Alumni Society News - Spring 2015

Spring 2015

News

Alumni Society Alumni Newsletter of Golda Och Academy

What’s Inside 2 A Quick Look Back at the Last 50 Years 4 Thank You, Rabbi Joyce Raynor 5 Israel Advocacy on College Campuses and Beyond 6 Messsage from the Development/Alumni Office 7 GOA Alumnus Receives Mitchell Scholarship 7 Adam Ben’Ous, Class of 2005 8 Schechter Love Stories 9 Elyssa Friedland, Class of 1999 10 2009 Class Reunion 12 Alumni Lunch & Basketball Game 13 Faculty News 14 Class Notes

Message from

D

ear Alumni,

R abbi Joyce R ay

Head of Scho ol

nor, PhD Head of School

As my June 30 retirement date approaches, I lo grateful I had th ok back on my e privilege of kn 30-year tenure ow ing so many of what it was my at GOA you, our alumni first year: that w .

My belief today e have exceptiona alumni. I contin is exactly l students and ue to be amazed that translates when I read of the won in to wonderful derful things ea ch of you has done — both professiona lly and personally — and I am esp ec ially heartened to le arn of your cont inued commitment to , and leadership of, the Jewish commun ity and Israel.

To our great ple asure, the num ber of grads who ar e now GOA par ents continues to in crease. While ou r school expands, evolve s and grows, I ho pe that the close sense of community and the Jewish values an d identity form ed here remain strong.

I speak for all of our faculty and staff when I say about your lives that we love he post-GOA. We aring from you are proud to ha impressive adul and learning ve had a part in yo ts that you are ur journey to b today. ecoming the Please continue to stay in touch.

Eric F. Ross U

pper School C ampus • 1418 Pl Alumni News 1 SPRING 2015 easant Valley W phone 973-602ay • West Orang 3622 • jraynor@ e, NJ 07052 goldaochaca

SSDSEU/GOLDA A Quick Look Back 2007 1965

1985

SSDS opens

Lower School opens in West Orange

1991

Science labs renovated at Upper School; added guidance suite, faculty offices, weight room, lobby

2006

1st Na’ale trip to Upper School opens Israel for 9th grade in West Orange

Rabbi Joyce Raynor, PhD, Timeline

2 Alumni News

1984

1992

Dr. Raynor joins Schechter as Judaics Studies teacher

Dr. Raynor becomes principal of the Upper School

SPRING 2015

OCH ACADEMY at the Last 50 Years 2012 Basketball court refinished and dedicated to Coach Sandy Pyonin

2008 Cranford and West Orange elementary schools merge

2013 Wilf Lower School Campus completes $7.6 million renovation and expansion

2015

2010 2014

Solomon Schechter is renamed Golda Och Academy

GOA completes the Building on Tradition campaign and grows its endowment to $45 million

Upper School announces $1 million Dr Lynne B Harrison STEM center addition

2006

2011

2014

Dr. Raynor takes over as Head of School; creates first Na’ale trip for 9th graders

Creates first staff mission to Israel

Ordained as Rabbi from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America SPRING 2015

Alumni News 3

Thank you, Rabbi Joyce Raynor! od me and felt understo er of the I e n o e m so emb was always she was a m “Dr. Raynor ven though relatable, E . as ts w n e e d sh u , students re my fellow st e w e t she was h w g d u ion, an cator, I tho u d e best. administrat an s A s to be our and warm. s pushing u ay m w o likable, fair fr al s d e ri an o t relevan rful mem interesting, f my wonde o 5 9 t 9 ar 1 p f o e rg ss la Cla She is a very Julie Kopel, r years.” — te ch e ch S y m Dr. Ra y Sokoli nor presen ted Je c, Clas re s first D isting of 1988, w my uished ith Alumn the i Awa rd.

piro’s r. Sha tes M (Vered) in ia c fi f ynor o aming Dr. Ra er’s baby n t h . g 8 u 0 da ber 20 Novem

L-R: Ste ph and Ra anie Bash-Sou bbi Joy dry, Sh ce er of GOA donors Raynor accept yl Pearlstein at Hersk gi owitz S fts on behalf ociety ev ent.

in ssion r’s Mi 2013. e h c a Te r GOA’s a, Decembe f f a Old J

Alumni News News 44 Alumni

SPRING 2015

“I remem ber a few occasions office as being sen a teenag er (I prom t to the p for guida ise, only a rincipal’s nce, as a few!)…I w student le ed in Jew as lookin ader and ish educa g as someo tion. Man ended wit ne intere y of those h me pick stconversa ing her b and persp tions ofte rain. I tru ective as n sted Joyc a mentor me what e’s opinio and as a it meant n leader. Sh to be a J text and ewish ed e showed teach tex ucator, to t, but to b commun not only le uild relati ity. I neve arn onships a r imagine I would b nd to buil d then th ep d at many y congrega rivileged to have ears later, th tion.” — Rabbi Jess at principal as pa rt of my e Olitzky, Class of 2 002

echter cipal at Sch n ri p s a d e r School. or serv in the Uppe s a “Rabbi Rayn w t I rs a e GOA wha seven ye ol has mad during the o h sc y e h th w tion to ntral reason Her dedica ynor is a ce OA is a R G i . b e b iv a ct R a nt and ra it is today. b .” vi so is in ard th king society ip and forw our alumni h rs e d a le r iss he going to m of 2001 jzner, Class a M — Evan

