The Journey Magazine - Spring 2020 by davisacademy

| A Journey of Learning and Discovery | Spring 2020

Magazine

included inside!

CONTENTS 04 #DavisLOVE 08 Community Impact 10 Points of Pride 12 Celebrating Diversity 14 Learning CommUNITY 16 Davis Digital 19 Congratulatins Class of 2020 © Harold Alan Photographers © Harold Alan Photographers

CONTENTS 20 Happenings & Events 22 Difference Makers 23 Alumni Spotlight 26 Class Notes Cover: Photo courtesy of Harold Alan Photographers

2019–2020 Board of Trustees President Evan Toporek

Dear Davis Academy Families:

his edition of The Journey Magazine celebrates our winter & spring happenings and the strength of our Davis community as we end the 2019-2020 school year in an unprecedented way. While most of this school year was spent learning, laughing, singing, praying, collaborating, and growing together on our state-of-the-art campuses, by the end of March, we had “taken Davis home” in response to the COVID-19 public health crisis. With all of our detailed annual planning, we truly couldn’t have anticipated the impact of a global pandemic, requiring us to leave our classrooms, fields, gymnasiums, science and innovation labs in just 48 hours, and ensure continuous learning virtually. And yet, that is just what we did. In the weeks since, we have witnessed first-hand the incredible spirit of The Davis Academy in ways that we could never have imagined. Each and every faculty member demonstrated resilience, flexibility, compassion and professionalism, entering uncharted territory with an unwavering commitment to ensuring that our students would continue to receive instruction, challenge, love, and care. Students of all ages have responded with authentic creativity, ingenuity and enthusiasm, while parents have patiently supported their children, our faculty, and each other with steadfast dedication, while juggling their own work responsibilities from home, or on the front lines of the health crisis. While we could not physically be together, we “jumped in together,” keeping the Davis educational experience strong. We write this message from our home offices, thinking of our entire community, knowing that during these unprecedented times we are perhaps more deeply united than ever. Together we are reaffirming that our kehillah is more than just a group of people who share a common space. We share a common vision, common values, common hopes, common language, and common expectations of one another. And now, we share common prayers for the health, safety, and strength of our entire community. We hope you enjoy reading about the many exciting school activities we experienced since welcoming the year 2020, outstanding efforts by our faculty, various milestone moments, and the diverse accomplishments of our alumni. Through photos and stories, these pages reflect the uniqueness of The Davis Academy and how we L-O-V-E: Live Our Values Every day. Everyday. In Every Way. Everywhere. Amy Shafron Head of School

Evan Toporek President, Board of Trustees

Vice Presidents Ann Davis Lisa Freedman Jeff Hopkins

Secretary Carol Rubin

Treasurer Mark Edelstein

Immediate Past President Jon Leven

Trustees Karl Altmann Abby Bechler-Karsch Mara Berman Dana Bernath Scott Bohrer Russell Falkenstein Vanessa Frank David Goldberg Ronnie Goldman Micah Goldstein Billie Greenberg Lisa Haynor Bennett Kaplan Hope Kaufman Jami Kohn Mark D. Kopkin Debbie Kurzweil Kevin Levingston Brian Mand Barbara Perlstein Michelle Rosenberg Stacey Rothberg Bill Rothschild Dan Russotto Linda Selig Murray Solomon Stanley Sonenshine Jason Tessler Sam Tuck

Trustees for Life William Breman z’’l Dulcy Davis Rosenberg Jay Davis Sid Kirschner

Past Presidents Jan Epstein Carol Nemo Dean Benamy Harriet Zoller Bryan Fields Ben Sillins Billie Greenberg Tonia Sellers Sam Tuck Debbie Kurzweil Jon Leven

The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

#Davis As a school community, we unite around our menschlichkeit values of kehillah (community), kavod (respect), ruach (spirit), chochmah (wisdom), and tzedek (righteousness). It is our goal that we live our values to the fullest, always keeping them in our thoughts and actions as they inspire us to be the best versions of ourselves. In the coming articles, read about some of the many ways we incorporate our values into our curriculum, special programming, athletics, school community, and more.

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Computational Thinking Starts in Mechina Starting in Mechina: Kindergarten Prep, students are exposed to coding as a literacy through a design process. As a part of their curriculum, students create algorithms with the help of various robots, such as the Bee-Bot and the Cubetto. Using directional arrows and floor maps, students are challenged to navigate the robots from one location to another to coincide with an oral story. Merging the use of storytelling and sequencing does not translate into more screen time, rather it allows learners to explore concepts necessary for computational thinking. As Mechina students explore coding as a literacy, as opposed to a technical skill, the use of these robotic tools develops their computational thinking skills.

Kindergarten Creates Spiders in 3D Incorporating 3D printing opportunities into the kindergarten experience introduces some of our youngest students to the engineering design process. Kindergartners follow a project from conception to modeling to the printing of the final product. This process gives them satisfaction and confidence from seeing their ideas transform into a reality. In addition, creating a spider as a class gives them a sense of camaraderie and collaboration, while providing individual input as they work toward a common goal. Such 3D printing projects allow students to think with their hands as they explore the wider world.

Second Grade Digital Stories in Scratch

Maker Monday

In preparation for an author visit with Laurel Snyder, students read her picture book, Camp Wonderful Wild. Using the programming language created by students at MIT known as Scratch, Davis students coded digital stories demonstrating what their ideal camp experience would be like. In this exercise, students learned the basic parameters of drag and drop programming, such as using operators, functions, learning to create sequences, and incorporating multimedia elements, such as adding audio recordings into their coding creations.

Maker Monday is an opportunity to start the week with a sense of wonder, excitement, and handson creativity. Taking place in the Innovation and Design Studio, students are presented with a maker challenge as they move quickly from ideation to hands-on prototyping. Projects can be high-tech or low-tech from assembling a traffic light made of circuits to building furniture models for individuals with diverse physical needs. The goal is to cultivate original thinkers and develop architects for problem-solving by elevating the student as their own content creator. Maker Monday is one of the many creative experiences that lead Davis students to a growth mindset, enabling them to think like entrepreneurs and prepare them to work and thrive in an ever-changing economy to make a positive mark on the world.

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Sixth Graders Use Design Thinking to Address Sustainability Issues in Atlanta Davis 6th graders explore the impact of population growth and other issues that impact living conditions in Atlanta through a process known as design thinking, a methodology that provides a structured approach to solving complex problems. Students re-framed growth population issues by exploring human needs, creating new ideas in brainstorming sessions, adopting a hands-on strategy through layers of prototyping (using recycled materials and various technologies), and by testing their iterations until a viable solution is generated. Finally, they present their projects in a group setting allowing them to practice their communication skills while demonstrating their learning process. When design thinking is coupled with tikkun olam, students develop empathy, are encouraged to ask meaningful questions, and experience that they can positively impact the community as they solve real world challenges.

Davis Author Podcast Series

Podcasting offers students an engaging way to discover their voice with digital tools, and production skills, while developing research, writing, and collaboration acumen. Throughout the year, 4th graders work in small teams to interview successful authors who share their creative process, the secrets of their success, and their joy of writing. Prior to the interview, students learn how to curate meaningful questions by researching credible resources, formulating strong interview questions, discovering the art of informative dialogue to engage the listener, and learning the technical skills that go into producing and publishing an entertaining podcast. The result has been a wonderful collection of original podcasts of renowned author interviews that our students are proud to share with reading enthusiasts.

The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

Community Impact Making the World a Better Place One of the hallmarks of The Davis Academy is its commitment to carry on, with tremendous passion and optimism, the work of making the world a better and more just place by living our menschlichkeit values. One of these values, tzedek (righteousness), is meaningfully and purposefully woven into the composite Davis Academy experience. Students are exposed at every grade level to a variety of projects, programs, and curricular modules that allow them to embrace what it means to act with tzedek.

Bringing Smiles to Generations Before Us At an early age, students learn that sharing love can make a world of difference, especially to seniors who can sometimes feel lonely. This year, for example, 1st graders participated in a meaningful tzedakah project for Aviv Celebrations for which they made birthday cards for older Atlantans who might not have family or friends here to celebrate with them. Students worked diligently to make cards, and by the 100th day of school students created 100 beautifully decorated cards with special birthday wishes. In addition, our 2nd grade students shared all their excitement around receiving their personalized siddurim (prayer books) with residents at Berman Commons. They shared what they had already learned in their siddurim and sang beautiful songs to brighten their day.

