Matters of Taste 2014

‫ענין של טעם‬

one night,

JCDS

EIGHteen dinners, unforgeTtable conversations... all for a great cause

of atters M Taste

PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE JCDS ANNUAL FUND

CELEBRATING 18 YEARS!

PLEASE JOIN THE JCDS COMMUNITY AT A

M Taste

atters of

‫ענין של טעם‬

To Reserve Your Tickets Today, Visit

www.mattersoftaste.org

PRE-DINNER RECEPTION

‫קבלת פנים‬

An extraordinary TASTE OF THE EVERY DAY AT JCDS FEATURING AN EXHIBITION OF STUDENT WORK

SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2014, 4:30 - 6:00 P.M. AT JCDS, BOSTON’S JEWISH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL 57 STANLEY AVENUE, WATERTOWN, MA 02472

FESTIVE ATTIRE Tickets for the pre-dinner reception are included in your dinner ticket or are $18 per person.

INDIVIDUAL DINNERS BEGIN AT 6:30 P.M.

Dear Friends,

‫שלום חברים‬

We are delighted to invite you to join us on Sunday evening, March 23, 2014, for Matters of Taste, the 15th annual signature fundraising event of JCDS, Boston’s Jewish Community Day School. This celebratory evening provides essential support to the JCDS Annual Fund that enables JCDS to continue to maximize support to families attending our school, to provide for our outstanding academic program, to create an intentionally pluralistic environment, and to foster our joyful Jewish community.

As members of this wonderful JCDS community, and parents to one current student and two JCDS alumni, we are honored to be a part of this event. We thank the founders of JCDS and its staff for their vision, ongoing commitment, and tireless efforts to make JCDS a unique, welcoming, pluralistic, educational institution. JCDS plays a vital role in educating and developing today’s Jewish children for tomorrow’s future, and is a cornerstone of the Boston area Jewish community.

Matters of Taste is a special celebration for members of the JCDS community. We hope that you will participate in Matters of Taste and in supporting JCDS. Your generosity says that you believe in the values of JCDS: Intentional Pluralism, Hebrew and English Throughout the Day, a Joyful Jewish Community, Academic Excellence, and a Whole Child approach. Please be sure to share this wonderful event with others to help ensure its success. With your commitment, we will attract even more support among community donors and foundations. We look forward to being with you on March 23rd at what promises to be a fantastic evening.

B’vracha,

Noni and Izhar Armony Co-Chairs,

Matters of Taste 2014

Matters of Taste

Page 1

NONI AND IZHAR ARMONY Matters of Taste Co-Chairs 2014 Noni and Izhar Armony are Israelis who have made the Boston area their home for the past 17 years. Their daughter is currently in fifth grade at JCDS, and their two sons are JCDS alumni — one at Gann Academy and one in the IDF. Noni is an artist with a master’s degree in molecular biology. Her generosity of time, spirit, and talent has enriched the JCDS community, where she volunteers as an art teacher and serves on the Board of Trustees. Izhar is a general partner of Charles River Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm based in Cambridge and Menlo Park. For fun, Izhar drives off-road rally cars, and participated in the Dakar Rally, a 6,000 mile, 15 day off-road race through the Atacama Desert in South America.

‫ענין של טעם‬

Please Join Us! Matters of Taste is a sparkling evening, as intimate and individualized as our school. Savor your choice of one of 18 simultaneous dinner parties, each hosted in private homes around the Boston area. At each dinner, you will meet a special guest — perhaps a noted author, musician, scientist, or chef. Kick off the event with a pre-dinner reception at JCDS, where you can discover the variety and energy of this joyful, pluralistic institution. All are welcome, please invite your friends and family!

Over the 15 years since its first Matters of Taste, JCDS has been pleased to advise many other Jewish organizations on developing their own similar events. For more information, please contact Terri Grogan, Director of Development and Communications, at TerriG@jcdsboston.org or 617-972-1733 x215.

Matters of Taste

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‫ענין של טעם‬

YOUR MENU ‫התפריט להערב‬

Stuart Ablon - Bentley Home ........................................................4 Alexis Borisy - Grossman Home ....................................................5 Cynthia Breazeal - Baker Home ....................................................6 Michael Capuano - Altman/Sagan Home ...................................7 I. Glenn Cohen - Sinclair Home .....................................................8 Dina Deitsch - Nadar/Kohlberg Home .........................................9 Jeremy Eichler - Davidoff/Kahan Home ...................................10 Evan Falchuk - Gann Home.........................................................11 Marcela García - Jacobs/Charytan Home .................................12 Jennifer Glanville - Ross/Katz Home..........................................13 Stephen Greenblatt - Smith Home ............................................14 Adam Grossman - Korman/Hunt Home....................................15 Ted Kaptchuck - Dvir Home ........................................................16

Matters of Taste

Karen Munkacy - Harris Home .......................................................17 Gail Reimer - Coll Home ...................................................................18 Howie Rodenstein - Luria/Schwarz Home ....................................19 Reyna Simnegar - Weinstock Home ...............................................20 Philip Warburg - Segev Home .........................................................21 Seth Priebatch - Kempler/Weinstock at JCDS (Alumni Dinner) ..22 Our Mission .......................................................................................23 JCDS Core Values ..............................................................................24 Acknowledgements ........................................................................26 Thank You to Our Supporters ........................................................27 General Information ........................................................................28 Board of Trustees ..............................................................................29

