Jewish Philanthropy Podcast · Dovid M Cohen

Israel at War #2: The Battle for our College Campuses with Daniel Lowy

·51 min·3 clips

Lowy says he closed his checkbook to Penn and still wrote the letter.

David M. Cohen opens the show by talking about money as something that shapes how people are affected around the world. He introduces Daniel Lowy as a close friend and a seasoned financial expert with experience in business turnarounds and investment work. Lowy's background includes Wharton, the University of New South Wales, EMU Health, and board work in Jewish and public health institutions. The conversation soon shifts to the pressure on Jewish students and Jewish institutions. Cohen and Lowy talk about the need to keep a close watch on how those communities are being treated. Lowy argues that the moment should push Jewish leadership to think more boldly. He points to Yeshiva University as a place that could become much stronger. He imagines recruiting top professors from leading schools and building a more compelling academic brand. The idea is not presented as symbolic alone. It is treated as a practical response to a larger communal challenge. Lowy says Jewish institutions should not assume they have to accept the limits set by others. Cohen keeps pressing with affirmations and small clarifying questions, which gives the exchange a personal, energetic feel. The two men return several times to the question of what a Jewish powerhouse institution would require. Lowy suggests there is no reason a school cannot gather excellent talent and build seriousness around it. He compares the possibility to earlier moments when Jewish institutions were created because existing ones did not fully serve the community. The analogy to Mount Sinai Hospital gives the argument a historical frame. The discussion also touches on a letter Lowy wrote to the president of Yeshiva University. Cohen asks about the response and stays with the practical details. The whole exchange stays rooted in Jewish responsibility, leadership, and communal self-respect. It ends with a blessing for victory, unity, and redemption.

As heard by us

A Jewish philanthropy discussion about Yeshiva University, faculty recruiting, and stronger institutions.

The discussion centers on Yeshiva University, faculty recruiting, and a wider case for building Jewish institutions with more ambition. Daniel Lowy comes across as a seasoned financial executive with experience in healthcare and current roles at EMU Health, the CUNY Graduate…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For a candid Jewish philanthropy conversation about Yeshiva University, business turnarounds, and institutional ambition.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Jewish Philanthropy Podcast