Education

Sandwiched between the sparkly Christmas windows of Bergdorf Goodman and the high-end Under Armour sportswear store, 75 or so modestly, yet trendily, clad women sipped organic kosher wines, enjoyed cheese hors d’oeuvres and tested their luck with various Christian Louboutin wedges, Gucci boots and Marc Jacobs slingbacks. 

Frederick M. Lawrence, a veteran civil rights lawyer who has served the last five years as dean of the George Washington University Law School, was this week named president of Brandeis University.

Lawrence, 54, will succeed President Jehuda Reinharz, who is joining the Mandel Foundation, an international philanthropy.

Lawrence on Jan. 1, 2011 will become the eight president of Brandeis University, a non-sectarian Jewish institution in Waltham, Mass., with a student body of 5,300.

I read your article, “Special-Needs Families Fighting Jewish Day Schools” (June 11), with considerable sadness. Beside the need to combat prejudice in this area, I believe that our yeshivas and day schools, which are now struggling financially, could and would provide more special-needs services given financial incentives and support. 

I therefore urge the federations and our philanthropists to make this cause a major funding priority. There is no greater mitzvah than saving the soul of Jewish child.

Brooklyn