School for Lifelong Education

The School for Lifelong Education (SLE) meets the need for higher education in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. This school is the first nontraditional, comprehensive, university degree program designed to accommodate this population, providing individualized courses of study for men and women without sacrificing the quality of the education or the need to maintain cultural sensitivity.

GUIDED DEGREE PROGRAMS SLE’s guided study model supports the needs of all students who are able to achieve their goals due to flexible scheduling, customized plans, ongoing advisement and class modalities. Located in the Hasidic community of Borough Park, Brooklyn, SLE’s academic excellence begins with its faculty, comprised of highly qualified professionals who deliver top-quality academics with keen understanding of the unique background of the student body. SLE students earn associate and bachelor’s degrees in interdisciplinary liberal arts and sciences, math and computers, psychology, human services and Judaic studies. Graduates go on to professional schools in business, medicine, research and health sciences.

“The SLE modality of instruction has proven to be instrumental in transitioning work and life experience into formal education. First-time university students receive assistance in creating degree plans and upper-level students receive structured advisement toward graduate and professional goals. All students consult with our assistant dean and receive individualized step-by-step programs. We continue to offer increased educational opportunities and additional degree programs while supporting our students through every stage of their academic and professional careers,” says Shoshana Grun, SLE program director.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO LEARN

SLE offers three teaching modalities: traditional classroom settings; small classes or learning collaboratives; and guided, one-on-one mentoring. The curriculum emphasizes skill-building, effective communication, problem-solving and ethics to prepare students for the demands of the workplace. The program’s flexibility creates an environment conducive to independent learners.

“The supportive atmosphere at the School for Lifelong Education encourages student success and allows our nontraditional students to make their dreams a reality,” says Dr. Briendy Stern, assistant dean at SLE.

Moshe Bulmash

Medical Student, New York Medical College

Moshe Bulmash grew up in awe of his father, a pediatrician who never said no to a patient in need. “Friday nights are for our family, but I can’t recall a time when a patient knocked at the door on a Friday night and he didn’t answer without hesitation,” says the proud son, one of nine children. “It never felt like an intrusion. It was his calling and I wanted to emulate him.”

He is doing just that. Bulmash, 27, is in his first year of medical school and plans to become a pediatrician. He wouldn’t have made it to med school, however, without Touro’s School for Lifelong Education, where he graduated at the top of his class in 2021. “The dean meets with every single student and customizes an academic plan. I feel so indebted to this school. It’s a super-supportive place.”

Bulmash had previously concentrated on his religious studies in one of the most rigorous and intensive Talmud study academies in Jerusalem, Israel. “When I decided on pre-med, I was married with a child,” says Bulmash, who now has two little boys. “SLE got me up to speed and helped me excel at the sciences. They are not only accommodating to your life schedule, but allow you to grow academically at your own pace. I left very prepared for med school.”

Today Bulmash keeps his father, who still practices, up to date on medical school. The elder marvels over the differences since his student experience a half-century ago. “He didn’t stop at being a physician,” says Bulmash, who attends New York Medical College. “He was an advocate for families. Watching him, I knew I wanted to be just that kind of a doctor.”