High School Co-Principal Allison Isbell P’22, ’25, ’28 Remembers Sarah Katz ’19

In the fall, we learned of the sudden passing of Sarah Katz ’19. As a faculty, we were devastated by the loss of an incredibly ambitious, accomplished, and vibrant graduate of LREI. During her years at the High School, Sarah engaged in each of her courses with a commitment to learning. Outside of class, she led the school in initiatives that were personal to her — namely, leading efforts to help her peers become certified in CPR. Sarah’s passion and commitment to community health extended beyond the school building as well. From 2011 on, she served as Red Cap Ambassador with the American Heart Association, teaching CPR in other high schools and underserved communities. Sarah was motivated to help others who, like her, lived with congenital heart disorders. She was relentless in her advocacy for life-saving measures like CPR for all and AED placements in public spaces.

As our student, Sarah’s passion for learning, her inquisitive nature, and her infectious smile brought so much into our classrooms. We have so many memories of Sarah — as a writer, thinker, debater. She was a crucial member of the junior trip team that traveled to El Paso, Texas, to study immigration and border policy. Sarah spoke Spanish fluently and was an immense resource when helping families who had crossed the border get much-needed supplies.

Sarah put her all into everything she did during her years at LREI. From moments like her role in "The Laramie Project" to pouring her immense writing skills into an article about Nicholas Cleves ’12 (our alum who died in the West Side Highway attack), Sarah took on every single project with energy and heart, setting a high bar for herself in every endeavor.

This is the Sarah that we remember.

LREI remembers former trustees Victor Navasky ’50 and George Rosenfeld. We remember Victor Navasky ’50 as a journalist, professor, academic, and author of Naming Names, a book about the Blacklisting era in Hollywood. For 27 years, he was an influential leader of The Nation, one of the country’s oldest publications, as both an editor and publisher. We remember George Rosenfeld for his dedicated leadership and long time service on the LREI Board of Trustees during a pivotal time in the school's history. George also led the board at the Odyssey House where he helped to save the lives of thousands of vulnerable men, women and children suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders. We offer our condolences to George's wife, Nancy, a long-time LREI French teacher, and his children

Julia ’88 and Jesse ’92. LREI is grateful for these former trustees' contributions to the Board and our community.

After graduation from LREI, Sarah began her studies at The University of Pennsylvania, where she planned to study law. During her first year at Penn, Sarah worked as a research assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she introduced a bill to Pennsylvania state legislators advocating that all Pennsylvania schools become certified “heart-safe” spaces. She returned to campus this semester eager to begin working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a health communications intern.

Sarah’s younger sister, Dana ’21, is a beloved graduate as well, and the faculty has kept Dana in heart and mind as she has grieved the loss of her sister. The Katz sisters are a beautiful reflection of their parents, Michael and Jill, and embody the values of ethical engagement and excellence they instilled in them.

Aaron Brill ’45

Alexander “Sandy”

Drescher ’47

Peter Blos ’47

Aline “Bunny” Mayer

Drescher ’48

Paul Rosenberg ’48

Victor Navasky ’50

Richard Udell ’50

Ezra Shahn ’51

Edith Cannon ’51

Michael Carlin ’51

Pat Colt ’51

Peter Feldman ’54

Donald Slotkin ’54

Beth Dolan Drezner ’57

Elisabeth Reiter ’58

Carl Samrock ’59

David Sarlin ’61

Kathy Boudin ’61

Kate Hays ’61

Gail Levy Pool ’64

Bob Sarlin ’64

Leif (Preminger)

Johnson ’93

George Rosenfeld

P’88, ’92 (former Board Chair)

Jason Forde ’97

Rocco Basile

P’23, ’26

Scott Schimmel

P’18 P’21

Steven B. Schnall

P’21 ’24

Sarah Katz ’19

Larry Kaplan (Honorary Alum)

P’99, P’04, GP’26, GP’30

Grace Cohen (Honorary Alum)

P’79