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As many of you may already know, Dr. Edgar Bendor, the husband of long time faculty member Dr. Susan Bendor died last week. I had the privilege of attending the funeral service on Sunday. What a wonderful gift to be able to be present for someone who has been so active in teaching bereavement counseling during her tenure at this university.
For those of you who would like to make a shiva call, she and her family are sitting on 3/30/2009, 3/31/2009, and 4/1/2009 at her home.

Details can be obtained by contacting my office
212-960-0127
or the mail office
212-960-0800

Toronto Alumni Gather to Discuss Ceremonial Violence as a societal phenomenon

On March 8, 2009, Roslyn '72 and Ben Schultz opened their home to Toronto Area alumni for a presentation and discussion by Dr. Jonathan Fast '99 of :

CEREMONIAL VIOLENCE:

A Psychological Explanation of the School Shootings.

(2008, Overlook)

D.Harvey '06 (l) R.Schultz '72 (r)

Dr Fast provided particpants a list of seminal articles which he informed his research in advance of this presentation. During the discussion alumni were encouraged to include material from their own practice as they asked questions and responded to the speaker. Participants represented a wide variety of social work practitioners, which included but was not limited to individuals working with children and adolescents. All present expressed a desire to become more familiar with this phenomenon which is a pervasive contemporary social issue.

Dr Jonathan Fast '99

The Alumni Book Discussion groups was an idea presented by Roz, who felt she and other Toronto area alumni would enjoy the opportunity to participate in academic reading opportunites. Selected Wurzweiler faculty will assemble reading relevant reading lists which will be available by email to interested alumni. A topic for the next meeting , planned for June 2009, is in process. Interested alumni should email Mark Miller : cmmiller@yu.edu, with thoughts and feed back.

Alumni meet with Dr. Fast.

WSSW Toronto Area Alumni - March 8 , 2009 Dr. Jonathan Fast will make a presentation on Ceremonial Violence in High Schools

Toronto Area Alumni of the Wurzweiler School of Social Work

You are cordially invited to attend a presentation by Jonathan Fast PhD on his new book:

Ceremonial Violence: The Psychological Explanation of School Shooting

a new publication which explores the phenomenon of high school shootings over the past 50 years , follow the hyperlink above for additional information on this fascinating study.

Dr. Fast’s presentation will be followed by a reception hosted by alumna:

Roslyn Schultz ‘72

Refreshments will be provided - Dietary Laws Observed

There is no charge for the event however an RSVP is required. Additional information and address will be available by contacting :

Mark Miller
Director of Alumni Relations
Wurzweiler School of Social Work
212-960-0127
cmmiller@yu.edu
A suggested list of readings is available please contact the alumni office for details.

Job search challenges in current ecconomic climate?

For any Wurzweiler graduate who is currently conducting an employment search I would like to pass along information on an upcoming job fair.

Wurzweiler Alumni are welcome to attend:

The 2009 Metro NY MSW Job Fair
( sponsored by the CSWE Accredited Schools of Social Work in the NYC Metro Area)
*
Friday April 24, 2009
*
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
*
Columbia University
Lerner Hall – Roone Arledge Auditorium
( on the Columbia Campus- Broadway Between 114 and 115th Street)

No Advance Registration
(but you will be required to sign in )

We invite all alumni to participate in this job fair.

Please remember to bring multiple copies of your resume, as :

Representatives from more than 100 Social Service Agencies are expected

You will be participating with graduating MSW students as well as alumni from the various schools of social work in the region.

The Challenge of Licensure - Wurzweiler is here to support you !

FACT:No one takes the LMSW Licensing Examination with the intention of failing.

FACT: Many intelligent people have trouble passing this exam.

I believe based upon my conversations with alumni who continue to encounter challenges with the state licensing exam and my own personal experience in taking the test that :

There are two major reasons that individuals have difficulty with this exam:

1.The obtuse wording of the questions and answer choices provided on the exam

2.Anxiety , which many individuals experience in similarobjective testing situations.

