GOLDA OCH ACADEMY
SOLOMON SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL OF ESSEX AND UNION
ALUMNI SOCIETY
NEWS Rabbi Danny Nevins GOA’s New Head of School Outlines His Vision For The Future FALL 2021
GOLDA OCH ACADEMY
SOLOMON SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL OF ESSEX AND UNION
ALUMNI SOCIETY
NEWS ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS is published 2-3 times per year by the offices of Institutional Advancement and Marketing and Communications. Send your comments, questions, story ideas, photos, class notes, and baruch dayan emets to: Erin Sternthal esternthal@goldaochacademy.org INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Stephanie Bash-Soudry Director of Institutional Advancement Caryn Rosenberg Special Events and Hospitality Coordinator Jackie Cistaro Development Associate MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Glenn Slavin Director of Marketing and Communications Erin Sternthal Associate Director of Marketing James Bratek Digital Marketing Strategist ADMINISTRATION Rabbi Daniel Nevins Head of School Julia Malaga Chief Financial Officer Sari Allen Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management Dr. Eytan Apter Upper School Principal Carrie Siegel ’92 Lower School Principal Karen Spector Lower School Assistant Principal and Director of Early Childhood Education Rabbi Meirav Kallush Director of Israel Education
in this issue
fall 2021
6
Welcoming Rabbi Danny Nevins 8
Faculty Profile: Coach Sandy Pyonin 5 Welcome Home Alumni Families 5 Meet The New Admissions Team 11 Meet The New Upper School Principal 12 Leading By Example 14 Teaching The Next Generation 15 Young Alumni Summer BBQ 16 Interning in Israel 19 Conference Games Resume After a Year of Intramurals 24 Dov Laks z”l Memorial Project 2 3 4
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL FROM THE DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT FROM THE ALUMNI SOCIETY CO-CHAIRS
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CLASS NOTES OUR SINCERE CONDOLENCES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Keith Biebelberg Chair, Board of Trustees GOLDA OCH ACADEMY is accredited by the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, and is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. It is affiliated with the National Association of Indepedent Schools, Prizmah, and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (NJ Region).
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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL It is an extraordinary honor to address you — the more than 1,800 graduates of our school, your families and our extended GOA community. In the book of Psalms (35:18) we read, “I will praise You in a great congregation, acclaim You in a mighty throng” ( ָ)אֹודָך ְב ָק ָהל ָרב ְבעַ ם עָ צּום ֲא ַ ֽהלְ ֶלֽך. ְ The Psalmist expresses the gratitude that I feel as I begin to lead a school that has produced so many extraordinary people, many of whom are leaders of the Jewish community. While my primary focus has been on the current students, staff and faculty, I enjoyed meeting recent alumni at a BBQ in August and have continued to meet many of our graduates around the region. Indeed, we are delighted to have alumni among our faculty and administration, as current parents and as Board of Trustees members. At Golda Och Academy, we are honored to educate a new generation of proud and knowledgeable Jews as well as highly educated and skilled citizens. I look forward to opportunities to meet you and other alumni. Day school education has played a central role in my life as a student, parent, and rabbi. It is the single most substantial input in forming robust Jewish identity and a foundation of Jewish knowledge. I see this in action every day in our school. Since the school year began, I have watched 3rd graders perform tashlich by writing things they want to throw away on dissolvable paper and putting them in water cans. I have listened to a remarkable high school student sing the national anthem, listened to midrashim written by 9th graders on the book of Jonah and witnessed sacred moments as faculty members shared experiences of personal challenge and growth, encouraging our students to appreciate the blessings of every day. While it may be difficult to predict which moments will stick with our students, it is evident that our school prepares our graduates to step into those leadership roles. Many of you are already exhibiting leadership skills — from internships in Israel to instilling a love of Judaism at Jewish summer camps to educating future generations in Jewish day schools. It is wonderful to see our alumni thriving, and I look forward to hearing many more of your success stories. I wish you and your family good health.
