On Tuesday, February 26, Rogier F. van Vlissingen, group leader
of Plant Pure Communities for the Bronx, presented Mohammed
Baktiar ‘Khokon’ Rahman, Neerob Restaurant owner, with a Certifi
cate of Participation in its Restaurant Campaign, recognizing
restaurants that offer oil-free Whole Foods, Plant-Based options
on the menu.
Einstein achieves independent degree-granting authority
More than six decades after
it fi rst opened its doors,
Albert Einstein College of
Medicine is now an independent
academic institution,
with the authority to confer
its own medical and graduate
degrees. This achievement
had been set in motion
more than three years ago,
when Yeshiva University entered
into a strategic joint
collaboration with longtime
Einstein affi liate, Montefi
ore. Einstein’s academic
independence is the result
of a vote by the Board of Regents
of New York State’s
Department of Education,
which awarded Einstein an
absolute charter, establishing
it as an autonomous educational
institution.
“This is a truly momentous
event in Einstein’s
history,” stated Gordon F.
Tomaselli, M.D., the Marilyn
and Stanley M. Katz Dean at
Einstein and executive vice
president and chief academic
offi cer at Montefi ore Medicine.
“It gives us the best of
all worlds—allowing Einstein
to further partner with
our longtime clinical and re-
search partner, Montefi ore,
tapping into a health system
that is a national model
for innovation, and elevating
Einstein’s ability to conduct
impactful research and
train the next generation of
outstanding physicians and
scientists, while maintaining
our longstanding and
deep affi liation with our academic
partner, Yeshiva University.”
“Einstein is entering a
new era,” said Steven M. Safyer,
M.D., CEO of Montefi ore
Health System and Albert
Einstein College of Medicine
and a graduate of Einstein.
“Our commitment to innovation
and excellence, providing
healthcare where and
when people need it most,
are all key components to
establishing Montefi ore as
a leading integrated health
system. Today’s announcement
also paves the way for
Einstein and Montefi ore to
build upon and expand their
joint efforts, while pursuing
novel approaches to science
and medicine that benefi t humanity.”
Prior to the Board of Regent’s
BRONX TIMES R 52 EPORTER, MARCH 8-14, 2019 BTR
grant of an absolute
charter to Einstein, Einstein
students received their degrees
from Yeshiva University.
Founded by Yeshiva
during an era when medical
schools had quotas—restricting
enrollment of people
of color, non-Christian
faith, and women—Einstein
forged a bold path, welcoming
students of all ethnicities,
religions and genders.
This inclusive approach was
strongly supported by the
College of Medicine’s namesake,
physicist and humanitarian
Albert Einstein, who
embodied the values of social
justice that attracted
so many of the nation’s best
and brightest faculty and
students to camppPresident
of Yeshiva University, expressed
enthusiasm about
the transition. “Einstein
continues to be an important
affi liate of Yeshiva University
and a shining example
of our commitment to
preparing students with the
knowledge and tools to have
a meaningful and positive
impact on the world. We look
forward to building upon our
joint collaboration with Montefi
ore to create and nurture
opportunities that foster new
standards of academic excellence.”
Einstein and Montefi ore
have a long and successful
history of working together.
Einstein sent its fi rst students
to Montefi ore for training
in 1964.
In 1969, Montefi ore assumed
operations of Einstein’s
Jack D. Weiler Hospital,
marking its fi rst
signifi cant expansion. In
1979, the department of
medicine at the two institutions
merged, combining the
strengths of both campuses.
The relationship continued
to grow and in 1990
Montefi ore employed its fi rst
jointly appointed Einstein-
Montefi ore faculty members.
The next major step
forward was taken in 2009,
when Montefi ore and Einstein
launched a research
and clinical enterprise that
culminated in establishing
the Montefi ore Einstein Centers
of Excellence in cancer,
heart and vascular disease,
and transplantation.
In 2015, Montefi ore and
Yeshiva University signed
an historic agreement that
resulted in a joint collaboration
between Montefi ore
Medicine and Yeshiva related
to Einstein, essentially
formalizing the longstanding
relationship between
the three highly-regarded
New York institutions into a
structure that would enable
Einstein to continue to fl ourish
and grow. This vision
is coming to fruition as the
joint collaboration is enhancing
the stature of Einstein,
particularly in clinical and
translational research. This
teamwork resulted in discoveries
that have dramatically
improved clinical practice
and changed the standard of
care—including fi nding that
most women with early-stage
breast cancer can safely skip
chemotherapy, proving the
effectiveness of novel immunotherapy
for treating
lymphoma, and determining
that surgery to repair hearts
weakened after a heart attack
signifi cantly improves
survival, compared to medical
therapy alone.
Jewish Community Council
hosts Annual Breakfast
AWARD FROM PLANT PURE COMMUNITIES
The Jewish Community
Council of Pelham Parkway
is the central address of the
9,500 Jewish people living in
Pelham Parkway. Their door
is always open to its members
and neighbors in Pelham
Parkway.
The Jewish Community
Council of Pelham Parkway
works to strengthen community
life in Pelham Parkway
while providing for its neighbors
in need.
The council recognizes
the vital contribution that
community organizations,
religious institutions, landlords,
tenants, homeowners,
merchants and government
all make to community life.
They provide leadership in
addressing community issues
such as housing, social
services and commercial development
and work in cooperation
with and in support
of all others who contribute
to the well being of community
life in Pelham Parkway.
The council works to assure
that Pelham Parkway continues
to be one of New York
City’s most attractive and important
neighborhoods.
The council has the specifi
c mission of supporting
and enhancing Jewish life in
Pelham Parkway.
The council works with
the neighborhood’s synagogues
and Jewish organizations
to foster and support
programs of Jewish education,
the observance of Jewish
holidays, support for Israel,
and the celebration of
Jewish art and music.
The council cares for its
members and neighbors in
need. They gather the public
and private resources to enable
their agency to respond
to people facing lack of food
or imminent eviction or utility
turn-off. They bring government
and private sector
aid to low-income community
residents, volunteer
friendly visiting to shut-ins
and work with seniors so that
they know they always have
a place to turn to for help in
time of need. The council’s
social service programs are
provided on a non-sectarian
basis. The Jewish Community
Council of Pelham Parkway
has served the Bronx
for more than 35 years. The
council is committed to improving
the local community
through expanded advocacy
efforts on issues ranging
from social services to housing
to commercial development
and more.
The council is proud to
honor the following individuals
who have contributed
above and beyond to the community
and always put their
community and its residents
fi rst and foremost each and
every day.
JCCPP Annual Breakfast
is honoring: Senator Allessandra
Biaggi, Assemblywoman
Nathalia Fernandez,
Councilman Mark Gjonaj;
Laura Guerriero, publisher
Bronx Times Reporter; and
Rabbi Yitzchak Gross.
Call (718) 792-4744 for ticket
information and RSVP.
The event will be held at
Bronx House, 990 Pelham
Parkway South, Sunday,
March 31 at 9:30 a.m.
(Above) Mohammed Baktiar ‘Khokon’ Rahman proudly accepted
his award certifi cate.
Photo courtesy of Plant Pure Communities for the Bronx