LawThe Jewish Institute NEWSLETTER • FALL 2014

The Jewish Law Institute at Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center provides an academic framework for the study and application of Jewish law within the context of the American legal system. Under the leadership of Samuel J. Levine, Professor of Law and Director, the Jewish Law Institute is recognized as the premier center throughout the United States for exploring the relevance of the Jewish legal tradition to American legal scholarship, legal education, and legal practice. In achieving this mission, the Institute serves the needs of a number of diverse yet interconnected constituencies, including the legal academy, local and national Jewish communities, and students pursuing their legal education at Touro Law Center and beyond.

Pepperdine University School of at conferences in Paris and Israel. Law. He has published more than Professor Levine received a forty law review articles in the J.D. from Fordham Law School, areas of Jewish law, legal ethics, graduating cum laude and Order criminal law, law and religion, and of the Coif, and an LL.M. from constitutional law. , graduating Professor Levine’s articles with Highest Honors as a James have appeared in numerous law Kent Scholar. He then served as an reviews, peer-reviewed journals, appellate prosecutor in the Kings textbooks and anthologies. His County District Attorney’s Office, scholarship has been included in as a law clerk to United States course adoptions in the United District Court Judges Loretta A. States and Israel, has been cited Preska and David N. Edelstein by courts in the United States and in the Southern District of New About the Director New Zealand, and has been cited York, and as an adjunct professor by scholars in the United States, at Fordham Law School. He has Professor Samuel J. Levine Israel, England, Canada, Australia, also taught at St. John’s University joined the Touro Law Center Germany, and Austria. School of Law and at Bar-Ilan faculty in 2010 as Professor of Professor Levine has delivered University. Law and Director of the Jewish a number of public and endowed Law Institute. He previously lectures, and he has spoken at law served as Professor of Law at schools across the United States and  Click here for his Bio. Community Educational Programs & Resources

The Jewish Law Institute extensive Judaica Collection, holdings include the Lillie provides educational programs which represents the single most Goldstein Traveling Judaica and opportunities for synagogues, comprehensive library in Long Collection, established to promote community groups, and individuals Island, Brooklyn and Queens, the teaching of Jewish law in within local and national Jewish encompassing the various fields American law schools by making communities. Professor Levine of: Jewish law and philosophy; available to law schools the lectures widely in academic and Jewish history; the Holocaust; resources necessary to offer communal venues, both in Long Israel and modern Israeli law; and courses in Jewish law. Island and across the United American Jewish life and culture. States, addressing important The Judaica Collection serves as issues in Jewish law and American a valuable resource for Touro law law, while the Jewish Law students and faculty, as well as Institute regularly hosts groups the broader community of rabbis and individuals from Jewish and scholars and other individuals communities in and pursuing research in Jewish law, the broader area. history, and culture. Visitors to Touro Law Center In addition to the permanent The Judaica Room have access to the school’s collection, Touro Law’s Judaica

the Law Center for patients from interred. The proposed name for The Central Islip nearby psychiatric hospitals. The the Jewish cemetery is Central Jewish cemetery is part of a larger Islip State Hospital Memorial Park: Cemetery cemetery, which serves as the Bais HaChaim-Chesed shel Emes. Restoration Project resting grounds for approximately This translates as the House of Restoration Project 5,000 former patients of the Eternal Life and True Kindness, Central Islip State Hospital. The and was the name originally given The Jewish Law Institute project aims to help restore the to the Jewish cemetery. has entered into an agreement larger cemetery as well. In addition to serving the ideals with the New York State Office The project represents an of kavod hameit—respecting of Mental Health to embark important piece of the Jewish the dead—and serving the local upon the Central Islip Cemetery Law Institute’s ongoing mission community, the project aims to Restoration Project. Through this of serving the needs of Jewish assist relatives of patients buried project, Touro Law Center will communities and the broader in the cemetery. While fully help maintain a Jewish cemetery, community-at-large. At present, respecting the privacy of those which currently sits adjacent to the cemetery is not accessible relatives who wish to maintain to the public, the monument confidentiality, the project will that memorializes the Jewish assist family members who section of the cemetery has been would like to locate patients defaced, and the gate around the buried in the Central Islip State Jewish cemetery is rusted and in Hospital Cemetery. a state of disrepair. The project has been featured in The project aspires to restore media outlets including Newsday the cemetery in a way that will and the Jewish Week. allow it to be open to the public for visitation as a place of reflection, consistent with respect for the  Click here to read more. The Jewish Law Syllabus Project

