It’s All in the Family at Lander College for Men

Micha Milgraum, the fourth and final member of his family to attend the Lander College for Men (LCM), will graduate on June 10th. Micha will be recognized with the College Service Award at commencement.

May 31, 2012

Milgraum, a resident of Edison, New Jersey, is the youngest of seven children. Of the six boys, four attended Lander College for Men.

“The Lander program has just what we were looking for: a solid college education that’s a pathway to a great future, and a Torah environment, as well,” Micha said.

The first Milgraum brother to attend LCM was Raoul, or Koby, as he is often called. Koby, the next-to-oldest member of the family, came to LCM in 2003 after studying at Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim in Israel for two years. He won the Talmud Award his senior year, given to the school’s most distinguished learner, and he now works as an actuary in Philadelphia. Perhaps his most lasting mark on LCM was taking the initiative to begin a summer learning program.

“He used to say that all the lights in the Beis Medrash were off during the summer so he did something about it,” said Director of Student Life Ariel Kopitnikoff, who entered LCM as a student with Koby and has been at the college with all four Milgraum brothers. The first summer Koby gave a class and also ran the sports program. “We called it ‘Camp Koby.’”

Like his older brother, Meir enrolled in LCM. Meir is the lone Milgraum brother to remain in the Kew Garden Hills community after graduation and is very active in alumni events and still attends prayer services at LCM during the high holy days. He works in real estate development.

The next brother, Kenneth, or Nonny, graduated from LCM with a degree in accounting. At a recent alumni networking event, Nonny gave a workshop on how to handle a job interview, which was wildly successful according to Kopitnikoff. Nonny is in the process of getting his CPA and works for Deloitte.

Micha, who is majoring in biology and in the process of applying to medical school for 2013—he will be conducting research this year at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey—is the vice president of the LCM student government. Kopitnikoff said that Micha “has a passion for making school enjoyable for everyone.”

The social environment at LCM made his job easier, Micha said.

“LCM has a great social environment and while you’re in school, you can still have friends and an active social life,” said Micha. “At most secular colleges, you don’t get that same level of warmth.”

“My mom says that Lander College was the biggest gift from God for her,” said Micha. “Her kids did really well there, they had an awesome college experience, and they were able to grow as individuals and develop career paths.”