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‫ענין של טעם‬

Rethinking Challenging Kids ?‫מיהו ילד בעייתי‬ Stuart Ablon

HOSTED BY Colette and Michael Bentley

Director of MGH Think:Kids

SERVING KOSHER CHICKEN IN cambridge

Dr. Stuart Ablon is the director of Think:Kids, a program in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an associate clinical professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. The mission of Think:Kids is to teach Collaborative Problem Solving: a revolutionary, evidence-based approach for helping children with behavioral challenges. Ablon is the co-author of Treating Explosive Kids: The Collaborative Problem Solving Approach and has taught this model to parents, educators, pediatricians, and mental health clinicians around the world. Ablon received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and completed his predoctoral and post-doctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Matters of Taste

Page 4

Colette Cywes Bentley is an assistant professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her current research focus is on infectious disease with a focus on bacterial pathogenesis. Michael is a reference book publisher in Cambridge, MA. He is also treasurer of the JCDS Board of Trustees. Colette and Michael have a daughter attending JCDS.

‫ענין של טעם‬

Programming Our Own Genome

‫לתכנת את הגנום שלנו‬

alexis borisy

Partner at Third Rock Ventures

HOSTED BY Ruth and Richard Grossman SERVING Kosher Meat IN NEWTON

Ruth Grossman is a native of Sindelfingen, Germany, who moved to Boston after high school. She is an assistant professor in the Communications Sciences and Disorders Department at Emerson College and conducts research on autism spectrum disorders.

Richard Grossman was born and raised in Newton, MA. He is a professor of economics at Wesleyan University. His research focuses on economic and financial history. He is the author of WRONG: Nine Economic Policy Disasters and What We Can Learn from Them. Ruth and Richard are the parents of four current JCDS students: one in first grade, one in fourth grade, and two in sixth grade.

Matters of Taste

Early stage biotech is risk-fraught. Despite the fact that most good ideas never lead to clinical products, they are still good concepts. How can studying the genome of a diseasecausing agent help determine its susceptibilities and result in a drug that will attack those weaknesses only? Is it possible to sift the genomes of plants and microbes to find the chemicals those creatures have evolved for self-protection to determine which of them will protect us, too? How can drugs that fail individually be combined to deliver a one-two knockout to a disease? How can we short-circuit illnesses, and live longer, healthier lives?

Today, we can potentially re-write our own genes, targeting errors for repair or inserting instructions to make materials our bodies lack. Alexis Borisy, MIT Tech Review Innovator of the Year, has launched and grown several biotech startups. Borisy is now at Third Rock Ventures, where he looks for good ideas to fund with Big Pharma partners to reduce investor risk. What will it mean for us when these good ideas come to market?

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‫ענין של טעם‬

Pushing Our Social Buttons

‫רק אני והרובוט שלי‬

cynthia Breazeal

Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, Director of the Personal Robots Group at MIT “For me,” Dr. Cynthia Breazeal told her TED Talk audience, “robots are all about people.”

Inspired by robots like C3PO (Star Wars) and Data (Star Trek), she imagines robots not as cold, soulless machines, but as “helpful, trusted sidekicks” that would assist us in attaining our personal goals. Her recent work investigates the impact of social robots on helping people — from children to seniors — in learning, health, communication, and play.

Named by Fast Company as one of the “Most Influential Women in Technology,” Breazeal is a pioneer of social robotics and director of the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab. Her doctoral thesis, the Robot Kismet, has fascinated countless visitors to the MIT Museum.

A more recent creation, Nexi, is a MDS robot — mobile, dexterous, and social — that combines rich communication abilities with mobile dexterity to investigate human-robot interaction. TIME magazine named Nexi one of the “Best Inventions of 2008.”

Matters of Taste

Page 6

HOSTED BY JILL AND MARc BAKER SERVING KOsher fish, asian IN BROOKLINE

Jill and Marc are involved with the Boston area Jewish community in many ways. Jill teaches art at the JCDS after school program, is on the leadership team of Washington Square Minyan, and serves on the Advisory Board of KI preschool. Marc is the head of school at Gann Academy. He also serves as the scholar-in-residence of CJP’s Acharai Leadership Program and is one of the founders and leaders of Minyan Kol Rinah. They are members of Young Israel of Brookline. Jill and Marc love singing, playing racquet sports, skiing, and running. They are 3rd and 4th generation sports fans. Three of their four children are current JCDS students.

‫ענין של טעם‬

Discussing the District

‫בעניין אזור הבחירה‬

HOSTED BY Julie Altman and Alex Sagan SERVING Kosher Meat/Vegan Option IN cambridge

For more than a decade, Julie Altman and Alex Sagan have hosted Matters of Taste in their warm and historic Cambridge home. Alex is a past president of the JCDS Board of Trustees, a consultant to foundations and non-profit organizations, and a real estate investor. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University where he co-chairs the Study Group on the Jews in Modern Europe. Julie, a past-trustee of JCDS, holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and conducts qualitative market research for the retail sector. Julie, Alex, and their four children, Liora, Isaac, Dodie, and Ellie, love to travel and spend school vacations in Tel Aviv.

Matters of Taste

michael Capuano

U.S. Representative of the 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts Michael Capuano is a man with politics in his blood. His career began as a Somerville alderman, representing the same ward that his father used to serve. He was elected mayor of Somerville on his third run for office, and after Joe Kennedy’s retirement, Capuano was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he has served since 1999. When Congress held hearings on the 2008 financial crisis, he told industry leaders, including the CEO of Morgan Stanley, “You come to us today on your bicycles after buying Girl Scout cookies and helping out Mother Theresa and telling us, ‘We’re sorry, we didn’t mean it, we won’t do it again, trust us.’ Well, I have some people in my constituency that actually robbed some of your banks and they say the same thing.” Capuano represents the 7th Congressional District, which includes all of Somerville, Everett, Chelsea, and Randolph, and parts of Boston, Cambridge, and Milton. He will be speaking about issues facing that district.

