Ber-nard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. “I think it’s important for rab-binic figures to be knowledgeable in many areas,” he said.

While Roth certainly has that, his two passions—Torah study and law—go hand in hand. “The requirement to un-derstand concepts clearly and have infor-mation at your fingertips is important to the study of law, and the intellectual rigor you develop through years of learning definitely helps with that,” he said. “A lot of the critical analysis you put into learn-ing is also related to the approach you take

in law—how do you master knowledge and distill legal principles from a practical application of the law?”

Roth will delve even deeper into questions like these in the fall when he begins his studies at Harvard Law School. Ultimately, Roth is interested in exploring the field of legal academia and the devel-opment of law, legal history and legal the-ory over time, with a strong foundation from his coursework at Revel and RIETS. But it’s the study of Halacha [Jewish law] and Gemara that he finds most rewarding. “What’s so amazing is that you can estab-lish a unique, personal relationship to the Torah,” he said.

Roth found his time in RIETS Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Michael Rosensweig’s shiur [lecture] especially meaningful. “The shiur’s thoroughness, meticulous-ness and depth have profoundly impacted not only my learning, but my outlook on life. To learn from Rav Rosensweig, a person whose wisdom is outdone only by his character, has been a tremendous privilege,” he said.

Roth counts the hours of prepara-tion and review for shiur among his fa-vorite memories of YU. “The friends I’ve made as we tried late at night to process and clarify everything we heard that day are so unique,” he said. “I feel the friend-ships we’ve created, centered on Torah learning and values, will last well beyond our years at RIETS.” n

Sy Syms’ Fogel: In the Business of Giving Back

Yonina Fogel of Passaic, NJ, always knew she wanted a career that would combine her love of work-

ing with people and solving complex problems. In high school, through her involvement with clubs and chessed [acts of kindness] organizations, she’d learned how much she enjoyed helping others as part of a team—even taking the lead from time to time. Though business felt like the natural choice, Fogel sought more than just an outstanding business educa-tion. “I had been studying subjects like Tanach and Halacha [Jewish law] since I was very young and I did not want to sac-rifice that,” she said, “especially antici-pating a career in the business world.”

She chose Sy Syms School of Busi-ness because it offered both professional and religious enrichment—an environ-ment where she could take challenging business classes and attend a shiur [lec-ture] afterward. “My goal was to develop a well-rounded education about the mar-kets and the economy, while also taking Judaic classes that were academically stimulating and offered in-depth analysis of Torah subjects,” Fogel said. “At YU, I found that.”

She also found a supportive faculty and staff always available for guidance and mentorship, in and out of the class-room. “Because Sy Syms is housed in a small university setting, there are ample opportunities to become involved in clubs and personally connect to deans and pro-fessors,” Fogel said. “The school leaders

want you to grow, they want you to succeed and they want to be there for every step of your journey.”

But Fogel’s support net-work extended beyond Sy Syms and into the professional world, thanks to two programs specifically geared to help women achieve and succeed in leadership roles. As a Wom-en’s Leadership Fellow, Fogel had the opportunity to hear accomplished women speak about their experiences and offer tips for balancing career and family priorities. And as a participant in the YU Career Center’s Women in Business Initiative, she was paired with a mentor in her desired indus-try—in Fogel’s case, a manager at Citibank—who offered in-valuable insight and feedback as Fogel hunted for internships and jobs in finance and learned to tackle work-place challenges.

“As a woman, I know that she under-stands, because she has faced these hur-dles already herself and excelled in this environment,” Fogel said. “She continu-ally reaches out to me to ensure that I am succeeding, too.”

After graduation, Fogel will be work-ing full time as a wealth management analyst for JPMorgan Chase, where she recently completed an internship the

Career Center helped her secure. She is confident that her Torah values and the strong sense of self she has developed will be an asset in her new position.

“I love working in wealth manage-ment because it’s all about helping people with their financial problems and direct-ing them to solutions that can make their lives easier,” Fogel said. “I am excited to start working as I go into my new job—a strong individual with a strong sense of my own values and ideals, helping others along the way.” n

Sy Syms Hosts Gala Dinner; Earns

AACSB Accreditation

Sy Syms School of Business cel-ebrated its 26th anniversary with a Gala Awards Dinner at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on April 23. The evening honored students and fac-ulty who excelled within their fields and demonstrated exceptional character. President Richard M. Joel presented Mortimer B. Zuck-erman with the first-ever Sy Syms Humanitarian Award in honor of the media and real estate mogul’s efforts and ethics throughout many years in philanthropy and busi-ness. The event also celebrated Sy Syms’ recent accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

YU Commemorates 20th Yahrtzeit of The Rav

Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and the Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) com-memorated the 20th yahrtzeit [anni-versary of death] of “the Rav,” Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l, Torah luminary and YU Rosh Yeshiva, with a full-day learning program on YU’s Wilf Campus on April 14. Attend-ees gained insight into the Rav’s life through presentations given by his family and closest students, including his daughter, Dr. Atarah Twersky; Rabbi Herschel Schachter, RIETS Rosh Kollel; Dr. David Shatz, professor of philosophy; and Rabbi Kenneth Brander, the David Mitzner Dean of the CJF.

k Listen to recordings from the event at yu.edu/rememberingtherav

RIETS’ Roth: Young Rabbi Heads to Harvard Law

Yonina Fogel

Willie Roth

Mortimer Zuckerman (center) with Sy Syms Student Council Co-Presidents Jesse Nathanson and Ariela Geller

This year’s 25-, 40- and 50-year reunion classes had a daylong event on May 30 that began with the undergraduate commencement ceremony, continued with tours of the Wilf and Beren Campuses and culminated

in a gala dinner at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan.At commencement, members of the Class of 1963 received special rec-

ognition from President Richard M. Joel who reissued their diplomas. Felice Paley ’63S and Martin Braun ’63YC accepted the diplomas on behalf of their classes.

The dinner program featured Elaine Witty ’88S, ’91C as emcee; words of Torah by Karen Bacon, the Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean of Stern College for Women; and remarks from President Joel.

David Zomick ’63YC and Joseph Stechler ’73YC spoke on behalf of their classes. The program concluded with the presentation of the Reunion Class Gift, led by Izzy Kaufman ’88YC, to President Joel. The classes raised nearly $110,000 for scholarships. n

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Reunion Classes Celebrate Milestone

k To read more about the reunion, visit yu.edu/reunionrecap k To see more photos from the reunion, visit yu.edu/reunionpics

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Sonia Galinsky ’62S announces the birth of her granddaughter, Rena, and the Bat Mitzvah of her granddaughter, Miriam.

Barbara and Dov Gilor ’67F announce the birth of a great granddaughter, born to Fraydel and Ariel Gilor, and the birth of a great grandson, born to Yael and Shilo Gilor.

Rabbi Dr. Wallace Greene ’62YUHS, ’66YC, ’69R, ’79BR was honored as the founder of the Sinai Schools program for children with special needs at the Annual Sinai

School Dinner held on February 10 in Teaneck, NJ.

Miriam and Dr. Philip Josowitz ’64YC announce the birth of their grandson, Nachson Or, born to Rachelle Avigail and Itay Arie.

Drew Kopf ’64YUHS, ’68YC creates Sedrah Paintings, pictorial representations of the Biblical portions chanted by Bar and Bat Mitzvah students. His paintings are made with archival inks on watercolor paper made from high-density computer scans called giclees and are accompanied by Mr. Kopf’s written commentary. His works are posted at www.echelonartgallery.com.

Penina and Rabbi Joel Kutner ’60YUHS, ’68YC, ’71R announce the birth of their grandson, Eitan Zvi. Mazel tov to great-grandmother Chaya Reich.

Ruth ’69YUHS, ’73S, ’77F, ’92A and Rabbi Elchanan “Charles” Lipshitz ’67YUHS, ’71YC, ’71E, ’75F, ’76R announce the births of their granddaughters, Ma’ayan Hallel, born to Leora and Yossi Barnet, and Kamah, born to Elana and Elyasaf Shweka.

Barbara and Dr. Joel Luber ’68YC announce the birth of Joel’s granddaughter, Roni Sara, born to Shira and Nati Alkovy.

Sheila ’63S and Shelly Schneider announce the marriage of their daughter, Arona ’01S, to Moshe Berow ’09YC in February 2013.

Dr. Chaim I. Waxman ’63YC, ’66BR, ’66R is a fellow at the Oxford Centre for Jewish Studies and participated in the seminar on “Orthodoxy, Theological Debate, and Contemporary Judaism: A Critical Exploration of Questions Raised in the Thought of Louis Jacobs.”

1970s

On January 29, 13 Stern alumnae from the class of 1971 had a reunion in Jerusalem and then paid a bikur cholim visit to fellow classmate Sarah (Holstein) Maslow: Lynne (Weinberg) Steinberg, Huti (Ramras) Pomrenze, Debbie (Klaff) Dan, Rachel (Majerowicz) Cohen, Beverly (Fuchsman) Marcus, Lois (Schwarzbard) Grabin, Gail Twersky, Lilly (Lubka) Cantor, Barbara Kessel, Holly (Quint) Pavlov, Brondie (Katz) Levine, Janice (Cohen) Weinberg, and Bryna (Greenberg) Epstein.

Leonard N. Budow ’77YC joined the New York office of Fox Rothschild. Budow will serve as co-chair of the firm’s fashion law practice group.

