THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF STERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN AND SY SYMS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS The Yeshiva University OBSERVER WWW.YUOBSERVER.ORG VOLUME LXIII ISSUE II October 2017/ Cheshvan 5778 Dr. Berman Announces First Improvements in Faculty Compensation in Eight Years Mindy Schwartz Editor - in - Chief Dr. Berman acknowledged this himself in his statement, noting that “these steps are, of course, only minor improvements, and I am deeply aware that more needs to be done in the future.” financial crisis. Due to a high risk investment strategy, YU’s investments lost about $525 million in value between 2007 and 2009. At the same time, the university was also running an annual deficit of over $100 million. The benefit cuts and wage freeze were one of many measures taken to deal with the university’s financial crisis. While the wage freeze was only meant to last two years, the university’s In early August President Dr. Berman sent an email to the one of the benchmarks set in the university’s Strategic Plan for finances failed to turn around and–other than a 2% increase entire faculty of Yeshiva University announcing–for the first 2016-2020, released in 2016, and chaired by Vice President in 2013–it has continued for the past eight years. It should time in eight years–increases in faculty salary and benefits. Josh Joseph. One of the plan’s “strategic imperatives” was to also be noted that given the rate of inflation, a salary freeze According to his statement, a “modest allocation of funds” has “develop a plan with benchmarks by summer 2017 to improve in one year can actually more closely resemble a salary cut in been set aside for merit-based salary increases starting in Fall faculty compensation (salary and benefits) that meets the the next. Retirement benefits were similarly affected by the 2017 and, as of September 1, 2017, the retirement plan match collective goals of the University.” school’s financial meltdown. The matching benefits for the for employees with salaries above $62,000 has been increased Dr. Berman’s announcement comes after several years of 403b retirement plan, in which the employer matches a certain from 2% to 3%. benefit cuts and a wage freeze enacted in response to the percentage of the money that the employee places towards his Dr. Berman’s August 2017 announcement coincides with university’s critical financial situation following the 2008 or her retirement fund, were cut from 7% to just 2%, far below cont’d p 3 Rabbi Kanarfogel Travels to Mainz Stern Students Respond to the For World Heritage Site Application “Build a Stern Girl” BuzzFeed Quiz Leah Klahr & Shira Krinsky Leah Klahr Features Editor & Staff Writer Features Editor On September 11, under the auspices a dozen members, including a majority of Last Monday night in the Uptown YU Girl”, and then calculated “How Old You’ll and invitation of the Prime Minister of the professors from European universities, library Shifra Lindenberg, Syms ‘20, and a Be When You Get Married”. Rhineland, Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, and two professors from the Hebrew friend who requested to remain anonymous, While some Stern students expressed E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish University of Jerusalem. Rabbi Kanarfogel created the BuzzFeed quiz that has made frustration with the negative stereotypes History, Literature, and Law at Yeshiva is the only American member of the group. waves in YU and the broader Jewish about Stern women emphasized in the quiz, University, traveled to Mainz to participate The committee is working together with community. The quiz, called “Build a Stern others found it funny and astute. Lindenberg in an academic conference on the Jewish colleagues from Western Germany on this Girl and We’ll Tell You How Old You’ll reported to The Observer, “That night when communities of Speyer, Worms, and project. Be When You Get Married”, has sparked a we posted the quiz, I kept hearing people Mainz, known as the kehillot Shu”m. Rabbi Kanarfogel told The Observer that wide range of responses, including Tablet’s talk about the quiz, mostly describing it The Rhineland region has been invited his role at the conference was “to provide article “Bigoted BuzzFeed Quiz Mocks as hilarious, accurate, and even ‘dope’. to apply to UNESCO for designation as a examples and an overview of leading Orthodox Women”. The quiz was taken Everyone on the shuttle that night was raving World Heritage Site, and the conference rabbinic scholars from the Rhineland down by BuzzFeed moderators on Sunday about it… I’ve surprisingly received lots of was held by an international academic area—aside from the best-known ones such morning due to reports of offensive content. positive feedback about the quiz. In fact, I’m committee of professors who are working as Rabbeinu Gershom and Rashi (who