“My relati onship wit hR experienc e as a stud abbi Joyce Raynor d ent at GO School of A, then So ates back to my ow Ess n lomon Sch advisor an ex and Union, NJ. echter Da As a teach d a mento y er, a Stud r in helpin as the perf ent Counc g me to se ect next c il lect ha always ch allenged m pter in my educatio Brown University nal journe e to think When I re y, Joyce big and a turned to sk though GOA as a to challen tful questio faculty me ge me an ns. mber, Joy d encoura Serving w ce continu ge me as ith her as e I d g re a w as an ed colleague — Carrie for 16 yea ucator.

Z. Siegel, rs has bee Class of 1 992, Lowe n an hono r School P r.” rincipal

g years of unrelentin nce Raynor, for over 30 i tie bb pa d Ra an u, yo ion nk vis “Tha ur hard work, Yo .

OA /G / DS SS DS SS dedication to ng force behind . have been a drivi r its bright future fo el over these years od m a as rve se ll wi ur d yo an d s u an GOA’s successe ll certainly miss yo its community wi 98 19 of SSDS/GOA and s as Cl , wrence Elbaum leadership.” — La

and an (C) ’s d Herm Janet an Melame on. s ic t thle brate Eit -97 seas 6 le or of A Direct ynor (R) ce ing the 199 r a R . r D int du o p h t 1,000

Golda Dr. M Och Academ ic Danie hael Och, y’s 2013 G R l Bier, C Och, Shery abbi Joyce ala. L-R: l lass o R f 1979 Pearlstein aynor, Ph D , and .

Josep ., h

ission to st staff m 011. r fi ’s A O G 2 February Israel in

SSDS’ N ati the Walk onal Honor So cie fo the Gift r Life and rais ty organized of Life B ed $14,0 one Ma rrow Fo 00 for undatio n.

Many GOA Alumni Engage in Israel Advocacy and Make Their Voices Heard on College Campuses and Beyond

F

By Amanda Schuman (Class of 2013) rom the minute we learn the AlefBet in the lower school, Judaism and Israel become integral parts of our upbringing at Solomon Schechter Day School-Golda Och Academy. While several alumni bravely commit themselves to serving in the IDF after graduation, other students who matriculate to various college campuses also have the desire to defend Israel. Many SSDS-GOA graduates become Jewish leaders in their college communities and strive to make an impact on campus.

As a fellow for CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America), Ben Kravis (Class of 2012) is making sure his voice is heard on campus, monitoring Israel-related media at Tulane University.

His work with the program included a letter to the editor of the Tulane Hullabaloo in response to an anti-Israel article, citing more constructive ways to discuss the conflict.

Despite publishing articles and bringing in speakers, Ben said his greatest accomplishment as an advocate is, “talking to close friends about the issues. Sometimes it’s hard to connect on a large scale because the people in the audience may not have as much motivation to learn, but when people are genuinely interested in a smaller setting, it is easy to talk about the facts.”

Ben intends to join the IDF after graduating from Tulane. He believes that his Schechter education as well as Neshama experience played a role in his desire to fight for Israel. “Through Neshama I developed a strong connection to the country and experienced it in a new way,” he said.

“It led to me reading Israel news at least twice a day.”

Also at Tulane, Yoni Kaplan (2009) made Israel advocacy a major part of his undergraduate and post-college career. Yoni took it upon himself to found Tulane University of Israel, which grew from its original three board members to 20, hosting events for 300 students. He was most proud of his last event, arranging for David Horowitz, an American conservative with a controversial right wing perspective, to speak at Tulane.

All previous speakers had been relatively neutral. As a result, an article was published claiming that Yoni was a racist, which sparked alarm among the student body.

Yoni had to deal with personal hate mail

and threats as well as protestors among the 150 people in attendance. “I call this my greatest accomplishment,” he said, “because at the end, when everyone heard what David Horowitz had to say, everyone applauded, including the protestors. They had actually changed their minds.”

After graduating, Yoni pursued a career as a campus coordinator with Stand With Us, which supports Israel on college campuses by connecting students with resources such as pamphlets and research centers located near them. “My biggest challenge when I was an advocate on campus was that I had to learn everything on my own,” he said. “My goal is to connect students to the methods that have proven to work, to find what the students want to do and help them do it in the best way possible.”

When asked about the role his Schechter education played, Yoni shared that he recently found his 7th grade certificate for Israel advocacy from Morah Bluevise and cited it as his first step towards advocacy. He believes that his Schechter education really taught him all the facts starting at a young age. “It became a part of my identity,” he said. “Schechter is how I got connected to Stand With Us, and I wouldn’t be the Israel advocate I am today without Schechter.”