Rachayl ’75S and Rabbi Dr. Hillel Davis ’72YC, ’75BR, ’75R announce the birth of their grandson, Freddy (Yechiel), born to Leora ’05S and Ezra Blumenthal ’07YC, ’08BR.

Rosie (Barishman) Einhorn ’79W and Sherry (Scheinberg) Zimmerman ’74S published their book, Dating Smart: Navigating the Path to Marriage (Menucha Publishers, Inc 2013).

Bryna ’71S and Paul Epstein announce the birth of their grandson, Nitai, born to Debbie and Daniel Epstein.

Sue ’74W and Joe Freedman announce the birth of their granddaughter, Liya, to Maya Freedman and Liron Yankovitz.

Rachel ’74S and Paul Glasser ’73YC announce the marriage of their daughter, Shoshana, ’00S,’02W to Howie Beigelman ’90YUHS, ’94YC. Shoshana is the former Associate Director of University Housing and Residence Life. They also announce the marriage of their son, Moshe, ’05YC, ’07A to Elizabeth Ravkin ’07S.

Dr. Bryan Kagan ’76YC, a forensic podiatrist, lectured at the Educational Conference of the Chesapeake Bay Division of the International Association for Identification in April. Dr. Kagan recently published “Hand-Foot Dominance and Foot Morphology: A Comparison of the Dominant Foot with Foot Morphology and Relationship to Handedness” in the Journal for Forensic Identification.

Rabbi Ari Kahn ’78YUHS, ’83YC, ’86R, ’89BR published his book, Echoes of Eden; Sefer Vayikra; In Search of Holiness. (OU, Gefen Publishing House, 2012).

Robin ’79S and Simon Kahn ’74YUHS, ’77YC announce the birth of their sixth grandchild, Yoseph Eliyahu, born to Ester and Chanoch Kahn.

Rachel (Schein) ’78S, ’78W and Mark Meles ’78YC are pleased to announce the engagement of their son Dovi Meles

’09YC to Dina Tyszler ’03YUHS. Mazel Tov to the entire Meles and Tyszler families.

Rifka Monderer ’72YUHS, ’75TI announces the birth of her granddaughter, Shira Ahuva, born to Tovah and Itay Stern.

Ashira ’76S and Rabbi Joe Ozarowski announce the birth of their granddaughter, Serach Eliana, born to Chani ’07S, ’11BR and Yosef Newman.

Rachel and Dr. Shlomo Pick ’71YC announce the birth of their granddaughter, Beila Bina, born to their daughter Yehudit Ariella and son-in-law Gavriel Stamler.

Gittel and Rabbi Tsvi Rogin ’73YC, ’77R announce the marriage of their daughter, Shoshana, to Shlomo Teitelbaum.

Alisa ’79YUHS and Rabbi Allen Schwartz ’79YUHS, ’85YC, ’86R, ’87BR announce the marriage of their son, Moshe ’06YUHS, to Renee Kestenbaum ’12S and the birth of their granddaughter, Kamah, born to Elana and Elyasaf Shweka.

Kathy and Rabbi Harold Tzvi Stern ’72YUHS, ’76YC, ’80R announce the marriage of their son, Ezra Shimon, to Ruchie Goldberg,

daughter of Miriam and Michael Goldberg.

Dr. Chaim Sukenik ’72YC has been appointed president of the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT). JCT is Israel’s leading college of engineering

for Orthodox students that combines academic studies with Jewish learning.

Sherry (Scheinberg) ’74S and Saul Zimmerman announce the marriage of their daughter, Shulamit (Shulie) to Yisrael Kalker.

1980s Keith Brooks ’89SB is an IBM Champion for 2013 Collaboration Solutions and Websphere. He was also honored to be an IBM Redbooks Thought Leader.

Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam ’81W is the director of the Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England (MMBNE) in Newton, MA. The milk bank is accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America and has a Tissue Banking License from the NY Department of Health.

Revel Associate Dean Dr. Mordechai Cohen ’87YC, ’90R, ’94BR and Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel ’73YUHS, ’77YC, ’79R, ’87BR, E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish History, Literature and Law, were selected to participate in an advanced Judaic Studies research group with the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. They join a group of approximately two dozen leading scholars of Jewish, Christian and Islamic social and intellectual history from universities around the world to conduct research on the theme “Institutionalization, Innovation and Conflict in 13th Century Judaism” and develop a more fully-integrated account of Europe and the Mediterranean basin in the 13th century.

Drs. Orlie (Levy) ’89S, ’95SG and Eli Cohen ’91YC, ’97E received the Keter Shem Tov Award from the Boca Raton Synagogue at the

23rd Annual Journal Dinner on March 14.

YOUR NEWS IS OUR NEWS!

Class Notes is where YU celebrates the milestones and accomplishments of its alumni. In this section, you can catch up on everything your classmates have been up to over the years, from marriages and births to professional and personal achievements.

Submit your class note by emailing alumni@yu.edu with the subject line “Class Notes,” or by visiting www.yu.edu/alumni/notes to complete the online form. We hope that you enjoy reading about your fellow alumni and friends, and we look forward to hearing about your achievements.

1940s

Mindella and Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm ’49YC, ’51R, ’66BR announce the birth of their great- grandson, Erez Micah, born to Ahuva (Warburg) ’09S, ’13C and Dr. Stu Halpern ’09BR, ’13A.

1950s Pearl ’52YUHS and Rabbi Aaron Borow ’55YC, ’59R announce the marriage of their granddaughter, Shlomit, to Shmuel Schneider.

Rabbi Abraham Cohen ’55YUHS, ’59YC, ’62BR, ’62R published an article in the July-September 2012 edition of The Jewish Bible Quarterly entitled, “The Eschatological Meaning of the Book of Ruth: Blessed Be God: Asher Lo Hishbit Lakh Goel.” Rabbi Cohen has written on the Books of Jonah and Esther (in “Judaism,” 1972 and 1974), and on the theological views of Rabbis Harold Kushner and David Hartman (in “Modern Judaism,” 1996, and 1997).

Annabelle ’56YUHS and Noah Horowitz announce the marriage of their grand-daughter, Michelle, to Dima Bernat.

Yael and Dr. Monty Noam Penkower ’59YUHS, ’63YC announce the birth of their granddaughter, Heichal Eden Zion, born to Rochelle and Avi Penkower.

Liza and Rabbi Benjamin Samson ’57YC, ’60BR, ’60R celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, Netan Yaakov.

Fay and Rabbi Yitzchak Sladowsky ’50YUHS, ’54YC, ’56R announce the birth of their great grandson, born to Shani and Moshe Sladowsky.

1960s Cheryl ’64YUHS and Rabbi Moshe Abramowitz ’67YC, ’70R, ’70F announce the birth of their granddaughter, Bina.

Pearl ’67YUHS and Rabbi Melvin Burg ’66YUHS, ’70YC, ’74BR, ’74R were Guests of Honor at Yeshiva Derech HaTorah’s annual dinner on March 10. Rabbi Burg has been the rabbi of the Ocean Avenue Jewish Center in Brooklyn for the past 36 years.

Beth and David Cohen ’67YUHS, ’71YC announce the birth of their granddaughter, Maayan Nechama, born to Anna and Ilan Cohen.

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Cheryl (Rochwarger) ’84S and Yechiel Corn ’80YUHS, ’83YC and Linda (Billauer) ’72S and Rabbi David Derovan ’83F announce the birth of their grand-daughter, Ta’ir, born to Adina and Yehoshua Derovan. Mazel tov to great-grandmother, Dr. Juliana Corn ’81F.

Rabbi Peretz Hochbaum ’86YC, ’94R, ’95A is the principal of the Jewish Educational Center’s Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy in Elizabeth, NJ.

Judy ’80S and Jay Kalish ’79YC, ’82C announce the birth of their grandson, Avraham, born to Leora and Yonatan Halperin.

Dr. Batya L . ’84F and Dr. Mark D. Ludman celebrated the marriage of their son, Aaron Joshua, to Einat Richman, daughter of Chana and Yuval Richman.

Avram Morell ’89YC, ’93C, ’94R has joined Pryor Cashman LLP as a partner in the Immigration Group in New York. A seasoned immigration attorney, Morell advises clients on immigration and nationality law issues.

Dr. Esther ’86S, ’95F and Rabbi Meir Orlian ’83YUHS, ’87YC, ’90R, ’93BR celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Benzion.

Rabbi Yona Reiss ’87YC, ’91R has been appointed Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS and Av Beit Din of the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Mindy and Rabbi Reiss also

celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Yehuda Dov.

Deena and Rabbi Morey Schwartz ’85YC, ’90R, ’91BR announce the birth of their granddaughter, Yuval Leah.

Dr. Josephine Tsakok and Bernard Schneider ’84YUHS, ’87YC announce the birth of their son, Amihai Tzvi Tsakok-Schneider. Mazel tov to grandparents Paul and Mary Tsakok and Dr. Samuel Schneider ’79BR, associate professor of Hebrew at Yeshiva University.

Ben-Tzion Spitz ’86YUHS, ’90YC was appointed as the Chief Rabbi of Uruguay.

Former Mayor of Englewood, NJ and adjunct professor of business immigration law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Michael Wildes ’89C officiated at the 35th commencement ceremony of Yeshiva University’s law school.

1990s

Yeshiva College Board Member Joseph Bensmihen ’91YC, ’95W received the Outstanding Community Member award from Florida Atlantic University for his leadership of Boca Home Care, Inc.

Rabbi Baruch Dov Braun ’98YUHS, ’09R was installed as the Mora D’Asra (leader of the community) for the Young Israel of Avenue J in Brooklyn.

