Kol Bogrei September 2011 ~ Elul–Tishrei 5772 Rambam Page  of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide

Kol Bogrei Rambam is the Alumni Council’s monthly e-newsletter for and about Maimonides School graduates. Each month we share infor- mation on individual graduates’ ventures and accomplishments, as well as general news notes, all reflecting the school’s mission of preparing educated, observant Jews to be contributing members of society. Your ideas and accomplishments will help sustain and strengthen this key communications tool; please forward to [email protected].

Childhood Friends Team up and Launch a Gan in Yerushalayim

Gila Betesh-Maresky and Rebecca They signed a lease on an apart- Zibman were close friends long ment in the Katamon section before they graduated from of Jerusalem at the end of Maimonides in 2002. Over the years, July. “We ended up getting a Gila related, “we’ve talked about great location, on the ground everything, from boys to cute stories floor with a private entrance,” about the kids we babysat, whether Rebecca reported. Gila’s husband it was during chevruta time in Talmud Rafi helped fixed up the place. class or late night instant message Rebecca said her niece Hodaya, conversations.” Added Rebecca, “As daughter of Sam ’97 and our lives took us both in the direc- Michal, “was our two-year-old tion of early childhood education, it consultant.” was just natural that we talked about Gila Betesh-Maresky ’02, left, and Rebecca Zibman ’02 “Our families have been so starting a gan.” at Gan Shelanu. helpful and supportive,” Gila About two years ago, now living in said. Rebecca concurred. “There’s After graduation from Maimonides Jerusalem, they started taking it seri- a network of people who have and a year of learning in , Gila ously. And a few weeks ago, their pre- been helping us in different ways… remained, first serving in sherut leumi school became a reality. Our friends have been our best and then studying early childhood advertisers.” Like any new business, the start-up education at Bar Ilan University. was tricky. “We wanted to recruit Gan Shelanu opened for business on Rebecca returned to the U.S. to earn before we made a financial commit- Aug. 31, for children between 18 and an undergraduate degree at the ment on an apartment,” Gila 30 months of age. “We were hoping University of Maryland, then made explained. “But parents don’t want for 15 kids, and we ended up with and is now finishing work to sign their kids up until you have a seven very calm, chill kids with very on her master’s in early childhood place.” As they searched for a location, happy parents,” Rebecca said. “We’re studies. the women purchased toys and began very happy with how the year started, The Maimonides School experience advertising. “The hardest part was and we still hope to get more kids,” influences daily life at Gan Shelanu figuring out the business aspects, we Gila added. But even if they don’t, in unusual ways. “Whenever a kid know how to be teachers. It’s being Rebecca observed, “we will get our throws a toy, I remember Mr. Schock- entrepreneurs hat was new to us,” she name and reputation out there. We ett’s classroom rules: ‘No eating; no related. already have newborns and even drinking; no throwing’,” Rebecca unborn children signed up for the Rebecca and Gila marketed their laughed. Gila added that the morning next class.” planned pre-school toward English- “circle time” stretching routine follows speaking families in Jerusalem. A few times since the opening, the protocol the alumnae first learned There was an enthusiastic response, Rebecca mused, all the children have with Mr. D’Agnelli. including some Hebrew-speaking been asleep at the same time. “That’s Contact the preschool at families who wanted their children in when Gila and I can sit back, look [email protected] or on its an English environment. around and say, ‘OK, this is ours’.” Facebook page. Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambam Subscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube Kol Bogrei September 2011 ~ Elul–Tishrei 5772 Rambam Page  of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide 1999 Graduate Finds That JNF “Validates and Solidifies My Jewish Identity” Zev Steinmetz ’99 is on track for Sara Hefez, Regional Director national leadership at Jewish National at JNF, shared, “From my first Fund. And that’s good for JNF, because meeting with Zev all those years Zev exudes a passion and commitment ago, I could tell that Israel has a that will help carry the organization to deep and meaningful place in his the younger generation. heart. We are very lucky to have Zev in the JNF family.” That’s how he became involved a few years ago. “I was approached by JNF Zev said his powerful connec- professionals from the New England tion to JNF is a byproduct of Zone. They expressed the urgent need his upbringing. “Growing up to engage young leaders below the in Bnei Akiva, and as a young age of 40,” he said. Orthodox Jew,” he said, “Torah’s connection to Israel was always The organization was thriving paramount. What the JNF does with donors from all age brackets in the Negev -- developing except those in their 20s and 30s, he new land, schools, synagogues Zev Steinmetz ’99 speaks to JNF mission participants at continued. “JNFuture was founded to the Sept. 11 memorial in Jerusalem. and communities -- is truly channel their events and involvement. the modern day Zionist move- I was excited by the challenge and is running for the position of national ment. It validates and solidifies my was named the inaugural chair for the president of JNFuture. Jewish identity. I truly feel a bond with Boston area.” the Jewish people, now and through A finance graduate of Yeshiva Univer- About a year later Zev was asked to the generations.” sity, Zev has had a successful career in take on a national role and serve on a residential real estate sales. As sales Zev also recently served on a special selection committee to screen manager for the Brookline office of committee to encourage participation participants for JNFuture’s first mission William Raveis Real Estate, he manages at the annual conference in Cincinnati to Israel. The trip was five days, this 38 agents with an annual sales volume last month. He sits on the interim JNFu- past July. Zev and two other local lay of more than $100 million. He is the ture National Board, and drafted the leaders joined 28 participants on the youngest of 80 Raveis managers in five election process for selecting its lead- trip, which was designed to encourage states. ership. And speaking of leadership, Zev leadership growth and Zionism.

