The Journey Magazine - Spring 2021

| A Journey of Learning and Discovery | Spring 2021

Magazine

included inside!

CONTENTS 4 Stronger Together 6 Around Campus 10 Spreading Kindness 12 Points of Pride 14 Shehecheyanu Moments 16 Davis Class of 2021

CONTENTS 18 Happenings & Events 20 Difference Makers 22 Alumni Spotlight 26 Class Notes 33 Life After Davis 34 Simchas

2020–2021 Board of Trustees President Lisa Freedman

Dear Davis Academy Families:

T

his spring issue of The Journey Magazine celebrates our very own Every Day Heroes—our faculty, students and families who, along

with medical experts, professional advisors, administrators, staff, Board members and graduates make up this incredible kehillah. This year, more than ever, we recognize the truly heroic efforts of those who make going to school possible. This year, more than ever, we are Davis Together.

Reopening and staying in school for the 20202021 school year, ensuring a vibrant and meaningful learning experience for our children during the pandemic, has been an immense task, and yet the resiliency and commitment of our Davis community has never been stronger. While the many healthrelated procedures, schedules, protocols and practices we put in place have been paramount, we haven’t compromised on the learning, laughing, praying, dancing, playing, collaborating, and

Amy Shafron Head of School

growing together on our state-of-the-art campuses, all while accommodating those who needed to stay connected from home during any given week.

With the amazing professionalism of our faculty and staff, the enthusiasm of our students, the love and support of our parents and the generosity of many caring community members, we have taken the meaning of Davis L.O.V.E. to a whole new level.

And with tremendous appreciation for the things that in past years we perhaps took for granted, large

Lisa Freedman President, Board of Trustees

or small, we now see with clarity the many heroes in our midst—especially our teachers, school nurse, facilities staff, dining services staff and volunteers (including those who recently vaccinated our team!).

As we head toward the “finish line” of the 2020-2021 school year, and we celebrate the Class of 2021, we lean into Living Our Values Every Day, revel in our collective accomplishments and express pride in our students and graduates, affirming that even in the midst of a world-wide pandemic, Davis is strong and the future is bright! This past year we have witnessed first-hand the incredible spirit of The Davis Academy in ways that we could never have imagined. We hope you enjoy reading about our heroes and the second half of this historic school year.

Amy Shafron Head of School

Lisa Freedman President, Board of Trustees

Vice Presidents Ann Davis Micah Goldstein Brian Mand

Secretary Lisa Haynor

Treasurer Mark Edelstein

Immediate Past President Evan Toporek

Trustees Karl Altmann Abby Bechler-Karsch Mara Berman Dana Bernath Scott Bohrer Russell Falkenstein Vanessa Frank David Goldberg Ronnie Goldman Billie Greenberg Jeff Hopkins Bennett Kaplan Hope Kaufman Jami Kohn Debbie Kurzweil Kevin Levingston Bobbi Perlstein Michelle Rosenberg Stacey Rothberg Bill Rothschild Carol Rubin Dan Russotto Linda Selig Murray Solomon Stanley Sonenshine Jason Tessler Sam Tuck

Trustees for Life Dulcy Davis Rosenberg Jay Davis Sidney Kirschner William Breman (z”l)

Past Presidents Jan Epstein (1990-1992) Carol Nemo (1990-1996) Dean Benamy (1996-1999) Harriet Zoller (1999-2000) Bryan Fields (2000-2003) Ben Sillins (2003-2005) Billie Greenberg (2005-2007) Tonia Sellers (2007-2011) Sam Tuck (2011-2014) Debbie Kurzweil (2014-2016) Jon Leven (2016-2018) Evan Toporek (2018-2020)

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STRONGER Coming together is the beginning.

Staying together is progress.

Working together is success.

Throughout the year we have been reminded that we are blessed to be part of the Davis community. As we teach and learn, dance and pray, we strive to help each other, and the world, to heal. We acknowledge that we are privileged to engage in sacred work, inspiring values in the next generation that will ensure positivity in the world.

Thank you to all our Davis parents for spreading so much love and kindness to our faculty and staff, week after week. From delicious treats, to amazing gifts and beautiful messages, your gestures have brought joy, inspiration and encouragement at a time when it was needed the most. The care, thoughtfulness, and continuous support by our Davis parents, individually and through our awesome PTO, has made Davis stronger.

We are Davis Together.

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The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

More than ever, we are impressed by your ingenuity, your resilience, your passion and your strength, as you have navigated unprecedented challenges over the past year. Now more than ever, we are grateful to have such a wonderful community at The Davis Academy. This past year has been hard.

You and your colleagues have had to transition from your normal teaching, administrative, and everyday practices and found new ways to check in on and connect with your peers and students. And all of you have done this while juggling the effects of COVID-19 on your family and personal lives as well. PTO is truly grateful for everything you have achieved despite the hardship.”

— Gen Katz and Barbie Bregen, Davis PTO Presidents

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around

campus 100 Days Together The 100th day of school—a day that is cause for both celebration and reflection—was truly a special milestone this year. Many festivities took place especially among our youngest students: Mechina students dressed up like seniors, while kindergarten students creatively decorated shirts with 100 items, and first grade students used technology to add wrinkles to their self-portraits so they could look 100 years old. On this day, we all paused to appreciate the many blessings that surrounded us for 100 days together on campus, something in past years we would have likely taken for granted. With over 92 percent of Davis students regularly learning in person in the months leading up to the 100th day, albeit with certain activities reimagined, we renewed our gratitude for our community’s overall health and commitment to one another.

Daffodils Project In honor of Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees, and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, sixth grade students planted daffodils as part of The Daffodil Project, a global initiative of Am Yisrael Chai, a nonprofit Holocaust education and genocide awareness organization. The project aspires to build a worldwide Living Holocaust Memorial by planting 1.5 million Daffodils in memory of the children who perished in the Holocaust, while simultaneously providing support for children suffering in humanitarian crises in the world today. While students planted, Mrs. Sara Neuman, a Holocaust survivor, joined the students virtually from Israel. She witnessed how this generation of Davis students carry on our Jewish values and bring hope for the future.

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The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

In the Science Labs

Davis Rocks

Hands-on experiences significantly advance the learning at all grade levels. In science they are critical to the learning process,as students develop problemsolving and critical-thinking skills, while gaining exposure to reactions, materials, and equipment in a lab setting. These experiences spark an inspiration to further students’ education in science, medicine, engineering, and high-technology careers. From exploring what affects the size of craters on the moon, to understanding what gives our body its support structure, to proving Newton’s Laws of Motion, students are amazed with the tools, processes and scientific theories that explain the world around us while inspiring curiosity to continue to learn more.

Our School-Wide Rock Shabbat is a signature event of The Davis Academy that traditionally brings us all together in the gym to sing, clap, dance, and share the power of music and community. How do we hold such an event when we are unable to sing in person and must distance from each other? To say that the reimagined Rock Shabbat was incredible is an understatement. The many performances, recordings, and appearances through Zoom brought together record numbers of students, faculty, parents, grandparents, alumni, and special guest artists from across the country, not only to celebrate our incredible talents, but also to share important messages of togetherness, tolerance, understanding, advocacy and peace. The spirit of our kehillah was exceptional, matched only by the beautiful music and creativity shared, making for a uniquely Davis experience!

