In the final event in the Boost Brandeis Week, students gathered around University President Jehuda Reinharz in Cholmondeley's last Thursday night to hear stories about his days as a Brandeis graduate student in the late 1960s, his decade as a professor in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department and about his current position as president, which he has held since 1994.Reinharz spoke about his admiration for Brandeis' 10 founders, many of whom were immigrants from Russia without formal education.

"It was an unlikely group to create a university," he said. "[They] called Albert Einstein, the smartest person they knew in America," who one afternoon, "told them how to start a university."

Reinharz recalled his arrival as a graduate student here, during the height of the revolutionary 1960s, to study in the NEJS department. He said that when black students took over Ford Hall to protest academic policies, then University President Abraham Morris, "a very smart lawyer and a great orator," called the demonstrators' parents, who came to campus and persuaded their children to vacate the building.

"Brandeis was one of the centers of [revolutionary] activity," he said. "The sociology department was the locus of this activity."

Upon joining the faculty in 1982, Reinharz said that he discovered Brandeis' "culture of questioning, talking and debating" through an experience he had during his first class as an instructor.

"I said the first sentence," Reinharz said. Then he said another student replied, "I disagree with everything you just said." Reinharz said it turned into "a wonderful class discussion."

On becoming president, Reinharz said that he was heavily involved in his academic work and was hesitant to take on the position, but his wife, Shulamit, convinced him.

"You always criticize everybody," she said. "Let's see what you can do."

Reinharz shared stories about the visits by the Dalai Lama, who ate his first piece of challah at the president's home and about the chancellor of Germany, who caused great controversy as the commencement speaker in 1998.

Looking into the future, Reinharz denied one student's assertion that Brandeis is moving away from providing a liberal arts education by offering more interdisciplinary programs.

"Students are more interested in professional training," Reinharz said.

In response to a question of what the president would give to Brandeis if he had a blank check donation, he said, "I feel very strongly about scholarships. I couldn't have gone to college or graduate school without someone paying for me."

Roosevelt Fellow Ashley Firestone '05 says hearing from Reinharz about his personal experiences gave students the chance to "see him as someone we can relate to.