Fighting Hunger Second grade students not only learned about the challenges people face when living in poverty, they use their learning and commitment to tikkun olam to help provide solutions. Students partnered with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to help alleviate hunger in our area by organizing an annual bake sale during the holiday of Purim. They encouraged all Lower School students to support their tzedakah project, during which they “sold” baked sweet treats

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in exchange for cans, plastic bottles, and boxed goods to benefit thousands of families in need.This initiative was a “sweet” success since they collected enough donations to fill eight large bins!

Cultivating Empathy & Compassion The 4th grade tzedakah theme is B’tzelem Elohim, which means created in God’s image. Throughout the year, students were exposed to literature that promotes tolerance and acceptance, while also teaching students to celebrate and embrace individual differences. They had the pleasure of meeting many special guests with different abilities, who shared their incredible stories of persistence and love. Some of the special guests were actors and directors from Jerry’s Habima Theatre at the JCC, a theater program composed of adult actors with special needs. Additionally, in partnership with the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House, 4th grade families came together to make blankets for the families being seen at local hospitals and needing a “home away from home” during difficult times. Students were given beautiful opportunities to listen, learn, and ask questions to help foster a sense of empathy and compassion for every human being. The efforts of the 4th grade teaching team were recognized as a Power of a Program by The Greater Atlanta Jewish Abilities Alliance for creating inclusive opportunities in Jewish Atlanta.

Sharing Davis Love for Reading Over the past twelve years, The Davis Academy Book Buddy program has grown from a partnership that started with one preschool to a successful program for Davis 3rd through 5th graders that includes seven preschools around the greater Atlanta area. This initiative, which provides the students with the opportunity to meet several times throughout the school year, is mutually beneficial to Davis students and to the students attending each of the preschools. As elementary aged students are developing their reading fluency and expression, doing so with a preschooler offers a non-judgmental and relaxed opportunity for practice. Students elevate their reading skills to better engage and entertain their young audience which looks up to them as role models. â€œI can tell my book buddy is actively listening and I love when she stops me in the middle of a book to ask me questions and take a closer look at the pictures,â€? says student, Lily G.

Raising Our Voices Throughout the year, 8th grade students explore an issue around social action that is important to them. Each student identifies a topic that they are passionate about, such as pollution, mental health, hunger, gender equality, global health, or racism and anti-semitsim. After independently researching and studying their selected topics, students present their findings through videos and live talks in a persuasive format, similar to Ted Talks, during our Social Action Project Showcase, all with the goal of raising awareness and sparking initiative. The result is a series of outstanding and thought-provoking presentations. When students are given the freedom of choice and a platform to showcase what is important to them with an authentic audience, it boosts their confidence to raise their voices in issues that matter.

Points of Pride Academic Competitions Davis Academy students participated at the Georgia Technology Competition at the regional level collectively bringing home thirty 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons with unique and innovative projects across thirteen different categories: 3D Modeling, Animation, Device Modification, Digital Game Design, Digital Photo Production, Graphic Design, Internet Applications, Robotics, Video Production, Multimedia Application, Audio Production, Mobile Apps and Project Programming. As of magazine publication, our twelve 1st place winners have been invited to enter the state competition, which is being held virtually this year. At the same time, The Davis Academy hosted both a Middle School Spelling and Geography Bee. Eighth grader Aiden Kramer became the school’s Spelling Bee winner and proudly represented Davis at the semi-regionals and then advanced to regional competition as well, through the second round. Eighth grader Jonathan Lalli was the school’s Geography Bee champion; however, he unfortunately didn’t get the opportunity to compete at the state level as it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

Frozen Jr. We are so proud of our student cast for the hard work they’ve put into the production of Frozen, JR. The show has been postponed to the fall and we look forward to seeing the amazing cast take their talents to center stage then. With over 150 actors, actresses, and crew members, this show will feature all of the memorable songs from the animated film, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, plus five new songs written for the Broadway production. Many thanks to our Director of Visual and Performing Arts, Kendrick Phillips, for her creative vision and steadfast devotion to The Davis Academy’s theatrical productions. We also thank Bob Michek and Rich O’Dell, as well as our many other faculty members, parent volunteers, alumni mentors, administrators, staff members and our sponsors, who are working to bring this show to life.

Davis Pilots Bus Transportation Program Through the implementation of a free pilot transportation program this year, The Davis Academy has been able to explore making itself more accessible to families across Metro Atlanta. After a successful inaugural start at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, a Sandy Springs route was added in January 2020 allowing current and prospective families to access four routes servicing Alpharetta/ Johns Creek, Brookhaven, Buckhead/ Chastain, East Roswell, Dunwoody, and Sandy Springs.

Athletics - #LionPride Congratulations to our A - Boys Basketball team and Coach Alex Davis for an outstanding winter season! The Davis Lions went undefeated all season, ending the year as runners-up at the Metro Atlanta Athletic Conference Championship. #LionsPride. Congratulations to 8th grade student-athlete Jordan Frank and Coach Matt Barry! Jordan recently became ranked #1 in the nation for pole vault, in the middle school category, with a vault of 11’1.” He is the third Davis Lion to be nationally ranked in the top ten in the pole vault in the past four years, along with Davis alumni Nicholas West ’17 and Alon Rogow ’18. Mazel tov to The Davis Academy boys baseball team, named 2020 Co-Champions in The Dunwoody Senior Baseball league C2 Division. Congratulations to our Lions, Coach Gersten and Coach Wagner.

The Davis Academy Launches its own Record Label The Davis Academy officially launched its own record label, #DavisLoveRecords, as a commitment to not only passing on the existing songbook of the Jewish people, but also to adding new pages to that songbook in the form of original compositions. From Rabbi Micah to our teachers to our students to our receptionist, productions under the #DavisLoveRecords label are a collaborative process that unites our entire community. To date, The Davis Academy has produced four albums featuring more than seventy original compositions: Be a Blessing (2013), A Palace in Time (2015), Menschology (2017), and the most recently released Hello, Goodbye, & Peace (2019) featuring 18 compositions by Rabbi Micah Lapidus. To access the music on Spotify, visit the QR code. The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

Celebrating Diversity Embracing One Another The Davis Academy strives in expanding studentsâ€™ horizons and cultivating their appreciation for the richness of the multicultural world in which we all live.

Holy Sites Davis is intentional about ensuring students contribute to the diverse world in which we live. It is pivotal for them to understand and build connections with people from a myriad of religious backgrounds. In this spirit, and in the context of a Social Studies unit on World Religions, 7th grade students visited The Roswell Community Masjid, The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Mandir, and The Dharma Jewel Monastery, where they learned about Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Students met with faith leaders, asked deep questions and experienced beautiful ceremonies in these places of worship. It was an incredible and unique learning experience.

Black History Month The time of year between Martin Luther King Jr. Day through the month of February (Black History Month) is a concentrated window where students across all grade levels deepen their knowledge and appreciation of African American culture and experiences. Third grade students watched videos and participated in activities connected to Martin Luther King Jr., 5th grade students engaged in a 6-week study of civil rights, which culminated with a trip to the 16th Street Baptist Church and Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, and 6th and 8th grade students engaged in novel studies from African American and other minority authors. Additionally, and as a part of Maker Monday, lower school students developed circuits and powered their own traffic lights, while learning about Garrett Morgan, an African American inventor who patented the three-position traffic signal.

Our Diverse Community First grade students learn in depth about countries and cultures from across the globe. Before they dive into this project, they have the opportunity to appreciate the diversity of our own Davis family. This year, students surveyed our Davis community and learned that many of our families speak other languages including Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Czech and Hebrew. They also learned that the parents of current Davis students come from over twenty different countries throughout the globe including: Argentina, Belarus, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Haiti, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Netherlands, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Not only do families come from different countries, they also identify with a range of different religious backgrounds, levels of observance, and family structures. It is no surprise why families easily find a comfortable and welcoming fit within our diverse community.

