Kol Bogrei January 2013 ~ Tevet-Shevat-5773 Rambam Page 1 of 5 Connecting Maimonides 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 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].

Doctor-Patient Partnership in Diagnosis Crucial, Grad Writes in New Book

Dr. Joshua Kosowsky ’83 has and health policy. It’s not about laying been on the Emergency Depart- blame on doctors or the system so much ment staff at Boston’s Brigham & as offering a way forward for patients.” Women’s Hospital for more than Additional details and links can be found a dozen years. He says his experi- at www.whendoctorsdontlisten.com. ences as a physician and a teacher Josh, the Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs have shown that “despite all the for the BWH Emergency Department, technology we have, sitting down explained his choice of emergency medi- with a patient and speaking for cine as a specialty. “One of the joys of even a short time is the most emergency medicine is you get to meet important piece of getting the 20 or 30 new patients and their families right diagnosis.” every day, from all walks of life, from Josh made that observation as the homeless person to the mayor and his new book, When Doctors Don’t Dr. Joshua Kosowsky everyone in between.” Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses “I fell in love with diagnosis when I was and Unnecessary Tests, was introduced the importance of diagnosis became a medical student, and that’s really what two weeks ago at a book-signing in clear to me, and the importance of part- emergency medicine has become — Brookline. nering with patients to get to a working diagnosis became ever more apparent,” the place where people come to get a “My passion is in patient-doctor Josh related. diagnosis.” communication and understanding the role that this plays in the diag- The idea for the book germinated more nostic process,” he said. “I think all of than three years ago, when Josh and his us can be better listeners as doctors.” co-author, Dr. Leana Wen, “began to talk about things we could do to improve Dr. Kosowsky earned undergraduate the care of our patients.” Josh said the and medical degrees at Harvard book will be of interest to “anyone who University, but he said his commit- has ever gone to the doctor. It’s meant ment to a diagnostic partnership really for the common person, not for health- began “around our dinner table when care policy wonks.” I was a child.” His father, Dr. Bernard Kosowsky, former Maimonides Board The publisher is St. Martin’s Press, and chair, was chief of cardiology at St. the book is available through the usual Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton. “My online sources (the signing was hosted dad would tell stories about patients by Brookline Booksmith at Coolidge of his, and those memories still reso- Corner). nate,” Josh said. “My ideas of what it is “Leana and I see this book as part of a to be a physician were informed by my burgeoning movement, empowering dad and his approach to diagnosis.” Mindy Schimmel ’76, her husband Benjamin patients to take control of their health- Wurzburger (a former Maimonides kindergar- “As I went into practice and began to care,” Josh said. “Our approach has the tener) and their nine-year-old daughter Yona endorsement of leaders in medicine pose with Shilgiya, the snow-lady, who paid a teach medical students and residents, visit to their home in on Jan. 11. Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambam Subscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube Kol Bogrei January 2013 ~ Tevet-Shevat-5773 Rambam Page 2 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Maimonides a Crucial Crossroads in Alumna’s Journey from Poland to Monika (Lewkowicz) Landau ’94 was gogue on Shabbat and a 17-year-old high school student from celebrate holidays. I Wroclaw, Poland, with an emerging never saw anything like Jewish identity, thanks to a summer this in Poland. Living day program sponsored by the Lauder by day with Harvey and Foundation. That camp turned out to Reva Gertel ’68 and be a launching pad to a life in Israel — experiencing first-hand with a significant stop at Maimonides the religious lifestyle, School. plus going to a Jewish school every day, made ”While growing up in Poland, I did not a very big impact on me. know that there were a lot of Jewish The Gertels are a very children,” she recounted. “I was unique special family. They were in that both my parents were Jewish, very warm, supportive, which is very rare today in Poland. We and understanding. It is would go to synagogue on the holi- really impossible for me to days and my brother and I were the properly express my grati- Ze’ev and Monika Landau and family only children there.” In 1989 Lauder tude for everything they began funding summer and winter did for me.” camps run by Rabbi Michael Shudrich for Jews to continue to live. I knew that (now the chief rabbi of