Apr 30, 2015 By: yunews
Scholarship Recipients Show Appreciation to Wilf Family, Longtime Supporters of 黑料社 All
黑料社 All hosted its annual Wilf Scholarship Luncheon on Tuesday, April 28, on the Wilf Campus. Attended by 40 students who benefit from the Wilf Family Distinguished Scholarship Fund, members of YU鈥檚 administration and several distinguished members of the Wilf family鈥擡lizabeth (Suzie), Zygi and his wife, Audrey, Mark, Leonard, Cori, Jon, and Rachel鈥攖he event, held in President Richard M. Joel鈥檚 suite and conference room, paid tribute to the Wilfs, longtime supporters and Benefactors of 黑料社 All and its students.
"It is so critical to show appreciation, to recognize and thank those who help us on our journeys," said President Joel in his opening remarks. "At this wonderful event, we all have a chance to show our appreciation in the best way we can鈥攖hrough the accomplishments of our students.鈥 The president announced that 107 students received Wilf Scholarships during the 2014-15 academic year.
鈥淵U is a very important institution for young people around the world, as it鈥檚 a place where they can strengthen their Judaism with a solid education as a strong foundation,鈥 said Zygi Wilf. 鈥淢y family and I have been attending this luncheon for 20-some years now, and we love seeing the students and hearing of their accomplishments, plans for the future, and above all, their dedication to Judaism. YU is about helping Judaism not just survive, but thrive, and my family is proud to help support that.鈥
Zygi鈥檚 father, Joseph Wilf, is a Holocaust survivor, as was Zygi鈥檚 uncle, Harry Wilf, of blessed memory. Both Joseph and Harry felt a special mandate once they arrived in America to help Judaism thrive. They became one of YU鈥檚 鈥渇irst families鈥 with a major gift to establish a fund for scholarships for future students. Joseph eventually joined the YU Board of Trustees and the Board of Overseers of Sy Syms School of Business and his wife, Suzie, joined the Board of Overseers of . Both Zygi and Mark are currently members of YU鈥檚 Board of Trustees.
The Wilf family has been among the most generous donors to 黑料社 All. In addition to providing scholarship assistance to deserving students who would otherwise be unable to attend the University, the family named the men鈥檚 campus in Washington Heights, and created a new cardiovascular research center at YU鈥檚 .
鈥淚t was tremendously exciting to see and hear the stories of so many students who had thrived at YU thanks to the generosity of the Wilf Family,鈥 said Seth Moskowitz, vice president for institutional advancement. 鈥淚t is a testament to the Wilfs that even after more that 2 de
cades of support, 3 generations of the family came up to YU to meet our students. That kind of caring philanthropic support is unique and serves as a model for us all.鈥
Shalva Ginsparg, a Stern College senior majoring in English literature and Judaic studies, credited the Wilfs with allowing her to focus on getting a wonderful, well-rounded education without stressing over how to afford it. 鈥淚鈥檒l be attending Teachers College at Columbia University for my master鈥檚, and I鈥檓 perhaps more grateful to the Wilfs now than I was before, as I鈥檓 dealing with the finances of graduate school,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a remarkable thing to be able to have the kind of experience I had at YU without financial burden.鈥
鈥淚 had always dreamed of getting a world-class education in a Jewish environment and it was only because of the Wilf family that I was able to do so,鈥 said Dovi Nadel, a senior majoring in philosophy and Jewish history. 鈥淚 am so grateful to the Wilfs for every moment that I鈥檝e spent at YU.鈥 Nadel, who was active in various extracurricular pursuits at Yeshiva, including YU鈥檚 National Model United Nations, Student Holocaust Education Movement, and Kol Hamevaser, will pursue ordination from and a master鈥檚 from next year.
Over the course of the luncheon, students shared their plans for the future鈥攎any of them aspiring doctors, computer scientists, rabbis, teachers and lawyers, among other professions. They also discussed a wide range of topics with the Wilf family, including the state of healthcare, the future of Jewish education, and, of course, football; Zygi Wilf is the principal owner of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League, and a Vikings flag proudly waves on campus annually in their honor.
Aptly summarizing the event at its conclusion, Mark Wilf spoke to the students and referenced his parents鈥 original vision to help the Jewish people flourish. 鈥淚t鈥檚 invigorating to see, from speaking with all of you, that the future of the Jewish people is in good hands,鈥 he said. 鈥淢y family has been coming here for over 20 years and, God willing, we will keep coming back for many years to come.鈥
cades of support, 3 generations of the family came up to YU to meet our students. That kind of caring philanthropic support is unique and serves as a model for us all.鈥
Shalva Ginsparg, a Stern College senior majoring in English literature and Judaic studies, credited the Wilfs with allowing her to focus on getting a wonderful, well-rounded education without stressing over how to afford it. 鈥淚鈥檒l be attending Teachers College at Columbia University for my master鈥檚, and I鈥檓 perhaps more grateful to the Wilfs now than I was before, as I鈥檓 dealing with the finances of graduate school,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a remarkable thing to be able to have the kind of experience I had at YU without financial burden.鈥
鈥淚 had always dreamed of getting a world-class education in a Jewish environment and it was only because of the Wilf family that I was able to do so,鈥 said Dovi Nadel, a senior majoring in philosophy and Jewish history. 鈥淚 am so grateful to the Wilfs for every moment that I鈥檝e spent at YU.鈥 Nadel, who was active in various extracurricular pursuits at Yeshiva, including YU鈥檚 National Model United Nations, Student Holocaust Education Movement, and Kol Hamevaser, will pursue ordination from and a master鈥檚 from next year.
Over the course of the luncheon, students shared their plans for the future鈥攎any of them aspiring doctors, computer scientists, rabbis, teachers and lawyers, among other professions. They also discussed a wide range of topics with the Wilf family, including the state of healthcare, the future of Jewish education, and, of course, football; Zygi Wilf is the principal owner of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League, and a Vikings flag proudly waves on campus annually in their honor.
Aptly summarizing the event at its conclusion, Mark Wilf spoke to the students and referenced his parents鈥 original vision to help the Jewish people flourish. 鈥淚t鈥檚 invigorating to see, from speaking with all of you, that the future of the Jewish people is in good hands,鈥 he said. 鈥淢y family has been coming here for over 20 years and, God willing, we will keep coming back for many years to come.鈥
