JEWISH SENTINEL

JEWISH WORLD • DECEMBER 20-26, 2024 17 neighborhood, and it was quite an education. “My daily commute ex- posed me to enormous income dis- parities, inequality, and inequity. I did not know that term then, but I already knew I wanted to do some- thing to change that.” “What I learned at Hunter Col- lege High School was the impor- tance of quality public education,” she said. “My life was completely transformed. I became a scholar, a student, a learner, and that led me to EecoPe >not only@ the first in Py family to go to college but [to] also attend undergraduate and graduate school on scholarship at three Ivy League universities.” “For kids from families like mine,” she said, “getting into Hunter was the first steS in reali]ing the American Dream, and I am glad I have been able to devote a large part of my career to making that dream come true, not only for myself but Ior Pany other first generation col- lege students, including many immi- grants.” A fter a sterling academic perfor- mance at Hunter College High, she won a full scholarship to Cornell University, graduating Phi Beta Kapa in 1977. Then, it was on to Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and Inter- national Affairs in New Jersey, where she earned a master’s degree in public affairs. Years later, she fol- lowed that by attaining a law degree from Harvard. Between Princeton and Harvard Law, Raab spent time focusing on urban policy and work- ing for the rehabilitation of the Sout Bronx, which at the time, as she re- calls, “looked like Dresden after the bombing.” Raab eventually joined the New York City Planning Com- mission during the Koch Adminis- tration, rehabilitating other areas of the city, including Times Square. After earning her law degree, Raab worked as a litigator at two of 0anhattan’s toS tier law firPs³ Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garri- son. Later, turning to politics, she served as issues director for Rudy Giuliani’s unsuccessful 1989 may- oral bid. When Guiliani won the election the next time around, he ap- pointed Raab as New York City Landmarks Preservation Commis- sioner. $s the first lawyer to serYe in that post, Raab strove to make the com- Pission’s work Pore eIficient, con- sistent, and easier to understand, es- pecially for people applying to remodel historic properties. “By be- ing an eIficient regulator,µ she said, ´, instituted Pore eIficient hearings and regulatory pre-approvals, creat- ing a situation where the real estate interests felt fairly treated while preservationists also felt heard.” She added, “By bringing the real estate interests into the tent, we were able to expand our preservation work. We showed that preservation stimulates economic development because people come to New York City to experience iconic buildings, including many of the early sky- scrapers.” Among the buildings that re- ceived protected status during Raab’s tenure were 25 Broadway, the one-time home of the Cunard lines shaped like a steamship, and two Art Deco classics, 1 Wall Street and 70 Pine Street. In January 2001, Giuliani nomi- nated Raab to be president of Hunter College even though she had no ex- perience as an academic administra- tor. That nomination was opposed by CUNY’s then-chancellor, Mat- thew Goldstein, and by faculty members and students. Perhaps be- cause she had the added support of then-Gov. George Pataki, however, a deeply divided CUNY Board of Trustees chose her over the chancel- lor’s choice, who had the experi- ence Raab lacked. “It’s true I had not been an aca- demic administrator,” she said, “but I had the passion to return Hunter to its glory days and [have] the ability to raise the necessary funds to trans- formHunter into a competitive pub- lic college with the highest stan- dards, where students without means could receive the highest quality ed- ucation without going deeply into debt.” That passion led her to turn Hunt- er into what the Princeton Review in She's glad to have been able to devote a large part of her career to making the American dream come true for so many. <nited States Supreme *ourt 1ustice ,lena 2agan c , ^ho attended /unter *ollege /igh School and ser]ed as president of student go]- ernment, recei]es an honorary doctorate at /unter *ollege from the school s then president 1ennifer 9aab l . 1ennifer 9aab ^ith Dr. ;om 9usiele^ica, principal scientist of the 5e^ @ork Stem *ell -oundation 5@S*- . continued on page 24 For a limited time animated film producer Ron Spurga is making available for rental the original 17 minute version of acclaimed Jewish-Lithuanian director. Ilja Bereznickas’ THE GOAT LUCK-BAD LUCK Set in a Lithuanian shetl just before the Nazi invasion of Lithuania, this award-winning film celebrates the majesty of the Jewish experiece and its traditions. It is a “feel good” film with an important moral lesson at its core, leaving audiences elated. It will be a win-win for the Jewish and Lithuanian-American communities, as well as for lovers of animation of all backgrounds and ages. -or more information about renting the film, contact Ron Spurga at rmspurwell'aol com or