Language Arts + Tech = Digital Storytelling Merging technology integration and diverse stories, students are able to strengthen their writing skills and expand their perspectives. In Language Arts, after reading a graphic novel, sixth grade students demonstrate their understanding of a plot structure by creating Freytag’s pyramids and using the app StoryboardThat, a digital storytelling tool. Inspired by their Civil War unit in Social Studies, using the story Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle, students in fifth grade explored the dangers of a single narrative. With StoryboardThat, they created a digital comic told from the perspective of someone living through the Civil War, while taking historical accuracy into account.

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Network Sherpas Connecting with Israel Throughout the Davis journey Israel comes to life in the hearts and minds of our students. Drawing on the expertise of our Israeli faculty, Hebrew and Jewish Studies units are carefully designed so students experience Israel in creative ways such as virtual trips to Israel, holiday programming in partnership with the Israel Consulate, and pen pals in various grade levels. Students build friendships, meaning and excitement for Israel’s many remarkable offerings.

Young Authors Each Spring, all lower school students work toward furthering their writing skills through the completion of a Young Authors Project. Students build upon the previous year’s skills and create a publication that they are proud to share. While the topics vary by grade level, each young author demonstrates deep learning and shares a polished published work with a larger audience. Upon the completion of their fifth grade year, students have earned their Information Ninja Badge and learned the intricacies of the research process, including how to create a works cited page, use in-text citations, avoid plagiarism, respect copyright restrictions, and manage their time to meet publication deadlines. Watching our young authors grow into published authors has become an annual accomplishment worthy of positive reviews.

Our fifth through eighth grade Network Sherpas participate in a student leadership group focused on technology. Students who apply to become a Network Sherpa demonstrate a significant interest in technology, digital citizenship, and innovation. Fifth grade network sherpas explore the ways in which hardware and software work together to entertain and problem solve. Using micro:bits, a type of microcomputer, students program sensors, an LED light display, and buttons to create a game of rock, paper, scissors and to build wearable technology displaying a digital name tag. Sixth through eighth grade Network Sherpas use the arduino, another microcontroller with a variety of inputs and outputs, and 3D modeling software to design and 3D print tangible pieces to integrate with the arduino boards. The possibilities are endless for creative invention once our students crack the code to control a variety of microcontrollers.

Shabbat Around The World

This special Kabbalat Shabbat was truly a unique experience as our lower school community joined with families and friends from around the world—India, Israel, and Kenya to name a few—to listen, learn, pray and light Shabbat candles together. It was the perfect way to share customs, learn about Jewish practice around the world, and to honor the diversity of our Davis community, reminding ourselves that we are part of something greater, and sharing our Davis connectedness across the globe.

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Welcome to the Family: New 1st Grade Cohort!

We started 2021 by welcoming our newest Lions to the Davis family—a first grade class of very special students and their families. Knowing that first grade is such a critical year in a child’s educational, social, and emotional development, and with many parents searching for a quality in-person educational option during this atypical school year, we were able to meet a true need in our community.The 1st graders excitement to be at Davis filled us with appreciation, and as partners in these newest students’ educational journeys, we look forward to ensuring they build a strong foundation in their years ahead.

Honoring Everyday Heroes “Everyday Heroes” was the perfect theme for this year’s Purim celebration. Students and faculty embraced the spirit of the day and the opportunity to honor those in our Davis community and in the world whose heroism may be on display daily but at times may go unrecognized. Seeing the sacred in the mundane is a special skill that is emphasized at Davis and one that this year’s Purim theme really helped highlight.

Students demonstrated an appreciation for doctors and nurses, scientists and chefs, police, firefighters, mail and delivery drivers, judges, and US presidents, alongside those who emulated our own Davis heroes—our teachers, SAGE staff members, and of course Nurse Wendy! The array of superheroes, athletes, Queen Esthers, and princesses added to the fun of our various activities throughout school—from reading the megillah to our dance-along, talent show, crafts, games, and more.

The Journey Magazine | Spring 2021

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Kindness SPREADING

We asked our families to tell us about the good works they’re doing in the community and here are some amazing acts of kindness being spread around us. Along with our school-based tzedek projects, our kehilla is truly making a difference.

Leading By Example Davis Parents

Davis Parents have been modeling kindness by example since the pandemic started. Moms and Dads have supported front line workers and the greater needs around us through community food drives, fundraisers, neighborhood projects and more. Many also continue to provide direct health care services, COVID-19 testing and vaccinations through their professional roles, while others support these efforts as volunteers. We are thankful for those who are going above and beyond to make our community safer and healthier. Photographed, two of our amazing parents Dr. Ron Weber and Dr. Dawn Sasine.

CAC Chalk Art

Hazel Halitsky, 2nd Grade Hazel took her love of drawing to the streets! She typed up an email that was sent to our neighborhood offering to draw a custom chalk picture in their driveway in exchange for a monetary or canned goods donation to the Community Assistance Center (CAC).

Food99Fridge

Sylvie and Sam Carlson, 1st Grade Sylvie and Sam Carlson made neighborhood flyers to collect canned goods, toiletry items and winter coats. They went grocery shopping, and made 50 sandwiches. They then took the food and toiletry items as well as the winter coats and delivered it to the Food99Fridge on Cheshire Bridge, as well as passed out winter coats to the homeless/low income people visiting the fridge that day.

Birthday Toothbrush Collection Lauren Robinson, 2nd Grade

Lauren had a driveby birthday party to celebrate her 8th birthday. When planning the party, she decided that instead of gifts for her birthday she wanted to help those that are less fortunate. Lauren collected over 750 toothbrushes for kids in Atlanta that can not afford to purchase their own and donated them to CCC Creating Connected Communities to be distributed where there is a need.

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The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Concert for SACH

Zachary Rubin, 1st Grade Zachary organized a virtual music concert for family and friends to raise money for Save A Child’s Heart (SACH), an Israeli-based non-profit organization with the mission of improving the quality of pediatric cardiac care for children from developing countries who suffer from heart disease.

Bringing Light Through Beautiful Cards Mechina, 1st and 3d Grades

Mechina students created beautiful cards for 90 Holocaust survivors and their caretakers at JF&CS Cafe Europa Chanukkah gathering. First grade students wrote holiday cards in Spanish for The Packaged Good and the Solidarity Food Pantry to be included in care packages for children in need. Third through eighth grade students, sent holiday cards and messages to members of the Jewish Home Life Communities as part of their #gramagram campaign.

Helping Others Non Stop

Eli and Adi Schilling, 6th and 2nd Grade On a monthly basis, Eli and Adi bring lunch, cookies or lemonade to the police or fire department in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. They also do virtual walks or runs for charities and make sandwiches for Chris180 for the homeless. In addition, Eli raised money for the Matsiko Orphans doing a virtual Self Defense Workshop and Adi raised money and gifts for the Ronald McDonald House.

Toys for Children

Tyler Frist, 2nd Grade As part of his class mayor duties, Tyler organized a toy collection for children at CHOA, collecting dozens of exciting items with the help of his classmates.