Rabbi Daniel Nevins Head of School
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FROM THE DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Shalom! I hope this letter finds you and your families staying well during this time. It has been so wonderful to hear from many of you. You have let us know about life cycle events — weddings, babies, new jobs and moves. Love those adorable baby and happy couple photos!! Some of you have contacted us to partner in organizing class reunions in parks or by Zoom. You have shared your stories about the strength that your GOA friends have given you during the pandemic and the photos of backyard alumni get-togethers and road trips. On college campuses, you have hosted fellow alumni for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot dinners, given GOA students college tours and welcomed new freshmen with warmth and love. We appreciated when you lent your beautiful voices to help lead our community Havdalah by Zoom last year. Best of all, it was wonderful to finally see many of you in-person at our Young Alumni Summer BBQ at the Eric F. Ross Campus in August. There were so many hugs! During this time of the pandemic, like most people, I have been thinking about what really matters. I treasure our unique GOA community. It starts in Pre-K, Gan, or whenever a student and their family joins the school. Immediately, something special happens. Teachers, administrators, staff, board members, fellow students, and donors, all become invested in helping that new student learn, grow and thrive and become integral members of the community who are truly seen and valued. From that moment, the student and family are connected to our school community, forever. A high school parent recently said to me, “GOA is not just a school, it’s a family.” This really rings true. This feeling was exemplified last fall, when the first senior in the Class of 2021 was accepted into college and everyone cheered as he walked down the hall. As we anticipate moving past this difficult time, I am thankful that GOA is a school that values community, kindness and supporting one another, both in times of happiness and times of challenge and loss. To our alumni families—we look forward to staying in touch with you and continuing to be a part of your lives. Please reach out to alumni@goldaochacademy.org if you would like to connect, share news, plan a reunion, or get more involved with our Alumni Society. In this new year of 5782, may you continue to find joy and meaning in all you do, knowing that your GOA family is always here for you. Warmest regards,
Stephanie Bash-Soudry Director of Institutional Advancement
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FROM THE ALUMNI SOCIETY CO-CHAIRS We hope this letter finds you and your families staying well! We are slowly coming back together as an alumni community which is exciting! It started in August with the well-attended Young Alumni Summer BBQ where alumni mostly from 2019-2021 had a chance to meet Rabbi Nevins and Dr. Apter at the Eric F. Ross Campus. Next, the Class of 2011 gathered for a highly successful 10th Shabbat picnic reunion in Central Park in September. Parents from the Classes of 2020 and 2021 gathered in mid-October for our annual Care Package Project. Alumni families with young children attended Family Fun Day on October 17 and on Sunday, November 7, an Alumni Playdate for young families took place at the Wilf Lower School Campus. Please save the date for a virtual Community Havdalukkah on Saturday night, December 4 at 6:00 PM. It will be meaningful to welcome alumni, parents and grandparents from around the country and even in Israel to celebrate Hanukkah and Havdalah together. As pandemic conditions are becoming safer, we hope to continue to expand our events and programs. If you have program ideas and would like to get involved, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us or email Stephanie Bash-Soudry at alumni@ goldaochacademy.org.
Becky Lustgarten ’04 Alumni Society Co-Chair
Sarah Schonfeld ’06 Alumni Society Co-Chair
ALUMNI PARENTS COMMITTEE
Care Package Project 4
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ADMISSIONS
Welcome Home Alumni Families
We are thrilled to welcome our alumni and former student families back to GOA!
Former student Jennifer Hirsch and her husband Eric Reimer enrolled their son, Andrew, in Kindergarten.
Former student Kevin Holzman and his wife Diana enrolled their son, Nathan, in Pre-K.
Rabbi Uri Allen ’98 and his wife Sari, GOA’s Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management, enrolled Aderet in 2nd grade and Doron in 5th grade.
Meet The New Admissions Team
Sari Allen Sari is joining the Golda Och family both professionally, as the Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management, and personally as a Lower School parent. Sari has been in the field of Jewish Day School admissions for the past six years and thrives on helping families access the gift of a Jewish day school education and experience. Sari originally hails from the West Coast (Arizona and California) and is looking forward to establishing roots in New Jersey. Although Sari is new to the GOA community, her family’s connections to GOA go back decades. Sari’s husband, Rabbi Uri Allen ‘98, and his siblings are all proud GOA graduates. In her free time Sari enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, knitting, going to the beach and seeing live music.
