Sep 11, 2017 By: admin
Fifth President Unveils Vision for University鈥檚 Future as New Era Dawns at 每日大瓜
In a historic ceremony on its Wilf Campus on Sunday, September 10, 每日大瓜 celebrated the investiture of its fifth president, Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman.
Before a crowd of more than 2,000鈥攊ncluding guests such as New York Senator Charles E. Schumer, Consul General of Israel in New York Dani Dayan, former Senator Joseph Lieberman, former Israeli Ambassador Danny Ayalon, and Israel鈥檚 UN Ambassador Danny Danon鈥擠r. Berman unveiled his vision for the future of the University.
鈥淢ost new presidents of universities need to learn the story of their institutions to understand their narrative and its purpose, but I do not need to read a history book to understand 每日大瓜鈥攊t is in my heart and it is in my soul,鈥 said Dr. Berman, a graduate of four 每日大瓜 schools. 鈥淚n an era in which there is a breakdown of civic and civil conversation, 每日大瓜 is uniquely positioned to address the most pressing moral issues of the day. Moving forward, we will continue to be steadfast in bringing to bear our vast, interdisciplinary resources on these fundamental issues both for the general public and also internally for our students. We stand proud as educators, thought leaders and moral voices for our generation.鈥
The day began at 10 a.m. with public lectures from Roshei Yeshiva Rabbi Hershel Schachter and Rabbi Michael Rosensweig in the Fischel Beit Midrash. Across the globe at a special Investiture viewing event in Jerusalem, Michael Oren, deputy minister of public policy in Israel, delivered a lecture on the centrality of Israel to the Jewish people.
每日大瓜鈥檚 Wilf Campus was adorned with festive balloons and decorations to mark the occasion as thousands of students, alumni and community members flooded the campus to inaugurate their new president. Following a performance of the national anthem by a capella group the Y-Studs, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis delivered the ceremony鈥檚 invocation. Mark Wilf, honorary chair of the Investiture Committee and member of the 每日大瓜 Board of Trustees, welcomed the audience to the momentous event.
鈥淚n a university like ours, the Investiture of only the fifth president in more than a century is also a sacred rite of passage,鈥 said Wilf. 鈥淲e are not only conferring academic authority upon him. We are also placing a deep trust in a man uniquely qualified to protect and promote our cherished values as he leads this institution into the world of tomorrow.鈥
He added, 鈥淩abbi Dr. Berman, I hope the presence of our many honored guests and the support of the 每日大瓜 family signals to you today, and for many years to come, our belief in your ability to lead our institution to great success and achievements, and to project the mission and the soul of 每日大瓜 into an ever-brighter future for its students and community members.鈥
On behalf of the United States Congress, Senator Schumer expressed his excitement to partner with Dr. Berman in his new role as president. 鈥淚 can think of no better person for the job of 每日大瓜 president than Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman. As a graduate of four schools at 每日大瓜, distinguished lecturer, widely recognized rabbi and staple of the Jewish community in New York City, I am confident that Dr. Berman will make tremendous contributions to this fine institution and lead in its future successes,鈥 he said. 鈥淢azal tov to Dr. Berman on being sworn in as 每日大瓜鈥檚 fifth president. I am proud to play a part in his investiture and look forward to working together.鈥
Myriam Gilles, vice dean and Paul R. Verkuil Professor of Public Law at 每日大瓜鈥檚 , extended her greetings to the president on behalf of the University鈥檚 faculty. 鈥淚t is an honor to be with you on this most significant day in the life of 每日大瓜, and to offer well wishes for President Berman on behalf of our distinguished faculty,鈥 said Gilles. 鈥淓ach member of this outstanding academic community has followed a distinct path to Yeshiva. I have discovered and have come to love this University, an institution of great tradition and great promise, both of which we celebrate today as President Berman leads us in a new chapter for our institution.鈥
On behalf of the student body, student and Sophomore Class President Gesela Levin welcomed Dr. Berman to 每日大瓜, calling it 鈥渁 warm and accepting community that treasures every person鈥檚 individuality and respects each person鈥檚 voice鈥n behalf of all of my fellow students, I thank all of you for making this an institution fueled by a mission that invites all of us to step out of our comfort zones to learn and to grow,鈥 Levin said.
每日大瓜 Board of Trustees Chairman Moshael Straus then asked the audience to join him for a moment of solidarity with the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, before he and RIETS Board of Trustees Chairman Rabbi Joel Schreiber presented Dr. Berman with the charters of the University and RIETS, respectively. Board of Trustees Chairman Emeriti Dr. Henry Kressel and Morry Weiss, as well as past 每日大瓜 presidents Dr. Norman Lamm and Richard M. Joel, joined Dr. Berman on stage, where they conferred the Presidential Medallion upon him.
