Kol Bogrei April 2016 ~ Adar II - Nisan 5776 Rambam Page 1 of 5 Connecting Alumni Worldwide

Kol Bogrei Rambam is the Alumni Council’s monthly e-newsletter for and about 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 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 Is On Familiar Ground with His GrowTorah Learning Initiative

Much of Jewish law and tradition is a camping trip somewhere in New rooted in agriculture and can be expe- England,” he laughed. “I loved being rienced through a garden, according to outdoors and spending time with Yosef Gillers ’05. nature — it’s beautiful, fun, and inspiring.” “We can study the laws of pe’ah, then section off a corner of our garden for A fixture at Camp Moshava (where donation to a local food pantry. We can he’ll be returning this summer to till, plant, prune and harvest, then study run their wilderness program), Yosef the corresponding melachot of . also organized annual student ski Depending on the age of the students, trips during his high school years. In we can discuss the general ideas, the 2003, he took all those experiences related mishnayot, or we’ll even delve to a higher level — a 14-day NCSY into the technical details of the halachot. Outward Bound canoeing trip in We can explore global poverty issues northwest Ontario. “I still remember and how growing vegetables in our the laws of building an eruv from that garden can help feed the hungry in our trip,” he said. “Outward Bound was a community. Granted, it’s a very small pivotal moment for me in my Jewish action relative to the global issue, but nature life. I discovered that nature every vegetable helps.” was a great place to explore and strengthen my .” This is familiar ground for Yosef, who is tending to a fledgling educational At Washington University in St. Louis, garden program he calls GrowTorah. Yosef earned an undergraduate Sarah and Yosef Gillers ‘05 The curriculum includes “Jewish envi- degree in environmental studies with ronmental and social justice lessons, as a concentration in education. During director of education, developing a well as agriculture and nature-related his college summers, he worked as a curriculum that is now in use at Amir’s 34 lessons”. Yosef has adapted them counselor and guide at Yagilu, a Jewish partner camps. for elementary and high school students wilderness camp. “Between summers and is also now developing a farm-Torah working with teens in the woods, and Two years ago Yosef brought an Amir curriculum that focuses on the agricul- the school year exploring global envi- garden to Moshava Ba’ir , a tural melachot of Shabbat ronmental issues and education, I real- summer day camp at The (see GrowTorah.org.) ized that I really wanted to improve and in Paramus. “The camp garden was a contribute to the field of Jewish experi- huge success, and then I thought, ‘Could “My goal for this program is to use the ential nature education,” he said. I keep this going during the school year garden — which for most kids is a totally too?’” That experiment began in the fall new experience — not just for its own He also was inspired by an organiza- of 2014 and became the pilot program sake, but also for engaging them with tion called Amir, founded by a college for GrowTorah. really interesting Torah concepts that friend. Amir partners with summer they otherwise might never learn about, camps to build educational garden and “Last fall I started teaching a farm-Torah and most certainly would never learn farm programs. “We use the gardens to mishmar at Frisch. Then I got in touch about in this way,” he explained. teach kids about Jewish environmental with some other schools to see if they and social justice, and help inspire and were interested, and as of April 2016, I GrowTorah is an extension of Yosef’s empower them to become agents of am now actively building GrowTorah love of the outdoors. “I’m a Gillers, so change,” Yosef explained. For the past garden programs at four schools (all every summer of my childhood included four years Yosef has served as Amir’s in Metro New York),” Yosef said. “At continued on page 3 Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambam Subscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube Kol Bogrei April 2016 ~ Adar II - Nisan 5776 Rambam Page 2 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Alumna’s First Novel “A Strange Case of Life Imitating Art and Vice Versa”

novel for a while afterwards as I dealt worked tirelessly in their careers and with some of the lingering PTSD from become major successes in the field I the events in real life. Coming back to want to break into.” the writing is one of the main things that helped my own recovery.” (And Now she is in the “querying-for- both Talia and her son Asher are now agents stage, which is a difficult and quite healthy.) long process, involving a lot of hope and disappointment,” Talia said. She “My novel is my first attempt at emphasized that her husband and publishing fiction,” Talia said. “The classmate, Dr. Gabriel Yarmush truth is, writing this novel has been a ’02, provides “ongoing emotional lifelong dream, and it has taken quite support. He has such total faith in my some time to get here.” ability as a writer, which is a major comfort.” “For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer,” Talia related. Talia noted that “the main piece “I entered and won my first writing of advice one hears at this stage is contest in second grade. It was in to start the next project: just keep Natick in honor of Martin Luther King. writing, no matter what. It can be very I wrote a fake