2024 APR
Rescued hostage Louis Har with
Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman at YU’s Night of Unity
YU Stands Together with Israel
An Evening of Unity, Solidarity and Story “On Oct. 7, Jewish history called. It has asked us to stand up and stand out as Jews. It has asked us to fight terrorism and combat hatred. It has asked us to protest, to not remain silent or complacent, to unify and unite in common cause to free our hostages. It asked us on Oct. 7, and it is still asking that of us now.” Those were the among the powerful words delivered by Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman , President of Yeshiva University, at the “Evening of Unity, Solidarity and Story.” Held at Lamport Auditorium on April 7, the gathering marked the six-month anniversary of the Hamas attack on southern Israel and drew more than 1,000 members of the YU community and guests for shira, tefilah , and chizuk .
Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University; Dr. Erica Brown , director of the Sacks-Herenstein Center; and YU students shared the stage with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin . The Polins, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, inspired the audience to continue praying for their son and all hostages. Later, Rabbi Shay Schachter introduced former hostage Louis Har , who recounted his harrowing captivity and miraculous rescue. YU would like to offer special thanks to the Sacks-Herenstein Center and the Office of Student Life for organizing the event as well as to the Events Office and the Beren Campus Student Government for the assitance they provided. READ MORE
New and Notable
Chag HaSemikhah The RIETS Chag HaSemikhah, the ordination ceremony for rabbis trained at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, is set for Sunday, June 16. This year’s celebration honors the RIETS classes of 5781–5783, marking their completion of studies for semikhah (ordination), alongside the 50th anniversary classes.
Special recognitions include Rabbi Chaim Bronstein who will receive the Amud HaYeshiva award, and a posthumous tribute to Irwin Shapiro, z”l with the Etz Chaim award. The ceremony will commence at 1 p.m. in Lamport Auditorium. The Chag celebrates the RIETS musmakhim (ordainees), highlighting their dedication to Torah learning and personal development, as well as their anticipated impact on Jewish communities globally. It presents a rare opportunity to witness the future leadership of the broader Jewish community standing together in one room with their teachers and mentors, their families and their fellow classmates. READ MORE
Helping to Heal Jerusalem’s Heart Since its launch over a year ago, the Jerusalem Therapy Center (JTC), a joint initiative of YU’s Wurzweiler School for Social Work and the nonprofit Amudim, has experienced a significant increase in demand for its weekly one-on-one therapy sessions. Established to offer mental health care to Jerusalem’s English-speaking community, JTC has assisted 105 clients in the first quarter of 2024. With the
anticipated return of more reserve soldiers and the escalating need for support amid war- induced challenges, JTC remains dedicated to offering affordable, culturally sensitive and trauma-informed mental health care to soldiers, students and the broader English-speaking community. READ MORE The JTC held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early 2023.
Sarachek 2024 The 31st annual Red Sarachek Invitational Basketball Tournament, hosted by YU from March 28–April 1, featured 21 leading yeshiva high schools and over 300 players from the U.S. and Canada. This year, YULA High School of Los Angeles secured the coveted championship title against Magen David Yeshivah High School of Brooklyn in
Congratulations to the 2024 Sarachek champions, YULA Boys High School of Los Angeles
an electric 69–59 win. The eagerly awaited final, which took place at YU’s Max Stern Athletic Center, attracted more than 900 fans. The event also offered off-court activities that show- cased YU’s distinct campus culture, contributing to a long weekend full of competitive spirit and community engagement. READ MORE
New and Notable
Startups Start Here On March 20, the YU Innovation Lab and the Shevet Glaubach Center launched their fourth Innovation Challenge, a six-week entrepreneurship initiative that pairs experienced mentors with teams of undergraduate and graduate students to transform startup ideas into viable business models. At the heart of the Challenge is a series of best-in-class workshops and mentorship sessions led by YU faculty and alumni that refine the students’ entrepreneurial visions into pitch-ready concepts. On May 8, the Challenge culminates in a grand finale pitch competition judged by a panel of venture capitalists who will award the winning team a $1,000 cash prize to kick-start their business. The evening will also feature keynote speaker David Sable, brand builder, best-selling author and former Global CEO of Young & Rubicam.
Students from across the University participate in the Innovation Challenge’s 2024 kick-off event.
YU’s Giving Day
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our com- munity, The Gift of YU, a 24-hour fundraising
campaign on March 13, raised an astonishing $2,513,861, with 1,005 donors participating. Gifts helped fund scholarships, faculty, campus upgrades and academic experiences. Its success is a testament to the power of our community, and we are grateful for the support.
Richard Haass Receives Peace Award On March 27, the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution honored Dr. Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and senior counselor with Center- view Partners, with this year’s International Advocate for Peace Award for his significant contributions to conflict resolution. Dr. Haass chaired the multiparty negotiations in Northern Ireland that provided the 2014 Stormont House Agreement and, from 2001 to 2003, served as the Director of Policy Planning of the U.S. Department of State where he played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. foreign policy. Past recipients of the award include President Jimmy Carter, President Bill Clinton and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, among others.