Poland) for Monika recalled that “everyone I wanted to raise my children to feel Jewish families. “We attended them received me and Basia with tremen- proud to be Jewish and not have to and I started to feel more comfortable dous warmth, including the entire staff, hide it.” knowing that there were other Jewish Rabbi (David) Shapiro (the principal), families and children living in Poland, and the students.” In Poland there Monika received her nursing degree and we stayed in touch,” Monika said. wasn’t much of an opportunity for from the Shaare Zedek Hospital experiential Judaism, so “during those Nursing School in 2001 and spent Every summer a few campers were two years I learned to love and appre- more than 10 years in that Jerusalem offered the opportunity to attend ciate the religious lifestyle. I felt very medical center, working in neo-natal a Jewish high school in the United comfortable.” intensive care, pediatric intensive care, States. In 1992, Maimonides School and the IVF unit. Monika and Ze’ev teacher Rabbi Seth Farber, who was Since most of her classmates would Landau were married in 2005. Their also a summer counselor at the Lauder be learning in Israel for a year after daughter Naomi Chana, age 6, is in first camp, worked with Rabbi Shudrich to high school, “I willingly decided to grade and their son Reuven Yehuda bring Monika and Basia Eigenberg to join them, since I was already inter- just turned 2. “After Reuven Yehuda Boston. ested in living in Israel. From that first was born, I took a long maternity leave year in Israel, I knew that I wanted “This arrangement included staying and decided that I needed to work to stay there.” After graduating from with a family who I did not know. It closer to home,” she said. “So I reluc- Maimonides, Monika studied for two was not an easy decision to make, but tantly left Shaare Zedek and I am now years at in Jerusalem. I knew that I wanted to leave Poland working for the Meuchedet Health She returned to Poland but only for a and my parents supported the move,” Fund in Beit Shemesh.” few months before making aliyah in Monika related. “They thought that 1996. Monika’s mother and brother also left eventually we should all leave the Poland for Israel and became religious. country, and this was the way to get it “I always wanted to live in Israel when Her brother and his family live down to start to happen.” I was growing up in Poland,” Monika the street in Ramat Beit Shemesh said, adding, “I knew that I did not “Those two years at Maimonides Aleph and her mother lives in Jeru- want to stay in Poland. When I was opened up a new world for me,” she salem. Monika said she often reunites growing up, I was always afraid to tell testified. “I got to see how religious with the Gertels on their visits to Israel. people I was Jewish. It was not a place Jews really live and study, go to syna- Kol Bogrei January 2013 ~ Tevet-Shevat-5773 Rambam Page 3 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Alumnus a Leading Advocate for Accessibility in Electronic Communications

Network providers overcharge for or So in 1999 Harold chose to shift Battling for competitive phone rates deny access to websites. Cable firms to public interest work, and spent in and out of prisons “is literally a case block devices that allow consumers the next nine years with the Media where you advocate for the widow to speed through television commer- Access Project, a law firm that advo- and the orphan, help the helpless,” cials. Phone companies implement cates for the public in the area of Harold said. “Our organization is part exorbitant rates for calls to and from telecommunications. of a coalition that has pressed very prison inmates. hard on this issue. Otherwise nobody “We identified early that the Internet is going to care.” These are has the potential to bring people the kinds of more than they get on network Harold also noted that his profes- challenges news. It transforms people from sional blog, Tales of the Sausage Harold Feld being passive consumers to active Factory, features “Torah mixed with ’85 confronts producers of content and informa- technology. The reason I do this is as senior vice tion,” Harold observed. “People may because I owe a particular debt to president sneer at political conversations that [Maimonides teacher] Rabbi Isaiah of Public go on blogs, but this is the most inter- Wohlgemuth and his vision of what Knowledge, a active conversation since the Sons it means to live in a world where we Washington- of Liberty got together at taverns in have a responsibility to make the based Boston. It is the pivotal development world a better place, no matter what technology in the last 25 years, with enormous ugliness may be thrown at us.” The Harold Feld ‘85 advocacy potential to improve quality of life.” blog can be accessed through www. organization. wetmachine.com. He acknowledged that there are Public Knowledge works at the