Fifteen exceptional Orthodox Jewish women have been selected to join the inaugural Walder Fellowship cohort of Gratz College’s newest Ph.D. program. The fully funded, leadership-focused executive Ph.D. in Jewish studies will equip a generation of thought-leaders with high-caliber research and writing skills and specialization in core areas of Jewish tradition, history and culture.
Read More(Courtesy of Gratz) Fifteen exceptional Orthodox Jewish women were selected to join the inaugural Walder Fellowship cohort of Gratz College’s newest PhD program. The fully funded, leadership-focused Executive Ph.D in Jewish Studies will equip a generation of thought leaders with high-caliber research and writing skills, and specialization in core areas of Jewish tradition, history and culture.
Read MoreTwelve women scholars from Ohr Torah Stone’s International Halakha Scholars Program gathered in Chicago for two days of advanced Torah learning, community engagement, and shared reflection on halakhic leadership in challenging times.
Read MoreJoseph Walder was born in 1951 in Philadelphia; his father was a furniture salesman, and a child of immigrants. The family moved to suburban Chicago, where Joe grew up. Joe had a passion for science from the very beginning, and his father built him a basement chemistry lab for homemade experiments. He went on to earn both an MD and a PhD from Northwestern, eventually becoming a professor of biochemistry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine.
Read MoreAttempting to write an obituary for Dr. Yosef (Joseph) Walder is like trying to take several separate biographies and synthesize them into a single one. He was a brilliant scientist who revolutionized his field. He was a visionary businessman who built a multibillion-dollar company—synthesizing DNA sequences—out of a few dozen rickety machines. He was a committed and modest Jew who embraced a Torah lifestyle with simplicity and grace. He was an inspired philanthropist who had a passion for education and empowering others. And most of all, he was a genuinely kind person, whose largess extended to individuals with special needs, children from challenging backgrounds and anyone else who found a place in the Walder home.
Read MoreJoseph Walder, founder of the leading provider of synthetic RNA and DNA for life-sciences research, who started a private family foundation from the sale of his biotechnology company and was viewed as a “cornerstone” of Jewish education in Chicago and beyond, died on March 26 at his home in Highland Park, Ill. He was 73.
Read MoreWhen Elizabeth Walder, President and Executive Director of the Walder Foundation, met with Lonnie Nasatir soon after he became President of JUF in 2019, she was especially impressed with his warmth, and his understanding of the Orthodox community and its role within Chicago's Jewish society.
Read MoreA study indicates that while AI has made strides in tissue contamination in medical diagnostics, it is still easy for human pathologists to handle, emphasizing the reliance on human expertise in healthcare.
Read MoreNorthwestern University researchers have successfully programmed a lethal pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to self-destruct. In this study, they modified DNA from a bacteriophage (phage), a virus infecting bacteria, and inserted it into P. aeruginosa, a highly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, the modified DNA evaded the pathogen’s defenses and formed virions.
Read MoreMonumental advances in basic science are often the result of successful collaborations. These partnerships regularly occur between researchers, but in many instances, they also flourish between a researcher and a donor. A collaboration sure to produce pioneering advances in molecular biology is the one between Professor Jiou Wang, MD, PhD ’02, and philanthropist Elizabeth Walder, president and executive director of the Walder Foundation.
Read MoreChabad Early Childhood is the international network serving Chabad preschools on Shlichus. This annual event is a highlight for the Shluchos to focus on the role, skills and growth of preschool directors and staff. It’s a rare opportunity for them to connect with each other, enjoy a beautiful breakfast buffet and get a free gift given to each Shlucha participating.
Read MoreThe Walder Foundation, a Chicago-based family foundation, announced its commitment to provide $3.6 million in Israel emergency grants in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ massacre in Israel on October 7. An initial round of more than three dozen grants totaling $1.15 million have already been awarded, many of which respond to emergency medical and humanitarian needs, including providing food, shelter, and other vital support for the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have been displaced from their homes for over two months.
Read MoreOn November 19, with the generosity of the Walder Foundation, the Matan Eshkolot Educator’s Mission became a reality. Educators from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Israel began with a visit to the Kotel plaza, which was marked with a new addition—a memorial for those killed on October 7—a raw yet crucial reminder of the loss which occurred only a few weeks before. As Dr. Agatstein remarked, “This is the place where the first destruction, the churban, began, and this is where our rebuilding will soon begin as well.” From there, the women met at Rabbanit Bina’s house to hear the testimony of Moshe Shapiro, whose son, Aner, z”l, risked his life saving many others.
Read MoreThe Chi-Cal Rivers Fund partners today announced $1.85 million in grants to improve and enhance waterways in the Chicago-Calumet region. These investments will protect and conserve fish and wildlife habitat, reduce stormwater runoff, and improve access to and use of natural areas and greenspace for communities. The grants will generate $1.7 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $3.55 million.
Read MoreChicago’s Lubavitch Girls High School held a community-wide Groundbreaking Ceremony celebrating their future home, a vast new building designed to strengthen every area of a student’s academic, social, spiritual, and emotional growth.
Read MoreChicago’s Lubavitch Girls High School held a community-wide Groundbreaking Ceremony celebrating their future home, a vast new building designed to strengthen every area of a student’s academic, social, spiritual, and emotional growth.
Read MoreNine Chicago institutions have come together to form the Chicago Biomedical Consortium Hub for Innovative Technology and Entrepreneurship in the Sciences, the Feinberg School of Medicine announced in a press release Tuesday. The biomedical collaboration was created to expedite the delivery of newly discovered treatments and technologies to patients.
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