The Jewish Law Institute has established the Jewish Law Syllabus Project to help facilitate the increasing attention to Jewish Law in American law schools. With the continuing emergence of Jewish Law as an area of focus in both the American law school curriculum and American legal scholarship, recent years have seen an expansion of law school courses and centers dedicated to exploring various aspects of Jewish Law. Through the Jewish Law Syllabus Project, the Jewish Law Institute has compiled a collection of syllabi from Jewish Law courses, providing an important resource for scholars who are interested in undertaking the teaching and study of Jewish Law, as well as for those who are currently pursuing these fields.

 Click here to read more.

time student who earns the the most formative years of his Touro Law Students highest mark in the Jewish Law professional and personal life. class and demonstrates a strong The recipient of the 2013-14 The Jewish Law Institute provides appreciation for the importance and award is David Greenberger, a students the opportunity to examine contributions of Jewish Law. The recent graduate. Mr. Greenberger Jewish law and its relevance to annual scholarship was established stated, “I extend my heartfelt American legal practice. In addition in 2012 by Touro graduate Morris appreciation and gratitude to to offering courses in Jewish Law, E. Fischer, Esq. ’95 as a token of Professor Samuel Levine, Mr. the Institute hosts lectures and his gratitude to his Jewish heritage Morris Fischer, and Touro Law conferences that feature leading and to Touro Law Center, which Center for the opportunity to lawyers and law professors who fostered a nourishing and supportive further my interests in Jewish Law carefully explore the place of religion environment for him in some of throughout my tenure in law school. in the practice of law. I am proud to be the recipient of this Touro Law Center boasts an prestigious honor.” active Jewish Law Students “David has a strong appreciation Association, whose members for the importance of Jewish work closely with the Jewish Law Law and has made significant Institute in planning and participating contributions to the field through in events organized by the Institute. his independent study project On a curricular level, Professor as well as his participation in Levine’s Jewish law courses are programs and events at Touro popular among students, and Law,” said Touro Law Professor several students have written Samuel Levine, Director of the independent papers under Professor Jewish Law Institute. “I am Levine’s supervision. so pleased he has received The Morris E. Fischer, LLC David Greenberger the Morris Fischer award in Scholarship is awarded to a full- recognition of his contributions.” Trial Court Program with the Jewish Academy

On April 8, 2014, the Jewish process with the guidance Law Institute hosted a trial court of a law professor and program for students from the law students, while at Jewish Academy. For several the same time learning months, faculty and students from about similarities and Touro Law Center worked with differences of Jewish and 6th and 7th graders at the Jewish American law. Academy, the only Jewish day The program was school in Suffolk County, to prepare designed to teach middle for the trial. school students about Above, photo of seventh graders from The program provided middle both Jewish and American law, the Jewish Academy Day School in school students the unique and is intended to serve as a model Suffolk County. opportunity to play an active role for similar programs at Jewish day and experience the American legal schools across the country.

In an effort to expand on this interest to Jewish legal scholars The Jewish work within the legal academy, and Jewish lawyers, as well as The Jewish Law the legal community, and the the broader legal academy, the Institute’sLaw Institute broader Jewish community, practicing bar, and the Jewish the Institute has established community. The conferences Distinguished The Jewish Law Institute include lectures and presentations Lecture Series Distinguished Lecture Series. by leading lawyers, judges, legal Lecture Series Distinguished Lecturers include scholars, and religious thinkers and Conferences prominent law professors, from across the United States. & Conferences lawyers, and rabbinic scholars, This year’s programs will be who address the interplay announced shortly. Most of the The Jewish Law Institute between Jewish law and the programs are open to the public has established a reputation American legal system. and free of charge. Stay in touch for exploring Jewish law and The Jewish Law Institute to learn of exciting developments American law at the highest organizes conferences that focus for the coming year. academic and intellectual levels. on a wide range of subjects of

The Jewish Law Institute is always available for programming, events and speakers. If you are interested, please contact Professor Samuel Levine at [email protected] or call (631) 761-7138.

Please Donate to the Jewish Law Institute: Join us in achieving our mission. Get involved in our programs and support our work in the law school, the community, and the legal academy. When making a gift, please select The Jewish Law Institute under Giving Options. To donate, please click HERE.

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