Tennis Ball Recycling Harris Unell, 7th Grade

Harris collected more than 12,000 used tennis balls and sent them to RecycleBalls, a non-profit organization that removes the felt from the balls and uses the separated materials to make new tennis courts, playground surfaces, and more.

Bake Sale 2nd Grade

Lower school students and faculty brought non-perishable food items to “purchase” delicious baked goods from the 2nd grade bake sale. The annual 2nd grade bake sale benefits the Atlanta Kosher Food Bank Pantry at Jewish Family & Career Services.

The Journey Magazine | Spring 2021

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STUDENTS

Points of

A

• Congratulations to the 19 students who participated in this year’s Independent and Home

School Regional Tech Fair! Each of our students placed, receiving 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place A, left to right: Students representing The Davis Academy at the state level recognition. are Brynn Davis & Julia Drishpon (Robotics), Ben Rosenbloom (Internet Applications), Harris Unell (Digital Game Design), Charlotte Spector (Audio Production), and Levi Gordon (Video Production).

• Davis Film Students, 8th Graders Will Morrison and Ariella Lewis, were selected winners of this year’s C-SPAN StudentCam documentary contest, as the only two students from the State of Georgia recognized amongst over 2,300 students representing 43 states and Washington, DC, Singapore, and Pakistan.

Will received 2nd place in the middle school category with his documentary “The Missing Piece For Autism” and Ariella received honorable mention for her film “Equality and Protection for All: Laws and B the LGBTQ+ Community.”

• Congratulations to the following

3rd-8th grade students for placing first place in national math competitions— Continental Math League, Online Math League, Noetic Math Competition. • Congratulations to Asher Zell, Jordan Goldstein, Damon Scher, Isaac Schindler, Ace Waldman, Eli Bier, Charlie Zell, Scott Hopkins, Peyton Frank, Adam Ress, and Wendell Rogers.

B

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The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

G

F

E E

E

H

FACULTY

D

• Congratulations to our talented Galia Sabbag, Davis Hebrew Teacher and author of the Shira Series, who launched a new book: Shira’s Purim Pal.

C

• Congratulations to Julie Weiser, DLC teacher, for being selected to join the International Dyslexia Association Georgia Board of Directors.

D

• Congratulations to Rabbi Micah Lapidus, Composer of the Month in Lower School Music classes during the month of March. During his residency in Mrs. Gimpelevich’s class, he let slip that he’s working on new music with the hopes of a future Davis album.

In the meantime, he remains “musically active” by releasing new songs inspired by world events and Jewish teachings, including “Better Angels,” E inspired by the recent Presidential Inauguration.

• Congratulations to Stacy Brown, 21st Century Learning

Coordinator, for leading a virtual edCamp session for school librarians around the globe related to concurrent teaching and learning. Mrs. Brown was nominated as an honoree for F the Jewish Abilities Alliance Power of Inclusion award.

• Congratulations to faculty members Stacy Brown

F, G, and Missy Stein H who Melissa Mondello participated in a virtual session entitled How to Lose the Information War presented by esteemed author Nina Jankowicz. Mrs. Stein noted that the session brought to light important cultural attitudes, such as the “change in (dis) trust of our institutions, the generational loss of information (especially in relation to the Holocaust), and the need to teach news source vs. blog post.”

C

Shehecheyanu

moments

A

The school year has been filled with “Shehecheyanu moments” and many moments of gratitude as we continue to celebrate the blessings of our kehillah.

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The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

M

arking one year since The Davis Academy followed the Governor’s stay-at-home order, and seven months of on-campus learning this school year, The Davis Academy transformed the lower school gym into a vaccination clinic. While March 8th was the very first day the state allowed teachers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, The Davis Academy did not waste any time. Faculty and staff received their first vaccine in the early hours of the morning, likely the first school in the state to A accomplish this in such a timely manner.

D D

B

C C

Our youngest Davis students personalized their very first siddur, the Jewish prayer book containing daily prayers in order (“siddur”). My First Siddur is a particular version that helps kindergarten students learn about and recognize the daily Jewish prayers, and most importantly how these connect with their own personal lives. Students use this special personalized book throughout kindergarten, first grade, and second grade, until they B receive their official version at Kabbalat HaSiddur.

This year second graders, teachers and generations of families joined over Zoom from across the country to witness students receive their first siddur. Parents honored their children with emotional messages. The momentous occasions were followed with Kabbalat HaSiddur ceremonies in the Kaufman Chapel led in C a beautiful way by the students.

Another joyous moment was when our fifth graders read Torah for the first time. The Fifth Grade Torah Reading Ceremony marked the culmination of months of preparation and the beginning of a lifetime of Torah learning. It was a special event where students read from the Torah in the Kaufman Chapel, while families and loved ones around the country joined over Zoom to D witness the students’ readings and meaningful reflections.

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The Alfred & Adele Davis Academy

CLASS OF 2021

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Ryan Altmann

Jake Barras

Jack Baylin

Aaron Berman

Avery Berman

Cooper Bernath

Charlie Berss

Sydney Bressler

Isaac Brody

Sylvie Bella Brown

Sophie Carmel

Drew Chase

Benjamin Collins

Noah Diamond

Nathan Dollinger

Ashley Dryburgh

Scarlett Fedors

Noah Flome

Summer Folbaum

Julia Freedman

Nate Friedman

Stella Galanti

Emerson Goldberg

Kaitlyn Goldberg

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Levi Gordon

Adam Greenstein

Gabriella Haviv

Hannah Herman

Sadie Hoff

Leeya Ilan

Samantha Iroff

Maya Israel

Noa Kadoori

Micah Kopelman

Rachel Kurgan

Noa Lazarian

Amelia Levine

Alex Levingston

Jolie Levy

Ariella Lewis

Jadyn Lichstrahl

Molly Marcus

Micah Margolis

Leah Medeiros

Sarah Meiselman

Lindsey Mirsky

William Morrison

Julia Moss

Avinash Nebel

Zachary Notte

Zoe Nowak

Eleonora Perez-Rubio

Benjamin Perry

Caileigh Pinsker

Adam Ress

Molly Richin

Abigail Richman

Zachary Rindsberg

Wendell Rogers

Alexa Rubin

Benjamin Rudolph

Kyra Russotto

Abigail Schermer

Rachel Slutzky

Ian Stukalsky

Alexis Tauber

Ari Weber

Joshua Weiss

Isaac Wolf

Joshua Wolkin

Maddie Yudin The Journey Magazine | Spring 2021

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HAPPENINGS&events

The Davis Academy Alumni Association hosts a series of gatherings for graduates of all ages where alum can catch up with one another and reconnect with the faculty that influenced their lives. The strong sense of community formed at Davis is long-lasting and seeing how these relationships have flourished post-graduation is a true testament to the Davis experience and the lifelong friendships that take root during the childhood years. This year during the pandemic, all events were held virtually.

Class of 2013 Hanukkah Get Together In December, The Davis Academy Alumni Association hosted a mini-reunion for the Class of 2013, who are now seniors in college. More than half of the members of the class came together over Zoom to share updates about their college experience and their plans for after graduation. Together, Rabbi Micah and the alumni said the blessings and lit the candles for the 5th night of Hanukkah.

HAPPY HANUKKAH! 18

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

WHERE’S MY DREIDEL?