At the University of Delaware, Avi Kleinman (2011) was vice president of the only on-campus pro-Israel group, Israel U. His responsibilities included organizing events on campus to boost student awareness and involvement with the current situation in Is-

rael. When asked about his greatest accomplishment for Israel U, Avi said it was helping to bring Senator Chris Coons to campus to speak specifically about why Israel is an important ally for America.

Avi also believes that his Schechter education and involvement with Neshama influenced his desire to become an Israel advocate. “In college, a lot of people just don’t know as much about the politics, culture, or region — all basic foundations of a Schechter/Neshama education,” Avi said.

“I wanted to be involved with people who also grew up with Israel as a part of their life and who wanted to help others. I wanted to be involved with people who wanted to learn more or be involved in anything and everything Israel related on campus.”

Another example of an alumnus who continued Israel advocacy post-college is Arielle Kramer (2008). Arielle went to Muhlenberg College where the Jewish population is upwards of 30 percent. “I definitely looked for schools with a big Jewish presence,” she claims. Since graduation, she has been employed by the Friends of the IDF (FIDF) working with the New Jersey chapter doing marketing, fundraising and administrative work. “I love the mission of the organization,” said Arielle. “What we do is amazing. Meeting the soldiers that we benefit is what keeps me going. These incredible men and women are phenomenal, and it’s great to be able to say thank you to them.”

Arielle often finds she needs to defend SPRING 2015

Alumni News 5

Israel in the online community. She does so by educating people, which she feels equipped to do after having completed Fuel for Truth – a 10-week, boot-camp style program that educates participants on both the history and politics of Israel. After completing the program, Arielle felt she could handle her position as a full-time advocate.

She also says, “Without my Schechter upbringing, I wouldn’t have had the foundation to care about Jewish needs and issues in Israel. Neshama was my first time in Israel, and if I hadn’t gone I wouldn’t have developed such a strong interest.”

She will be returning to Israel for the third time next year when her younger sister embarks on Neshama.

Recent SSDS-GOA graduate Kineret Brokman (2014) got involved with the Israel Awareness Committee run by the Cornell Hillel, which showcases cultural aspects of Israel. Although there was a significant Jewish presence on campus, Kineret was taken aback when she was faced with an anti-Israel protest by the Students for Justice of Palestine (SJP) during her first week of school. However, Kineret found herself

getting more involved in the fight for Israel on campus the morning after the terrorist attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem this past November. She had been at the student union with SSDS-GOA alumnus Ilan Kaplan (2011) when they noticed a protest for Cornell to cut ties with the Technion in Israel. “Students and outside paid protestors stood as Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint, harassing and attacking fellow protestors who represented Palestinians,” said Kineret of the protest scene. “They would pat them down, throw them on the ground and take away their belongings forcefully. There were students chanting phrases such as ‘aggression will be met with aggression’ and other hateful things directed towards Israel.”

When asked about her reaction, she said, “Taken aback by the fact that they felt it was okay to hold this rally at all, let alone right after the terrorist attack, Ilan and I decided we needed to do something to stand up for Israel.”

Their next course of action was to purchase poster boards and markers to make signs that read “Israel is invested in Peace.”

Their peaceful protest was met with vio-

lence as Pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to rip their signs down, yelled profanities and threw ketchup on their signs. Despite all of this animosity, the two alumni stood their ground and were eventually joined by other students and Hillel faculty members.

“If Ilan and I were not there to begin this peaceful protest, SJP would have had no one to compete with, and the one-sided argument would have continued without a fuss,” said Kineret. “I believe that our SSDS-GOA education played a big role in that because we have been taught to stand up for our beliefs. We know that this is a very controversial issue that needs to be treated with extreme care, and throughout our years at Schechter, as well as our experiences on Neshama, we have been given the tools to deal with these difficult issues.”

Clearly, these six alumni are just a few examples of how our many SSDS-GOA graduates are making their voices heard defending Israel. Their achievements are proof that even after receiving their high school diplomas, the lessons of fighting for what you believe in and unity as a Jewish people hold strong.

Message From The Development/Alumni Office It was an exciting winter at GOA! Thanks to the support of many parents, grandparents, friends and alumni, our school met the Dan and Jane Och Challenge, raising funds for our endowment and renovations at the Wilf Lower School Campus. This will help ensure a bright future for our school. With each new September at GOA, it is truly wonderful to see how many alumni have been coming back to our area and sending their children to our Wilf Lower School Campus! Thank you also to the many alumni donors who have contributed to our Alumni Campaign so far this year! Despite our recent fundraising success, we still rely heavily on annual fundraising support from our alumni, particularly to help provide financial aid to families in need.

Over the past few months, we enjoyed the Choir Benefit Concert, High School Musical, Prom, Senior Send-off and Purim festivities at the Upper School. Our seniors are enjoying their time in Neshama and internships and will be gearing up for graduation on Thursday, May 28, 2015.