Contact us! admissions@goldaochacademy.org
Jessica Wise Jessica is joining the Admissions team, focusing on enrollment and retention at the Lower School. Jessica has been a teacher at the Lower School for seven years and most recently helped on the leadership team to develop remote learning practices. Jessica also played a big role in helping the Admissions team during the past school year, conducting virtual tours and walking new families through the admissions process. Jessica is also a parent in the school and knows the GOA community well. If you know Jessica, you know that her smile radiates when she is at GOA. She loves playing tennis and training her labradoodle Poppy, but mostly loves working with children! ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS FALL 2021 5
COVER STORY
Welcoming Rabbi Danny Nevins When Rabbi Danny Nevins officially started at Golda Och Academy as Head of School on July 1, 2021, he hit the ground running making connections with hundreds of faculty, staff, school parents, community rabbis, board members, donors and alumni. Rabbi Nevins held individual Zoom meetings with nearly all faculty and staff members and held two outdoor Meet and Greet sessions for parents in August. He also attended the annual outdoor Young Alumni Summer BBQ on August 19, getting to know many alumni and listening closely to what they had to say about their school. (Rabbi Nevins even made sure to get in on a game of frisbee with some of our Class of 2021 alumni at the Eric F. Ross Upper School campus!) Rabbi Nevins’ journey has taken him from graduating The Frisch School in Paramus to a gap year at Yeshivat HaMivtar in Jerusalem to Harvard College to Rabbinical School at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). After being ordained at JTS, Rabbi Nevins became the assistant rabbi and then senior rabbi of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, MI. He also helped found the Jewish high school there, which is now called the Frankel Jewish Academy. In 2007, Rabbi Nevins, his wife and three children left Michigan to move to New York City to take the position as Dean of the Rabbinical School at JTS, which he held for 14 years. While living in New York, his children attended the Heschel School. After his tenure as a pulpit rabbi and then dean, Rabbi Nevins describes his position as Head of School at GOA as the beginning of his third chapter. In addition to his return
to New Jersey, he is excited to help shape the Jewish identities of the next generation. Since joining GOA, Rabbi Nevins is making quite an impact. He has spent time with our Lower School students for tashlich and Rosh Chodesh and even received a special student tour of the beautiful Wilf Lower School campus garden. He is regularly joining our Upper School students for tefillah and celebrates B’nai Mitzvah with our students and their families. He is making new connections with local clergy and reconnecting with former rabbinical students who now hold clergy positions in our community. He is visiting our local New Jersey Jewish day schools and connecting with fellow Heads of School in area independent schools. Rabbi Nevins is also holding a Friday Parshah with Parents and Grandparents Zoom where he shares words of Torah with our community and a weekly study group on the book of Proverbs for local rabbis. Though he is still getting to know the inner workings of the school, Rabbi Nevins hopes to help GOA increase enrollment, improve student learning support and enrich Jewish curricula and experiential programs. He also hopes to establish broad community support and help raise the necessary funds to strengthen GOA. “The great reputation of Golda Och Academy sparked my interest in this job, and I am honored and delighted by my early months with the school,” said Rabbi Nevins. “These are challenging times on many levels, but a healthy and joyous learning community is a source of strength and hope for the future.”
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I want to get to know our alumni! Share your Schechter-GOA experiences and post-graduation successes in a quick email to me: dnevins@goldaochacademy.org.
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FACULTY PROFILE
Coach Sandy Pyonin As a basketball coach, gym teacher and mentor, Coach Sandy Pyonin has influenced countless students at SSDS/GOA. For years, he has taken students under his wing and helped them become better basketball players and more importantly, better people. While many alumni fondly recall Coach Sandy’s signature Converse sneakers and blue sweatpants, they also recall the time and dedication he put into each one of them during their years here at school. His strategies and techniques on the court translated, for many, into real life lessons. “I was truly inspired by Sandy who believed that nothing is impossible,” said Eitan Melamed ‘97. “Young people are naturally optimistic, and it’s important to hold on to that.” In high school, Eitan recalls a boys varsity basketball team game against one of the top teams where he says there was no chance of winning. “That’s not how Sandy prepared us for the game,” he said. “We had a strategy and were planning on trying to win...He always had that ‘anything is possible’ mentality, and I kept that with me in college, my first job, and even today.” Whether or not a student was playing on one of Sandy’s basketball teams, if he saw potential in you, he was eager to help you improve and cultivate a love of basketball. Long before there
was a girls basketball team, Sandy recruited Dafna Gold ‘92 to play on the boys basketball team. Growing up with two older brothers who played the game with Sandy, Dafna said without batting an eyelash, Sandy had her playing middle school, junior varsity and varsity basketball with the boys. “Sandy treated me the same as anyone else,” she said. “There was resentment from my teammates, there were issues from opposing teams, and there were religious challenges when we played Orthodox schools, but Sandy never backed down. It never stopped him from advocating for me.” She recalls one game played against another Jewish day school. Because of religious beliefs, the opposing boys team did not want to play with Dafna on the SSDS team. Sandy, who clearly did not want Dafna to miss half the season when they played such teams, asked if they would allow her to play if she wore sweatpants. Dafna said she played the entire game with gray sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt under her uniform! “Sandy always strived to find a solution,” she said. “He never took ‘no’ for an answer and never made me feel like the odd man out (pun intended). He always stood up for me. Sometimes those voices came from inside the team and sometimes outside of the team, but Sandy never had any tolerance for it.”