Rabbi Dovid Cohen ’94YC, ’97R published “The Most Privileged Profession” in Mishpacha Magazine on March 2.

Naomi and Rabbi Judah Dardik ’98SB, ’01R, ’04A announce the birth of their son Hillel Meir.

Rabbi Joshua Fass ’91YUHS, ’94YC, ’96A, ’98R delivered the keynote address at the May 30 commencement ceremony and received an honorary doctorate.

Penina ’99S and Rabbi Josh Flug ’98YC, ’01R celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Shmulie.

Lisa Horowitz ’91S and Dr. Sam Freedman announce the birth of their son, Yoel Meir.

Ryan Hyman ’98YC was appointed West Coast Director of Development for Chai Lifeline.

Dr. Rachel (Schwartz) ’96S, ’00BR and Rami Kidouchim ’87YC announce the birth of their daughter, Atarah Hennah. Mazel tov to grandparents, Natalie (Miller) ’63YUHS and Joseph Schwartz and Tzivia and David Kidouchim.

Rabbi Jonathan Kroll ’96R, ’96SB, ’97A was appointed the new Head of School of the Weinbaum Yeshiva High School in Boca Raton, FL.

Dr. Matthew Levitt ’92YC published a monograph, “Hizballah and the Qods Force in Iran’s Shadow War with the West,” which is drawn from his forthcoming

book, Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon’s Party of God (Georgetown University Press, 2013).

Shani and Rabbi Uriel Lubetski ’91YUHS, ’96YC, ’01BR, ’01R announce the birth of their daughter, Rivka Bluma.

Susan (Schanler) ’08E and Rabbi Sariel Malitzky ’98YUHS, ’04SB, ’09R announce the birth of their son, Yehuda Meir.

Sima and Sruly Mandelbaum ’95YUHS, ’98SB celebrated the Bat Mizvah of their daughter, Aliza.

Gytta ’91S and Alan Papier ’88YC announce the birth of their son, Yehoshua Dov. Mazel tov to grandparents Joan (Papier) and Dr. Henry Lieberman and Judy and Yankie Ehrman.

Rabbi Menachem Penner ’91YC, ’95R has been appointed Acting Dean of RIETS and Undergraduate Torah Studies.

Drs. Jennie Rosenfeld ’98YUHS, ’01S, ’04A and David S. Ribner ’68YC, ’72R, ’72BR, ’74W published their book in English, The Newlywed

Guide to Physical Intimacy (Gefen Publishing House, 2011), which will now appear in Hebrew in June.

Rabbi Eliezer Schnall, PhD ’95YUHS, ’00YC, ’02F, ’03R, ’06F, professor of psychology at Yeshiva College, was a scholar-in-residence at Congregation Bnai Torah of Ontario, Canada. He also presented

“Incorporating Jewish Storytelling in Psychotherapy for Eating Disorders” at the 84th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association in New York. Rabbi Dr. Schnall also authored “The First Case of Drug-Dependent Memory: The Biblical Lot in Talmudic and Midrashic Exegesis,” published in the Spring 2013 issue of the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences.

Bonnie and Rabbi Gideon Shloush ’93YC, ’97R were honored with the Leslie Nelkin Special Service Award at the National Jewish Outreach Program Annual Dinner on February 5 celebrating 25 years of achievement. The dinner featured a dialogue between Michael Steinhardt and Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald ’63YUHS, ’67YC, ’70F, ’76R on the State of American Jewry moderated by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin ’70YC, ’73R, ’74BR. Bonnie and Rabbi Gideon Shloush ’93YC, ’97R also celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Yair.

Tamar ’97S and Dr. Andrew Sicklick ’95YC celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Sam. Mazel tov to grandparents, Ronni ’63YUHS, ’67S and Rabbi Dr. Wallace Greene ’62YUHS, ’66YC, ’69R, ’79BR and Fran and Dr. Marc Sicklick ’70YC, ’74E.

Atara (Fass) ’90S and Rabbi Maish Taragin ’87YC, ’92R announce the marriage of their daughter, Shoshi, to Dr. Ari Kupietzky, grandson of Judi and Rabbi Harris Guedalia ’57YUHS, ’63R.

Dr. Orit ’95A and Jan Wimpfheimer ’86YUHS, ’89YC announce the birth of their daughter, Yarden Rivka. Mazel tov to grandparents Susanne and Michael Wimpfheimer ’61YUHS and Malka and Moshe Schwartz.

Shoshana ’98YUHS, ’02S and Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz ’09BR announce the birth of their daughter, Amiella Rachel. Mazel tov to grandparents Helene and Rabbi Kenneth

Stein ’67YUHS, ’71YC, ’75R, ’76BR.

Joelle (Tollinsky) ’97S and Yshai Yavin announce the birth of their son, Yedidya Zev.

Ari Zoldan ’99SB covered the Presidential Inauguration and Swearing-In Ceremony in Washington, DC and was traveling with the White House Press Corps in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Amman, Jordan during Pres. Obama’s first

trip to the region. In April, Ari was quoted in the online edition of MarketWatch on Bitcoins, in FoxBusiness on social media etiquette, and on Saudi TV on the transition from developing nations into emerging markets. Ari is the CEO of Quantum Media Holdings, LLC and Senior Correspondent for Talk Radio News Service. Ari is press credentialed at the United Nations and on Capitol Hill.

2000s

Assistant Director of Service Learning and Experiential Education at Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future, Aliza Abrams ’05S, ’09W was selected to be a Wexner Field Fellow in the

inaugural cohort of the Wexner Graduate Fellows and Davidson Scholars of the Wexner Foundation.

Batya ’08S and Rabbi Simon Basalely ’06YC, ’10R, ’11A announce the birth of twin daughters, Esther Ahuva and Miriam Atara.

Yonina ’00S and Rabbi Etan Berman ’00YC, ’05R announce the birth of their son, Dovid Akiva.

The engagement of Simeon Botwinick ’06YUHS, ’11YC and Adira Lautman ’09S, ’12W was featured in the Cleveland Jewish News on February 7.

Adina ’04S, ’06C and Rabbi Yitzchak Brand ’06YC, ’12R announce the birth of their son, Akiva Noson.

Dr. Nechama (Kanner) ’03SB and Rabbi Reuven Brand ’02YC, ’05R, ’06A announce the birth of their daughter, Hila Eliana.

Rachel Gelles ’09S married Jonah Raskas ’08YC on April 28. Mazel Tov to Rachel’s parents Caron and Steven Gelles and to Jonah’s father, Stanley Raskas ’65YC, ’69BR, ’69R and his wife Joyce.

Tziporah ’02S and Rabbi Shaanan Gelman ’97YUHS, ’02YC, ’06R announce the birth of their son, Shalom Yosef.

Miriam and Rabbi Jonathan Gross ’01YC, ’04R announce the birth of their son, Joseph Zvi.

Joshua Klarfeld ’02YC was recognized as a Rising Star by the 2013 Ohio Super Lawyers, the legal industry’s best lawyers under the age of 40 as nominated by their peers.

Small Business, Big Potential: YU Alumni at the Helm of Their Own Companies

Small business owners are the backbone of the American economy: they cre-ate jobs, sell innovative products and display diligence, ambition and smarts to succeed in a tough marketplace. Many Yeshiva University alumni

belong to that group of captains of (small) industry, and we are proud to show-case some of their success stories.

TAMAR ROSENTHAL ’04S: THE BABY ADVOCATE

When Tamar Rosenthal ’04S co-founded Dapple Baby, it wasn’t only because she was business-minded, but first and foremost, because she was a concerned mother. Her first child suffered from severe allergies and eczema. “I was trying

to learn different ways to man-age my daughter’s allergies, and I was getting frustrated by my lack of success,” said Rosenthal. “I was discussing the situation with my good friend, Dana Rubinstein, when she asked me how I was wash-ing my daughter’s bottles. I was using dish soap and became concerned about lin-gering soapsuds. Additionally, neither Dana nor I could ever completely get the breast milk or formula residue out of the bottles. We both wished there were better, natural cleaning products for baby items like bottles and pacifiers on the market.”

At that time, Rosenthal, who grew up in Toronto, had already earned her degree from Stern Col-lege for Women where she ma-jored in psychol-ogy, as well as a Master of Public

Administration degree at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. “I had thought I’d be a sports psychologist while I was at Stern but switched to work in the non-profit sector by the time I graduated,” Rosenthal said. “I was never a student who always knew what my future career would be or what my ‘endgame’ would look like.”

Though neither Rosenthal nor Rubinstein had a business back-ground, their combined frustration with the lack of natural and effective cleaning products led them to spend a few months researching and working with pediatricians and eco-friendly chem-ists before co-founding Dapple Baby, a line of natural and safe-for-baby cleaning products. “It’s not enough for these products to be safe, they also have to work,” Rosenthal said.

The line officially launched with Baby Bottle & Dish Liquid and, as their own children grew older, expanded to include other prod-ucts, including a toy cleaner, both wipes and spray, and laundry detergent.

Today, Dapple Baby products are available at major retailers including Babies “R” Us, Buy Buy Baby and Duane Reade, and through websites such as Diapers.com and DappleBaby.com.

