Nitzotzot Spring 2019

Nitzotzot ‫ ניצוצות‬ BOSTON’S JEWISH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL / SPARKS / Spring 2019

Nitzanim (Kindergarteners) enjoy the singing, dancing, and sunshine during the Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) Celebration.

COV E R I MAGE:

CO NTE NTS

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From the Head of School

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Parents in the News

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Meet the Kitat Oren Team

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Coding: The New Literacy

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Class Notes

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Alumni Feature: Ezra Cohen

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To Serve the Earth and Preserve It

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Matters of Taste 2019

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Family in Focus: The Div Family

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@jcdsboston

F ROM THE HEA D OF SCHOOL

‫מ ראש בית ה ספ ר‬

BOARD O F TRU S TE E S

Officers Elizabeth Waksman, President Fiona Epstein, Clerk Nathan Hayman, Treasurer Members Yaniv Bejerano Claudia Davidoff Galit Div Rachel Fish Joshua Gann Nancy Ganz Sophie Gildesgame Sari Korman Devra Lasden Sharon Levin Abe Menzin Howie Rodenstein Carey Schwartz Shiri Segev Adam Shyevitch Arnee R. Winshall, Founding Chair Head of School Dr. Susie Tanchel Founding Board Naomi Bar-Yam Yaneer Bar-Yam Rabbi Susan Harris Mark Kramer Vardit Ringvald Arnee R. Winshall Walter A. Winshall

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very day, we face conflicting experiences as we walk through the world—hope and despair, progress and regression, motivation and discouragement, inspiration and malaise—and so, too, do our children. We know that they are watching and listening, striving with their hearts and minds to make sense of their experiences.

So much of this important work, of helping children navigate their emotions, happens during their time with us here at JCDS. Whether it’s on the playground, in Tanakh or Engineering, or in a hallway interaction, our students are working to understand information, questions, and ideas. At JCDS, it is our essential responsibility to partner with our families to help our children take note of the world around them, make meaning out of what they experience, and become passionate and engaged changemakers.

This process has three steps: translation, interpretation, and obligation, or noticing, making meaning, and acting. To see the first step, come inside a Judaic studies classroom, where you’ll see students translating a text.

They start by noticing the dots, the vowels, the letters, the verb group. To the untrained eye, these data points have no significance, but after years of careful study, our children know that these seemingly small details are the key to moving successfully from translation to the next step: interpretation.

Interpreting is itself a complex process. Our children employ their finely honed analytical

skills, their knowledge of the text within its broader context, and their and other students’ questions, doubts, and wonderings.

Lastly, there is the obligation to act. In Tractate Kiddushin, in the Babylonian Talmud, there’s a debate among Rabbis concerning ‫“ תלמוד גדול או מעשה גדול‬Which is greater, study or action?” Rabbi Tarfon said action is greater, while Rabbi Akiva said study is greater. To resolve this debate, the Rabbis declared ‫שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה תלמוד‬ ‫“ גדול‬Learning is greater because it leads to action.”

At JCDS, we ask our children: what are you going to do with your interpretations? How are you going to put study into action? We want them to know that their communities— all of us—rely on them to spread goodness, to spark change, to be mensches.

In this edition of Nitzotzot, you will see examples of the interconnected process of translation, interpretation, and obligation that our students experience day in and day out, all over our school community. Join us as we come together in the sacred and necessary work of helping our beloved children become the people this world of ours needs.

B’shalom,

Dr. Susie Tanchel Head of School

Dr. Susie Tanchel congratulates 3rd graders on their milestone presentations on Midrash and interpretation.

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JCDS parents David Hirsh and Allison Cook (center), Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley (right) and HMS Dean for Medical Education Ed Hundert (left).

Image: Gretchen Ertl

PAR ENTS I N T H E N E WS

‫הו ר ים בח דשות‬ In print and online, current and alumni JCDS parents are recognized for their professional achievements in Jewish leadership and education, literature, medicine, and STEAM education. JCDS is proud to count so many leaders of the Greater Boston community among its parent body. Thank you to all of our parents for making our community so vibrant inside and outside of school.

We want to celebrate the incredible work you do in your professional, personal, and communal life.

Please send your updates to news@jcdsboston.org.

