(Courtesy of Yeshiva University) “I went to Stern.”
Tens of thousands of graduates over the past seven decades have said those proud words, each declaring them with a knowing smile and prompting great memories consisting of friends, classes, professors, religious inspiration, dorm life, Manhattan living and countless other wonderful thoughts and experiences.
Since 1954, when Stern College for Women opened its doors, its graduates have looked back at their time at Yeshiva University with delight, appreciation and pride, knowing that they were part of a unique community that helped shape the face of Modern Orthodoxy in America and around the world. Stern College has transformed women’s higher education since its inception, and it has been a destination for women interested in continuing their Jewish learning at the highest levels, coupled with an exceptional secular studies program.
Seventy years after its founding, Stern can boast of accomplished graduates living around the globe—leading, contributing, making a difference and changing the world for the better. They are productive members of their local Jewish communities and beyond, and boast successful careers in a wide array of fields. In many cases, they are the mothers and grandmothers of equally impressive current students and graduates.
The Dawn of a New Era in Jewish Women’s Education
Stern has been blazing a trail in women’s education since opening in September 1954 with an incoming class of 32 students. The college was created to address the growing need for a premier undergraduate institution for young Jewish women interested in pursuing careers in science, business, Judaic studies, education, the humanities and the social sciences, and was established thanks to a generous gift from Max Stern, president of Hartz Mountain Corp., in honor of his parents.
The college’s main building at 253 Lexington Avenue, on the corner of East 35th Street, was built in 1911 and originally housed the Packard Commercial School. The school offered diverse yet rigorous programs with world-renowned faculty and a dynamic Torah-focused environment, and enrollment grew quickly. Additional buildings were added nearby, which together became YU’s Israel Henry Beren Campus. New academic programs and initiatives were continuously added to meet the wishes of students for more comprehensive Jewish studies offerings—most notable among them, a more intensive, text-based Jewish studies program and the creation of a beit midrash. On October 11, 1977, Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, the revered rosh yeshiva at YU’s rabbinical school, delivered the introductory shiur to inaugurate the program.
Other advances and additions to Stern’s Judaic and general studies offerings followed, including:
The restructuring of the Judaic Studies department in 1980 to offer students expanded opportunities to study classical Jewish texts.
The establishment of the Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies, which is the largest undergraduate Jewish studies program in the country for women.
The S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program, founded in 1999 with the goal of enhancing the college experience of high-achieving students.
The Graduate Program in Advanced Talmud/Tanach Studies, established in 2001, offering Torah study at an advanced level, and boasting graduates who serve as scholars and role models in communities and schools around the world.
The Mechina Program, established in 2004, for students who are new to Hebrew language and textual study.
The appointment of Dr. Karen Bacon was a pivotal moment in the school’s history. An alumna of Stern College who went on to serve as dean from 1977 to 2024, Dr. Bacon has overseen a period of remarkable growth in the school’s student body, faculty, academic programs and facilities. Her contributions have been immeasurable, including as mentor to hundreds of appreciative students and faculty.
Visits From Dignitaries
Stern College has welcomed its share of famous visitors through the years. In May 1958, Eleanor Roosevelt visited and conducted a fireside chat with a group of students as part of “Stern College Month,” proclaimed by New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner to honor the school’s first commencement. Politicians, authors, songwriters, lyricists and poets have made their way to the Beren Campus, sometimes multiple times. They include Isaac Bashevis Singer; Sheldon Harnick of “Fiddler on the Roof” fame; Deborah Lipstadt; Jonathan and Faye Kellerman; Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Lady Elaine Sacks, who together participated in a shabbaton in 2010 as part of a campus visit; Dr. Dara Horn; Elliot Abrams; and Maya Angelou, who inaugurated the Marica Robbins-Wilf Scholar-in-Residence program with a riveting performance to a packed auditorium in 2001.
In a major development, YU’s Sy Syms School of Business was established in 1987 to co-exist with Stern College, catering to students interested in finance, marketing, accounting and other business-oriented disciplines.
The number of majors at Stern has grown significantly over the years in response to the needs of students and demands of the workforce. Currently, STEM-related majors are highly popular at Stern College, especially an impressive computer science major whose graduates land jobs with the biggest names in the tech industry. Stern College students’ successes also continue at the graduate level, earning them coveted spots in some of the nation’s most prestigious schools. In fact, law school acceptance rates for Stern College graduates were 94% in 2024, and dental and medical school admission has been 100% for the past five years.
Stern alumnae have achieved spectacular success as leaders in a variety of fields, and many have also become Torah scholars with devoted followings around the world. Notable alumnae include Dr. Nechama Price, Dr. Sylvia Barack Fishman, Rabbanit Chana Henkin, Rochelle Majer Krich, Dr. Judith Bleich, Suri Kasirer, Dr. Rochelle Millen, Dr. Erica Brown, Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Dr. Esther Berko.
The women of Stern are also known for their extraordinary commitment to chesed, their dedication to improving the lives of others and helping those in need. Whether it was the vigils held by students around the clock at Ground Zero after the September 11 attacks, reciting Tehillim for those who perished; participating in rallies on behalf of Jews in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s and the people of Darfur in the early 2000s; or standing up for Israel, throughout the decades, the women of Stern have dedicated themselves to tikun olam.
More recently, they’ve contributed to the greater good by helping Ukrainian students celebrate Purim during a brutal war, teaching science each year to local public school students through the START Science program, and visiting with and delivering food to the elderly, among countless other efforts.
From 32 Students in 1954 to 760 in the Fall of 2024
What began as a new school with a small incoming class has become an educational powerhouse and the go-to destination for women seeking to blend intense Torah scholarship, a spirited Jewish student life and rigorous preparation for their chosen careers. Stern at 70 isn’t only going strong with its record enrollment numbers in recent years; it’s thriving as the gold standard for a Torah-focused, premier college education. And, yes, it’s still creating fantastic memories.
Stern College for Women’s Open House will be on Sunday, November 17. To learn more and register, please visit yu.edu/openhouse
