Spring 2014 Alumni Newsletter

What’s Inside2 Message From The Head of School

2 Message From The Development/Alumni Office

2 Messsage from the Associate Director of Development

3 Joanna Stern, Class of 2002

4 Message From The Alumni Committee

5 Thank you to our SSDS-GOA Alumni Supporters from 2013-2014

7 My Time in the IDF, By Carmelle Bargad, Class of 2013

11 GOA Faculty News

NewsAlumni Society

Alumni Newsletter of Golda Och Academy

Spring 2014

Most Likely to Become a Teacher? Schechter Alum to Take Over as Wilf Lower School Campus PrincipalBy Becky Isaacson, Class of 2004

Flashback to your senior year yearbook — have you ever looked back to see if your classmates

lived up to their senior year superlatives? “Best Dressed” — are these classmates working in the Fashion Industry? “Most Likely to be get Married” — are they still together? What about “Most Likely to be a Schechter teacher?” Actually, there are a handful of Schechter students who have returned to Schechter/GOA as teachers. I bet, however, that there was never a superlative for “Most Likely to be a Schechter Principal.” If If there was, Carrie Zucker-Siegel should have won the most votes!

Carrie Zucker-Siegel graduated Schechter in 1992, earning her undergraduate degree at Brown University, and her masters from the William Davidson Graduate School of Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. She was a student teacher at Schechter and began to teach full time after she completed her studies. As Carrie says, “I spent very few years not at Schechter.” Carrie began teaching Jewish Studies at the Upper School, where she worked for eight years until she moved to the Lower School to assume the Vice Principal position. After seven years as VP, Carrie has been offered the position as Principal at the Lower School, when Gloria Kron, the current principal, retires this summer.

Thank You, Mrs. Kron—We’ll Miss You!

For the past 34 years Gloria Kron has called

Golda Och Academy her home. Some

of her fondest memories of GOA include the

glimmer in a child’s eye when he or she reads a

word in English or Hebrew for the first time, the

“I did it” explanation after solving the challenge

problem in math, and the utter delight of

getting good and dirty in our new outdoor

classroom.

“It is an extraordinary community, infused with

the joy of learning and a deep commitment

to Jewish tradition and continuity,” she said

recently.

For her accomplishments, Mrs. Kron is one of

our esteemed honorees at our Spring

Gala this year on May 22.

We will miss Mrs. Kron very much

and know that her true legacy

is helping create a place where

students, teachers, and parents come

together to learn in an atmosphere of

inclusion, appreciation, and respect.

Todah Rabah!

Continued on page 11

2 Alumni News SPRING 2014

Message From Head Of SchoolDear Alumni,

It is hard to believe that Pesach is over, our seniors will be returning from Neshama or senior internships will wrap up and Wilf Lower School students are celebrating their milestone events. Before you know it, it will be time for graduation.

Before that though; this year we have done something unprecedented and changed the date for graduation. We moved it earlier in order to continue and demonstrate our strong commitment to Israel and the Israel Day Parade on its 50th Anniversary. We hope you will join students, families and other alumni on June 1 as we bring together the largest delegation ever and say in one strong voice how much we support Israel.

We hope you will come share the joy of walking in the parade again.

See you on June 1,

Dr. Joyce Raynor Head of School

Message From The Development/Alumni OfficeDear Alumni Friends,

Do you ever have these moments where your appreciation of your GOA/Schechter education just crystallizes in front of you? I have many but I wanted to share two recent ones as a GOA parent.

On Purim, I was volunteering with my GOA children at the Jewish Relief Agency food distribution in Morristown and I found myself packing food next to a really kind and special Schechter/GOA alumni family and their alumni children. At the other table, our Associate Head of School /Upper School Principal Mr. Adam Shapiro and his daughters were helping to give volunteers cans to pack into their boxes and also big smiles. It was so meaningful to look around and to see such a warm GOA presence there.

Yesterday, I attended our seventh grade Tzedakah Fair in the Ulam at the Eric F. Ross Upper School. The students had to choose a charity, research it and present on why it is worth supporting. Then, the class votes and dedicates B’nai Mitzvah funds to the winning charity. The ranges of interesting and worthwhile causes was staggering. The students also had to research and include Jewish texts that were relevant to their particular charity. There was everything from One Laptop per Child to the Friendship Circle to the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Our students were so proud of their projects and couldn’t wait to tell people about them.

