Hadashot
Schechter News Spring 2020
Table of Contents Letter from Rebecca Lurie, Head of School 1 This is Schechter 2 Points of Intersection 5 Taking Off Collaboration Soars at Gan Shelanu 6-7 Made in Massachusetts Third-Grade State Fair 8-9 The Big Debate Evolution vs. Creation 10-11 The Time is Now Introducing Schechter’s Green Team 14-15 Students at the Center 16-17 The Humanity of Robotics An Interview with Aaron Jaeger ’09 18-19 Roots An Interview with Anya Manning ’99 20-21 The Storyteller An Interview with Josh Funk ’93 22-23 Habits of Mind An Interview with Bayley Basson ’18 24-25 Class Notes 28-29 Community Notes CREDITS Writing Stephanie Fine Maroun Photos Drew Bird Photography, Jerry Jaegar, Stephanie Fine Maroun Graphic Design Tania Fine Helhoski, BirdDesign Printing Litho-craft Printers We have made every effort to ensure accuracy. Please contact hadashot@ssdsboston.org.
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Letter from Rebecca Lurie, Head of School
Dear Friends, A
Welcome spring! We hope this issue of Hadashot finds your family safe, well and together. t Schechter, we talk about the concepts of b’tzelem elokhim (created in God’s image) and klal yisrael (Jewish community). By this we mean that each person in our community has his or her own special brilliance and strength and that our community is stronger and better
overall when we each contribute, support and partner with each other. We are an indivisible whole made up of many unique and incredible parts. Throughout this issue of Hadashot, just as in the everyday life of the school, these themes recur over and over in remarkable ways. We celebrate and are grateful to each member of the Schechter community, all of whom ignite each other’s learning, creativity and growth every day. Let the sparks fly! L’shalom,
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This is Schechter “ My students do not want to be shielded from tough issues. They want to know what Judaism ‘says’ about issues ranging from abortion to the death penalty. What should we do about Holocaust denial? About unethical business practices? There is no one answer to any of these questions, so we look to a variety of sources to help us, from ancient commentators to modern responsa.”
From “Lo BaShamayim Hi: Civic Responsibility through Jewish Texts” by Grade 8 Social Studies and Language Arts Teacher Rachel Chiel Katz ’97 in the January 2020 Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools blog
2019 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN The 2019 Annual Campaign raised $1.4 million with support from 804 donors.
$1.4 million
COMMUNITY HELPERS
Schechter has become a partner school with Facing History and Ourselves. This collaboration will engage students in studying the history of racism, antisemitism and prejudice at pivotal points of history to prepare them for their participation in a democratic and just society. Current parent and MassGeneral cardiologist Jonathan Ludmir ’98 with his Pre-K son, Benjamin
As part of the Community Helpers unit in Pre-K, parents share their jobs and interests with students. A cantor, engineer, gemologist, social worker, musician, interior designer, camp director, lawyers and doctors have been among the visitors.
T H I S W I N T E R , seventh-grade students welcomed residents from the Coleman House, a senior residential living community, for lunch and a tour of the Upper School. The visit was part of a year-long spiritual and social entrepreneurship program for students to build relationships with Coleman House residents, learn about the issues they face as seniors in the community and work in teams to identify possible solutions.
UPPER SCHOOL ISRAELI DANCE TROUPE
SCHECHTER’S ENROLLMENT FOR THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL IS UP FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
Schechter’s Israeli dance troupe, Kochavim,
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performed the song “Yassou” during halftime at the Annual Grade 8 Student vs. Faculty Basketball Game in February.
“ W ho would think that processed and chemically modified foods would cost substantially less than fresh alternatives? In this project, I had to look for cheaper foods while still trying to maintain a healthy diet. When I looked for the cheapest products, only canned and processed foods would appear, while the most expensive products were very fresh. I was indignant at how difficult it is for low-salary families to support themselves and their families with the paltry benefits. My perspective changed completely.” Reflection from sixth-grade student Henry Goldstein as part of a Tanach class assignment in which students were challenged to buy a week’s worth of groceries on InstaCart using only $26.80 in simulated SNAP benefits. 2
With support from Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the City of Newton, Schechter provides free bus transportation to 150 students every day.
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Intersection
Points of Intersection Most intersections have a stop sign or traffic lights, perhaps a yield sign, but not at Schechter. Well, not exactly. Faculty members in different subject areas are encouraged to collaborate and design multi-dimensional, new lessons for students by blending and building upon each other’s expertise. These points of intersection – in essence, intentional and well-designed “collisions” – expose students to the dynamic results of synergistic and non-linear learning. Pioneering partnerships across disciplines are only possible in a school whose culture invites experimentation and emphasizes teamwork. Turn the page for three stories that show the impressive thinking and learning that result when teachers, topics and students converge in fresh ways.
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“ Mira loves learning about Israel at Gan Shelanu. Whenever she pretends to travel somewhere by car, bus or airplane, she always says she is going to Israel.� Sari Fein, parent of current Gan Shelanu student
Taking Off S
Collaboration Soars at Gan Shelanu
ince the 2010 founding of Gan Shelanu, Schechter’s early childhood program, the annual “trip to Israel” has always been an eagerly anticipated event after Passover break. Students delight in boarding a pretend plane or wearing their swimsuits to school for a run under the sprinklers on the day they “visit” the Dead Sea. Preschoolers bring a passport from activity to activity gathering stamps along the way. As planning was underway for the 2019-2020 school year, Gan Shelanu faculty members posed a “what if” question among each other: what if we went to Israel for the entire year instead of two weeks?
teach about Israel. We spend so much time with each other that we really help raise these little students. We are not just co-workers or teacher and student. We are family and that allows us to experiment and dream. We were able to take a two-week long unit and create an entirely new Israel education program.
By adopting the identity of longer term residents rather than visiting tourists, teachers have developed a multifaceted environment for students that touches every sense and subject. There is greater depth to the children’s Israel curriculum and more Hebrew in a program that already boasts daily Hebrew starting in the 15-month-old class.