For Rosenthal, the success of Dapple Baby has been rewarding on many levels. “It’s very gratifying to see that Dana and I have helped meet this need for an effective product that is also safe for people’s babies and their homes,” she said. “Parents are constantly educating themselves about safety measures, such as the dangers of BPA, and I really think the trend is only going to get stronger. My hope for the future of the company is that Dapple products are on the checklist for home staples whenever a baby is born. Personally, I have also seen the positive effect Dapple has had on my daughter’s allergies, which makes it more meaningful to me.”

The Dapple Baby team, in addition to Rosenthal and Rubinstein, includes six full-time employees in its Manhattan office and regularly utilizes other staffers, such as pediatricians and chemists, who are outsourced but completely dedicated to the product line and its goal.

While each workday is different, Rosenthal says her 5:30 a.m. wakeup time is generally the same. “Then it’s dropping off the kids at school before getting into

the office by 9 or 9:30,” she said. “Staff members each have their own area of responsibility, and I focus on manufacturing operations, business growth and sales.”

Thanks to flexible work hours, the benefits of owning a business for an Orthodox wife and mother are many, Rosenthal said. “It’s an exciting challenge and I am continuously learning from the people around me. I am also more than happy to share what I’ve learned with YU students who are looking to run their own businesses one day.”

Rosenthal lives on the Upper West Side with her husband, Robert, and their four children, Yve, 9; Shmuel, 8; Sima, 5; and Moshe, 14 months.

ARI GREEN ’01SB: THE FUNDRAISING WEB INNOVATOR

After graduating YU’s Sy Syms School of Business in 2001, Ari Green began work-ing as an analyst at a private investment firm, a safe and solid path for a business major, when his friend and fellow Syms alumnus Avrohom Liberman ’04SB approached him in need of his business acumen. Liberman was trying to organize a mishloach manot [Purim gifts] fundraiser to assist his synagogue, Ahavat Shalom, in Teaneck, NJ, with its development needs.

“I remember that the elementary school I attended, the Chabad Day School in San Diego, now called the Chabad Hebrew Academy of San Diego, ran a similar fundraiser,” said Green. “After looking into it, I quickly discovered that Jewish organizations everywhere ran similar fundraisers yet lacked an efficient method for doing so.”

Close collaboration between Green and Liberman produced HappyPurim.com, which debuted in Ahavat Shalom for Purim 2003.

“The project was instantly successful and we soon grew exponentially,” said Green. “Word of mouth was the company’s primary means of growth, followed by cold-calling, which is a skill I picked up as an intern at Merrill Lynch while I was a student at Syms.”

At Sy Syms, Green majored in finance and participated in many activities, serving as president of the Max Investment Club and as a member of the Senior Class Board, tutoring and playing intramural flag football.

“My fondest memories from YU are definitely the friends I made and the ideas and strategies for life that I was exposed to and learned from my professors,” said Green. “I believe that the wide diversity of classes and professors with expertise in a variety of fields helped give me a solid foundation from which I was able to succeed in the business world.”

Green also credits Happy Purim’s success to the company’s commitment to keeping costs low for its clients. “We are pleased that this is a fundraiser for Jewish organizations focused on help-ing their communities,” said Green. “We are able to keep our costs low by leverag-ing cloud-based computing and bring-ing on resources, such as independent contractors, only as needed, and usually on an individual project basis. This also enables us to move and adapt quickly to changes in our market place.”

The constant need to acclimate a business in a rapidly changing techno-logical and entrepreneurial world is one of Green’s favorite parts of running a business. “You can run your business any way you want, but the challenge is in making the right decisions,” he said.

“When you inevitably make a wrong one, figuring out how to turn that mistake into a win and learning from the experience brings success.”

Aside from professional gratification, Green receives personal fulfillment from his involvement with Happy Purim. “Our company is helping worthwhile organizations raise money for good causes,” he said. “We’ve been able to consis-tently help our clients raise more money with less effort than they were able to previously. There’s nothing better than having a client tell you they wish they had found you sooner.”

Green currently lives in Teaneck, NJ, with his wife, Sharon ’01S, and their three children, Avigayil, 6; Micha, 4; and Nomi, 2.

MELISSA KLEIN LOVY ’07SB: THE JEWELRY DESIGNER

Melissa Klein Lovy ’07SB, a jewelry designer who started her eponymous line of luxury fashion jewelry, credits her father’s business acumen and her mother’s

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sense of creativity for imbuing her with both an entrepreneurial and design spirit. Since she was a little girl, Lovy dreamed of being a fashion designer. As a teen-

ager, she created cuff links for her father to wear to work one day. Admirers began asking her to create original cuff links for them, and Lovy knew then that she had settled on a career.

Lovy attended the Sy Syms School of Business and took classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology through its joint program with Sy Syms, from which she received a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Following her graduation in 2007, she worked at YU’s Office of Alumni Affairs before returning to FIT to finish her stud-ies there and obtain an associate degree in jewelry design.

“The opportunities I gained from being a student and em-ployee at YU have helped pre-pare me for the journey I am on today,” said Lovy. “As a student, I learned so much from market-ing and entrepreneurial courses, Career Center events and the joint program with FIT. As a staff member in the Office of Alumni Affairs, I created events and reunions for Sy Syms alumni, which taught me a lot about being able to go up to anyone and pitch my own ideas.”

With that experience in her arsenal, Lovy founded her jewelry company, Melissa Lovy Jewelry, shortly after. The brand has its own motto—“when two wardrobes collide”—which, Lovy explained, signifies the brand’s ability to diversify and unite dif-ferent styles. “Our jewelry really lends itself to layering and stacking,” she said. “The motto can be interpreted

in a few ways: West Coast meets East Coast, or style that goes from day to night or work to weekend. It’s jewelry that fits into all aspects of your life.”

Lovy refers to her target market as the “Lovy Lady,” women of all ages, especially those in the 25–50 range, who value timeless pieces of jewelry. Lovy’s website has a blog, The Lovy Lady, which shares all fashion and style-related ideas with readers. Her goal is to see her brand in major department stores.

Lovy said her internships during her time as a student prepared her for a career in fashion. “Despite the time commitment involved in an internship on top of balancing a dual curriculum, it really is worth it,” she advised current students. “The time you put into something has a direct effect on how successful you will be later on.”

Lovy created an internship opportunity at her own company for YU students who aspire to enter the fashion entrepreneurial world. Rosa Gottesman ’15S has been assisting Lovy throughout the 2012–13 school year, helping with design, trend forecasting and social media. “I was eager for a fashion internship as I hope to enter the industry myself after I graduate,” Gottesman said. “I knew this internship would be a significant step in helping me achieve my goal, and Melissa has been invaluable in showing me how the whole process works and how much effort and determination it really takes to make a business succeed.”

Lovy also shares what she’s learned with YU students by partnering with the Career Center to mentor students interested in learning more about business. “It is extremely important to me to give back and to try to encourage those with a dream to go for it,” said Lovy. Her generosity combines with philanthropy in her partnership with the Skin Cancer Foundation to raise awareness of the disease, and she contributes some company proceeds to help fund research for a cure.

While most people would consider jewelry design as a primarily creative career, Lovy said that she actually thinks of herself as a businesswoman before a designer. “I thoroughly enjoy the business side of what I do, and it provides the fuel for the designer in me to emerge,” she said. “I view the designing as the hobby that I am lucky to do for a living.”

Melissa Lovy Jewelry is sold at www.melissalovy.com as well as at select

retailers nationwide. Lovy lives with her husband, Andrew ’12E, an orthopedic surgeon, in Manhattan.

LAWRENCE CLINGMAN ’10YC: THE ARTIST

If you’ve ever passed a street fair in Manhattan and paused to look at a brilliant photography print, you may have been admiring the wares of Elementem, a pho-tography print business run by Lawrence Clingman ’10YC and Assaf Duek. Ele-mentem works with photographers from around the world to sell high-quality, affordable digital landscape prints.

Clingman, who was born in South Africa and moved to Scarsdale, NY, as a child, began studying at Sy Syms School of Business before switching to Yeshiva College, where his religious observance was able to thrive. “YU was really able to foster my religious connection and gave me a great background in different secular subjects, which was great because I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” he said.

After graduation, Clingman dabbled in different pursuits, including music, education and environmental science. One highlight was interning at the Se-phardic Music Festival, an annual large-scale arts and music celebration. “I uti-lized a lot of the skills I learned while running the YU Arts Festival as a junior and senior,” said Clingman. “That was the first time I worked to coordinate a festival dealing with deadlines and running a team, and those skills definitely came in handy when I was an intern.”

Following that internship, Clingman completed an environmental educa-tional fellowship at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute in Simi Valley, CA. “I loved working the land there… but I really had no idea what to do next,” he said. His father told him of an opportunity with a technology company based in New York and Clingman decided to go for it, despite his wariness with business. He was sur-prised to find that the job required him to flex his creative muscles in terms of designing Web pages and coming up with marketing campaigns.

After his workdays, Clingman would take long walks through the SoHo neigh-borhood where he lived and came across a street art market. A purchase from Duek, an Israeli vendor, led to a friendship between the two, and they soon decided to go into business together. In March 2010, Elementem was officially launched.

The company regularly sells its prints at street fairs and holiday markets in New York City and Boston, though the best source year-round is through its website, www.elementem.com.

A large percentage of Elementem’s customers are people renting or buying their first apartment who are looking for modern décor that is also affordable. After building the business through tra-ditional retail channels, Clingman and Duek had a great push when they part-nered with the online daily deal site Groupon.

“I always resisted the idea of enter-ing business, because to me, it seemed like ‘selling out,’ ” Clingman said. “I later realized, however, that business could be anything I wanted it to be, and it turned into a source of genuine creativity and excitement. Accounting and finance by themselves don’t really excite me, but they do when I apply them to my art business.”

