Kol Bogrei March 2016 ~ Adar I - Adar II 5776 Rambam Page 1 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 com- munications tool; please forward to [email protected].

Soup Kitchen Launched Alumna on Her Professional Chesed Path

One afternoon develop strategies to address the needs Abbe explained that “while I am back in 2002, and trends our agencies see on the involved in strategic planning and allo- the Maimonides ground.” cating funds for anti-poverty program- School student ming on a daily basis, I don’t usually Abbe received an undergraduate degree soup kitchen, interact with individuals receiving the in urban design and architecture studies Gittel’s Kitchen, services, so I enjoy volunteering with from New York University in 2009 and was short one people in need in my free time.” volunteer, so returned to NYU to pursue a master’s Abbe Pick ’04 in urban planning. As a student intern One of these individuals was a 99-year- tagged along. in the New York City Department of old homebound woman who recently That decision Transportation, she “struggled to find passed away. For the past year and a turned out to a meaningful connection to the work half, Abbe visited her weekly under the be life-changing of designing streetscapes and realized auspices of Dorot, a Jewish non-profit — literally. that I had a stronger desire to make that provides “friendly visits” and other an impact on a more personal and services for New York seniors. She noted Abbe became a communal level.” that “the experience enhanced my Gittel’s Kitchen understanding of what it means to age So she pivoted her path from technical regular and went in the community, without family and design to community development, Abbe Pick ‘04 on to co-chair funds.” the activity where “you have the opportunity to as a senior with Ariella (Hollander) empower individuals through innovative Abbe also serves as a trained crisis coun- Wiesenfeld ‘04. “That experience defi- programming and community building.” selor for Crisis Text Line, a non-profit startup that offers free crisis intervention nitely molded my perspective on life,” Based on the most recent UJA-Feder- via text messaging. Working from her she testified. “Thursday nights at the ation of New York sponsored study, home computer, Abbe responds to text soup kitchen made us feel like we were there are more than half a million Jews messages from people of all ages, with providing a physical and emotional living in poverty or near-poverty in the issues ranging from eating disorders lifeline for individuals in need. Once we five boroughs, Long Island and West- and bullying to suicidal ideation and started creating relationships with the chester, Abbe said. The largest group domestic violence. soup kitchen clients, we realized that of poor Jewish households in the New people weren’t only coming for the food York area is Russian-speaking seniors, “Instead of long-term advising or coun- (although Milk Street’s fish was always a mostly concentrated in South Brooklyn, seling, our goal is to move the texter hit!). They came to find a community.” followed by hasidic households. from ‘a hot moment to a cool calm,’ ” she said. The organization has also created a “Looking back, I think my experience She pointed out that a newer, growing platform for crisis counselors to connect at Gittel’s Kitchen has subconsciously group living in near poverty (often in order to debrief difficult conversa- become a part of how I frame my disqualifying them from receiving tions, and it is sharing data to inform approach to the work I am now stew- government assistance) is Jewish single- future mental health policy planning arding at the UJA-Federation of New parent households. “This demographic around the country. York.” is often overlooked,” she said. “However, As a planning associate, Abbe works we are now supporting agencies to “Maimonides,” Abbe commented, “has with a group of lay leaders to allocate provide services to better position this formed who I am, particularly because of over $6 million towards anti-poverty group on a path towards self-sufficiency the people who filled the desks around initiatives in New York’s Jewish commu- while ensuring that they feel embraced me, and I am grateful that my Maimo nity. “Day to day, we work with UJA- by the community.” connections continue to guide me in life Federation’s network of agencies to beyond the classroom.”

