WELCOME LETTER
Dear Class of 1975,
Todaywe celebrate 50 years—half a century since we filled the hallways of Ramaz with energy, curiosity, debate, ambition, and an unforgettable soundtrack. This commemorative issue brings togetheryour stories: the memories that still make you smile, the teachers who shaped you, the friendships that endured, and the journeys that carried you across careers, communities, and continents. As you flip through these pages, we hope you’ll feel transported—to classrooms on 85th Street, to ballgames on the roof, to school plays where anything could (and did) happen, and to the sense of togetherness that still shines through 50 years later. Here’s to the pastthatformed us, the presentthat gathers us, and the future we continue to build.
Mazal tov, Class of ’75—here’s to 50 years.
WHO WE WERE: A SNAPSHOT OF THE CLASS
When asked to describe themselves “backthen,” classmates chose words that painted a lively, diverse picture of the Class of ’75:
THE SOUNDTRACK OF 1975
Joy to the World
Bennie and the Jets
Give Peace a Chance
Suite for 20G
hARMONY
American Pie
Hatikvah
Jerusalem of Gold
Eve of Destruction
All Along the Watchtower
The BeAtles
Plus: Every single track from
Fiddler on the Roof
MEMORIES THAT STILL FEEL LIKE YESTERDAY
(even ifourkneesknow it’s been 50 years)
“Turning a bathroom into a darkroom.” – JeffreyAdler
“Guys taking our photographs all the time. Probably because of the photography club. With real cameras and not phones.”
- Fern Block Resmovits
“When the prop fireplace loudly fell over mid-scene during a production of The Mousetrap. Andy Abrams and I were facing off during the scene. I improvised something or other so that the show would go on.” – Navah Cohen Kaplan
“Michael Recanati making room for me at the table during lunch on my first day at Ramaz.” – Lauren Fleischer
“Having spent my entire pre-college career at Ramaz (K-12), it is impossible to pick one special memory. Tricking/convincing Mrs. Steinglass and Dr. Neiman into allowing us to listen to the 1969 World Series during class, despite neither one of them having a clue as to what baseball even was stands out, as do our Lag B'Omer outings during which my dad always joined us as a coach. And, of course, acting in virtually all of the school productions since sixth grade, including staring as Tevye in the all-Hebrew production of Fiddler that we performed both at Ramaz and in Riverdale and that was filmed by Israeli television was the culmination of my time at Ramaz.” – Steven Kessler
“Making and distilling rum in AP chemistry.” – Steven Schon
“Breakfasts at the diner on 86th Street.” – Molly Karp
“Frequent visits to Rav Lookstein’s office.” – Jonathan
“Rallies for Soviet Jewry — powerful and defining.” – Viviane
“Basketball games on the roof after school.” – Ira Smith
“I feel very fortunate to have attended Ramaz. The student body, while homogeneous in essential ways, was actually quite diverse and the exposure was broadening. We took advantage of being in NYC- museums, concerts and lots of theater going in the “nosebleed seats”. The education was good and we were treated well. The Senior year work/study program was a great opportunity to try something new and different and helped point me towards medicine as a career.” – Lauren Fleischer
“The parade” - Ilana Lavi Magriso
“In my senior year in high school I was part of the varsity basketball team and I lead the league in free-throws percentage. However I wasn't eligible for the title because I hadn't attempted the minimum number of free-throws required, but I was very close. My friend Robert who was the score keeper and I came up with a simple idea, Robert would record a few of the baskets I made as a successful free-throws.
Thank to that, I finished the season as the league's free-throws percentage leader and walked away with the trophy. This trophy by the way is the only one I ever won in basketball even though I continued to play in the Israeli basketball league until my ACL decided to tell me to retire when it tore at the age of 35. And now 50 years later at our class reunion, I can finally reveal the well kept secret and come clean.
And also thank you, Robert, for the only trophy I ever brought home.” - GiladTekoah
“Sneaking out of the building with my friends” - Molly Karp
TEACHERS THAT MADE THEIR MARK ON US
RABBIS JOSEPH AND HASKEL LOOKSTEIN
The education I received at Ramaz during the Rabbis Joseph and Haskel Lookstein eras was second to none I know the school has changed much in the last 50 years, but there was nothing that rivaled a Ramaz education when I was there
JESSE AUERBACH
General ScienceTeacher
RABBI BAKST
Afterfouryears at an Ivy League university, and more three years in law school, I have to say Rabbi Bakstwas the bestteacher I ever had Verywell spoken , organized, smart , excited by his material and just had a wayto convey it all to us
MRS. LASSNER
One ofthe best. I can still limp along in French while traveling if I really have to.
RABBI MOSKOWITZ
He took a personal interest in me at a time I really needed someone to care
MRS. STEINGLASS
MR. OLSEN (English) had the greatest impact on me, especially given the path I chose to pursue
MR. YERES
MR. SHERMAN
MR. MALAMUD
MR. SMITH
RABBI BUCHWALD
RABBI GROSSMAN
MICHAEL BERLE
STEVE COHEN
MR. SOLOMON
DR. NEIMAN
grilled cheese
friday tuna sandwiches on a roll with pickles and potato chips
LUNCH TIME FAVORITES
chow meinloved the sodium Baked macaroni
Kasha
Vanishkas
Tuna Caserole
Jeffery Adler
Insurance Broker
201-679-8310
jadler444@aol.com
Livingston, New Jersey
Kenneth Todd Barany
Retired Judge 212-772-1982
ktbarany@gmail.com
New York, NY
Steven Berkowitz (954) 648-9578
bbsb123@aol.com
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Mitchell Coven 917-922-2332
mcoven@nyc.rr.com
Forest Hills, NY
Ethan Heisler Writer 516-359-0975
ethhsl6@gmail.com
Great Neck, NY
NY
Molly Karp
Rabbi
rabbimollykarp@gmail.com (914) 715-5629
New York
Steven Kessler
Attorney
stevenkessler@msn.com (646) 765-6782
Ilana Lavi Magriso
Retired lawyer and full time grandmother
ilana.magriso@gmail.com 0526572169
Israel
Jeffery Lloyd
Jml465@aol.com (973) 294-9612
Yehudit Medizinsky
Physician 0523115882
yehuditmed@gmail.com
Israel
Richard Moche
rhmoche@gmail.com (617) 640-0650
Howard Radzyner 917-373-9257
hradzyner@radzyner.com
Fern B. Resmovits, Esq Attorney, Recently Retired fern.resmovits@gmail.com (516) 698-9614
Great Neck, NY
Steven Schon
Chemical Engineer steven.schon@verizon.net (610) 688-5118
Strafford, PA
Ira Smith Master Gardener smithkins@aol.com (732) 859-1209
Edison, NJ
Jay Sokolow Physician
sokolow@snet.net (203) 640-9555
New Haven, CT
Ira Stratfeld irastatfeld@gmail.com (917) 902-2115
Jonathan Strum Entrepreneur, Lawyer, Chazan jdstrum@gmail.com (703) 795-4805
Gilad Tekoah
Head accounting officer of the Jerusalem branch of the ISRAELI I.R.S. Retired, June 2025 050-620-9213
gilad.tekoah@gmail.com
Mevvaseret Zion, Israel
Judith Tretin jtretin@aol.com (914) 683-5990
Viviane Sergold Verstandig Teacher Educator 917-968-6168 vverstandig@gmail.com Hollis Hills, NY
Shira Weinstein xomaife2@gmail.com (914) 381-0314
Phil Wilner pwilner@med.cornell.edu (212) 746-3705
Adina Zion adinazion@gmail.com (917) 922-7855