Among the quiz questions were “Pick a pretty sure I got more positive feedback than to highlight and present the cultural studied in both Mainz and Worms), and to Seminary Your Stern Girl Went to”, “Pick negative feedback.” heritage and importance of this region highlight their important contributions.” a Graduate School for Your Stern Girl to Lindenberg explained that that quiz was for the UNESCO application. In April of Rabbi Kanarfogel explained, “Some of the Drop Out of”, “Pick a Maternity Shirt for intended as entertainment and satire, as well 2016, Rabbi Kanarfogel was appointed most important—but not as well-known— your Stern Girl to Wear”, and “Pick a Job as content for her Facebook page “Jewish to the committee, and has been described Ba’alei ha-Tosafot flourished in this for Your Stern Girl to Have After College”. Shifposting”. “I didn’t think the quiz would by the Prime Minister and Ministry of region during the recovery period after The choices to choose from highlighted get this much response and attention,” Education of Rhineland-Pfalz as “the the First Crusade…during our academic classic stereotypes about Stern students; for Lindenberg said. “I’ve made other Jewish- leading authority in the world today on discussions, we have noted that in terms example, the only job choices offered in the themed BuzzFeed quizzes that received less Jewish intellectual history during the High of advanced Talmudic study, halakha, and “Pick a Job for Your Stern Girl” question attention than this one, like my “We Know Middle Ages, including the many rabbinic piyut, it is fair to say that the Rhineland were “stay at home mom”, “working at if You’re Not Shomer Negia” quiz, and “We scholars of Sh”um and the Rhineland and represents a kind of medieval Jewish a preschool”,“working at an elementary Know What Yeshiva Your Bashert is in”’, their place within the history of Jewish ‘cradle of civilization’ that impacts Jewish school”, and “nurse”. The quiz ended with she added. learning and thought throughout the law and life to this very day.” “Pick an Engagement Ring for Your Stern Once the quiz was posted in the “Stern: In world.” The committee consists of about However, Rabbi Kanarfogel explained cont’d p 8 cont’d p 8 Editorial October 2017/ Cheshvan 5778 • Page 2 The Yeshiva University What Girl Scouts and Stern College Have in Common Observer Miriam Pearl Klahr Managing Editor Editor-in-Chief Mindy Schwartz Managing Editor Miriam Pearl Klahr News Editor Sarah Casteel Features Editor Leah Klahr Opinions Editor I recently read a New York Times op-ed titled “Girls, Don’t Become Boy workplace, they will never occupy identical roles in their communities. Kira Paley Scouts.” It was a response to Boy Scouts of America’s October 11th Thus, there is an added benefit to the women’s only status of Stern announcement to accept women and allow them to eventually earn the College. It allows for a certain honesty in experience through providing organization’s highest ranking of Eagle Scout. The article argues that Orthodox women with their own school, where they are forced to confront Web & Social while this decision may seem progressive, it is really just a business and contemplate the dichotomy of being identical to men in many aspects Media Manager strategy. Boy Scouts of America has been struggling with a decreasing of their lives, but not in others. enrollment and multiple sex scandals that have tainted its reputation. Shira Feen Welcoming girls is an easy way to both improve its public image and its Moreover, Stern College’s single sex status does not only provide an numbers. And what makes this business decision unprogressive is the empowering and thought-provoking experience to its students. It also potential harm it will cause to the Girl Scouts. comes to honor a cultural sensitivity. For Layout Editor religious reasons, many students of Stern Shira Perton Many Americans think that the Boy Scouts College are uncomfortable in co-educational and Girls Scouts are similar organizations Reading about the environments. However, other students find that simply cater to different genders, but educational benefit and enjoyment from Business in actuality they have two very different threat that a co-ed such learning spaces. Through functioning Managers visions. The mission of Boy Scouts is to Boys Scouts poses to as a women’s only college with co-ed clubs Sabrina Benmoha “prepare young people to make ethical and and activities, Stern College balances both Sarah Porgess moral choices” while that of Girls Scouts needs. In this manner it not only exposes its is to “build girls of courage, confidence, Girl Scouts helped me students to a diverse group of peers in terms and character who make the world a better of differences in religiosity; it also pushes its place.” These varying missions translate realize that my excite- women to respect each other’s religious and into emphasizing different values.