Green Card Youth Voices: The Human Library Experience After reading the book Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from Atlanta, Middle School students welcomed two of the book’s high school authors to campus: Sanjith Yadav from Pokhara, Nepal and May Da from Chin Matupi, Myanmar. With moving stories to share, these student authors increased awareness of what lies behind the language barriers. In small group sessions with each author, our students learned about the great sacrifices that Sanjith and May had to make to achieve this new life and discussed the idea of the “The American Dream,” as well as the roles that faith and family have played in each of their stories. After these sessions, students deepened their sense of empathy for those whose circumstances may or may not be different from their own and internalized that the first step in building a bridge of understanding is by learning from others’ unique stories.

Immigration Speaker Series The 5th grade immigration speaker series is one of many ways in which we celebrate the diversity of our community. As a part of the immigration unit in Social Studies, students welcome community members who immigrated to the United States to tell their personal stories. Special guests share anecdotes, history, photographs, and items brought from their place of origin when they immigrated. This series also ties into the 5th grade social studies unit on Jewish Immigration in the early 1900’s and their Civil Rights unit. This year, students had the pleasure of meeting speakers from Russia, England, Bosnia, South Africa, and Cuba. The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

Learning CommUNITY Visiting Authors This year we were thrilled to welcome two famous authors to The Davis Academy. Laurel Snyder, an award-winning author of picture books, novels, and poetry presented her latest novel, My Jasper June, targeting middle grades and earning critical acclaim. The second renowned author and television show producer, James Ponti, presented his thrilling new series City of Spies, which Stuart Gibbs called “a must read.” Both authors shared incredible stories about their professional journeys and following their passions. Students had the joy of learning about the authors’ insights and amazing techniques of their creative writing process.

Stacy Brown Publishes Her First Solo Book Stacy Brown, 21st Century Learning Coordinator, wrote and published her first solo book, The School Librarian’s Technology Playbook: Innovative Strategies to Inspire Teachers and Learners through ABC-CLIO, Libraries Unlimited. In her book, Stacy describes how school librarians are well positioned to go beyond supporting teachers with literacy resources and research. In fact, the future ready librarian works with teachers to also integrate technology, and innovate their teaching practices. Throughout the book, Stacy provides details about a variety of learning tools and concepts, such as: 3D printing, augmented reality, green screen technology, gamification, coding, makerEd and innovative strategies to encourage content creators while building a culture of reading. Professors that are training emerging school librarians have adopted this book as a resource to teach best practices in order to collaborate with educators and empower them to step outside of their comfort zones as they use new technology and innovative teaching methods in a dynamic educational landscape.

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Jennifer Apple – The Band’s Visit Middle School students had an exciting opportunity to participate in a theatrical masterclass workshop with visiting guest actress, Jennifer Apple, a Jewish Day School alum from the National Tour of the Broadway musical: The Band’s Visit. Throughout the session, Jennifer coached students, giving them advice for the annual school musical and answered any questions students had about pursuing a career in theatre. This workshop was one example of the many opportunities The Davis Academy offers to foster student passions and give them exposure to career paths in areas of interest.

Collaboration with The Mount Vernon School The Davis Academy contributes to students’ wellrounded characters by giving opportunities not only to learn from our immediate community members but also to learn from those with different faith traditions. Over the years, The Davis Academy and The Mount Vernon School have joined forces to participate in interfaith learning activities. This year, students gathered at Mount Vernon’s campus chapel for opening remarks about the importance of learning from one another. Following this framing, students participated in a maker-design challenge encouraging students to communicate clearly, work collaboratively, and leverage one another’s strengths to create a shared product. Students also participated in an activity focused upon food, which involved sharing favorite foods to evoke a sense of comfort and familiarity, taking a moment to cultivate mindful appreciation for food and discussing how different religious traditions approach food (kashrut, blessings, grace). The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

DAVIS DIGITAL

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Transforming to Distance Learning

we transform ourselves into distance learning as a school community in response to COVID-19, the actions and attitudes of our kehillah have allowed us to demonstrate how our community can come together to not only support one another but to continue to thrive as learners. Our caring faculty and staff jumped right in, going above and beyond to account for the many details that ensured instruction went virtual within just a matter of days. Parents responded with tremendous flexibility, trust, and understanding as they supported their children’s efforts in navigating distance learning platforms, partnered with our teachers to ensure continuous learning, and provided helpful feedback, kind gestures, and thoughtful messages to our professionals as well as to each other. We have truly witnessed our Davis values in action as we each continue to play a vital role in supporting the public health efforts and abide by physical distancing. As the global pandemic and related events continue to unfold, we realize that this, and every moment is, in a spiritual sense, unprecedented. To be human is to live in a constant state of unpredictability, figuring out “what it takes” and what the moment requires of us. Love, faith, mindfulness, kindness, forethought,

compassion, humor, and patience are but a few of the gifts that have and will sustain us as we navigate the uncharted territory that is upon us. As of the time of this publication, though we have missed seeing each other over the weeks that we have been physically apart, we have also witnessed the Davis Academy family as being strong and unified. Using digital platforms such as Zoom, Padlet, SeeSaw, Nearpod, and others to fulfill our learning objectives, along with good old fashion “driveway drop offs” and traditional phone calls, we are engaged in and devoted to the continuous learning of this community. There were a myriad of ways in which our educators continued to connect with and educate our students while also requesting that they creatively share their acquired knowledge. For example, 1st grade students studied famous U.S. landmarks and engineered their own inventive models of these landmarks using items discovered around their homes. Fourth grade students in Mrs. Richin’s Science classes learned about the solar system and space travel and then showcased their knowledge with unique 3D models that served as visual representations demonstrating what they learned. The hands-on discoveries continued as 2nd graders made matzah balls “live The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

DAVIS DIGITAL 18

Davis Spirit Days

Davis ruach was beautifully present every day, especially during Spirit Days!

from the kitchen” with Morah Galia in preparation for Passover. Mr. O’Dell’s 7th grade students studied the Haggadah and creatively recreated parts of the Haggadah in digital form reflecting on, writing about, and sharing why those parts are meaningful to them in the week leading up to the holiday. Señora Evelyn’s 6th grade Spanish students had a virtual excursion to Spain! They studied the Spanish culture on their “journey” and created a physical scrapbook using craft supplies or chose to create a digital scrapbook of their travels using the online platform Canva. We hear their trips were exciting! Small but mighty, our youngest learners, Mechina students, went on a math scavenger hunt throughout their homes counting specific numbers of physical objects to share with their teachers during their virtual connections. In 3rd grade, students learned all about the weather and acting as meteorologists, students were given a menu of options to choose how to share their own version of a weather report. Given the choice to use their voice, some students opted to record an outdoor newscast to describe the weather conditions while others chose to create written work on a shared digital platform while incorporating their learned proper grammar techniques to illustrate the current weather conditions. No matter the space or the place, the learning community continues to thrive among The Davis Academy just as the relationships continue to flourish. While not in the physical presence of our learners, our presence remains strong not only spiritually but in our mission to educate our students. We are ready to adapt and fulfill our learning goals as we continue forth, regardless of the challenges we face in these unprecedented times.

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u t a l a r t g i o n n o s C TH

E AL FR

ED & ADELE DAVIS ACAD

The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

HAPPENINGS&events The Davis Academy Alumni Association hosts a series of events for graduates of all ages where alum can catch up with one another. The strong sense of community formed at The Davis Academy is long-lasting and seeing how these relationships have flourished post-graduation is a true testament to the lifelong friendships that take root during the Davis experience.

Class of 2009 10-Year Reunion Members of The Davis Academy Class of 2009 came together for their 10-year reunion over Thanksgiving weekend. With more than half the class in attendance, the group was excited to reunite and reconnect at Atlantaâ€™s Monday Night Brewing. Thank you to event chair, Jake Greenberg â€™09, for his leadership.

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Senior Send Off Each year, we welcome back Davis alumni who are graduating from high school for our annual Senior SendOff, with the goal of bringing together faculty, staff and alumni parents, to wish our college-bound alumni good luck as they embark on the next step in their journeys. This year, to support public health efforts surrounding COVID-19, we hosted this event virtually. The Class of 2016 came together through Zoom to share their plans after graduating high school, watch their Davis graduation video, hear from their former teachers, and further strengthen the bond of their class community. We missed the hugs but had a great celebration!

