Kol Bogrei April 2010 ~ Nisan–Iyar 5770 Rambam Page 1 of 3 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 informa- tion on individual graduates’ initiatives 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. We invite your information, ideas and feedback—educational, professional or personal achievements, new business ventures, interesting or unusual experiences, insights on Jewish living and learning, or just greetings. Please contact us at [email protected]. Graduate Treasures Living and “Reconstructing” in the Golan Not everybody enjoys living close to well as some of the latest in scientific “One of the nice things to happen in their work. But for Mechael (Mick) techniques.” the past few years is that some of my Osband ’95, it’s the best of two closest friends from Maimonides have “There is no question that in retro- worlds. come to Israel,” he added. spect Maimonides gave me a strong Mechael, an archaeologist, lives in foundation,” Mick asserted. “Many The Osbands were one of 10 original Natur, a new moshav in the Golan, graduates recognize that the long families (there are now around 45) that with his wife Ayla (a nurse who works hours and many classes at Maimonides helped create a new moshav, which near Tiberias) and their three boys, helped prepare them for academic is half religious and half secular. Shalem, Amitz and Afik. The Golan studies. In addition, the combina- The group feels that “the divide in also is the center of Mick’s research on tion of secular and religious studies, Israel between secular and religious Roman pottery, as he pursues his Ph.D. and the view that all are important into separate communities and from Bar Ilan University. and that they complement each schools is one of the main causes other, allows someone like me, who of tension between Jews in Israel,” “I decided to specialize in archaeology, is religious, to deal with the field of Mick explained. “We are committed as archaeology allows one to become archaeology even when it challenges to showing everyone that Jews of an active participant in defining and traditional concepts.” different backgrounds, ideologies and reconstructing the past,” said Mechael, beliefs can live together.” who earned bachelor’s and master’s Mick remarked that he and Ayla moved degrees from the Department of Land north from Jerusalem because “we “Aside from its natural beauty, the of Israel Studies and Archaeology believe that Zionism is an active, life- Golan offers a different type of life- at Bar Ilan. “As an archaeologist in long pursuit of contributing what we style than the cities. It is rural with Israel, there is the added enjoyment can to make Israel better. We decided open spaces and scattered with small of exploring the past of our own to move to a place where we thought it communities where people know each homeland.” would be good to raise our kids, where other,” he said. “If any Maimonides we would help create a new young students or graduates ever want to “Some of the highlights include community, and in an area where we come and visit, they should feel free to crawling through and discovering believe it is important to live.” contact us.” ancient caves from 2,200 years ago, revealing an ancient syna- Mechael (Mick) Osband ’95 gogue mosaic from 1,600 years ago, in the field surveying sites in the Golan that are physically hard to access, excavating, and having the opportunity to work with top scholars in the field in analyzing and interpreting finds,” he related. Archaeology, he pointed out, is “multi- disciplinary, with many different directions of research. This is part of what makes it so interesting. It also combines the outdoors, new discoveries, lab and library work, as Kol Bogrei April 2010 ~ Nisan–Iyar 5770 Rambam Page 2 of 3 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Former Teacher Hosts a Shabbaton for 2009 Graduates in Israel Some three dozen members of the class of 2009 convened in and around the charming community of Mazkeret Batya, south of Rehovot, on April 23 for a Shabbaton hosted by their former teacher, Tomer Ben Shoham, his wife Sara and their family. “Everyone seems to be doing well,” according to Deborah Bellin, who provided a first-hand account. “We did a short hike near Beit Shemesh,” she writes. “Then we did a three-hour tiyul and went to a Bar Kochba cave; a lot of it was a tunnel, very narrow. It was so cool because these are the real caves where they hid from the Romans.” Jay Solomont ’74 photographed these 2009 graduates when he ran into them at the Jerusalem bus station, returning from their Shabbaton to various institutions