VOLUMEYU 8 NO. 4 ToYESHIVA UNIVERSITY • FALL 2002 d ay Stanton Elected New Board Chairman ❑ His support has been instrumental in strengthening US News University’s financial base 2003 former treasurer, was also For a full text of Ronald Rankings elected as vice chairman, and Stanton’s acceptance speech Bernard L. Madoff was elected to the Board, see p.3 to succeed Mr. Bravmann as or the seventh consecutive year, Yeshiva University treasurer. $337 million has been raised. has been ranked one of America’s top universities Mr. Stanton joined the The campaign was officially Fin the annual US News & World Report survey. The University’s Board in 1976, the launched in May 2001, and 2003 survey ranked YU in 40th place, up one place from same year that Dr. Norman Mr. Stanton and his wife, Mei, last year. Lamm began his tenure as were among its earliest and The national university category includes YU along with president of YU. Over the past most generous contributors. 249 other schools. Yeshiva’s ranking places it among the quarter century, the two lead- Their most recent gift, to top 50 schools that comprise “tier one.” Other schools in ers have worked closely to- establish a revolving capital tier one include Columbia, Harvard, MIT, NYU, Princeton, gether on establishing a firm fund, is one of the campaign’s and Yale. financial base for the institu- most innovative initiatives. “Our outstanding faculty and students, our dedicated tion, building its endowment, The gift gives YU the resources deans, administrators, and trustees play a key role in this expanding courses and pro- and flexibility to pursue continuing recognition of the excellence of our academic grams at the various schools opportunities to enhance facil- programs,” said President Norman Lamm. onald P. Stanton, chair- and affiliates, modernizing ex- ities and acquire new ones as Factors that account for YU’s steady rise in the rankings man and chief executive isting facilities and acquiring space needs arise. Assets drawn in recent years include a high rate of retention and gradu- Rofficer of Transammonia, new ones, and strengthening from the fund are replenished ation among students, high SAT scores, strong faculty Inc., was elected chairman of overall academic excellence. as subsequent contributions resources, availability of faculty to students due to small the Board of Trustees of In 1992, Mr. Stanton was support facilities. class size, and strong financial resources. Yeshiva University at the elected vice chairman of the A previous gift from Mr. This year US News changed the names of the ranking Board’s annual meeting on Board. More recently, he Stanton endowed the Hedi categories to better reflect their missions. Colleges and uni- September 18. He succeeds played a pivotal role along Steinberg Library on YU’s versities are divided into four categories: national universi- Robert M. Beren, the Board’s with Mr. Beren, Mr. Syms, Midtown Campus in memory ties-doctoral; national liberal arts colleges-bachelor’s; uni- chairman for the past two Executive Committee Chair- of his mother. Mrs. Steinberg versities-master’s, and comprehensive colleges-bachelor’s. years, who was elected chair- man Burton P. Resnick, and was a social worker with the The national universities-doctoral offers a full range of man emeritus. other YU Trustees in the devel- Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society undergraduate majors, plus master’s and PhD degrees, and Dr. Ira Kukin, Sy Syms, and opment of the University’s for 25 years. emphasize faculty research. Morry Weiss were reelected as $400 million capital campaign Other gifts include: The Schools are categorized primarily by mission and, in vice chairmen of the Board. and served as chairman of the some cases, region, and data is gathered from each school Ludwig Bravmann, the Board’s Campaign Cabinet. Thus far continued on p. 3 on up to 16 indicators of academic excellence. The ranking formula gives greatest weight to reputation that ultimately impacts on the success of graduates in gaining entry to top graduate programs. Scheiber Scholarship Program Begins The complete rankings are available on US News Online at http://www.usnews.com. ❑ Opens Doors For New Generation of Students he second largest gift in Lauding her generosity, loans for students enrolled at F ACULTY PROFILE Yeshiva University his- President Norman Lamm Stern College who have high Ttory, the Anne Scheiber noted, “Anne Scheiber lived to scholastic standing, demon- Scholarship and Loan Fund, be 101, and her spirit will live strate financial need, plan to has recently been made avail- forever at Yeshiva University. study medicine, physical and able for select students at Stern Her enduring legacy will be natural sciences, and to be in a David Shatz College for Women and stu- the countless generations of “helping profession.” Grad- dents attending YU’s Albert Jewish women who, thanks to uates of Stern College and An Intellectual Einstein College of Medicine. her magnanimity, will