Clingman, who currently lives in Washington Heights, often speaks to Michael Strauss, associate dean and a

clinical professor of management at Sy Syms, for entrepreneurial mentorship. “I’ve advised Lawrence many times about aspects of business such as pricing

distribution, marketing and more, and have always found him to be an extremely focused and committed individual who persevered and did not allow any setbacks to deter him from reaching his business goals,” said Strauss. “I encourage more students and alumni to approach me and other Sy Syms faculty members, for guid-ance on any issues that may arise. Every business owner, whether just starting out or with years of experience, can always use a sounding board.”

Sharing some important advice of his own with current students and alumni, Clingman said, “A lot of what you want to do with your business can initially be done without a lot of money. Start your idea with the most basic version, and if it works, spend more money on refining it and taking it to the next level. Elementem started with a very basic website we built ourselves. That kind of mentality allowed us to be profitable from an early stage and then continue to grow.” n

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ALUMNI FAMILY DAY AT THE SEFORIM SALE (MARCH 3, 2013)Alumni and their families were invited back to Alumni Family Day at Yeshiva University’s annual Seforim Sale. Author and illustrator Ann (Diament) Koffsky ’93S treated children and their parents to a lesson in how to create children’s books. Each child decorated a special Afikoman cover to take home and use at Passover.

STUDENTS RAISE FUNDS ON YOM HAATZMAUT (APRIL 16, 2013)Students Helping Students (SHS) is a student-driven effort that strives to promote school pride, educate students about philanthropy and raise awareness about the significant need for undergraduate scholarship support. As part of this year’s Yom Haatzmaut festivities, SHS gave students the opportunity to “pie” Joe Bednarsh, director of athletics, Yoni Cohen, director of operations for the Center for the Jewish Future or one of several student campus leaders in support of the YU undergraduate scholarship fund.

ROMAN VISHNIAC REDISCOVERED (APRIL 29, 2013)More than 80 people came to view Roman Vishniac’s latest exhibit titled “Roman Vishniac Rediscovered” at the International Center for Photography. Curators led tours of the exhibit which featured radically diverse groups of work displaying an important photographic record of Jewish life in Eastern Europe between the two World Wars. The event was sponsored by the Huberfeld Family.

YU REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS EVENT “THE WORLD OF NEW YORK CITY” WITH GARY BARNETT IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL STOLER (APRIL 17, 2013)

m Faculty and students who were “pied”: Joe Bednarsh ’92YUHS (with daughter Charlotte), Eli Shavalian ’14YC and Rotem Elias ’13SB

m Guests, including Jonathan Glaser ’92YC, ’95C and Jonathan Yoni Leifer ’88YUHS enjoy the reception sponsored by Meridian Capital Group

m YU Real Estate Committee member and host J. Philip Rosen ’74YUHS,

’78YC welcomes the group to Weil Gotshal & Manges

m YU Real Estate Professionals Co-Chair Bruce Schanzer ’91YC, ’93C with Zev Skolnick

’80YUHS, ’85YC

m Mark Kwestel ’87YC, Co-Chair of YU Real Estate Professionals

m YU Trustee and Chair of the YU Real Estate Committee Josh Muss ’58YUHS, ’62YC with members of the Yeshiva University Student Real Estate Club

m Vice President of Institutional Advancement Dan Forman, Laura Huberfeld, Jessica Huberfeld Beren

o Sally ’64YUHS and George Frankel, Judah Harris

’83YUHS, ’87YC

m Guest Speaker Gary Barnett speaks to a capacity crowd of over 160 alumni and friends

o YU Real Estate Committee member Joel Mael ’79YC, Avi Lieberman ’06SB and Monty Steckler ’01YC

m Michael Stoler moderates the discussion

m Bracha and Dr. Michael Samet ’65YC

o Alumni, friends, and supporters explore Vishniac’s photographic records of Central and Eastern European Jewish communities

ALUMNI IN ACTION

s WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS FOR PROGRAMMING IN YOUR REGION. CONTACT BARBARA BIRCH AT BIRCH@YU.EDU OR 212.960.0848. ALUMNITODAY 7

Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, recently reinvigo-rated the national discussion

on the work-life balance and women in professional leadership positions. Miriam Weiner ’92S, ’96C knows a lot about those challenges: after receiving a JD from YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a Master of Public Administration degree from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Gradu-ate School of Public Service, she went to work at the Conference of Jewish

Material Claims Against Germany (more commonly known as the Claims Confer-ence), where she is the director of allocations. She is also a mother to four young children. One of Weiner’s best models for balancing numerous professional and personal responsibilities is a woman who inspires many students and alumni of Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women: Dr. Karen Bacon, the Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean of Stern—who also happens to be Weiner’s own mother.

“Some people might think that with my mother being the dean, I would have run in the other direction from Stern,” said Weiner. “But in fact, it was just the opposite. YU’s value system permeated my home life and is the value system I still have today. I was eager to attend Stern and immerse myself in the ideals my par-ents worked so hard to instill in me. It wasn’t just the place where my mom works; it was a place where I could continue my passion for Jewish studies and receive a great liberal arts education in an environment that supports a Torah lifestyle.”

She made the most of her years at Stern. “I loved my time at Stern and wished I had more time on campus to take all the amazing courses that were offered,” said Weiner, who majored in Judaic studies and minored in political science. “It’s nerdy to admit it, but when the course catalog came out, it was so exciting for me and I would pore over it for hours, trying to fit all the classes I wanted to take into my schedule. If being a professional student was a job, I would have done it.”

Weiner said there were many wonderful teachers, but Rabbi Moshe Kahn, an instructor in Jewish studies, was perhaps her favorite. “Rabbi Kahn was consis-tently challenging, fascinating and supportive of the students,” recalled Weiner.

After graduating from Stern, Weiner decided to spend a year in Israel to fig-ure out her career plan, studying at both Hebrew University and Midreshet Lin-denbaum. She also interned with a correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, and still interested in pursuing political science, she applied to law school. How-ever, a cousin who was organizing a Pesach program in Kyrgyzstan, a country in Central Asia, invited her to come along as a counselor, and that trip, she says, became a turning point for her.

“It’s cliché, but the 10 days I spent reaching out to the Jews in Kyrgyzstan, who were so cut off from the greater Jewish community and thirsty to learn more about Judaism, showed me for the first time the real impact one person could have on the lives of others,” said Weiner. “It changed my whole career direction.”

Though Weiner was interested in pursuing nonprofit work to help better society, her parents convinced her to attend law school. They assured her it would offer her many professional possibilities. While at Cardozo, Weiner was already

thinking she would use the degree for something else. She began the MPA pro-gram at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service during her final year at Cardozo and, within four years, received a JD and an MPA.

Weiner immediately found a position with the Claims Conference, though she wasn’t very familiar with the organization or its work. “I saw that Rabbi Israel Miller, formerly a senior vice president at YU, served as president of the Conference, and I knew him personally to be a man of great integrity,” she said. “I was confident that the organization must be invaluable to the Jewish community and greater society.”

Fifteen years later, Weiner serves as the Claims Conference’s director of allo-cations. Her department functions as a foundation, advising on how more than $300 million annually should be spent and budgeted for the many organizations and social service agencies that exist to meet the needs of Holocaust survivors, as well as programs that work to preserve the memory and lessons of the Holocaust.

“We fund programs in over 40 countries around the world, and we are in constant communication with our partner agencies to help them plan and imple-ment high-level social services,” said Weiner. “People don’t realize that although the number of Holocaust survivors is diminishing, the social service needs for homecare, food, medicine and more for those remaining are only growing. We try to help the agencies balance these needs in the most equitable way possible.”

As the manager of a growing staff, Weiner says the only thing typical about her workday is how much work there is, and how little time there is to do it. “If I only answered emails all day, I would still be behind,” she said. “We also have offices in Germany and Israel, and even a small satellite office in Austria, so even when I’m done working for the day, other staff members are just getting in and sending me emails.”

After she became a mother, Weiner scaled back the significant time she spent traveling, delegating that to other staffers, and also arranged to leave the office at 3 p.m., so she could make it home for her children after their school day. “I am fortunate to have a great deal of flexibility, but that also comes at a sacri-fice,” Weiner said. After carpooling, dinner and spending time with her children, Weiner resumes working in her home office. “I have little free time. I am that ste-reotypical crazy person attached to her phone, checking emails and answering calls at 1 a.m. That’s just the nature of my job.”

Weiner said she had no idea how hard it was to be a working mother. “I had assumed it was easy because my mother, who was a busy college professor and then a dean, was always there for me and my siblings, and she made it look so effortless. But for me, it’s a huge challenge to balance everything,” she said. “Peo-ple need to be realistic and realize that you can’t hold a busy, high-level position without significant support from your spouse, both emotionally and in terms of physically being there for the children when you can’t.”

Despite all the stress and little sleep, Weiner derives incredible satisfaction and meaning from her work on behalf of elderly survivors. “Since that Pesach in Kyrgyzstan, I’ve devoted my career to helping improve other people’s lives,” she said. “My organization doesn’t feel like a big bureaucracy, because we see that the work that we do has a direct, positive impact on survivors.”