and programs of learning: from The class members gathered at the left, Rachel Jaret, Aliza Katz, Jesse Turk, Ellie Epstein, Michelle Wiener and Erica Singer. Ben Shoham home for Kabbalat Shabbat. “We davened in their backyard; Harry Chiel was the shlishit in the park with other families ence his IDF induction ceremony on chazzan,” Deborah continues. “In the in the community.” May 6 at the Kotel.” About six mem- morning we went to the main shul bers of the class of 2009 are planning “Avital Bailen, currently serving in in Mazkeret Batya. Then we went to to enter into Tzahal and approximately the army, was there for Shabbat the Mazkeret Batya museum, which is 10 are planning on making aliyah, said and is doing well. She had to open for free every Shabbat. We all ate Deborah. change into uniform after Shabbat, lunch with families in the community. and everyone got a big kick out of “It was amazing to all be together again, After an afternoon of playing games that,” Deborah continued. “Gabe in Israel,” Deborah said. “It was really a and hanging out, we had seudah Rozman was not there; he will experi- weekend Maimo can be proud of.” Maimonides junior Menachem Schindler is joined by 2009 graduates, from left, Leah Sarna, Zehava Gale and Pnina Grossman after finishing fifth in the International Chidon HaTanakh in Jerusalem on Yom Ha-Atzma’ut, April 20, 2010. Several other alumni were on hand to support Menachem, who finished first in the U.S. 2009 Chidon. Kol Bogrei April 2010 ~ Nisan–Iyar 5770 Rambam Page 3 of 3 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Maimonides Alumni Here and There… Judy (Herschfus) Spitzberg ’77 There are no lawyer jokes in the or by check, payable to JNF, with her has been in Israel for the past two household of Mitch Morrison ‘82 and name and Chalutza on the memo years, working as a creative arts his wife Leslie. Their son Ari, a fifth line. These should be sent to Jewish teacher in an elementary school in grader at Yeshivat Noam in Paramus, National Fund. 42 E. 69th St., New Kfar Shmaryahu. NJ, was one of two statewide winners York, NY 10021. For details, write her “I’m teaching English through music in the recent Law Fair, sponsored at [email protected]. The link and art, as well as presenting work- by the New Jersey State Bar Foun- http://support.jnf.org/site/TR/Events/ shops for teachers and for children dation. “They all had a great time, Teamraiser750-donatebutton?px=29 with the Israel Philharmonic program got a plaque for the school, and a 06605&pg=personal&fr_id=1540 will called Mafteach,” she reports. certificate,” Mitch reported. “Our not- connect you to an online donation. ready-for-prime-time lawyer couldn’t “Recently I introduced a concert with Ilya Pittel ’01 was named a 2010 Yitzhak Perlman in Peter and the Wolf wait to get out of his fancy clothes, have some ice cream and shoot some second-team all-star, as voted by the with puppets, creative movement and players in the Kraft Family Israel Foot- hockey in the living room.” stories.” ball League. Ilya, a graduate student She also taught workshops at Bar Ilan Isaac Betesh ‘03 is a freelance web who serves as director of business University on the music of composer developer, looking for PHP/mySQL/ development and e-news editor Tzvi Avni in connection with the 100th AJAX jobs. You can see a sample of his for the league, was voted as a kick anniversary of the city of Tel Aviv. “We work at www.twinbridge estates.com, returner. He plays for the Jerusalem sponsor many home concerts with and he can be reached at 617-755- Lions. musicians from the Philharmonic and 7463 or [email protected]. from the Tel Aviv University music Next month Michael Singer ’94 school to raise money for various Shoshana Blechner ’07, a student will join Mutual of America as a retire- organizations, such as one for chay- at Yeshiva University’s Stern College, ment plan consultant covering much alim bodedim.” is involved as part of the Quest leader- of New England. Mike spent the past ship fellowship program with an effort five-and-a-half year with New York Judy’s husband Richard is working to build a new community for some of Life. with the Israeli Ministry of Defense. the Israelis evacuated from Gush Katif “We spend a lot of time hiking, biking, in 2005. “This semester we partnered An investigative piece by Ben learning and attending concerts, with the Jewish National Fund, and Birnbaum ‘03 in the latest edition which are abundant here.” The Spitz- are raising money for the community of The New Republic, about the orga- bergs welcomed sons Danny ’02 and of Chalutza,” she writes.