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Ilya Pittel ’01 sent an email to friends families are somewhat reluctant to was no exception. It was once situated and acquaintances a few weeks ago, purchase homes in geographies from in a thriving Jewish community, but looking for donations because “my which they might be disengaged its last minyan was in the late ‘80s, synagogue’s roof collapsed!” This is in the future — especially after and during the Second Intifada Dossa no ordinary shul. Ilya is active in the what happened in the Israeli was razed by the Muslims.” Dossa Synagogue in the city of Lod in disengagement from Gaza in 2005.” “Today, Dossa is located in the heart central . of a mostly Muslim “Lod is a mixed Muslim- neighborhood,” Ilya Christian-Jewish city, and its said. “On one side of the history goes back to the times street are illegally-built, of Yehoshua bin Nun,” Ilya extravagant modern said. “In fact, archaeologists Arab-style villas, and recently unearthed Lod’s on the other side are ancient city wall from the time decaying state-subsidized of Yehoshua. So Lod is one of apartment complexes. the only places in the world There are a few Jewish where both days of Purim are families who live in the celebrated.” subsidized housing, either those too poor Ilya purchased a house in Lod who could not get out in 2013 and his family joined of the neighborhood or about 300 other households very ideological young in a new neighborhood called families who are part of Ramat Elyashiv. The residents the garin torani.” are part of a larger garin torani, whose mission is to Three years ago the spread yiddishkeit to Israelis in local Religious Zionist underdeveloped communities Avital and Ilya Pittel ‘01 and family pre-army military through social and religious academy made some programming. light renovations to the “Most of my neighbors moved to Lod Dossa shul, and “we very quickly “The garin in Lod started about 15 for a variety of reasons — ideological became members,” he said. “At first years ago with a handful of families but also practical, like location the congregation was small, with and about five years ago it exploded (20-minute drive from major job only a minyan of families, but quickly with young dati leumi families,” Ilya centers), community, new housing, blossomed to over 45 families (120+ recounted. “Today Ramat Elyashiv is public transport and highways,” Ilya children). The members are in their composed of more than 400 young related. “It’s also a great investment. 30s, ideological, very learned, highly dati leumi families with lots of children Just three years ago, the value of real educated, motivated and communal.” and yiddishkeit,” he said. estate was half the price compared to other cities, and now it doesn’t lag Dossa expects more members to Young couples began moving into too far behind.” affiliate in August, when another the neighborhood five years ago, Ilya 90 families are scheduled to move said. “The first families came only for Several decades ago “there were into Ramat Elyashiv. “The shul is no ideological reasons. Israelis consider many small active Sfardi shuls in Lod,” longer able to accommodate the this ‘settling Eretz Yisrael’ because Ilya said. “However, in the 1980s when members, and unfortunately the there has been a recent trend to buy the local Jews became wealthier and roof collapsed and the building was homes in mixed Muslim-Jewish cities started moving out of the city, the deemed unsafe,” Ilya said. “Since instead of Judea-Samaria, since young shuls fell to disrepair. The Dossa shul the Dossa shul represents a local

continued on page 3 Kol Bogrei March 2016 ~ Adar I - Adar II 5776 Rambam Page 3 of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Graduate’s New Book Explores the Beauty and Depth of Piyyutim