(L-to-R): Eitan Melamed ’97, Coach Sandy Pyonin, and Seth Schwartz ’87. 8
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Though a girls basketball team was formed in 1991, Sandy had an eye for talent and continued to encourage and support students who had developed a love of the sport. “I trained with Sandy almost every day during lunch and every Friday after school,” said Allyson Landau ‘20, who currently plays basketball for Haverford College. “He helped me achieve my personal goals as an athlete because he pushed me harder than any coach I’ve ever had. Even if he was in the middle of practice with his boys teams, he would see me out of the corner of his eye making a mistake or slacking off and he would correct me. He showed me what it truly means to love the game and inspired me to achieve the highest goals possible for myself.” Starting in the 6th grade, Gloria Rothenberg ‘13 said Sandy would train her at recess or lunch and Fridays after school. “Even though he was never my coach, he spent hours running drills and playing one-on-one with me,“ she said, “and during those sessions, he always mixed in some life advice. Whenever I was nervous before a game, Sandy would always say, ‘It’s good to be nervous - it means you care.’ That still sticks with me today - at work, before events and even presentations.” Those life lessons have stuck with many of our alumni, including Seth Schwartz ‘87, who said, “Learning the game of basketball from Sandy taught me many life lessons such as progress is not perfection, manage the situation or the situation will manage you, keep failing until you succeed, nothing is achieved without hard work, and win or learn.”
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Seth had Sandy as a gym teacher and basketball coach, but his most valuable role was being there after Seth’s father passed away the summer before 11th grade. The two formed a special bond over the years, and Seth recently joined Sandy to help expand the basketball program Sandy runs at the YM-YWHA of Union outside of GOA. Sandy coaches his AAU team, the NJ Roadrunners, and has coached more than 35 players onto the NBA, including Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, Randy Foye, Al Harringon and Dahntay Jones. Over the years, Sandy Pyonin’s solid work ethic and dedication have resonated with so many students and continued to resonate with them long after graduation. He is admired for his love of the game, his determination and most importantly, his menschlichkeit. With a deep concern for our community and his passion for bringing out the best in our students and athletes, we are honored to have Coach Sandy on our team.
Meet The New Upper School Principal
Dr. Eytan Apter Dr. Eytan Apter joined Golda Och Academy on July 1, 2021 as Upper School Principal, coming to the school from the distinguished Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (CESJDS) in the Washington D.C. area. During his 10 years at CESJDS, Dr. Apter served as a middle and high school educator, a mentor for teachers, and the coordinator of the school’s Israel Engagement Program. Dr. Apter received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania where he majored in History and English. After working as an investment banker and in the entertainment industry, he was drawn to the profession he had originally envisioned for himself: teaching. He went back to school, earning a Master’s Degree in Teaching and a PhD in Education from Fordham University. He succeeds Mr. Jordan Herskowitz, a veteran GOA educator, who served as Interim Upper School Principal for the past two years. “Jewish education has always been an integral part of my life,” said Dr. Apter, “ and as the field continues to grow, I look forward to working with a team of educators who are focused on the school’s mission to nurture the unique potential of each student.”
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SUMMER CAMPS
Leading By Example
GOA alumni apply and continue to develop their leadership skills at Jewish camps
Talia Feldman ‘17 and Dena Feldman ‘19 spent the summer working at Camp Ramah Poconos.
Mallory (Saks) Zipkin ‘04, camp director of Camp Yachad, has also been working with Shira (Lahav) Gladstone ‘03, who is the camp transportation and operations director.
BRIDGEWATER, NJ
Rabbi Uri Allen ‘98
Alanna Steinberg ’07, camp director of Camp Ruach.
