Press Release

For Immediate Release

Touro College Publishes Festschrift In Honor Of Founder And President Dr. Bernard Lander

First of Two Volumes Traverses History, Philosophy, Ethics, Law and Literature

Michael A. Shmidman, Dean and Professor of Jewish History at Touro College Graduate School of Jewish Studies

NEW YORK, N.Y., – May 17, 2007 -A new volume of scholarly essays in Jewish studies written by distinguished academicians has been published in honor of Dr. Bernard Lander, founder and president of Touro College.

The 416 page volume, the first of two that together comprise this Festschrift, is entitled: “TURIM: Studies in Jewish History and Literature Presented to Dr. Bernard Lander.” The second volume is scheduled to appear in the fall of 2007.

Both volumes are edited by Dr. Michael A. Shmidman, Dean and Victor J. Selmanowitz Professor of Jewish History at Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies.

Readers of TURIM are invited to accompany prominent scholars on a voyage of exploration and discovery, traversing medieval and modern Jewish history, philosophy, ethics and law, biblical commentary, rabbinic literature and Dead Sea scrolls literature.

“Highlights of the voyage include discovery of new approaches to knotty contradictions in the writings of Maimonides, tracing the paths of the intersection of halakhah and history in medieval Ashkenaz, and vivid, memorable meetings with notable Jewish figures of the 20th century,” said Dean Shmidman.

Contributors--and their subjects-- include:

• Dr. Judith Bleich, professor of Judaic studies, Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies and Lander College for Women/The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School, on "The Circumcision Controversy in Classical Reform in Historical Context";
• Dr. Nachum M. Bronznick, professor emeritus of Hebraic studies, Rutgers University, on "Rabbi Samson R. Hirsch as Bible Commentator";
• Dr. Leon A. Feldman, professor of Jewish history, Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies and professor emeritus of Hebraic studies, Rutgers University, on "Ma'alat Erez Yisrael be-Mishnato shel Rabbenu Nissim Gerondi";
• Dr. Samuel N. Hoenig, associate professor of Judaic studies, Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies and Lander College for Women/The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School, on "Haftarah-Sidrah:Mirror Images";
• Dr. Nahem Ilan, senior lecturer in Jewish history and literature, Lander Institute, Jerusalem, on "Ha-Sifrut ha-Zufit ha-Yehudit: Bein Hashpa'ah le-Hashra'ah";
• Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, E. Billi Ivry professor of Jewish history, Yeshiva University, on "Returning to the Jewish Community in Medieval Ashkenaz: History and Halakhah";
• Dr. David Kranzler, former professor of library science, City University of New York, on "Orthodox Rabbis Confront the War Refugee Board";
• Dr. Monty Noam Penkower, senior professor of modern Jewish history, Lander Institute, Jerusalem, on "Rabbi Abraham Isaac Selmanovitz: Guardian of Tradition";
• Dr. Bezalel Safran, formerly associate professor of Jewish studies, Harvard University and visiting professor of Jewish philosophy, Bernard Revel Graduate School, Yeshiva University, on "Maimonides on Pride and Anger";
• Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman, Ethel and Irvin Engel professor of Hebrew and Judaic studies and chair, Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University, on "The Contribution of the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Study of Hebrew Language and Literature";
• Dean Michael Shmidman on "Rashba as Halakhic Critic of Maimonides";
• Dr. Moshe Sokol, dean, Lander College for Men and professor of philosophy, Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies and Lander College for Men, on "Master or Slave? Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik on Human Autonomy";
• Dr. Ronnie Warburg, research scholar, Institute of Jewish Law, Boston University School of Law, and editor, Jewish Law Annual, on "May One Destroy a Neighbor's Property in Order to Save One's Life? A Case Study in a Conflict of Duties and Its Contemporary Implications for the Incorporation of Jewish Law into the Israeli Legal System."

TURIM is the inaugural volume to be published by Touro College Press. It is being distributed by KTAV Publishing House, Inc. Copies may be ordered online at www.ktav.com.

Touro College has experienced phenomenal growth since its founding in 1971, and is currently educating more than 23,000 students at locations in New York, California, Florida, Nevada, Jerusalem and Moscow. Touro College continues to have a profound impact on the lives of its students and on the Jewish and general communities.

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