Joy at Lincoln Center as Touro graduates 500

More than 500 graduates received degrees during Touro University’s 52nd annual commencement ceremony on May 31 at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

The ceremony honored graduates of the university’s Lander Colleges and featured remarks from university leaders, an honorary degree presentation, student speakers and academic awards.

Touro University President Dr. Alan Kadish told graduates they are entering a rapidly changing world marked by advances in artificial intelligence, rising antisemitism and geopolitical uncertainty.

“Resilience and flexibility are the two most important things that you need to take forward into the future,” Kadish said. “Use the skills and talent you have built at Touro to deal with the challenges, deal with them flexibly, deal with them with resilience, and you’ll succeed.”

He encouraged graduates to remain grounded in Torah values as they begin their careers and adult lives.

“To earn His benefit, to earn His providence, requires our effort to interact with it, to learn Torah, to view it in our lives,” Kadish continued. “You can depend on Hashem’s beneficence, but you have to use the skills that you’ve learned throughout your life and at Touro.”

The university awarded an honorary doctorate to Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and composer. Introducing Rechnitz, Rabbi Moshe Krupka, Touro’s executive vice president, cited his support for Jewish educational institutions and community organizations.

In his address, Rechnitz spoke about the opportunities and responsibilities graduates will face. He also addressed antisemitism and encouraged graduates to respond through personal achievement and character.

“Your response to darkness cannot simply be outrage, it must be excellence,” Rechnitz said.

He urged graduates to pursue success while remaining committed to their Jewish identity and values.

An evening highlights followed Rechnitz’s address, when Krupka introduced a musical tribute recognizing Rechnitz’s work as a composer. Joined by members of the Shira Choir and Yussi Sonnenblick, a 1995 alumn of Touro’s Graduate School of Jewish Studies and a current professor at the university, Rechnitz participated in a performance of his song “V’Hareinu.”

Audience members joined in the singing while illuminating the hall with cellphone flashlights.

The university also recognized Dr. Stanley Boylan, who is transitioning to a new role as vice president for university affairs after 50 years of service to Touro.

In addition, 15 graduates received special recognition for academic achievement.

Four valedictorians addressed the graduating class: Joseph Levy and Batya Zitron of the men’s and women’s divisions of Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences, Moshe Tzvi Ostreicher of Touro’s Lander College for Men, and Mina Schulman of Touro Lander College for Women.

Ostreicher reflected on the relationships formed during students’ years at the university.

“Class of 2026, we are ready to move forward in the journey of life,” he said. “But continue to carry Touro University with you. Carry the people, the arguments, the afternoons that became something more than you expected. Carry the relationships that made us who we are, standing here today.”

Reported by Touro University.