interview with Coretta difficult to maintain optimism, but as Scott King. In , I wrote much as I write for myself, I also write young-adult short stories that were to be read, so I keep on going.” Talia Liben Yarmush ‘02 filled with pre-teen angst.” So her second novel is now in “the “In high school, I entered many essay very nascent stages.” It is also a dual Tamar is a young woman struggling contests to help with scholarship narrative, this time focusing on two with faith after years of infertility and money for college. I have always felt differentagunot . child-loss. When she learns that Aviva, compelled to write. Whether it was her sister-in-law, has died in child- in a diary, or in letters to loved ones, birth, Tamar returns home to a Boston or in published essays, words come “As much as I write suburb to help her brother through easier to me on paper, and it was shiva. Exacerbating the tragedy is the always quite natural.” immense guilt she feels at not having for myself, I also write given Aviva a real chance to form a Most of this writing — including friendship when she was alive. everything that has been published to be read, so I keep — has been non-fiction, “whether “The story is a strange case of life creative non-fiction, which is my going.” imitating art, and vice versa,” said norm, or more scholarly non-fiction.” Talia Liben Yarmush ’02, describing She added, “My mother was always “One is in Boston, chained to an the dual-narrative novel she has just incredibly encouraging. She must abusive husband, and utilizing all finished writing, as yet untitled. “I have noticed an ability in me at an the halachically available means in struggled with infertility for four years early age, and I’m not sure I would be the toolbox to obtain a get,” Talia before conceiving my beautiful son here today if she hadn’t encouraged described. “The second woman is Ezra, with the help of IVF. Tamar is still me to nurture it.” escaping Jerusalem, immediately in the midst of her struggle. Mean- post-destruction of the second while, Aviva dies in childbirth from Talia didn’t make the transition to a Temple. Her husband is missing the same pregnancy complication novel without preparation. “I try to in action and presumed dead. In that almost killed me — and landed read as much in my genre as possible. the wake of the chaos of the time, my second son in intensive care for Specifically, Jewish-themed fiction, however, she is attempting to find the seven-and-a-half weeks.” and especially by female writers,” she appropriate rabbinical authority to said. “Nicole Krauss is my absolute Talia added that this was written into declare her husband dead, while also favorite. Dara Horn, Tova Mirvis, Alice the narrative before she was preg- deeply conflicted about doing so in Hoffman, Anita Diamant — these are nant, “and I had to step back from the the first place.” incredible female writers who have Kol Bogrei April 2016 ~ Adar II - Nisan 5776 Rambam Page 3 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Graduate’s Commitment to Israeli Martial Art Is Professional and Personal

Krav Maga, the official martial art of the body is comfortable with the motions, we “I took a look at my life and said, ‘Hey, I Defense Forces, was developed in strap on pads and helmets and take it up don’t have time to do any of the things the 1930s by a Czech boxing champion a little….Most of the techniques are so I’m really interested in doing.’” So he left as a way for his fellow European Jews to easy that you barely have to be athletic. the kitchen and began training seriously defend themselves from street attacks and Mentally you have to want to be involved.” — three or four hours a day, five or six pogroms. Yankel Polak ’99, son of a child days a week — at Roshankish (the name is Yankel learned the Korean martial art survivor of the Shoah, is an heir to that Persian) Martial Arts Center in Medford. taekwondo as a under- legacy. One day the owner mentioned that he Yankel is proficient in Krav Maga (Hebrew could use more business from nearby Tufts for contact combat) and teaches the tech- University. So Yankel arranged with the nique professionally. He said his lineage college health department to teach a Krav helped motivate him “to go to the gym Maga class as part of the fitness program. when I didn’t want to, to put in that extra “I’ve always taken to teaching,” Yankel said. hour. It was believing with all my heart in “I ran study halls in college and have done ‘Never Again.’ And given the state of the some cooking classes.” His work grew to world that we live in, it’s not enough to just an introductory class for freshmen, special- say that. I have to know how to back my ized seminars, and an ongoing course words up.” in the university fitness program. “Then people started asking me for extra help at Krav Maga is an amalgam of martial arts the gym,” he said. forms, some of which are centuries old, Yankel said. The technique “teaches how Now at the martial arts center he is to react to violence with violence.” But it Yankel Polak ‘99 teaching former military personnel, young also promotes fitness, teamwork, discipline professionals and graduate students. He graduate, and “I loved it. It was physical, a and self-confidence, he added. also is working with law enforcement offi- discipline, it boosted self-confidence.” But cers on techniques for disarming suspects Yankel advises his students that “you don’t he didn’t sustain it at the time. who have weapons, as well as “the basics go through life as an aggressive, angry He began a career in culinary arts, which of being