Page 7

‫ענין של טעם‬

Destination Medication

‫תיירות לרפואה‬

I. GlenN Cohen Co-Director of the Petrie-Floam Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics Harvard Law Professor I. Glenn Cohen’s work lies at the intersection of law, medicine, and ethics. In his presentation, he will explore issues around medical tourism: the practice of traveling in order to obtain medical treatment. Who partakes in this practice, and why?

What are the concerns around legality if the treatment is legal in the destination country but not the home country? What are the ethical and economic implications of medical tourism? What if something goes wrong?

Cohen is a leading expert in medical ethics and law and has published and presented extensively on a variety of topics, including reproductive technology and ethics, the globalization of health care, human subjects research, same-sex marriage, and Mississippi’s notorious “Personhood” amendment.

Matters of Taste

Page 8

HOSTED BY Paula and John Sinclair SERVING FISH IN Brookline

Former JCDS parents and 2004 Matters of Taste Chairs, John and Paula Sinclair will welcome you with enthusiasm and warmth into their home.

Previously the executive director of Summer Ink, a writing and adventure camp for Boston area middle schoolers, Paula is now the director of Programs and Partnerships for the Jewish Women’s Archive.

The Archive, which is based in Boston, is a national organization that documents Jewish women’s stories, elevates their voices, and inspires them to be agents of change. Fluent in Japanese, John started his career at Dai Ichi Life, followed by stints at Sanford C. Bernstein in NYC and Montgomery Asset Management in San Francisco. He is currently CEO of Infusion Global Partners. They are the parents of three former JCDS students, with whom they share a love of sports, travel, and the water.

‫ענין של טעם‬

For All The World To See

‫לעיני כל העולם‬

HOSTED BY Naan Nadar and Isaac Kohlberg SERVING Kosher Fish, Mediterranean IN CAMBRIDGE

Naan Nadar was an actor in Israel and later a founder and owner of an interior design company in Manhattan. In 2013 he graduated from the Counseling and Psychology Program at Lesley University. Isaac Kohlberg joined Harvard University in 2005 as chief technology development officer and senior associate provost. Prior to joining Harvard, he served as vice provost of New York University and vice dean for Industrial Liaison and Research Administration at the New York University School of Medicine. Isaac was also the CEO of the Tel Aviv University Economic Corporation and CEO of RAMOT, its technology transfer organization.

Naan and Isaac are the proud parents of JCDS eighth grader, Tamara.

Matters of Taste

dina Deitsch

Curator of Contemporary Art at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum Our experience of a museum or gallery is shaped and animated by the deft and sometimes near-invisible work of the curator. Dina Deitsch, curator of contemporary art at the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, draws on her years of experience as a curator, scholar of art history, and artist to pull back the curtain on the art of curating. Included in the art of curating is deciding which artists and which works to show as well as providing context: order, proportion, supporting text, and much more. All of these pieces play a role in the public’s overall experience of art.

In recent years, curating itself has become au courant, as amateurs curate Pinterest pages and Tumblr accounts. Deitsch will explore the changing nature of the curator’s art and what the public can learn from the curator — and vice versa.

Page 9

‫ענין של טעם‬

The Art of Listening

‫השפה שבסוף כל השפות‬ jeremy Eichler

HOSTED BY Claudia Davidoff and Joseph Kahan

Boston Globe Classical Music Critic

SERVING Kosher MEAT/Vegetarian, Mexican IN Cambridge

In music, why is four the magic number? Composers from Beethoven to Shostakovich have turned to the string quartet as a vehicle for expressing some of their most private and profound musical thoughts. Jeremy Eichler, classical music critic of The Boston Globe and JCDS parent, leads an unconventional tour of this most celebrated and mysterious of chamber music genres. Come listen to musical examples, explore the history between the notes, follow detours into the worlds of literature and psychoacoustics, and circle back to reflect on approaches to the art of listening. Eichler’s essays and criticism have appeared in major newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The New Republic, and The New Yorker. His contributions to music criticism have earned a first-place award from the Society for Features Journalism and a 2013 Deems Taylor Award from The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Matters of Taste

Page 10

Joseph hails from England, Claudia from Mexico.

Their differences are compounded with Claudia having a degree in Pure Mathematics from MIT and Joseph a couple of degrees in Applied Mathematics from Harvard. Nevertheless, they are celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary. Claudia is a JCDS board member. Being a Montessori and public school teacher, she appreciates what JCDS has become. Art is another continuing interest of Claudia’s, and with a wish to support Israel’s cultural heritage, she is a board member of the Israel Museum. Joseph has been working as a mathematical modeler, converting real life into mathematical and statistical concepts. He has just discovered the unstructured but meaningful life of retirement, and follows Claudia in her endeavors.

Theirs is a modern apartment, featuring a small art collection overlooking the Charles River.

‫ענין של טעם‬

Get The Party Started

‫ מפלגה חדשה‬,‫התחלה חדשה‬ HOSTED BY Nicole Lieberman Gann and Joshua Gann SERVING Kosher Meat/Vegetarian Option IN NEWTON

Joshua and Nicole met at Ben Gurion Airport, and came to know each other in Israel while living on the same Kibbutz. Nicole is an attorney, and practiced in her home state of California, as well as in Boston until the birth of their three children, two of whom are students at JCDS. Nicole is a JCDS trustee, where she serves as development chair.

