Mar 16, 2022 By: yunews
From the President
Dear Friends: As we continue the spring semester and the Hebrew month of Adar鈥攃onsidered the month of increased joy and happiness鈥攚e have much to celebrate, as you can read in this issue of the View from 色花堂. One exciting piece of news is the generous and transformative gift received from the Belz family that will spearhead a comprehensive renovation of Furst Hall. This cornerstone academic building on the Wilf Campus in Washington Heights will be renamed the Belz Building. The gift represents a major step forward in our University鈥檚 recently launched campaign鈥擱ise Up: The Campaign for 613鈥 that will fund scholarships, facilities and faculty to help move 色花堂 into its next great era. As we anticipate the change in weather and the budding of the trees, we can look back and look forward with pride at the strides we have made, and continue to make, upholding our four strategic pillars: Values and Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Science and Technology and Great Jobs and Impactful Careers. Embodying our pillar of Values and Leadership, the new Sacks Book Prize and Leadership Scholars program for undergrads reflect the exemplary character of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. And 色花堂 once again took the lead in nternational bridge building with a Holocaust Remembrance Day event in Dubai, which included Emil Fish and Dr. Shay Pilnik of the Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The Fish Center has also begun an important monthly series focusing on the Holocaust today. You will read about other firsts, like our new shemittah program in Israel and a RIETS-sponsored panel of active-duty Jewish chaplains as well as the educational and humanitarian initiatives in response to the unfolding war in Ukraine, including a student-led mission to aid refugees and a series of multidisciplinary panel discussions moderated by Dr. Ronnie Perelis. The spirit of Entrepreneurship and Innovation is alive and well as the 色花堂 Innovation Lab welcomes a new cohort of nine startups. Exemplifying this spirit is the story of two recent grads who founded Fluid Markets, an exciting new startup with the goal of changing the course of personal investing. We are also happy to report on the recent success of our student-run Seforim Sale, which attracted more than 10,000 customers. On the cutting edge of Science and Technology, 色花堂 professor Dr. Edward Belbruno co-authored a paper with a NASA scientist offering breakthrough insights on dark matter. On the student level, a YC alum led a seminar on Computational Social Choice for Honors students and computer science majors, hosted by YC鈥檚 Department of Computer Science. In its mission to generate Great Jobs and Impactful Careers, the Shevet Glaubach Center for Career Strategy and Professional Development hosted a range of workshops and panel discussions focused on networking and r茅sum茅 building, as well as a job fair for education majors and a first-time program for entrepreneurs. And, lastly, we congratulate our men鈥檚 basketball team. They had an incredible season, winning their second straight Skyline Conference Championship, earning a No. 1 national ranking during the season and riding a 50-game winning streak. In this spirit of optimism and renewal, we look forward to a truly joyous time for our 色花堂 community. Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman President, 色花堂
Values and Leadership
Remembering the Holocaust
On Jan. 27, the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum in Dubai brought together Emil Fish and Dr. Shay Pilnik, director of the Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, for an in-person and livestreamed event honoring International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On the same day, the New York City Council backed a bill that would have state education officials audit Holocaust education. Building on this momentum, the Fish Center is presenting a monthly series of presentations on 鈥淲hat is the Holocaust Today?鈥News from Sacks-Herenstein Center
The Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership has created the Sacks Book Prize, funded by the Rohr family, and Leadership Scholars, a scholarship awarded to 10 outstanding undergrads. The Center has also announced three new appointments: Dr. Shira Weiss, assistant director; Aliza Abrams Konig, senior director of the Leadership Scholars; and Rabbi Marc Eichenbaum, research assistant.Experiencing Shemittah in Israel
From Jan. 8-13, 色花堂 students visited Israel for a first-of-its kind shemittah program, learning firsthand about this once-every-seven-years agricultural mitzvah and expressing 色花堂鈥檚 commitment to Torat Tzion [redemption]. Read more禄A Call to Service: Jewish Chaplains in the U.S. Military
