Yeshiva University - Masmid Yearbook (New York, NY)

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IN MEMORIAM Dr. Meyer Atlas Rabbi Henoch Fishman

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We dedicate this issue of Masmid to a man who is doubly unique. Professor Irving Greenberg is an extraordinary thinker and educator, being highly proficient not only in history, his specialty, but in the Humanities and the Natural and Social Sciences as well. Dr. Greenberg ' s knowledge is matched by his teaching ability, as evidenced by the rare combination of clarity, precision, and subtle humor shown in his lectures. Meeting the test of a true professor. Dr. Greenberg always stimulates his students to work diligently on their own. Dr. Greenberg is also an extraordinary human being; never one to neglect his students despite an increasingly heavy schedule. Anyone with personal or scholastic problems knows that Dr. Greenberg is always available with a smiling face and a sympathetic heart. His encouraging manner in itself is often the first step in solving the difficulty. More deeply. Dr. Greenberg ' s significance lies in that he is the personi- fication of the aim of ' eshiva University. Never reluctant to draw parallels and show differences between the heritage of classical Judaism and modern Western culture. Dr. Greenberg ' s ultimate goal for himself, his students, and the institution is synthesis ' in its highest form. The dedication of Masmid to Dr. GreerTberg is only a small token of our deep esteem for him. Perhaps the only true recognition that can be given such a man is our self-dedication towards reachins our soal of Torah U ' Madali.

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The unexpected and Iragic death of l)r, Meyer Atlas on October 15, 1965 brought to a premature end an academic career that spanned almost three decades of loyal and devoted service to Yeshiva College and its student body. His passing left an irre- placeable void in the faculty as well as a deep feeling of sadness and sorrow in the hearts of his colleagues as in all the students who were privileged to be in his classes. Dr. Atlas was an outstanding proponent of the piiilosophy that a professor ' s primary activities should be leaching and then re- search. He was not only interested in transferring information but in helping motivate students to pursue learning and to develop a capacity for independent thought. Dr. Atlas was a biologist whose erudition was both broad in scope and rich in depth. As a man, he was modest, self-effacing and unobstrusive. His personal qualities collectively made him stand out even in the academic world. He sought neither compli- ments nor recognition, for he felt he was only fulfilling his respon- sibilities. Many generations of students are immeasurably richer for having had him as their teacher — this is his legacy. Dr. Saul Wischnitzer Great achievements in life are attained by men with a singular ideal. Eager to see their ideals implemented, these people put all other interests aside. The old adage that there is a time and a place for everything was never intended for these extra-ordinary ' men. Their particular commitments in life, which transcend time and place, are always in order. Such dedication in any field greatly taxes the devotee. How much more so, in the realm of Torah. which asks the ser -ice of body and mind, the wakeful hours and the sleepless ones. Rav Fishman was an extraordinary man. dedicated uncondi- tionally to Torah and Mitzvot. In other pursuits, total involvement is often characterized by a frenzied look or an eccentric person- ality. In Rav Fishman, one saw a staidness which reflected an inner calm that possessed the Rebbe. Verily, he was an Aron Hakodesli. a sanctuar} ' wherein the Torah resided. The growth of a mature tree is imperceptible for it grows in girth, not in height. So the Rebbe was constantly amassing knowl- edge of Torah. constantly perfecting his deep love for man. and his reverence for G-d. His roots in Torah struck deep; he towered over ordinar} ' men as the cedar in the forest. It was only when the tree was struck down and we counted ring upon ring, that we realized whom we had lost.