Ben Gustein ‘20
Yoni Saposh ’97
Other alumni who worked at Camp Ramah Berkshires include Lindsay Biebelberg ’17, Ari Bieber ’21, Annie Cannon ’17, Zahava Finkel ’05, Jamie Gutterman ’19, Noah Kamens ’20, Kira Kress ’21, Jason Rogoff ’99 and Ayelet Teitelbaum ’98. 12 ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS FALL 2021
So many of our alumni—and some of our faculty—spent the summer working at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack.
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ALUMNI EDUCATORS
Teaching the Next Generation It is truly an honor for us to see our alumni who have been inspired by their Schechter-GOA education continuing to educate future generations. A number of our alumnae are now working in Jewish day schools, and we are excited to share their successes!
Annie Cannon ‘17 and Shira Kalet ‘17 are both first year residents in the Shefa school residency program. The Shefa school is a pluralistic Jewish day school in Manhattan for students with language-based learning disabilities. Annie is working in the middle school assisting in grades 6-8, and Shira is working in the lower school assisting primarily in the 3rd and 4th grade.
Dana Halpern ‘15 and Danielle Rockman Greene ‘12 are both working at the Wilf Lower School Campus at Golda Och Academy. Dana is currently a general studies teacher for Kindergarten while Danielle is splitting her day between a 2nd grade general studies teacher and a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) facilitator. Carrie Zucker Siegel ‘92 started her 24th year working at Golda Och Academy and her eighth year as the Lower School principal. Eve Sorkin ‘92 has also been working at our Lower School as a Judaic Studies teacher since 2016. Lindsay Biebelberg ’17 is a Pre-K teacher at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston where she ensures the physical, social, and emotional well-being of 10 four-year-old students. Lindsay helps teach her students basic literacy skills, like recognizing and being able to write their names, as well as about the Jewish holidays, Shabbat and the weekly parsha. Additionally, the students have an hour of Hebrew immersion each day. Former GOA Lower School teacher Paula Spack ‘84 (affectionately known as Morah P’nina) has started a new job as a Judaic Studies staff member at the Tali Frankel School in Ra’anana. Paula is teaching Parashat HaShavua to 1st and 2nd graders and Iyun Tefillah to 4th-6th graders, planning Rosh Chodesh and holidays for the school as well as leading Siddur and Chumash celebrations. Paula and her husband made aliyah in August 2018. Do you—or someone you know—work in Jewish education? Let us know and we’ll share your story in an upcoming issue! Send your story to alumni@goldaochacademy.org. 14 ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS FALL 2021
Young Alumni Summer BBQ
August 19, 2021 | Eric F. Ross Upper School Campus
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CAREER EXPERIENCE
Interning in Israel Summer internship programs afforded alumni the unique opportunity to work in Israel during the pandemic While Israel had tightened its borders over the summer to visitors and non-Israeli citizens, the country was still allowing educational and group programs from the U.S. to enter. Programs, such as Ascend, Top Israel Interns and Onward Israel, allowed our alumni to gain
valuable work experience while being able to live in Israel during the summer months. Our alumni shared with us how valuable their experiences were and how much it meant to be living in Israel.
“ Emily Berger ’19
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This summer, I worked at a start-up app called SafeUP. As a member of their marketing team, I was tasked with the project of extending their customer outreach. I also worked in their business development branch and served as a liaison to potential partners. Although I have been to Israel many times, living in an apartment, working at a company, and navigating the public transportation systems truly gave me the authentic Israeli experience. I made so many new friends and memories like no other!
This summer I participated in Onward Israel’s Law and Entrepreneurship theme-based program. I was a marketing and research intern at the Combat Antisemitism Movement in Tel Aviv. I would first research for any antisemitic incidents and then I would write petitions or articles using my research. It was wonderful to be able to see the published articles and significantly contribute to a cause I feel passionate about. The internship provided me with crucial work experience and living in Tel Aviv gave me a taste of true adulthood. After having an amazing experience on Neshama, I have been waiting to return to Israel. This summer allowed me to truly experience living and working in Israel, and I can’t wait to go back!
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Fanya Hoffman ’19
RESOURCES oujlicsummer.org/ascend
onwardisrael.org
topisraelinterns.com
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Over the summer, I traveled abroad with Onward Israel and lived in Tel Aviv. I had the privilege of interning at the Center for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv, just outside of Shuk HaCarmel, where I helped design a new library for the gallery. Along with designing the new space, I was able to go through archived exhibitions and previous collections from the museum to display in the library for the public.