Dr. Marina Bers, parent of Talia ‘14, Alan ‘17, and Nico ‘19, was named Chair of Tufts University’s EliotPearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. With her new appointment, Dr. Bers will continue to explore and research how young students learn to be creators and collaborators with technology and with each other. In addition to being named department chair, Dr. Bers is also the director of the DevTech Research Group at Tufts University and has designed several programs for children in pre-K through 2nd grade, including the KIBO robot and ScratchJr. Dr. David Hirsh, parent of Joseph and Samuel ‘18, and James ‘21, is the inaugural recipient of the George E. Thibault Academy Professorship at Harvard Medical School. Hirsh, Director of the Harvard Medical School Academy, was the longest-serving medical director of the City of Cambridge Healthcare for the Homeless Program and co-founded a community health center. His research on medical education ranges from clinical skills training and medical school program design, to East Asian constructs of professionalism and the theories and sciences of learning.

Rabbi Dan Judson, parent of Naftali ‘15, Maayan ‘18, and Revaya ‘21, was a finalist for the 2018 National Jewish Book Award. His book, Pennies for Heaven: The History of American Synagogues and Money, examines how, since the settling of the New World, Jewish communities have dealt with funding their buildings, allocating charity, paying their staff, and navigating fiscal choices throughout the generations.

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Oren Kaunfer, Madrich Ruchani (Spiritual Educator) at JCDS and parent of Layla ‘21 and Judah ‘23, was one of five recipients of the 2018 Pomegranate Prize. Drawing on a diverse background ranging from Camp Ramah to the Carlebach Shul to MTV, Kaunfer is a fresh voice of the Jewish spirit. He is particularly interested in creating innovative and engaging t’fillah, and fostering meaningful connections to the Jewish experience.

Mazal tov to Alumni parent and former JCDS Tanakh and Toshba teacher Claudia Marbach on receiving ordination from Yeshivat Maharat. Parent of Rachel ‘06, Rebecca ‘09, and Akiva ‘11, Rabba Claudia is also the founder of One Night Shtender, a pop-up Beit Midrash for women in Boston.

Angela Sigal-Poock, parent of Gabriella ‘25, was named a 2018 Harvard Hero for her compassionate work at Harvard University Health Services. Angela was one of 61 exceptional employees who were recognized with the award.

Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, alumni parent of Jacob ‘13, was honored by the Educational and Research Foundation of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for outstanding contributions to facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at its 12th International Symposium. Dr. Spiegel received the MyFaceMyBody Award as Plastic Surgeon of the Year Male - Northeast.

MEET NIKKI A ND ZIVA , THE 1S T GRA DE TEACHI NG TEA M

‫הכ ירו את מו רות כיתת או ר ן‬

By Gavi Elkind, Director of Admissions Introducing the dynamic duo, Nikki Cohen and Ziva Kovner, the Kitat Oren (First Grade) Teaching Team!

What are the most rewarding aspects of working together as a team?

NC and ZK: The collaboration! (Both laugh.)

NC: Ziva is an amazing thought partner, and she provides reassurance, guidance, and insight. Teaching alongside her makes me feel more confident in my decision-making. Ziva has been doing this work for a long time, and she also instills a level of confidence in our families. We both have a caring, respectful approach to kids. We try to understand the reason behind their behavior and choices, and we work to see the best in them.

ZK: This is my first year at JCDS, and Nikki has been helping me to get to know the people and authentic style of the school. Nikki has a style that I believe in and use! We are so positive in how we communicate to parents, but we also believe first and foremost in telling the truth. We try to find as many positive things as possible about our students.

What’s a challenge you face when working as a team?

NC: Hebrew is a big growth opportunity for me! I try not to translate the Hebrew directions that Ziva has already given to the kids into English, but I don’t always understand what she has said. Now I am learning Hebrew alongside the students. We are talking about ways of continuing to grow next year as I develop my own speaking and comprehension.

ZK: Her Hebrew has improved so much! Time management is tough for me. It can be hard to find enough hours in the day to do everything we both want to do with the kids, in addition to all of the specialty subjects the students enjoy.

How does integration work in your classroom?

ZK: I participate in Nikki’s General Studies subjects, and she learns with the kids in Hebrew and Chumash. Twice a week, we have Kehillah (Community) Time instead of Choice Time. We do projects related to chaggim (holidays), have Zones of Regulation sessions, and teach the Habits of Mind and Heart.

It’s an important time for us to come together as a class to engage in work that crosses disciplines and integrates learning in meaningful ways.