I know the fear of failing the exam very well, infact, I put it off as long possible, about a year after gradutation. Fortunately, I got lucky and I passed it on the first try and, believe me, I am not a great standardized test taker.

Based upon my personal experience taking the exam and the report of other alumni I asked Dean Gelman if we could initiate a structured study series.

The Wurzweiler School is committed to supporting our alumni through this process

SinceAugust 08, I have been conducting six week series of study sessions for alumni. Each series meets once a week for two hours. The groups focus on reading multiple choice questions similiar to those presented on the examination. Hopefully participants improve their test taking skills and are able to identify areas of content in which they are weak, for at home review

These study sessions have been very well received. If you are a Wurzweiler graduate and feel you could benefit from some group review, please call my office:

212-960-0127

or

email me: Cmmiller@yu.edu

The third series ends on March 5 . Series 4 commences after Pesach on April 23.

The following quotes are taken from a few of the emails I have received from past study group participants:

"I PASSED my exam (on the first time)!!!!! Thank you so much for all of your help. I don't think I would not have passed if I didn't take your class. Most of what I studied wasn't even on there; it was more that knew their style that was helpful I think. …."

"I took the test today and I was thrilled when I pressed the button and I found out that I passed. I thought the test was extremely difficult and most of the questions were wordy vignettes with two good answers. It took me almost the full four hours! … but the real test was much more difficult…I found the class extremely helpful both in terms of learning how to answer the questions and how to study. Thank you so much!"

Terry Rolnick Lowenstein ’06 W and her husband announced the birth of their son Moshe Michael in September 2007. Mazel Tov! to Terry and Stuart.

San Francisco Bay Area WSSW Alumni Event: October 28, 2007

Bay Area Alumni Event: October 28, 2007

6:30-8:30pm

George Krevsky Gallery

77 Geary Street

San Francisco, California

George Krevsky, WSSW 1968, has graciously offered his gallery space THE GEORGE KREVSKY GALLERY for an alumni reception on October 28, 2007. The event will occur in the gallery space, where alumi will have an opportunity to enjoy re-uniting with other WSSW graduates and perusing the works of The gallery specializes in 20th century American art in the figurative tradition, emphasizing the Ashcan, Regionalist, Modernist, and Social Realist schools and is committed to showcasing art of the highest quality art that documents the cultural history of the last century. Krevsky has been guided by a philosophy by which directs him to make historically significant fine art accessible to all levels of collectors.

Robert Jacobvitz WSSW 1975 has volunteered to work with the staff of the Krevsky Gallery coordinating this evening of art and reunion. Robert is quite interested in meeting with all of the Bay Area graduates of the Wurzweiler school who might be interested in attending the event or possibly taking a role in the event that evening.

The evening will include comments by the dean and an opportunity for alumni living in or even visiting the Bay area to meet or reuinite and enjoy the wonderful work currently hanging in the gallery. Refreshments will be provided ( dietary laws will be observed).

If you are interesting in participating, either as an attendee or a volunteer, please contact :

CMMILLER@yu.edu and I will pass your name on to Robert.

If you discover that you are not receiving mailings from the school or have simply neglected to update your address within our system, please take the opportunity to let me know who you are and where we can direct mailings.

I look forward to a great turnout on the evening of the 28th and hope to have the opportunity to say hello to each and every one of you.

Big news flash!

Jacob Schulder, WSSW '06 and YU '04 and his wife Sharona are proud parents of a beautiful boy, born on Sunday, September 2, 2007. Mazel Tov to the proud parents!!!

How Do I Get a Job ?

Jobs, jobs, jobs!

In my personal (not scientifically verified) experience, most individuals leaving Wurzweiler, (without prior non-profit work experience) are absolutely overwhelmed by the prospect of conducting a job search. Some of our graduates have the luck to be in the right place at the right time and are offered positions by their first or second year field placements. However we all know that it is unrealistic to anticipate that field placements will have the financial resources or that the personal chemistry will such that a job offer will come across the table. The most important job searching tool most graduating MSW's will leave their job with is a few good professional contacts.

