Kol Bogrei May 2016 ~ Nissan - Iyyar 5776 Rambam Page 1 of 5 Connecting 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 com- munications tool; please forward to [email protected].

Graduate’s Leadership Helps Revitalize Jewish Life in the Pacific Northwest

When Laurie and Brian Yablon ’83 most impactful moved to Portland, OR in 1997, “the only moment for kosher meat you could buy was frozen me was when Empire chicken. A group of us at shul my dad left for formed a co-op and purchased meat Motza’ei directly from Rubashkin in Iowa. The Yom Kippur minimum order was 2,000 pounds, so in 1973 with we would coordinate orders around the a number of chagim and recruit customers.” other Boston- area doctors to The Portland community has come a help out in the long way since then, and Brian has been war.” a big part of it. He is serving his fourth year as Oregon’s AIPAC state chair. “I remember the rabbi Brian, an electrical engineer by training announcing and now an engineering management from the pulpit consultant, moved to Portland with that Israel was his family to take a position with Intel under attack, Corp. They arrived two days before Brian Yablon ‘83 speaking at the AIPAC Policy Conference. and my father’s Rosh Hashanah. “We went to the face mirroring local Safeway to buy food, and after AIPAC leadership “is a big commitment. his emotions as he moved from fear to wandering around for a few minutes, We travel to DC at least three times each anger to resolve,” he recounted. “That I asked a stock boy where the kosher year to lobby our congressional delega- night, we got home, broke our fast, and section was. He responded, ‘Kosher? Is tion,” Brian related. “The small size of then he just packed and left for Israel. that like low-fat?’ I figured we’d made our community means we activists have My mom didn’t question his decision at the biggest mistake moving out here personal relationships with every one of all, and held down the fort with me and to the Wild West.” The Oregon AIPAC our members of Congress. They actu- my sister. We didn’t hear from him for chapter was then defunct; it was not ally reach out to us for our perspectives three weeks because he was assigned to resurrected till 2004. on pro-Israel legislation, and for our a field hospital somewhere in the Sinai. thoughts on the ever-evolving situation That taught me what we do for Israel.” The Yablons’ three sons went to a there.” community school, and “we augmented Support for Israel at Maimonides “was their education through inde- Thus AIPAC leaders must be “well- constant and unshakable throughout pendent study with a local Chabad informed and thoroughly conversant my 12 years there, and the Maimonides rabbi,” Brian said. “Things are completely with the news, with the historical con- community absolutely contributed to different in Portland now. We have a text, with the legislative landscape,” my Zionist identity and laid the founda- kollel, the Ma’ayan Torah day school, an he continued. “It is also a tremen- tion for my activism,” Brian recalled. eruv, a full kosher deli at the Safeway. dous feeling to be participating and “Zionism per se was not taught. But we Our shul moved from a dying corner of advancing our agenda, defending the absorbed and internalized it from all our town to the Jewish epicenter and expe- U.S.-Israel relationship and keeping Israel teachers and in all our classes. I think this rienced an unbelievable rejuvenation. safe by personally engaging in the best is because the horror of the Holocaust Portland is now on the Orthodox map!” traditions of our American democracy.” was still so proximate when we were Brian said he is the third generation of young.” “The US-Israel relationship is a very a family of ardent Zionists. “Perhaps the personal one for me,” Brian asserted. continued on page 4 Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambam Subscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube Kol Bogrei May 2016 ~ Nissan - Iyyar 5776 Rambam Page 2 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Social Work a Regular Opportunity for Chesed and Caring, Alumna Says

For Judy (Rosenkranz) Siderer ’68, “social work has afforded me the opportunity to incorporate chesed and caring into my professional life on a regular basis.” Judy is described by Intervention Associates in a Philadelphia suburb, her employer for more than 25 years, as “uniquely qualified to understand and manage the most challenging circumstances,” thanks to her clinical experience, “combined with her sensitivity, insight, and interpersonal and organizational skills.” She is a senior care manager for the non-profit organization, which provides professional care management and legal guardianship services for people of all ages with all Judy ‘68 and Jack Siderer, their three daughters, three sons-in-law and 17 grandchildren kinds of conditions. “I get a tremendous amount