NC: Integration happens in small ways, too. When Ziva has the kids write in Hebrew for Chumash, for example, I give them the same type of pages that the kids use for Fundations, which is their English literacy program. We try to reinforce the same skills and habits across subjects.

Why did you choose JCDS? ZK: I was looking for a school that fit my personal educational style and vision. After one week of working in the school, I immediately saw how the sense of community is so strong here, how everybody genuinely loves children and tries to take all the good from the kids and shine it outward. I didn’t fully understand pluralism until our first workshop, and then it all clicked for me!

NC: I have always wanted to teach 1st grade specifically because I love teaching reading. First grade is the year you go from making sense of sounds to curling up in the corner with a book. When I came for my first visit to JCDS, I knew I wanted to be here immediately. This school is warm, welcoming, and intentional, and it’s amazing that we all have Judaism in common with one another, while we celebrate multiple ways of expressing it.

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CO D I NG : T H E NE W L IT E R AC Y

: ‫שפות פ יתוח‬ ‫ה א וריינות החד שה‬

By Miriam Seidman, Communications Manager

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hanks to generous philanthropy, the JCDS coding program was reinvigorated this year across all grades with an integrated K-8 computer science curriculum developed in partnership with Tufts Professor (and JCDS parent) Dr. Marina Bers (see Parents in the News p. 4) “Programming is useful for everyone and for every discipline,” said Marina in her January 2019 Boston Globe article. “We don’t teach people to write because they are going to be professional writers. We shouldn’t teach them to code simply because we want them to be software developers. Programming is a tool for civic power and social change, just like reading and writing.”

Coding has become more than a technical skill; it is a way to achieve literacy in the 21st century. Essential literacy skills include the ability to use technology effectively for personal expression and complex problemsolving.

Students learn best when solving authentic problems and engaging in project-based

learning. For example, the Kindergartners’ Chanukah cards were made using the coding program ScratchJr. Nitzanim were encouraged to creatively solve problems with empathy and curiosity, approaching each new challenge as an opportunity to reflect and grow. “It was amazing to see how much students learned on their own and how much they learned from trial and error,” said Catherine Ross, K-2 Engineering Teacher. “I was so glad that I had explicitly taught the Habit of Perseverance (one of the Habits of Mind and Heart) before beginning ScratchJr because it really gave the students the strength to continue and work through frustration.”

ABOVE: Catherine Ross, K-2 Engineering Teacher, works with Gan Nitzan students to program Legos to light up in their model of the city of Haifa.

RIGHT: 1st graders use ScratchJr to tell “Knock Knock” jokes using coding blocks.

All students have been using coding and robots as a medium for self-expression and a vehicle for exploring their Jewish identities in multiple curricular areas. For example, 1st and 2nd graders used the coding program ScratchJr to tell “Knock Knock” jokes, while 6th and 7th grade Toshba (Oral Jewish Law) students illustrated their understanding of various interpretations of Jewish holidays and texts via Scratch. Coding is not just about STEM—coding is about expressing the human being, which includes Jewish identity.

LEFT: 2nd graders scan KIBO blocks to program the robots’ actions.

RIGHT: 2nd graders use KIBO robots to tell the story of the splitting of the Red Sea in the Passover story.

Students programmed the robots to dance and sing and even recorded their own voices reading parts of the narrative in Hebrew.

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Oren Kaunfer, Madrich Ruchani (Spiritual Educator), decided to infuse coding into one of the t’fillah electives last semester. He invited alumnus Matan KotlerBerkowitz ‘16 to teach the students coding skills with the goal of building a web-based app that would enhance the user’s t’fillah and prayer experience. Students’ work included a virtual minyan with tzedakah ads, prayers with open source commentary, an emotions quiz that would help choose the appropriate t’fillah, and even a crowd-sourced visualization of t’fillot using images and sounds.

“It was pretty difficult for many students, but that did not deter them from working; if anything, students wanted more time to work and continue their coding,” said Oren. Dr. Bers added: “If kids have started to learn coding in Kindergarten, then by Middle School they will not be afraid to learn a new coding language even if they haven’t seen it before.”

Computer science education should strive to give children the most powerful impact of computational literacy: expression with their own voices. “Programming expands our tool set for thinking and sharing those thoughts beyond the textual and the static,” said Marina. This is the way we at JCDS are preparing our students to express themselves and prepare to walk through the world with open minds and hearts.

