The Center, inspired by the legacy of Senator Joseph Lieberman z”l and made possible by a generous gift by the Ira Mitzner and Riva Collins Families, will educate the next generation of public servants and advocates.

Drawing inspiration from the late Senator Joseph Lieberman’s unparalleled level of integrity, bold leadership and commitment to public service, Yeshiva University has launched the Senator Joseph Lieberman Center for Public Service and Advocacy, founded by the Ira Mitzner and Riva Collins Families with a generous gift of $10 million. Senator Lieberman had been deeply involved in the planning of the Center and was proud to have it launch at Yeshiva University. He had been eagerly looking forward to its launch when he passed on March 27, 2024.

The Center was launched on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at the Yeshiva University Museum with a showing of Centered: Joe Lieberman, a new documentary that chronicles the life and impact of the former U.S. Senator and vice-presidential candidate.

The Lieberman–Mitzner Center dedicates itself to inspiring Yeshiva University students to lead politically active lives and developing the next generation of political leaders, government officials and advocates for the United States, the American Jewish Community, Israel and beyond. By fostering a culture of collaboration, critical discourse and ethical leadership, it empowers YU students to address pressing societal challenges, promote justice and move society forward.

“Inspired by the legacy of Senator Lieberman as a model of faith and civility across the political aisle, the new Center further advances our mission as the world’s flagship Jewish university,” said Ira Mitzner, chairman of the YU Board of Trustees and founder of the Center. “Deeply rooted in Jewish values and tradition, it will prepare the next generation of public servants and advocates, empowering students to improve the world through leadership on a national and international scale.”

Senator Lieberman, a long-serving member of the U.S. Senate and the Democratic candidate for U.S. vice president in 2000, has a long and deep relationship with YU, a relationship based on shared values, goals and a devotion to making the world better. He was a member of the university’s Board of Trustees and served with Anita Zucker as co-chair of Rise Up: The Campaign for 613, YU’s comprehensive campaign to raise $613 million to position the university for continued success.

The Lieberman-Mitzner Scholars Program offers a unique blend of real-world exposure to politicians and leaders in advocacy, rigorous academic coursework and unparalleled skill development, providing a very select group of scholars with a comprehensive experience that prepares them for a career in public service. The students selected into this elite program receive honors scholarships, mentorships, internships, networking opportunities, access to high-level public officials and special programming for Israel advocacy. The first five Lieberman-Mitzner Scholars started this fall semester.

“With his faith and unwavering dedication to public service,” said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University, “Senator Lieberman epitomized the core Torah values of Yeshiva University and was the primary exemplar of a Jewish leader of enormous accomplishment who proudly brought his faith into the public square.”

With her long-held passion for public policy and inspiring young Jewish leaders at Yeshiva University, Dr. Sharon Poczter, YU’s Chair of the Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department at the Sy Syms School of Business, will serve as the Center’s founding director.

The Center launch was attended by Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman; Ira Mitzner; Hadassah Lieberman, Sen. Lieberman’s wife; Matthew Lieberman, Sen. Lieberman’s son; Jonathan Gruber, director of Centered: Joe Lieberman; Dr. Sharon Poczter; and the first cohort of Lieberman-Mitzner Scholars, as well as other YU leadership, film representatives, Senator Lieberman’s friends and family, and YU alumni and friends who gathered to celebrate the new Center and remember the senator, under whose vision it was created.