“Israel is the overarching theme of the year. For each of the Jewish holidays, we have gone to a different city in Israel,” Debbie continues. “In September, we started in Jerusalem, singing songs against the backdrop of a paper Kotel we made.” By combining early literacy with the mitzvah of caring for others, every teacher and student worked together to create notes for the Kotel. Students were exposed not only to the tradition of placing small paper notes in the Kotel with wishes and prayers, but also to the value of thinking about other people’s needs and wellbeing. Debbie shares that the children often took their parents by the hand at morning drop-off, bringing them to the Kotel to point out their personal notes.
Gan Shelanu Assistant Principal Debbie Moukit explains. “Gan Shelanu is a very special place. Our faculty works so well together that we looked with different eyes at how we could
Haifa was the stop for Tu Bishvat in February. Students sampled real fruit from the scenic corner in Gan Shelanu’s main space which had been transformed into Mount Carmel,
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replete with a Bahá’í Temple made from cardboard boxes and paper groves of fruit-bearing trees climbing the walls. Teachers enhanced the theme of trees by talking about tikkun olam and the different ways we can take care of the earth. Preschoolers rotated through stations in which they created posters about recycling and learned how paper is made. In science, the children examined branches and twigs with different textures, then used pine needles as paintbrushes in art. Thinking big is nothing new at Gan Shelanu. “Teachers partner together and bring their own ideas and varying expertise to work every day,” says Debbie. “This is our way.”
Made in Massachusetts Third-Grade State Fair
Using an array of firsthand and online research tools, students have a growing grasp of their own place in the larger state community by being exposed to the abundant Jewish history here.
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t is the sixth tiniest state in the nation, but third-grade students are learning that Massachusetts is anything but small. The State Fair has long been a festive, patriotic milestone for this grade. Each student chooses and represents an American state spanning one coast to the other, becoming an expert ready to share data points and interesting nuggets. This year, however, students are zooming in on Massachusetts alone and expanding the breadth and depth of their knowledge about the place we call home. Lower Division Principal Ellen Agulnick notes that the newly designed Massachusetts State Fair is a more meaningful synthesis of skill building and subject matter. “Third-graders learn about colonialism and the state of Massachusetts through Social Studies as part of the regular curriculum. By working with the classroom teacher, our Literary Specialist and librarian, the students are expanding their research abilities and digital competence. They are working towards applying their knowledge on a deeper level. We now work all year towards the culminating State Fair.” Outside visitors and field trips augment the buckets of books on colonial dress, Bay State history and homegrown heroes that line the classroom shelves. “The students are immersed in their study of the Wampanoag Nation, European Exploration and now Colonial America,” explains third-grader teacher Maya Pariser. “They can study these topics for their project or even as they relate to the town or city where the student lives. We spent a day at Plimoth Plantation and also welcomed a member of the Newton Historical Society to our class to discuss the American Revolution.” The compact geographical footprint of Massachusetts is indeed a grand portal that has opened students’ eyes to the state’s diversity as well as to its personal relevance. This fresh format is rife with opportunity to understand Jewish life in Massachusetts from the earliest Jewish settlers to the current day population. Using an array of firsthand and online research tools, students have a growing grasp of their own place in the larger state community by being exposed to the abundant Jewish history here. iving into the facts and figures of state animals and trees, learning about local D businesses and industry and celebrating Massachusetts’ beloved sports teams all make for a multidisciplinary approach that stays within state lines, but crosses and unites several academic areas. Students have peeled back the layers of Massachusetts’ rich past and modern day identity, giving them new pride and appreciation for our very big corner of the world.
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The Big Debate Evolution vs. Creation
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ough, fascinating, complex, controversial, messy, personal. This is a big question and every year, Grade 7 and 8 Science Teacher Tim Morris hears it from his students. If evolution is true, why do people still believe in God? Tim addresses this idea by giving students an open forum to work out their thoughts on the seeming tension this question poses. “At the end of the evolution unit in eighth-grade science, I invite [Director of Jewish Life and Learning] Rabbi Ravid Tilles to join us for a day. Students debate and discuss the implications that evolution has on their belief in God. Rabbi Tilles and I really take a back seat.” Tim starts with an ostensibly simple challenge, asking students to tell him something they know for certain. They respond eagerly. “I have hair!” “I exist!” “1 + 1 = 2!” “Ah,” says Tim, “prove it.”
“I can feel it!” “I woke up and I saw myself!” “Um...the more I think about it, the more it confuses me.” “Your senses are one way to base your answer,” responds Tim. “This was René Descartes’ starting point. ‘I think, therefore I am.’ But I am going to push you. How do you know you’re not dreaming?”
“Maybe this is all a giant simulation that started three seconds ago!” “What if even your memories are not something you can count on? Maybe this isn’t real and there is something else going on. Why do people continue to believe in God in light of scientific perspective?” asks Tim.
