Finding a Way: Ethnic and Cultural Aspects of Multi-Generational Caregiving

On June 6^th Yeshiva University students, alumni, educators, joined community agency staffs and administrators for the Annual Aging Conference on caregiving. As in past years, the consortium of sponsoring organizations included Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, the Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School, and the Washington Heights & Inwood Council on Aging and Bronx Regional Interagency Council on Aging.

Evelyn Laureano, PhD., a Wurzweiler alumna, emphasized the importance of caregiving in her opening remarks.

Caregiving has always been a universal experience… In this day and age, caregiving has become more than a personal family issue, it is a social cause, an essential element of out health and long-term care system and a concern to policymakers, politicians, employers, insurers, and health care providers.

A panel of experts, caregivers and care recipients spoke about their personal experiences and engaged in questions and dialogue with the conference participants.

Topics covered included

• cultural variations in providing and receiving care,
• the impact on nursing home placement on both giver and recipient of care,
• caregiving at a distance,
• and immigrant caregiving.

These and other topics continued to be discussed in small groups. (Watch for a follow-up on these discussions later in the summer).

Reverend Frederick J. Streets Joins Wurzweiler Faculty

Reverend Frederick J. Streets joins the Wurzweiler faculty following his service as chaplain of Yale University and senior pastor of the University Church at Yale, positions he held since 1992. Rev. Streets was the first African American and Baptist to hold this position.

He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University and master’s and doctoral degrees in social work from Wurzweiler.

As a consultant to the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma and in conjunction with the mental health community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rev. Streets helped implement a model for the psychiatric and pastoral care of Bosnian citizens traumatized by war. He also traveled to Colombia to promote peace-making and to Argentina to help foster a greater understanding of the nonprofit sector’s relationship to higher education.

Dr. Lowengrub commented, “We are very fortunate to have recruited Rev. Dr. Streets to YU. His presence will significantly add to Wurzweiler’s ever-broadening base in the national and international arenas.”

50th Anniversary Alumni Event in Jerusalem

More than 140 alumni and friends attended a 50^th anniversary celebration at YU’s Gruss Campus in Jerusalem at which Sol Green and Naomi Abramowitz were recognized for their contributions to the schools growth and development.

Sol was one of the original faculty members of the school along with Mort Teicher, Chuck Levy and Everett Wilson. He retired in 1988 as Professor Emeritus. Naomi served as a faculty member from 1963 until 1974 when she moved to Israel and joined the faculty of Bar Ilan University which Sol helped establish in 1966.

The program featured a presentation on “Terror & Confidentiality by Norman Linzer who was introduced by Joyce Brenner ’76,’83, Sue Freedman’76 was the discussant. Sol was introduced by Stanley Schneider, ‘72

Wurzweiler Alums Take leadership Role at World Council of Jewish Communal Service

Wurzweiler Alumni played important leadership roles in the 11^th Quadrennial Conference of the World Council of Jewish Communal Service in Jerusalem, June 24-26, 2007.

Max Kleinman ’76, President of the World Council; Jacob Solomon, ’81 Program Chair; and Ted Comet, ’69 Executive Vice President of the Council are all alumni of Wurwzeiler's Program in Jewish Communal Service.

Dr. Norman Linzer ’60, a senior member of the Wurzweiler faculty, appeared on the program along with numerous other Wurzweiler Alumni.

Wurzweiler hosted a reception for the more than 700 Conference attendees from 32 countries, on the opening evening of the conference in honor of our 50^th anniversary.