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Jewish Philanthropy Podcast · Dovid M Cohen

Topic: Learning from a Master Guest: Richard M. Joel

·1 hr 3 min·4 clips
His first major Hillel gift came from a million-dollar ethics proposal he wrote to Jacob Burns.
David M. Cohen opens by framing Richard M. Joel as a familiar figure in the Jewish communal world. Joel's background spans law, education, and leadership. The talk begins with his role as a former president of Yeshiva University and his current work as a professor there. Cohen also notes his law degree from NYU and his time as a Root Tilden Law Scholar. The conversation reaches back to his early legal career as an assistant district attorney and deputy chief of appeals in the Bronx. Cohen keeps the tone personal and curious. He asks about the people and experiences that shaped Joel's thinking. Mentors become the main thread. Joel describes a mentor as a combination of a rav and a friend, a source of perspective and wisdom who listens and encourages. He names his parents as his classic mentors. He also says his wife serves that role. The conversation turns to difficult moments in institutional life. Joel explains that when trouble hit at YU, he made two phone calls, to his wife and to the chairman of the board, because he never wanted to be in it alone. That instinct says a lot about how he thinks about responsibility. It is practical rather than dramatic. The exchange keeps circling back to Jewish values, service, and the people who make leadership possible. Near the end, the talk leans into humility and the need to keep perspective. The result is a warm, biographical conversation about leadership, mentorship, and Jewish philanthropy.

As heard by us

A warm look at mentorship, family, and how Jewish leadership is sustained.

The piece follows Jewish leadership through mentors, family, and the habit of not trying to carry every crisis alone. It moves from law and Yeshiva University to the Bronx appeals office and then back to communal duty.

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Why you'd press play

You want a thoughtful conversation about Jewish philanthropy, leadership, mentors, and a career that moves from law into communal responsibility.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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