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Kol Bogrei Rambam Is the Alumni Council’S Monthly E-Newsletter for and About Maimonides School Graduates

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Kol Bogrei Rambam Is the Alumni Council’S Monthly E-Newsletter for and About Maimonides School Graduates Kol Bogrei January 2014 ~ Tevet - Shevat 5774 Rambam Page 1 of 5 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]. Alumnus Nurtures Israel Venture “That Is Truly Avodat HaKodesh” Dr. Ronald Wachtel ’60 was a public Kav L’Noar’s mission is to help at-risk same impact on both home and school high school psychologist on Long children, ages 8-18, who are facing life. Island for more than 25 years while behavioral, emotional and religious Kav L’Noar’s staff of six family therapists serving as Israel adviser to the seniors issues. “Our holistic family-systems and 35 mentors has created a strategic at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau approach to the interventions offered to County. After retiring from his public families and their children, with a focus school career in 1999, he was hired by on three key outcomes: reducing stress HANC to create its first professional on the family and parenting relationship; counseling program. supporting a complete solution by After making aliyah with his wife connecting the child, the parents and Carrie in 2002, he devoted a year to the school; and enabling each family “learning about what services were member to face the future without being offered to English-speaking professional involvement. families who also had made aliyah Today Kav L’Noar has expanded its and were confronting difficult mission to include native Israeli families challenges with their teenagers.” and recently began to implement a He said it became apparent to him school-based mentoring program in that there was a real void in the Dr. Ronald Wachtel ‘60 several middle and high schools in social services offered to English- greater Jerusalem. The agency, certified speaking olim families. Recognizing as a non-governmental organization that he could capitalize on his years model of intervention,” Ronny said, both in Israel and in the USA, is based of working with adolescents, in “emphasizes the impact each family in central Jerusalem and works with September 2004 he founded Kav member has on one another. We families who come from the city and L’Noar, an organization that he says empower families to engage their many outskirts. “My dream is to take Kav “has brought health and stability teens and strive for healthy family L’Noar across the country. The model to hundreds of families and their relationships.” of intervention we have created can be children.” used anywhere,” he said. “There is no one pattern into which kids Especially helpful was Dr. Lazar or families fall,” Ronny explained. The Kav L’Noar’s Board of Directors includes Fruchter, medical director of a health issues are not related to their aliyah, Robert Wolff ’59, who serves as a insurance plan for American students although the transition can exacerbate volunteer director of operations; his learning in Israel following high them. “More than likely, the issues son Josh Wolff ’89, former Maimonides school. “He shared with me some of would have manifested themselves executive director; and Josh’s classmate the non-health-related challenges that had they remained in their original Moshe Kaganoff. Gladys Wolff, Robert’s he was seeing in his practice which home communities.” For example, wife and Josh’s mother, volunteers to included ‘off the derech’ behavior, an undiagnosed learning disability help the organization maintain proper credit card fraud, body piercing and would serve as the catalyst for negative record keeping. cutting. He encouraged me to create attention regardless of where that “As we stand on the threshold of a an address where English-speaking child is living. Similarly, differences in second decade, I’m very proud of parents could turn when confronting parenting philosophy would have the such issues with their kids.” continued on page 5 Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambam Subscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube Kol Bogrei January 2014 ~ Tevet - Shevat 5774 Rambam Page 2 of 5 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Yardenna Milgram ’11 Honored for Her Israeli National Service Performance Yardenna Milgram ’11 says that even Each afternoon, Yardenna volunteers at the age of eight, she knew that she with children of immigrants from wanted to live in Israel. “I grew up with Ethiopia in a nearby garin torani — a Bnai Akiva,” she related. “Even when I religious community group — called was young I knew I wanted to be part of Yachad. “What I am doing actually Israel.” makes a difference,” she observed. “The whole community is getting something Now, less