Weiner is married to Mayer, a learning disability specialist at a school in Manhattan, and is a mother to Avraham, 11; Elisheva, 9; Sara, 7; and Aharon, 4. The Weiner family lives in Clifton, NJ. n

Miriam Weiner ’92S, ’96C Models the Work-Life Balance

WALL STREET GROUP EVENT, “THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF COMMODITIES,” HOSTED BY BERNSTEIN GLOBAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT (MAY 7, 2013)

WASHINGTON, D.C. ALUMNI LUNCH (MAY 8, 2013)Director of strategy and coalitions for the 113th Congress, Nick Muzin ’97YC, ’01E shared some reflections on the fall presidential elections with the greater Washington, D.C. alumni community. The event was hosted by director of Freedom25 Dave Weinberg ’05YC.

k Dave Weinberg ’05YC talks with guests over lunch

o Nick Muzin ’97YC, ’01E and Elie Krakowski

’64YUHS, ’68YC

o Michael Gamson, of Freepoint Commodities, with Henry Katz, Michael Jesselson ’69YUHS and Jonathan Jesselson, a current Sy Syms student

m Panelists David Margulies of Finagra (UK), Michael Gamson of Freepoint Commodities, Alan Kestenbaum ’79YUHS, ’83YC of Globe Specialty Metals and Kathy Fisher of Bernstein Global Wealth Management

m Yigal Marcus ’96YC welcomes the group to Bernstein Global Wealth Management

CLASSNOTESElana (Gross) ’00YUHS, ’04S and Rabbi Naphtali Lavenda ’04SB, ’09R announce the birth of their daughter, Odelia Devora. Mazel tov to Karen ’79S

and Rabbi Stuart Lavenda ’78YC, ’80W, ’80R.

Rachel ’03S and Rabbi Yosie Levine ’05R announce the birth of their son, Ari.

Joshua Nankin ’08YC co-founded 10MinuteDose.com, a site that provides a social support network for those facing a health challenge. The patient or family

members can create a site on which to post updates, upload videos and pictures, or share a voice message and supporters can comment creating an interactive online community. An inspirational or motivational speaker can deliver a 10-minute talk that is automatically broadcast to the patient’s supporters via their phones.

Zemira ’00S, ’04A and Rabbi Eli Ozarowski ’01YC, ’04R, ’05A announce the birth of their son, Netanel Simcha.

Rabbi Gil S. Perl ’07R published his book, The Pillar of Volozhin: Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin and the World of 19th Century Lithuanian Torah Scholarship (Academic Studies Press, 2012).

Illana and Rabbi Kenny Pollack ’06YC, ’10R, ’10A announce the birth of their daughter, Chaviva Tzofia.

Elliot Resnick ’06YC, ’10BR published his book, Movers & Shakers: Sixty Prominent Personalities Speak Their Mind on Tape (Brenn Books, 2012). The book includes

several YU faculty members and alumni: Zalman Alpert Rabbi Marc Angel ’67YC, ’70R, ’75BR Rabbi Julius Berman ’56YC, ’59R Alan Dershowitz ’55YUHS Cantor Sherwood Goffin ’63YC, ’66B Dr. Jeffrey Gurock Rabbi David Holzer ’71YUHS, ’75YC, ’77BR, ’80R Rabbi Dr. Aaron Levine Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff ’59YC, ’61R, ’67BR Daniel Rynhold Rabbi Mayer Schiller Rabbi Gil Student ’94YC Rabbi Moshe Tendler ’48R

Daniella (Halstuch) ’04SB and Rabbi Avi Robinson ’08YC, ’08R announce the birth of twins, Avigayil Ora and Yehuda Simcha.

Rabbi Nachum Rybak ’06YC, ’10R married Devorah Cynamon. Mazel tov to Nachum’s parents, Shoshana and Rabbi Dr. Solomon Rybak ’63YC, ’66R, ’80BR.

Rabbi Jacob Sasson ’08R published Shiurei HaRav on Maseches Sanhedrin (OU Press, 2013), a compilation of the Shiurim of the Rav on the first three

Prakim of Maseches Sanhedrin. Shiurei HaRav is a project of the OU/Mesorah and is edited by Rabbi Hershel Schachter ’58YUHS, ’62YC, ’67R and Rabbi Menachem Genack ’65YUHS, ’69YC, ’73R.

Devora and Rabbi Simmy Shabtai ’06YC, ’10R, ’10BR announce the birth of their daughter, Avigayil Shprintza.

Josh Sladowsky ’09SB announces his engagement to Mindy Fersel, a student at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

P’nina (Weinberg) Seplowitz ’00SB and Rabbi Dr. Noam Weinberg ’97YC, ’99A, ’02R, ’04A,’08A have compiled poetry, short stories, and personal memories from their grandmother, Helen, about her Holocaust experiences to create a book for middle school students titled, White Angel.

Dr. Ariella and Ari Spodek ’05SB announce the birth of a daughter, Genna Bailey, sister to Gaby and Noah.

Adria Weinstein ’07F, ’10F married Bryan Gerber in East Norwich, NY.

Sari ’05S and Rabbi Simcha Willig ’00YUHS, ’10R, ’10A announce the birth of their son, Azarya Yosef. Mazel tov to grandparents Faygie ’72S and Rabbi Mordechai Willig ’68YC, ’71R and Evy and Sheldon “Shimmy” Stein ’73YUHS.

2010s Selma (Sutton) ’11S and Eli Kohli announce the birth of their son, David.

The Jewish Week included eight members of the YU community in their annual “36 Under 36” section profiling Jewish leaders under the age of 36.

The Jewish Week selected:Shira Greenland ’00S for empowering special-needs kids.

Doni Joszef ’09W for developing an anti-bullying program called The Positive Project.

Benjamin Ryberg ’10C for his directorship of the Lawfare Project dedicated to combating attempts to use legal systems to delegitimize Israel and other democracies.

Pedram Tabibi ’09C for founding the 30 Years After club encouraging civic and Israel activism for Iranian Jews.

Congratulations also to Director of Institutional Research and Sy Sym’s Assistant Professor of Management Ariel Fishman and current YU students Rivka Abbe, Daniel Simkin and Rebecca Yoshor for their achievements and recognition.

In Memoriam Rabbi Herbert W. Bomzer ’45YUHS, ’48YC, ’51BR, ’51R, ’84FSara (Lamm) Dratch ’82SRabbi Gerald Engel ’40YC, ’44RRabbi Mallen Galinsky ’61FRabbi Moshe “Morris” Ganz ’51YC, ’55RRabbi Dr. David Hartman ’54RHonorary Trustee of RIETS Jacob W. Heller ’52YUHS, ’56YCEthel Korn ’60SRabbi Edmund Neiss ’45YC, ’48R, ’67BRRabbi Joseph Rabinowitz ’79YC, ’81RRabbi Herschel Schacter ’38YC, ’41R Rabbi Norman Strizower ’43YC, ’46RRabbi Dr. Stanley M. Wagner ’53YC, ’54BR, ’56RRabbi Yitzhak (Irwin) Yeres ’50YC, ’90R

Legend for school abbreviations:

A: Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration • BR: Bernard Revel Graduate School • BS: Belfer Graduate School of Science • BZ: Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music • C: Cardozo School of Law • E : Albert Einstein College of Medicine • F: Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology • R: Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • S: Stern College for Women • SB: Sy Syms School of Business • TI: Teacher’s Institute • W: Wurzweiler School of Social Work • YC: Yeshiva College YUHS: Yeshiva University High Schools

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Masechet Shabbat is difficult. Making a gift to the Yeshiva University Annual Fund is not.Annual Fund support touches every aspect of a YU education–every student and every area of study, including Masechet Shabbat.

DONATE NOW.

Visit www.yu.edu/onlinegiving, call 212.960.5373 or send your donation to Office of Annual Giving Yeshiva University 500 West 185th Street, FH530 New York, NY 10033

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As a journalist for the English nightly news on Israeli television, Sara Levine covered stories about

marginalized populations’ struggle for the most basic and fundamental rights, but she was frustrated by her inability to help them. Convinced that law was the key to making real change in soci-ety, she enrolled in YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law with a mission to fight injustice.

Cardozo enabled her to do just that. Levine, originally from Boston, MA, participated in the Immigration Field Law Clinic, working at the Immigrant

Protection Unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG); the LGBT Leadership Practicum at the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT Rights Project in its national office; and the Human Rights and Genocide Clinic, where she co-represented a Syrian man fleeing persecution. She spent her sum-mers at NYLAG’s LegalHealth Unit, where she helped provide direct client services to low-income New Yorkers with serious health issues in legal clinics inside city hospitals, and at an NGO in Is-rael, where she worked in asylum law and refugee rights with newly arrived Afri-

can refugees and survivors of torture. “One woman described her journey

with her 2-year-old son from ethnic-based persecution in Nigeria to surviv-ing months of torture at a Bedouin-run smuggling and torture camp in the Sinai Desert, finally making their way, by foot, to Israel—a country they had never even heard of,” Levine recalled. “It be-came real to me that it was now largely my responsibility to help them apply for legal protection and to keep them safe. The ability to use the law to drastically change people’s condition—and the sense of tremendous responsibility that came with it—was exhilarating.”

After graduation, Levine will inte-grate her passions for asylum law, human rights, immigrant advocacy and civil rights as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. Equal Justice is an organization that pro-vides opportunities for graduating law students and new attorneys to design a fellowship project that focuses on serv-ing a specific, unmet legal need in the community.

