The Men’s Program orientation at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work and Men’s Division of Sara Schenirer gave new students the chance to meet and bond with each other, as well as get to know their professors. This was the perfect opportunity for the incoming cohort to kick off their journey towards becoming skilled social workers.
The first day began with a welcome from David Becker, LCSW, Program Director of the Sara Schenirer Men’s Social Work Program. This was followed by an interactive presentation on becoming a social worker by Dr. Akiva Perlman.
After lunch, Rabbi Elazar Meisels, Dean of Sara Schenirer, gave an introduction, and Esti Coates, Executive Director of MSW Religious Programs at Wurzweiler, discussed guidelines and standards of the program.
In the afternoon, the students participated in a writing seminar with Dr. Akiva Perlman and Naftali Halpern, Esq. This was followed by a session on navigating graduate school with Professor Chananyah Silverman, LCSW. The students then had the opportunity to present a PowerPoint about themselves and their reasons for entering the helping profession. The day concluded with a processing session led by Professor Dovid Becker.
On the second day of orientation, the students began with a welcome from Dovid Becker and introductory remarks from Rabbi Yosef Kalinsky, MS, MSW, PhD, Dean of Undergraduate Torah Studies at Yeshiva University. This was followed by an introduction to field education, led by Joshua Fleisher, LCSW, Assistant Field Director, and the field planners: Chaim Ellis, LCSW and Akiva Schmookler, LCSW.
After lunch, the students participated in an alumni panel on surviving and thriving in school with Motti Neuhaus, Avremel Blesofsky, and Yoily Meisels. The afternoon sessions included a presentation from Professor Alexander Rand, LCSW on things he would do differently if he could start school again and a discussion about research with Professor Yoel Alter. The orientation ended with a closing session led by Dovid Becker.
Overall, the orientation was about more than just sharing information. The new students left feeling inspired and eager to begin their new careers as Social Work students and make a positive impact.