Michelle Bilmes ’19
In addition to my internship, I was lucky to be living in such an incredible city alongside my close friends while meeting so many people each day. The program gave me the opportunity to travel the country on my own, explore the culture and learn what it’s like to live in Israel in my 20’s. I made friendships that will last a lifetime and am beyond grateful for the summer I was able to have.
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I participated in Onward Israel in Tel Aviv through Cornell University. Onward
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was no question one of the best summers I’ve ever had. They matched me with an internship at a robotics startup company called Cogniteam. They make robots for the Israel Defense Forces and other clients.
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Dr. Yehuda Elmaliah, Ph.D Co-founder and CEO
Nadav Soudry ’20
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Over the summer I had the opportunity to go to Israel as part of the Ascend program, which combined internship work with Torah study in the Old City of Jerusalem. I interned for a professor of political science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and spent my free time exploring the Old City and getting a taste of living in Israel. I don’t think I would have considered a trip like this if it hadn’t been for my senior year Neshama trip at Golda Och. The love of Israel and Judaism that I gained on the semester-long experience cemented my desire to go back as often as possible and hopefully, one day, to stay.
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Theo Hyman-Bockman ’19
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This past summer I attended Top Israel Interns, an internship program located in Tel Aviv. I had the opportunity to work in a vintage store alongside other interns my age. Through this experience I was able to speak to customers as well as create content relevant to Israeli culture. I even got the chance to see my friends from Merchavim! This was such an eyeopening experience that allowed me to grow both as a student and individual.
Maddie Herman ’19
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ATHLETICS
Conference Games Resume After a Year of Intramural Sports
The 2021 Fall Season was notable for the partial return to NJSIAA/SEC competitive play, after the Spring 2020 season and 2020-2021 athletic year were sidelined due to the Covid pandemic.
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Class Notes 1995
2002
Sarah Allen has been named Director of Board Relations for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).
2001 Lisa Kasdan and her husband welcomed the birth of their second son, Noah Samuel Brenner, on July 26, 2021.
Arielle (Kallus) Mainzer and her husband Zach celebrated the first birthday of their son, Ciaran, in August 2021.
Aviva Roland and her husband Scott welcomed the birth of their third daughter, Gefen. She joins big sisters Nili and Moriyah.
2004
Hili Rosen and her husband Daniel Urban (former Schechter student) welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Bela, on August 10, 2021. Bela joins big brother Remi and big sister Lila.
Mindy Schall ’97 and Alan Schall ’92’s son, Brandon, was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on September 4, 2021 at Etz Chaim in Livingston, NJ. The Schalls continued their celebration on Sunday, September 5 with family and friends.
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Stay connected with your Schechter-GOA family! SCHECHTER-GOLDA OCH ACADEMY ALUMNI SOCIETY
2007
2008 Arielle Kramer Kuzdral has a new position as head teacher at Temple Emanuel of Pascack Valley.
Michael Gorshein married Danitte Kozai on October 3, 2021 in Jerusalem.
2009 Michael Bier started a new job as a physician at UCLA Health in Culver City, CA.
2008 Shira Kleinman married Noam Raanan in Benyamina, Israel, on June 23, 2021. The celebration was even greater since the original wedding was delayed nearly a year. The couple resides in Haifa where Noam is a landscape architect, and Shira spent the summer as the Associate Director of NFTY in Israel to supplement her work as a licensed tour guide in Israel. Mazel tov as well to Shira’s mom, Lower School faculty member Diane Kleinman!
Aaron Czinn and his wife Elianna Kaplowitz welcomed the birth of their son, Judah Zeke Czinn, on May 12, 2021.
Erica Rabner married David Gorvy on October 10, 2021.
Dani Wolberger ‘11 and Zach Stern ‘08 were married under Jewish law on September 30, 2021 surrounded by many SSDS-GOA graduates in NYC. After a rescheduled date due to the pandemic, the couple was thrilled to reunite with all their oldest friends.
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Class Notes 2010
2012
Andrew Wingens passed the New York State Bar exam.
Manon (Noni) Benisty graduated on August 19, 2021 from LeMoyne College with a Master’s of Science and is a qualified Physician Assistant. She started working at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, NY in the Emergency Room in the fall.