For me these two experiences exemplified some of the core values that we teach at our school – Tikkun olam, caring about the world, making a difference - because it is what Jews do and what the Torah teaches us. I see that so many of you, our alumni, have gone out in the world and brought these values to your own lives as adults.

Thank you for giving your teachers and friends at GOA so much naches. Yasher Koach and may you go from strength!

Warmest regards,

Stephanie Bash-Soudry Director of Development & Alumni Relations

How Can We Serve You Even Better?Dear Alumni,

What happens when you get 8-10 SSDS-GOA Alumni in a room; lots of laughter, great stories and incredible memories. At our most recent Alumni Society meeting in NYC it was so much fun to see everyone from several different graduating classes sharing fun stories about school and what they are doing now.

The true power of an Alumni Society is in its people and the stories they share. This is proven time and time again when we all get together. It is a testament to the shared values and experiences you have all had at Schechter. We are working every day to create ways to continue the Schechter experience for all grads. That includes if you are on a college campus, connecting you

with another alum or graduating college and looking for a job or interested in getting together socially and of course networking.

This summer we will be sending out a survey to see how we can serve you even better. Please take a few minutes when you get the email to complete it. We look forward to doing an even better job in the future.

Regards,

Jason Silberfein Associate Director of Development

Alumni News 3SPRING 2014

Joanna Stern, Class of 2002Most likely to be a gadget person? SSDS-GOA Alum Is Now Tech Editor for the Wall Street Journal By Benjamin Yavelberg, Class of 2009

When we asked who has one of the coolest jobs, one of the people most

mentioned is Joanna Stern (Class of 2002). She is one of the main technology colum-nists for the Wall Street Journal. After attend-ing Union College, she has been working in the tech journalism field for the last seven years, holding positions at other tech blogs, Laptop Magazine and ABC News Digital. Joanna know that her time at Solomon Schechter is one of the main influences that helped her establish a consistent presence in the industry.

“Schechter gave me a lot of confidence in just being involved,” Stern says. “Schechter gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities to pursue things that I might be interested in. I think that was one thing that was great about my high school experience.”

One of Stern’s main responsibilities in her position at the Wall Street Journal is to pro-duce videos to help people use their current devices while also recommending new technologies. She tries to have as much fun as she can and use a new angle with these projects which is a skill she first cultivated in her high school English and social studies classes.

“There’s a lot of creativity in my videos and that I believe is kind of different from what’s

going on in the industry, with a lot of humor, and coming at a topic in more of a presenta-tion type of way,” she says.

“ I can remember being in Mrs. Freeman’s class, there were a lot of creative projects es-pecially around Shakespeare week or poetry week, I can remember dressing up for things and coming at projects in different ways.”

As she immerses herself more into the technology world, Stern still finds herself surprised when certain things have yet to be digitized. She notes that she was one of the first of her high school classmates to have a cell phone and consistently use Power Point for her presentations, and now ponders the necessity of business cards.

“I’m meeting with startup CEOs and I’m meeting with executives at these big companies and we all have smart phones, we’re all wearing these fitness bands, or

wearing different types of technology on our body or we’ve got in our pocket, why do we need these rectangular pieces of paper,” she wonders.

Before working for the Journal or for ABC News, Stern first found herself writing for the two publications at Schechter. When her classmate’s sister sadly passed away while she was in high school, she wrote the front page obituary for The Flame. She remembers stressing over every word trying to make the story as perfect as she possibly could.

“Working on the newspaper there, whether it was the Flame or whether it was the Road-runner Reporter definitely gave me my first real interest in journalism and telling stories about people,” she says.

In addition to the news stories for the Flame, she covered many sporting events happen-ing at the school for the Roadrunner Report-er. Unfortunately, many of the teams did not win games, making it a struggle to continue covering them.

“It’s very hard to keep writing articles week after week about sports teams losing, and I think I got a lot of tools from writing and managing that,” she says. “I wrote about failure, but in ways that it didn’t seem like it was all that bad.”