Lions Turned Yellow Jackets Reunion The Davis Academy Alumni Association hosted a “Lions Turned Yellow Jackets Reunion,” where Davis alumni, now students at Georgia Tech, caught up with members of the Davis team as well as with one another. It was great to connect over pizza together on Georgia Tech’s campus. The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

The 2019-2020 Tzedek Grant Recipients

Maya Laufer

Founded in 2016, The Davis Academy Alumni Tzedek Grant recognizes and supports charitable initiatives by our graduates. These efforts exemplify The Davis Academy’s menschlichkeit value of Tzedek, a Hebrew word which means righteousness or justice. Open to high school and college-age alumni, the grant is an opportunity to advance the efforts of our alum who continue to carry our Davis values out into the world beyond their years at Davis. This year, we are proud to award 2020 Tzedek Grants to two outstanding recipients: Amalia Haviv ’18 and Maya Laufer ’18. Our Davis Academy alumni are making a positive impact wherever their journey takes them. This instinct amongst our alumni emerges from a place of L.O.V.E. Living Our Values Every day is emphasized at The Davis Academy with the belief that it creates a lifelong mindset instilled from a young age, The Davis Alumni Tzedek Grant is a special resource that we extend to help them continue to live these values. Grant recipient(s) receive a financial grant as well as marketing and media support that shines a spotlight on their good work. Amalia Haviv is in the process of founding an organization called “Triple E.” As she explains, “Triple E’s mission is to bring education, exercise, and nutrition to low income middle schoolers in metro Atlanta through an after school program once every two weeks. In this after school program, we will have professional nutritionists

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and trainers to work out with the kids and teach them about keeping a healthy lifestyle.” Explaining further, Haviv shares, “Triple E wants to see an increase in healthy BMI’s in our kids. Most importantly, we want to see a continuation of the kids living a healthy lifestyle after they graduate from our program. We hope we can influence them to continue to eat healthily and exercising the recommended amount.” Maya Laufer is involved in an array of Tzedek activities. She has been awarded the Tzedek Grant to support her leadership role in the Dunwoody DECA Chick-fil-a Leader Academy. Laufer is disappointed that a project she had invested a lot of time and energy toward: a field day for foster children, had to be postponed due to COVID-19. Having said that, it is illuminating to hear about her passion for foster children. Laufer writes, “My grandparents were very passionate

Amalia Haviv

about the foster care system. During their marriage they fostered about 150 kids and adopted five. I want to carry on their legacy by helping kids in the foster care system.” Laufer will use the grant funds to support her leadership within this organization.

Past Recipients Nikki Berne ’10 Miracle Children

Zoe Light ’12 Sustainability

Emily Brothman ’13

Terps Against Hunger

Jacob Cohen ’13 JAM Bowl

Max Kamean ’13

JAM Bowl

David Antonino ’13

Homelessness

Max Rubenstein ’14 Game Givers

After graduation from The Davis Academy, Cameron Frostbaum attended North Springs High school, where outside of his studies, he was involved with theater, mock trial, and student government. He attended Emory University, studying Theater Studies and Political Science, and received many honors including: high honors on his honors thesis about studying and producing Microtheater, Charles E. Shepard Scholarship Recipient, Alice N. Benston Award in Theater Studies, Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry’s Undergraduate Humanities Honors Fellow, Emory’s 100 Senior Honorary, and was inducted to Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. Cameron’s interest in theater management grew through acting, playwriting and producing in local Atlanta theaters, which led him to pursue a career in theater management at Yale School of Drama’s Theater Management Master’s Program. Through his career pursuits, Cameron is fulfilling his passion of bringing people together to build community, whether these are communities gathering for a theatrical event or communities committed to making the world better for generations to come.

Cameron Frostbaum The Davis Academy Class of 2010 Emory University Class of 2018 Yale University Class of 2022

Davis Academy imparted on me the concept of informed choice. I have taken lessons to constantly educate and evaluate myself. This has fueled my drive to continue my Jewish studies, participate in service and a lifestyle that contributes to Tikun Olam, and select a career that is guided by creativity and reflection.” The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

Ohad Rau The Davis Academy Class of 2014 Georgia Tech Class of 2022

While it took me some time to realize this after graduation, the value of community has taken me farther in life than anything else. Davis really emphasized this value, and the foundations provided by the school helped me grow into it after graduation. As I matured, I began to really appreciate all the life-long friends I’d made at Davis and embraced the Jewish community as a whole.” 24

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Ohad Rau is passionate about learning to understand the world and how things work. He is currently a student at Georgia Tech, working toward a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Additionally, Ohad is Treasurer at Georgia Tech AEPi and Operations Organizer for HackGT, a national hackathon of 1000+ people hosted at Georgia Tech. After his freshman year, Ohad completed an internship at Google and will be interning at Two Sigma Investments this summer. Ohad is a graduate of North Springs High School, where he was a member of National Honor Society, President of Computer Science Club, founded the North Springs Hackathan, and co-founded a cloud attendance software company called Rolltrax. Also while in high school, Ohad earned 1st place in FBLA’s Georgia for Coding & Programming competition and 2nd place in for the Desktop Application Programming competition.

Rachel Much The Davis Academy Class of 2011 University of Chicago Class of 2019 Harvard University Class of 2023

I developed my aptitude and appreciation for art thanks to the amazing Mrs. Stein! Studying art at Davis taught me the observation skills I needed to begin my career in architecture. I still use the fundamental drawing skills she taught me everyday.”

Rachel Much is passionate about leveraging design to reconsider our relationship to space and leisure. Rachel attended Pace Academy after graduating from Davis, and during her high school years, she started an art club at Pace and was a service leader at The Jewish Home. After high school, she earned her undergraduate degree in Art History from The University of Chicago, where she taught art at inner city schools with Art Should, was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority, led tours at the Smart Museum of Art and Robie House, and worked as a Research Assistant conducting archival research on University architecture. Upon college graduation, Rachel enrolled in Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where she will be earning a Master’s Degree in Architecture following the completion of the three-and-one-halfyear program. The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

Class Notes Alumni Journeys by Class Year

2000 Amy Chalef Tolman and her husband, Jordan welcomed their second child, Hadley Reese to the world on November 7, 2019. She and her family live in New York City.

2001 Stacey Friedman Halpern and her husband, Ryan welcomed baby number two to their family, Miller Murray Halpern on January 17. Stacey lives in Atlanta, where she works as an Account Manager. Audrey Geller Henderson lives in Atlanta and works as The Assistant Director at The Weinberg Early Learning Center at The Temple. On September 8, 2019, she and her husband, Chris, welcomed their second child, Autumn Alanna to the world. Both Audrey and fellow Davis alum Rachel Geller Seiber ’02 attended The Davis Academy Cub Club’s Professor Whizzpop Magic show with their children this past winter. 1 The small class sizes and positive atmosphere of The Davis Academy gave me confidence to be who I am. I never felt worried that I had to impress the people around me and change who I was.”

2002 Jason Chaliff lives in Atlanta and is the founder of Rise Property Group, a commercial real estate brokerage focused on investment sales and leasing. He received his MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School. Melissa Chalef Hyman lives in Delray Beach, Florida, where she works as a SpeechLanguage Pathologist.

Melissa and her husband, Scott, welcomed baby Anabelle to their family on January 20. I wish I lived in Atlanta so I could send my kids to The Davis Academy.” Sara Citron Kandel and her husband, Mike, welcomed a baby boy to the world: Liam Decker Kandel. Congratulations!

2003 Nika Freudenberg lives in Roswell and works as an Occupational Therapist. Outside of work, she is involved with Temple Emanu-El. Ben Joseph works in software sales in Atlanta. Pamela Chaliff Margolis lives in New York City and is a Manager at Bain & Company, a management consulting firm. She received her MBA at Columbia Business School. On March 7, 2020, Pamela married Alex Margolis at The Foundry at Puritan Mill in Atlanta. The ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Spike Anderson of Temple Emanu-El. Caroline Patterson is a 4th grade teacher at The Davis Academy and in addition, she helps lead services at The Temple. Caroline is engaged to Alex Goldberg and is planning a wedding for this year. Davis teachers got to know me so well as an individual and catered their teaching to my learning needs.” Sally Galanti Rovinsky lives in Brecksville, Ohio, where she is a Child and Adult Adolescent Psychologist. She and her husband Jeff Rovinsky welcomed their first child, Emma Reese Rovinsky, to their family on July 30, 2019.

