YU News

Straus Scholars Yaakov Willner (YC ‘25) and Gavriel Buchwald (YC ‘26), respectively president and vice president of YU’s Alexander Hamilton Society chapter, organized an event featuring national security expert Dr. Michael Doran.

On Sunday March 31, the Jewish Center held a book launch for The Promise of Liberty, a newly released Haggadah by Straus Center Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern and Jacob Kupietzky.

In the academic year 2023-2024, the Straus Center has launched “Two Texts, Three Questions,” a new program led by rabbinic intern Yehuda Goldberg designed to encourage Straus Scholars to pursue their own intellectual interests and explore new connections between Torah and Western thought.

A new book by Timothy P. Carney, "Family Unfriendly," relied on research assistance by Straus Scholar Jacob (Yakov) Sundel (YC ‘24), who spent the summer of 2022 at the American Enterprise Institute working as a research intern.

In February and March 2024, the Straus Center has continued to make a significant impact across the media landscape, with multiple new publications, podcasts, and other contributions.

In the academic year 2023-2024, the Straus Center has been convening an extracurricular seminar series, “Writing as a Public Intellectual: An Advanced Mentorship Program" led by Senior Scholar Dr. Tevi Troy.

On Tuesday March 5, 2024, the Straus Center hosted Rick Richman, historian and distinguished author of the recent book, "And None Shall Make Them Afraid: Eight Stories of the Modern State of Israel."

On February 28, 2024, the Straus Center hosted Melissa Weiss, Executive Editor of Jewish Insider.

On February 22nd, 2024, Straus Center Resident Scholar Dr. Shaina Trapedo took her students to The Morgan Library & Museum for a guided tour of its exhibit, “Medieval Money, Merchants, and Morality.”

In spring 2024, the Straus Center is offering a variety of reading groups, many of which focus on the great speeches of history as well as the art of oratory.