Philanthropist Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz Commencement Speech at the Touro University Graduation - 2026

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More than 500 Touro University graduates were honored during the university’s 52nd annual commencement exercises held on May 31 at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Graduating students, family members, faculty, and administrators gathered to recognize academic achievement and mark the beginning of a new chapter in the graduates’ personal and professional lives. Touro University President Dr. Alan Kadish congratulated the graduates while acknowledging the rapidly changing world they are entering. He pointed to advances in artificial intelligence, rising antisemitism, and geopolitical uncertainty as examples of challenges they will face throughout their careers. “Resilience and flexibility are the two most important things that you need to take forward into the future,” he 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 said. In closing he advised the graduates to “anchor your approach to the world through Torah values.” “Of course, everyone and everything is under God’s control, but to earn His benefit, to earn His providence, requires our effort to interact with it, to learn Torah, to view it in our lives,” he said. “You can depend on Hashem's beneficence, but you have to use the skills that you’ve learned throughout your life and at Touro to live in a way which leads Him to recognize each of us as being important, as people who can deal with the challenges of the world.” Honoring Leadership and Service Following Dr. Kadish’s remarks, an honorary doctorate was conferred upon Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, community leader, and musical composer. “In quiet ways, he has reshaped the standards of generosity for an entire community, inspiring others simply by the way he lives,” said Rabbi Moshe Krupka, executive vice president of Touro University. “He is in the deepest sense a builder of Torah through a steadfast support of yeshivas, kolelim, and institutions, and he has literally helped sustain the infrastructure of Torah learning for this generation.” In accepting the honor and delivering the commencement address, Rechnitz reflected on the opportunities awaiting graduates as they begin making their own decisions about careers, families, and personal values. He also addressed growing antisemitism and encouraged graduates to respond not with fear or anger, but with 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. “Dream big, work hard, build beautiful lives, take risks, become successful, help people, stand up for truth, and never apologize for being proud of being Jewish,” he said, drawing applause from the audience. Surprise Performance One of the evening’s most memorable moments came following Rechnitz’s address, when Rabbi Krupka announced a surprise musical tribute recognizing Rechnitz’s work as a composer. Joined by members of the Shira Choir and Yussi Sonnenblick, a 1995 graduate of Touro’s Graduate School of Jewish Studies and current Touro professor, Rechnitz participated in a performance of his song “V’Hareinu.” Audience members joined in the singing and recorded the unexpected concert on their cell phones, or used the flashlight settings on their phones to illuminate the hall, their arms swaying in the air, transforming the commencement ceremony into a communal celebration. Recognizing Achievement The evening included special recognition for Vice President Dr. Stanley Boylan, who is transitioning to a new role as Vice President for University Affairs after five decades of service to Touro. Dr. Kadish praised Dr. Boylan’s longstanding contributions to the university and his role in helping shape the institution’s growth and success. The ceremony also honored students for academic excellence and achievement across the Lander Colleges, with 15 graduates receiving special recognition for their accomplishments. 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 Touro Lander College for Women’s Mina Schulman. In his address, Ostreicher reflected on the relationships formed during students’ college years and the close-knit educational environment that shaped their experience. “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.”