CHAG SAMEACH!

LIGHT THE CANDLES!

Class of 2017 Senior Send Off Each year, we welcome back Davis alumni who are graduating from high school for our annual Senior Send Off, 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 journey. The Class of 2017 came together over Zoom to share their individual plans for post-high school, hear from their beloved teachers, enjoy watching their Davis graduation video together, and further strengthen the bond of their class community. We missed the hugs but had a great celebration!

Class of 2010 10-Year Reunion Members of The Davis Academy Class of 2010 came together virtually for their 10-year reunion. With over half of the class in attendance, alumni, faculty and staff were excited to reunite and reconnect. Thank you to the event co-chairs, Emily Karsch (below left) and Kayla Schwarz ’10 (below right), for their leadership.

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The 2020-2021 Tzedek Grant Recipients 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 values of Tzedek, a Hebrew word that 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 2021 Tzedek Grants to three outstanding recipients: Zoe Bober, ’16, Josh Isaacs ’18 and Alon Rogow ’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 recipients receive a financial grant as well as marketing and media support that shines a spotlight on their good work.

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The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Josh Isaacs and Alon Rogow are two high school students who launched a pressure washing business last summer. They didn’t just want to start a business to make money, they wanted to help make a difference in the world. They named their company Pressure Wish and identified the Make-A-Wish Foundation as their cause. “We thought the name was perfect because it’s clear to others the work that we’re doing, but it also highlights the charity that we are honoring.” A portion of the sales that they earn

is donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Over the summer they were able to donate $500 to the cause and plan to continue this work throughout high school and in the summer when they return from college. They are passionate about their business because they feel good about the fact that they are working hard and making a difference in someone’s life at the same time. “One of the important things we learned while we were at Davis was to be a good person and look out for others. This is part of the reason we decided to look at

our business in a different way. We wanted to figure out a meaningful way to give back.”

Zoe Bober is a member of the sorority Alpha Chi Omega at Florida State University, and her sorority’s philanthropy is Refuge House. The Refuge House provides services to victims and their families of sexual assault and domestic violence. Zoe and her sorority sisters also work to empower their own members by providing tools to build their own healthy relationships. Zoe

is passionate about this project because she cares about women’s rights and supporting one another.

Domestic abuse is on the rise due to COVID-19 and victims of domestic violence being locked in their homes, unaware that there is an escape. The impact Zoe hopes to make is to initiate domestic violence awareness which will allow the power to be taken away from the abusers and given to the powerless.

By changing the statistics of abuse, the victims are given a voice

against their aggressors and get to take the power back that has been involuntarily taken from them.

As we follow our alumni along their journeys post-graduation, it brings us great joy to see the many ways that they live our values.

With more than 1,000 alumni, The Davis Academy takes tremendous pride in knowing that our L.O.V.E. reaches far beyond the walls of our wonderful school. We wish a mazel tov to Zoe, Isaac and Josh as they join the list of previous recipients.

Past Tzedek Grant Recipients Nikki Berne

Class of 2010 Miracle Children

Zoe Light

Class of 2012 Sustainability

Emily Brothman

Class of 2013 Terps Against Hunger

Jacob Cohen Class of 2013 JAM Bowl

Max Kamean Class of 2013 JAM Bowl

David Antonino Class of 2013 Homelessness

Max Rubenstein Class of 2014 Game Givers

Amalia Haviv

Class of 2018 Nutrition Education

Maya Laufer

Class of 2018 Foster Care Support The Journey Magazine | Spring 2021

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alumni spotlight This year, our Spring Journey recognizes the impact of the pandemic, including those working to combat and mitigate the COVID-19 crisis that upended so many people and families over the last year. Many individuals have dedicated themselves to confronting the health, economic and social challenges of this pandemic, often at a personal cost, including some of our own “alumni heroes.”

Here we spotlight four graduates who have been working in their respective fields to help others through this difficult time.

Emily Karsch Pediatric Cardiac ICU Nurse, New York City The Davis Academy Class of 2010 University of Pennsylvania Class of 2018 Georgetown University Class of 2024 “After graduating from The Davis Academy and then The Weber School, I attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor’s in the Science of Nursing and a minor in Sociology. During college, I worked as a research assistant at the Sibley Heart Center in Atlanta and this experience, paired with my clinical work caring for infants and children as a nursing student, pushed me toward a career in pediatric nursing. Upon graduation, I worked as a new graduate nurse in the cardiac ICU at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, and in February 2020, I moved to New York where I accepted a nursing position in the Congenital Cardiovascular Care Unit at NYU Langone Health. At the height of the pandemic in NYC, spring 2020, when the need for ICU beds was at an all-time high, my pediatric cardiac ICU was urgently converted to an adult COVID ICU overnight. I quickly learned to care for COVID-19 positive patients requiring ICU care. By early May,

Jeremy Schube Emergency Medicine Physician, Atlanta The Davis Academy Class of 2002 University of Georgia Class of 2010 Tel Aviv University Slacker School of Medicine Class of 2014

I have always valued my education at The Davis Academy.

Honestly, I don’t believe I would have become a physician without the incredible teachers and nurturing environment I was able to experience in my early education.”

“After graduating from The Davis Academy, and then North Springs High School, I attended The University of Georgia earning a degree in Biology.

My passion for helping others led me into the medical field where I continued my learning at Tel Aviv University Slacker School of Medicine. As a physician in the Emergency Department at Northside Gwinnett and Northside Duluth campuses, I have been on the frontlines of treating COVID-19 patients. As the local community experienced several spikes of cases and the capacity throughout the hospital became tenuous, my colleagues and I were able to adapt to accommodate the demand by expanding the ER to different areas that were previously used for other purposes and were able to find coverage with more nurses and doctors volunteering to work extra shifts.

As a father to two young children, it was a daily fear that I could carry the virus home to my family but knowing how much the entire community rallied around healthcare workers provided inspiration and encouragement for me to keep doing what I love. I have also been inspired by the entire healthcare community because without the help of the nurses, technicians, custodial staff and many more, we would not have been able to handle the volume of patients needing our services.”

the COVID ICU census began to decline and my team was able to transfer the COVID-19 patients out of the pediatric cardiac ICU, allowing us to begin admitting infants and children with congenital heart disease back into the unit.”

“During this crisis, one of the biggest challenges my colleagues and I overcame was learning to care for critically ill patients while also conserving Personal Protective Equipment. We strung multi-feet long IV tubing from the patients’ rooms to the hallway so that we could manage their medications without using any unnecessary gowns, gloves, and masks. Now, looking to the future, the COVID vaccine makes me hopeful that we’ll be able to resume a relatively normal postpandemic life. After three years of beside ICU nursing, I will soon begin studying for my Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice at Georgetown University.”

My Davis education definitely pushed me towards a career in nursing. From a young age, I was taught that caring for others and repairing the world is a core value of Judaism. I always enjoyed my science classes at Davis, and I think that allowed me to envision how I could translate success in the classroom to a career in STEM.” The Journey Magazine | Spring 2021

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Davis Academy was a springboard for my future in so many ways… not just by giving me the first taste of my career path, but also by arming me with confidence, empathy and endless curiosity to learn.”

