Lisa Kravitz

Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies

“The List College environment is amazing,” says senior Lisa Kravitz, who’s majoring in Bible at JTS and in Psychology at Columbia. “The atmosphere on Shabbat and the weekends makes you feel like you’re a member of a small, intimate community—while still being part of a large university setting.”

Lisa transferred to JTS from the Fashion Institute of Technology and is planning a career in finance. She’s already been offered, and accepted, a job at the global financial services firm Morgan Stanley, where she’s held impressive summer internships. As a student, she puts her on-the-job training and expertise to good use: Lisa is the vice president for finance of List College Student Council and is also involved in the Columbia Women’s Business Society.

Lisa emphasizes that “you can come here as a beginner in knowledge about Judaism.” Day school or fluency in Hebrew is not required. “You can say, ‘Oh, I’ve just always wanted to study Judaism,’ and come here, and that’s okay. Other students were really helpful and supportive. I didn’t know Hebrew when I arrived, and now I can have a conversation and understand texts. I didn’t follow the traditional path to get here; I didn’t go to Jewish camps or participate in Jewish youth groups. List College is really a place to learn, and it welcomes people at every level of Jewish knowledge.”

And the business world has been impressed by Lisa’s accomplishments and the time-management skills students hone at List. “Companies notice when you earn two prestigious bachelor’s degrees in four years,” she says. “I knew studying the Bible would be spiritually fulfilling, but it ended up having practical benefits, too.”

Lisa graduated in May 2008 and is now an Analyst in the Institutional Advisory Group at Morgan Stanley Investment Management.

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Lisa Kravitz