Tim reveals that he once wrestled with this conflict, finally concluding that he could use science to help understand his faith. Students quickly pick up the gauntlet. The conversation that ensues is equal parts intellectual, abstract and beautiful, testing the eighth-graders to reevaluate personal assumptions and explore their feelings about the apparent paradox between science and faith. “I think people believe in God because they need something to rely on. A higher being is comforting,” begins Jacob Joseph. Fellow student Elle Sohn suggests, “I think people believe in God because it is one constant thing in their lives when nothing else is constant.” Sabrina Strapp adds a twist. “God can mean whatever someone wants it to mean. A friend can be a superior being to lean on or turn to.” Seth Korn jumps in. “God could have created the world in six days, our God that Jewish people believe in, but that does not explain evolution. Maybe God set evolution in motion and then let evolution move forward on its own.” Josh Wolf notes that “there is no evidence proving God did not create the world.” “I grew up in a religious family,” Mira Weglein offers. “I believe God created the world in seven days, but maybe we are still in one long seventh day.” Emma Hait concurs. “I was talking about this with my dad. The Torah does not say whether evolution happened or not. It says all the things that happened, but God doesn’t say how long the seventh day took.” Oz Madar raises his hand. “I think the world created itself with meteors, but there was no camera. I think God put finishing touches on the world. Earth created itself and started life, then God sprinkled his glitter on the world and life started to grow slowly through evolution.” 10
Students acknowledge that one’s faith can change over time. “I don’t think you have to believe or not believe or decide exactly what you believe, ” says Abby Goldstein. “At different moments, I relate to different things that God has done.” Sophie Berk agrees. “I think faith can change throughout someone’s life. Right now, I’m torn. I’m a kid. I don’t know what I believe yet. I am sure some adults feel that way, too.” Rabbi Tilles looks up from the pages on which he has written down the students’ ideas. “I have thought about this a lot. I make a living thinking about this. I don’t have the answers, but I know for sure that the Torah is not a science textbook. To read it like that is irresponsible to science textbooks and belittles the Torah. I read the Torah for what it is: a guide to understand our place in the universe. “In my Tanach class, evidence is super important. But, we also see that different interpretations can come from the same evidence. Different people see evidence differently from someone else. Is there proof that God exists and proof that nature exists? The two proofs can co-exist. The way the world exists is unbelievable. I love science and I love God. We can understand evidence in front of us in a religious way, scientific way or ideally both.” Class is over and students pack up their things, but the discussion of the past hour has made only one concept certain. Introspection about a belief system can yield more questions than conclusions. The eighth-graders have shown themselves to be rapt and respectiful listeneners, able to express their own conjectures or truths openly and clearly, core skills that will serve them throughout life’s complexities.
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The Time is Now Introducing the Green Team
S “We can’t recycle ourselves out of our environmental problems; the solution is upstream.”
ustainability, waste reduction and eco-friendly practices are increasingly prominent in our collective consciousness. Schechter’s new Green Team recognizes the critical urgency for thoughtful choices and renewable practices on a global level and also at school. Students are not only focused on green adaptations and culture change for September, but have already developed initiatives for the current academic school year. Faculty supervisors Claire Caine, Instructional Technology Specialist, and Heather Budd, Intermediate Division Support Services, along with Facility Manager Dan Brenn and Technology Support Specialist Susan Weiss meet with students regularly to guide real life data collection from the Upper School, then help students analyze that data, develop and present ideas for improvement to the larger school community. Schechter parent Jonathan Slutzman is an environmental engineer and doctor who is focused on sustainability work for MassGeneral Hospital. Jonathan spoke to the Green Team early this year to share his expertise and help hone the students’ project ideas. “It’s useful to think about pollution and emissions from many different sources.” Jonathan explained to students that the “biggest differences can be made in using less stuff [and reusing] as much as possible.” He encouraged the Green Team to lead the charge in “making good choices about what is actually needed. We can’t recycle ourselves out of our environmental problems; the solution is upstream.” Seventh-grader Orly Bolan has spearheaded a trash audit to evaluate where there is unnecessary waste in our current practices. Her goal is to heighten faculty and student awareness of how much trash is produced at school. Fourth-grader Elliot Glasser notes that field trips are an obvious and easily addressed example of refuse. “Parents are asked to send kids with food packaging that can be thrown away after a single use.” Next up is an educational campaign directed towards students and staff about sustainable practices we can begin implementing now on a daily basis. Fifth-graders Liza Scott, Abby Singer and Liat Skolnick are also planning a “carry-in/carry-out” low-waste lunch. By developing in-school advertising that details the goals of the day and provides tips, they will encourage students to bring their lunches and snacks in reusable containers and avoid all plastic and Ziploc bags. Liza, Abby and Liat hope that this will be the norm one day rather than a pilot. Ultimately, Green Team members plan to pitch their passion and ideas to school leadership in order to determine the feasibility of additional initiatives. The time is indeed now, they recognize, as interest in sustainability is as prevalent in global and national conversations as in the lunchroom at school.
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Students at the Center Every morning, 406 students walk through Schechter’s doors, each with their own spark, their own genius and their own way of leaving an imprint on our community. Here, we meet three of our students and discover what makes them uniquely special people who flourish as individuals and whose contributions to the school as a whole make us all stronger and better.
Bailey Paisner ’23
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arnest and effervescent, fifth-grader Bailey Paisner states simply, “I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t go to Schechter.” Since kindergarten, Bailey has distinguished herself as one of the friendliest and kindest members of the community who not only recognizes what Schechter brings to her, but is quick and unfailing in giving of herself. “I learn so many different things at school. The teachers all help me with what I need to succeed.”
Jonah Rabinovitch ’25
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hird-grader Jonah Rabinovitch has a keen understanding of the school he loves and has attended since preschool at Gan Shelanu. “I like Schechter because it is a great school. The teachers are nice and they help me. They work with us by seeing what we can add to our paintings in art or what we do in reading. I love reading, but gym is my absolute favorite.” At just nine years old, Jonah founded a student newspaper, Schechter Buzz. “I came up with the idea because I knew Schechter was missing something. The newsletter (the Shavuon) is for adults, but there was no school newspaper for kids to read. Buzz is for us kids. I told everybody I was going to start this with [classroom teacher] Maya [Pariser] and [assistant teacher] Sarah [Morgenthaler]. People were excited and almost the whole class got involved.” Filled with articles on daily life at Schechter, a field trip to Plimoth Plantation and a visit from a member of the Wompanoag nation, Jonah and other student collaborators report on topics that are of special interest to them. They have featured interviews with their teachers and an update on what each Lower School grade is learning. A word game, calendar, sports section and comic strip round out each issue. Jonah plans to continue with the newspaper when he is in fourth grade next year. “I might want to be a reporter when I grow up.” Judging by the success of this first foray into the world of journalism, Jonah is well on his way. 16
Bailey relishes the ensemble work of Schechter’s theater program and has participated in “tons of plays.” With a broad and eager smile, she explains, “I love acting and feel so connected to it. I love the choreography and I am so excited about it all. I can be another character, but also put something of myself into each character. Everyone has his or her own energy and every single person adds an individual idea to a play. It’s that energy that makes it good.” Bailey talks about her connection to art and the enjoyment in expressing herself on canvas or paper, especially when she draws dogs. “I always find art in math, too, which I love. If I have to draw a circle, I might imagine it as a pineapple and draw it like that. If I have to divide the circle in half, it’s like cutting a pineapple in half.”