Today I received a call from a recent May 2007 graduate and I want to share some of her naches with you. This graduate did have the good fortune to get a job upon graduation. The practice opportunity seemed to be exactly what she wanted. However after a few short weeks she discovered that the fit wasn't quite right.

As a recent graduate with few contacts, she made a call to a member, of the professional staff, from her first year field placement who had since moved on to another job. During her initial conversation with this woman she discovered that individual was not happy in the job and was getting ready to tender her resignation. The had a nice talk about their respective lack of job satisfaction.

It turns out that the field work contact did not leave her job and the resignation was not accepted, in fact this individual was now going to be a major player in reorganizing the department that caused her such angst. Our graduate, because she had planted a seed,was given a job offer, which she has accepted.

Now how is that for luck? How many people accept 2 jobs in 3 months?

Networking seems to play a critical role in the modern world and especially in the social work world. Individuals, who respect your work, are your greatest resource in job searching. Peer input can be a very valuable resource in evaluating the modern job market.

On this note I would be very interested in getting some feed back on your interest in attending an alumni networking evening. I envision holding an evening event in Midtown, either later this fall or in the spring or both. I believe this could be a great opportunity to catch up with some classmates, to share your accomplishments, and find out what other graduates of the Wurzweiler School are involved in professionally and socially.

Please call or email me with your thoughts on participating in an event like this. This would not be a presentation on job searching, simply an opportunity for individuals who have graduated from Wurzweiler to share their experiences with their peers.

You can email me: cmmiller@yu.edu : or call me at:212-960-0127 with your thoughts or questions.

Hello,

(Believe it or not, E Blogger changed their posting critera and I haven't taken the time to figure out how to resolve the issue. However, after a minor hair pulling episode, I can once again post to this site.)

As of July 26, 2007 another academic year will have passed here at Wurzweiler, and the first half of the 50th Anniversary Celebration as well.

Boy, Oh Boy ... have I been busy!

I hope everyone reading had an opportunity to participate in the regional events. It has been my distinct pleasure to meet with everyone who was able to join us in all of the regional venues.

I have all been very impressed by the level of enthusiasm alumni have shown so far.

Events occurred in : Montreal, Toronto, Baltimore, Fairlawn(NJ), Boston, Los Angeles, Sioux Falls, Jerusalem and two different events in New York City. There are two additional events upcoming, San Francisco on October 29 at the George Krevsky Gallery and December 2nd in Boca Raton Florida. Details are currently being finalized, ... more details will be available soon.

Please be in touch with me and let me know what you are doing these days. Email me at: CMMILLER@YU.edu or call me 212-960-0127, or just drop by the 7th Floor of Belfer Hall. I would love to speak with you and maybe grab a little lunch.

Welcome one and all, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mark Miller , the new director of alumni relations, and a 2006 concurrent graduate of the Wurzweiler School, where I had a case work focus. More recent graduates and current students will probably know me as a member of the student government. I was the person who asked for Tuesday Night Snacks. I find that many students consider this my most memorable accomplishment during my time at Wurzweiler.

But enough about me.

I hope that each of you will email me about recent developments and accomplisments in your life post Wurzweiler.


Has anyone from the class of 2006 recovered from graduation? I'm not even referring to the parties many of you may have attended. At 49 the transition from student back to the working world is absolutely daunting. And I of course had all of about a 3 day transition, between graduation and my first day of work.. As many of you know in addition to my work here I see patients privately in a mental health clinic here in Manhattan for 20 hours a week and I am starting the Wurzweiler Ph.D program in September.

I have heard from some May grads, Lawrence Caplan is working at Esperanza Hope an oganization sponsored by the Vera institute , Josh Ring is going to join the ER staff at New York- Presbyterian Hospital Queens, in August, Jamie Parr is working at Graham Windham Services,Yehuda Kranzler got engaged recently and I hear Julie Fishelson has accepted a job in a school system in New Jersey. What are the rest of you up to?

Please email me @CMMILLER@YU.EDU