She also serves on the board of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA), and on the board of Camp Yavneh. Nicole is also a counselor for the Nursing Mother’s Council. Joshua is a third-generation owner of Joseph Gann Jewelers.

Together, they are members of Temple Emanuel in Newton, and have been active in a chavurah that has gathered for dinner the first Friday of every month for over ten years.

Matters of Taste

evan Falchuk

Candidate for Governor and Founder of the United Independent Party Evan Falchuk is the United Independent Party Candidate for governor of Massachusetts.

Founded in January 2013 by Falchuk and supporters from throughout the state, the United Independent Party is committed to moving from the “small government versus big government” debate between Democrats and Republicans to one focused on greater accountability to voters, stronger protection of social freedoms, and more innovative, fiscally pragmatic solutions that improve the day-to-day lives of individuals, families, and communities.

Falchuk’s determination to change politics in Massachusetts and create a better future for his children is a trait he inherited from his grandfather, who escaped Russian anti-Semitism after World War I, moved to Cuba and then Venezuela, became a successful businessman there, and finally was able to see his family have better lives in America.

Page 11

‫ענין של טעם‬

Bilingual Boston

‫ עיר דו לשונית‬:‫בוסטון‬ Marcela García Special Correspondent for WNEU Telemundo Boston

HOSTED BY Shoshana Jacobs and David Charytan SERVING kosher meat IN Brookline

Bilingual writer Marcela García has more than ten years of experience in journalism, focusing on Latino and minority issues coverage in the United States. Formerly the editor of El Planeta, the leading Spanish-language newspaper and bilingual website in Massachusetts, she is now a special correspondent for Telemundo Boston, the Spanish-language TV network owned by NBC Universal. García is a regular op-ed columnist for The Boston Globe, where she writes about Boston Latino and immigrant-related topics, a frequent commentator at Boston NPR station WGBH Radio 89.7 FM, and a contributing writer for The Boston Business Journal. García received a graduate degree in journalism in 2005 from the Harvard Extension School and also holds a B.S. degree in Economics.

Matters of Taste

Page 12

Shoshana and David have three children, two current JCDS students and one JCDS alumnus attending Gann. David is a nephrologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, splitting his time between clinical care and research. Shoshana is a literacy coach/staff developer working to train teachers at Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston.

She is also on the JCDS Board of Trustees. They are members of Young Israel of Brookline and founding members of Washington Square Minyan.

‫ענין של טעם‬

Beer Revolution . ‫הבה‬ ‫נבירה‬

Jennifer Glanville

Sam Adams Brewery Manager

HOSTED BY Charlotte Ross and Matt Katz SERVING Kosher Meat IN newton

After living in the Bay Area for 15 years, Matt and Charlotte moved back to the Boston area seeking an observant community, as well as a great school for their three children. They found JCDS and are very happy for their children who are in third, fifth, and sixth grade. Matt’s company, Merced, was recently purchased by an Israeli company, Nice Systems. He travels abroad extensively. He has a passion for craft beer and is studying for the title of cicerone. Charlotte is an avid baker and enjoys spending time in the kitchen with her kids. She was a math teacher for several years, and took time off to raise her three children.

Matters of Taste

What is craft beer and why has it become so popular in American culture? In 1985, when Samuel Adams Boston Lager hit the market, there was little diversity in the American beer market. It mostly consisted of light lagers, and imports were the only option for a full-flavored beer. In June of that year, Samuel Adams Boston Lager won the Best Beer in America award at the Great American Beer Festival. This beer revolutionized the American market and laid the foundation for the craft brewing market as it is known today.

Join Jennifer Glanville, the manager of the Sam Adams Brewery, and one of her fellow brewers to experience the Best Beer in America. They will lead a tasting of several Sam Adams beers, will discuss how Sam Adams and the Boston Brewing Company started the craft beer movement in the United States, and how they continue to revolutionize the industry today.

Page 13

‫ענין של טעם‬

The Swerve: How The World Became Modern

‫ כיצד נהינו מודרנים‬:‫התפנית‬

stephen greenblatt John Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University In this technology-oriented world, why do we persist in studying humanities? Why should we? Award-winning author and scholar, Stephen Greenblatt, has addressed himself to precisely that question from a variety of angles. A Shakespeare expert and the author of the best-selling biography, Will in the World, he has written and taught on the continued relevance of Shakespeare’s writing. In addition to his eleven books, he is the general editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature and The Norton Shakespeare.

Greenblatt’s newest book, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, gives us a real-life illustration of how, in Shakespeare’s words, “what’s past is prologue.” This Pulitzer Prizewinning book tells the fascinating story of how Poggio Bracciolini, an obsessive bookhunter in the fifteenth century, found and circulated the last remaining copy of ancient Roman poet Lucretius’s poem, On the Nature of Things, thereby reintroducing ideas that became central in the modern age.

Matters of Taste

Page 14

HOSTED BY Nancy and Howard Smith SERVING KOSHER FISH, Tunisian-Yerushalmi IN NEWTON

Born New Englanders, Howard and Nancy moved back to Boston after many decades away, via sabbaticals in London, Rome, Holland, and Jerusalem. They are active members of the Newton Centre Minyan and Shaarei Tefillah. They have three day-school-educated children, including two JCDS alumni, who are now all in their twenties.