than a year-and-a-half after out of it.” making aliyah, she has received special recognition for her service to the state. Yardenna said she is no stranger to working with youngsters. She was head Early this month, Yardenna accepted of the Bnai Akiva in Sharon for two an Award for Excellence from the years and spent three summers as a Israeli Ministry of Education. The cita- madrichah at Camp Moshava. tion is given annually to the superior performer in her second year as sherut “I love it here,” she declared. “I’ve made leumi from each of the country’s four a lot of friends from all over the country, national service organizations. through sherut leumi.” After graduation from Maimonides and Among those impressed with Yarden- a year of learning in Israel, Yardenna na’s accomplishments is Avi Wortzman, made aliyah and immediately began a member of Knesset and deputy fulfilling her national service obligation. minister of education in the national government. He was one of the She spends each morning in Orot Banot, presenters at the awards ceremony. Yardenna Milgram ‘11 and her brother Jonathan ‘09 a girls’ school in Beit Shemesh, teaching reading, Hebrew and math. “I work with MK Wortzman, in his Hebrew talk, Besides teaching immigrant children new olim and kids with difficulties in said he was told that everyone not only and students with learning needs, learning. I try to help them achieve their admires Yardenna’s work but also spoils she is always willing to help any staff goals in school,” she said. her like a daughter. He praised her rapid person in the school, he continued acculturation into Israeli life. — and she does all these things with a good heart. Yardenna teaches students that every difficulty is not a barrier, but rather a challenge that can be overcome. MK Wortzman said she left family and friends to fulfill the Zionist dream, making her a hero in his eyes. We are lucky to have young women like this in Israel, he stated. Details are included in a special video tribute: https://docs.google.com/file/ d/0B1gJbUzRXRQsb2doM1NuRFVjd0U/ edit?usp=drive_web Yardenna said she frequently sees her brother Jonathan ’09, who recently completed active duty in the Israel Defense Forces. After her active service obligation ends in August, she hopes to study full-time at Michlalah College in Jerusalem. Pausing for a photo during a Tu B’Shevat seder in Israel are, from left, Malkah Livneh (Marilyn Oppen- heim) ’72, former student Miriam Botwinick and Renee (Blechner) Hirsch ’76. Kol Bogrei January 2014 ~ Tevet - Shevat 5774 Rambam Page 3 of 5 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Young Entrepreneur’s New Business Reflects His Early Interest in Fashion “Starting in middle school, I was always in Israel.” Indeed, Ephie said he had be embroidered on ties and pocket interested in the newest fashion a “mini-makolet” — a convenience squares — wherever you choose.” designs and fashion companies,” store — in his dorm room in Israel and related Ephie Mandel ’08. “In addition also organized and ran the laundry ArgamanNYC is sold exclusively on to the fashion industry, entrepreneurial service at Mevaseret (Yeshivat Shaarei Etsy or by contacting ArgamanNYC business has intrigued me since a Mevaseret Tzion). directly. “Etsy is an online marketplace young age.” specifically geared for people selling At Yeshiva University, Ephie was a handmade and vintage items,” Ephie So it should come as no surprise management major at Sy Syms School explained. An ArgamanNYC website is that on Jan. 1, Ephie launched Arga- of Business. “I took many courses forthcoming. manNYC, an on business online busi- management “In my bar mitzvah parsha, the word ness special- and business argaman is mentioned in the first izing in neck- development, aliyah. Being that I practiced my first wear for men. and am putting aliyah the most, I specifically noticed “I design and what I learned the word and always liked the way it handcraft to use in Arga- sounded,” Ephie recounted. “Argaman everything manNYC,” he means royal purple, so it was only ArgamanNYC said. fitting to make the lining of each tie sells. Both royal purple. I also thought argaman the ties and But how did a would be easy for non-Hebrew the pocket Maimonides and speaking customers to pronounce.” squares are YU graduate learn to craft “Custom orders and special pricing made from for weddings, bar mitzvahs and other high-quality a necktie? “I learned how to events are available,” Ephie said. materials, Anyone interested can message Arga- handpicked make and design ties by reverse manNYC on Facebook or email by me,” Ephie [email protected] with ques- said. engineering a tie. I took apart tions and orders. Connect with Arga- “Creating a tie, studied manNYC on Facebook, Twitter and ties began the different Instagram: @ArgamanNYC.
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