Lindsay Tuchman Broadcast Journalist for NY1 News, New York City The Davis Academy Class of 2005 University of Southern California Class of 2013 “I have always had a passion for bringing the news to my community—in fact, I was the first news anchor for DTV at The Davis Academy in 2004-2005! After graduating from Davis, I went to Woodward Academy, staying active on the news scene as the editor of the school’s newspaper for two years and thereafter earning my undergraduate degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from The University of Southern California.

I accepted a job at WBOC in Maryland out of college and that’s where I began my journalism career as an anchor and reporter.

After a few years, I moved to New York City to work for NY1 News. When Covid hit and started shutting down cities, I was out on the frontlines reporting as the weekday morning reporter. I visited hospitals and testing sites as they got overwhelmed with patients and talked to people about their experiences standing six feet away with masks, trying to keep myself and my family safe.

While the news never seemed to slow down and cases continued to rise, I was able to witness many moments of inspiration like seeing healthcare workers going above and beyond and protestors coming together safely over the summer. And now, the most uplifting moments have come while talking to people as they receive their vaccine, seeing people whose lives have been turned upside down finally breathe a sigh of relief.”

Ari Whiteman Epidemiologist at the CDC, Atlanta The Davis Academy Class of 2005 Franklin & Marshall College Class of 2013 Imperial College London Class of 2015 UNC Charlotte PhD Program Class of 2018

I learned early on at Davis about values like Tikkun Olam and Tzedakah, and I think that whether you are Jewish or not, everyone should make an effort to take care of the world and improve the lives of those less fortunate. I’ve dedicated my career to these values, whose seeds were planted in my mind as a student at Davis.”

“After high school, I went on to study Biology and Environmental Science at Franklin & Marshall College followed by earning my Masters in Wildlife Conservation Science at the Imperial College of London. It was during my PhD program that I developed an interest in global health.

As an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to my work on strengthening polio vaccine systems in Africa and the Middle East, I have been involved in a variety of operations across the spectrum of the CDC’s COVID-19 response. My team and I have worked to identify minority communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and helped recognize areas of the country where services like testing and vaccine distribution could be more effectively provided to these vulnerable populations. It feels good to play a small role in the distribution of vital services to the people who most need them. The most inspirational part of the last year been the development of the COVID-19 vaccines. To create, test, and manufacture such a crucial product within a single year is absolutely remarkable and speaks to the incredible capability of humanity to do great things when they are needed most. I’m so inspired by everyone involved in the process, from the lab scientists to the warehouse employees, and I am thankful every day for their work.”

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s ClanisJosurneNysobyte Year Alum

Sara Besmertnik Masarsky is a math tutor in Houston, Texas and volunteers with Austitch and the Rescued Pets Movement.

2006 Josh Jacobs works as an Art Director at IHG. He and his wife, Tesi, live in Smyrna, GA.

2000 Brittany Benamy Saag serves on the Board of Trustees for Temple Emanu-El and as co-chair of the National Women’s Philanthropy for Birmingham Jewish Federation. She and her family live in Birmingham, AL. 1 Amy Chalef Tolman lives in Boynton Beach, Florida with her husband and two children.

2001 Audrey Geller Henderson works as the Assistant Director at The Weinberg Early Learning Center at The Temple.

She resides in Atlanta with her husband and two children.

2002

The Davis Academy inspired me with a lifelong love of learning and intellectual curiosity.

Furthermore, the community at Davis has given me lifelong friends who are as dear to me today as they were so many years ago.”

Caroline Patterson Goldberg is a Fourth Grade Teacher at The Davis Academy. She and her husband live in Atlanta, GA.

2004 Robbi Scheuer Hoff works as a Registered Dietician at Celebrate Vitamins in Atlanta, GA.

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2003

Ari Whiteman works as an Epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has been working on the coronavirus response focused on underserved communities.

Max Miller is an Associate Rabbi at Temple Emanu-el in Atlanta, GA.

Lindsay Tuchman lives in New York City and works as a broadcast journalist for NY1.

Michelle Profis works as a Digital Director at The Pioneer Woman in Atlanta, GA.

2007 Rachel Hirsh Bernstein works as a Speech Language Pathologist in Atlanta, GA. Jessica Jacobs is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles where she will receive her rabbinical ordination and Masters in Jewish Nonprofit Management.

I use my Davis education every single day in my pursuit towards becoming a Rabbi. But beyond the obvious Hebrew and Jewish content, I also learned what it means to be a mensch and incorporate Jewish values into my everyday life.”

Max Shafron works as a John S. McCain Fellow at the Department of Defense in Washington, DC. Davis taught me to be true to oneself and let your passions guide your personal growth and career development/exploration.”

Alana Schube knows her way around The Davis Academy. She attended as a child and now works as a 2nd Grade teacher at Davis. After attending The Galloway School for high school and The University of Georgia where she received a Bachelors of Arts in Early Childhood Education, Alana moved back to Atlanta to begin her teaching career at Davis. When she was a Davis Academy student, she treasured all of her Davis teachers. Currently, as a 2nd grade teacher, she says “I strive to exemplify all of their amazing qualities with care and concern for each child that walks into my classroom. I hope my students feel the same way about me as I did about my teachers.” Recently, Alana was able to share an inspirational moment with her own 2nd graders as each child received their first siddur. “I felt so proud… It feels like just yesterday that I was in second grade at Davis getting mine, even though it was 21 years ago. I was able to show my very own siddur and recount my personal experience with both the students and their parents. This will always remain one of my favorite memories at Davis, and being able to watch my students reach this special milestone in their lives brought it full circle for me.”

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The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Dylan Vainer works as an internal medicine physician at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virgina.

2008 Karly Covall was accepted to Simmons University PhD in Applied Behavioral Analysis program in Boston, MA. Allison Ladden works as an Assistant Buyer at Neiman Marcus in Dallas, TX. Rachel Stein recently published her first comingof-age high fantasy novel for children ages 8-13 called Promises. She began writing this novel as a student at Davis. We look forward to having Rachel speak to our students about her book and her publishing journey.

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2009 Haley Greenberg is a Sales Representative for National Distributing Corporation in Savannah, GA. Lindsay Kraun works as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist in Sandy Springs, GA. She also teaches Hebrew School at Jewish Kids Groups on Sunday mornings.

The root words we learned in 8th grade helped me tremendously when I was learning different medical conditions for my master’s degree. I still find myself breaking down diagnoses (and other complex words) into their roots.”

Ariel Pinsky earned her BA from Boston University in Journalism and Political Science and is currently a law student at The University of Georgia.

Rebecca Shafron works as a Grant Maker at The Schusterman Family Foundation in Washington D.C. and is currently pursuing an MBA at Georgetown University.

My Davis friends are still some of my closest friends today, even though we live in different cities and even different countries.

There’s just something about having that formative Davis experience together that keeps us connected years later.”

Mila Saitowitz works in Software Sales in Houston, TX. Sara Weiss-Cowie is currently a graduate student at George Washington University pursuing her Master’s in School Counseling.

The Davis Academy encouraged me to be my own person and always strive to do what is right.”

2010 Sydney Benator is an Academic Advisor at The University of Texas in Austin, Texas. She also volunteers for a Crisis Text Line.

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.