Highlights at the Lower School are the Chumash Play held in February, a new STEM Club, the Gan buddy seder and an all-new Grandparents Day planned for Friday, April 17!

As we look toward the end of the school year, we will be sad to say goodbye to Rabbi Joyce Raynor after more than 30 years at our school as a beloved teacher, high school principal and Head of School. As a school community, we are incredibly grateful for all Rabbi Raynor has given to our students, alumni faculty and school. Her leadership and contributions have been immeasurable! Thank you, Rabbi Raynor.

Stephanie Bash-Soudry Jason Silberfein Director of Development & Alumni Relations Associate Director of Development

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GOA Alumnus Receives Prestigious Mitchell Scholarship Daniel Listwa, Class of 2011

D

aniel Listwa, Golda Och Academy’s Class of 2011 Valedictorian, has been chosen as one of 12 recipients of the prestigious George J. Mitchell Scholarship. The scholarship provides one year of postgraduate studies in a university in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Applicants, who must be between 18 and 30, are judged on their scholarship, leadership and sustained commitment to community and public. Only four percent of candidates are accepted into the program.

Upon graduation from Columbia College in 2015, Daniel will pursue a Masters of the Arts in Philosophy and Public Affairs at University College Dublin.

Having graced the halls of GOA with his knowledge and positive attitude, the faculty at GOA was certainly not surprised by Daniel’s impressive achievements. “We are so proud of Daniel’s accomplishments,” said Adam Shapiro, associate head of school and upper school principal. “He was an exemplary student here at Golda Och Academy, performed superbly in the classrooms and dedicated so much energy to making our

school a better place even outside of the classroom. It’s no surprise that he’s received this scholarship and recognition.”

“We are all very thrilled and honored for Daniel,” echoed Rabbi Herbert Kavon, who taught Daniel Tanakh. “He had an incredible memory and was always full of fresh new ideas. Daniel was very sharp and could think faster than he could speak. He was definitely an asset to the school.”

According to Daniel, GOA gave him a solid foundation that helped shape his college career. “Golda Och Academy, with its emphasis on critical thinking and in-depth text analysis, prepared me to delve directly into intellectual life at Columbia,” he said. “Throughout high school, I had the freedom to carve out my own path both in the classroom and with regard to extracurricular activities, while honing key academic and leadership skills in a small and comfortable environment. While the change in environment was rather dramatic upon entering college, the confidence I had gained within the GOA community empowered me to engage deeply with the resources Columbia has to offer.”

In addition to his impressive academic record at GOA, Daniel served as treasurer of the National Honor Society, editor-in-chief of Nuts and Raisins and was involved in mock trial.

At Columbia, Daniel is a John Jay Scholar majoring in Economics-Philosophy with a concentration in Business Management. His numerous accomplishments include his role as the assistant director of the K1 Project at Columbia University, a center he helped found that promotes informed debate about nuclear technologies to gain support for disarmament and sustainable energy policies.

In addition, Daniel is editor-in-chief of The Columbia Economics Review, founder of the associated online magazine EconMag. org, an editor of the Columbia Review and the Gadfly, as well a member of the executive board of Koach, the traditional egalitarian Jewish community at Columbia.

Schechter Alum Cooks Up Successful Businesses Adam Ben’Ous, Class of 2005

A

By Amanda Schuman (Class of 2013) lumni of SSDS-GOA have pursued careers throughout the spectrum of Jewish traditions ranging from rabbinics to Israel advocacy. Adam Ben’Ous, class of 2005, went for a career in another prominent field of Judaism: food.

In his junior year of high school, Adam made it clear that he wanted a career in the culinary arts. After graduating, he attended Hunter College and at 19, started to work in fine dining restaurants. When asked about his experience Adam stated, “Any restaurant that intrigued me I’d work a year at and develop my style.”

Four years ago, Adam decided that in order to be his own boss, he would start his own catering business called Ben’Ous. “I felt like I was comfortable with my own unique style of cooking and was ready to show what I can do,” he claims. With 25 employees, the business catered a private event for Tori Burch. After that, his clientele started to grow to other fashion designers, celebrities and politicians.

Luckily, the company has not needed to advertise in order to obtain business and is finding jobs solely through word of mouth.

His work has gained so much recognition that Adam has recently been named in Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30” list for 2015 in the Food & Drink category.

Despite his current accomplishments, Adam is taking the risk of selling his company and starting a new restaurant in New York City with one of his best friends from high school, Max Oshman, class of 2004.

The vision for the restaurant is a “foodmeets-tech delivery concept.” There is no dine-in service, and the only option is to order the food online.

According to Adam, his cooking style is “American food from farm-to-table, less- ismore concept. Not burgers and fries, but more locally sourced food and seasonal cooking.”

Adam claims that some of his friends from high school are still among his closest friends.