“Working on the newspaper there, whether it was the Flame or whether it was the Road-runner Reporter definitely gave me my first real inter-est in journalism and telling stories about people.”


Message From The Alumni CommitteeNow that we have joined forces as co-Chairs of the Alumni Society, we have begun to set new and loftier goals for the Alumni Society. We will strive to utilize one another’s strengths in order to further alumni engagement and fundraising. We have already had several successful meetings and conversations where we laid out our plans for the future and have begun expanding the Alumni Society to cast the net even wider.

Of course, we are only as strong as our weakest link. Through programming, social media, networking opportunities and more, we hope to connect each and every alumnus to the SSDS/GOA community in some capacity. Every year, we have seen the number of alumni we reach grow. We are proud that each and every graduating class is represented in the Alumni Society. Alumni are getting involved in other ways — as parents of students, as members of the Board of Trustees and by serving on the Parents’ Association. We hope to build upon our success and continue to make alumni a vital part of the GOA community.

Annual giving by alumni continues to be critical to meeting the financial needs of current students. Our message is clear: Each donation, no matter how small or large, is a gift to provide the same Jewish Day School education that we were fortunate enough to receive. We can all be proud that in just five years, our active Annual Alumni Campaign has been able to raise over $333,000 — thanks to the generosity of alumni, friends and family members like you. We are also happy to report that over $500,000 has been raised for the Capital and Endowment Campaign, Building on Tradition, through Alumni Society driven support. As we pat

ourselves on the back, we still face a long-term challenge of raising enough annual funds to make a Jewish Day School education affordable for current and future GOA students.

We are in a unique position to influence and support GOA’s effort to recruit and retain students. I am happy to say that we are collaborating very closely with the Admissions department and are already creating ways where we can have a major impact in helping the future of SSDS/GOA.

Let’s continue our work together to ensure that the students of today will be the alumni of tomorrow.

Todah Rabah!

Lawrence Elbaum, Class of 1998, Co-Chair • Evan Majzner, Class of 2001, Co-Chair

Don’t miss your chance to support your school in 2014

Ensure that finances are not a barrier to any family wishing to join our community—support the Alumni Scholarship Campaign!

www.goldaochacademy.org/support-us


2013Jason RothGabrielle Wolberger

2012Joshua PearlsteinDanielle Rockman

2011Emery CoopersmithDanielle Wolberger

2010Naomi Kramer Andrew Wingens

2009Michael Bier

2008Arielle Kramer

2007Rebecca Linfield Alanna Skydell

2006Kate Siegel

2005Zachary Bier

2004Melissa CohenNavah KogenScott Nadler

2003Dustin Kaminsky

2002Eric D. KnappSunny M. Yudkoff

2001Pamela and Jordan DavisBlair KaminskyJocelyn and Greg KlarEvan Majzner

2000Shaul Vichness Dr. Benjamin Yudkoff

1999Elyssa Folk Friedland and William Friedland Emily KaplowitzDavid PantirerScott Schonfeld Samuel Seiden

1998Melissa and Lawrence ElbaumJocelyn and Greg KlarBarry LevineJaci and Gonen Paradis

1997Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz Eitan MelamedGabe SaportaArielle and Yoni Saposh

1996Matthew and Elke LuftigAmelia Seiden Perlstein and Cory PerlsteinMollie Stein

1995Debbie and Eric EdellRabbi Jason Herman Julie Schwartz Kopel and Reuben S. KopelKim and Jonathan Kushner

1994Alexey AksyonenkoRabbi Tracy Kaplowitz

1992Melissa Singer Bernard Sarah and Scott BierEric BlackSean EnisElissa and Daniel FulopJoy GoldsteinSteven HeumannJessica and Jay LampertJulia Loytsker-BorishShira Asekoff MeyerMindy Halpern Schall and Alan SchallNoah ScheinmannCarrie Zucker Siegel and Jeff SiegelYvette and David SharretEve and David SorkinSarah Seiden Warsetsky

1991Amanda Morcheles Goldstein

1990Liz and Jeffrey BierMarsha and Philip Goldwasser

1989Dr. Stacey Leibowitz and David Leibowitz

1987Atara Jacobson and Scott Bieber Sara Bucholtz and Rabbi Adam FeldmanRachel Schwarz and Marc SchiffmanDr. Robert Sokolic