assume those attending Albert Einstein Journey Worth The $22 million bequest— positions of leadership in their College of Medicine are also Taking now $36 million following chosen fields and the commu- eligible, as are Yeshiva College several years of investments nity at large. Her memory will students under certain circum- page 4 during probate—will assure surely be a blessing.” stances. significant scholarship assis- In keeping with Ms. “The Anne Scheiber Scholar- tance for quality higher educa- Scheiber’s wishes, an endow- ships represent something tion unequalled anywhere in ment was established to fund the world. scholarships and interest-free continued on p. 3 PURSUING TRUTH DREAM FULFILLED NEW TEAM Rabbi Tendler on Rangoon native arrives Student Services Talmud and Science at YU welcomes familiar page 7 page 8 faces page 9 INSIDE www.yu.edu/news/publications 2 YUToday Fall 2002 F ACULTY NEWS J. David Bleich, PhD, Herbert and Supreme Court of the United ical Notes” in the recently pub- YU, and wife Marsha on the birth of the late Max Stern, who served for Florence Tenzer Professor of Jewish States—From Alexander Hamilton lished second edition of Sefer Ha- granddaughter Rachel Tzofia, born 35 years as the University Board of Law and Ethics, CSL, spoke on to Alexander Bickel,” at the annual Neyar, a 13th-century code of to children Ely and Zippora (Feuer) Trustees’ vice chairman and with “Stem Cell Research” at the Twelfth conference of the Pacific Northwest Jewish law. A halakhic compendium Razin SCW‘95. whom she was a Benefactor. Stern Biennial Conference on Jewish Law, Academy of Legal Studies in Bus- covering a full range of Jewish law College for Women was established Jerusalem. iness, Vancouver. Rabbi Greenberg from Talmudic, Gaonic, and post- Marlene Schiffman, Judaica cata- in 1954 with a major gift from Mr. also presented “An Analysis of Gaonic sources, it was edited from loguer at Mendel Gottesman Stern in memory of his parents. Mr. Jerome A. Chanes, MSW, SCW Different Business Law Topics and rare manuscripts. Dr. Appel is for- Library of Hebraica-Judaica, and Stern and four others made the ini- and WSSW adjunct professor, Principles According to American mer chairman, department of phi- husband Lawrence Schiffman, pro- tial gifts that launched the cam- authored chapters, “Who Does Law and Jewish Law,” Cong. Schara losophy, SCW, and adjunct profes- fessor of Hebrew and Judaic paign to found Albert Einstein What? Jewish Advocacy and Jewish Tzedeck, Vancouver. sor of Hebrew studies, NYU. Studies, NYU, on the marriage of College of Medicine, on whose ‘Interest’‚” in Sandy Maisel and Ira Leah, a YUHS alumna, to David, son board he served. Mrs. Stern, former Forman, Eds., Jews in American Cantor Joseph Malovany, Distin- Arthur Hyman, PhD, Distinguished of Rabbi and Mrs. Samson Helfgott honorary chairman of the SCW Politics and “‘America is Different!’: guished Professor of Liturgical Service Professor of Philosophy and and a PhD student at Ferkauf Board of Directors, philanthropist, Reform Judaism and American Music, BSJM, was named Honorary dean, BRGS, this past summer Graduate School of Psychology. and communal leader in the US Pluralism,” in Dana Kaplan, Ed., Chief Cantor of Vilnius’ Synagogue delivered the annual Aquinas and Israel, received an honorary Platforms and Prayerbooks: A History by the Jewish Religious Community Lecture on “Eschatological Themes degree from YU in 1987. of Reform Judaism in America. He of Vilnius. Cantor Malovany is the in Medieval Jewish Philosophy” at We Mourni delivered a seminar, “The Chang- cantor of the Fifth Avenue Syn- Marquette University in Milwaukee. Dr. Meyer Feldblum YC ’51, RIETS ing Contours of Jewish Public agogue. The Jewish Religious Com- He gave a similar talk at the ‘51, BRGS ‘58, former university pro- Condolences toi Policy,” Columbia University semi- munity of Vilnius is “the perpetua- University of Arkansas at Fayette- fessor of Talmudic literature, BRGS, Rabbi Yosef Fridman, director of nars; a lecture, “Rav Soloveitchik, tor of the glorious traditions of the ville. His summer activities also and noted Talmudic scholar, in Israel. operations, Caroline and Joseph S. Revisionism, and Modern Ortho- pre-war community.” Many rev- included participation in the Se- Gruss Institute in Jerusalem, on the doxy,” at a “Yom Iyun on Rabbi ered cantors served the synagogues venth Congress of the European David Goldman, founding mem- loss of his father, Aaron. Joseph B. Soloveitchik”; and a sem- in Vilna, called the Jerusalem of Association for Jewish Studies in ber, WSSW Board of Governors. He inar, “Redefining the Protocols for Lithuania before World War II. Amsterdam, where he lectured on and his late wife, Muriel, were YU Rabbi Manfred Fulda, associate Measuring Anti-Semitism,” to the Jewish philosophy. Guardians who supported many professor of Talmud, on the loss of Graduate Faculties, Yale University. Rabbi Hershel Schachter, MHL, initiatives at WSSW and established his sister.