Sephardic Stern Class Maccabees Acquiring Community Combines Art Capture a Piece of Thrives on and Jewish Cross Country Jewish Campus Philosophy Crown History 4Page 2 4Page 3 4Page 5 4Page 6 YESHIVA UNIVERSITY ∞ WINTER 2014 YUTODAY ∞ VOLUME 18 • NO. 1 YU: A ‘Necessary Counterculture’ David Brooks Keynotes 89th Annual Hanukkah Convocation; Jack A. Belz, Dr. Susan Band Horwitz, Harvey Kaylie and William Zabel Honored cclaimed journalist and New York intelligently not only training Adam I, but Times columnist David Brooks is training the two sides of life, both the Adelivered the keynote address at Adams, the majestic and the humble. It’s Yeshiva University’s 89th Annual Ha- impressive to be here, in the middle of a nukkah Convocation and Dinner on De- profound and necessary counterculture.” cember 8 at The Waldorf Astoria in New President Joel also conferred honor- York City. President Richard M. Joel ary degrees upon Jack A. Belz of Mem- bestowed an honorary doctorate upon phis, TN, chairman and CEO of Belz Brooks, calling him “a noble exemplar of Enterprises and a YU Benefactor and what we hope our students will become” Trustee; Harvey Kaylie of Great Neck, NY, and drawing on the words of American founder, president and CEO of Mini-Cir- poet Robert Frost to praise the moral- cuits International and a YU Benefactor; ity in Brooks’ writing: “In a world which and William Zabel of Manhattan, found- has moved inexorably down a path paved ing partner of Schulte Roth & Zabel and with hyperbole, cynicism and categori- head of the Individual Client Services cal one-dimensionality, you have mus- Group. tered the courage and integrity to take Belz joined his father in the fam- the road less traveled.” ily business in the late 1940s to develop Brooks has been a New York Times commercial and residential real estate, columnist since 2003 and is a political and businesses and other properties. Belz’s cultural commentator on “PBS News- parents, Philip and Sarah, established Hour.” At the Convocation, he called YU YU’s Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jew- “a contrast with the world,” citing Rabbi ish Music in 1984. Belz and his wife, Mari- Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s work on the bib- lyn, are community leaders in Memphis, lical figures of Adam I and Adam II and supporting a variety of organizations and his belief that Adam I was driven by the David Brooks delivered the keynote address at YU’s 89th Annual Hanukkah Convocation. institutions. desire for greatness, stature and success, Kaylie graduated from City Col- while Adam II sought to build a moral and fulfilling internal life. lege of the City University of New York and earned his master’s degree from New York “Soloveitchik’s point was that the good life involves a permanent confrontation be- University. He and his wife, Gloria, who serves as the secretary and treasurer of Mini- tween these two sides of our nature within ourselves, but we happen to live in a society Circuits, support a wide range of charitable organizations, including the Hampton Syna- that nurtures and encourages and bloats Adam I while neglecting and leading to the at- gogue, Shaarei Zedek Hospital, Beit Izzy Shapiro, Harei Torah and Ohel. Kaylie recently rophy of Adam II, the internal Adam,” Brooks said. “To be here is such an honor because provided funding to launch YU Global, an initiative that will help the University expand Yeshiva is one of the rare institutions in the country that is consciously, intentionally and its reach. Continued on Page 5 ç Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Ambassador Danny Ayalon Join Faculty abbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of the United The Honorable Danny Ayalon, an Israeli Kingdom has been appointed to a dual diplomat and politician, has been appointed Rprofessorship at Yeshiva University and the Rennert Visiting Professor of Foreign Pol- New York University. icy Studies at YU for the spring 2014 semester. A world-renowned scholar, philosopher, Ambassador Ayalon will teach on both the Wilf religious leader and prolific author, Rabbi Lord Campus at Yeshiva College and the Israel Henry Sacks served as Chief Rabbi of the United He- Beren Campus at Stern College for Women, and brew Congregations of the Commonwealth will participate in public lectures and events. from September 1991 until September 2013. “Ambassador Ayalon will surely bring to At YU, he will serve as the Kressel and his professorial role at Yeshiva the same com- Ephrat Family University Professor of Jewish mitment to the State of Israel, to integrity, to Thought. thoughtful discourse and careful analysis of the “The voice, the philosophy and the spirit of geopolitical world, that he brought so success- Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks has been a gift to the fully to his assignments in the foreign