calm under pressure, not being person. You may never react in a violent can be demanding in time and stress. After overwhelmed when someone is attacking way. Krav Maga wants to instill in you the several years, looking for an outlet, Yankel you.” ability to recognize violence and give noticed a neighborhood gym that was it back more aggressively than what is “This is definitely not for everybody,” advertising Krav Maga. “I walked in and coming your way.” Yankel said. “It can be pretty intense for met the owner, an Iranian. He was certi- some people. We make sure people get hit There’s a range of simple hand motions, fied in Krav Maga — he had a big framed on their first day — really, what good is the providing easy defense against punching te’udah (diploma) and a giant Israeli flag training if the first time you ever experi- or kicking, he said. There are responses to hanging prominently next to the Iranian ence some kind of violence is in real life?” an attacker swinging a knife or holding a flag, maybe the only place like it in the gun to one’s head, even hostage scenarios. world.” “I think it’s important that part of our In his course, Yankel said, “you learn Jewish consciousness is a physical pres- That was around four years ago. Yankel muscle memory without actually hurting ence,” he asserted. Yankel can be reached started out dropping in at the gym when- the person you’re working with. Once your at [email protected]. ever he could find the time, but eventually

continued from page 1 “I try to stagger the planting so there is He continues to develop curricula, based GrowTorah always something growing, blooming and on his experience with Amir, which also each school, I collaborate with teachers to harvesting — except for the dead of winter, continues to provide resources and staff for develop lesson ideas using the garden. That when we move inside and grow on window- support. way, teachers can make use of the garden sills and makeshift greenhouses,” Yosef said. for any academic discipline, even when I’m “Seeing students smiling and laughing as not around.” “My goal for the next five years is to build we dig up the soil and discuss how much of this into a program that we can implement the field will constitute our pe’ah section, Planting, maintenance and harvesting are in any in the country,” that’s incredibly validating and gratifying all central to the GrowTorah experience. said Yosef, who is also a rabbinical student. for me.” Kol Bogrei April 2016 ~ Adar II - Nisan 5776 Rambam Page 4 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Banal Facebook Posts Inspire Series of Original Songs from 2007 Duo

The ubiquity of Facebook has elevated find common ground – a ‘eureka’ moment. “He’s a well-trained musician and that countless nondescript, mundane topics to The whole thing takes three or four hours.” makes it easier for me to jam around with the level of “status.” Two Maimonides grad- It’s a one-take recording, Noam added, and him,” Shlomo said. “The songs are all really uates are poking fun at this phenomenon “that’s part of the reason that the songs different — the kind of wide-ranging with mock-serious original songs. come out so well — we don’t have time to music we both like.” overthink them.” Noam Hassenfeld ’07, a Initial reviews New York-based podcast from Facebook producer and musician, and friends were posi- classmate Shlomo Golshira- tive, Shlomo said. zian, a data analyst in Wash- Noam acknowl- ington, DC, select friends’ edged that up Facebook statuses and set until now, the them to music. posts haven’t had a large audience The project began around — “just friends two years ago when Noam and family, basi- and Shlomo wondered cally. We were whether a musical Facebook included on a status would be humorous. Patriots blog a “We decided to try it out,” few months back, Noam said. “It was natural but we’re mostly for us, and then we real- just writing these ized it was pretty fun too.” for ourselves and Shlomo added, “We started our friends. We’re with a couple of friends’ vaguely thinking statuses and we ended up Noam Hassenfeld ‘07, left, and Shlomo Golshirazian ‘07 about recording turning them into a song.” some of them at (The whole lineup can be They call themselves St. Kits (not to be higher quality and adding in full synth- found on this YouTube channel: confused with the Caribbean island). orchestration, but we don’t have any firm https://www.youtube.com/saintkits.) “Shlomo had bought me a U.S. soccer kit a plans to make that happen. For now it’s They’ve posted almost a dozen selections, few months before, and I had it with me, so just about having fun.” and musically they are professional, with we decided to wear them while recording Noam has a band in New York, Three crisp harmonies, clever lyrics, original the videos,” Noam explained. “It just kind Thousand Rivers, and writes music for instrumentation (including kazoos) and of stuck after that.” movies and television as well as for himself. other special featrures. “We try to vary the The classmates get together only every “Shlomo could definitely do that too if he style as much as possible and add some- few months, so they don’t have much time wanted, but he spends most of his time thing new each time,” said Noam. Melodies to rehearse. But you’d never know it. “I playing with his new dog,” he laughed. can be “a tune that one of us has been think, fundamentally, we just have really humming for a few weeks. Other times we “This has been a really good outlet for good musical chemistry,” Noam said. “I just sit down and write something cold. me, adding a