of advances in geriatric care during her “I do miss all the wonderful and fulfillment and personal satisfaction years in the field. special people who were the core of the Maimonides family when working with my geriatric clients “We’re seeing people living longer I was there,” she reflected. “The and advocating for them,” Judy and requiring more complex medical Wohlgemuths, Cohens and Simons declared. “They usually present with care and support for longer periods were close family friends and such complex circumstances, sometimes of time for physical and cognitive extraordinary mechanchim and requiring guardianships, which can decline,” she commented. “On the people.” be especially challenging. Yet it is so positive side, there is more emphasis rewarding to be able to make a real on ways to enhance the quality of life Indeed, she said the Wohlgemuths difference in the quality of people’s and independence as people age.” “were actually the shadchanim for my lives as they age, to ensure that they parents! My father was already living As a manager, Judy supervises and can age with dignity and as much in Boston and my mother was in New trains new care managers, facilitates independence as possible.” York. Bertha knew my mother from regular clinical team meetings, and Germany and made the shidduch!” “The importance of chesed and oversees and helps improve internal middot and caring for others was and external communications. something that was instilled in me “Though I am involved in throughout my years growing up management and administration, I Tournament Dates Set in the Brookline community,” Judy never gave up working directly with said. “My parents (Doris and Arnold clients, which is the work I truly enjoy Ahron Solomont ‘76, chair of Rosenkranz, z”l) were wonderful the most,” she said. the annual Maimonides Invita- role models, as were the wonderful tional Tournament, has Maimonides and Young Israel Judy has been involved in many announced that the dates for the communities. I saw many instances of aspects of community institutions next event have been set. The tour- chesed being done, both publicly and throughout her years in Philadelphia, privately, and how important this was serving on boards and heading nament will begin on Thursday, Dec. on so many levels.” committees for a day school, 15, and continue through Sunday, shul, mikvah, and various chesed Dec. 18, 2016. Three boys’ and three Judy, who earned her master of social organizations. girls’ teams will join the M-Cats and work degree at Temple University, Lady M-Cats. noted that there have been many Kol Bogrei May 2016 ~ Nissan - Iyyar 5776 Rambam Page 3 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Fifty Years after Commencement, 1966 Graduates Reflect on Their Lives in Israel

As they approach the 50th anniversary of arrival, and earned Sharonah (Koolyk) Rabinowitz made their graduation, members of Maimonides a degree from the aliyah in 1987 with her three children, all School’s Class of 1966 can point to several Hebrew University. students at Maimonides. “I didn’t know distinctions. Theirs was the first graduating that you are not supposed to bring teen- Before retiring about class to spend all four years of high school agers on aliyah — and luckily neither did a year and a half ago, on the new Brookline campus. Theirs also they,” she laughed. Martelle worked in the was the largest class to date, the first to field of elder affairs “It was very pleasantly surprising to see reach 20 seniors. Theirs was the first full- and also was on the how much Hebrew my children had size yearbook. staff of the Diaspora learned at Maimonides — even the And four of those 20 have lived in Israel for Yeshiva on Mount Zion. “I also taught a youngest was able a cumulative 108 years. Each reflected on monthly class in Torah topics for Emunah after the first day his or her experiences in Israel and how Women,” she said. of school to tell me they were influenced by their Maimonides what the current education. Rabbi Menachem Gopin made aliyah collecting fad was, with his wife Rochel in 1999. Now retired, and to understand Rabbi Tanchum Mendi served as executive vice president the classes, as well,” Cohen (Thomas in the of Yeshivat Hadarom in Rechovot and — Sharonah related. “I 1966 HaLapid) came at the same time — served at Gan Yavne knew Hebrew very to Jerusalem to learn Youth Village as the representative of the well, thanks to the legendary Mar (Yaakov) in 1970 and has been Rabbinical Council of America. Lamdan, and that actually caused the only there since. His career difficulty I encountered: because I knew “In 2011, after I arranged for each institu- has taken several the language well, people always assumed tion to be affiliated with Bnei Akiva and turns, including the that I knew everything about daily life, Migdal Haemek respectively, I taught post office and a long school, ordinary