Howard is a research astrophysicist at the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics, studying how stars are born (the kind in the sky, that is, not his kids). He also lectures frequently about science and religion. Nancy is the Jewish chaplain at BIDMC, and is also a clinical social worker consulting within the Jewish community. Their Shabbat table is celebrated for inventive and eclectic cuisine; both Nancy and Howard conjure recipes with inspiration from their various loves including hiking and camping, Shakespeare, the beach, opera, and cross-county skiing in southern Quebec.

‫ענין של טעם‬

Filling Fenway Park

‫למלא את המפלצת הירוקה‬ HOSTED BY Sari Korman and John Hunt SERVING VEGETARIAN IN NEWTON

Sari Korman and John Hunt met 25 years ago in college and briefly lived in New York City before moving to Boston, John’s hometown. John is a former JCDS board member and treasurer. He is a partner at ABRY Partners, a private equity firm. Sari is a lawyer who has held numerous positions in the public sector. She is currently a mediator and JCDS board member. Sari and John are active members of Temple Emanuel in Newton, and are the parents of three children — two JCDS alumni, and one JCDS first grader. They are longtime Red Sox fans, and are thrilled to be hosting Adam Grossman.

ADAM Grossman

Senior Vice President, Marketing and Brand Development for the Boston Red Sox Adam Grossman is responsible for directing strategic marketing and branding for the Red Sox, and plays a vital role in managing all key Red Sox marketing programs including advertising, branding, broadcasting, social media, and fan analytic initiatives. He also directs the club’s fan loyalty programs including Red Sox Nation and Red Sox Kid Nation.

Grossman began his career with the Red Sox in 2002 and, in 2004, was named special assistant to president and CEO, Larry Lucchino. In 2008, he was promoted to VP of marketing and played a key role in expanding event opportunities at Fenway Park, including the Futures at Fenway minor league doubleheader games, which brought the first official minor league games to the ballpark.

In 2002, Grossman received a BA in Public Policy from Duke University, where he spearheaded a $450,000 renovation project to refurbish two baseball fields in Durham’s inner city. In 2009, he went on to attend Harvard Business School as a part of their Program for Leadership Development, Executive Education.

Matters of Taste

Page 15

‫ענין של טעם‬

The Power of Placebo

‫עוצמת הפלצבו‬

ted Kaptchuk Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of Program in Placebo Studies A placebo, a patient-pleaser, is unlikely to fix a broken arm or lower cholesterol, but it is able to relieve pained limbs, comfort a broken heart, energize a fatigued body, and other illnesses with a significant component of self-appraisal. What is the nature of a placebo?

What is the history of the placebo in health care and in research? What are the ethical issues?

Can it be used non-deceptively? By what mechanisms does it reduce a patient’s symptoms?

Ted Kaptchuk’s research has investigated these questions for the last twenty years — ever since he put down his acupuncture needles to look into the commonality that all healing approaches share. To this end, his laboratory brings medical doctors, biosciences researchers, sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists into the process of investigating this once marginalized aspect of medical interventions. Kaptchuk is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and directs its interdisciplinary program in Placebo Studies, situated at the Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center.

Matters of Taste

Page 16

HOSTED BY Yael and Eyal Dvir SERVING vegetarian IN WALTHAM

Yael and Eyal Dvir (their names are anagrams, but only in English) are both Israeli born. They are both graduates of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and came to Boston for graduate studies at Harvard University and the University of Massachusetts.

Eyal is an international economist and teaches at Boston College. Yael is a child psychiatrist at UMass Medical School and does clinical work, teaching, and research. They are avid fans of the Waltham youth soccer and hockey teams, and enjoy hiking in both Israel and New England. They have a collection of original drawings from Israeli artists on display at their home, and are creative cooks who enjoy discovering new ways to cook unusual vegetables from the Waltham Community Farm.

They are members at Temple Emunah, and their children have attended JCDS for the past five years.

‫ענין של טעם‬

The Need for (Medical) Weed ?‫חושש מחשיש‬ Karen Munkacy

Anesthesiologist and Advocate for Medical Marijuana

HOSTED BY Rabbi Susan Harris SERVING Dairy/vegetarian IN Weston

An inspirational, eclectic, and athletic rabbi, Susan Harris was one of the founding board members of JCDS. Susan’s rabbinic career spans thirty years, the past twelve as a chaplain at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her work is balanced between “engaging with people who wrestle with ultimate questions on a daily basis” and enjoying kids just being kids — riding scooters in the hall and playing in the hospital’s garden. She is a member of Daughters of Abraham, a book club that brings together Muslim, Christian, and Jewish women. In addition to reading together, they have traveled to Spain and Turkey. As comfortable in the kitchen as she is engaging in theological exploration, she looks forward to an evening that will stimulate the mind and the palate.

Matters of Taste

After recovering from breast cancer, Karen Munkacy, MD, knew there had to be a way to alleviate the suffering that breast cancer patients endured. Medical colleagues told her that medical marijuana (MMJ) was effective in treating such symptoms, but Munkacy did not wish to break the law. Learning that it had a broad base of scientific evidence, medical support, and patient interest, she began to speak out in favor of legislation to allow the use of medical marijuana to alleviate patient pain and discomfort, ultimately landing the question on the November 2012 ballot. It passed with 63% of the votes. Munkacy will discuss her advocacy work and how new MMJ laws are being developed and implemented in Massachusetts.