You can explore Judaism and make it into something personal and make it your own.”

Marc Bernstein is a medical student at Middle College of Georgia earning his Doctor of Medicine.

I learned the power and gift of a good education from caring faculty. My diligence and resiliency as a student started at Davis and many of the lessons I learned there in note taking and test taking still apply to my life in Medical School today.”

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Cayla Harris is a Doctor of Dental Medicine student at The Dental College of Georgia.

She received her Masters of Biomedical Science from the University of Alabama. She volunteers with 2LT in the United States Air Force Dental Corps Reserve.

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Sydney Joffre graduated with her Master’s in Environmental Engineering from the University of Colorado in 2020. She also has an adorable puppy named Roomba.

Lindsey Marcus is the founder of Shooting Stars Studios where she helps those with a passion for performing build the confidence to shoot for the stars.

Gabby Oquendo is a student at Georgia State University earning her Bachelors in Biological Science. She is a GSU Alumni Scholarship recipient and proudly made the President’s List and Dean’s List. Gabby is also a Sunday School teacher at Jewish Kids Groups and volunteers as a Crisis Text Line Counselor and STEM tutor at GSU. 3 Jenna Perlman is a News Producer for CBS Boston in Boston, Massachusetts.

4 Jenna Scherz works in public relations at Cara Caulkins Communication in Austin, TX. Amanda Schwartz is a speech pathologist in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated with her Master’s of Education in Speech Language Pathology from the University of West Georgia in 2020.

I was able to build strong relationships with my teachers which helped me build strong relationships with my professors in college and served me well when I needed extra assistance, or letters of recommendation.”

— Sydney Benator ’10

Elli Bock ’09 runs into classmates Brandon Hirsch, Joe Schaffer, and Andrew Fisher ’09 while hiking at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah—small world!

Kayla Schwarz works for Real Chemistry as an Event Marketing Manager.

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I learned how to have a strong work ethic and advocate for myself at The Davis Academy.”

— Jake Weiser ’11

Jessica Silverman lives in Alexandria, Virginia where she works as a Digital Marketing Coordinator at TeamPeople.

Davis was a great foundation for my education. At the time, I was still mentally growing and developing, and the school challenged me in a good way.”

2011 Jared Ladden is a financial analyst in New York City.

He also volunteers with the Pancreatic Cancer Purple Stride Fundraiser.

In addition to developing great habits in the classroom, I learned the importance of my Jewish heritage and have continued to develop relationships within the Jewish community both in my personal and professional life.”

Davis alum, now medical students at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Rachel Kaufman ’12, Jake Weiser ’11 and Marc Bernstein ’14 celebrate Rosh Hashanah together.

Zoe Light and Mallory Goldenberg ’12 are participating in the Masa Israel Teaching Fellowship this year, teaching English in periphery schools in Israel! The picture shows them volunteering for the Israeli Red Cross.

Ashley Siegel is a 1st grade teacher in Dunwoody.

My teachers at Davis truly inspired me to pursue a career in teaching and it is because of them that I am now a first grade teacher myself.”

Bonnie Simonoff graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, 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.

Jordan Gold is a Digital Marketing Coordinator at PrizePicks. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Journalism in 2020.

Mallory Goldenberg is in Israel serving as a Masa Israel Teaching Fellow. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in Communications and Public Relations and Management.

She will begin graduate school at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Education with a focus in Jewish Studies.

7 I would tell any prospective Davis parent that the Jewish education and the way that your teachers care about you and want you to succeed is immeasurable and incomparable to anything you would receive elsewhere.”

Marlee Gordon will be attending Florida International University in Miami, Florida to pursue her Master’s in Higher Education Administration.

Jamie Greenberg is an Audit Associate in Atlanta.

She graduated from The University of Georgia in 2020 with a B.B.A. in Accounting and International Business while also earning her Master’s of Accountancy.

Jake Weiser is a medical student at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.

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Max Harris is Deputy Political Director for Senator Jon Ossoff. He graduated from The University of Georgia in 2020 with a B.A. in History.

2012

Rachel Kaufman is a medical student at the Medical College of Georgia earning her Doctor of Medicine. She graduated from George Washington University in 2020.

The Davis Academy taught me how to love learning!”

Danielle Dinberg will be attending the University of Wisconsin for her Master’s in Social Work with the goal of becoming an adolescent therapist. She is also training her dog to be a therapy dog to help and comfort others.

6 Sophie Frostbaum is a Consultant at Huron Consulting in Chicago, Illinois.

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She graduated from Emory University with a degree in Finance and Strategy & Management Consulting.

Zoe Light is in Israel teaching English as a Masa Israel Teaching Fellow.

She graduated from the University of Oregon with a

degree in Planning, Policy and Management and Environmental Studies.

I am currently teaching English in Israel. Had I not gone to Davis, I don’t think I would be here at all. I am learning a lot about myself, our culture, and religion right now and feel endlessly grateful for the foundation that Davis gave me.”

Dawson Vainer is graduating from The University of Georgia in May. He will be attending Vanderbilt University in the fall to pursue his Masters in Finance.

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Blake Teilhaber graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in marketing and management.

Ben Bernstein is an undergraduate at Tulane University studying business management. He is the Head Baseball Student Manager at Tulane.

2013 Emily Brothman is graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Public Leadership.

8 Matan Diamond is a student at Georgia Tech studying Computer Science Machine Learning.

Korin Pinsky will be graduating from The University of Georgia with a BA in Education and English. She will be pursuing her Master’s in Education this fall at UGA. Peyton Rosenberg graduated in August 2020 cum laude from Tulane University. She moved to Charleston and works with a nonprofit called Just Be You, an organization focused on teaching youth about the power of kindness and self-love.

Becca Simonoff will be graduating from Barnard College of Columbia University this spring with a degree in Psychology.

Class Notes

Noah Weiser is earning his BA in History and Environmental Studies at Tulane University. He is active in Backpack Buddies.

2014

Marshall Berton is pursuing his B.B.A. in Finance and International Business at The University of Georgia.

Having served as the Executive Director of UGA Votes, a nonpartisan voter registration organization, throughout the 2020 primary, 2020 presidential, and 2021 senate runoff elections, his work was covered by the Washington Post, and he was interviewed live on CNN by Brianna Keilar.

Marshall holds leadership positions on campus with the Corsair Society, the Georgia Political Review, Roosevelt @ UGA, and the American Enterprise Institute. This summer, Marshall will be working at McKinsey & Company as a Business Analyst Intern.

11 Davis provided me with a phenomenal foundational skill-set that helped kickstart my success in high school and college.”

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Jessica Thompson will be graduating from The University of Georgia. Her band Hotel Fiction released their album Think Twice in October.

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11 The Journey Magazine | Spring 2021

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Congratulations to The Davis Academy Class of 2017 alumni, Tyler McMahon (Class Salutatorian), Derek Coffsky, Ethan Wolfson, and Will Hopkins for being honored as North Springs High School Top 10 Scholars.

We are so proud that 4/10 top scholars are Davis grads!

Nathan West ’17 was selected to participate in the Georgia vs.

Florida High School All Star game as placekicker.

