Kol Bogrei February 2013 ~ Shevat-Adar-5773 Rambam Page 1 of 5 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]. Alumni Celebrate School and Each Other at Massive Gathering in Jerusalem by Sarah Bronson ‘90 Out of Maimonides’ 1,800 alumni, almost Feb. 10 was a historic day for 250 —a full 14 percent Maimonides School, as 225 alumni, — have made aliyah, former faculty members, and friends and as indicated by of the school gathered for an all- their remarkable school reunion — the first to be held attendance at the in Israel. reunion, they were The reception, at the Menachem hungry for a way to Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, connect with their was held in honor of Maimonides alma mater. Addi- School’s 75th anniversary, at the tionally, 41 members initiation of a group of alumni who of the Class of 2012 live in Israel. The organizers origi- are in Israel this year nally thought the event would draw studying at yeshivot Medinah (Katchen) Korn ‘94, left, and Sarah Bronson ‘90 “perhaps 40” participants, but so and seminaries. many dozens of alumni and friends Alumni drove in from Citybook Services, and formerly served registered, the planners decided as far north as Ma’alot in the Galilee and as chief of staff to Natan Sharansky and to rent the Begin Center’s spacious Ra’anana on the northern coast, and as the director of The Jerusalem Project. auditorium as well as its reception from Sderot on the southern coast, just In his opening remarks, he said that space — a problem, as noted by Rabbi to see old friends and reconnect with a the fact that such a large percentage David Shapiro in his remarks, “that is taste of “the Old Country.” “of our school’s alumni live in Israel wonderful to have.” speaks volumes about Maimonides,” to Mordechai (Maurice) de a response of thunderous applause from la Fuente ’65 said that the audience. he encountered “people I haven’t seen in 45 or 50 Kazhdan introduced a special video years — wow! It’s very produced for the occasion, showing interesting to see what photos submitted by participants. The people have made of photos were shown in chronological themselves. ‘Unbeliev- order, and as the eras represented able’ is the word of the changed, the pictures drew cheers day.” De la Fuente made from alumni of different ages. There aliyah in 1984 and now was particularly enthusiastic applause lives in Ra’anana. for photos of Rabbi and Mrs. Cohn and Rabbi and Mrs. Wohlgemuth, of blessed After the participants memory. had a chance to mingle, the formal program was Kazhdan’s references to Mike Rosenberg led by Elie Kazhdan and to the Blizzard of 1978 also drew ’86, who is the CEO of cheers, as did his reference to Rabbis Jessica Shrayber ‘12 (left), Yael Shapiro and Penina Seigel (right) continued on page 4 Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambam Subscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube Kol Bogrei February 2013 ~ Shevat-Adar-5773 Rambam Page 2 of 5 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Chaplaincy at Oxford Challenging and Rewarding, 1997 Graduate Says Hannah Braune-Friedman ’97 says when serious anti-Israel and/or there is something familiar about the anti-Semitic occurrences take traditional students with whom she place,” Hannah said. Recently works at Oxford University. “They the university has been in the remind me of many of my peers from news as the Boycott, Divest- high school. They are intellectual, a ment and Sanctions movement little shy, and very kind.” has attempted to enlist student support. Hannah and her husband, Rabbi Daniel Braune-Friedman, have served as “We have the privilege of Oxford’s Jewish chaplains for three- working with incredible and-a-half years. They met as under- students from all over the graduates at the University of Massa- world — and feeding them!” chusetts, Amherst. Hannah continued. “I have been humbled by how many of them Now they work for University Jewish are true mensches, especially Rabbi Daniel and Hannah Braune-Friedman and Eliana. The Chaplaincy, an independent charity the Rhodes Scholars.” Braune-Friedman Family also includes a seven-month old with a role similar to the Orthodox son and brother, Ze’ev. Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on As a social worker, she said, “I was Campus in the U.S. “UJC places rabbin- a bit daunted by my role here “I think some of this relates to a ical couples on campuses throughout when I first arrived, and I have really fear of anti-Semitism and some to a the United Kingdom to provide for enjoyed becoming an informal Jewish culture that views religion as some- Jewish students at universities,” educator. The relationships that I thing personal and not an identity to Hannah explained. have been able to build with Oxford disclose too publicly,” she surmised. students have been an inspiring expe- The Oxford student community “Unfortunately, this lack of openness rience for my own professional and includes about 500 registered Jewish causes a lot of ignorance in various personal growth.” students, “but we estimate that ways and at times leads to more number to be higher,” Hannah said. Hannah noted that a major chal- anti-Semitism.” The chaplains offer a broad range of lenge at Oxford, and living in the UK This attitude “certainly makes our work services to students, from educational in general, “is that folks are not open with students all the more important,” programming to social activities to about being Jewish. There have been she said. “In any case, I am much more welfare programs. a number of instances in the past appreciative of growing up as a Jewish four years when we have come across “We also act as the official chaplains American and I no longer take for students and adults who do not auto- for Jewish students on campus, granted that most Jews are openly and matically disclose that they are Jewish.” intervening at the university level proudly Jewish.” Members of the Maimonides Class of 2006 (and two spouses) pose during a mini- reunion thaty took place in Haifa during Chanukah: from left, Evan Levine, Tova (Stark) Levine, Rachel (Epstein) Klausner ‘07, Moshe Klausner, Bezalel Haberman- Browns, Ezra Waxman, Reuven Kawesch, and Moti Tufeld. Kol Bogrei February 2013 ~ Shevat-Adar-5773 Rambam Page 3 of 5 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE A Football Odyssey: From the Maimonides Courtyard to Israel’s Hall of Fame Dvir Weinberg ’96 needed 20 years “Dvir also was a member of the Israel by Brookline’s Kraft family, included to travel from the trenches of the National Team from 2007-2011, and more than 50 teams this year. “Most Maimonides School courtyard to the proudly represented Israel at two of the yeshivas have one team, and esteemed American Football in Israel World Championships, the European there are a number of Israeli teams. Hall of Fame — an There are well over 500 unlikely journey, but a players,” Dvir said. gratifying one. Hall of Fame members Dvir was inducted can remain active, but during ceremonies on Dvir, 34, acknowledges Motza’ei Shabbat, Feb. that “my body can’t 15, during halftime do what it did 10 years of the AFI champion- ago and I’m consid- ship game. He is one ering retirement.” of only 35 athletes A research analyst who honored this way, and works out of his home the recognition is well- in Efrat, Dvir plans deserved, according to spend more time to Dovi Rabinowitz, a with his wife Zehava former Maimonides and their five children, student who serves including four girls. as spokesman for “There’s a women’s the AFI Hall of Fame Dvir and Zehava Weinberg and family trek Mount Hermon league, and a lot of Selection Conclave. girls here are really into As a youngster in Malden, baseball Championships, and several interna- it,” Dvir said. He said if he practices was Dvir’s passion. But football was tional tournaments.” In May 2007, he with his daughters, “maybe someday the primary sport on the Maimonides joined other members of the national they’ll be able to play at a high level courtyard in the 1990s. “That’s what team to play an exhibition game in like I did, thank God.” we did during our breaks — we Gillette Stadium to highlight a New played tackle football,” Dvir remem- England Celebrates Israel program. bered. “And we didn’t hold anything Dvir said that in his career he scored back. We played in any weather; Senior Thesis Published more than 100 touchdowns at wide I’d come home covered in mud.” receiver and totaled more than 100 Benjy’s Katz’s 2012 Maimonides (The courtyard is now covered with interceptions as a defensive back. He senior thesis has been published in synthetic turf.) has played on several teams, most the current issue of Avotaynu maga- His experience with AFI, which is a flag recently Jerusalem-based Big Blue, zine, the world’s largest circulation football program, began during his which won the Israel Bowl champion- publication devoted to Jewish gene- two post-graduate years at Yeshivat ship in 2010. He also has been named alogy. Benjy’s research was a continu- HaKotel.