For her project, Levine designed the Legal Health Immigrant Access to Healthcare Project at NYLAG, which will enable her to provide direct immi-gration representation to low-income humanitarian-based immigrants who have medical issues as she works within existing Legal Health Clinics in hospitals around New York City and sets up her own clinics where necessary. “My fel-

lowship project is rooted in my work as a reporter and shaped by my work experi-ences throughout my time at Cardozo,” Levine said. She’ll also work with clients to obtain the state Medicaid that they be-come eligible for upon the filing of their federal immigration claims.

For Levine, it’s a dream job. “The journalist is meant to educate,

draw awareness and illuminate issues of the marginalized, the struggling and the voiceless,” she said. “The lawyer, I have realized, can give them a voice.” n

Einstein’s Weinberger: Mother of Two Practices Pediatrics

Tamar Weinberger first saw the little boy in the emergency room, in a lot of pain and complaining that his

ear hurts. After completing a thorough history and physical, she diagnosed him with acute otitis media—an ear infec-tion—and her team prescribed the appro-priate antibiotic.

Two days later, Weinberger saw the same child cheerfully bouncing around the clinic’s waiting room. When he spot-ted her, he promptly ran over and offered her a gumball. “I accepted his token of ap-preciation, but watching his transforma-tion—from sick and in pain to healthy and happy—was my real reward,” she said.

It’s also one of the reasons Wein-berger, a new graduate of YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine, wants to become a pediatrician. “Children have a greater tendency to bounce back quickly, and you really see the impact your diag-nosis and treatment can have,” she said. “I love not only the patient population but the way that care is provided to children; pediatricians fine-tune their treatments to the needs and emotional develop-ment of each child, whether that means using smaller test tubes, having extended visiting hours and accommodations so families can stay overnight or drawing on incredible patience and understanding when interacting with patients.”

Weinberger, of Woodmere, NY, al-ways knew she wanted to pursue a career

in medicine. It seemed like an opportunity to combine her love of science with her desire to contribute to patient care, and she loved the challenge of deducing the correct diagno-sis and treatment. But when Weinberger heard about the Anne Scheiber Scholarship at YU’s Stern College for Women, which awards up to full tuition for Stern graduates pursuing medicine at Einstein, she real-ized she had found a way to ful-fill her dream.

“By alleviating much of the financial burden, the Scheiber Scholarship made me feel sup-ported and believed in,” said Weinberger. “Someone there thought it was important for religious women to achieve this goal—the message was ‘You can do it; we’ll help you.’ ”

That message continued at Ein-stein, which offered Weinberger an ideal family-friendly environment where her husband and fellow medical student, Dov Weinberger ’02YUHS, ’08YC, ’13E, and their two children lived with her on campus. “Einstein made it easier for me to study medicine because it’s respectful of my religious beliefs—we’re excused from all clinical duties on Shabbos and Yom Tov—and the deans were accommodating

about my schedule,” she said. Based in the Bronx, Einstein also en-

abled Weinberger to work with a unique and underserved patient population of various religious and cultural back-grounds. “I had to learn to understand how my patients’ perceptions and feelings about medicine and treatment were influ-enced by their environment and find so-lutions that would work in their specific situations, both financially and cultur-ally,” she said. n

EINSTEIN ANNOUNCES $500 MILLION

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Dr. Allen M. Spiegel, the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean of YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medi-cine, recently announced the medi-cal school’s largest fundraising effort—a capital campaign to raise at least $500 million, known as “The Campaign to Transform Ein-stein.” To date, Einstein has raised more than $400 million and is poised to meet or exceed its goal.

On April 15, Spiegel revealed that a bequest of more than $160 million—the largest gift in the school’s 60-year history—had been received from a leading Einstein supporter, Muriel Block, who died in 2010 and generously provided for Einstein through her estate. The gift, given in the name of Block and her late husband, real estate executive Harold Block, will sig-nificantly advance Einstein’s goal of improving human health. In recog-nition, the school will name several entities for the Blocks, including a series of 10 new, fully endowed chairs, known as the Harold and Muriel Block Scholars.

k Learn more about the campaign at yu.edu/einsteincampaign

Cardozo’s Levine: Former Journalist Fights Injustice

Tamar Weinberger

Sara Levine

Azrieli’s Shapiroç Continued from Page 2

the desired result,” he explained. Shapiro hopes to continue his work

in the areas of student support and spe-cial education by tapping into a multitude of resources within the Jewish commu-nity. “My approach to any communal or educational project is that nothing takes place in a vacuum and therefore you need the engagement of multiple systems to create a meaningful and lasting impact,” he said. “I look to create communal re-sources where none currently exist or to improve and make accessible those that do. I’ll also continue to help schools tackle complex social issues like school-based and cyberbullying, substance abuse and improving school culture.” n

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Wurzweiler’s Lang Overcomes Obstacles to Help the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Ferkauf’s Udhayanang to Help Thai Vets Battle PTSD

Growing up, Savyon Lang of Somers, NY, always stopped in her driveway

to chat with patients waiting to see her mother, a psycholo-gist who worked from home. “They’d tell me ‘You have this great aura—I feel like I can talk to you about anything,’ ” she re-called. That surprised Lang. But it also helped her discover a gift.

Born hard of hearing, Lang noted from an early age the way people around her fought to ensure that her needs, and the needs of her sister, also hard of hearing, were being met. “Speech therapists and patholo-gists, audiologists, special edu-cation teachers, my mom and dad—even my hearing brother learned Cued Speech, a phone-mically based hand supplement to lan-guage, to better communicate with me,” she said. Moved by their love and assis-tance, Lang decided that she, too, wanted to give to others.

After studying psychology in col-lege, she chose to attend YU's Wurzwei-ler School of Social Work because of the program’s emphasis on mentorship and effective implementation of social work practices in field placements. There she began an internship at New York-Pres-byterian Hospital’s Deaf and Hard-of-

Hearing Program. As the program’s first hard-of-hearing or deaf professional, Lang connected with clients who had been wary of working with hearing so-cial workers. “It’s a very challenging community because it’s very unstudied and misunderstood,” she said. “The deaf and hard of hearing often aren’t treated well by hearing people and they develop a bias because of that. My clients feel I understand them better based on our similar experiences.”

In some cases, sharing those expe-

riences has given her clients a new perspective on the identity of hearing loss. That included an 8-year-old girl Lang worked with who didn’t want to wear her hearing aids because she was ashamed. “I needed to help her realize that the hearing aids are helping her,” Lang said. “I’d tell her, ‘Your hearing aids are like a butterfly—they’re helping you fly by giving you wings.’ ”

At Wurzweiler, Lang has learned other techniques, such as Cognitive Behavioral Ther-apy, which have helped her cli-ents progress. Ultimately, she hopes to improve her American Sign Language and find ways to empower the deaf and hard-of-hearing population to reach out to make sure their needs

are met. Lang also wants to become a li-censed clinical social worker so she can open her own practice.

Especially rewarding to Lang has been the opportunity to use her experi-ences to educate others about her clients. “Wurzweiler gave me a chance to teach people about deaf and hard-of-hearing populations,” she said. “Everyone can bring their own backgrounds to social work to help people like them overcome the obstacles they’ve faced.” n

Nuttha Udhayanang’s first expo-sure to the field of psychology was an introductory course she took

at West Virginia University. Intrigued, she decided to change her major from economics to forensic science, an area that was virtually unexplored in her na-tive Thailand. But when she returned to Thailand for a summer internship in criminology in 2004, her world changed; a devastating tsunami swept the country that December and Udhayanang, with her forensic science skills, found herself part of a relief effort working to identify bodies and inform survivors whether family members were alive or dead.

“I could see that these survivors had psychological and emotional needs that were simply not being met because there weren’t enough personnel—espe-cially not enough trained personnel—to provide that kind of service for them,” she recalled. “The environment was cha-otic, even 12 months later. These people needed some kind of counseling, and there was just no one to do it.”

According to Udhayanang, that’s partly because of the stigma associated with mental health services in Thailand. “If you say you’re going to a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist, people in-stantly think you’re really crazy,” she said.

After returning to the United States, Udhayanang quickly became drawn to the study of Post-Traumatic Stress Dis-

order (PTSD), collecting and analyzing data about veterans suffering from the disorder for the National Guard and the State of West Virginia. At the recom-mendation of WVU professor Dr. Joseph Scotti, she decided to pursue graduate study at YU's Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology so she could return to Thai-land as an experienced mental health professional.

“Ferkauf offered much more than in-the-classroom knowledge,” she said. “My professors expanded my world and my mind, deepening my knowledge of behavior, neuroscience, psychoanalysis and cognition. I gained life experience and built connections with other mental

health professionals, which is extremely important.”

Now that she has completed her master’s degree, Udhayanang hopes to pursue a doctorate in the United States and ultimately bring the advantages of her education and experience back to her home country. “I want to become a professor and use my expertise in treat-ing veterans who suffer from PTSD in a clinical setting with soldiers from Thai-land, where we have been experiencing terrorist attacks for decades,” she said. “I want to contribute something to those veterans and others in my home country who need the kind of assistance my field can provide.” n

Focus on Faculty

Yeshiva College marked the investi-ture of two new chairs in Judaic studies, endowed through a bequest from the Herbert S. Denenberg Trust. Dr. Yaakov Elman, professor of Judaic studies at YC and Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, was appointed the Herbert S. and Naomi Denenberg Chair in Talmudic Studies, named for Denenberg and his wife. Dr. Moshe Bernstein, professor of Bible and Jewish history at YC, was appointed the David A. and Fannie M. Denen-berg Chair in Biblical Studies, named for Denenberg’s parents.