things.” on-line college courses and also did career affiliation with the educational institution counselling for Chareidi young men,” he “My own degrees are in psychology, but Ohr Somayach as an ulpan teacher and said. “I now do some consulting work I chose at first to teach English privately,” librarian. He was a bookkeeper briefly, but both in Israel and Canada and enjoy the Sharonah continued. “I joined the To’anot soon moved on, recalling ruefully, “Rabbi freedom that retirement brings.” Beit Din program of study, less with a view (Isaiah) Wohlgemuth told me that I might to becoming a Rabbinical Court pleader be a ‘late bloomer’ in math.” “While Israel has than with the idea of learning limudei many challenges in a Tanchum said his most satisfying work kodesh at an intensive level. I was the only physical sense, there has been “taking care of sick and elderly woman of my age in the class who had is no question that in people” for the past quarter-century. “They ever learned Gemara, except for one other a spiritual sense living were stars of the Torah world and the American, a Ramaz graduate.” in Israel is vastly supe- academic world, as well as simple people,” rior to anywhere else Today “we are blessed with many young he said. “I tried to understand their needs in the world,” Mendi women who learn at a high level, among and to help them out as much as possible.” declared. “I can thank them Maimonides alumnae,” Sharonah He added that he has no retirement plans. Maimonides and the Rav for my knowl- said. “It is also wonderful for me to see “Maimonides gave me a lot when I was edge of Hebrew, for developing a love how many graduates choose to make there,” Tanchum said. “I still think of the of Israel, and aspiring to live in the place aliyah, often coming straight from the U.S. things I learned with Rabbi Wohlgemuth, where the footsteps of mashiach are being to Tzahal.” Rabbi (Isaac) Simon and Rabbi (Leon) heard daily.” “These days I work at the computer, savor Mozeson. They were great teachers.” Several years ago Mendi published The Rav, the plethora of lectures Yerushalayim My Rabbi and My Rebbi. He said the book is offers, and enjoy my grandchildren. For Martelle Gavarin made aliyah in 1980, still used as the definitive source of many many years after we came, I would often inspired, she said, by “the education we of the minhagim and nusachot of the Rav. host graduates who had been classmates got at Maimonides and the emphasis on of my children, for Shabbatot or holidays or Zionism.” She has lived in the French Hill just visits. I extend an invitation to ’66’ers neighborhood of Jerusalem since her and anyone else visiting Israel.” Kol Bogrei May 2016 ~ Nissan - Iyyar 5776 Rambam Page 4 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide

Dozens of alumni and friends from Maryland and Pennsylvania reconnected at an open house hosted by retired teacher Rabbi Zalmen Stein and his wife Freydie in Baltimore on May 8, including (clockwise, from left) Joanna (Siev) Rogers ‘98 and Yael (Miller) Stieglitz ‘88; Shraga Green ‘82, retired Principal Rabbi David Shapiro and Rabbi Chaim Wecker ‘00; Esti (Stein) Meth ‘91 and Galya (Keehn) Elbaum ‘90; Rabbi William Millen (the first student enrolled in 1937), Rabbi Shapiro and Dr. Solomon Langermann ‘77; Jennifer (Pick) Sultan ‘01 and Janet (Bernstein) Eisenberg ‘86; and Rabbi Yochanon Stein ‘93, Rabbi Zalmen Stein and Yael Stieglitz. The Saval Campus cake (far right) was made by Shoshana Wecker ‘06, a pastry chef in Baltimore.

danced at Judah Kosowsky’s bar mitzvah and personal outreach to grow our move- Pacific Northwest with Josh, Jeremy Kahan, Elliot Mael ment, educate people and quash the lies continued from page 1 and Danny Edelman.” and false narratives that so many good- hearted people are tragically inclined to “My oldest son Ben made aliyah in 2013 The Pacific Northwest’s reputation for believe. We are combatting an astonishing and married his sweetheart, Miriam being “progressive” is well-deserved, Brian ignorance of history.” Clayman, whom he met at Bar Ilan on his said. However, “that embodies a constella- gap year. They both now serve in the IDF.” tion of viewpoints and attitudes that sadly Israel, Brian observed, “should be the Middle son Jonathan later enlisted in the — and falsely — includes viewing Israel as darling of the Progressive Movement. US Marine Corps. “Promoting a strong U.S.