NYC Gazette

Uriel Sussman, a second-year student at Yeshiva College, has been named the 2024 winner of the YU Student Library Research Award. Although Sussman has not yet declared his major, he is reportedly leaning towards philosophy.

Sussman's award-winning paper, titled “The Fruit of the Fourth Year: A Case Study in Legal Interpretation,” was penned for a course on Early Jewish Biblical Interpretation. The course was taught by Professor Moshe Bernstein in the spring of 2023.

According to Sussman, when he began writing his paper, he had “zero library experience” and found using the library a “daunting task.” However, during his second semester at Yeshiva College, he ventured into Gottesman Library. There, he discovered primary and secondary sources that helped him examine relevant biblical verses. With guidance from his professor, Sussman found a perspective that led him to construct his remarkable paper. Reflecting on this experience, Sussman described it as an “invaluable introduction to library research.”

A committee of six readers reviewed 15 entries before selecting Sussman's work for its depth and originality as well as the quality and variety of resource materials used. Wendy Kosakoff, Public Services and Outreach Librarian at Yeshiva College, commended Sussman for his accomplishment saying "Mazel tov, Uriel, on a job well done!"