Ilan Kliman ’21
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eventh-grader Ilan Kliman’s versatile and contemplative nature shows in everything he does. And he does a lot. In addition to speaking English, Spanish and Hebrew, Ilan fences, runs track, plays the piano and is very involved in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) and Shark Tank at Schechter. Here since kindergarten, Ilan favors Social Studies and especially science. “Schechter has the resources and the teachers to help me go in any direction I want. There is always someone here to support me.”
Bailey adds that she is also a big fan of gym and running and is very active. “I am into doing and watching gymnastics, softball and track. I also like watching NASCAR and have gone to a few races with my family.” Bailey’s warmth is so natural and ready that she offers an enthusiastic hello to every family walking through the school on an admission tour. One prospective family first assumed that Bailey recognized them after she greeted them enthusiastically, but soon realized they did not actually know her and were simply experiencing Bailey being Bailey: a welcoming and confident ray of sunshine at Schechter each and every day.
Last year, Ilan was part of a STEM challenge tasked with creating a real-life solution for a person with physical challenges, in this case, Sarah Gomolka, daughter of fifth-grade General Studies teacher Estelle Gomolka. “I was at my favorite place in New York with my mother, the SONY Museum. I tried on a virtual reality headset which is something I had done before and loved. I was inspired and thought back to Sarah and her movement and cognitive disabilities.” Ilan explains that, in life, Sarah is dependent on her wheelchair or walker for mobility, but in a virtual environment, she can go wherever she wants. “The other students really liked my idea. I was basically the project manager. We purchased a virtual reality headset and then filled it with content that would interest and motivate Sarah to move as much as possible. Sarah loved it and it was a huge success.” In April 2019, at an expo co-sponsored by Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, CJP, the Ruderman Foundation and NuVu: The Innovation School in Boston, the virtual reality headset placed third out of 15 other projects in a design challenge competition. Ilan is currently knee-deep in the final editing of a three-series video documentary, “Estados ReUnidos: ReUnited States of America,” which he began as his Bar Mitzvah project. The series focuses on immigration, family and law through the interviews and untold stories of formerly undocumented immigrants in the Latino community. Ilan hopes that airing his film on NewTV, a local station, “will help create solutions and strategies to assist immigrants with their challenges and needs.” With Ilan’s intuitive ability to use and adapt technology, the future is his and many people stand to benefit from his ingenuity and drive.
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The Humanity of Robotics An Interview with Aaron Jaeger ’09
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s a first-year M.A. student in the Biomechatronics group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Aaron Jaeger is focused on helping to design the ideal prosthetic leg. Through his work at the MIT Media Lab, he is part of a clinical trial group funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) that aims to automate the entire process of creating a carbon fiber socket, from measurement to design, that is perfectly shaped for each user and that will replace the current manual, handmade process.
“Currently, in order to make a new socket, a prosthetist will make a plaster cast of a patient's limb, then sculpt and reshape the plaster into the shape required for a socket,” Aaron explains. “But we want to turn this process into a science, not art. For instance, we need to know the mechanical properties of an amputee’s residual limb. How squishy is their muscle or fat? If you are applying lots of force, how does it react? Every leg is different. We have created a camera-based 3D scanner. An hour of photos of simulated leg positions can generate 20 gigabytes of data. We combine the photos with MRI scans to generate a pressure map and make a 3D model. Then, we start running computer simulations of the limb, sometimes thousands of iterations of the prosthetic socket. We simulate standing, stepping off a curb, running, standing in place on one leg. The dream goal is to imagine as many real life situations as possible, simulate all of it, then hopefully be able to hit ‘go’ one day.” In partnership with Brigham & Women’s Hospital, the Biomechatronics group created the first redesigned amputation surgery to enable more natural control of a patient’s new robotic prosthesis. Aaron helped on this project as well. He notes that the development of a comfortable, smart prosthesis is still in its infancy. “The surgery had not changed significantly since the Civil War. In an intact limb, it’s possible to sense muscle movements and determine what a person wants to do, but after amputation it becomes much more difficult. The new surgery changes that by preserving the natural muscle pairings. This relationship is how you know where your limbs are in space. Traditionally, during amputation this relationship is broken. Now, the prosthesis can use sensors that react to how a person's muscles are expanding and retracting.” Aaron notes that the $9 billion-dollar industry “[affects] fewer than three million people which means there is a very high cost per person and it is easy to get the results wrong. Insurance pays for one new limb every few years, but the copay can make an artificial limb out of reach for people.” He observes that “innovations have to be designed, even if they are not affordable at first, so that they become the trend. Eventually high-tech products will become accessible. It’s the only way to make changes.”
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Robotics and building have long been Aaron’s passion. He helped to co-found the Robotics Team at Gann Academy. The group rose quickly, racking up numerous first place finishes on the competition circuit, and still continues to thrive there today. At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, from which Aaron graduated in 2017, he majored in Robotics Engineering which combines Mechanical Computer Science and Electrical Engineering geared towards making robots. “WPI was the first university to offer an undergrad robotics degree,” Aaron notes. After college, Aaron had not planned to go into Biomechatronics. “I was on a bike ride and stopped by the home of my old robotics coach at Gann, just on a whim to say hello. He asked me to join him in meeting two Biomechatronics researchers at the MIT Media Lab.” Around that time, Aaron watched a TED Talk delivered by the man who is now his MIT advisor, Hugh Herr, in which “[he] gets up on stage with his robotic legs. His talk went viral and it blew me away. The Media Lab also worked with one of the women survivors from the marathon bombing. That’s when I knew I had to do something like that.” Last spring, Aaron had the opportunity to serve as a judge at an expo co-sponsored by Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, CJP, the Ruderman Foundation and NuVu: The Innovation School in Boston, at which a student team from Schechter presented a design project created to help a mobility-impaired young adult. “It was really exciting to see Schechter students dedicating their time and energy towards designing assistive technology.” Aaron offers another, and lighter, example of a lingering tie to Schechter. “My Hebrew was very helpful in an internship I had in Israel for a company that was trying to automate ricotta cheese production in factories. It’s still on my resumé!” Ultimately, Aaron is contemplative, but also hopeful and determined. “Many things exist that help people, but working in this space, you ask yourself every day why this all costs so much and often does so little. What I think about a lot is that we are not designing limbs so that people can go to work and walk around a bit. If someone wants to be an extreme athlete, they SHOULD be able to do that and their hardware has to keep up with them. People should be able to do what they WANT to do. People should be able to make their choices or it is not good enough. When someone can’t do something simple, it is devastating.”
