Lander College

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The Lander College for Men (LCM) is a private, men's honors division of Touro College located in Kew Gardens Hills, New York, known for its programs in accounting, biology, computer science, political science, and rabbinical ordination.

1 Academic environment
2 Faculty and Staff
3 Background and History
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Academic environment

Lander College For Men offers a wide range of majors within itself and through its parent, Touro College. In the business department there are majors in accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and a program combining management and marketing. There is also a Pre-Medical track which includes degrees in Biology, Psychology, or a combination of the two. The Computer Science and Mathematics faculty offers degrees in Information Services, Computer Science, Data Communications, Mathematics, and a mathematics track for pre-Actuarial students. There is also a major in Political Science with the option of a pre-Law track.

Most students graduate in three or fewer years at the school, since most students transfer from institutions focusing on post-high school full time Judaic studies for a year or more. They have a [Beis Medrash] program, in conjunction with the associated Beis Medrash L'Talmud, for full time Judaic studies for students who are either pre- or post-college. All students must be enrolled in at least the morning program of Judiac studies, from 7:45am until 3:00pm, excluding a 1 hour break for lunch. Following this, academic classes start, Monday through Thursday. There is a modified schedule for the mornings on Sunday and Friday, ending at 1:15pm and 10:30am, respectively, and which do not typically contain academic classes. [Night Seder] is also mandatory.^[1]

LCM boasts that its small class sizes allows for an emphasis on discussion and understanding, not just lectures. Additionally, it claims that its professors' extensive research, business experience and professional connections allow for many options not available at many larger universities. Landers, along with the other related schools under the Touro aegis, (which are not differentiated for this purpose,) have ranked nationally in the top several universities for passing several sections of the CPA, including the Business Environment, and Financial Accounting and Reporting sections.^[2]

Lander College boasts an active and cohesive student organization. The organzition was informally started and managed by Daniel & Ziva Glanz who took it upon themselves to create. They were integral to the growth of the student organization. Now, the student organization functions under the Office of Student Life, currently chaired by Rabbi Mordechai Burg. Rabbi Burg has informed the administration at Lander College that after 8 years he will not be returning next year and will be replaced by long time student activist Ariel Kapitnikoff. Lander College, though in its infancy, has already created an active alumni association, currently co-chaired by Ari Lustig, Ari Lasker and Aryeh Young. The goal of the alumni association is to unite its geographically diverse alumni body.

Lander College now boasts not only a regular kollel for those who finish college and want to continue learning but also a kollel elyon. The kollel elyon is a kollel of 10 of the best and brightest and is designed to enhance the level of learning in the yeshiva.

[edit] Faculty and Staff

Lander's rabbinical staff is led by Rabbi Abba Bronspiegel, Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yehuda Parnes, Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yehuda Shmulewitz, Menahel and Rosh HaYeshiva, and Rabbi Moshe Bamberger, Mashgiach Ruchani. Other maggidei shiur include Rabbi Dovid Mirsky and Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik (son of Rabbi Aharon Soloveichik).^[3] The college is also host to a number of well known educators, among them, Rabbi Dr. Moshe Sokol (Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania), Dean as well as professor of literature. LCM's recruitment division is currently led by Rabbi Barry Nathan, the former director of Long Island NCSY.

[edit] Background and History

The Lander College for Men was created partially in response to dissatisfaction with the alleged liberalization of Yeshiva University. In response to this, some of YU's rabbinical faculty, including Rabbis Abba Bronspigel and Yehuda Parnes, decided to leave the school. With the assistance of Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, they created an alternative Orthodox Jewish college with the goal of providing a more religious and more challenging Yeshiva environment than the one they had left behind. The Lander College aimed to provide a rigorous college curriculum while maintaining a traditional Yeshiva environment without violation of Jewish law.

The Lander College for Men opened its doors in the fall of 2000 on a 7-acre campus in Kew Gardens Hills, NY^[4] and graduated its first class in 2003.

[edit] See also

Bar-Ilan University – a Tel Aviv based university which aims "to blend tradition with modern technologies and scholarship, and teach the compelling ethics of Jewish heritage to all”.

Hebrew Theological College - a Chicago based institution, "preparing its graduates for roles as educators and Rabbis", while providing "broad cultural perspectives and a strong foundation in the Liberal Arts and Sciences."

Jerusalem College of Technology - a Jerusalem based college, founded to "educate students who see the synthesis of Jewish values and a profession as their way of life".

Yeshiva University - a New York City based university, whose undergraduate programs operate according to the Modern Orthodox philosophy of Torah Umadda ("Torah with secular knowledge").