inter- trivia and bias, “but if they choose to, section of copyright, telecommunica- people are receiving through these tions, and Internet law. This ranges social networks more information and from “ensuring universal access more differing perspectives on events to affordable and open networks” than they would get in a traditional and “promoting creativity through media environment.” balanced copyright” to “advancing Public Knowledge focuses on the public’s access to knowledge” and protecting consumers and promoting “upholding and protecting consumer innovation in the areas of intellectual rights.” property and telecommunications. After graduating from Princeton It works for balance in copyright and and Boston University School of patent law to promote innovation, Law, Harold practiced with a large and to ensure “network neutrality,” so Washington law firm. But information networks can’t block access or charge technology was in his DNA. “I’ve been extra to reach certain sites. online since Rabbi (Zalmen) Stein’s Harold, who lives in Silver Spring, MD computer class back in 1984,” Harold with his 1985 Maimonides classmate reflected. That is when he acquired his and wife Rebecca Pearlman and first computer. their son, was a delegate to the recent “In the late ‘90s, when suddenly this World Conference on International Maimonides School graduates, from left, Helene became big, I was one of the few Telecommunications in Dubai, where Weiner ‘07, Jacqui Boroda ‘06, and Michal Fuld ‘06 people who knew what a router was,” he expressed “concern that countries are dressed appropriately for a recent shift of relief he recounted. “It was very easy to be like Russia are advancing proposals work, helping neighborhoods devastated by Hurri- an expert about cyber law — because that are very dangerous to freedom of cane Sandy. The day of service was organized by there wasn’t any.” expression online.” Abbe Pick ‘04. “Maimo alumni are still committed to doing chesed together even after graduation,” Helene wrote. Kol Bogrei January 2013 ~ Tevet-Shevat-5773 Rambam Page 4 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Time and Technology Are Necessities for This “Modern-Age Matchmaker” Lori (Michaelson) Salkin ’00 is a 21st the work is in the trenches. “The real Century shadchan. “The stereotype trick to matchmaking is to interview of a matchmaker is an 85-year-old singles in person and make phone calls grandmother,” she said. “Singles today and get to know people personally,” want a modern-age matchmaker with she testified. “I interview on average whom they can speak openly and three new singles in person a week, honestly.” spend four hours a day on phone matchmaking and even longer on A shadchan since 2008 with the the computer. There are more than international SawYouAtSinai.com 100 people in my network with matchmaking service, among others, SawYouAtSinai, and I have several Lori’s record includes five marriages, two hundred more that I keep tabs on. couples about to become engaged, and There are 20,000 in the network dozens in serious dating relationships. altogether. I receive at least four new That includes a couple in their 50s on requests and referrals a day.” She is the their second marriage. only matchmaker on SawYouAtSinai to (It doesn’t always work, Lori have an assistant, based in Israel. acknowledged. “Last night I got a Lori emphasized the importance of coaching call, and I had to explain to “coaching,” in which she counsels the boy that he had to pay for the girl’s “what or what not to do on a date.” coffee on their date. He said she got to Lori and Leon Salkin Using technology to the fullest, she the cash register first… There’s only so coaches clients to “text or email me a much you can do.”) Boston, for halachic questions. She also picture of what they’re wearing before runs meetings out of her own home for Lori’s “career” began in 2005, “when I they go out the door… Singles are eager married women in the community. actually matched one of my Maimonides to have private coaching sessions and classmates with my college roommate.” learn from their mistakes.” Lori is also the voice of SawYouAtSinai Then, three years later, “my sister-in-law and its affiliates on Facebook and It doesn’t stop there. “I’ve taken them wanted help and I applied to be a Twitter. She hopes to one day host shopping. I’ve texted reminders — matchmaker on SawYouAtSinai. After a Jewish reality dating show. With ‘don’t forget to shower and shave,’ a six-month screening and application financial backing, she said, “I’m ready to and written emails for them to copy process I was approved.” go.” and paste to their potential dates. The SawYouAtSinai describes itself as “an funniest situations include those where online Jewish dating service where singles text me from the bathroom Ida Crown Honors Kahan expert Jewish matchmakers assist while on dates for pointers and what to Dr. Jeremy Kahan ‘83, assistant Jewish