JCDS CO DI N G CURRI CULUM LI B R ARY Kindergarten: Chanukah Cards 1st grade: “Knock Knock” Jokes 2nd grade: Literacy Unit 3rd grade: Pluralism Projects 4th grade: Math Fractions 6th grade: My Jewish Value Presentations 7th grade: Chanukah Candle Lighting 5th - 8th grade: Coding T’fillah Elective

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CLA S S N OT E S

LEFT: Isaac Altman-Sagan ‘15 with his mother Julie Altman at this year’s Matters of Taste.

JC D S ‫בוג ר י‬

Studying?

Working?

Volunteering?

Traveling?

Involved in your community?

Getting married?

Having a baby?

Let us know what’s happening in your life by emailing your updates to news@ jcdsboston.org.

If you previously attended JCDS for any length of time, you are part of the JCDS alumni family.

To learn more about the annual Alumni Reunion Brunch or to help plan other acitivities, contact Sophie Gildesgame ‘06 or Sharon Levin, parent ‘15, members of the JCDS Alumni Committee and the Board of Trustees, at news@jcdsboston.org

Yadin Soffer Yadin Soffer, one of the first students at JCDS, is now the CEO of Xperiti, an AI-powered expert network he founded with Dr. Rafi Gidron (Chromatis) last year. Yadin gained experience founding and structuring a sustainable business model for Israel’s TEDxTelAviv, which continues to operate today hosting dozens of TEDtalks yearly and has a community of thousands of followers.

Class of 2002 Emma Gildesgame Emma Gildesgame ‘02 is completing a master’s degree in environmental management at Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Science this May. She is specializing in water resource management and coastal resilience.

While at Yale, she was a writer/editor for the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Emma is looking forward to moving back to Boston this summer and moving from graduate student life to full-time employment.

Class of 2006 Yael Rhodes Yael Rhodes ‘06 is currently finishing up a dual masters in Conflict Resolution and a Social Impact MBA at the Heller School at Brandeis University. She aims to work in the field of peacebuilding, focusing on restorative justice and mediation. She is engaged and getting married to her partner Anna at the end of the summer. Mazal tov!

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Class of 2007 Eitan Lewin-Arundale Eitan Lewin-Arundale ‘07 married Kylie Nave over the summer on a beautiful mountain top in Colorado surrounded by family. Mazal tov!

Class of 2008 Lianne Gross Mazal tov to Lianne Gross ‘08 on her engagement to Robbie Philipp.

The two met in Israel and will be living in Chicago where Lianne is a Judaic studies teacher at Chicago Jewish Day School.

Class of 2016 Amalia Hochman Amalia Hochman ‘16 is coorganizer of the Massachusetts Youth Climate Strike. In an interview with WBUR radio, Amalia said, “Last year, after the Parkland shooting, my friends and I did a lot of organizing. We walked out of school and helped with the March for Our Lives: Boston. Since then, I’ve been trying to get involved in as many youth-led movements as possible…. I think that climate change can feel really discouraging to people because it’s this huge thing. I think a lot of people feel like, ‘I’m just one person and I can’t make a difference.’ But youth-led movements have an incredible feeling of hope, which is good. This strike is going to be fun and full of hopeful people.

Young people don’t feel discouraged; we feel like we can do anything we put our minds to.”

P E RSP EC T IVE TAK IN G WI T H E Z R A CO HE N ‘0 6

‫הכיר ו א ת ע ז ר א כהן‬

By Jennifer London, Director of Development and Communications

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zra Cohen ‘06 was first mentioned to me by his biggest fan: his mother. When I met Ezra in person shortly thereafter, I was delighted to learn that everything Miriam May had told me about her fabulous son was true: he’s a warm, personable, articulate guy doing rewarding work in the world and living a full life enriched

by Jewish values. To meet Ezra is to meet the JCDS mission in action.

After graduating from JCDS, Ezra went on to Newton North High School and then to McGill University in Montreal where he majored in Anthropology and minored in Psychology and Marketing. He represented Canada and McGill in a variety of international debate competitions. In reflecting on his studies and accomplishments, Ezra draws a through-line from JCDS: “Anthropology, psychology, marketing and successful debate all rely on perspective taking. When I coach high school debaters, I tell them, there are intelligent people in the world who believe the other side of this position; your job is to figure out how and why they think this way and what are their assumptions. That is something that I’ll ascribe to JCDS. Having experience talking and thinking about different people from different perspectives gave me an advantage early on. That is the memory I carry with me of JCDS. I was made to feel comfortable challenging, arguing, talking.”

