Yeshiva University awarded Yesterday its highest honor for global leadership, the Presidential Medallion, to Brigadier General (Ret.) Dr. Daniel Gold, Iron Dome Inventor
Yeshiva University’s 92nd Annual Commencement Ceremony Honored Yesterday Iron Dome Inventor Dr. Daniel Gold, Holocaust Survivor Emil Fish and YU Class of 2023, the Leaders of Tomorrow
Celebrating its graduates, the leaders of tomorrow, Yeshiva University awarded Yesterday in New York its highest honor for global leadership, the Presidential Medallion, to Brigadier General (Ret.) Dr. Daniel Gold,
Head of Israel’s Defense Research and Development Directorate (DDR&D- MAFAT) at the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) and Israel Defense Forces (IDF); and bestowed an Honorary Doctorate to
Holocaust survivor, philanthropist, and visionary Emil Fish. The ceremony took at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.
“As Israel celebrates its 75th birthday, it is particularly fitting for us to host one of the heroes who stands as a role model for our students for his deep dedication to the Jewish state and impactful leadership in safeguarding its vitality and security,”
said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University.
“I am proud to be here today with the next generation of bright minds,” said Dr. Gold. “As Head of the Israel Ministry of Defense Research and Development Directorate (DDR&D-MAFAT),
it is my privilege to witness what brilliant young people are capable of. Their creativity, innovation and drive result in cutting-edge technology developed thanks to their talent, but more importantly
according to their values. The students here are receiving the tools and education they need to lead, and I look forward to their future accomplishments.
It is an honor to be awarded the Presidential Medallion for global leadership from Yeshiva University, an excellent academic institution educating our future leaders."
Emil Fish survived the horrors of Bergen-Belsen and upon becoming a successful businessman in Los Angeles, dedicated himself to remembering the victims of the Holocaust.
He founded YU’s Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, which educates today’s teachers to effectively transmit the history and lessons of the Holocaust from a Jewish perspective — a vital need to
combat the alarming rise of antisemitism and Holocaust distorters and deniers.
“Over my lifetime, I have seen not just a declining interest in the Holocaust, but a growing misrepresentation of what happened,” said Mr. Fish.
“When I approached Rabbi Berman with the idea of a Holocaust education center, he immediately mobilized Yeshiva University’s resources.
YU has always stood up for what’s right for the Jewish people, and it continues to defend and uphold our values. I am deeply honored to receive an honorary doctorate from this extraordinary institution
and celebrate the manifold successes of my family at our beloved university.”
During the commencement ceremony, more than 1,700 degrees were awarded to students across four undergraduate and eleven graduate schools and programs.
In photo: L-R Sen. Joe Lieberman, Mr. Ira Mitzner, Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, Dr. Daniel Gold, and Mr. Emil A. Fish.
Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University and Mr. Ira Mitzner, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at YU, joined Senator Joseph Lieberman in congratulating this year's
graduation honorees: Brigadier General (Ret.) Dr. Daniel Gold, head of Israel's Defense Research and Development Directorate at the Ministry of Defense and IDF; and Mr. Emil A. Fish,
Holocaust survivor, philanthropist, and visionary at YU's 92nd Commencement Ceremony Tuesday, May 23, at Madison Square Garden"
Visit the YU web site at www.yu.edu.
Photo credit: Yeshiva University. N.Y. / David Khabinsky
