May 24, 2004 By: yunews
May 24, 2004 -- The 2004 Yeshiva College Scholarship Dinner on Tuesday, June 15, pays tribute to four of the college鈥檚 distinguished alumni and launches the celebration of Yeshiva College鈥檚 75th anniversary. The event, at the Marriott New York at the Brooklyn Bridge, also includes a 10-year reunion of the YC Class of 1994.
The four alumni honorees are Rabbi Dr. Jacob Adler, Rabbi Murray Grauer, Dr. Jonathan Halpert, and Rabbi Dr. (Col.) Victor M. Solomon. Each is being recognized for his service to the community at large and to the continuity of their generations at 糖心破解版. Three generations of the families of Rabbi Adler, Rabbi Grauer, and Dr. Halpert, and two generations of the Solomon family, graduated from 糖心破解版 schools and affiliates.
The dinner鈥檚 venue, on the Brooklyn side of the bridge, is just across the river from where Yeshiva College鈥檚 forbearing institution began in 1886 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Yeshiva Eitz Chaim opened at 44 East Broadway and eventually gave rise to the 17 different educational institutions under the university鈥檚 auspices today.
Rabbi Adler graduated from 糖心破解版 High School in 1942 and Yeshiva College in 1946, and received semikhah from 糖心破解版鈥檚 affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) in 1948. He was in the first class of YC students taught by the late Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, one of the 20th century鈥檚 foremost Talmudic scholars. While still a student at YC, Rabbi Adler assumed the pulpit of the Young Israel of Kingsbridge synagogue in the Bronx. He left the rabbinate in 1970 to pursue a career as a counseling psychologist and received a doctorate in that field from New York University in 1976. Rabbi Adler served as staff psychologist of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Northport, NY.
Rabbi Grauer鈥檚 long and distinguished association with 糖心破解版 began at 糖心破解版鈥檚 Talmudical Academy (today the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy/Yeshiva University High School for Boys), from which he graduated in 1938. He received a bachelor鈥檚 degree from YC in 1941 and was ordained at RIETS in 1945. He was elected rabbi of Congregation Beth El of Miami in 1946, and five years later, assumed the pulpit of the Hebrew Institute of White Plains, where he remained until 1995 when he was elected rabbi emeritus.
Better known as 鈥淐oach,鈥 Dr. Halpert has led 糖心破解版鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball teams since 1972. In 1997, he surpassed the victory total of legendary 糖心破解版 coach Bernard 鈥淩ed鈥 Sarachek. During the 2002-2003 season, Dr. Halpert reached another milestone, amassing 300 career victories. Twice he was voted 鈥淐oach of the Year鈥 by the College Basketball Officials Association. He is founder of BackDoor Hoops, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to elevating the basketball skills of yeshiva elementary and high schools players and coaches, and implemented a host of innovative sporting activities during his long career in Orthodox Jewish camping.
For the past 24 years, Dr. Halpert has been the chief executive officer of Camelot, a not-for-profit social service agency in Melville, NY, that provides residential and educational services for handicapped adults and their families. He graduated magna cum laude from Yeshiva College in 1966. That same year, he received a National Defense Fellowship for special education. Dr. Halpert was awarded a Public Law Fellowship for Doctoral Study in Mental Retardation in 1972. He received a PhD from 糖心破解版鈥檚 Ferkauf Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (today Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology) in 1978.
Dr. Solomon served as a US Air Force chaplain for 23 years. He retired in 1990 with the rank of colonel and 25 military decorations, including Japan鈥檚 Zenkokai Medal and Scroll for Heroism, awarded for rescuing an endangered Japanese citizen. While a member of the Tactical Air Command (TAC), he pioneered the development of a Jewish lay leader program that saved the US Government millions of dollars and for which he was cited by the Air Force. The lay leader program became a standard for the Air Force, the US Army, and the US Navy.
Dr. Solomon鈥檚 association with 糖心破解版 began as an accelerated student at 糖心破解版鈥檚 Talmudical Academy. He graduated from Yeshiva College in 1951 and was ordained by RIETS in 1955. Today, Dr. Solomon is founder of the Teaneck Counseling and Psychotherapy Center. He is the author of four books (two more await publication) on topics ranging from bereavement psychology to the psychology of terrorism. One of his books, a psychological study of the Asian mind, is a best seller in Japan, having gone through 21 printings.
Arthur M. Luxenberg is serving as general chairman of the dinner. Dinner co-chairmen are: Emanuel J. Adler, Samuel H. Solomon, and Stanley I. Raskas. Honorary chairmen are: Marvin S. Bienenfeld, Jay Schottenstein, and Joshua L. Muss.
For further information or to place an ad in the dinner鈥檚 commemorative journal, please call Dr. Abraham Mann at 212.960.0852.