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

2004 Jena Eisenberg works as a Marketing Director in Atlanta. Jordan Edelstein became engaged to Gena Soffer. The couple lives in New York City and is planning a fall wedding. Robbi Scheuer Hoff works as a Registered Dietician in Charleston, South Carolina and in addition, volunteers with Angels Among Us Pet Rescue. Mazel tov to Robbi, who married Alex Hoff, on October 12, 2019.

2005 Catherine Solmson Cohen is currently a Kindergarten Teacher at The Davis Academy. Catherine married Brad Cohen last spring at The Temple, and they are expecting their first child. Jonathan Paz works as a Jeweler and Director of Custom Design and Bridal at Worthmore Jewelers, founded by his uncle, Harris Botnick, a Davis alumni parent. 2 Ari Whiteman works as an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He recently completed a deployment to the Central African Republic to provide strategic support for polio eradication and is

currently working on the coronavirus response.

2006 Sam Altman is a CPA working at Monarch Private Capital in Atlanta. Hannah Bock works as an Interior Designer in Washington D.C. Catherine Patterson Crum married Richard Crum on January 19, 2020 at The Estate in Atlanta. Mazel tov! Josh Jacobs works as an Art Director in Smyrna. Additionally, last summer, Josh got married to Tesi Jacobs. Kevin Spiegel works as a Veterinary Epidemiologist in Loveland, Colorado. Kevin earned his undergraduate degree as well as his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health at The University of Georgia. Alexandra Wolf married Joshua Lieberman in March 2020. The couple lives in Jupiter, where Alexandra works as a Speech-Language Pathologist for the Palm Beach County Schools.

2007 Juliana Altman is an Accountant at Ernst and Young in Atlanta.

Rachel LaVictoire ’08 made aliyah to Israel. During one of her visits to Atlanta, she stopped by The Davis Academy to catch up with her former teachers.

Ryan Goldstein is engaged to Betsy Tuck. The couple plans to marry on October 18, 2020. Rachel Hirsch lives in Atlanta, where she works as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Additionally, Rachel became engaged to Mark Bernstein last summer with plans for a June wedding. Jessica Jacobs is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Jessica is also a Student Rabbi in Grand Junction, Colorado and an intern for J Street. The Davis Academy gave me the Jewish and Hebrew content in order to pursue the Rabbinate. Davis taught me how to cultivate curiosity and explore my Jewish identity.” Lisa Roelofsen married Avner Israel on August 18, 2019. Mazel tov! Ashley Rosenberg works as a Digital Marketing Manager and On Camera Host in Atlanta. Ashley is engaged to Alex Carey and will get married Labor Day Weekend. Going to The Davis Academy set me up for a very successful and hard working lifestyle that I have carried with me through all of life’s obstacles!” Lindsey Rosenberg lives in Atlanta and is an Occupational Therapist. She is engaged to Steven Lubel. The couple plans to be married on January 30, 2021. Sarah Scheuer recently became engaged to Danny Koenig. The couple plans to be married in October 2021. Jason Schwarz graduated from Emory University School of Medicine last spring and is now doing a residency in surgery in Chicago. Ally Sillins recently married Santosh Vadlamani. The couple had three wedding celebrations, in San Francisco, CA, in Atlanta and one in Hyderabad, India. Jake Seltman graduated from Mercer University School of Medicine in

Savannah, and has matched for a residency in Medicine/ Pediatrics at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Max Shafron is graduating from George Washington University with a Master’s Degree in International Affairs. Max has worked for the United States Senate and will begin a new role as a John S. McCain Fellow at the Department of Defense following graduation. My favorite Davis Academy memory was the 8th grade Continental Congress. Mr. Barry assigned me the role of Thomas Jefferson and now I get to work for the American people every day in the United States Senate. Life comes full circle!”

The Davis Academy has truly shaped me into the person I am today. It was the best decision my parents made.” — Rachel Hirsch ’07

Benjamin Young graduated from Judge Advocate General’s School. After his graduation, he began working in the Judge Advocate General’s office as an Attorney, reporting to the Red Stone Arsenal Army Base.

2008 Marlee Jones is a graduate student at Texas A&M University, pursuing a degree in student affairs and higher education. Jared Kopelman is the Chief Operating Officer of Monotto, an Atlanta Based financial technology startup that he co-founded. Monotto was selected to join Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center’s Signature Program, Georgia Tech’s technology incubator.

Rachel LaVictoire is living in Israel and to be married to Omer Mann. Allison Ladden works as a Merchandise Coordinator at Neiman Marcus. Leah Michalove moved to Jerusalem where she works in development for The New Israel Fund. Jill Rubinger graduated from University of Virginia’s Law School in May 2019, and is currently an Attorney in Washington D.C. 3 The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

Lauren Siegel is a Mental Health Occupational Therapist, specializing in working with people with chronic pain. In addition, Lauren is involved with Rock Steady Boxing, a boxing class for adults with Parkinson’s Disease and Eden House, an organization offering long term housing and recovery services to survivors of human trafficking. Sarah Spiegel is the Owner of Pure Barre in Brookhaven.

Paige Weinberg is engaged to Samuel Feldman. The couple will get married on November 7, 2020. Rachel Whiteman lives in New York City, where she is an Actress. The Davis Academy taught me the strength of community and the importance of giving back as well as my love for theater, which started in the 4th grade with Davis’ first ever play, The Island of Adventure. Kendrick remains a close friend and mentor.”

2009 Daniel Chase works as a Flight Software Engineer at Wisk Aero in Atlanta. 4 Justin Franco is graduating from Southern Methodist University with a Masters of Business Administration degree. He now works in Dallas, Texas as a Data Consultant.

The Davis Academy is an introduction to a lifelong Jewish community.” — Evan Rosenthal ’10

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Rebecca Galanti lives in Washington D.C., where she works as a Senior Communications Associate at STG, a political and public affairs advocacy firm. The Davis Academy’s 7th grade trip to Washington, DC, spawned my interest in politics and set me on the path that has led me to living in the city and working as a political consultant. Davis also gave me a strong foundation for my Jewish identity, which has taken its own unique shape as I’ve come into adulthood.” Brooke Gillman is a teacher in Atlanta.

Haley Greenberg is a Sales Representative in Savannah. Lindsay Kraun graduated in August of 2019 with a Masters of Occupational Therapy, passed her board certification exam, and is now working as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist at an outpatient clinic in Suwanee. All of the root words Ms. Fields had us learn in 8th grade helped me tremendously when I was learning different medical conditions for my master’s degree. I still find myself often breaking down diagnoses (and other complex words) I don’t know into their roots.” Ariel Pinsky is a law student at The University of Georgia and is Editing Manager of Georgia Law Review. Sarah Resnick is a Production Manager in New York City. Rebecca Shafron works as Program Associate at The Schusterman Family Foundation in Washington D.C. Next fall, she will begin pursuing an MBA at Georgetown University. The Davis Academy taught me how to lead with empathy!” Rebecca Shoenthal lives in New York City, where she is an Editor for Skyhorse Publishing. In addition, she volunteers with DOROT, a nonprofit organization geared toward enhancing the lives of the elderly and bringing generations together. Jonathan Shuster works as a Business Development Representative in Denver, Colorado. Sara Weiss-Cowie is currently a Reading Specialist in Charleston, South Carolina. This past fall, she caught up with Davis Academy faculty and students during the 6th grade field trip to Charleston. Sara has plans to further her career through George Washington University’s graduate school program in counseling.

Class Notes

Hailey Winter lives in Atlanta and is an Account Manager at The Icebox in Atlanta.

Alex Edelstein ’08 works for Google and recently transferred from its San Francisco Office to its London office. As a part of his new role, Alex attended the Google Sales and Marketing Conference in Dublin, Ireland, where funny enough, he ran into Roy Sela, who the Edelstein’s hosted when Roy was an foreign exchange student at The Davis Academy as a part of its ORT exchange program. Roy recently accepted a position with Google in Israel and was also attending the conference for work. As a result of The Davis Academy connection, the Edelstein and Sela families continue to remain friends to this day, having visited each other several times over the past 15 years.