Page 17

‫ענין של טעם‬

The Internet as a Game Changer

‫ כלי מודרני בחיפוש היסטורי‬:‫האינטרנט‬ GAIL Reimer Founder and Executive Director of the Jewish Women’s Archive Gail Reimer is the founding director of the Jewish Women’s Archive, a pioneering organization dedicated to uncovering, chronicling, and transmitting the legacy of Jewish women in North America. After receiving her Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Rutgers University, Reimer was a faculty member of Wellesley College where she was awarded fellowships from the American Association of University Women and the Bunting Institute at Radcliffe College, and received the prestigious Pinanski Prize for excellence in teaching. Reimer served as the associate director of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities (MFH), the state-based program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

She is the co-editor of two anthologies of Jewish women’s writings — Reading Ruth: Women Reclaim a Sacred Story and Beginning Anew: A Woman’s Companion to the High Holy Days.

Reimer has received numerous awards including being named, by The Forward, as one of the 50 most influential Jews of 2001, as well as by Women’s eNews, in 2006, as one of its 21 Leaders for the 21st century. In 2012, Reimer received the American Jewish Distinguished Service Award from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Matters of Taste

Page 18

HOSTED BY Lisa Popik COLL and Arieh Coll SERVING Kosher Dairy/Vegetarian/vegan option IN Auburndale

Originally from New York, Lisa and Arieh met when he crashed a Shabbat dinner she was attending.

They are living proof that opposites attract. Lisa plays the trombone and is an active member of the Pomegranate Guild (Judaic Crafts). Arieh is a reporter-turned-investor. They are very active in the Jewish community and are staunch supporters of all of the day schools in the Boston area. They are very involved at Solomon Schechter Day School of Boston, Gann Academy, Gateways, AIPAC, Harvard Community Action Partners, and Temple Emanuel.

Their favorite thing is to spend time with their kids and travel. Lisa and Arieh have three children, one at Solomon Schechter Boston and two Solomon Schechter Boston alumni who currently attend Gann Academy. Arieh is an alumnus of SSDS Westchester and Ramaz.

‫ענין של טעם‬

Spinning on All Cylinders

‫רכיבה למען הסביבה‬

Howie Rodenstein

Founder and Chair, Arava Institute Hazon Israel Ride

HOSTED BY Sarah Luria and Tom Schwarz SERVING Kosher Meat/Vegetarian Option IN NEWTON

Science, opera, literature, and bicycles are all part of the Schwarz-Luria’s quick-paced household.

Members of the Newton Centre Minyan, Tom is devoted to classical music while Sarah has a weakness for James Bond movies and an abiding love for her hometown of Washington, DC. As associate professor at the College of the Holy Cross, Sarah shared this love and knowledge in Capital Speculations: Writing and Building Washington, DC. Tom, a neurobiology researcher, is a professor at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital.

Tom currently serves on the JCDS Board of Trustees.

Sarah and Tom are avid bicyclists and, most importantly, they are the proud parents of Theo, a JCDS alumnus, now at the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering, and Martha, a JCDS alumna, who is now a senior at Brandeis.

Matters of Taste

How do you combine a passion for Israel, healthy living, and meeting hundreds of remarkable people, all while donating money to deserving causes? This is precisely what the Arava Institute Hazon Israel Ride has done for Howie Rodenstein. The Ride has raised $3M for the Arava Institute and Hazon, and provided participant riders with a unique chance to travel, exercise, network, and learn from one another.

The Arava Institute, where nature knows no borders, is the premier environmental studies and research program in the Middle East where Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, and American students study together and emerge as friends, colleagues, and future environmental leaders of the region. Hazon helps create healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond through capacity building, thought leadership, and transformative experiences such as the Israel Ride.

Page 19

‫ענין של טעם‬

Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride

‫כלה זרה במטבח הפרסי‬

reyna Simnegar

HOSTED BY Jennifer and amiel weinstock

Persian Kosher Cookbook Author

SERVING Kosher Meat, Persian IN brookline

Join guest chef and cookbook author, Reyna Simnegar, for a journey from a Catholic upbringing in Caracas, Venezuela where her family lived for centuries as Marranos, to life as a religious Jew in Brookline, MA. With stops in a Los Angeles Taco Bell, Sammy’s mother’s kitchen, and a New York apartment adjacent to Seinfeld’s famous restaurant, Simnegar’s gastro-spiritual odyssey is sure to delight and inspire. She blends these riches in Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride. The lavish recipes, enticing photography, Persian calligraphy, and personal anecdotes about integrating into a Persian family have been applauded in the mainstream, Jewish, and Persian media around the world. When not cooking for friends, Simnegar travels for cooking demos and motivational speeches inspiring Jews and nonJews to re-discover and embrace their roots.

Matters of Taste

Page 20

Jennifer grew up in Weston, MA and attended the University of Pennsylvania where she met Amiel.

Amiel grew up in Los Angeles, CA and is a graduate of Jewish day schools, both Sinai Akiba Academy and YULA. After graduating from UPenn, Jennifer and Amiel moved to Brookline where they have lived for the past 17 years. Amiel has a J.D. and LL.M. from Boston University. He is a trust and estate attorney and is general counsel at Thomas Brady + Associates. Jennifer has an expertise in development and non-profit board management and is the senior development officer at Gann Academy. They are both involved with their synagogue, Young Israel of Brookline, where Amiel is the current president. They love to play sports and spend time outdoors with their three sons, two of whom are students at JCDS.