2011 The Class of 2011 held a very well-attended Shabbat picnic reunion on Saturday, September 25, 2021 in Central Park in NYC. Over 50 alumni, friends and family participated! It was great that so many members of the class got together to catch up. Thank you to Ariana Bader, Carly Rabner, Rachel Wener and Dani Wolberger for organizing this reunion! Dani Gorshein Lyons married Donnovan Lyons on February 21, 2021 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Dani is currently working as a sustainability consultant at PwC, and her husband is a software engineer at FanDuel. The couple is living in Highland Park, NJ.
Samantha Jay and Reid Title were engaged on September 4, 2021.
2013 Carmelle Bargad and Koby Zakaeim are planning a November 1, 2021 wedding in Israel.
Jessica Bielski Akhavan ’11 married Jonathan Akhavan on August 8, 2021 in Los Angeles. Jessica’s five best friends from the Class of 2011 were in attendance and danced down her aisle!
Jessica and (right) Annabelle (Torgman) Degrazio ‘05
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L-to-R: Stephanie Aaron, Carly Rabner, Cara Kessler, Jessica Bielski Akhavan, Nicole Brickman, and Dani Wolberger.
Stay connected with your Schechter-GOA family! SCHECHTER-GOLDA OCH ACADEMY ALUMNI SOCIETY
2013
2015 Elijah Rockman is engaged to Samara Gottesman (of Toronto). The couple met at Ramah Nyack, which is where they got engaged.
Ben Hersch and Amy Wolf were engaged in spring 2020 and planned an October 2021 wedding.
2014 Kineret Brokman is engaged to Matthew Giddens. The couple is currently living in Atlanta, GA. Kineret is working at Lockheed Martin in Labor and Employee Relations and also currently working on her MBA in the evening at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. Her fiancé works for Amazon as a start-up project manager.
Rebecca Hersch and Ezra Guralnik were engaged in May 2021. The couple is planning a summer 2022 wedding.
2016 Ben Soudry started a new job as a software engineer at Google in New York City. Alex Rothschild started a new position as Product Engineer at Bleema Manufacturing Corporation.
Gloria Rothenberg ’13 married Matthew Meshberg on August 15, 2021 at Congregation Etz Chaim in Livingston, NJ.
Schechter-GOA alumnae in the bridal party included Rachel (Schwartzman) Cardin ’13, Ally Bramnick ’13, Naomi Gutstein ’13, Jessica Hutter ’13, Gabi Wolberger ’13 and Talia Brickman ’13.
Gloria’s sister Sarah Schonfeld ’06 and brother-in-law Evan Schonfeld ’06.
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IN MEMORIAM
Dov Laks z”l Former Upper School Math Teacher, beloved father of Dr. Shaked Laks (Alfredo Maldonado) and Barak Laks; and grandfather of Alfredo, Daniel, Mia and Julia. Mr. Laks retired in June 2019, following 27 years of dedicated service to our
school. He was a caring and dedicated member of our mathematics faculty and demonstrated that math is the universal language by connecting Hebrew in his geometry lessons. Mr. Laks always devoted his time outside of class to support students’ needs and to enrich
their learning experiences. He was universally respected by students and colleagues for his knowledge, dedication and selflessness. Mr. Laks was known for his wit, great sense of humor and command of multiple world languages. He will be greatly missed.
2017 Ari Esrig has been accepted to the University of Virginia Medical School for fall 2022. Matt Nadel passed the final part of his CPA exam and started a new job at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Joshua Schuman started a new position as WPBC Analyst at J.P. Morgan.
The Math Department is planning a special project in memory of Mr. Laks. We will be planting a tree and dedicating a bench next spring. To participate, please donate online at www.goldaochacademy.org/donatenow and designate Math Department in memory of Mr. Laks.
2018
2019
Aaron Pearlstein has been named president of the Tulane Chabad Student Board. Aaron is a senior at Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business.
Itai Rekem released an EP, called Postcard. Itai’s release can be found on all music streaming services.