Evan Young works in corporate finance in Atlanta.

2010 Micah Benveniste lives in Atlanta, where he works as a Software Consultant at Manhattan Associates and is also the President of his company’s Professional Services board. Nikki Berne is the Sunday School Director for Jewish Kids Group in Atlanta. Outside of work, she volunteers with Camp Twin Lakes and Gigi’s Playhouse, a Down syndrome achievement center, where she is on the board. The Davis Academy taught me the importance of being a part of a Jewish community and creating one for others” Maia Charanis works as a Social Media Manager for Eurotard Dancewear clothing company. She also is a Dance Teacher and Contemporary Dancer. In 2019, Maia went on tour with Kit Modus to Philadelphia to perform in the Women in Dance Conference. The Davis Academy allowed me to excel in my academics and learning because of the time, effort and compassion that the teachers put into their lessons and their interactions with students.” Justin Fleischmann works in Revenue Operations at UPshow, a Tech Startup in Chicago. Sarah Greenberg was on the campaign trail for Bernie Sanders and was a featured speaker at a past rally. 5 Cayla Harris earned her Master’s Degree in Biomedical Health Sciences from The University of Alabama. She was accepted to The Dental College of Georgia and is participating in the Air Force Health Professions Scholarship program. She was commissioned into the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant

and will practice dentistry when she graduates. Cayla is engaged to Trevor Hearing and will be married in 2022. My Jewish heritage is a huge part of my identity….I have a terrific understanding and appreciation for Israeli culture and the state of Israel.” Jenna Perlman is a News Producer in Brookline, Massachusetts. Evan Rosenthal lives in Atlanta, where he works in digital marketing. He volunteers with Georgia 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer and the American Marketing Associated Committee. Marissa Rubin works as an Integrated Marketing Coordinator at Media Frenzy Global. Kayla Schwarz works as a Marketing Associate in New York City. Jessica Silverman lives in Arlington, Virginia where she works as a Social Media Associate for BBYO. To this day, I feel so grateful that I went to Davis. I felt like I was safe, intellectually challenged, and have awesome memories from my childhood there.” Madeleine Spitzler currently attends Mercer University School of Medicine.

2011 Eden Axler graduated with Academic Distinction from the University of Michigan, where she majored in

Alec Nathan is currently enrolled in the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program at University of Georgia’s J.M. Tull School of Accounting. Last spring, Alec graduated from UGA with his undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Business Administration – Accounting.

Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Since graduation, Eden has been working as a Consultant for B Swift in Chicago. Scott Eisenberg, a graduate of University of Georgia, will be attending Emory University School of Medicine this fall.

Caleb Rudnicki graduated from Georgia Tech last year with a degree in Computer Science. He now lives in Portland, Oregon, where he works as a Software Engineer. Caleb became engaged to Sarah Steinberg with plans to be married in August 2020.

Max Franco is currently a law student at Georgia State University. Dannah Gottlieb is a Photographer in New York City. Her work was recently featured in a two-page spread in Time Magazine featuring children’s climate change protests. 6

Ashley Siegel has been living in Israel, teaching English to 5th/6th graders in Rishon L’tzion, throughout this past school year.

Jenna Kahn is currently working as a Human Resources Analyst. She graduated from The University of Georgia in 2019 with a degree in management (emphasis on HR Analytics and International Business). She was recognized by The Terry College of Business for Excellence in Management. In addition, Jenna has volunteered with LifeLine Animal Shelter.

Adam Sillins graduated from the University of Florida’s Finance Graduate Degree Program. Bonnie Simonoff graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in Arts in Anthropology: Global Health and the Environment. Bonnie received the Excellence in Anthropology award and was a mentor for the Emerging Leaders Program.

Rachel Much graduated from The University of Chicago with a degree in Art History and enrolled in Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where she will earn a master’s degree in architecture. Becca Nadolne graduated from The University of Georgia last spring with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs. She works as a Program Associate at the Emory University Hillel.

Emma Spiegel completed her undergraduate degree last year at The University of Georgia and is now pursuing her Master’s Degree in Education with plans to become a High School Science Teacher. Outside of graduate school, Emma is a Teaching Assistant and involved in Climbing Club.

The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

Hannah Young graduated from Georgia College and State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Post-graduation, she began working for Emory University Hospital as a Registered Nurse.

2012 Maddie Fleischmann is graduating from The University of Virginia, where she majored in Psychology and Sociology. Mallory Goldenberg is graduating from The University of Georgia with her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. At UGA, Mallory was involved with organizations including: Chabad, Sinai Scholars, Food2Kids, and Campus Kitchen, where she took on the leadership role as a Shift Leader. Harrison Lipsky is graduating from Cornell University and will be attending Emory University’s Law School this fall. Evan Miller is graduating from The Terry Business School at the University of Georgia and plans to attend law school post graduation. Max Miller is graduating from the Culverhouse College of Business at The University of Alabama and will work for Deloitte in Atlanta post graduation.

2013 Carolyn Friedman is currently a student at Columbia University in New York City. At The Davis Academy, I learned to put an emphasis on community, kindness, and building a better world.” Caitlyn Margol is a student at Wake Forest University, where she is on The Dean’s List. In addition to her classes, she is involved with Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Honor Society and Tri-Beta National Biological Honor Society. The pillars we grew up learning at The Davis Academy: respect, spirit, wisdom, righteousness, and

Members of Class of 2015: Jack Kaye and Audrey Kaye came by for a campus visit and stayed for Davis Decibelles practice.

community—these are all principles instilled in me that I can apply to my personal everyday life.” Korin Pinksy is a student at The University of Georgia where she is double majoring in English and in Education. Outside of class, Korin is involved with the food bank, the Tri Delta Reach Program, and a local after school program.

2014 Eric Abel attends Berklee College of Music in Boston. This spring, in an effort to combat the hardships brought about by COVID-19, Eric and his father hosted a “Corona-Aid” concert. The concert entailed a unique collection of music recorded by Eric and his college friends and raised money for the Community Assistance Center in Sandy Springs. Marshall Berton attends The University of Georgia, where he is majoring in Finance, International Business, and International Affairs. He has been honored as a Bernard Ramsey Honors Scholar, Frank and Louise Hoffmaster Etchberger Scholar, Honors International Scholar, Freeman Asia Scholar, and has been inducted to the Dean William Tate Honor Society and Corsair Society. He serves as the Executive Director of UGA Votes and co-authored a policy to accurately enumerate UGA students in the 2020 census that will be published in the

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Roosevelt Institute’s 10 Ideas policy journal. Jacob Lewis is a student at Georgia Tech, where he is studying Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, and Spanish. Outside of school, Jacob is a Tour Guide Captain, Wreck Camp Staff Member, and Interfraternity Council Greek Excellence Chairman. Eric Miller is a student at The University of Georgia, where he is pursuing degrees in Computer Science and Math. While at UGA, he was named a UGA Ramsey Scholar and Midterm Foundation Fellow. Outside of school, Eric volunteers with Prison Tutorial and is an instructor for Girls Who Code. Ohad Rau is pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science at Georgia Tech. Additionally, Ohad is Treasurer at Georgia Tech AEPi and Operations Organizer for HackGT, a national hackathon of 1000+ people hosted at Georgia Tech. After his freshman year, Ohad completed an internship at Google and has plans to intern at Two Sigma Investments this summer. While it took me some time to realize this after graduation, the value of community has taken me farther in life than anything else. Davis really emphasized this value, and the foundations provided by the school helped me grow into it after graduation. As

I matured, I began to really appreciate all the life-long friends I’d made at Davis and embraced the Jewish community as a whole.” Aaron Rice is a student at The University of Georgia, pursuing a finance degree. He is also Vice President of AEPi fraternity. Max Rubenstein attends Northeastern University, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing. In addition to school, Max is an Intern at Apple Music and rising Editor in Chief at Tastemakers Magazine. Lilei Turiansky is a student at Georgia Tech, pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Economics. Outside of her school work, Lilei is the Director of Involvement at Alpha Phi and on a Hillel Leadership Committee. Maqueline Weiss is studying at Elon University, where she is a pre-med student majoring in Biochemistry. In addition to her school work, Maqueline is president of Hillel, a Camp Kudzu Lead Counselor, and a JDRF Ambassador, and a member of Elon University’s Biology Club, Tri-Beta Honor Society, and American Chemical Society Club. My Jewish roots have come back being involved in Hillel at college and I have come to truly appreciate all the things I learned about my religion and culture as a student at The Davis Academy.”

