We are grateful for their wisdom and their commitment. The new Institute will advance USC's academic mission and elevate it to a new level of excellence in coming years. We all should thank Morton Schapiro for his leadership of this venture. I'm also proud of the support our alumni have shown for the new Institute. Carol Brennglass Spinner of the National Foundation of Jewish Culture, and USC trustee Steven Spielberg's Righteous Persons Foundation helped sponsor the Institute's first conference, which was held two months ago on the USC campus.
Plans are underway to hold the conference in New York City next year.
This is a great example of the East and West Coast working together to achieve a common goal. The relationship between USC and HUC is unique in this country. Perhaps no other seminary and secular research universities in the nation can boast of closer ties. But in order for USC, HUC and the region's Jewish community to thrive in the future, we must continue to strengthen the sense of partnership among us. We must continue to make USC and HUC even better places for all of our students to learn about Jewish traditions, to meet a wide range of men and women from around the globe, and to be prepared for life in the 21st century.