24 ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS FALL 2021
Our Sincere Condolences
Benjamin Arzt z”l, beloved father of David Arzt (Helene) and grandfather of Ariel ’14, Shira ’16 and Yoni ’22. Jane Broude z”l, beloved sister of Mary Lou Allen, former GOA Admissions Director; aunt of Sarah Allen ’95, Uri Allen ’98 (Sari) and Noah Allen ’02 (Rena); great aunt of Doron ’29, Aderet, ’32, Yedidyah, and Livya. Ada Feiwus-Richards z”l, beloved wife of Harvey Richards and, prior to that, to the late Jack Feiwus z”l; mother of Howard Feiwus (Michelle Zeman), Karen Berger ’78 (Elia Weixelbaum), and Leonard Feiwus ’85 (Vered Frumer); stepmother of Joel Richards (Cindy) and Karen Chast (Bill); grandmother of Jessica, Marissa (Ross), Adina (Netanel), Tamar (Giddy), Joe, Jacob, Eitan, Sam, Danielle, Allison, Seth, Leah (Joe), Joshua (Michal), and Zachary (Sami); and greatgrandmother of Chagai, Eitan, Koby, Daniel, Shayna, Chava, Shayna, and Yitzchok. Richard Alan Foster z”l, beloved father of Lower School faculty member Hope Aronoff (Paul), grandfather of Toren ’13, Sion ’15 and Nadav ’17.
Dr. Edward W. Hard, Jr. z”l, beloved father of Elizabeth Cohen (Gerald Cohen), grandfather of Hannah ’15 and former students Liat and Benjamin. Irwin Horowitz z”l, beloved husband of Toni Horowitz; father of Sheri Horowitz-Jay (Rabbi Michael Jay), Lisa Horowitz, David Horowitz (Debbie) and Rachel Horowitz; and grandfather of Samantha Jay ’12, Laurence Horowitz, Andie Horowitz and Erica Wang. Sybil Jayson z”l, beloved mother of Linda Reisberg (BJ ’77); grandmother of Joshua ’00 (Rachel), Jessica ’06 (Max Oshman ’04), and Julie ’09; great-grandmother of Benjamin ’31, Samuel ’33, Jacob, and Noah Oshman. Jeffrey Joseph Keller z”l, beloved husband of Claire; father of Joanne (Elliot) Bramnick and Shelley Charness; grandfather of Dvora, Dov, Jessica ’10 (Omer), Ally ’13 and Talia; and greatgrandfather of Levi. Gertrude Klaus z”l, beloved mother of Mindy Klaus Cehelyk, Bonnie Guttenplan (Edward) and Theodore Klaus (Debby); grandmother of Eli Cehelyk ’13, Sarah Cehelyk ’18, Craig Guttenplan ’00, Seth Guttenplan, Allison Guttenplan ’07, Aaron Klaus and Lila Klaus. Jack Lahav z”l, beloved husband of Sherry Lahav, father of Ilana Cutler, Lili Jacobson ’01, Shira Gladstone
’03 and former student Maya Brownstein. Eva Mann z”l, beloved mother of Mira Levenson, grandmother of Debbie (Lester) Edell ’95 (Eric) and Eric Lester ’98 (Tracey). Esther Mevorah z”l, beloved mother of Erwin Mevorah (Shari), grandmother of Harris ’15, Haylee ’17, and DJ ’21. Judith Moskovitz z”l, beloved mother of Martin Moskovitz, Rosalind Moskovitz Bielski, and Stanley Moskovitz; and grandmother of Jessica Bielski Akhavan ’11 (Jon). Morley Potash z”l, beloved husband of Liz, father of Lorne Potash (Sherrie), grandfather of Caia ’28 and former student Ethan. Abraham “Rami” Rank ’00 z”l, beloved husband of Lauren Rank, father of Nathan and Aiden, son of Rabbi Perry Rank and Ellen Rank. William Schwartz z”l, beloved husband of Janet Schwartz, father of Marc Schwartz (Margot) and grandfather of Andrew Schwartz ’16. Karen Sortino z”l, beloved mother of Craig Weisz (Rabbi Debra Orenstein ‘79) and grandmother of Hannah ‘24 and Emmett. Phyllis Strauss z”l, beloved mother of Martin J. Strauss ’85 and Tobie Strauss Sherebrin ’88 (Shi Sherebrin).
ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS FALL 2021 25
Submit your condolences at www.goldaochacademy.org/baruchdayanemet
Kurt Altmann z”l, beloved husband of Tivona, father of Dory (Jennifer) Atmann and Sharon (Josh) Brickman Altmann, grandfather of Jonah ’21, Rebecca ’24, Nicole ’11, Talia ’13, Adi ’17.
ERIC F. ROSS UPPER SCHOOL CAMPUS 1418 Pleasant Valley Way West Orange, New Jersey 07052
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