Courthouse Tour Guide

Rabbi Avi Robinson ’97 is serving as a law clerk for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Avi, a grad- uate of Boston University School of Law and Yeshiva University, reports that “a quasi-official part of my job is leading visitors on tours of the court, explaining the history of the court (dating from the ‘witch trials’ in 1692) and the building (1894). I’ve been hoping to arrange a trip Members of the Class of 2004 flank owner Marc Epstein at the new Milk Street Cafe on Wall Street to the courthouse by students in in Manhattan: (from left) Aliza Vishniavsky, Danielle Charlap, Laurie Pultman, Rachel Epsten ’07, Elisheva Klausner, Jamie Chiel and Abbe Pick. The classmates have been holding monthly get- the high school.” togethers in New York for the past two years. Kol Bogrei September 2011 ~ Elul–Tishrei 5772 Rambam Page  of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Alumni Climbers Integrate Jewish Practices with an Ascent to Top of Africa

Hemingway’s classic short story “The in a rainforest, spent the second day Shabbat,” Daniel added. “It was surreal Snows of Kilimanjaro” now has a in heather, and on the third day, we to study the mishnah in Berachot Maimonides School sequel: “Shabbos walked through a volcanic wasteland. about what blessing one should on Kilimanjaro,” featuring 2006 Davening in the shadow of the peak make over mountains while sitting on classmates Aaron Sarna and Daniel gave new meaning to the tehillim Kilimanjaro.” Swartz. describing the beauty of creation. I can’t say Barchi “I wanted to take a trip after gradu- Nafshi on Rosh ating that would bring together Chodesh without nature and culture, and this seemed thinking about the like a perfect fit,” Daniel said. Added mountain.” Aaron, “I finished college and I real- ized that this probably would be my The guides coun- last summer vacation for the foresee- seled slow walking able future, so I’d better make use of to acclimate to it traveling. Thinking of the places I the high altitude, wanted to go, this was pretty high on staying on the right the list.” trail and monitoring health. “They taught “We both had done some hiking us about Kenya and but not mountain climbing,” he said. Tanzania and the “But based on what we had read, different peoples, this is something you can do without customs and having special technical skills, if you’re languages,” Aaron in reasonable physical shape. So we Daniel Swartz ‘06, left, and Aaron Sarna ’06 on the cliffs of Kilimanjaro. said, noting that decided to try.” “we learned some Their planning included the Orthodox Swahili along the way.” The class- Aaron said the climb has had a Union website, where they discovered mates emphasized the importance of profound effect on the way he looks a blog by another group that climbed this cultural experience. at the world. “I learned a lot about Kilimanjaro while keeping kosher and my physical ability and my willpower. By the second day the group was observing Shabbat. “So we went with There were aspects of my personal past the treeline. “We started hiking their guide company,” Aaron said. limits that I never had to test before. the minute the sun came up every They not only prepared their dates It took every ounce of willpower and day. It was unbelievably cold,” Aaron and routes but also “did tremendous strength to get to the top.” Daniel continued. “Within minutes of sunrise, preparation getting into good shape concurred: “Climbing Kilimanjaro was the temperature would rise like 30 – hiking, swimming, in the gym. We one of the most empowering and degrees.” The climb took seven days, tried some