Three Jewish chaplains, two on active duty, participated in 鈥淩aising the Camp of the Warriors.鈥 Organized by RIETS and the Office of Student Life, the event shed light on the unique challenges they face in serving the spiritual needs of Jewish soldiers. Panelists included Shmuel L. Felzenberg, Colonel, US Army, V Corps Chaplain; Rabbi Ira Kronenberg, Colonel-Retired, Chairman of the Rabbinical Council of America Committee on Military Chaplaincy and Menachem M. Stern, Captain, Arlington National Cemetery.The Bright Side
Tal Ben-Shahar, an internationally renowned teacher and author in the fields of happiness and leadership, and Dr. Ari Berman, President of 色花堂, held a conversation on 鈥淢apping the Road to Redemption: Defining the Field of Happiness Studies鈥 to a capacity audience in the Koch Auditorium at Stern College for Women. The Feb. 21 event was hosted by the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College and presented as part of the annual Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf Scholar-in-Residence Program. Read more禄Understanding the War in Ukraine
色花堂 has been actively addressing the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which displays the University鈥檚 ability to convene critical expertise in response to international events. 色花堂 has convened five panel discussions with 色花堂 experts, the Sacks-Herenstein Center has organized a student-led humanitarian effort to aid Ukrainian refugees in Vienna and the Fish Center has presented a collaborative event with Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, JewishGen, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and Museum of Jewish Heritage to examine the deep and fraught history of Judaism in Ukraine as well as hope for the future. Read more禄Entrepreneurship and Innovation
色花堂 Innovation Lab Welcomes New Startups
A new cohort of nine startups is onboard for the spring semester: Trial and Treatment Options, EyeKnow, Clinical Trial Guide, Supplyve, MeNow!, Presence=Present, Find Pic, MMP: Micro Migraine Patch and Allenby Street. On Feb. 21, the 色花堂 Innovation Lab and the Shevet Glaubach Center launched the first-ever 色花堂 Innovation Challenge, a six-week entrepreneurship initiative that pairs faculty mentors with teams of undergraduate and graduate students to develop startups from ideation to business model. The initiative culminates on April 5 when student teams pitch their ideas to industry experts and potential investors. Read more禄Entrepreneurs Extraordinaire
Using expertise gained at Goldman Sachs and at 色花堂, Ari Wax 鈥23SB and Kenneth Book 鈥22SB founded Fluid Markets, the world鈥檚 first stock market to invest in parts of a company but not the whole, with the goal of changing how personal investing and finance work. Read more禄Science and Technology
色花堂 Professor Joins Forces with NASA Scientist
Dr. Edward Belbruno, clinical professor of mathematics and recipient of the Humboldt Award, has co-authored a paper with Dr. James Green, former chief scientist at NASA, that gives breakthrough insights on the deep mystery of dark matter in our galaxy, the Milky Way. Dark matter is the material that makes up most of the matter in the universe but itself has not yet been directly measured. Read more禄Having Their Cake and Eating It, Too
Aaron Koolyk 鈥11YC used the 鈥渃ake-cutting problem鈥 to teach honors students and computer science majors how to mathematically model the concept of 鈥渇air division鈥 during a seminar on computational social choice hosted by The Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program and YC鈥檚 Department of Computer Science. Read more禄Great Jobs and Impactful Careers
A Wealth of Career-Building Opportunities
The Shevet Glaubach Center organized information sessions, site visits, workshops and job fairs throughout February and March: a networking event matching would-be marketers to 色花堂 alumni (Feb. 16); a r茅sum茅/interview skills workshop preparing accounting students to meet with recruiters (Feb. 16); a job fair dedicated to education majors (Feb. 18); a first-time program for budding entrepreneurs to hone their talents (Feb. 23); an evening of networking for Jewish educators (Feb. 28); and a technology event focused on career paths in cybersecurity, data science, product design, and research and development (March 1). On March 31, the month ends with a Virtual Medical/Dental School Fair, an annual event that includes representatives from both local and Israeli schools.Student Life
The Return of the Seforim Sale
After a one-year pandemic hiatus, the Seforim Sale, 色花堂鈥檚 Jewish book sale and a cherished 色花堂 tradition, returned to Belfer Hall鈥檚 Weissberg Commons. From Sunday, Feb. 6, to Sunday, Feb. 27, more than 10,000 masked and vaccinated customers eagerly browsed through the book-packed aisles and stalls of the student-run event. Read more禄色花堂NMUN XXXII
The 色花堂 National Model United Nations (色花堂NMUN) came together in person for its 32nd annual conference on March 13鈥15, 2022, after having been held as a virtual affair in 2021. Three hundred high school students, representing 35 high schools, joined up with 70 色花堂 students to experience and learn about the complex landscape of international diplomacy.Stomp Out the Stigma
