Message From Our President
Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Friends,
I am pleased to present to you this Guide to our plans for the upcoming fall semester and reopening of our campuses. In form and in content, this coming semester will be like no other. We will live differently, work differently and learn differently. But in its very difference rests its enormous power.
The mission of Yeshiva University is to enrich the moral, intellectual and spiritual development of each of our students, empowering them with the knowledge and abilities to become people of impact and leaders of tomorrow. Next year’s studies will be especially instrumental in shaping the course of our students’ lives. Character is formed and developed in times of deep adversity. This is the kind of teachable moment that Yeshiva University was made for. As such, we have developed an educational plan for next year that features a high-quality student experience and prioritizes personal growth during this Coronavirus era. Our students will be able to work through the difficulties, issues and opportunities posed by our COVID-19 era with our stellar rabbis and faculty, as well as their close friends and peers at Yeshiva.
To develop our plans for the fall, we have convened a Scenario Planning Task Force made up of representatives across the major areas of our campus. Their planning has been guided by the latest medical information, government directives, direct input from our rabbis, faculty and students, and best practices from industry and university leaders across the country. I am deeply thankful to our task force members and all who supported them for their tireless work in addressing the myriad details involved in bringing students back to campus and restarting our educational enterprise.
In concert with the recommendations from our task force, I am announcing today that our fall semester will reflect a hybrid model. It will allow many students to return in a careful way by incorporating online and virtual learning with on-campus classroom instruction. It also enables students who prefer to not be on campus to have a rich student experience by continuing their studies online and benefitting from a full range of online student services and extracurricular programs.
In bringing our students back to campus, safety is our first priority. Many aspects of campus life will change for this coming semester. Gatherings will be limited, larger courses will move completely online. Throughout campus everyone will need to adhere to our medical guidelines, including social distancing, wearing facemasks, and our testing and contact tracing policies. Due to our focus on minimizing risk, our undergraduate students will begin the first few weeks of the fall semester online and move onto the campus after the Jewish holidays. This schedule will limit the amount of back and forth travel for our students by concentrating the on-campus component of the fall semester to one consecutive segment.
Throughout our planning, we have used the analogy of a dimmer switch. Reopening our campuses will not be a simple binary, like an on/off light switch, but more like a dimmer in which we have the flexibility to scale backwards and forwards to properly respond as the health situation evolves. It is very possible that some plans could change, depending upon the progression of the virus and/or applicable state and local government guidance.
Before our semester begins, we will provide more updates reflecting our most current guidance. Please check our website, yu.edu/fall2020 for regular updates. We understand that even after reading through this guide, you might have many additional questions, so we will be posting an extensive FAQ section online as well. Additionally, we will also be holding community calls for faculty, students, staff and parents over the next couple of months.
Planning for the future during this moment has certainly been humbling. This Coronavirus has reminded us time and time again of the lessons from our Jewish tradition that we are not in full control of our circumstances. But our tradition also teaches us that we are in control of our response to our circumstances. Next semester will present significant challenges and changes. There will be some compromises and minor inconveniences--not every issue has a perfect solution. But faith and fortitude, mutual cooperation and resilience are essential life lessons that are accentuated during this period. And if we all commit to respond with graciousness, kindness, and love, we can transform new campus realities into profound life lessons for our future.
Deeply rooted in our Jewish values and forward focused in preparing for the careers and competencies of the future, we journey together with you, our Yeshiva University community, through these uncharted waters. Next year will be a formative year in the lives of our students, and together we will rise to the moment so that our students will emerge stronger and better prepared to be leaders of the world of tomorrow.
Best Wishes,
Ari Berman
Traveling out of the country can be challenging enough, but it becomes even more so with children who have allergies.
But thanks to Dr. Eliana Aaron ’93S DNP, APN-C, CRNP, there are other options.
As the founder and director of Food Allergy Concierge, she and her staff of health professionals provide a variety of food allergy services so that families can enjoy allergy-safe, worry-free travel, including itinerary consulting, menu planning, translated food allergy cards and food-prep supervision in restaurant kitchens (or even private chefs).
With one out of 13 children suffering from food allergies—the number of those afflicted increased by 50% between 1997 and 2011—it’s not just an important service. It’s big business.
Dr. Aaron has found this a distinctly needed service in Israel, where she has lived since moving from Teaneck, New Jersey, in 2002. Today, she lives in Nof Ayalon with her husband, Avrum Aaron ’91YC, whom she met “at a Yeshiva College/Stern College mixer during orientation week 29 years ago.”
“Israel has unique challenges when it comes to food allergies,” explained Dr. Aaron, who is a Registered Nurse (RN) both in Israel and New Jersey. For starters, there are no laws requiring companies to use labels, and if they do, there are no regulations about what must be disclosed. In addition, the Mediterranean diet so prevalent in the country is heavy in allergens such as sesame, nuts and legumes.
“There’s a complete lack of food allergy awareness in Israeli culinary culture and in the culture at large,” Dr. Aaron says.
With a food sensitivity to nuts herself, she has encountered the consequences of this time and again. “I’ve asked waitresses if there are nuts in a dessert, and about 50% of the time the answer is incorrect,” she reported. “I’m just sensitive to nuts. But for those with real allergies, a microscopic amount can cause an anaphylactic reaction.”
Because of the lack of regulation in Israel, food often crosses production lines, so while products may appear safe, there can be cross-contact contamination. Dr. Aaron has two clients with children who suffered anaphylactic reactions to pita bread in Israel before connecting with Food Allergy Concierge, one of whom was in a coma for two weeks following exposure.
“Pita is literally flour and water, but even if something looks safe, it’s not always so. It could be baked in the same facility with significant allergens or contaminated during post-production.”
Both her experience and education have made Dr. Aaron an expert in the field. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stern College and in nursing from New York University along with a Master of Nursing Science from the Rutgers School of Nursing. After moving to Israel, she pursued her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Yale University, to which she “commuted” after making aliyah.
After graduating from Yale, she formed her first company, EMA Care LLC, which helps people in Israel, including tourists, students and older clients, get their healthcare needs met.
She identified this need while working as a medical officer at the U.S. Consulate in Israel. “For years, I worked with diplomats who didn’t have health insurance and didn’t have a status in the healthcare system,” she explained. “I helped establish healthcare and other protocols for them. EMA Care manages the healthcare services at several schools and offers about 20 clinics a week.” Services are provided in English at the same level of care patients receive in the United States.
Food Allergy Concierge grew out of EMA Care. “We watch parents’ stress melt away, and it’s a beautiful thing. It gives people the freedom to travel.” The company’s next step involves allergy-free international group trips, including travel in Israel, on safari and on cruises.
“We can group people together with similar allergies so they can have great cuisine and top-level service without the worry,” she says. “Thank God, our clients have never had anaphylactic reactions while under our complete allergy supervision programs.”
If that weren’t enough to keep this mother of three and grandmother of one busy, her third company, OneTapCare, is an international telemedicine company providing travelers, tourists and groups worldwide with 24/7 access to concierge medical care. This includes emergency medical consults, medical assessments and instant access to English-speaking health providers through a HIPAA-compliant secure app.
It’s an important health service in a world that’s growing more and more global—and a shot in the arm for Dr. Aaron’s innovative initiatives.