service United Kingdom and beyond for many years,” and foreign ministry,” said President Joel. said President Richard M. Joel. “It has long been Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Ambassador Danny Ayalon Ayalon served in Israel’s Foreign Service our desire to welcome him into this next stage of for over 20 years, most recently as deputy for- his life by having him work at Yeshiva University to both inspire the next generation eign minister from 2008 until 2012. In 2006, Ayalon joined Nefesh B’Nefesh and the of Jewish leadership and to be a voice to the Jewish people and world for our timeless OR Movement for settlement in the Negev and the Galilee. In February 2009, he was values.” sworn in as a member of Knesset representing the Yisrael Beiteinu party. “I am excited at the opportunity to teach at Yeshiva University, one of the world’s “I am honored to join the distinguished faculty of Yeshiva University, led by Presi- great institutions of higher Jewish learning and at NYU, a university of global reach dent Joel,” said Ayalon. “This institution is exceptional in its support of the State of and distinction,” said Rabbi Lord Sacks. “This dual intellectual challenge is the perfect Israel and in spreading knowledge and education that have always made it a center of context to take forward the project of a Judaism engaged with the world in conversa- excellence. I look forward to a fruitful, insightful and stimulating dialogue with our tion with students in one of the major centers of Jewish life.” students.” n 2 YUTODAY Sephardic Community Thrives YUTODAY WEB EXCLUSIVES www.yu.edu/news Half a century later, Sephardic studies continues to expand at YU program at Yeshiva Uni- needed to feel as if they had a son who students can turn to WEB versity that began with a home at YU, where they would after classroom hours to help A handful of participants be able to grow not just academ- give them the spiritual and reli- will soon mark its 50th year and ically, but also on a religious, gious guidance that they need has never been stronger. cultural and spiritual level. We beyond academics,” said Rabbi The Sephardic Studies Pro- want to attract them to YU—stu- Tessone. “He is there for stu- gram at Yeshiva University, co- dents who we train to become dents in the capacity of a cam- founded by Dr. Herbert C. future leaders of the Sephardic pus rabbi to provide hashgacha Dobrinsky, YU’s vice president world—and give them the feel- ruchanit [spiritual guidance] on of university affairs, started out ing that they could have a great an ongoing basis. Our goal is to with just seven students back in experience here at Yeshiva.” make the Sephardic Beit Mi- 1964 and has been steadily ex- To augment these efforts, drash a warm spiritual haven on panding and flourishing over Rabbi Simon Basalely was ap- campus.” the last five decades. Today, the pointed this fall as the Edmond Last July, the SCP also cel- The Year in Pictures Sephardic Community Program J. Safra Sgan Mashgiach for the ebrated the dedication of a new From orientation, athletics and exciting events with notable speakers, (SCP) boasts more than 300 un- to the Celebrate Israel Parade, commencement, chagigot and Yom dergraduate men and women Haatzmaut festivities, 2013 marked another memorable year at YU. and serves an additional 100 k yu.edu/2013 graduate students, including a dozen rabbinical students. “The Sephardic world is VIDEO multifaceted, and YU is the only place in North America that has such diversity of Sephardic stu- dents and makes a concerted ef- fort to educate them in both secular and Jewish studies, Rabbi Simon Basalely learns with students in the Sephardic Beit Midrash. while giving special apprecia- tion to their Sephardic heri- Sephardic campus community Torah scroll, donated by a great tage,” said Rabbi Moshe at YU, a newly established posi- uncle of Rabbi Basalely, Benja- Tessone, the program’s director tion. He serves as a role model min M. Aminoff, in memory of since 2001. “This began with Dr. and mentor for students, run- his nephew, Sam Aminoff, z”l, to Dobrinsky’s vision nearly a half- ning minyanim in the Sephardic be used in the Sephardic Beit century ago, and now we have Beit Midrash during the week Midrash. Watch David Brooks’ keynote address at YU’s 89th Annual an opportunity to do better than and on Shabbat and coordinat- On November 24, YU’s Hanukkah Convocation and Dinner we’ve ever done before.” ing events, Torah lectures and Center for the Jewish Future k yu.edu/davidbrooks Over the last few years, de- other programs that enhance and Abraham Arbesfeld Kollel mographics have been evolv- the religious and cultural envi- Yom Rishon and Millie Arbes- ing, with a dramatic increase in ronment of the Sephardic com- feld Midreshet Yom Rishon Visit our Social Media Hub at yu.edu/social the number of Sephardic stu- munity.