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“ It was really exciting to see Schechter students dedicating their time and energy towards designing assistive technology.”
Roots
An Interview with Anya Manning ’99
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s a first-year member of Schechter’s Board of Trustees, Anya Manning is naturally poised to help shape Schechter’s future. “Jewish day schools are at an inflection point and Schechter is well-positioned to be a leader in the field. This is the community that raised me and in which I want to raise my own child. It was an honor to be asked to join the board so that I can be a part of this important work.” Indeed, Schechter and Jewish learning are recurring, interlaced themes that appear over and over in Anya’s Weltanschauung and her daily life. “Schechter launched a lifelong commitment to Jewish learning for me. I am in daily contact with many of my classmates and other Schechter alumni at daycare pick-up, Shabbat morning services and community events. Every one of the bridesmaids in my wedding party went to Schechter and our wedding photographer was a friend from Schechter!”
Following Schechter, Anya went onto to Gann Academy, then Barnard and the Jewish Theological Seminary, earning a dual B.A. in Environmental Sciences and Midrash in just four years. For the next decade, Anya worked in the Jewish non-profit sector at the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Kivunim
and Repair the World, focusing on volunteerism, service and national education. Along with her husband, Elie Lehmann, now the Campus Rabbi at Boston University, Anya spent a year in Tel Aviv and received her M.B.A. from Tel Aviv University. “I wanted to continue dedicating my career to making the world a better place, but have now shifted my focus to the exciting healthcare innovation scene in Boston.” As Senior Product Manager at MicroMedicine, a life sciences technology company spun out of MassGeneral, Anya recently launched a novel system for white blood cell isolation from whole blood using microfluidic technology. Anya explains the significance of the product. “Important new innovations in treating cancer through cell therapy and immunotherapy are enhanced with our cutting-edge product which enables access to high-quality cells for research and clinical trials.” The nexus between tikkun olam and health care is clear in Anya’s involvement as a board member of Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Journey. Anya speaks from the heart about the organization’s mission and her jump into leadership with the group after her son, Raziel, was born two years ago. In conjunction
with programming and the creation of rituals, “[Uprooted] provides support and research materials to the Jewish community around the fertility journey.” By providing training to clergy and at Mayyim Hayyim: Living Waters Community Mikveh, a mikveh in Newton, Uprooted has created a supportive outlet through a Jewish lens. Anya adds that “[we] recently brought an original performance piece to Boston, “Trymester: Fertility Journeys Out Loud,” that was hosted by Temple Israel of Boston. Anya’s commitment to tzedakah is as much about the how as it is about the actual doing. From her work at MicroMedicine to her current volunteer roles at Schechter, Uprooted and past work as a Big Sister through the Greater Boston Big Sister Association, Anya’s natural introspection on altruism and leadership will surely continue to drive her work, both professional and volunteer. Having just finished a leadership term at the Cambridge Minyan, the egalitarian minyan where she and her husband belong, Anya’s ongoing involvement in Uprooted and her new role on Schechter’s board keep her firmly planted in the familiar terrain of service and Jewish communal life.
For more information on Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Journey, please go to weareuprooted.org. 20
Anya believes community means “coming together for all of life’s moments, the high points (e.g. marriages, births, trips to the moon) and the challenging ones (e.g. loss, infertility, divorce, career transitions).� If you are looking for support in these areas or available to support others, please contact Shira Strosberg, Director of Enrollment and Advancement, at shira.strosberg@ssdsboston.org or Anya at anya.manning@gmail.com.
The Storyteller An Interview with Josh Funk ’93
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always read a lot of books to my children,” Josh starts. “One day, I realized I wanted to try to give writing a shot.” With 12 picture books in print, more on the way and a gig as a Barnes & Noble National Storytime featured author, Josh has clearly hit the mark. Nearly two dozen awards from the Smithsonian and Goodreads to “Top Ten” lists from libraries and literary associations across the nation demonstrate that Josh’s characters and themes are catchy and current. Becoming a children’s book author proved to be a completely novel process, though, entirely different from Josh’s work as a software engineer at MIT Lincoln Labs where he writes code, builds models and simulations of networks. “I had been a B student in English class,” Josh explains candidly. “English was one of my weaker subjects. I was a math and science kid and not a great reader. I wrote terrible manuscripts at first, then enrolled in an adult education class at the Lexington Community Education Center on children’s book writing which I took eight times.” Through the class, Josh discovered organizations such as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and the Writers’ Loft. Relentless networking, classes and workshops paid off as Josh’s writing steadily improved. His tenacity and resolve were buoyed by a simple, affirming belief. “Anyone can be an author. You need to know two things to be a writer: you need to know the alphabet and you need to be able to tell a good story. If you know those things, you are as much of a writer as I am.” After receiving over 90 rejections from agents, Josh finally acquired one. Even with an agent, rejections are nonetheless the norm. “There are lots of good books out there, but most books do not even sell 1,000 copies. It just takes one.” Indeed, Josh sold the “one,” Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast, in the fall of 2013. Before it had even been published, Josh had sold three more books. The process that transforms the endearing characters and rolicking rhymes of Josh’s imagination to the printed page is complicated. Josh readily acknowledges that he “[does] not know how to make a book. I do lots of marketing and promotion on my own, but I rely on the publisher to know what looks good on a cover and to bring my books to trade shows, librarian conferences and book expos.” Josh reveals the roots and rewards of writing. “I get ideas from all over the place. Each story has its own origin and I think about what I would like to see illustrated. I am lucky to have very talented artists draw pictures of what I write. My favorite books entertain me and crack me up when I am writing. On playdates with [Schechter classmate] BJ Novak on the weekends, we would write funny stories together. I wrote poetry about Larry Bird and Roger Clemens when I was in grammar school. I wrote for the school newspaper in high school, random editorials about nonsense. In college, I played guitar and wrote songs with rhyming, clever lyrics. My books really evolved from there and about half of them rhyme.”