His favorite teacher from his Schechter days was Mrs. Steinberg. “She was really caring,” he said. “I remember having mono, and I had to go to the hospital during a Virginia Beach trip for choir. I actually stayed overnight at the hospital. Mrs. Steinberg stayed with me and wouldn’t leave my side.”

Adam still recognizes the influence the Schechter community has on him. What is his advice for recent Golda Och alumni who are looking to join the food industry? “Don’t get too comfortable. A lot of chefs and people in the food industry think it’s a scary job at first because it is so fast paced, so stressful,” said Adam. “I think the key is once you are comfortable and feel like you’ve mastered it, it’s time to move on and keep learning.”

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Schechter Love Stories

By Amanda Schuman (Class of 2013)

T

hink back to your high school relationships or even your prom dates.

Did you ever consider they might last? For some alumni couples, that’s just the case. Alanna Skydell and Jason Steinberg (Class of 2007) were recently engaged on December 6, 2014, and Sarah Rothenberg and Evan Schonfeld (Class of 2006) were married on November 29, 2014 at the Marriott in Hanover, NJ. When asked about their relationships, it was clear that Schechter played a significant role.

Alanna and Jason met their freshman year at school. Even though they went as friends, junior year Jason asked Alanna to prom by writing her a letter that led her to a trail of Hershey hugs. The Hershey hugs resembled the morning hugs they would exchange at their lockers, which were diagonally apart from each other.

While on a New York City Shabbaton later that semester, the two shared their first kiss at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium and a month later affirmed their relationship on a choir Shabbaton in Virginia Beach. “In a way we owe it all to Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Henkin,” Alanna noted in regards to their Shabbatonim planning. The couple faced challenges senior year with Alanna on Neshama and Jason participat-

Evan and Sarah

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Jason and Alanna

ing in the internship program. The two also broke up for the first two-and-a-half years of college. They believe it was during those experiences that being apart made them better individuals and as a result strengthened their relationship. After having been back together for several years, Jason proposed to Alanna at the planetarium where they shared their first kiss. The two are now happily planning their wedding for this upcoming fall.

Sarah and Evan first met at an 8th grade bowling party, but didn’t start dating until senior year. Evan would get Sarah Dunkin’ Donuts coffee every day.

Come senior year, Evan

asked her to prom by writing it on that day’s coffee cup. As luck would have it, Sarah and Evan were randomly paired to do the marriage project in health class senior year. However, they were also grouped with Micah Cohen who ironically ended up attending their real-life wedding. During college, the couple separated but managed to get back together. Their wedding, held in November, had many high school friends in attendance. As a sign of their strong bond to the Schechter community, they asked Adam Shapiro, GOA’s associate head of school and upper school principal, to sign the ketubah as one of their witnesses. “It was so exciting for me to be there celebrating with Sarah and Evan,” said Shapiro. “Knowing them from the beginning of their relationship and then being there as they stood under the chuppah together was absolutely beautiful to see. It was great to catch up with so many young alums and even better for me to hear about the wonderful things that they are all doing in their lives.

As a school and community, these are the special moments that we all love hearing about and being a part of.”

These couples are not the first of SSDSGOA alumni relationships to stand the test of time, and they hopefully won’t be the last. Mazel tov to both of these couples!

If you happen to know of any SSDSGOA couples who are recently engaged or married (or you are one) feel free to drop us a line at alumni@goldaochacademy.org. We would love to share your story in an upcoming newsletter.

This Lawyer-Turned-Writer Will Debut Her First Novel in May Elyssa Friedland, Class of 1999

C

lass of 1999 graduate Elyssa Friedland took a leap of faith leaving her job at a prestigious law firm to become a writer. Though Elyssa says the change was “nerve racking” and surreal at first, in the end, Elyssa turned her dream into a reality as her first book, Love and Miss Communication, published by Harper Collins, is slated to hit bookshelves May 12 and is now available for pre-order.

Writing, she said, has always been a passion of hers. Elyssa received the English Award at SSDS graduation and was greatly influenced by English teacher Mr. Baker, who she says is among her favorite teachers from Schechter. “Mr. Baker really encouraged me and recognized a talent in me,” she said. “He always made the discussions thought-provoking and also peaked my interest in great books. You can’t be a good writer without reading a lot of books.”

At Yale University, Elyssa was the managing editor of the Yale Daily News. Unsure of how to make a career out of writing and fearing a career in journalism could lead to relocation at a time when she wanted to stay close to her family in the New York area, she chose to attend Columbia Law School. After receiving her law degree, Elyssa worked as an associate at a major law firm. “After having my second child, I knew I couldn’t sustain this type of lifestyle and work so many hours,” said Elyssa. “I still wanted to have a career and thought maybe I could make a go of writing.”

Although the intrigue of social media (a topic she explores in her book) hit Elyssa in college, it hadn’t quite reached the ex-

plosive levels it has today. “There are no secrets left,” she said. “Someone at my law firm mentioned how cool it was that I met my husband at an AIPAC conference. I was 99 percent sure I hadn’t ever shared that information. It was in our New York Times wedding announcement, so I knew he had looked me up. That gave me all these ideas for a novel.”