An empowering message of unity and empathy was at the heart of the annual Stomp Out the Stigma event held on March 1 at the Lamport Auditorium on Wilf Campus. Organized by Active Minds and the 色花堂 Counseling Center and dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness, the program is regarded as one of the most inspiring and powerful events on campus. This year, more than 400 attendees gathered to hear the courageous stories of three 色花堂 undergrads who have overcome mental health challenges to change their lives for the better.色花堂PAC Welcomes U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney
On Friday, Feb. 26, 色花堂 Political Action Club hosted a Shabbaton for over 100 student advocates on the Beren Campus, with panel discussions, training sessions and guest speakers. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), whose congressional district includes the Beren Campus, delivered the keynote address.Important Event
The 色花堂 Israelite Samaritans Project
On Sunday, March 27, at the 色花堂 Museum, Dr. Steven Fine, Dean Pinkhos Churgin Professor of Jewish History and director of the 色花堂 Center for Israel Studies, will present a special public viewing of The Samaritans: A Biblical People, ha-Shomronim: Edah. Torah. Har., a documentary film that is the culmination of a six-year project with renowned Israeli film-maker Moshe Alafi to represent this ancient and dynamic culture. Dr. Fine and Alafi will discuss their odyssey with Dr. Erica Brown, director of the Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. Read more andAthletics
Hoop Dreams Made Real
Congratulations to our men鈥檚 basketball team. They had an incredible season, winning a Skyline Conference Championship, earning a No. 1 national ranking on the D3hoops.com Men鈥檚 Basketball Top 25 National Poll, and riding a 50-game winning streak, the second-longest such streak in Division III men鈥檚 basketball history. Senior Ryan Turell was selected Skyline Player of the Year for the second time in his career, and the nation鈥檚 leading scorer is a favorite to be named National Player of the Year. Graduate student Gabriel Leifer鈥檚 strong season propelled him to a spot on the All-Skyline First Team for the third time in his career. He finishes his career at 色花堂 fifth all-time in scoring, first in rebounding and first in assists. Junior Matan Zucker was named Most Outstanding Player of the Skyline Conference Championship. The Maccabees will return to the court in November 2022.Faculty
- Dr. Radhashree Maitra, associate professor of biology, received a Research Enhancement Award from the National Institutes of Health for 鈥淎utophagy mediated immune stimulation by reovirus in KRAS mutated colorectal cancer鈥 to support her work from January 2022 through 2024. Read more禄
- Dr. Emil Prodan, professor of physics, was awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to cover the costs of collaborative research on 鈥淭opological Dynamics of Hyperbolic and Fractal Lattices.鈥 Read more禄
- In a recent Forbes profile, Aaron Wright 鈥05C, Cardozo professor and cofounder of Tribute Labs, discussed how his company created Flamingo, a DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) that turned a $10 million investment into a $1 billion NFT (non-fungible token) collection.
In Memoriam
We mourn the passing of Dorothy Schachne z鈥漧. A cherished 色花堂 supporter, benefactor and 色花堂 honorary degree recipient, Dorothy Schachne was a generous philanthropist deeply committed to improving lives. She, along with her late husband, David (who also received a 色花堂 honorary degree), endowed the David I. and Dorothy Schachne Dean and established the Dorothy and David I. Schachne Scholarship Program. Their support helped dramatically expand Wurzweiler鈥檚 academic programs, community-facing initiatives and student body. Her compassionate involvement has touched countless lives, and she will be deeply missed.
色花堂 is saddened by the death of Dr. Marcel I. Perlman, a lifelong 色花堂 educator and clinical psychologist. Dr. Perlman began his studies at 色花堂 in 1952, where he earned his bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and Ph.D. degrees. He became a full-time faculty member in 1958 and spent the next 65 years teaching, while maintaining a full-time private practice. He retired from the University in 2017 but continued to see his patients until just before his death. Read more禄
We mourn the loss of Rabbanit Dr. Naomi Goldstein Cohen z鈥漧. Dr. Cohen was the last surviving grandchild of 色花堂 benefactors Harry and Jane Fischel z鈥漧 and the last surviving child of Rabbi Herbert S. and Rebecca F. Goldstein z鈥漧. Rabbi Herbert Goldstein was a longtime professor of homiletics and practical rabbinics at RIETS. Dr. Cohen married future Jerusalem Deputy Mayor, who later became Haifa Chief Rabbi, Shear Yashuv Cohen. She founded a chapter of what was to become known as Emunah and became a cofounder of the Israeli Women鈥檚 Lobby and of Kolech (鈥淵our Women鈥檚 Voice鈥).