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Josh’s characters and tales are nothing if not diverse. The anthropomorphic pancake and French toast that race through the refrigerator in Josh’s hilariously over-the-top first book are now part of a four-book collection. Josh’s Meta-Fractured-Fairy-Tale series twists classic stories into unexpected, comical capers with more than a few undercurrents of parent humor woven into the storylines. Dear Dragon details the charming friendship that develops between a little boy and dragon who get to know each other as pen pals and discover their commonalities despite having totally different backgrounds. “I love that people interpret and use my books in ways I never imagined. Teachers have been using Dear Dragon to discuss what it means to make assumptions about someone and who they are or why they do what they do.” Josh has recently written two books in conjunction with the world-renowned computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code. How to Code a Sandcastle and How to Code a Rollercoaster feature the indomitable Pearl and her sidekick robot friend, Pascal, who work together using code to solve everyday challenges like building a sandcastle or figuring out how to get a seat on the most popular roller coaster at the amusement park. “When I was writing How to Code a Sandcastle, I went back to fifth grade at Schechter with [General Studies teacher] David Wolf and his annual routine of having his students explain to him, step by step, how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I have thought about it over and over all my life, in my day job as a software engineer and as a picture book writer. Sequence is critical. To coders, it’s obvious, but kids need to learn that you have to be specific in your instructions in order to make something happen in a certain order.” When asked why he loves being an author, Josh is straightforward. “Reading is fun and storytelling is fun. That’s why I write.” This easy statement belies the layers of humor, humanity and courage that define the heroes and heroines of Josh’s stories. Children, parents and teachers alike laugh and learn from one page to the next, often in ways Josh never predicted or intended. “That,” says Josh, “is when I know I have written something good.”
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Bayley with her fencing coach
Habits of Mind An Interview with Bayley Basson ’18
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t would seem as if there are not enough hours in the day to be involved in as many clubs, sports, volunteer commitments and extracurricular activities as Bayley Basson is, all of which are on top of accelerated classes as a sophomore at Needham High School and a daily one-hour power nap. Bayley manages not only to stay afloat, but to excel across the board and even find time to sit down after school over a relaxing, unrushed hot chocolate to be interviewed for Hadashot. As a fencer who competes in tournaments on the regional and national levels, Bayley taps into her natural discipline. “When I say I fence, everyone imagines The Three Musketeers, but people do not realize how complicated and technical it is. I practice five days a week unless I am away at a competition. In foil, which is the type of fencing I do, brain power is more important than physical strength. I relax and release my shoulders, but I mostly use mental training and calming techniques to stay in the zone and focus on what is right in front of me. If I get up there and I am too confident or if I think someone else is better, I’ve already lost.”
Bayley joined her high school’s Speech and Debate Team as a freshman and remains actively involved. “I do speech specifically. We practice a lot and compete with other high schools in Massachusetts. I memorized a 10-minute speech, edited it and made it my own, but I was inspired after hearing a TED Talk by a woman who survived cancer.” Bayley has taken on the written word as well. “I have always enjoyed math and biology, but I have grown to love English and have really found my voice.” As a member of Needham High School’s student newspaper, The Hilltopper, Bayley contributed a piece as part of her membership in the Take Back the Night Club which fights domestic violence and sexual abuse. Bayley’s ambition is set on the national stage yet again as she applied to be on the editorial board of JGirl magazine. “I didn’t make it, but I still plan to submit an article on antisemitism. I wrote it while I was in Europe last year because of the antisemitism I experienced. I have lived the majority of my life in a Jewish atmosphere and had never experienced antisemitism before.”
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“ W hen I say I fence, everyone imagines The Three Musketeers, but people do not realize how complicated and technical it is. I practice five days a week unless I am away at a competition.”
Bayley maintains her connection to Hebrew and Jewish life with a weekly volunteer role at Temple Aliyah in Needham. What began as a need to fulfill a community service requirement at school turned (not surprisingly) into yet another activity to which Bayley is wholeheartedly and fully committed. “I help with Hebrew and struggling kids. Every Thursday, I get home from school, go to the temple to volunteer, come back home, change, go to practice, come back home, take a nap and then get started on homework.” And Bayley reads Torah “now and then” and helps to lead the High Holiday teen services. “I got my community service hours done pretty quickly, but I wanted to continue volunteering and maintain my connection to Hebrew.” What’s next for this busy, diligent high schooler? Bayley laments that she wanted to get involved in more clubs at school, but scheduling conflicts prevented her from squeezing in another activity. Despite a work ethic and healthy habits that allow Bayley to stand out at school, in extracurriculars and in the community, there are only 24 hours in a day. “I am looking towards a career in oncology in the future,” she adds. No doubt, once Bayley makes up her mind, she will find a way.
Class Notes 1984
Devora (Yellin) Fish is the Director of Education for the Tennessee Holocaust Commission which focuses on educating Tennesseans about the history of the Holocaust, seeking to remind citizens that prejudice, hatred and violence, as manifested in the Holocaust and other genocides, lead to the destruction of a humane society. Devora’s primary role is to work with the over 100 school districts across Tennessee which reach more than 100,000 students each year to include Holocaust Education through innovative curriculum and the Survivor Speakers Bureau.
