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

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Dear (iradu.i- Stem I !oIlege rarely think of themselves as revolutionaries. Yet, since that day in lHM when this College opened it doors thanks to the generosity and : lr Mai Stern i.V ' Hi. we have Keen not only active participants hut true .1 movement that baa revolutionized the contours of Orthodox Judaism. This movement, the commitment of large numln-rs of women to in-depth Jewish irahip, baa brought new vitality to our people. In an age when women are ng their values and goals and often discarding traditional relationships, we md m» meaning to the words tural imeeha. The faculty and administration is very proud of your achievements and confident of your future directions. We look forward to your successes and to your continuing involvement with this College which will always be your home. .ou go from strength to strength in all your undertakings. Sincerely. Karen Bacon Dear Graduates, The term women ' s education is an oft used label void of meaning. It seems to attribute a unique quality and distinct approach to the education of women as opposed to the education of people in general. Is the desire to know, not a universal and natural inclination for all people of all ages? Woman ' s quest for knowledge has been no less intense than that of her fellow man. She has always sought to satisfy her intellectual curiosity, to grapple with philosophical concepts and to understand the secrets of nature. What is unique to the world of education, and broader in dimension, is not womi o ' a education but rather .Jewish education. It is Jewish education that explores worlds which remain untouched by society at large. Jewish education requires not only the pursuit of knowledge lis interminable questioning and delving, but a sensitivity and meticulous attention to ethical and moral behavior. The Torah provides a framework within which every aspect of life operates. At Stern College for Women you are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of a formal Jewish education that was previously unavailable on a higher level. You study in an environment where to know is not sufficient You have been taught not only to learn , but to learn and to do Learning should result in the fulfillment of mitzvol .md m positive actions thai are performed honestly, earnestly and I ' . Your success will be measured by the way in which son practice and apply what oii have learned, I. el your SOU] know Torah then it will be a crown on your head. ...ur continued search for knowledge combined wiih ;, commitment to I ..r, ih Values, I rown you Willi wi-dom May this fai lilt) ol making the- best use of knowledge, experience and understanding, benefit familj . ommunity and people. Sim erelj . Ethel Orlian

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Yeshiva University office of the president November 5, 1985 MEMBERS OF THE STERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN GRADUATING CLASS 1986 Please accept my warmest congratulations upon your graduation during this historic year of Yeshiva University ' s Centennial celebration. As you leave the University and the College, and attain more perspective, you will appreciate just how revolutionary Stern College is in the context of contemporary Jewish history. It was in the earlier part of this century that the Beth Jacob schools were inaugurated with the blessings of the sainted Chofetz Chayyim. This extraordinary advance in the Jewish education of women was not greeted with unanimous approbation, but it certainly triumphed — to the benefit of Jews throughout the world. Since then, the world has changed considerably. Women have broken into fields undreamed of heretofore, and have entered the world of the professions as the equals of men. Higher education is open to any woman of merit, no different from men. And here is where Stern College symbolizes the second important step in Jewish women ' s education in this century: the development of a liberal arts college which provides advanced education both in the humanities and sciences on the one side, and in Jewish studies on the other. We have every reason to be pleased with the achievement of our students. Your class in particular represents the beginning of the blossoming of Stern College in quality as well as in quantity. We hope that you will have, equally, every reason to be proud of your alma mater, as you come back to visit, to study and teach in it, to send your children and neighbors ' children here, and to support Stern with your substance and sentiment for years and years to come. Cordially yours, NL:is NORMAN LAMM President 500 West 185th Street, New York, N.Y. 10033 • (212) 960-5280

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Dear Graduates, Graduation is a time for celebration. It represents the culmination of your efforts and perseverance to complete the unique course of Torah u-Madda study at Stern College. Congratulations and good wishes are thus in order. But in the Jewish tradition, any completion of study, any siyyum, entails not only recognition for what has already transpired. It also includes a continuation, or a beginning anew of the scholarly process. Whether it is the beginning of another Talmudic tractate when one has been completed or the completion and beginning of the reading of the Torah on Simhat Torah, we do not rest on our laurels. The Jewish Studies Faculty has been proud to instruct you in the intricacies of Torah and Jewish Scholarship and to imbue you with teachings of morality and ethics which ought to accompany an intensive learning experience. We hope that what we have taught will be viewed by you as just the first step. Take the methodologies and the materials, the thoughts and the theories and use them well as you embark upon a new phase of study which will hopefully be a lifelong one. You may find that setting aside time to study or mustering the resolve necessary to concentrate on your studies will require great effort. Please do not despair! Remember instead the aphorism of the Amora R. Yizhak (Megillah 6b): If a person says, I have expended effort and I have succeeded, believe him her. It might not seem possible for that person to have been able to master that much Torah knowledge or to have really penetrated through to the core of a very difficult Torah concept. But if the student has put in great effort, the greatness of our Torah vouchsafes that no scholarly achievement is impossible. Dear Graduates, As you are about to leave the sacred walls of our Yeshiva I would like to share with you a very beautiful Torah thought expressed by the famous Spanish Talmudist and exegete Rav Isaac Arama, the author of the Akiedas Yitzchak. In the Biblical narrative dealing with the creation of woman we find that G-d gives her two names. The first name isha — teaches that woman was created from man (ish) and stresses the fact that like him she is capable of understanding and advancing in the intellectual and moral spheres just as the matriarchs, prophetesses and righteous women did throughout Jewish history. The second name Chaua — the mother of all living kind, alludes to the power of childbearing and to the responsibility of rearing children called motherhood. What Rav Arama is stressing in his exegetical comment is the technical definition of woman ' s unique double role and mission in life as it is depicted by the names she was given at the time of her creation. Stern College has given you the tools with which to accomplish both these missions. Through your exposure to intensive and sophisticated Torah analysis and methodology and your acquisition of yediat ha-torah you have been given the technical capability of continuing to learn Torah during your future years. This in turn will enable you to continuously grow intellectually and spiritually in your observance of Torah and mitzvos and to make an impact and contribution to society at large. Through the Jewish philosophy and theology courses you have taken you have been inculcated with an acute awareness of what it means to be a Jew and specifically a Jewish mother. A Jewish mother is the soul and inspiration of the Jewish home. It is she who will ultimately help determine her family ' s spiritual direction in life. Our Sages teach us that each generation is redeemed because of the righteous woman of that generation. It is my belief that you will be capable of personifying all that I have mentioned above and will in turn help the Jewish people of our generation experience this redemption. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you, the Class of 1986, continued bracha v ' hatzlocha in all your future endeavors. Sincerely, Rabbi Tzvi Flaum Sincerely, Rabbi Ephraim Kanarfogel