For Mordechai Kornbluth, Advanced Rabbinic and Physics Studies are Part of the Same Equation
At 黑料社 All, students pursue a wide array of interests. Some conduct cutting-edge research with the guidance and support of faculty mentors. Others, fascinated by foreign cultures or historical texts, sharpen their analytic skills and broaden their worldviews with Semitic language courses. And still others deepen their connection to Torah and Judaism by immersing themselves in top-level shiurim [lectures] at the (RIETS).
A former Kressel Scholar, Kornbluth's research on quantum physics has been published in several scientific journals.
In his four years on campus, Mordechai Kornbluth accomplished all three.
Kornbluth, a Teaneck, NJ native who graduated in May, majored in physics, minored in mathematics and Semitic languages, and enrolled in rabbinic studies at RIETS in his senior year. Now a graduate student in a joint MS/PhD program in applied physics at Columbia University, he is also continuing his semikha studies at RIETS. It may seem like an unlikely combination, but according to Kornbluth, it鈥檚 all part of the same equation.
鈥淭o become the person I want to be, I have to be well-versed in every aspect of my life, from science to Torah and halakha,鈥 said Kornbluth, a 2005 graduate of . 鈥淭he Rambam [Maimonides] said that if you look closely at the universe, you鈥檒l see the beauty of creation and it will enhance your relationship with God. He was talking in concepts, not mathematics, but as I see it, physics is the way God created the universe鈥攖he principle is similar.鈥
That logic led him to cultivate tools that would help him better understand the inner workings of Judaism and the natural world鈥攆or example, his minor in Semitic languages. 鈥淭o open up a Gemara, you have to know the language and understand the way the words work, the way the authors intended them,鈥 said Kornbluth. To that end, he took an advanced Biblical Hebrew class at YU鈥檚 , as well as two Yeshiva College courses in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic that was popular in the Gemara鈥檚 time. 鈥淭he Gemara actually talks about Syriac in a few places,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very helpful to understand that component of the text.鈥
As a Henry Kressel Research Scholar, Kornbluth also explored the hidden dimensions of the laws of physics. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a quest in quantum mechanics to try to send communications as precisely as possible, but that鈥檚 often tricky to achieve,鈥 he explained. Picture the beam of a dim flashlight in a room that鈥檚 not very dark. 鈥淪ome of the light you see isn鈥檛 coming from your beam鈥攊t might be coming from a streetlight outside or a light outside. That鈥檚 鈥榥oise鈥欌攕omething you didn鈥檛 intend to communicate.鈥
Working closely with his mentor Dr. Fredy Zypman, professor of physics at Yeshiva College, Kornbluth spent his last two years on campus searching for situations that minimize those uncertainties within the constraints established by quantum physics.
鈥淭his project had interested Dr. Zypman for more than 25 years, but he never found the right student to work on it with,鈥 said Kornbluth. 鈥淪o I picked it up for my honors thesis and got to work. Eventually I got to a point where I could write out the entire, complete equation for him on a single blackboard. That was a big deal for me.鈥
Kornbluth is continuing his semikha study at RIETS while pursuing a graduate degree in applied physics at Columbia University.
Kornbluth鈥檚 research in the area was published in a recent article in The Journal of Mathematical Physics, which rarely features undergraduate work. He has also published articles in Mathematical Structures in Computer Science and Entropy.
鈥淓ver since I first met Mordechai in Freshman Physics, I recognized his innate abilities,鈥 said Zypman. 鈥淗e showed great interest in learning new concepts and excellent technical abilities that made the challenging project I gave him possible. This no doubt contributed to his obtaining a Presidential Fellowship from Columbia University to pursue his PhD.鈥
Kornbluth felt his close relationship with Zypman and other faculty at Yeshiva College was integral as he charted his academic career, receiving their guidance on everything from research topics to graduate school choices. 鈥淒r. Zypman was always accessible, always had ideas about where to go next and was always excited about whatever new or interesting thing I鈥檇 discovered,鈥 said Kornbluth. 鈥淢y goal when I did research was to have enough material to entertain him for an hour using a computer, blackboard and chalk.鈥
In the summer, Kornbluth plans to begin research focused in condensed matter physics, which studies the way nature interacts with different materials.
For now, though, Kornbluth intends to get the most out of his time in both the classroom and the beit midrash at YU鈥檚 Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study, where, he feels, there is still so much to learn. Part of the draw for him is the atmosphere of intense communal study. 鈥淭he top guys there know their stuff backwards and forwards. You can see that the next generation of roshei yeshiva and gedolim are sitting right there.鈥
A former Kressel Scholar, Kornbluth's research on quantum physics has been published in several scientific journals.
Kornbluth is continuing his semikha study at RIETS while pursuing a graduate degree in applied physics at Columbia University.
A former Kressel Scholar, Kornbluth's research on quantum physics has been published in several scientific journals.
Kornbluth is continuing his semikha study at RIETS while pursuing a graduate degree in applied physics at Columbia University.