1988 Marc Ettlinger works on the Artificial Intelligence behind Google Assistant. Denise Yellen Ganot lives with her family in Ra’anana, Israel after having made aliyah five years ago. Denise is a second-grade teacher at a public school in Herzliya. Denise shares, “I use all the Hebrew I learned at Schechter back in the day.”
1989
Josh Greenfield recently moved back from Israel to New York where he lives with his spouse, Chavi, and their children (Matan, Meirav, Nadav and Aviv) in Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan. They spent the past two years living in Tel Aviv where the kids quickly picked up Hebrew and a love of soccer. Josh says that “[having] learned Hebrew at Schechter was a tremendous advantage in enabling [me] to live and work in Israel.”
1990
Mitch Nelles lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he has just started a new role after 15 years in sports media. Mitch has moved to nonprofit fundraising and works as the Director of Corporate Engagement and Fundraising at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation.
1991
Lee Eisenberg co-wrote the screenplay for Good Boys, a spirited day-in-the-life comedy about three rising sixth-graders. Lee and his collaborator, Gene Stupnitsky, are featured in an August 2019 Jewish Telegraphic Agency article.
Please email alumni@ssdsboston.org to share your celebrations and news!
1992
David Rapaport won the 2019 Heller Award for Casting Director of the Year, given by the Talent Managers Association. He was also nominated for the Artios Award for Best Dramatic Pilot Casting for YOU, given by the Casting Society of America.
1994
Aaron Goldstein and his wife, Jessica, had their second boy, Zachary Caleb. Aaron adds, “Zachary joined us for the final 35 hours of the previous decade after being born on December 30, 2019. Three-year-old Ethan loves his new role as a big brother.” Aaron works as an Executive Producer at Spectrum News. The family lives in Gahanna, Ohio.
2000
Rebecca Leffell Koren graduated from Washington University in 2009 and the Rhode Island School of Design in 2016. Rebecca lives in St. Louis. “I run an independent graphic design practice working in publication, exhibition, identity and systems design. I most often collaborate with cultural institutions, artists and architects. I am also a Visiting Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis where I teach Graphic Design in the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts.” Mazal tov to Michael Toledano and his wife, Keren, on the birth of their daughter, Marni Sol. Mazal tov to Ariele (Weiss) Sherman and her husband, Joey, on the birth of their daughter, Zoe Miriam.
1995
Mazal tov to Dan Gelbtuch and his wife, Leah Madsen, on the birth of their son, Jesse Adam. Eli Lederman recently co-founded a software company. Mazal tov to Jon Sussman and his wife, Sarah, on the birth of their son, Joshua.
1996
Mazal tov to Rabbi Elan Babchuck and his wife, Lizzie Pollock, on the birth of their daughter, Ayla.
1999
Mazal tov to Erica (Birnbaum) Melmed and her husband, Jason, on the birth of their daughter, Camilla Rose. Tamar Remz accepted the Jerusalem Unity Prize on behalf of Moishe House at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. Jackie Schon is a 2020 Chai in the Hub Honoree. CJP nominates 12 men and women under 40 who are doing fantastic things personally and professionally to better Greater Boston’s Jewish community. Co-founder of the Paint Bar with her mother, Jackie shares, “It’s a privilege to help non-artists overcome their fear of art. By empowering people to have more confidence in their creativity, The Paint Bar is helping them become more innovative thinkers. Art is non-political and can unify our Jewish community.”
Mazal tov to Jen Schockett and her husband Dave Miller, and their son, current Gan Shelanu preschooler, Max, on the birth of their son, Zachary Ezra.
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Zoe Sherman and Ruby Sussman
Mazal tov to Mera Sussman Weber and her husband, Adam, on the birth of their daughter, Ruby Madelyn.
2001
Mazal tov to Elana Jacobs and her husband, Nathan Brown, on the birth of their son, Franklin Moshe. Leora Kling Perkins received her rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and an M.A. from the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education and the Bernard and Sydell Citron Scholastic Prize and the David Scharps Memorial Prize in Talmud. Leora is Assistant Rabbi at Temple Emunah in Lexington. Mazal tov to Adina Remz and her husband, Josh Tenby, on the birth of their daughter, Ella.
2002
Mazal tov to Mara Reich Elliot and her husband, Devin, on the birth of their daughter, Ayla Sloane.
Photo credit: Jerry Jaeger
2005
Mazal tov to Tzvia Berrin-Reinstein on her marriage to Jacob Wolf.
Emily Jaeger ’03 with her wife, Rabbi Chaya Bender, Ari Abelman ’03 and Leora Kling-Perkins ’01 at their ordination ceremony 2003
Ari Abelman received an M.A. from the Gershon Kekst Graduate School and the Lillian M. Lowenfeld Prize in Practical Theology and Rabbi Joel Roth Prize. Ari is a Chaplain Resident at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York. Max Kinchen works as a Video Production Support Manager at Videolicious, a video making app that allows users to create and upload professional quality videos directly from their mobile devices. “With my background in film and television production, I guide our users in the process of making their videos and assist them with maintaining their accounts.” Max also got engaged to his girlfriend, Molly Miranker, in January 2020. Rabbi Dovid Roth lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Yiska. He works at the National Library of Israel located on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dovid works primarily in the Hebrew cataloging department. “As a department, we are responsible for cataloging all printed works in Hebrew letters including Hebrew, Yiddish, Judeo-Arabic, Ladino, etc. Personally, I deal mostly with new Torah materials that come in. I also help out with reference when needed, helping readers find what they’re looking for and the like.” Mazal tov to Tova Teperow on her marriage to Alex Pinto.
2004
Mazal tov to Josh Micley and his wife, Alexa, on the birth of their son, Aaron. Josh works as an Assistant Principal in the Chicago Public Schools. “In my role, I do a little bit of everything everyday, but on a good day I get to support new teachers via instructional coaching and work with students and their families”. Mazal tov to Alex Schneider and his wife, Ariel Wittenberg, on the birth of their daughter, Eliza Ann.
