Yeshiva University taps graduates from Far Rockaway and Great Neck as valedictorians

Yeshiva University has named nine undergraduate valedictorians for its Class of 2026, including students from Great Neck, Far Rockaway and Brooklyn.

The students are scheduled to graduate with their classmates at the university’s 95th annual commencement ceremony on May 28 in the Louis Armstrong Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.

The valedictorians represent several of YU’s undergraduate schools and Jewish studies programs, with academic interests ranging from finance and business analytics to biology, mathematics, political science and Jewish studies.

Jordan Nazar, of Great Neck, was named valedictorian of the James Striar School of General Jewish Studies. A finance major, Nazar plans to pursue a career in wealth management after graduation. At YU, he participated in TAMID, the Finance Club and the YU Stock Exchange Club.

“I think the best thing about YU is that since coming here, the number of people that I can now call family has increased significantly,” Nazar said.

Nazar said Rabbi Yonasan Shippel, his shiur and friends he made at YU helped shape his college experience and that one lesson he will carry forward is a phrase he heard often from Rabbi Shippel: “Rejection is redirection.”

“No matter how unfavorable a situation is — like an application rejection or a phone call ended with no result or follow up — it was just another step in the process to get me where I need to be and where Hashem wants me to be,” Nazar said.

Bryna “Breindy” Berger, of Far Rockaway, was named valedictorian of the Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies. She majored in mathematics and Jewish studies, with a minor in philosophy, was an editor for The Commentator and a member of the women’s cross-country team.

Berger said she chose YU because of its focus on Jewish studies and the opportunities available to women at Stern College for Women.

“I’m grateful to YU for investing in women’s Talmud Torah on a broad scale and for listening attentively to student feedback,” Berger said.

Brooklyn native Moselle Goldstein, a biology major with a minor in business analytics, was named a Stern College for Women valedictorian. After graduation, she plans to work full time at Cabrio Group, a consulting firm that works with nonprofits, where she worked part time during the school year.

Goldstein was a member of YU’s cross-country team, a features writer for “The Commentator,” a student ambassador, campus tour guide and resident assistant. She was also involved with TAMID, worked as a teaching assistant for statistics and tutored for Project GED.

Daniel Schmidt-Pines, of Los Angeles, was named valedictorian of Yeshiva College. A biology major, he plans to spend a year gaining clinical experience before applying to medical school in the summer of 2027.

Schmidt-Pines worked with Dr. Molly Fox at UCLA on the Alzheimer’s Life History Project and assists Dr. Josefa Steinhauer, a professor of biology at Yeshiva College, with research on neurodegeneration using Drosophila as a model organism. He also volunteers at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens.

At YU, Schmidt-Pines was active in START Science, which brings hands-on science lessons to public school students in Washington Heights, and Food 4 Thought, which collects excess campus food and distributes it to people in need.

Alexandra “Titi” Cohen, of Boca Raton, was named valedictorian of the Sy Syms School of Business. She is majoring in strategy and entrepreneurship, with minors in finance and biology, and plans to pursue an MBA before attending medical school.

Cohen is the founder and chief executive of Mister Brush, and was involved with the YU Entrepreneurial Society, START Science, Chai Lifeline, biology peer tutoring and the Ping Pong Club.

“What makes Sy Syms especially iBoaz Kapitanker, of Fair Lawn, was also named a Sy Syms School of Business valedictorian. He is majoring in business analytics and accounting and plans to start a full-time position this summer as a business analyst at Pharm3r.

At YU, Kapitanker was a head waiter, peer tutor and head of the backend for the Seforim Sale.

Moshe Davidovics, of Memphis, was named valedictorian of the Mazer Yeshiva Program. A biology major, he plans to learn for the next two years in semicha while studying for the MCAT.

Davidovics was vice president of the Student Organization of Yeshiva, an assistant for Rabbi Yaakov Werblowsky’s shiur, a Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh madrich, a START Science leader, a member of the EMT Society board and president of YU’s Semitic Languages Society.

Jaden Jubas, of Southfield, Michigan, was named valedictorian of Isaac Breuer College of Hebraic Studies. He is majoring in biochemistry, with a minor in psychology, and plans to apply to medical school this summer.

Jubas completed an honors thesis, “Designing Probes for Sensitive mRNA Variant-Specific Detection and Visualization,” under the mentorship of Dr. Irina E. Catrina, a professor of chemistry. He also co-presented a research poster at the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual conference in March.

Aiden Harow, of Boca Raton, was named valedictorian of the Irving I. Stone Beis Medrash Program. He majored in political science, with a minor in business, and plans to learn at YU next year before applying to law school.

Harow was president of the Yeshiva Student Union, managing editor of the Yeshiva University Undergraduate Law Review, co-president of Y-Studs A Cappella, co-head of education for the YU Political Action Committee and a committee chair of the YU National Model United Nations.

Reported by YU