creative process in my life,” have more musical training but Shlomo We also try to pack as much as we can into Shlomo said. “Noam is the professionally- is just an incredibly intuitive and natural every song — some choreography, weird trained musician and he really is giving me songwriter. He’s got a great sense for chord changes, complex harmonies. We try a lot of freedom and trusts my opinion. I melody and song structure, and we work to challenge ourselves.” don’t see this going away any time soon. really well together. It’s hard to explain, Our friends aren’t going to stop writing Shlomo described their creative process: really, but whenever we sit down to write a statuses. And this is a strong foundation “We sit down, look at the status, talk about song, something interesting or surprising for our friendship.” how we want to sound. We start singing a comes out.” melody, and after two or three minutes we Kol Bogrei April 2016 ~ Adar II - Nisan 5776 Rambam Page 5 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Maimonides Alumni Here and There… Married classmates Orah (Weberman) through some friends at the Tikvah Fellow- Dr. Jed Siev ’95 has been appointed assis- and Lev Katz, both 1996 graduates, were ship for College Students, “a cohort I’m a tant professor of psychology at Swarth- honored as parents-of-the-year at Hillel part of this year. The journal was founded more College near Philadelphia beginning Torah North Suburban Day School in by some friends, many of whom are in the fall. Jed currently is an assistant Skokie, IL at the school’s April 3 scholar- involved in this cohort.” As a section editor, professor in the college of psychology ship dinner. Lev has served on the school’s Jared said, “I collect three to four articles at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Board of Directors for several years and from undergraduates throughout the Lauderdale and director of both the is currently executive vice president. Diaspora. I edit and compile these articles, school’s Anxiety Treatment Center and the He is also a member of the Governance along with two other editors. I have also OCD and Related Disorders Clinic. Jed is Committee. Orah has chaired numerous published an article myself.” According to returning to a familiar area — he earned events and is a member of the Chesed Day the OR mission statement, “Our core values his master’s and Ph.D. at the University of committee. They have four children in the are the commitment that Jewish texts, Pennsylvania. school, between pre-nursery and seventh which animate the Jewish soul and mind, Mikhael Smits ’13, an undergraduate at grade. “Orah and Lev are role models for are troves of virtue and wisdom; Zionism; , is one of 24 members their children, and show them the impor- reverence for the American project; diver- of the inaugural Hillel International tance of actively supporting their commu- sity of people, views, and beliefs; and Student Cabinet. The Cabinet will allow nity,” according to the biography in the civility.” Hillel International’s leadership to directly dinner’s tribute book. Yitzi Snow ’11 has been awarded a benefit from the advice, opinions and A new independent online journal called Fulbright research grant for a year at perspectives of current Jewish college OR (https://orjournal.net/) features several the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy students from throughout the world. The Maimonides School connections. Jared Systems in Freiburg, Germany. Beginning group was selected to represent “the full Kraay ’14 is editor of the Jewish thought this fall, he will be learning about new spectrum of Jewish backgrounds, size and section and Eli Cohn ’14 is in charge of designs for solar panels at the largest location of schools and areas of study.” finances. The most recent issue included solar research center in Europe. Yitzi’s Etai Shuchatowitz ’13, a junior at a piece by Avinoam Stillman ’12. And undergraduate concentration at Johns University, wrote a play presented six times Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, senior director of the Hopkins University is materials science and in April by the Yeshiva College Dramatics Tikvah Fund and former Middle and Upper engineering. Society. The play is entitled I’ll Be Right School principal, serves on the advisory Here: A Modern Political Tragedy. According board. Jared said he learned about OR to The Commentator, the YU student newspaper, the play “explores the tragic downfall of a charming and promising presidential hopeful, and poses important questions about friendship, loyalty, and glory.” This is the first time the Dramatics Society has presented a play entirely written, scored, and produced by students, according to The Commentator. The paper’s reviewer wrote, “Perhaps the greatest strength of the script is its deft creation of tangible and highly intriguing characters. From the very first scene, Shuchatowitz hits the ground running, pulling the audience through a labyrinth of time and space, shaping his characters through their relationships, motivations, and fast-paced conversa- Alumni and retired teachers reconnected at Dani Chernin’s recent bar mitzvah in Beit Shemesh: from tions. The dialogue, ripe with witty banter, left, Chana and Hillel Spielman ’93, Josh Wolff ’89, Ophir and Tami Chernin ’89, Rabbi Jon and Miriam cultural references, and sharp intellect, Bloomberg, Rabbi David and Miriam Shapiro, Rashie and Rabbi Asher Reichert ’69. Also present was another 1989 graduate in Israel, Moshe Kaganoff. brings distinct notes of critically acclaimed screenplays.”