‫ענין של טעם‬

Transforming America’s Energy Economy

‫לרתום את הרוח‬

philip warburg

Lawyer and Writer

HOSTED BY Shiri and Ilan Segev SERVING FISH IN newton

Shiri and Ilan Segev are active members of the Jewish community and are dedicated to the idea of affordable Jewish education. They have three children, one whom is currently at JCDS, and two former JCDS students. Ilan is an executive director at Morgan Stanley PWM. Prior to his wealth management career, Ilan was a career diplomat for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He served as the Deputy Head of Mission in the Trade Representation Office in Doha, Qatar, and was later stationed at the Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta as the State of Israel’s second highest-ranking diplomat in the southeastern U.S. Shiri is the director of finance and the compliance officer of a medical device company in Cambridge, MA. Prior to her finance career, Shiri worked at the Israeli Consulate to New England and to the South East.

Matters of Taste

When it comes to the future of sustainable energy, Philip Warburg sees an answer blowing in the wind. A Harvard alumnus who lives in Newton, Warburg was a freelance reporter during the First Intifada and worked on environmental law in both the United States and the Middle East. Later, he served as president of the Conservation Law Foundation, where he participated in the controversy over the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound. His new book, Harvest the Wind, is based on his conversations with all stakeholders in wind power, including scientists developing new technology, ranchers with turbines on their land, and politicians responsible for setting energy policy for the next generation.

Page 21

‫ענין של טעם‬

taking it to the next level

‫ רעיון אדיר‬- ‫יזם צעיר‬

ALUMNI DINNER

Seth PriebaTSch Chief Ninja of SCVNGR and LevelUp

*Ends at 9 p.m.

HOSTED BY Lisa kempler AND Bruce Weinstock SERVING KOSHER DAIRY AT JCDS

Can one young person change the way we do business? The short answer is yes, and Seth Priebatsch is doing just that.

At age 12, Priebatsch founded his first web start-up. It was a tremendous failure.

Undiscouraged, he launched his second startup in high school, which was much more successful, but by college he was ready to build something even bigger. After his freshman year at Princeton, Priebatsch took a leave of absence and founded SCVNGR, which is now the parent company of the mobile payment network LevelUp. Today, Priebatsch is the Chief Ninja of LevelUp at just 24 years old. He has helmed LevelUp’s “Interchange Zero” strategy, which is driving merchant transaction fees down to zero, and has grown the company to over 70 employees. With major investment firms taking notice, Priebatsch is well on his way to changing the way we pay.

Matters of Taste

Page 22

Lisa and Bruce have 3 daughters, Shani (a Brookline High graduate), Ariana (a JCDS alumna), and Ronit (a JCDS 8th grader). When Bruce is not at JCDS teaching 5th grade boys health class or attending Men’s Torah Study, he works for Boston Children’s Hospital as a Pediatric Emergency Physician and Director of Pediatrics at Norwood Hospital. At JCDS, Lisa helps parents navigate the pluralism waters as the Pluralism Parent Resource. After graduating from Brown University in Computer Science, Lisa has spent her career developing and marketing engineering and science software, currently at MathWorks as Director of Product Management for the MATLAB product line. The Kempler/Weinstocks have a vegetarian home and are working on political change to enable a sustainable planet.

Reflecting their obsession with community, they belong to five synagogues and minyanim in Brookline, where they have lived in a two-family house with friends for more than 20 years.

‫ענין של טעם‬

OUR MISSION

‫החזון שלנו‬

The mission of JCDS, Boston’s Jewish Community Day School, is to provide a premier education that: • nurtures each student’s capacity for intellectual discovery and decision-making within a respectful, pluralist, bilingual Hebrew-English environment; • gives our graduates the ability to create their futures informed by Jewish values, texts, and culture and to make a difference in their communities and the world; and • kindles the flame of lifelong learning in all its constituencies, and serves as an inspirational model of innovative, effective and joyful teaching and learning beyond the school.

Matters of Taste

Page 23

‫ענין של טעם‬

JCDS CORE VALUES Intentional Pluralism ‫פלורליזם‬ JCDS fosters curiosity, cherishes varied perspectives, engages students and welcomes every family as a partner. Intentional Pluralism at JCDS, embraces families from a broad range of Jewish expression, practice, and belief, through our shared traditions, texts, and language.

Hebrew and English throughout the Day ‫עברית‬ In the cutting-edge Hebrew instruction program at JCDS, students experience and learn in both Hebrew and English throughout the day in a single, integrated curriculum, which connects our teaching units across disciplines, and between Jewish and General studies.

Joyful Jewish Community ‫קהילה‬ JCDS is a joyful Jewish community that learns and celebrates together in rich, colorful, and meaningful ways. The creative community spirit and school mission go well beyond the walls of JCDS, for events like life-cycle celebrations, Shabbat meals, and weekend soccer games.

Matters of Taste

Page 24

‫ענין של טעם‬

‫ערכי היסוד של בית ספרינו‬ Academic Excellence ‫לימודים‬ The course of study at JCDS is rigorous and intentional, yet flexible and personalized.

Academic Excellence is built on strong skills, citizenship, and Jewish literacy set in a nurturing and relaxed atmosphere.

Whole Child ‫נפש בריאה בגוף בריא‬ At JCDS, each child is known by the faculty and administration. A culture of caring teachers, parents, and peers support the high aspirations of our hardworking students. This Whole Child approach leads to students who grow to be the best version of themselves.