Eric Miller is a student at The University of Georgia earning his B.S. in Math and Computer Science. After graduation, Eric will continue his education at UGA earning his Master’s in Artificial Intelligence. In 2020, he was an intern at NASA working on software development on the Mars Rover team.

12 My middle school technology classes got me interested in learning how to code, and now as a computer science major, this has become an integral part of my career.”

Valerie Light is a Public Relations Communication student at the University of Delaware. She received the General Honors Award, was nominated for the “We Are Blue Hens” Outstanding Second Year Student Award, received first place for the First Year Seminar Essay Contest, and is a Sigma Kappa Theta Delta Memorial Foundation Scholarship recipient.

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Maqueline Weiss is studying Biochemistry at Elon University. She made the Dean’s List and is the Hillel President on campus and active in Camp Kudzu and JDRF.

2015 Shayna Fraley is pursuing a BA in Political Science and Criminology with a minor in Religion at Florida State University.

Ryan Gold is a student at The University of Maryland.

My Davis education set me up for a bright future and I am very proud to be an alumni!”

Andrew Ladden is an undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin studying Human Dimensions of Organizations.

He received Liberal Arts Honors at UT and is active in the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Network.

Jacob Rogow is a History major at The University

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

of Georgia. He serves in a leadership position with TEP fraternity.

Jack Tresh is an undergraduate student at Indiana University.

My friends and teachers at Davis got me into music and I consider myself a very passionate guitarist. I’ve also learned valuable lessons on how people can grow and change, and just how to be an open and accepting person while still getting things done.”

Leah Tuck is a Biology major at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA. She has been a volunteer for Good Samaritan helping sign patients up for COVID tests and vaccines.

2016 Abbie Barkan is an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of AEPhi sorority and a Saban Leadership Seminar attendee.

Zoe Bober is a freshman at Florida State University. She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.

Davis provides a community that is constantly supportive of all of their students. The relationships I formed with my peers and teachers at Davis will stay with me forever. The education provided thoroughly prepared me for high school. I would not change anything.”

Austin Margol is a student at Wake Forest University.

Isabelle Mokotoff is a student at Northwestern University.

Max Ripans was honored as one of the Atlanta Journal Constitutions Cup Winners who are chosen by faculty and staff from more than 200 public and private schools in metro Atlanta.

13 Gal Rocabado is attending The University of Vermont on a merit scholarship. She is on the Pre-Med track studying Public Health.

2017 Matthew Aronin is the National Honors Society Chapter President, CoEditor of Weber’s Literary Magazine, and UNICEF Club Chief Marketing Officer at The Weber School. He was honored as Georgia Governor’s Honors Program Finalist/Participant in Mathematics, National Merit Scholarship Finalist, Columbia Book Award, Poetry Out Loud (School Champion / Regional Finalist), National Honor Society, Georgia Certificate of Merit, and received the AP Scholar Award with Distinction.

Isabella Baker is National Honors Society Vice President and Dance Club President at Dunwoody High School. She was honored as a Commended Student in National Merit Scholarship.

She will be attending Georgia Tech University after graduation.

Dani Barnard is graduating from Riverwood High School and will be attending Georgia Tech Institute of Technology in the fall. She received Principal’s List, is a IB HL Physics award winner and received the UGA Certificate of Merit. Dani also served as President of Riverwood’s Community Service Club and Head of Design for Riverwoods Newspaper.

The teachers truly care for every single student. Davis has an extremely close knit community where the connections you make last a lifetime. Both the students and parents love and value their experience at Davis.”

Sam Baylin will be attending Berklee College of Music after graduation from North Springs High School.

Derek Coffsky was named one of the Top 10 Scholars for the North Springs High School Class of 2021.

Rami Fabian is the President of Rams for Israel and President of the FBLA at The Weber School and a member of The Friendship Circle.

Class Notes

Maddie Fellner will graduate from Dunwoody High School.

She is active in BETA Club and Varsity lacrosse.

Halli Friedman is the IB Literature Student of the Year and a UGA Certificate of Merit Recipient. She is a SGA Student Body Officer and Club Secretary for Students Demand Action at Riverwood High School.

Jake Friedman is active in musical theatre at The Weber School and Orbit Arts Academy. He is President of the International Thespian Society and a member of the National Honors Society and the 600 lb. Barbell Club.

Ashley Glass is President of Yad B’yad, the Jewish Club at Woodward Academy. She is also on the Chaplain’s Council at Woodward which works to create a safe religious place at the school. She will be attending The University of Wisconsin after graduation.

Will Hopkins is graduating from North Springs High School. He was named one of the Top 10 Scholars for the senior Class of 2021 and is one of only 2500 seniors nationwide to be recognized with a financial award as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. He was also named one of North Springs Oracle’s superstar writers having his first of many articles published on the Atlanta Sports Page website. He is active in Habitat for Humanity and Jewish Culture Club.

14 Jacob Moradi will be attending The University of Alabama after graduating from The Weber School in May, 2021.

Davis set the foundation for a lot of my success. Growing up in a community that encouraged the importance of surrounding yourself with a strong, likeminded group of people has provided me a lot of comfort as I’ve navigated moving across the country for college.”

— Valerie Light ’14

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Alana Kramer is a member of the Student Government Association, Best buddies, Students for Soldiers at Dunwoody High School.

She will be attending The University of Georgia in the fall.

Max London will be attending North Georgia College in the fall. While at Dunwoody High School he served as First Robotics Co-Mechanical Lead and was active in Concrete Jungle.

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International Thespian Society Troupe #4389, Troupe #4389 Improv Team Captain, and is playing Antigone in the North Springs production of “Princess Antigone.”

Shoshana Katz is a junior at Johns Creek High School.

She was inducted into the National Honors Society.

Jordan Frank ’16, Alon Rogow ’18, coach Matthew Barry, and Nick West ’17 at the PVATL Last Chance Meet. The boys are holding up their fingers, in order, of Davis all-time middle school pole vaulters.

Tyler McMahon was named Salutatorian of the North Springs High School Class of 2021. Mazel tov Tyler!

Caroline Morrison is a senior at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School where she is a National Honors Society Member. She holds multiple leadership positions at school including President of the Interact Club, Thespian Society Troupe 7702 Treasurer, and Creative Writing Club Vice President.

Darren Rosing is a 3-Year CoPresident of Pace Academy’s Board of Diversity, Senior Editor-in-Chief of Pace’s student newspaper, The Knightly News, Student Body Secretary, President of the Jewish Affinity Group, Service Leader of the La Amistad Community Service Group, and Senior Chairman of Pace’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership Student Council.

He was also a member of the American Jewish Committee’s Leaders for Tomorrow Jewish Training Program. While at Pace he received awards from the Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, Dartmouth College Book Award, Governor’s Honors Program State Finalist for Communicative Arts, Georgia Scholastic Press Association Superlative Award for House Editorial. He will be attending The University of California Los Angeles after graduation.

Stephan Rusnak will be graduating The Weber School where he was Captain of the

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wrestling team and awarded All American Athlete.

Lili Stadler interned with the Blue Dove Foundation over the summer and had her survey results and article, Persevering With My Peers: Insight into Teen Mental Health published in eJewish Philanthropy.

Kyra Solovei is a senior at Riverwood High School. She is honored as one of four National Merit Commended Students at Riverwood.