Emily Heeren grew up in Newton “surrounded by a strong Jewish community and nearby woods which played major roles in [my] sense of self.” Emily holds a B.A. in Anthropology with an academic concentration in Health Science from Gettysburg College. She completed her M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching at Boston University while working as a high school special education teacher. Her work in Gettysburg College’s Office of Experiential Education and with the campus Hillel has further fueled her desire to unite her passions with the mission of BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy. Ethan Leeman completed a Ph.D. in Math at the University of Texas in Austin.
2010
Hannah Wald is working towards her M.A. at Lesley University in Education in Inclusive Special Education: Moderate Disabilities.
2011
Emma Starr is an undergraduate at Lesley University majoring in Education. This semester, she is student teaching in a kindergarten classroom twice a week at the Lawrence School in Brookline.
2012
Lev Grossman will graduate from Harvard University this spring after completing a B.A./M.A. degree in Computer Science in four years. After graduation, he will be working at Berkshire Grey, an artificial intelligence and robotics company, based in Lexington, Massachusetts. Hillel Maroun will graduate this May from Tufts University with a major in International Relations and a concentration in National Security. He will begin working at Fidelity Investments this July in the Emerging Leaders Rotational Program. Shira Wald made aliyah in January. She is working at Mind4Up, a biotech incubator in Haifa, while awaiting the start of her army service.
2014
Noam Borensztajn is a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he is active in Hillel, SAFI (Student Alliance for Israel), Chabad and Mishelanu. Noam is also participating in the UMass Hillel Bridging the Divide initiative in which Jewish leaders work with other UMass student leaders to create and cultivate strong relationships and authentic, mutually beneficial alliances. He chaperoned UMass student leaders on a trip to Israel over winter break to guide them as they learn about the country.
Rebecca Wihl with fellow classmates, Eden Diamond and Merissa Jaye, in Greece Rebecca Wihl graduated from Columbia University in May 2018. Since then, she has been working for Boston Consulting Group based out of their Athens office. “Working in consulting has offered me the opportunity to explore different industries and work throughout Europe. Through work I’ve been sent to Barcelona, Copenhagen, Manchester, Sardinia, Milan, Zurich, Paris, Marseille, Cyprus and Athens. I have primarily worked in Financial Institutions and Transportation and Logistics. One of the highlights of this experience was having Eden Diamond (’10), Merissa Jaye (’10) and Coby Coll (’10) visit with me in Greece and Copenhagen.”
Eliza Ann Schneider 29
In response to a BDS event at the UMass campus this past fall, Noam led a pro-peace rally intended to help people develop a more sophisticated understanding of the conflict. He was quoted in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel and Jewish Journal. Shoham Shitrit is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science at the University of Rochester. He will be joining Microsoft this summer at their Redmond, Washington headquarters as an Explorer intern.
2015
Ilan Rotberg is on a gap year as part of the Hevruta program, based at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, before starting Swarthmore College this fall where he was selected to be a McCabe Scholar.
A Note about the Annual Campaign
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our support to Schechter’s Annual Campaign makes everything you read about in this issue of Hadashot, and so much more,
possible for our students, faculty and community. The Annual Campaign allows us to invest each year in our teachers, the student experience and in financial aid. To make a tax-deductible gift online, please go to www.ssdsboston.org/give. Questions? Contact Jake Levine, Development Manager, at jake.levine@ssdsboston.org or 617-630-4629. Thank you!
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Announcing the 2019 Arnold Zar-Kessler Outstanding Alumni Award
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his award is given annually in honor of Arnold Zar-Kessler’s many years of dedication to and leadership of the Solomon Schechter Day School. It is presented to an alumna or alumnus annually whose life embodies Schechter’s vision and mission. Through professional, academic or volunteer roles, the recipient has demonstrated leadership and made a significant contribution to his or her field and community. We are proud to announce that this year’s recipient is Noah Phillips ’92. Noah is a graduate of Newton North High School and Dartmouth College from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. As an undergraduate, Noah served in leadership positions at Dartmouth’s Hillel. He received a law degree from Stanford University and began his legal career as a clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit followed by years as a litigator at law firms in New York and Washington, D.C. In April 2018, the United States Senate unanimously confirmed Noah to the Federal Trade Commission. As a Federal Trade Commissioner, Noah is leading a discussion to shape United States Policy regarding data privacy, one of the foremost concerns of our age. Prior to his appointment, Noah served on the Senate Judiciary Committee as Chief Counsel to Senator John Cornyn of Texas. In this capacity, Noah put his Jewish values into action. In 2016, he worked with Senator Cornyn to write and champion legislation to help Holocaust victims and their families recover art looted from them during World War II. Noah was nominated by his family who writes that “he embodies the type of alumnus that the faculty and staff of Schechter work so hard to nurture: an American Jewish leader who brings to his endeavors intellectual rigor, respect for community, a love of Israel and a Jewish soul.” Noah addressed students this fall as part of the Ani Ma’Amin (This I Believe) Speaker Series in which an individual shares a core and driving belief. Noah spoke about the concept of tolerance and “[its] importance in how we lead our lives, conduct our national affairs and how our public runs.”
The Stark Family Inspirational Speaker Series in Memory of Peter Stark z”l
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ogether with the family of legendary Schechter teacher Peter Stark, Schechter is honored to establish a memorial fund in Peter’s memory. Donations to this fund will gift our eighth-grade students with a book of Kohelet, the book that many alumni recall learning with Peter at Schechter. It will support an annual Stark Family Inspirational Speaker Series for faculty and staff. This past January, faculty members experienced a daylong professional development workshop including the first talk in the series which featured renowned children’s book author, Peter Reynolds. Former student Matt Gann ’87 opened the series by describing Peter as “a kind-hearted, funny and larger-than-life presence at Schechter. He was a brilliant scholar equaled by his ability to connect with his students on an individual and personal level. Peter made Tanach come alive and taught us how to think critically about the texts in new and exciting ways. He left a profound impact on all of us that is still felt to this day.” For more information about the Peter Stark z”l Memorial Fund, please contact Jake Levine, Development Manager, at jake.levine@ssdsboston.org or at 617-630-4629. 31
Hadashot
Schechter News
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