Stern College for Women - Kochaviah Yearbook (New York, NY)

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Students struggling to understand a text, learning skills which will carry them through years to come ... A desk piled high with syllabi, course schedules, CORE listings, etc ... A passing comment in class which surprises students, once again indicating a wide scope of knowledge and understanding . . . Come in through a door always open to students . . . The development and implementa- tion of the CORE program ... A patient listener offering coffee and insights, ready to help sort out a problem ... A phone constantly ringing . . . Searching for a new instruc- tor or course to further challenge the students . . . Danc- ing eyes and a quick smile when making a point in class . . . Images of Rabbi Berman. We the senior class of 1 985, dedicate Kochaviah 1 985 to Rabbi Saul Berman. Few people are as committed to women ' s Jewish education as Rabbi Berman, and even fewer have done as much to better the quality of that education. His constant devotion to the women of Stern College has gained him our respect, love, and admiration. Thank you, Rabbi Berman.

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„» USJVE.S! KOCHAVIAH 1985

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In September of 1954, Stern College opened its doors to twenty- eight girls who would become the guides for every future class. Over the next four years, they would lay the foundation of our school and pursue areas previously unex- plored. In his address to the 1958 graduating class, Dr. Samuel Belkin wrote: Just a few years ago the seed of a momentous idea was plant- ed — the idea of creating a liberal arts college under Jewish sponsor- ship to give to young Jewish women everywhere an education in the pre- cious traditions and principles of Ju- daism, as well as in academic sub- jects. Over the past twenty-seven years, this momentous idea has sprout- ed from seed to fruit. From the day of its inception, Stern College has grown and developed into a school which enhances the life of a Jewish woman while allowing her to grow academically and religiously. In 1954, the college consisted of twenty-five classrooms, an audito- rium and limited facilities. The sci- ence labs were only in the early stages of construction, and there was no official dormitory; instead, the girls occupied several floors in various local hotels. The program of courses offered at Stern covered merely the basic areas of study, as there were only twenty-nine mem- bers on the teaching staff. Tuition was only $780 for the entire school year. Highlights of the earlier years included the visit of Eleanor Roose- velt for a fireside chat with the 1957 senior class. Over the years, the student body grew to such proportions that a new school building was necessary; in 1968, the student body threatened a strike in order to obtain a new build- ing. On March 26, 1969, a ground- breaking ceremony was held for the present eleven story classroom ad- ministration building at 245 Lexing- ton Avenue. Along with enrollment, the breadth of academic offerings expanded steadily, as students pre- pared to take their places in a vari- ety of professions and vocations. However, expansion extended to other areas as well, for, as Dr. Belkin stated, The function of a college is to discover the individual ' s capacity for growth, to bring out one ' s abili- ties and aid in realizing them to the full. This involves more than devel- oping a mechanical aptitude to fill a job. It goes beyond mere memoriza- tion of facts. It involves develop- ment of a mature understanding, the development of heart and mind, the