Logan Sucan is graduating from The Weber School and will be attending Tulane University to study Psychology. She finished 3rd in the Region 6A Cross Country meet and qualified for the State meet.

Nathan West is a senior at Riverwood High School. He was selected to participate in the Georgia vs. Florida High School All Star Game.

Ethan Wolfson was named one of the Top 10 Scholars for the North Springs High School Class of 2021.

2018 Rachel Hertz is the Founder and Committee Chair for the North Springs Film Festival 2021, President of the Spartans for a Cause community service club, President of Junior Class for SGA, a National Honor Society member, a Semi-finalist for the Governor’s Honors Program in Theatre, Treasurer for the

The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Veronica Kogan was selected as a semi-finalist for the Governor’s Honor Program for Music-Piano.

Maya Laufer is a junior at Dunwoody High School where she is a GHP state level nominee and a member of four honor societies. She is also a JumpSpark Strong Women’s Fellowship Teen Board member and DECA Community Outreach Chairperson.

Ezra Mahle is a junior at Dunwoody High School.

Jacob Mirsky is a junior at North Springs High School.

At school, he serves as the treasurer for HOSA, VP of the Entrepreneurs Club, is a National Honors Society Member and a National Spanish Honor Society member. He is active in Creating Connected Communities Leadership Development Program.

at Dunwoody High School. He is captain of the varsity track team and set a pole vault school record ranking him #2 in the state of Georgia and #4 best junior in the country.

Alon also owns a pressure washing company along with fellow Davis alum Josh Isaacs called Pressure Wish.

I have learned the importance of being kind to everyone and making sure everybody has a chance to get involved. I have also taken away that I am very fortunate to be in the position that I am and it is important to give back to those who are less fortunate.

Davis taught me to always work hard and persevere through the tough times as I will be a better person after overcoming those obstacles.”

Matthew Szabo is a junior at North Springs High School. He is a member of the National Honors Society, Governor’s Honors Program Alternate, a Superior Level Fulton Language Forum Spanish Speaker, President of Gold Status Thespian Troupe #4389, Spanish National Honor Society, Student Body Secretary, and Vice President of Spartans for a Cause.

Alex Newberg is a junior at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School where he is a five time Honor Roll Student, Class President, President of the Debate Team, President of the Young Conservatives, the Varsity Boys’ Basketball Manager and a Varsity tennis player.

2019

Alon Rogow is part of the National Honors Society, High School Athletic Honors Society, a Nominee for the Governor’s Honor Program, and is on the Principal’s List

Miriam Barkan is a Varsity Letter in three sports at The Weber School. She is on the board of Creating Connected Community Leadership Development Program.

Eli Weiser is a junior at the Mount Vernon School.

At school he is a student ambassador and has received coaches awards in track and field. Outside of school, Eli is active in The Friendship Circle.

Congratulations to Class of 2018 alumni, Rachel Binderman, Joshua Forman, Danny Kobrinsky, Andrew Levingston, Amit Rau, Ellie Rifkin, Jenny Sullivan, and Hailey Weiss for being selected to be part of the National Honor Society at The Weber School.

Megan Dollinger is a sophomore at North Springs High School. She received Honor Roll and is a member of the Jewish Culture Club.

Gavin Friedman is a sophomore at North Springs High School.

Jenna Prass was selected by The Orff Echo, a publication focused on timeless concepts associated with music education for her artwork 15 “Cubist Still Life.”

2020 Jordan Frank is a freshman at North Springs High School. He won the Fulton County Pole Vaulting Championship with a personal record of 13 feet 9

Class Notes

inches. He now has the North Springs all-time record.

Ava Galison is a freshman at Riverwood High School.

Sydney Gold is a freshman at Riverwood High School. She is active in Creating Connected Communities and BBYO. Jaeger Ouanounou is a freshman at Riverwood Charter School active in JV and Varsity basketball.

He is also part of the Creating Connected Communities Leadership Development Program.

Frank Silverman is the founding member of the Guitar Making Club and a Student Ambassador at The Weber School. He is also a member of BBYO and CCC.

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

The Journey Continues…

Life After Davis: The College and University Journey The graduating Class of 2021 will be attending the schools noted in bold (list as of 4/21/2021).

Agnes Scott College Air Force Academy American University 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 Ohio State Peking University Penn State University

Purdue University Queen’s University Rice University Ringling College of Art and 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 Los Angeles University of Central Florida University of Chicago University of Cincinnati University of Colorado Boulder University of Delaware University of Florida University of Georgia

University of Mary Washington University of Maryland University of Miami 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 WisconsinMadison Vanderbilt University Vassar College Virginia Tech University Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Wesleyan University The Journey Magazine | Spring 2021

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Simchas A

F

C D

G B

E

H Catherine Solmson Cohen ’05 and her husband, Brad, welcomed their first child, Jordan to the world in August 2020. She and her family live in Atlanta, GA. Jordan Edelstein ’04 married Gena Soffer on October 3, 2020. The couple resides in New York City.

A Cayla Harris ’10 is engaged to Treavor Hearing with a September 2022 wedding planned.

Mazel tov to Rachel Hirsch ’07 who married Mark Bernstein on June 27, 2020.

B

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The Davis Academy | davisacademy.org

Robbi Scheuer Hoff ’04 and her husband, Alex, welcomed their first child Maddox Phillip Hoff, in February 2021.

C Josh Jacobs ’06 and wife Tesi Jacobs will be welcoming their first child this summer.

D

Rachel LaVictoire ’08 married Omer Mann in New York City in October 2020.

The couple also had a wedding in Israel where they live, and are now expecting their first child.

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Mazel tov to Matthew Kogon ’02 and his wife welcomed their first child, Benyamin Adiv, in July 2020.

Max Miller ’03 and his wife Rachel welcomed their first child, daughter Zohara, in May 2020.

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Mazel tov to Allison Ladden ’08 on her engagement to Robert Zale.

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Caroline Patterson ’03 married Alex Goldberg in October 2020. The couple resides in Atlanta, GA. H

I O J

L P

K M

Q

N

Michelle Profis ’02 and her husband, Ben, welcomed their first child, Ava, in April 2020.

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Sarah Scheuer ’07 became engaged to Danny Koenig, and an October 2021 is planned.

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Max Shafron ’07 is engaged to Stephanie Bekerman. The couple plans to be married in May 2022.

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Congratulations to Ashley Rosenberg ’07 and Alex Carey who were married in September 2020.

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Mazel tov to Alana Schube ’06 who became engaged to Brian Teitell.

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Congratulations to Paige Weinberg ’08 who married Samuel Feldman on November 7, 2020.

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Lindsey Rosenberg ’07 is engaged to Steven Lubel and a May 2021 wedding is planned.

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Jeremy Schube ’02 and his wife, Talia, who welcomed their second child, Benjamin Charles in August.

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Ari Whiteman ’05 became engaged to Lillie Kline. A wedding is planned for April 2022.

Q

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Parents: If this issue is addressed to your child who no longer maintains his or her permanent address at your home, please notify The Davis Academy Alumni Office at alumni@davisacademy.org of the new mailing address. Because college addresses change so frequently, we are unable to use them for general mailing.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2020-2021 school year a success!

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