sign in sign up
<<
Home , Sheldon Adelson

Kol Bogrei May 2011 ~ Nisan–Iyar 5771 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]. Also, check out the “Alumni” video playlist on Maimonides School’s YouTube channel, MaimoTube!

Alumna Says Proving Fertile Ground for Building Jewish Life

“I never thought that I would end liberal movements, as well as two up here,” Rachel (Miller) Sakofs ’00 community day schools, “so there reflected. is quite a large Jewish commu- nity.” The family lives minutes And no wonder—she resides in a place from a supermarket with a well- known colloquially as Sin City, Lost stocked section of prepared and Wages and the Entertainment Capital frozen kosher products. of the World. “Jews we meet from all over still ask, ‘There are Jews in Las “My husband and I have become Vegas?’ Here we are, and here there is fully involved as lay leaders in the potential. We bring to the community Jewish community at large,” she our backgrounds and knowledge, but continued. “Teaching Hebrew Avi Weiss ‘94 holding daughter Jeri, Justin Sakofs, Rachel mostly our creativity and our yearning school at a Reform synagogue, (Miller) Sakofs ‘00 and Devra Weiss holding son Shai. to make this place better for all of the participating in JCC and Federa- Valley’s Jews.” tion events, and not missing even one film from the Las Vegas Jewish Film some of the core values that I hold dear Rachel, who grew up in Sharon, was a Festival, one of the highlights of Jewish from my Maimonides upbringing were speech-language pathologist at Gate- culture every year. My husband and I going to be challenged.” ways: Access to Jewish Education in are also involved in initiating a Jewish when her husband Justin was Also, the city is so sprawling that the educators’ consortium, with a goal to offered a teaching job at the Adelson shuls are not within walking distance of increase networking and collabora- Upper School, an independent Jewish one another. “We will often sleep over tion among Jewish educators from the day school in Las Vegas. The brand new with friends for an entire Shabbat, or various Jewish schools in the Valley. campus was financed by casino billion- have friends over, in order to share expe- Our first event kicks off this June.” aire and philanthropist Sheldon Adelson riences over Shabbat,” Rachel noted. and his wife Dr. . There are challenges, to be sure, The Sakofses have befriended another Rachel related, particularly in learning “We had both recently finished grad- transplant from south of Boston, Dr. opportunities and attitudes towards uate school, we felt young, and we were Avi Weiss ’94 and his family. “For the women. “Classes which learn texts in looking for an adventure, a place where past year and a half, our families, as depth are usually for men only,” she we could gain experience, save some well as a third family, spend Shabbat said. There are shiurim for women, but money, and contribute,” she recounted. together in one of our homes once a “the approach that I’ve found is that “We didn’t know what Las Vegas would month. We daven together, explore one woman will lead and the other be like, but we had a one-year-at-a-time the parashah, and share in all the food attendees will listen. There is usually no mentality. Lo and behold, we have been preparation. We are creating the foun- source sheet, and little room for ques- here now three years.” dation for a minyan which we hope will tioning and active engagement.” uphold the values that are personal The family davens at Chabad of “On one occasion, I gave a D’var Torah and meaningful to us.” The Sakofses Summerlin, which also has a mikvah. for a friend at her Shabbat Kallah, where are also friends with Ron Gerber ’81 A kollel recently opened nearby. I referenced a passage from Masechet and his wife Tracy. There are Chabad enclaves in other Kiddushin,” Rachel said. “One of the parts of the city as well as a Young “Las Vegas has much to offer,” said women peremptorily inquired, ‘Since /Aish HaTorah and two Orthodox Rachel, who divides her time as a when do women learn Gemara?’ I was day schools, she said. There are also speech language pathologist among shocked and surprised, and realized that several synagogues affiliated with the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Kol Bogrei May 2011 ~ Nisan–Iyar 5771 Rambam Page  of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Graduates Finding Excitement and Fulfillment in the Culinary Arts Yoni Mandel ‘02 Yoni was able to recreate the added bonus of making a tremen- some of the assignments dous difference in the patient’s life.” Yoni Mandel ’02 has been at home, using kosher He has a message to his future cooking since he was 11, and ingredients and bringing patients: “Expect some delicious “I’ve always loved it”—so the results into school homemade treats in the waiting much so that he took some the next day for evalua- room.” time off after earning his tion by the chefs. undergraduate degree to attend culinary school Yoni also spent an intern- Zissie (Polak) Spivack ‘03 and work as a chef before ship cooking at Solo, an Zissie (Polak) Spivak ’03 calls herself entering dental school. upscale kosher restau- rant in , where a “big eater.” Yoni was a pre-dental Yoni Mandel ’02 he was responsible for “I love good food,” she laughed. “I student at Brandeis Univer- several dozen prepara- find myself constantly cooking and sity, receiving a B.A. in music in 2007. tory tasks pertaining to the entire back creating recipes… I also love working He began studies at Tufts University line of the kitchen. He also had an with my hands, and I love art. So it was School of Dental Medicine in the fall of opportunity to learn from Executive only a matter of time until I figured out 2010. In the interim, Yoni completed Chef Hung Huynh (a winner on the how to direct my food passion and art an intensive six-month program in television series Top Chef). passion into something I want to do classic culinary arts at the French Culi- for life.” nary Institute in (gradu- He also worked as a personal chef for ating top of his class in 2008), and then private families in the New York area Zissie chose hospi- went on to work in the culinary world. (and remains available for hire as a tality as a major at personal chef and cooking instructor, Boston University Yoni’s training was all-inclusive—knife through [email protected]). because, “I am skills, vegetable preparation, meat fascinated by the and fish butchery, pastry arts, kitchen Among the cooking classes he has hotel and restaurant management, stock preparation, conducted was a Rosh Hashanah industry.” But the catering and buffet, nutrition, Parisian demonstration featuring original emphasis was on bread-baking, fundamentals of wine, recipes, held at the Hampton Syna- management, with cooking on the line in a restaurant, gogue on Long Island. “The attendees not much of a food and food safety protocols. “The were mostly women who enjoy component, program used classical French dishes cooking at home—Jewish women who Zissie (Polak) Spivak ’03 so recently she in conveying the techniques and skill have been cooking for their families returned to BU for an intense four- sets necessary for any chef to possess,” for years,” he said. “It was humbling month culinary program. “It was an he said. to think they were there to learn from a man who was half their age.” (The incredible experience,” she testified. “It “It was an amazing experience,” Yoni demonstration was later recorded at was very rigorous, but I got to work with recalls, noting that “it was not a kosher the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts in and learn from some of the greatest program, and as such, it was very Brooklyn and can be viewed at http:// chefs, including Jacques Pepin.” challenging to absorb everything the www.torahcafe.com/musicvideo. Of course, the biggest challenge she way my classmates were able to. The php?vid=efa93b0f2.) faced in the non-kosher institution chef-instructors and deans were very was, “I couldn’t taste a thing. But I respectful of my situation, and it ulti- Yoni draws similarities between would go home and recreate what I mately didn’t affect my performance cooking and dentistry. “Cooking is a had learned for my family and friends. or education.” As a student, he said, passion, something I do every day. It was a great lesson to learn.” “I could understand what ‘proper And cooking at the restaurant level is seasoning (salt)’ meant. I think I devel- a craft that requires attention to detail, The raison d’etre for Zissie’s efforts oped my palate more through my precision, organization, and of course, is, “I feel that American kosher food sense of smell than my sense of taste.” skills and technique. Dentistry neces- sitates those same elements, and has CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Kol Bogrei May 2011 ~ Nisan–Iyar 5771 Rambam Page  of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide

CHEF ZISSIE • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

is lacking. Even in New York, I get frustrated walking into restaurants. I just feel they’re missing something.” She has aspirations to present “kosher food that is not typical and doesn’t taste like every other kosher place. I feel that kosher people fall into a rut and use the same three cookbooks. My recipes are new and fresh and not so typical.” Zissie, who lives in the Forest Hills section of Queens, plans to present those recipes, along with a panorama of unique menus, to weekly, monthly and occasional subscribers on a new website called www.chefzissie.com, expected to be open in early June. Several recent alumni are among the Maimonides fan section at ’s Sarachek Memorial Basketball Tournament in March. For the first time the M-Cats qualified for the top tier of “They will be really different, well- competition. thought-out menus, and they won’t be difficult for the average person who likes to cook… Cooking is always a challenge, but people have Graduate Shares Advocacy Insight admitted to me that the hardest part is creating a menu,” Zissie There’s more than one way to be a Last summer Nathan was one of the observed. “This way I will create the successful advocate for Israel, Nathan first five Tamid Fellows, and spent menu for them, so they can feel re- Gilson ’08 told the 11th grade at a several weeks with an startup juvenated by serving new and deli- special assembly on May 19. building solar-powered houses. He is now the national coordinator for the cious full menus that they cooked Nathan, a sophomore at the Univer- fellowships. themselves!” sity of Michigan, is on the national “My hope is I will have enough board of Tamid: Israel Investment In his presentation, Nathan said Tamid people subscribing to the menus Group. Tamid, which has chapters on was a localized response to the so- on the website that I’ll eventually be seven campuses nationwide, educates called BDS (Boycott/Divestment/ able to do that full time,” she said. on Israel’s economy, interacts with Sanctions) anti-Israel campus activism. Through her website, Zissie also Israeli entrepreneurs and business- “We decided we were going to fight will be available for hire as a private people, analyzes Israeli securities, divestment with investment,” he chef, for dinners, special events, provides volunteer consultants and said. He told the students that “many Jewish holidays or cooking lessons. arranges student internships with good things are happening in Israel businesses in Israel. The group also right now. There’s much to be excited As she continues online prepara- organizes networking opportuni- about.” tions, Zissie is working as a cook at ties among students and Israeli More information is available at www. a kosher landmark in Teaneck, Etc. entrepreneurs. Steakhouse, where she says she is tamidgroup.org. helping create new dishes.

Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambam Subscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube Kol Bogrei May 2011 ~ Nisan–Iyar 5771 Rambam Page  of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Maimonides Alumni Here and There… Gerver a Wexner Scholar

Once again the roster of The New recent “elevator pitch” competi- Adina Gerver ‘97 has accepted a pres- York Jewish Week’s annual salute to tion. The contest, open to Suffolk’s tigious Wexner Foundation Davidson young leadership includes several entire business school, called for a Scholarship, awarded to deserving Maimonides School connections. Allie 60-second sales pitch designed for candidates for graduate school programs Alperovich ’94 was one of the “36 a start-up business. Michael deliv- training Jewish professional leaders. under 36,” recognized for her volun- ered his pitch in the finals, which Adina plans to pursue master’s degrees teer service with community organiza- took place at Suffolk Law School. in non-profit management and Judaic tions. Allie’s classmate Aharon Wein- He graduated this month with an studies at New York University starting stein was mentioned in the biography business degree. this fall, and expects her studies to take of his wife Shefa. She was honored for Danielle (Leeds) Kim ’01 is two-and-a-half to three years. establishing Web Design insight, the training to participate in the Nike company “which she runs together She majored in History and Women’s Women’s Half-Marathon in San with her husband.” Also recognized Studies at Harvard, and served as a Francisco on the second day of Chol was former student Leah Larson, program officer with the Covenant HaMoed Sukkot (Sunday, Oct. 16), founder of Yaldah magazine. Foundation and then as assistant while raising awareness and funds director of the Skirball Center for Adult E.B. Solomont ’97, a reporter for for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Jewish Learning, both in Manhattan. The St. Louis Business Journal, is writing Society. Her fundraising page, for For several years she has also been “Diapers and Deadlines,” a unique information and donations, can be a consulting writer, editor and blog describing the challenges of accessed through http://www.face- researcher, and she plans to continue a new working mom. E.B., a former book.com/l/4032dsTJBO0mSubi36_ those activities during her fellowship. reporter for and 1P7eblDg/pages.teamintraining. She hopes to work in Jewish education. The Post, recently relocated org/nyc/nikesf11/dleeds to St. Louis with her husband, Philip Other alumni who have received Piano teachers Shari (Berger) Levy. You can access the blog at Wexner recognition include Rabbi Michaelson ‘69 and daugh- http://bitly.com/diapers1. Asher Lopatin ’82, Dr. Jon Levisohn ters Lori (Michaelson) Salkin ’87, Orit Kent ’89, Sara Meirowitz ‘95 Jesse Ebner ’09 is serving in the ‘00, June Michaelson ‘05 and and Noah Cheses ’03. Foreign Relations Branch, Ground Melody Michaelson ‘07 entered Forces Command of the Israel Defense 16 piano students in the American Forces. “My job is in the Planning College of Musicians, National Las Vegas •CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and Oversight Office,” he reports.“ I Piano Guild Competition in Boston work on programs between the IDF this spring. Twelve Maimonides various elementary schools and a and foreign militaries, both in Israel students performed winning private practice. Housing is inexpen- and abroad.” Jesse said he interacts piano programs. The teachers will sive, and her Desert Shores neigh- with foreign military officers and showcase them, along with 50 of borhood features “three man-made helps plan their visits in Israel. He their classmates from Kindergarten lagoons with tall and lush palm trees, also is involved with dispatching IDF through high school, at their annual ducks and swans, and an all-around officers abroad “to learn from foreign piano recital at Maimonides. Shari family feel.” armies or to make purchases or sales.” taught—and continues to teach— Jesse enlisted about a year ago, first her daughters and son Andrew ’99. “We have spent many a Sunday at learning at Mechina Bnei David in Eli. Red Rock Canyon National Park, “It taught me strength to continue Directory Additions exploring new hikes and finding the being dati in non-religious environ- last remnants of water flow before ments,” he wrote. After basic training Dena (Goldstein) Aharoni ’79 drought season hits. In our first year, and most of advanced training he was notes that the recently-distrib- we went to at least one Las Vegas show assigned to Foreign Affairs. uted alumni directory omitted the or hotel lobby per month… UNLV names and birthdates of her sons, offers a full season of ballet, symphony Michael Stern Cohen ’07 finished Moshe (1984) and Yehuda (1987). and theatre. And the beautiful dry heat in second place in Suffolk University’s is great!”