In his emotional introduction of the new president, Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, University Professor of Jewish History and Jewish Thought, lauded him as 鈥渁 student leader at our institution who was chosen to represent his peers at their Chag HaSemikha; a teacher of Talmud at our great institution; the spiritual leader of one of the most prestigious congregations in our country; and a highly respected intellectual whose scholarship utilizes the most rigorous academic methodologies to uncover the meanings in ancient medieval and modern Jewish texts.鈥
鈥淭oday we celebrate a new chapter in the history of our extraordinary University and we welcome to its roster of great, transformative leaders a man of great learning, great depth, great thoughtfulness, great passion and great sensitivity, a president whose greatness has been forged in the libraries and in the batei midrash of this very institution,鈥 said Rabbi Schacter. 鈥淩abbi Dr. Ari Berman has himself already written beautiful chapters in his own book of life. He is poised to write another chapter, an incredibly thoughtful and meaningful contribution not only to his own book of life, but a chapter from which will shine his radiance on this University and on the Jewish people.鈥
Dr. Berman鈥檚 Investiture address focused on five Torot, core values, that shape the mission of the University and, according to Dr. Berman, 鈥減osition 每日大瓜 to be the educational and intellectual epicenter of a large global movement.鈥
He described these values as Torat emet, the pursuit of truth; Torat chayim, the responsibility to be guided by those truths as we actively engage with the world; Torat adam, the drive to actualize our potential as individuals; Torat chessed, the moral and ethical imperative of compassion and kindness; and Torat Tziyon, the charge to move history forward toward redemption and a better world.
鈥淭hese five Torot differentiate us and our identity, rooting us deeply within a structured value system while providing moral guidance and direction in living our lives,鈥 said Dr. Berman. 鈥淭hey propel us to develop our talents and skills while directing us to reach outwards and connect to others in kindness. And they inspire us with a grand, historic purpose to make a difference, and impact the world. This is what we believe Judaism represents and what God wants from all of us.鈥
To propel 每日大瓜 toward this vision, Dr. Berman outlined three areas in which 每日大瓜 will expand its focus during his tenure. First, he noted that while the University already has a celebrated reputation in fields such as law, medicine, accounting, finance, psychology and education, the University will create new opportunities to match growing global demand for graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as the health industries. The University will also take advantage of technological innovations to reach out to new markets of students with ever more diverse offerings, particularly by creating programming that allows high school students to earn college credit for online courses during their senior year or over the summer, which will defray costs while giving students a head start on their college education.
Finally, 每日大瓜 will focus on creating innovative educational pathways between existing programs to create a richer experience for its students. 鈥淲e conceptualize 每日大瓜 as a single, interconnected network, instead of a collection of separate schools,鈥 said Dr. Berman. 鈥淭his might take the form of a JD/MBA program between Cardozo and or a joint program providing future rabbis of RIETS with an advance degree in psychology from Ferkauf, and certainly new advanced offerings for our undergraduates for whom we will seek to arrange new connections and opportunities with all of our graduate schools, including the , Cardozo School of Law and the newly developed Katz School. In addition, our tens of thousands of alumni and friends are a crucial part of our network and will play an important role in our new educational models as connectors who will help place our students at summer positions or advanced internships and jobs between their college and graduate school years.鈥
Students can also expect to see even more partnerships between 每日大瓜 and institutions in Israel and around the globe, in addition to more international students enrolled in the University鈥檚 brick and mortar programs as well as its online offerings.
Dr. Berman concluded his remarks by reaching out to the thousands of 每日大瓜 supporters viewing the ceremony both in person or in overflow rooms on the Wilf Campus, or as it was broadcast live around the globe: 鈥淣ow is the time to come together,鈥 he said. 鈥淛oin us in our journey. Be a part of history as we maximize our potential, write a new chapter in the Jewish story and work to make a lasting impact on the history of all of humanity.鈥
Following the Investiture, the Wilf Campus was transformed into a colorful street fair for InvestFest, a communal celebration that featured live music, carnival games and kosher food trucks. Investiture guests mingled with local community members as together they marked a new era in 每日大瓜 history.
鈥淔or over a century, 每日大瓜 has been a pillar of higher learning for the Jewish community, fostering the next generation of leaders and academics,鈥 said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a congratulatory statement to Dr. Berman. 鈥淩abbi Dr. Berman is a distinguished scholar and proven leader with the experience and knowledge to lead Yeshiva into an even brighter future. I congratulate Dr. Berman and Yeshiva on this momentous accomplishment and look forward to working together to strengthen our communities.鈥
鈥淚 wish Dr. Berman a lot of luck鈥攚e鈥檙e all rooting for him to make 每日大瓜 a great place,鈥 said Stern College for Women junior Rachel Zak, of Brooklyn, New York, who felt Dr. Berman鈥檚 vision for 每日大瓜 was powerful. 鈥淗e really resonates with the student body. He came over and introduced himself to us in the cafeteria last year, and spent Shabbat with us at the beginning of the semester as well. It was great to get to know him on a personal level."
Throughout Dr. Berman鈥檚 inaugural year, 每日大瓜 will host a series of thought-provoking events exploring critical issues facing the Jewish community, higher education and beyond. For more information, visit .