Through main character Evie Rosen, a 34-year-old up-and-coming lawyer who experiences a devastating breakup with her celebrity chef boyfriend, Love and Miss Communication explores the impact of social media on our lives. Facing both romantic and professional setbacks, Evie takes a

e

rad a P l e a r e Is t a r b e l e C or the

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5 1 0 2 , 1 3 ay M , y a d n Su

vow to remain offline until her 35th birthday. Without her connection to the online world, Evie is forced to reevaluate what is truly important in her life.

Elyssa has submitted her book to the Jewish Book Council and hopes to have speaking engagements through the organization. She is currently working on her second novel, this time about a married couple making a big life change. It is set in New York City and Los Angeles. Elyssa currently lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her husband and three children. She welcomes people to visit her at www.elyssafriedland.com.

Come show your school spirit and love for Israel!

Families with young children: Cheer us from the GOA spectator section along the parade route.

To register and for more information, please log on to:

www.goldoachacademy.org/israelparade SPRING 2015

Alumni News 9

2009 Class Reunion

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2009 Class Reunion

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Alumni Lunch & Basketball Game

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Faculty News Mazel tov to Grigory Fulman on the birth of his granddaughter, Sasha Rose Laitainer (top right), Oct. 28, 2014. Sasha weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz and was 20 in ‘tall.’ Grigory’s daughter, Gloria, husband Michael, and Sasha are all doing great.

Mazel tov to Janet Herman on the birth of her new granddaughter, Aviva Jelena, born on Dec. 1, 2014.

Mazel tov to Peggy Garner on the birth of her grandaughter, Brynn Harper Garner (bottom right). Brynn was born on Dec. 9, 2014, weighing in at 8 lbs, 2 oz.

Mazel tov to Rina Yuhaev on the birth of her grandson, Ma’ayan, on Feb. 14.

Ma’ayan weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz and his parents, big sister, and entire family are feeling very happy and blessed.

Mazel tov to Anna Caplan on the birth of her daughter, Norah Stella (left).

Fall Sports Stats SPORT

RECORD

MENTIONS

Girls Varsity Volleyball

6-13

First Team Jamie Singer Honorable Mentions Veronica Slater, Sarah Shafir

Girls Cross Country

0-10 (didn’t qualify as a full team)

Second Team Jessica Antiles Honorable Mention Rebecca Hersch

Boys Cross Country

9-5

First Team Yoni Geer Second Team John Levitsky, Michael Antiles Honorable Mention Harris Mevorah

Girls Varsity Tennis

11-1 First Team Jordan Schenker, Hannah Sturm, SCC Colonial Division Champions Corinna Ronen Second Team Gabi Solomon, Hannah Cohen

Girls Varsity Soccer

10-4 Sportsmanship Award in the SEC Colonial Division

Boys Varsity Soccer

10-4 First Team Harrison Slobodien, Noah SEC Colonial Division Champions Susskind, Daniel Berkowitz Second Team Rafael Jones, David Shepard, Noah Pearlstein Honorable Mention Aaron Rakib Prep B: First Team Harrison Slobodien SPRING 2015 Second Team Rafael Jones Alumni News 13

First Team Ilana Schimmel, Ilana Antelman, Rebecca Landau Second Team Emily Binstein Honorable Mention Rachel Kramer

Class Notes: News From Our Alumni Class of 1994 Mazel tov to Shamir Hirsch and his wife, Melissa, on the birth of their son, Matthew Hirsch.

Class of 2001 Mazel tov to Sara Schonfeld Rabin-Havt and her husband Raphael on the birth of their daughter, Harper Lilly, on Feb. 12.

Class of 1995 Mazel tov to Debbie Edell and her husband, Eric, on the arrival of their son Rogan on Nov. 5, 2014. Rogan joins big brothers Sawyer and Truman.

Class of 2002 Mazel tov to Hannah Kaplan on her engagement to Jared Meyer. Hannah is currently working as an occupational therapist at Mount Sinai Hospital, and Jared is an attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. The couple is living in New York and planning a November 2015 wedding.

Class of 1996 Mazel tov to Dr. Richard Herman and wife Sarah on the birth of their daughter, Aviva Jelena, on Dec. 1, 2014, at 5:45 am.

Class of 1997 Mazel tov to Sarah Knapp Smith on the birth of her twin daughters, Layla and Dylan, in August. The girls join big brother Brandon.

Class of 1997 Mazel tov to Zev Svisrky, class of 1997, and Candece Milwicki, class of 1998, on the birth of their son. Caleb.

Class of 1998 Mazel tov to Jocelyn Levine Klar, class of 2001, and Greg Klar, class of 1998, along with big sister Juliana, on the birth of Sydney Arabella Klar born on Jan. 21.

Class of 1999 Mazel tov to Robbie Majzner and his wife Rena on the birth of their son, Elan Judah Majzner, born Oct. 11, 2014.