Ezra said the valuing of diversity, understanding, and pluralism guide him today as he speaks to start-up companies for the first time. He currently makes his home in Toronto where he works for Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a seed-stage program for scalable science-based companies. The term “creative destruction” refers to a theory of economic innovation and the business cycle.

Launched in 2012, CDL brings together angel investors, venture capitalists, scientists and economists, among others, to mentor companies admitted to the program.

The CDL has been described as an interrogation chamber for entrepreneurs that has “developed a promising method for helping early stage companies... to grow, flourish and attract private capital” (The Globe and Mail, August 2018).

“We bring in scientists, people who are building innovative science and looking to bring their science to society,” Ezra explained. “I find early stage companies anywhere in the world who leverage AI and Machine Learning in some capacity. My job is to first understand their motivation, what have they done and what they hope to do. A big part of my job is translation. Many scientists have a hard time effectively describing what they can do. I work with them to ensure that they can better articulate their message. I coach them in these perspective taking exercises to put them in the head of their customers, a regulator, a potential investor, asking them to think about who they are, what they want, what they know and what they don’t.”

Having experience

In thinking about talking and thinking community, about different Ezra shared, “My friends from people from different JCDS Jesse perspectives gave me an Elovitz ‘06, Ezra Karger ‘06, and advantage early on. That Gabe Kapchuk is the memory I carry ‘07 have been my best friends with me of JCDS. basically my whole life. We formed bonds at JCDS, given the small class size. The friendships were cemented on Shabbatot with family and the Jewish community. My relationships with them have reinforced my sense of JCDS as part of my identity in terms of the things I ascribe as being foundational and transformational.”

In my work here at JCDS, it’s my pleasure to be surrounded by children: their smiles, their songs, their studies. I see six-year-olds confidently striding down the hall to Gan Nitzan. I don’t get to see as often how those six-year-olds look at age 26. It is remarkable to learn how they keep JCDS in their hearts and minds as they reach maturity.

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L’OV DA U ’L’SHO MR A: TO SE RVE T HE E ART H A ND P RE SE RVE IT

‫ל ע ו ב דה ו ל שו מ רה‬

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ood and its surrounding social, environmental, and spiritual systems have always been a core concern in Jewish tradition, texts, law, stories, and observances.

The new JCDS Lunch Program, launched in September, was inspired by Jewish values and in turn inspired a unique curriculum that allows students, parents, and staff to put their Jewish values into practice in a concrete, accessible manner.

In collaboration with staff, JCDS parent volunteer Marion Menzin (parent of Lev ‘18, Ari ‘20, Isaac ‘22, and Eve ‘25) organized the lunch program. “From the beginning, Marion knew that this program would be important and relevant to our school,” said Emily Charton, Principal. “We are incredibly grateful for her wisdom and vision! She not only helped to launch a program that kids love (and parents appreciate), but also made the program thoughtful and multifaceted in true JCDS style.”

Marion works with JCDS parent Laura Shechter (parent of Kayla ‘23) and a team of JCDS parent and grandparent volunteers to bring a hot lunch to students once a week. The food is locally sourced, sustainable, and introduces the children to new vegetables and fruits. In order to reinforce Jewish values in the classroom and the lunchroom, Marion and Laura partnered with Dorit Zmiri, Director of Jewish Studies, to map out how different aspects of food, from nutrition to composting to social service, could benefit curriculum throughout the school. These values include l’ovda u’l’shomra (protecting the earth), tsa’ar ba’alei chayim (kindness to animals), avodah (service), chesed (lovingkindness), tzedakah (justice), kehillah

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(community), and more.

Building on these themes and values, here are some of the ways the Lunch Program has elevated students’ experience with food far beyond the enjoyment of what they are served: Sixth Grade As part of their week-long multi-disciplinary Learning Adventure, sixth graders gained environmental and global awareness around the food cycle, from purchase, to consumption, to discarding waste. They met with experts about where food comes from and where it goes. They were then guided through David Moss’s Synectics method for creative problem solving to develop immediate and personal solutions to problems they identified around food production and consumption within the school. “JCDS students need a way to think about the food they’re eating because it’s important to acknowledge the significance of the food we eat everyday,” said the students during school-wide presentations.