2015 Zachary Baylin currently attends Georgia Tech, where he was awarded the Zell Miller Academic Scholarship. Prior to attending Georgia Tech, Zachary graduated as a Top Ten Student of his graduating class at North Springs High School and earned the Georgia Certificate of Merit for earning a GPA in the top 5% of Georgia students. Zach traveled to San Antonio, Texas last summer, representing North Springs at the FBLA National Leadership Conference this past summer. Shayna Fraley attends Florida State University. She spent her freshman year of college studying abroad in London and is pursuing a major in Information, Communication, and Technology. My connection to Judaism and its role in my daily life began at The Davis Academy, and has continued to grow as I get older. Thanks to my elementary and middle school education, I was able to form a genuine love for my religion, the culture, and traditions. In the future, I hope to apply my deep Jewish roots towards my professional career.” Sophia Gurin is attending Florida State University, where she is in the Honors College, pursuing a major in Biology. Sophia was awarded the 2019 AJC Faculty Cup, selected by the faculty at Johns Creek High School, as the highest award given to a Senior who excels in academics and shows leadership in community activities, arts and athletics. Andrew Ladden attends University of Texas at Austin where he is Social Chair of ZBT Fraternity and involved with The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Sam Mahle is currently a student at Georgia Tech studying Computer

Class Notes

Science. Last summer, Sam backpacked Portugal, Spain, and France for 6 weeks with plans to study abroad in Barcelona in the future. Jack Pines will be attending The University of Georgia beginning Fall 2020.

2016 Mya Artzi is graduating from North Springs High School this May. Mya is National Honor Society President and on the school’s Varsity Tennis team. Mya was also a Peer Leader at JumpSpark and involved with Creating Connected Communities. She will attend The University of Wisconsin in the fall. I learned the importance of community (kehillah).”

The Davis Academy taught me the concept of being a lifelong learner and tikkun olam.” — Sam Mahle ’15 7

Evan Bernath is graduating from The Weber School this spring. Audra Buffington and Derek Coffsky ’17 volunteered as alumni judges for the Georgia Technology Competition at the regional level in January. Lindy Feintuch was named a National Semifinalist for the National Honor Society Scholarship at North Springs High School. As a part of National Honor Society, Lindy participated in community service projects benefiting rescue dogs at Bosley’s Place. Lindy is graduating this spring and will be attending Elon University in the fall. 7 Ethan Goldberg was named one of three of North Springs Charter High School National Merit Scholar Semifinalists as a result of his PSAT score. Ethan is graduating from North Springs High School this spring and will attend Duke University in fall 2020. Caroline Goldman is graduating from The Weber School this spring and will attend Boston University next year. Isaac Goldman is the The Weber Class of 2020 Salutatorian and will attend Vanderbilt University in the fall.

Dara Grocer is graduating from Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School where she was the Executive Producer of WHIS (school TV weekly news report), earned the Academic Award for Outstanding Achievement in Broadcast Journalism, was inducted to the Quill & Scroll International Honor Society, and served as President of the Jewish Student Union. Dara won the “$100,000 Teammate” award for being the most supportive, inclusive, and dedicated teammate in Varsity Tennis. Dara plans to attend Elon University. Frankie Grossman was recognized as one of Reporter

Newspaper’s 20 under 20 for her passion for community service. Frankie volunteers with Creating Connected Communities, formed The Green Team at The Weber School, which encourages students to recycle plasticware in the cafeteria, and has fundraised for the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance. She has participated in community service opportunities abroad, including restoring a village school building in Fiji and partaking in a coastal conservation program in the Dominican Republic. Frankie served as Vice President of Programming for The Weber School’s 2019-2020 Student Council. 8 The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

2017 Emma Bernath is a junior at Riverwood High School. Maddie Fellner is a junior at Dunwoody High School, where she is Vice President of The Beta Club, a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, and Science Honor Society. Additionally, she is ranked as the #6 Extemporaneous Speaker in Georgia. Outside of school, Maddie teaches Sunday School.

Members of Class of 2016: Ethan Goldberg, Sarah Szabo, Maddie Kamean, Gabriella Kogan, Jenny Rice, Audra Buffington, Lauren Cohen, and Jack Klafter finished their junior year at North Springs High School in the top 5% of their class.

President of the Year by BBYO. Isabelle also interns for the American Jewish Committee and was awarded the AJC Leaders for Tomorrow Scholarship to attend the 2019 Global Policy Forum. Noa Grace Pollinger served on The Weber School Student Council as Vice President of Community Outreach. Max Ripans served on The Weber School Student Council as Vice President of Finance. Sarah Rosenberg is graduating from The Weber School this spring. While a student at Weber, Sarah was involved with the National Honor Society. The Davis Academy taught me how to problem solve and work with others.” Members of the Class of 2016: Jack Klafter, Sarah Szabo, Ethan Goldberg, Maddie Kamean, and Gabby Kogan were named North Springs High School Top Ten Students.

Chloe Lipton served on The Weber School Student Council as Vice President of Communications. Isabelle Mokotoff graduates from North Springs High School this spring and will attend Northwestern University in the fall. Isabelle

earned the 2019 Outstanding Achievement in Scholastic Journalism by the Georgia Scholastic Press Association, was selected as AP Scholar with Distinction by the College Board, and was awarded the 2019 Greater Atlanta Region’s 8th Grade Recruitment

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Sarah Szabo was elected North Spring High School Student Body President. Sarah, and Class of 2016 alum, Justin Edelman and Gabriella Kogan were recognized by the National Merit Scholar Corp as Commended Students for their outstanding PSAT scores. Arie Voloschin is graduating from North Springs High School and will attend The University of Cincinnati, where he has committed to the University’s Swim Team. 9

Lily Fleischmann is a junior at The Westminster Schools, and outside of school, Lily is BBYO Regional Sh’licha (VP of Jewish enrichment, community service, & social action). Gracie Kirschner is a junior at North Springs High School and was named a Governor’s Honors Program State Finalist for Communicative Arts. Gracie was also given the honor of Outstanding Witness at the Georgia Mock Trial Competition. Both Gracie and classmate Eli Minsk were selected to join Youth Leadership Sandy Springs’ 2019-2020 Leadership Program. Gabriela Lefkovits is a junior at The Weber School, where she is a member of The National Honor Society and earned the Spanish Exam Silver Medal. Gabriela is also involved in BBYO, JNF, Or Hadash, Creating Connected Communities, Los Niños Primeros, and attended Alexander Muss High School in Israel last summer. Max London is a junior at Dunwoody High School. Samantha Miller is a junior at Chattahoochee High School, plays Varsity Lacrosse, and is on the board of Creating Connected Communities Leadership North. Stephen Rusnak is a junior at The Weber School. Stephen was awarded the 2019 NSCA All American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year for Wrestling. 10

Eric Shindell is a junior at Chamblee Charter High School, where he is involved with Beta Club and will be president of Japanese Media and Culture Club next school year. Outside of school, Eric became an Eagle Scout and was the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader for his troop. Eric is also an Editor for a novel translation website.