Class of 2000 Mazel tov to Jeffrey Rosenblum on his marriage to Kelly Gottlieb on Dec. 13, 2014. The wedding was held at The Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor, NY.

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Class of 2003 Mazel tov to Shira Lahav on her marriage to Michael Gladstone on Nov. 15, 2014.

Shira is the deputy chief of staff for US Congressman Ron DeSantis (FL-6) while her husband is a crisis management program officer with the Operations Center at the United States Department of State. The couple lives in Arlington, Va. Class of 2004 Mazel tov to Melissa Cohen on her marriage to Todd Bernstein of Springfield on Nov. 9, 2014.

Class of 2006 Mazel tov to Sarah Rothenberg and Evan Schonfeld who were married on Nov. 29, 2014.

There were 25 GOA friends and classmates in attendance. The couple met in 8th grade at our school (see story on page 8).

Class Notes: News From Our Alumni Ariel Fixler, z”l, Class of 2001

Class of 2007 Mazel tov to Alanna Skydell on her engagement to Jason Steinberg. The couple, both graduates of SSDS-GOA, is planning a fall wedding (see story on page 8).

The SSDS-GOA Alumni Society mourns the loss of Ariel Fixler, z’’l. Ariel is at peace after a long and difficult battle with cancer. During her last few months, Ariel conceived her legacy and created the Fixler Foundation and its website — a free, one-stop resource and support for those who are ill and those who care for them. You will find music, photos, writings, and contributions from the greater community and, especially, Ariel’s writing, along with a “Helpful Advice” section. It is a remarkable, intensive effort from Ariel during her last days of accelerating illness. In her memory she asked that the website be shared as widely as possible to help continue her legacy: www.thefixlerfoundation.org.

Class of 2007 Mazel tov to Jessica Abramson Mass and husband, Alon Mass, on the birth of baby daughter Skylar Esther born Dec. 26, 2014.

Avi Svirsky, z”l, Class of 2001

Class of 2013 Mazel tov to Naomi Gutstein whose team won the Northwestern University Segal Design Institute Communications Award for the Swivel Support System — a head and neck support system that connects to a wheelchair for debilitated patients, that is intended to prevent pressure sores and infections.

The SSDS-GOA Alumni Society mourns the loss of Avi Svirsky, z’’l. Avi was the beloved son of Rachela and Zofar Svirsky, brother of Zev (Class of 1997) and Yudit (Class of 2005) and brother-in-law of Candece Milwicki (Class of 1998). Avi was always incredibly creative, approachable and a go-getter. He lived life each and every day to the fullest. No matter the circumstances, Avi was always smiling and had a unique ability to become best friends with someone within days of meeting them. He was able to connect with everyone and anyone, no matter their age, their history or their background. He will be missed dearly by his friends, family and even the people who just met him for a split second.

Our Sincere Condolences To the family of Hy Campeas, z”l, beloved father of David Campeas, father-in-law of Lynn Reyman, and grandfather of Daniel, Sarah (Class of 2004) and Aaron (Class of 2011).

To the family of Paul Alan Sorkin, z”l, beloved father of David Sorkin, father-in-law of Eve Baron Sorkin (Class of 1992), and grandfather of Michael, Joseph (Grade 3) and Amie (Grade 3).

To the family of Patricia Rosenthal, z”l, beloved mother of Don Rosenthal, mother-in-law of Joanie Schwarz, and grandmother of Lee Rosenthal (Class of 2011) and Dean Rosenthal.

To the family of Ronen Abrahamian, z”l, beloved son of former student Daniel Abrahamian and Golda Abrahamian and grandson of former Lower School teacher Morah Tina Abrahamian.

To the family of Rebecca Zarn, z”l, beloved mother of Ada Beth and Chuck Cutler, grandmother of Adam and Nova Cutler, David Culter (Class of 1995) and Rachel Fish.

To the family of Melvin Kohan, z”l, beloved father of Allen Kohan, father-in-law of former teacher Marilyn Kohan and grandfather of Rafi (Class of 2001), Noah (Class of 2003) and former students Michal, Talia and Eitan.

To the family of Dorothy Adler, z”l, beloved mother of Phil Schmidt, mother-in-law of Linda Schmidt, grandmother of Jessica Schmidt (Class of 1996), Evan Schmidt (Class of 2006), and Jon Schmidt (former student and current parent), and great-grandmother of Emily (Grade 3) and Jordyn (Grade 2) and Avery.

To the family of Pauline Bier, z”l, widow of Horace Bier, z”l, a founder of our school, beloved mother of Joyce

Massoth, Bruce Bier, Bryan Bier (Class of 1978) and Joe Bier (Class of 1979); grandmother of Craig Massoth, Penny Beckman (nee Massoth), Jeff Bier (Class of 1990), Rachel Fink (Class of 1997), Andrea Fields (Class of 1992), Amanda Lyman, Jordana Tanenbaum, Danielle Bier, Brandon Bier, Pamela Davis (Class of 2002), Zachary Bier (Class of 2005) and Michael Bier (Class of 2009), along with 21 great-grandchildren including GOA students Jacob, Kyle, Chase and Maddie, and former student Hayden.