Matters of Taste

Page 25

‫ענין של טעם‬

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS*

‫תודות‬

Matters of Taste Chairs

Matters of Taste Development Team

Sara Riedner Brown, Nicole Lieberman Gann, Terri Grogan, Stephanie Listokin, Alex Sagan, Dr. Susie Tanchel, Jennifer Weinstock, Arnee Winshall, and Judy Zabin

Co-Chairs, Matters of Taste 2014 Noni and Izhar Armony Host and Special Guest Committee Chair Beth Drapkin

Matters of Taste Past Chairs

In-Kind Donations to the

Sara Riedner Brown and Stephen Brown Daniel Caine Joan and Peter Hoffman Devra and Don Lasden Shira Lion and Michael Rubin Barbara Skydell Safran and Arthur Safran Julie Altman and Alex Sagan Paula and John Sinclair Nancy Smith Arnee Winshall Judy & Al Zabin, Luz Arevalo & Ed Zabin

Catering by Andrew Larry Sandberg, Sandberg Productions

Dr. Susie Tanchel

Host and Special Guest Committee Noni Armony, Shira Deener-Chodirker, Linda Hsu, David Karger, Sharon Levin, Michael Shiner, Lee Silverstone, Paula Sinclair, and Nancy Vineberg

Contributors to the Matters

of Taste Invitation

Noni Armony, Julie Gal-Or, Jen Gordon, Seth Gordon, Naomi Gurt Lind, Tova Mirvis, Emma Sandler, Guy Sapirstein, Philip Schuchert, and Joel Segel

Matters of Taste Reception

Head of School

*Thank you to all of our volunteers and staff. If we left anyone out inadvertently, you have our sincere apologies!

Matters of Taste

Page 26

‫ענין של טעם‬

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS*

‫תודות לתומכינו‬

Master Chef

Bonnie and Marty Tenenbaum Joseph and Rae Gann Charitable Foundation Sari Korman and John Hunt

Restaurateur

Anonymous Noamit Erel Armony and Izhar Armony Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) Joanne and Paul Egerman

EXECUTIVE CHEF

Anonymous Gayle and Jerry Klusky Ellen and Michael Rubin

SOUS CHEF

Anonymous (2) Joan and Peter Hoffman Claudia Davidoff and Joseph Kahan Shiri and Ilan Segev

SOMMELIER

Betsy Hecker and John J. Barter Debra Gelber and Avrom Pfeffer

MâITRE D’HOTEL

Anonymous Lois and Milton Cail Shoshana Jacobs and David Charytan Pamela and Robert Cutler Sara and Andrew Dauber Yukiko and Eran Egozy Lenie and Richard Fraiman Lillian Freedman Nicole Lieberman Gann and Joshua Gann Arieh Karger z”l and Stephanie Karger Kraft Family Foundation Elizabeth Waksman and Darren Orbach Susie and Howie Rodenstein Gilda and Alfred A. Slifka Michelle Barmazel and Kevin Steinberg Judy and Albert Zabin

CONNOISSEUR

Barbara Lapidas-Brown and Larry Brown Sara Riedner Brown and Stephen Brown Margaret and Chaim Charytan Fran Elovitz Alexander Gurevich Rabbi Susan Harris

Devra and Don Lasden Emily Beck and Jon Levisohn Stephanie and Yair Listokin Adele and Andrew Newman Fiona Epstein and Jon Pollack Shulamit and Yehuda Reinharz Robyn and Bruce Shoulson Niki Lamberg and Adam Shyevitch Tamar and Philip Warburg Jennifer and Amiel Weinstock Ruth Weinrib and Paul Weiss

GOURMAND

Beth and Ronny Drapkin Terri and Rich Grogan Sarah Markovitz and Jacob Pinnolis Suzanne Priebatsch Jennifer Kaplan and Dr. Susan Tanchel Shelley and Steven Weinstock Luz Arevalo and Ed Zabin

*Commitments as of December 27, 2012. If you would like to join this list in time for the event, please contact Terri Grogan at TerriG@jcdsboston.org or call 617-972-1733 x215

Matters of Taste

Page 27

‫ענין של טעם‬

GENERAL INFORMATION

‫מידע כללי‬

For more information about

Matters of Taste

or supporting JCDS, please contact the Office of Developement and Communications:

TERRI GROGAN

Director of Development and Communications 617-972-1733 x215 TerriG@jcdsboston.org

EMMA SANDLER

Associate Director of Communications 617-972-1733 x207 EmmaS@jcdsboston.org

Matters of Taste

Matters of Taste KASHRUT POLICY For purposes of this event, kosher means that the products used, including cheese and wine, carry a hechsher, a formal certificate of Kashrut other than a plain “K.” Kosher dinners will either be prepared in a kosher home where separate dishes, pots, pans, and utensils are used for meat and dairy, or prepared and served by Va’ad-approved kosher caterers.

EVENT PROCEEDS AND DONATION INFORMATION All proceeds from Matters of Taste will benefit the JCDS Annual Fund. Your presence enables JCDS to continue to maximize support to families attending our school, to provide our outstanding academic program, to create an intentionally pluralistic environment, and to foster a joyful Jewish community. Donations in excess of $36 per attendee are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Page 28

‫ענין של טעם‬

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

‫חבר הנאמנים‬

Sara Riedner Brown, President

Devra Lasden

Noamit Erel Armony

Stephanie Listokin

Michael Bentley, Treasurer

Adele Newman

Claudia Davidoff

Howie Rodenstein

Fiona Epstein, Clerk

Ellen Rubin

Nicole Lieberman Gann

Alex Sagan

Kathy Green, Honorary

Carey Schwartz

Alex Gurevich

Tom Schwarz

Shoshana Jacobs

Dean Solomon

Sari Korman

Arnee R. Winshall, Founding Chair

Nicole Lamberg

Judy Zabin

Matters of Taste

Page 29

‫ענין של טעם‬

57 Stanley Avenue Watertown, MA 02472 617-972-1733 www.jcdsboston.org www.mattersoftaste.org