http://legacy.touro.edu/media/pr/releases/PR-JewishHeritage.asp

Press Release

Touro College
Department of Institutional Advancement

Contact:
      Barbara Franklin
      212-463-0400 ext. 530
      barbara.franklin@touro.edu

For Immediate Release

DR. BERNARD LANDER, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF TOURO COLLEGE, HONORED BY BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARTY MARKOWITZ AND BROOKLYN JEWISH HERITAGE COMMITTEE

“Brooklyn Jewish Heritage Salute to Israel” Held at Brooklyn Borough Hall

New York, N.Y., May 8, 2008 - Dr. Bernard Lander, founder and President of Touro College, was honored last week by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and The Brooklyn Jewish Heritage Committee at a ceremony at Brooklyn Borough Hall marking “Jewish Heritage Night – A Salute to Israel.”

Dr. Lander was presented with a proclamation that recognizes him as a “social scientist, educator and leader in the Jewish community, and pioneer of Jewish and general higher education - for his unparalleled efforts in creating and building educational institutions.”

Dr. Lander founded Touro College in 1971 to enrich the Jewish community, be an educational resource for the larger American community, and to help the underserved. Touro has experienced phenomenal growth since its founding and is currently educating approximately 17,500 students at locations in New York, California, Florida, Nevada, Jerusalem, Moscow, Berlin and Paris.

The evening’s five honorees were recognized for demonstrating commitment to the preservation of Jewish history that increases public awareness, knowledge and appreciation of Jewish heritage and culture, and for putting forth resources and energy to advance Jewish causes.

In addition to his work in building Touro College, Dr. Lander was cited for his co-founding of Yeshiva Dov Revel day school in Queens; his work as a consultant to three United States presidents; his tenure as a professor of sociology at City University of New York; his service as dean of Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School; his work as a former Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation of Baltimore; and his service for more than 30 years as a vice president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

Honoree Shimon Waronker, principal at Jordan L. Mott Middle School 22 in the Bronx, is a graduate of Touro’s School of Education and Psychology, Graduate Division. Mr. Waronker received his master’s degree in 2003 in educational leadership. Mr. Waronker has achieved extraordinary success at the middle school, which was considered one of the most dangerous in the borough when he became principal. Today, the school has virtually no violence, and its students obtain higher test scores and have the best attendance rate in the Bronx.

Other honorees at the event included Dr. Yaffa Eliach, president and founder of the Shtetl Foundation; and two organizations - Sephardic Bikur Holim and Shema Kolainu – Hear Our Voices.

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Dr. Bernard Lander was honored at the recent "Brooklyn Jewish Heritage Salute to Israel." Pictured left to right: Steve Cohen, Co-Chair, Brooklyn Jewish Heritage Committee; Shimon Waronker, Principal, Jordan L. Mott, Middle School 22, Bronx; Dr. Mayer Ballas, Board Member and Former President, Sephardic Bikur Holim; Joshua Weinstein, President and Founder, Shema Kolainu – Hear Our Voices; Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz; Dr. Bernard Lander, President and Founder, Touro College; Zev Brenner, Host of “Talkline with Zev Brenner” and President and CEO, Talkline Communications Network; Judith Shapiro, Co-Chair, Brooklyn Jewish Heritage Committee; and Dr. Yaffa Eliach, President and Founder, Shtetl Foundation.

Photo credit: Kathryn Kirk