Rabbi Dovid Roth ’07 has completed an Dovid worked closely with Dr. Gabriel Gordimer, a member of the execu- ambitious 18-month project exploring the Wasserman, whose Ph.D. was on piyyutim tive board of the Rabbinical Council of structure and meaning of piyyutim (litur- for Chanukah. “We also had some help America, wrote that Machzor Shivchei gical poems) recited by many German and from people inside and outside my shul Yeshurun “also features a beautiful and Dutch communities in pre-war Europe. The and the sponsors who made it possible to elaborate academic exploration of the print,” he said. A graduate of University, Dovid received semicha several months ago from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). He is pursuing a master’s degree in library science and is a member of the RIETS Kollel L’horaah, an intensive multi-year program that grants advanced semicha to outstanding scholars. In an August 2014 post written for the blog On the Main Line, Dovid wrote about the chumash/siddur his great-grandfather used (which Dovid found in his grandpar- ents’ basement) while living in England Rabbi Dovid Roth ‘07 Machzor Shivchei Yeshurun around the turn of the last century. The sefer featured piyyutim for the entire year. result is a 796-page book, Machzor Shivchei “I became really passionate about piyyut structure and categorization of piyyutim, Yeshurun, recently printed in Israel. when I was working on this article,” said including charts that make it all quite Dovid. simple. This 796-page mega-volume “It is hoped that this sefer will enhance the includes annotations and extensive davener’s understanding of the beauty and Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, a reviewer on supplemental notes, references to variants depth of these piyyutim, many of which the Orthodox blog Cross-Currents, noted and other traditions, source citations and have fallen by the wayside as people have that “private initiatives to perpetuate and a lengthy appendix, and is presented in not understood what they represent,” enhance the heritage of German Ortho- the form of a complete Shabbos morning Dovid wrote on the book’s website. doxy have yielded first-rate works that siddur, so that mispallelim need not use should not go unnoticed. The latest such “I knew that it would be several hundred a separate sefer of piyyutim in addition to work is Machzor Shivchei Yeshurun, which pages, but I didn’t know that it would be their siddur.” features a complete, year-round selection quite this long,” Dovid said. Part of the of Western Ashkenazic piyyutim, with rich To purchase the machzor, contact Dovid at reason is “we reprint large parts of the and scholarly historical background and (857) 234-6434 or [email protected]. service whenever there are piyyutim to commentary, as well as halachic insights make it easier to follow. “ and explanations of various minhagim.”

Life in Lod continued from page 2 the community,” Ilya related. “We light “We are extremely happy in the Ramat Chanukah candles and bring matanot Elyashiv community and we welcome Jewish historic heritage and is in an Arab- le’evyonim on Purim. There is also a weekly visitors,” Ilya said. “Lod has a very long Jewish neighborhood, it is important to Shabbat soup kitchen. Some families cook history, featuring several archaeological expand and strengthen the building to or buy meals to support the soup kitchen, sites, a 13th-century bridge still used accommodate our growing community. As while other families eat with the locals to daily, a 15th-century church, an Ottoman such, we will be doubling the shul’s size and provide a nice social religious atmosphere.” caravanserai and a railroad from the strengthening the old and decrepit roof.” Dossa features regular Torah learning, a Ottoman Empire that became central in (See tinyurl.com/RamatEliashev) Shabbat kiddush, and intra-shul activities the Israeli fight for independence from the for every Jewish holiday. Ilya’s wife Avital is British. Professional guides are available.” “Our community does social religious on the Events Committee and the Building programming with poor members of Committee. Kol Bogrei March 2016 ~ Adar I - Adar II 5776 Rambam Page 4 of 4 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide

Maimonides Alumni Here and There…

Ari Massefski ’10 has been named university relations manager for the Friends of the Arava Institute. “My responsibility is to raise awareness of the peace- building and environmental educational opportunities at the Arava Institute A mini-reunion among members of the Class of 1996 took place during a break on Kibbutz Ketura and to help students achieve their research and professional at the AIPAC Policy Conference this month: Marleen Litt, Benjamin Flusberg and goals by spending a semester on our study abroad program or in our intern- Raphi Savitz (right). ship program,” he said. Based in Boston, Ari’s recruitment zone is all of North America. His contact information is [email protected].

E.B. Solomont interviews her 1997 classmate David Brickman as part of a recent panel about real estate development in New York City. E.B is a reporter for real Dr. Matt Levitt ‘88, director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intel- estate magazine The Real Deal and David works for Onex Capital Partners, an ligence for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, speaks at this month’s active developer in Queens. “We went through K-12 together, but it was a blast AIPAC Policy Conference on the topic of terror financing. He is joined by AIPAC’s teaming up on a professional level,” said E.B. “Who knew our paths would cross deputy director of policy and government affairs, Steven Beckerman. Matt also like this?” The panel was part of a March 1 luncheon hosted by the Commercial took part in a panel analyzing the state of global terrorism, participating with Real Estate Women of New York. retired Israeli Gen. Nitzan Nuriel.