They raised the issue of unjust working conditions for food laborers, and proposed a solution: to buy Fair Trade coffee for the faculty, to raise money for organizations

ABOVE: Marion Menzin prepares special hot lunch treats for the entire school using locally sourced fruits and vegetables.

RIGHT: Students display their recycled collages created as part of their Learning Adventure.

BELOW: 3rd grade students oversee and assess the hot dog lunch process as part of their Learning Adventure.

helping mistreated workers by holding a bake sale, and to institute composting throughout the school (through Black Earth Compost).

Third Grade During their Learning Adventure, third graders focused on how to make the Lunch Program experience even better. They surveyed multiple groups, and researched and tested an array of ideas.

Students proposed new food options and helped raise composting awareness among students.

Fifth Grade Fifth graders recently visited JF&CS (Jewish Family & Children’s Service) to make cards for Holocaust survivors.

During their visit, they learned about the importance of having a kosher food pantry in the Boston area because there are many families who are in need of extra help with food. They toured Family Table, our local kosher food pantry.

While the focus of the experience was on social action, this was a real-life example of how students can help people in need through food and nutrition. The concepts of a kosher food pantry and fami-

lies being in need of food to eat were deeply meaningful for the children.

Seventh Grade In seventh grade Judaic studies classes, students explored the relationship between Jewish teaching and environmental responsibility in a variety of ways.

They discussed how Jewish values, ethical norms, and considerations guide our consumption of food as individuals and as a community. They studied various sources about kashrut and the evolving process of halacha, and applied those concepts to their own lives. In particular, they did a deep dive into Tractate Chulin 110A, in which certain halachic rulings are challenged and reassessed. To carry their Talmud learning beyond the intellectual realm into the artistic one, while keeping to the theme of environmental responsibility, the students created art projects using recycled materials.

Lunch at JCDS not only deepens students’ appreciation for food and the way it connects to core Jewish values; it extends the intangible benefits of social cohesion and a sense of purpose in being involved in this community.

TH ANK YOU TO ALL OF THE H OT LUNCH VO LU NTEERS Beth Badik Jill Baker Katya Brezgunova Talia Engelhart Josh Gann Nicole Gann Debby Gelber Amy Gortler Naomi Gurt Lind Andrea Kamens Rachel Kaunfer Karen Linitz Meg Lederman Marion Menzin J. P. Nahmias Carla Naumburg Amberly Polidor Jaka Saarony Ruthie Saarony Laura Shechter Miriam Sheftel Dominique Weyl

LEFT: Hot lunch volunteers work together during the Chanukah Celebration to make latkes and donuts for the whole school.

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MATTERS OF TASTE 201 9 ‫ענין של טעם‬ 1

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On March 31, more than 250 friends of JCDS gathered together for our annual benefit event, Matters of Taste. Classrooms were transformed into elegant, welcoming dining spaces, the halls and galleries were alive with student work, and guests experienced the magic of the school. The silent auction featured over 100 items, curated by a group of dedicated volunteers. Nine speaker-leaders from the greater Boston area intrigued guests with topics ranging from the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein to the Israeli cafe scene. On behalf of the Board, staff, and students at JCDS, we want to express our deepest appreciation to the Co-Chairs, the planning committee, the generous sponsors, and the many people whose presence and support helped to make this event a success.

(Captions from left to right) 1 Hannah Pickard, MOT Special Guest, and Betsy Hecker, former trustee and former board president, and John Barter 2 Bex Steinberg ‘16, Michelle Barmazel and Kevin Steinberg, alumni parents, and Jennifer London, JCDS Director of Development and Communications 3 Nicole Gann, James Cohen, and Jen Kaplan, parents and Co-Chairs, Matters of Taste 2019 4 Beth Stevens, MOT Special Guest, and Tom Schwarz, former trustee

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5 Arnee R. Winshall, Founding Chair and alumni parent, and Lillian Freedman 6 Charlie Radin, Joanne Baker, JCDS teacher and Rosh 8th Grade, Ofer Zmiri, and Dorit Zmiri, JCDS Director of Jewish Studies

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7 Liz Waksman, President, JCDS Board of Trustees, and parent, and Dr. Susie Tanchel, Head of School and parent