To the family of Ulka (Adele) Sommer, z”l, beloved grandmother of Ronit Tzafrir (Class of 1996).

To the family of Isidore Friedman, z”l, beloved father of Mark Friedman, father-in-law of Cheryl, and grandfather of Matthew (Class of 1998) and Jordan (Class of 2000).

To the family of Rachel Akselrad, z”l, mother of Abe Akselrad, z”l, and mother-in-law of former Lower School Nurse Claire Akselrad, grandmother of Aviva (Class of 1998), Rebecca (Class of 2002), Benjamin (Class of 2006) and Gila (Class of 2010).

To the family of David Linfield, z”l, beloved father of Rabbi Seth Linfield and grandfather of Rebecca (Class of 2007).

To the family of Carole Kaplan, z”l, beloved mother of Lori Appelbaum, grandmother of Samuel Markstein (Class of 2011) and Daniel Markstein (Grade 12).

To the family of Sandra Kizner, z”l, beloved mother of Ira Kizner, mother-in-law of Ivy Spears, and grandmother of Heather (Grade 11) and Rebecca (Grade 11).

To the family of Hope Binder Cohen, z”l, wife of Albie Cohen, mother of GOA teacher Amanda Cohen, Alex and Katharina.

To the family of Sara Lief, z”l, beloved mother of Eric Goldman and grandmother of Sophie (Grade 8), Talia (Grade 4) and Oren (Grade 2).

To the family of Lorraine Heine, z”l, beloved mother of Marjorie Berger, grandmother of Rachel (Grade 9) and Josh (Grade 7).

To the family of Lev Zolotarev, z”l, beloved father of Yana Weiss, grandfather of Ashton Weiss (Grade 1) and Giselle Weiss (Grade 3).

To the family of Irving Gall, z”l, beloved father of Stephanie Carmel, father-in-law of Matthew Carmel and grandfather of Rebecca (Class of 2014).

To the family of Elizabeth Glickman, z”l, beloved wife of Marvin Glickman, mother of Dr. Alex Glickman, motherin-law of Dr. Amy Borg-Glickman, and grandmother of Samantha (Class of 2009), Jacob (Class of 2012) and Emma (Class of 2014).

To the family of Louis Feit, z”l, beloved father of Rebecca Feit-Klein, grandfather of Evan (Class of 2014) and Eliana Klein.

To the family of Harry S. Katz, z”l, beloved father of Ethelyn Geschwind, father-in-law of Benjamin, and grandfather of Aytan (8th Grade).

To the family of Cheryl Wexelman, z”l, beloved mother of Harvey Wexelman, mother-in-law of Kim, and grandmother of Chase (Grade 3), Presley (Grade 5) and Jagger.

To the family of Linda Glasofer on the loss of her mother-in-law, Frieda Glasofer, z”l.

To the family of Upper School teacher Susan Bakerman on the loss of her father, Leonard Lowenstein, z”l.

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Alumni News 15

1418 Pleasant Valley Way West Orange, New Jersey 07052

GOA is accredited by the NJ Association of Independent Schools and is a beneficiary agency of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ. It is affiliated with the Jewish Federation of Central NJ, the Solomon Schechter Day School Association, and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, NJ Region.

Eric F. Ross Upper School Campus 1418 Pleasant Valley Way West Orange, NJ 07052 (973) 602-3600 Wilf Lower School Campus 122 Gregory Avenue West Orange, NJ 07052 (973) 602-3700 Stephanie Bash-Soudry Director of Development & Alumni Relations Jason Silberfein Associate Director of Development Glenn Slavin Director of Marketing & Communications Erin Sternthal Marketing & Development Associate Carly Wolkoff Marketing Associate

The Zinbarg Alumni Challenge THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We asked if you could give a Jewish child the same incredible opportunities we had as students at Schechter and you said YES! Together, you have helped us raise over $31,000.

Jeffrey Landau Chair, Board of Trustees Rabbi Joyce Raynor, PhD Head of School Adam Shapiro Associate Head of School & Upper School Principal Julia R. Malaga Chief Financial Officer Carrie Zucker-Siegel Lower School Principal We welcome your feedback about this newsletter. Please share with us your comments and suggestions by sending an email to Carly Wolkoff, cwolkoff@goldaochacademy.org

It’s Not Too Late to Participate!

We have not yet met the match and reached our goal. The Alumni Campaign provides essential dollars to ensure tuition assistance will continue to be available for families unable to fund a Schechter education without our help.

The truth is, every one of us needs to participate at any level. Tikkun olam, like so many of the values we all share, were learned in the Schechter classrooms.

Alumni support makes a powerful statement to former teachers, current families, prospective families and members of the community.

Please help in one of the following ways:

Donate online by going to www.goldaochacademy.org/alumnicampaign

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Contact the Alumni Office to make your gift 973-602-3618 or alumni@goldaochacademy.org.