Welcome! My name is Yair Mintzker and I serve as the head of Yeh College. Yeh is the newest of Princeton’s seven residential colleges, and a truly stunning place both architecturally and in terms of its students and staff. Think of it as one of the primary spaces on campus in which you’ll grow and flourish over the next few years. Together with the Yeh’s staff, I’ll do everything I can to ensure our college feels open, supportive, and inclusive -- a true home away from home.

I was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel, but have been living in many different countries and places over the years. I consequently extend a special welcome to the international students among you -- I know what it means to live in a foreign country and so many thousands of miles away from home. When not at Yeh, I spend a lot of time in the History Department, where I’ve been serving as professor since arriving in Princeton in 2009. My specialty is the history of Germany from around 1700 to the present. I find the history of that country fascinating, uplifting, and incredibly disturbing and depressing all at the same time.

In my spare time I jog a lot – you will often see me running or otherwise exercising in the morning – and rain or shine I play soccer on Friday afternoons at Poe Field. I also go to the opera and the theatre on a regular basis, and I look forward to taking many of you there with me. Just like you, I reside in the college itself, and my office, whose door is (almost!) always open to you, is located at Fu Hall. Please never hesitate to reach out to me with issues, concerns, or questions. I’d like to get to know you, and I’m here for you!