2018 Nate Artzi is a sophomore at North Springs High School, where he is a varsity tennis player. In addition to school, Nate is a Creating Connected Communities Board Member and BBYO Avitz Chapter S’gan (Vice President). Harrison Frank was recognized by The Packaged Good for his volunteerism and commitment to the organization over the past three years. In September 2019, at The Packaged Good’s fundraiser, Cocktails for a Cause, Harrison was named Event Honoree. Amalia Haviv is a sophomore at Pace Academy, where she was awarded the Renaissance Award for Arts. In addition to school, she is involved with Creating Connected Communities and co-founded a non-profit, Triple E, geared toward bringing education, exercise, and nutrition to low income middle schoolers in metro Atlanta through an after-school program. Rachel Hertz is a sophomore at North Springs High School, where she is a member of Thespian Honor Society, played Laura in the winter production of The Glass Menagerie, and was a Governor’s Honors Program nominee for Theatre. Additionally, she was involved with costume design for the school production of Carrie, the musical and plans to take an educational trip to London with the North Springs Theatre Department. Both Rachel and Davis classmate Annalise Hardy won Region 1 acts for the North Springs theatrical production, Alice. Rachel has also taken on the leadership positions of Vice President

Class Notes

for her sophomore class and Vice President of community service organization, Youth for Change. 11 Maya Laufer is a sophomore at Dunwoody High School. Outside of school, Maya is a Peer Leader for JumpSpark’s Strong Women’s Fellowship, is a part of the MJCCA Teen Leadership Committee, and is also involved with the Dunwoody DECA Chick-fil-a Leader Academy. Davis taught me the value of community.” Ezra Mahle is a sophomore at Dunwoody High School and a member of Key Club. Ezra participated in the Regional Science Fair and is involved with Ascent Math Tutoring.

The Davis Academy taught me how important it is to foster a supportive community.” — Gabriela Lefkovits ’17

Jacob Mirsky is a sophomore at North Springs High School, where he is the Soccer Team Captain and was named “Student of the Week”. Jacob was also selected as a member of the Spanish National Honor Society, Math National Honor Society and Health Occupations Students of America. Outside of school, Jacob volunteers with Creating Connected Communities. Alex Newberg is a sophomore at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, where he has taken on the leadership role of Class Vice President and is on the Dean’s List. Outside of school, Alex volunteers with Camp Sunshine and was cast in Fun Home at Actor’s Express, his third professional theater production. 12

10 11

Matthew Richmond is a sophomore at North Springs High School, where he is on the golf team. Alon Rogow is a sophomore at Dunwoody High School. He is on the Principal’s List, was nominated for the Governor’s Honors Program, and participates in Creating Connected Community’s Leadership Development Program. In addition, Alon continues to train with Mr. Barry through Pole Vault Atlanta and holds the Dunwoody High School track and field record, is ranked as the #4 sophomore in the country, #2 overall in Georgia,

Life After Davis: THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY JOURNEY The graduating Class of 2020 will be attending the schools noted in bold (list as of 5/1/2020). Agnes Scott College Air Force Academy Arizona State University Berklee College of Music Binghamton University Boston University California Institute of the Arts Case Western University Chapman University Chattahoochee Valley Community College Clemson University Colby College College of Charleston Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Davidson College Dickinson College Duke University Elon University Emerson College Emory University Florida State University Franklin & Marshall College George Washington University

Georgia College and State University Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Southern University Georgia State University Gwinnett Technical College Hamilton College Hampton College Harvard University Indiana University Kennesaw State University Kent State University Louisiana State University Macalester College McGill University Miami University-Ohio Mississippi State University New York University North Carolina State University Northeastern University Northwestern University Oberlin College Oglethorpe University Peking University Penn State University Purdue University

Queen’s University Rice University Ringling College of Art & Design Sarah Lawrence College Southern Polytechnic State University Stanford University Syracuse University Texas Tech University The Citadel The Ohio State University Tufts University Tulane University Union College University of Alabama University of Arizona University of California – Berklee University of California – Los Angeles University of Central Florida University of Chicago University of Cincinnati University of Colorado University of Delaware University of Denver University of Florida

University of Georgia University of Mary Washington University of Maryland University of Michigan University of Minnesota University of Mississippi University of Missouri University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill University of North Georgia University of Pennsylvania University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of Tampa University of Texas – Austin University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Wisconsin – Madison Vanderbilt University Vassar College Virginia Tech University Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Wesleyan University

and has qualified for New Balance Nationals. 13

Miriam Barkan is a freshman at The Weber School. Outside of school, she is involved with Creating Connected Community’s Leadership Development Program.

Caleb Mahle is a freshman at Dunwoody High School and is a member of The Varsity Quiz Bowl Team. He also volunteers with Backpack Buddies at Congregation Beth Shalom, Creating Connected Communities, and with political campaigns.

Matthew Szabo was named a North Springs High School Governor’s Honors Program Semifinalist for Theatre. Additionally, Matthew was elected President of his sophomore class.

2019 Jack Anderson is a freshman at The Weber School, where he is one of two Class Representatives and the President of the Weber Esports Team. The Davis Academy made learning fun and immersive.”

The Davis Academy is and always will be my home.” — Alon Rogow ’18

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Jamie Cohen is a freshman at Riverwood International Charter School, where she earned a place on The Principal’s list for her numeric grade point average. In addition to school, Jamie is involved with Friendship Circle, ORT, and Creating Connected Communities. Maggie Deutsch is a freshman at The Weber School. Ben Lefkovits is a freshman at The Weber School and outside of school, is involved with BBYO.

Jaclyn Marx is a freshman at The Weber School and volunteers with Creative Connected Communities. Caleb Ouanounou is a freshman at The Weber School and is involved with Creating Connected Community’s Leadership Development Program. Sarah Terapane is a freshman at Dunwoody High School.

Be sure to follow The Davis Academy Alumni Association on Facebook and Instagram and to share your news and updates at alumni@davisacademy.org.

Class Notes

C H

M Q

Amy Chalef Tolman ’00 and her husband, Jordan welcomed their second child, Hadley Reese Tolman to the world on November 7, 2019. She and her family live in New York City. A Stacey Friedman Halpern ’01 and her husband, Ryan welcomed “baby number two” to their family, Miller Murray Halpern on January 17, 2020. B On September 8, 2019, Audrey Geller Henderson ’01 and her husband, Chris welcomed their second child to the world, Autumn Alanna Henderson. Melissa Chalef Hyman ’02 and her husband, Scott welcomed baby, Anabelle Hyman to the world on January 20. Sara Citron Kandel ’02 and her husband Mike welcomed a baby boy to their family: Liam Decker Kandel. Pamela Chaliff Margolis ’03 married Alex Margolis at The Foundry at Puritan Mill in Atlanta. on March 7, 2020. C Caroline Patterson ’03 is engaged to Alex Goldberg. The couple will get married in July. D

Sally Galanti Rovinsky ’03 and her husband Jeff Rovinsky welcomed their first child, Emma Reese Rovinsky, on July 30, 2019. E Jordan Edelstein ’04 became engaged to Gena Soffer. The couple lives in New York City and is planning a fall wedding. F Robbi Scheuer Hoff ’04 married Alex Hoff on October 12, 2019. G Catherine Solmson Cohen ’05 married Brad Cohen on May 18, 2019 at The Temple. H

Lisa Roelofsen ’07 married Avner Israel August 18, 2019. N Ashley Rosenberg ’07 is engaged to Alex Carey. The couple will get married Labor Day Weekend. Lindsey Rosenberg ’07 is engaged to Steven Lubel. The couple will get married on January 30, 2021. O Sarah Scheuer ’07 is engaged to Danny Koenig. The couple will get married in October 2021.

Catherine Patterson Crum ’06 married Richard Crum on January 19, 2020 at The Estate in Atlanta. I

Ally Sillins ’07 married Santosh Vadlamani. The couple had multiple wedding celebrations, in San Francisco, Atlanta and in Hyderabad, India. P

Josh Jacobs ’06 married Tesi Jacobs on August 17, 2019. J

Rachel LaVictoire ’08 is engaged to Omer Mann. Q

Alexandra Wolf ’06 married Joshua Lieberman in March 2020. The couple lives in Jupiter, Florida. K

Paige Weinberg ’08 is engaged to Samuel Feldman. The couple plans to be married on November 7, 2021. R

Ryan Goldstein ’07 is engaged to Betsy Tuck. The two plan to get married on October 18, 2020. L

Cayla Harris ’10 is engaged to Trevor Hearing. The couple plans to be married in 2022.

Rachel Hirsch ’07 got engaged to Mark Bernstein last August. The couple has plans for a summer wedding. M

Caleb Rudnicki ’11 is engaged to Sarah Steinberg. The couple plans to be married in August 2020. S

The Journey Magazine | Spring 2020

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NEW DATE: Monday, September 14 THE DAVIS ACADEMY 22ND ANNUAL

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