YU Today in The Wall Street Journal On April 11,
The Wall Street Journal’s print edition included YU Today , a periodic magazine from Yeshiva University that profiles remarkable individuals from
the YU community—students, faculty and alumni—who are making significant impacts and inspiring change. READ MORE
Students, Faculty & Alumni
Pathways to Resilience
On April 4, YU hosted an enlightening conversation on “Suicide Prevention and Resiliency,” which focused on creating
pathways to healing in the aftermath of loss. The event brought together seasoned practitioners from the YU Counseling Center and from the faculties of the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology and the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Their professional insights, combined with moving personal narratives from individuals impacted by suicide, offered a profound perspective on how to move forward after a tragedy. The program was a joint effort of the Office of Alumni Affairs, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Wurzweiler School of Social Work and the YU Counseling Center.
pen-like device projects holographic PDFs to help students improve their reading and writing skills. Thanks to the guidance she has received at YU, the young inventor has received a provisional patent design so that she can refine the Impossapen before pursuing a full patent. READ MORE
New Haggadot for Passover
100% of Katz PA Graduates Pass Certifying Exam All 22 students in the first graduating class of the Katz School’s M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies have passed the profession’s national board certification exam on the first attempt. They also did better than the national average in key content areas. Notably, the national first-time pass rate for PANCE has been on a decline, reaching 92% in 2023, as reported by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). READ MORE
For Passover 2024, Yeshiva University is pleased to announce the publication of several Haggadot and Pesach-related resources written by YU staff and students. Among them are Azrieli Graduate
School’s On This Night We Are All Teachers . designed to enrich the Seder experience for children and teens; the Haggadah Shel Pesach Am Mordechai , the latest volume in the Am Mordechai series by RIETS Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Willig; and The Promise of Liberty Haggadah , a collection of primary sources and essays highlighting the impact of the Exodus story on American history, co-authored by Jacob Kupietzky and Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern, deputy director of the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. READ MORE
A Novel Idea from a YU Inventor
Elle Ohayon ’27SB has channeled her passion for helping children overcome learning
obstacles into a practical invention with potentially far-reaching effects: the Impossapen. Using AI technology, the
Upcoming Events
Visit yu.edu/events/all to learn more about the programs listed here.
Yeshiva College Dramatics Society The Hound of the Baskervilles April 15 – 18 Performances begin 7 p.m. Schottenstein Center Theater Sy Syms School of Business Awards Dinner Tuesday, April 16 / 6 – 9:30 p.m. Museum of Jewish Heritage 36 Battery Place, NYC Yom HaShoa Commemoration Monday, May 6 / 7:30 – 9 p.m. Lamport Auditorium Wilf Campus Wilf Cap & Gown Distribution Tuesday, May 7 / 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Gottesman Library Heights Lounge
Undergraduate Torah Studies Awards Ceremony Tuesday, May 7 / 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Furst Hall, Rm 501 Wilf Campus Athletics Banquet Tuesday, May 7 / 6 – 10 p.m. Max Stern Athletic Center Wilf Campus Stern College for Women Awards Assembly Wednesday, May 8 / 5 – 7 p.m.
Beren Cap & Gown Distribution Thursday, May 9 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Yagoda Commons Katz School Symposium on Science, Technology and Health Thursday, May 9 1 – 4 p.m. YU Museum 15 West 16th Street, NYC Yeshiva College Awards Ceremony Thursday, May 9 1 – 3 p.m. Weissberg Commons Wilf Campus
Koch Auditorium Beren Campus
YU Innovation Lab Challenge Pitch Night & Awards Wednesday, May 8 / 7 – 9:30 p.m. Gottesman Board Room Beren Campus
Together with Israel For the latest news and information on University initiatives, resources and events in support of Israel, please visit yu.edu/togetherwithisrael.
In Memoriam: Senator Joseph Lieberman, OBM
The Yeshiva University community mourns the loss of Senator Joseph Lieberman, a distinguished professor, esteemed statesman, honorary degree recipient (1989) and member of our academic family, who passed away at the age of 82. Senator Lieberman’s dedication to combining Jewish traditions with education significantly shaped the University’s mission. Born in Stamford, Connecticut, Lieberman’s public service career
(l-r): Aviv Ezra, Israeli Consul General, with Ira Mitzner, Chairman of YU’s Board of Trustees; U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman; and Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University
culminated in his serving as a United States Senator from 1989 to 2013 and his historic vice-presidential candidacy in 2000. At Yeshiva University, his contributions were profound. In 2014, he was appointed the Joseph Lieberman Chair in Public Policy and Public Service through a gift from University Benefactors Ira and Ingeborg Rennert. As a member of the YU Board of Trustees in 2021, Senator Lieberman was named co-chair of Rise Up: The Campaign for 613, a five-year effort to raise $613 million. Recently, the Senator Joseph Lieberman-Mitzner Center for Public Service and Advocacy was established in his honor, underscoring his commitment to fostering future leaders. He is survived by his wife Hadassah and their children, Rebecca, Ethan, Matthew and Hani, along with his cherished grandchildren. May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. READ MORE
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