singles with finding love and say. And one time I was chatting with principal for curriculum and instruction meaningful relationships.” a boy, feeding him lines to use on the at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in phone call he was simultaneously on. After graduating from Maimonides and , will receive the Educator of Hundreds send me text messages day earning degrees at Boston University, the Year Award at the day school’s and night.” The Juilliard School and Fordham scholarship dinner March 12. Jeremy, University, Lori worked as a producer There are demands and frustrations who also teaches math at Ida Crown, and assignment editor for MSNBC in inherent in this line of work. “It’s often moved to Chicago eight years ago New York City and then for Channel 7 thankless. There’s complaining: ‘He was after serving as director of teacher News, WHDH-TV in Boston. She and her stupid; she was ugly; he was bald.’” Lori education at the Rabbi Soloveitchik husband Leon were married in 2005; noted that it is all volunteer and she is Institute at Maimonides. “He values earlier this year they relocated to the paid only if a marriage results. his opportunity to work daily with Philadelphia area with their daughter ICJA teachers, students and parents to Lori remains involved with the shidduch Chloe, and recently welcomed their enhance the quality of all facets of an group run by Rebbetzin Mindy Gewirtz newborn son, Zachary. ICJA education, and is beloved by the of Young Israel of Brookline, calling into staff and students,” according to the Lori is convinced that “opposites meetings and consulting regularly with school’s website. attract.” But that’s more of a guideline; Rabbi Naftoli Bier, the Rosh in Kol Bogrei January 2013 ~ Tevet-Shevat-5773 Rambam Page 5 of 5 Connecting Maimonides Alumni Worldwide Several Members of the Class of 2012 Running for Chesed in Israel

Several 2012 Maimonides School gradu- Another classmate, Elie Sundel, is seeking Menachum Polack: http://www.crow- ates currently learning in institutions in donations for SHALVA, the Association drise.com/TeamButterfly2013/fundraiser/ Israel are training to run in the March 1 for Mentally and Physically Challenged menachumpolack International Jerusalem Marathon, as an Children in Israel. “SHALVA is staffed by Talia Epstein: http://www.crowdrise. act of chesed. professional educators and therapists and com/TeamButterfly2013/fundraiser/ assisted by trained volunteers,” said Elie, Six of the students have affiliated with taliaepstein who noted that all programs are individu- Team Butterfly, a training group of about ally designed and free. Elisheva Spellman: http://www.crow- 40 who are raising money to benefit the drise.com/TeamButterfly2013/fundraiser/ Jackson Gabriel Silver Foundation. The marathon includes not only the full elishevaspellman 42-kilometer event but also a 21-kilometer The foundation “supports efforts to half-marathon and a 10-kilometer run. Deena Rosenblatt: http://www.crow- find a cure for epidermolysis bullosa, an Each runner has a web page noting contri- drise.com/TeamButterfly2013/fundraiser/ extremely rare, painful, and life-threat- butions in support of his or her efforts. deenarosenblatt ening skin disease that causes blistering Following are links to the Maimonides throughout the body,” said Naftali Elie Sundel: http://www.run4shalva.org/ alumni: Ehrenkranz. “The team was founded view_profile.php?id=569 by David Beiss, an 18-year-old Naftali Ehrenkranz: http://www.crow- student who has battled EB his entire life.” drise.com/TeamButterfly2013/fundraiser/ naftaliehrenkranz Naftali and some of his classmates are friends wih David, who lives in West Jonathan Michaelson: http://www.crow- Hempstead, NY and is in his second year drise.com/TeamButterfly2013/fundraiser/ of learning at Yeshivat Torat Shraga. jonathanmichaelson Project Had an Impact, Any Way You Slice It Here’s an update on the pizza project engineered in Israel last fall by Sam Packer ’03 and his wife Leora of Givat Shmuel. They arranged with various pizza merchants in beleaguered communi- ties in the south of Israel to take orders for delivery to IDF troops and residents. “Well over 1,000 pies were purchased, according to our estimates from speaking to some of the pizza stores and emails from those who purchased,” Sam reported. “I received several emails from the Maimonides community, mostly from people I don’t know. The gratitude expressed by the stores, as well as that of the surprised recipients of the pizzas (relayed by those who delivered the pizzas), made it clear that the project had its intended impact. I think that the feeling of directly contributing by calling Posing before kickoff at the the Patriots’ first-round playoff game are Boston–area graduates, the stores from the U.S. was meaningful to from left, Jeremy Thompson ’93, David Galper ’93, Dr. Ben Galper ’97 and Dr. Ernest Mandel ’96. those who gave as well.”