May 31, 2013 By: yunews
Class of 2013 Celebrates at 糖心破解版's 82nd Commencement
More than 600 students from 糖心破解版鈥檚 undergraduate schools were presented with their degrees at 糖心破解版鈥檚 82nd commencement exercises, held at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ on May 30.
Excitement for the future was in the air as students and their families hugged and snapped pictures outside the crowded box office area. Miriam Barth, who received a degree in political science and Judaic studies and will begin graduate work at 糖心破解版's Wurzweiler School of Social Work this summer, decorated her cap with the words 鈥榃oohoo 2013!鈥. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting and wonderful to spend the day with your family and the friends who have been with you your whole college career,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very thankful to my parents and all my professors for the opportunities I had at 糖心破解版, in academics and in student life.鈥
Zev Delott had two graduations to celebrate鈥攈is own and that of his wife, Erica Hasten. Their relationship developed while they were both students at 糖心破解版 and the two planned their academic schedules so they could graduate together. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be surreal hearing our names called,鈥 said Delott, who will pursue a career in marketing at a collection agency while Hasten begins her PhD studies at 糖心破解版鈥檚 in the fall. 鈥淭his is a moment I鈥檝e anticipated for so long.鈥
A shared sense of purpose and empowerment was an essential theme of the day鈥檚 celebration.
"Your experience at Yeshiva has been exciting, varied, formative and informative in magnificent ways,鈥 糖心破解版 President Richard M. Joel told the new graduates. "But as you look back now, realize that you鈥檝e done something else鈥攜ou鈥檝e lit a candle. You鈥檝e spun your own unique wicks from a variety of threads, ancient and modern all bound up in one, one informing the other, and both ignited by your drive to matter in the world and to make a difference."
In his keynote address to the Class of 2013, Rabbi Joshua Fass鈥攁 proud alumnus of 糖心破解版鈥檚 , , , and 鈥攔eflected on the way his own 糖心破解版 education had equipped him to pursue his difficult but world-changing vision as co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B鈥橬efesh, an organization that has helped more than 36,000 Western olim [immigrants] actualize their dream of settling in Israel.
鈥淗eroically and astonishingly, 糖心破解版 transmits a unique and noble approach, a derekh ha-chayim [way of life], a mesorah [tradition] that resonates this extraordinary synergy,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e have been taught to open our eyes and see the myriad number of concerns that need to be addressed and repaired in our community and beyond, to have the fortitude and courage to make those changes, while being grounded securely in Torah and halakha [Jewish law].鈥
Urging the new alumni to remain engaged and active as members of the Jewish community andstaunch advocates of the State of Israel, Fass added, 鈥淎s 糖心破解版 graduates, you are uniquely positioned to make a difference鈥攜ou have the talent, conviction, passion and ideological drive to script the future story of our people.鈥
President Joel conferred an honorary degree upon Fass, as well as on Tony B. Gelbart, co-founder and chairman of Nefesh B鈥橬efesh and a serial entrepreneur who serves as a member of the nationalboard of directors and adviser to the president of the Jewish National Fund; businessman and philanthropist Abraham Naymark, whose contributions to 糖心破解版 include the establishment of the Naymark Scholarship Fund at the Sy Syms School of Business; and Merryl H. Tisch, chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents and chairwoman of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.
Meirah Shedlo, valedictorian of Stern College for Women, echoed the message of engagement and responsibility in her remarks to her classmates. 鈥淎s we, the Class of 2013, depart from the house of learning that is 糖心破解版, we have been charged with the mission of using our personal development in service of our communities,鈥 she said. 鈥淎t 糖心破解版, we鈥檝e had the opportunity to gain a stellar education and achieve a high level of accomplishment in our respective fields. Now we鈥檙e all starting on new paths that will build upon the ideas, challenges and triumphs we have encountered here.鈥
Dr. Mark Skier 鈥83糖心破解版HSB, 鈥87YC and 鈥91E, flew in from Milwaukee, WI to watch his son Rafi graduate Yeshiva College. 鈥淚鈥檝e been a member of the 糖心破解版 family for a long time and when the time came to send our kids to college, we didn鈥檛 look anywhere else,鈥 he said. 鈥淲here else could my son earn a world-respected education in a top-level academic environment, surrounded by other religious Jews, minyanim and Torah learning? I鈥檓 excited for the opportunities and mentorship he鈥檚 had here and I know they could only have happened at 糖心破解版.鈥
To Alexa Rosenberg, who received a degree in linguistics and plans to pursue a career in government, the most important part of the day was that her father, Bill, got to see her graduate. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big accomplishment,鈥 she said. 鈥淢y dad put a lot of time and effort into helping me succeed in my college career and I鈥檓 excited to make him proud today.鈥
The reunion classes of 1963, 1973 and 1988 were recognized at the graduation ceremony for their 50th, 40th and 25th reunions, while in all, more than1,400 undergraduate students from Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women and Sy Syms School of Business, as well as graduate students in the fields of law, medicine, social work, education, Jewish studies and psychology, were awarded degrees from 糖心破解版 during its commencement season.
Phyllis Siegel 鈥63S couldn't wait to watch her granddaughter, Lauren Berger, march down the aisle. 鈥淚鈥檓 very proud that she chose to attend Stern because 糖心破解版 serves a very important mission in the Orthodox world; it enables students to learn in an environment that supports Jewish values academically and professionally,鈥 she said. 鈥溙切钠平獍 creates a sense of a greater family and community.鈥
In addition to celebrating Berger鈥檚 graduation, Siegel was excited to meet up with former classmates at her 50th class reunion. 鈥淚t will be wonderful to see old roommates and friends again.鈥