smaller climbs in the area humbling things I have ever done.” and the men spent Shabbat relaxing during the weeks leading up to this.” in a text some 13,000 feet up. “During Aaron is back working for Google as Aaron and Daniel arrived in Tanzania the day the summit is engulfed in a software engineer, but he hasn’t on July 5 and began their ascent the clouds, and at night the clouds lift,” ruled out other climbing adventures, next day, accompanied by a guide and Aaron said, revealing “more stars than although “to climb most other moun- assistant, a cook and five porters who I could ever imagine.” tains on this scale, you really need “carried almost everything on their technical climbing ability.” Daniel, on “I actually consulted with Rabbi heads.” The expedition cook “had a year-long fellowship with the Tikvah (Benjamin) Samuels about building strict instructions on separate dishes, Fund in Manhattan, simply said, “I an eruv around our tent so we could but we were basically vegan.” can’t wait to do this again.” read outside on Shabbat”, Aaron said. “The scenery changed each day,” “We brought along a Chumash and Daniel recounted. “We started out some pages of Talmud to learn over Kol Bogrei September 2011 ~ Elul–Tishrei 5772 Rambam Page  of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Here & There... Menachem Wecker ’01 has joined the staff of U.S. News & World Report as an education reporter. Menachem, who has written a biweekly column on Jewish art at The Jewish Press since 2003, most recently was assistant director of public affairs at The George Wash- ington University. Jonah Liben ’06, who made aliyah on Aug. 15, has joined the Israel Defense Forces through the program. His email is jonah. [email protected] and his home base is Regba, Regba D.N. 22804. Leah Sarna ’09 recently was inter- The JJAS trio – from left, Jeremy 13, Sam ’10 and Jonathan Fisher ’08 – perform on the Upper School lawn at an August evening concert. The brothers played for almost 90 minutes and viewed in Hebrew by the Israeli collected donations for Gittel’s Kitchen. television network YNet. Leah was participating in a large Tanach seminar in Israel sponsored by Energy Independence Michlelet Herzog. Adam Mitchneck ’06 recently joined FlexEnergy Energy Systems Inc., in Portsmouth, NH as controls engineer. The firm designs and builds microturbines used in power generation. Adam earned a degree in aerospace engineering at Syra- cuse University, with minor courses of study in electrical engineering, mathematics and computer science. He was a University Turbine Systems Research Fellow in 2009 and served as a software engineering intern with Autoliv before joining FlexEnergy. Autoliv designs and builds safety equip- ment for cars. “The specific section I was in designs radar sensors for applications such as collision warn- ings (both front and rear), blind spot monitoring, and self-parking,” he explained. “My role was writing testing programs ranging from Members and guests of the Class of 1991 pose at a 20-year reunion hosted by Leah (Sokoloff) Green- gart in Teaneck, NJ: (rear, from left) Avi Greengart holding Lila, Leah Greengart holding Shimmy, creating synthetic radar waveform Aline Linden, Alex Klibaner holding Jessica, Rachel Schiff holding Ellie ’21; (front, from left) Avrom data to designing a user interface Okon and Benjy Lopkin. Also present were Tani Greengart (photographer) and Akiva Greengart and associated hardware used in (napping). The group connected with Jennie (Shapiro) Goldstein in Israel via Skype and by tele- testing a real-time sensor.” phone with Ayelette Robinson and Emily (Levine) Rapalino.