- a regional aggressor that tramples on the Where else in the Middle East can the Israel alliance keeps all my kids safe!” rights and aspirations of the Palestinians. LGBT community exist free from perse- “Most of the guys in my Maimonides We see it everywhere, even in classrooms cution? Where else do women have the class have stayed quite close, despite the in the material they are taught in public right to vote, drive cars, and work freely in distance and the years,” Brian said, noting school.” any industry? Where else does the entire citizenry participate in a parliamentary that at Ben’s wedding near Beit Shemesh in Disputing these perceptions requires democracy without regard to race or 2014, “I was privileged to share the simcha constant work, Brian said. “We reach out religion? Israel is an island of democratic with classmates Eliezer Halbfinger, Judah to new members all the time through values in a vast ocean of repression absent Richman, Sholom Weglein and Steven messaging from the pulpit in shuls, by local of human rights.” Epstein. Then, just a few months later, we speaker engagements, parlor meetings, Kol Bogrei May 2016 ~ Nissan - Iyyar 5776 Rambam Page 5 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Maimonides Alumni Here and There… Michal Alge ’14 was named May female management and organizations and also a family therapist, focusing on issues athlete-of-the-month at Stern College of operations. of loss and illness. Dvora’s work was . A first-year student at profiled in the Winter 2011-12 edition of Kol Rabbi Noah Cheses ’03 will succeed Stern, Michal has been among the offen- Rambam. Rabbi Meir Sendor as the rav of the Young sive leaders of the team with a Israel of Sharon. Noah has served as Ellie Epstein ’09 is one of The New York batting average over .350 and more than assistant rabbi at Congregation Shaarei Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36: Millennials a dozen RBIs. She also was a key member Shomayim in Toronto for the past year Who Are Changing the Face of the Jewish of the basketball team, averaging 10.4 and a half, after three years as an asso- Community.” The annual special section points and 11.3 rebounds per game. In ciate rabbi and Jewish Learning Initiative recognizes extraordinary contributions her athlete-of-the-month interview with on Campus educator at Yale University. to Jewish life by individuals up to age 36. the sports information office at YU, Michal Noah received his B.A. in philosophy from Ellie was cited for creating and managing said that Rabbi Dov Huff ‘00, now interim Yeshiva College in 2008 and his semicha Wire the Wise, which the newspaper Middle and Upper School limudei kodesh from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological account described as “an intergenera- principal, was the teacher who had the Seminary at YU in 2011. He was co-presi- tional program centered around elec- most influence on her when she was in dent of the Maimonides Student Council as tronic devices.” Wire the Wise matches eighth grade. a senior. Noah and his wife Sarah, a yoetzet technology-savvy young people with Leslie Black ’09 is the new institutional halachah, have three children. senior citizens who share life experiences advancement officer at Westchester Day while learning the usage of cell phones, Dvora (Phyllis Kranz) Corn ’78 was School in Mamaroneck, NY. Her primary laptops and other devices. Wire the Wise recognized in a recent Times of Israel Yom responsibilities are the school’s alumni (wirethewise.org) has attracted more than Ha’Atzmaut blog as one of “68 extraordi- and grandparents campaigns and the 300 people to the 92nd Street Y and three nary women in Israel.” Dvora is co-founder society honoring major donors. Leslie is other New York area venues. (The program of Gisha L’Chaim (Life’s Door), which a graduate of New York University with a was featured on the front page of the April provides spiritual and emotional support degree in hospitality and tourism manage- 2015 Kol Bogrei Rambam). and growth experiences for patients, ment, with a concentration in both event professionals and families suffering from Rabbi Yochanon Stein ’93 has been life-threatening illness and loss. She is named principal of the new upper division of the elementary school at Bais Yaakov of Baltimore. The announcement of Yocha- non’s appointment noted that “his enthu- siasm, originality, and sense of mission will greatly enhance the management team and will bring the level of chinuch in our school to new heights.” Rabbi Yaakov (Jeff) Weiss ’96 has accepted a position at the Yeshiva Lab School in Lower Marion, PA. “The Yeshiva Lab School is a brand new school and I have joined their team to teach and develop their curriculum,” Yaakov said. “It is a very exciting opportunity, and we are looking forward to being closer to family.” The Weisses plan to relocate to Cherry Hill, NJ over the summer. Yaakov has served as mashgiach ruchani at Beth Israel Syna- gogue in Omaha, NE for two years and has Ryna Kedar was visiting from Israel, so some of her 1971 Maimonides classmates joined her for lunch also been involved with pastoral services in Riverdale, NY recently: (from left) Micah Bloomfield, Barbara (Lipis) Morris, Ryna (Gindsberg) Kedar and teaching since moving to Omaha from and Rebecca (Weisenberg) Rosenbaum. Halifax, NS. (See profile in May 2015 Kol Bogrei Rambam.)