8 Rachel Dayanim, parent, Kyra Dayanim ‘19, Meital Baker ‘19, and Jill Baker, parent 9 Nir Caspi, MOT Special Guest, and Shiri Segev, trustee and parent 10 Noni and Izhar Armony, former trustees and alumni parents 11 Emily Charton, JCDS Principal, and Roy Heffernan, MOT Special Guest 12 Noa Vineberg ‘15, Jacob Foster ‘15, Talya Lerner ‘15, and Isaac AltmanSagan ‘15 13 Dr. Susie Tanchel and Jen Kaplan, parents 14 Deb Gaffin, Shirah Rubin, and Rabbi Claudia Kreiman, parents 15 Nicole and Josh Gann, parents, and Leah Gann ‘16 16 Don Lasden, Devra Lasden, trustee, and David Sharff, MOT CoChair 2018 17 Arieh and Lisa Coll, and Liz Waksman and Darren Orbach

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FA M I LY I N FO C US

‫ב או ר ה ז רקור‬ GALIT AND LI OR D I V, L IA ‘25 , AND G UY ‘ 2 7

By Naomi Gurt Lind, parent of Akiva ‘18 and Gideon ‘22

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he name Lior Div might be familiar to many in the JCDS Community from when he was a popular guest speaker at Matters of Taste in 2016.

As an entrepreneur who founded the hot cybersecurity company, Cybereason, Lior places a high value on the habits of heart and mind taught at JCDS. Cybereason has close to 500 employees in over 15 countries with offices in Tel Aviv, Tokyo, London and Boston. The company continues to grow exponentially and be a market leader in the Cybersecurity industry.

In a recent interview, Lior and his wife Galit cited the school’s emphasis on growth mindset, problem-solving, and learning from failure as being both qualities necessary for a great entrepreneur and some of the many reasons they chose JCDS for their two children, Lia ‘25 and Guy ‘27.

Since moving to Boston from Israel in 2014, the Divs have sought out Jewish education for their children every step of the way. When it was time to look for an elementary school, several families in their circle recommended JCDS. “After a tour at the school where we met Susie and the staff and felt the warm atmosphere everywhere, it took us very little time to know that JCDS would be the perfect fit for our family,” Galit said.

In the three years they have been at JCDS, the Divs have jumped right into the community. Galit joined the Board of Trustees and volunteers regularly at school. She was active in this year’s Matters of Taste committee, bringing her charm and creativity to the creation of the tribute book and making the silent auction a success. When asked

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what inspires all of this volunteer energy, Galit said, “JCDS is a special place. It gives a lot to our children. We believe in the school, in the values... the way it teaches the kids to explore, ask questions, be curious and most importantly, to be a good person. We want to see this school continue to grow and develop.”

From left to right: Lia ‘25, Galit, Lior, and Guy ‘27

The Divs appreciate the way JCDS instills values and habits of heart and mind in their children and the way these values play out explicitly in all studies, becoming part of the natural language of their kids.

When asked what is the best part of being a JCDS family, Galit replied: “There are so many best parts of being a JCDS family but the main one is the feeling of belonging. Living far away from home (Israel), we still feel at home: celebrating the Jewish holidays, hearing the Hebrew language at school, singing Israeli songs and feeling the Israeli culture. When our kids reach academic and developmental milestones in addition to the great Israeli and Jewish atmosphere, it strengthens our feeling even more that we have made the right choice by sending our kids to JCDS.” Generous with their time, energy, creativity and philanthropy, the Divs are devoted to JCDS, their home away from home. And when eight-year-old Lia says, “Thank you for choosing JCDS to be my school.” Galit and Lior agree: “It means everything.” Thank you, Div family, for choosing JCDS.

We have made the right choice by sending our kids to JCDS.

Lia ‘25 and Guy ‘27 celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) in May at JCDS.

NI T ZOT ZOT / S PRIN G 2019

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N O N P R OFI T

57 STA N L EY AVE NU E , WATE RTOWN, MA 02472 6 1 7-972-1 733 W W W.JCDSBOSTON.ORG E I N TAX I D # 04 -3278141

ORG U. S. P OSTAG E PA I D B OSTO N MA P E R M I T N O. 5 5 0 5 8

N I T ZOT ZOT M AG A Z I NE C R E D I TS

Editorial Miriam Seidman Communications Manager

Printing Jennifer London Director of Development and Communications

Signal Graphics Layout Design Miriam Seidman

Photography Gary Alpert Jamie Rosenblatt Miriam Seidman Elana Skolnick-Einhorn SPA R KS MAG A Z IN E / FA L L

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