Dr. Raji Viswanathan, associate dean of academic affairs and pro-fessor of chemistry at Yeshiva Col-lege, was selected as a Fulbright Specialist. The competitive position enabled her to visit Israel’s Bar-Ilan University in May, where she cre-ated new opportunities for collabo-ration between YU and BIU faculty and shared her research in compu-tational chemistry with an advanced cadre of Israeli scholars.

The American Cancer Society awarded a four-year $720,000 Research Scholar Grant to Dr. Marina Holz, assistant professor of biology at Stern College, to con-tinue her work researching breast cancer. Holz holds joint appoint-ments in the Department of Molec-ular Pharmacology at YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Einstein Cancer Center.

Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, the E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish History, Literature and Law at Yeshiva University, has won the 2013 Goldstein-Goren prize for the Best Book in Jewish Thought from the International Center for Jewish Thought at Ben-Gurion University for his recent publication, The Intel-lectual History and Rabbinic Culture of Medieval Ashkenaz.

k Keep up with the latest faculty news at yu.edu/facultynews

Savyon Lang

Nuttha Udhayanang

Yeshiva College’s Dr. Moshe Bernstein and Dr. Yaakov Elman

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MTA’s Kahan Pursues Passion for Technology

Central’s Auerbach Brings Love of Medicine to Stern

What initially struck Devir Kahan about Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Marsha Stern

Talmudical Academy (MTA) was its col-legiate atmosphere. “MTA feels like a university,” he said. “I liked the idea of a high school on a college campus.”

Kahan had always been fascinated by big ideas. Growing up in Monsey, NY, one of his favorite hobbies was magic. He had read New York Times columnist David Pogue’s Magic for Dummies and loved it because Pogue nailed the source of his intrigue—the awe of not under-standing how a thing worked, but want-ing to figure it out.

Like Pogue, Kahan felt that the need to understand the inner workings of magic also encapsulated the appeal of

technology. At 13, Kahan started a blog, BitQuill, dedicated to analyzing the lat-est developments in technology, review-ing products, interviewing people in the field, drafting how-to guides and creat-ing a space for others to exchange ideas.

Kahan wanted to know how to take his site to the next level. So he signed up for MTA LEAD, a partnership between MTA and the Sy Syms School of Busi-ness that connects high school students with business ideas to successful profes-sionals in the YU network. “We spoke to someone who built a site where patients can review their physicians and learned how he had developed marketing and ex-panded traffic,” Kahan said. “It’s cool to hear from someone who has already done what works. My site has grown to having

20,000 to 30,000 people who read it each month, which is kind of awesome.”

But though he loves technology, Kahan’s activities at MTA ranged from choir to model congress to positions on the yearbook. He also took advantage of the Makor Chaim exchange program, which sends students from MTA to a Hebrew-speaking high school yeshiva in Israel for six weeks. “For me, it was a great opportunity not only to prove to myself that I could do something really challenging, but also to live in a totally different and fully immersive culture,” said Kahan.

Next year, he’ll return to Israel to study at Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim. Eventually, Kahan hopes to turn his pas-sion for technology and innovation into a career as a programmer. “I’ve been tak-ing a computer programming course at MTA, which was something that I always wanted to learn,” he said. “I’d love to de-sign something really big—an application that people can use and enjoy.”

In the meantime, Kahan felt his first impression—that he could accomplish big things at a high school that felt like a col-lege—had proven true.

“In 11th grade we met with YU Rosh Kollel Rabbi Hershel Schachter,” Kahan recalled. “We were asking questions to this posek [decider of Jewish law] who most people wouldn’t be lucky enough to meet. It’s just one of the things I got to experience here that I couldn’t have done anywhere else.” n

Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls’ (Central) Michal Auerbach of West Hemp-

stead, NY, had always been fascinated by science. But it was an AP biology course taught by Ruth Fried that would shape her exploration of the field through-out her high school years. “That class showed me that God is in every detail of human biology,” Auerbach said. “I real-ized it was important for people to learn as much as they could to interact with His world in an educated way, which is the whole concept of Torah Umadda.”

Auerbach was hooked. She wanted to learn more.

What followed were many research projects and experiences, including hands-on work studying DNA at Stony Brook University and an internship at the Albert Einstein College of Medi-cine, where Auerbach shadowed doctors in a fertility clinic. “I wasn’t 16 yet, so I couldn’t be in a real laboratory setting, but I could observe the doctors,” she said. “The way they interacted with their patients showed such incredible middot [character]… and I thought, ‘This is such a cool way to improve people’s lives.’ ”

Despite her affinity for medicine, Auerbach wanted to make sure she kept an open mind about her future, trying a little bit of everything that Central had to offer. A shy freshman, she joined the debate team to teach herself to speak out more and served as its captain since 11th

grade. “Debate has been a great opportu-nity to educate myself about everything that’s going on in the world,” she said.

Auerbach also decided to partici-pate in mock trial: “How do I know I don’t want to be a lawyer?” As an attor-ney presenting her case in a real court-room, she gained firsthand exposure to the legal world.

There’s so much Auerbach wants to experience that one of her biggest challenges—and most important les-sons—has been teaching herself to be patient. Volunteering at Sunday Smiles, a program at Hebrew Academy of Nassau County for children with special needs, has helped her cultivate that skill. “Not everything turns out the way you want it to instantaneously,” she said. “But to-

gether, with a lot of hard work, we’re able to make beautiful art projects with the kids. The most rewarding experience for me is knowing I helped someone learn the Hebrew letters.”

Auerbach will spend the coming year in Israel at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim before continuing her studies as an S. Daniel Abraham Hon-ors student at Stern College for Women. Eventually, she hopes to take advantage of Stern’s research ties with Einstein to pursue her dream career: fertility sci-entist. “I’m so grateful to have had all these opportunities at Central,” she said. “I couldn’t have pursued my interests in science, Torah or anything else to the same extent anywhere else.” n

MTA’s Yishai Eisenberg Shares Bible

Competition Crown

Yishai Eisenberg, a freshman at Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (MTA), became the first non-Israeli in 20 years to win the Chidon HaTanach, Israel’s annual International Bible Contest for high school students. The contest took place on Yom Ha’atzmaut, April 16, under the auspices of Prime Minis-ter Benjamin Netanyahu and Edu-cation Minister Rabbi Shai Piron.

Eisenberg—who achieved the only perfect score on the quali-fying test last year—competed against 58 contestants from 26 countries in the international Chi-don. Until his victory, no Ameri-can had won since 1988, when another MTA student, and current RIETS Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Jeremy Wieder took first place.

Devir Kahan

Michal Auerbach

Revel’s Weissç Continued from Page 2

vation of his philosophy. Weiss presented a paper at the Annual Conference of the Association for Judaic Studies in Decem-ber based on one of her dissertation’s chapters and hopes to publish it as a book soon. “Medieval Jewish philosophers like Albo discussed many important theological and philosophical concepts that are still debated today,” she said. “I feel that my self-understanding as a Jew has been enhanced through my studies, and my beliefs and practice have become far more meaningful.”

Now assistant principal at Frisch, Weiss continues to find her teaching career incredibly rewarding and de-signs her courses to help her students think about their religious experiences in greater depth, too. “I often begin my classes with very general and relevant philosophical questions to elicit initial feedback,” Weiss said. “For example, if God is all-knowing, how can man have free choice? Does God dictate morality or is there an independent standard of eth-ics?” Students analyze primary sources from medieval Jewish philosophers and secondary sources from contemporary writers to develop a more sophisticated understanding of each topic and, per-haps, their own beliefs.

“There are no clear resolutions to these great philosophical dilemmas, but my hope is that I have enabled my stu-dents to appreciate the questions,” Weiss said. n

Yishai Eisenberg with Israel’s Minister of Education Rabbi Shai Piron

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the time came to send our kids to college, we didn’t look anywhere else,” he said. “Where else could my son earn a world-respected ed-ucation in a top-level academic environment, surrounded by other religious Jews and Torah learning? I’m excited for the opportuni-ties and mentorship he’s had here, and I know they could only have happened at YU.”

To Alexa Rosenberg, who received a degree in linguistics and plans to pursue a career in government, the most important part of the day was having her father, Bill, there to see her graduate. “It’s a big accomplish-ment,” she said. “My dad put a lot of time and effort into helping me succeed in my college career and I’m excited to make him proud today.”

In all, more than 1,400 undergradu-ate students from Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women and Sy Syms School of Business, as well as graduate students in the fields of law, medicine, social work, education, Jewish studies and psychol-ogy, were awarded degrees from YU dur-ing its commencement season.

The classes of 1963, 1973 and 1988 were also recognized at the graduation ceremony for their 50th, 40th and 25th reunions, respectively.

Phyllis Siegel ’63S, in attendance to celebrate her 50th class reunion, couldn’t wait to watch her grand-daughter, Lauren Berger, march down the aisle. “I’m very proud that she chose to attend Stern College. YU serves a very important mission in the Orthodox world; it enables students to learn in an environment that supports Jewish values academically and professionally,” she said. “YU creates a sense of a greater family and community.” n

YU’s 82nd Commencementç Continued from Page 1

YU Celebrates Israel

More than 1,300 students, alumni, faculty and friends of Yeshiva University show their support for Israel at the 2013 Celebrate Israel Parade.

k To see the full photo gallery, visit yu.edu/parade

Nine undergraduates (seven are shown) were recognized as valedictorians. Learn about their YU experience at yu.edu/valedictorians2013.