1986Anna Mohl and Mitchell Revsine

1984Andrea and Rafi Footerman

1980Debbie and Sol Kempinski

1979Robyn and Joseph Bier

1978Andrea and Bryan Bier

Former Students, Friends, and FamilyCecille and Rabbi Stanley AsekoffSharon and Howard CharishShelly and Jerrold FolkNancy and Itzik GoldsteinMonica and Milton HeumannAaron KaplowitzDr. Keren Lebeau and Aryeh Lebeau Dr. Yael Miller and Eric MillerAvril and Cantor Ralph NussbaumSusan Och and Brian Kalver Gena RosenbergJudy Rosenberg and Randall HaaseMr. and Mrs. Melvin RosenblumMr. and Mrs. Ben SchallMr. and Mrs. Jonathan SchmidtMr. and Mrs. Stephen SeidenMrs. Tova SilbermanMr. David Younger

Thank you to our SSDS-GOA Alumni Supporters from 2013-2014*

There is still time to support SSDS-GOA in 2014. For more information contact Jason Silberfein ([email protected] or 973.602.3618).

*Including Shomrei Torah 13-14 annual campaign, Wilf Lower School Campus Alumni Playground Campaign, Alumni Scholarship Campaign, Class of 1992 Ner Tamid Campaign and Building on Tradition Endowment & Capital Campaign.


Come show your school spirit and love for Israel!Help us make this year’s delegation the biggest in SSDS/GOA history!Families with young children: Cheer us from the GOA spectator section along the parade route.

To register and for more information, please contact: Lilach Bluevise at 973-602-3659 or [email protected].

Please join us on June 1, 2014, for the 50th Anniversary of the Celebrate Israel Parade in NYC!


My Time in the IDFBy Carmelle Bargad, Class of 2013

On January 7, I enlisted into the IDF to the Mashakit Chinuch (Education Instructor) Course. I started with three weeks of basic training to learn the funda-mentals that every soldier in Tzahal must

be certified in; such as how to shoot the M16, first aid, and how to assemble and put on a gas mask. Then I started my course, Course Chinuch, a 2 1/2 month course where I learned everything there is to know about Israel, the Jewish People and the Middle East from Biblical times to modern day. My commanders lectured us on subjects such as Israel as a Jewish and Democratic state, Zionism, Pluralism, Jewish vs. Israeli Identity and so much more. We practiced leadership and Hadracha (training) skills, travelled to important landmarks such as Har HaBait (Dome of the Rock) and Maarat Hamachpela (Cave of the Patriarchs) and did a lot of guarding the base and picking up trash. Throughout the course, I gave lessons on Con-servative Judaism in America, the Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Websites, and gave a tour of Nahal Snir (a river on the border of Lebanon and Israel that leads into the Kineret).

On April 1, I finished my course and was placed as a Mashakit Chinuch in Bach Golani (the Golani Brigade training base) re-sponsible for Battalian 13 (about 250 soldiers). As a Mashakit Chinuch, I use the knowledge acquired during the course to instill the values and educational aspects of Israel and the IDF into my soldiers. For example, two of Tzahal’s most important

values are human rights and the value of life. My job is to teach my soldiers these values in a way that fits their learning capabilities. Because my target population is boy combat soldiers who have a lot of energy and like to move around, I come up with ways to pass along the values that are more active and fun.

My job is very challenging. I spend tireless hours writing lesson plans, reading and researching ALL in Hebrew. I’ve laughed, cried and wondered why I left home to come here, but then I remember that I was given the opportunity to teach and influence. The soldiers coming in and out of the army are Israeli civilians and the army is Israel’s opportunity to mold its civilians into the ideal citizen, ultimately creating a more idealistic country. Therefore, the more lessons I give, the more soldiers I touch who will one day make Israel a better country.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the education I was given at Golda Och. I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities I was given to develop my connection to Israel, whether it be through Israel Club, the activities with the Rishonim or Neshama. I miss all of you back at home so much and can’t wait for my next visit! Keep in touch!


Living in the city? Kids ready for school? Thinking of moving back to the ’burbs?

Growing Minds • Nurturing Hearts • Strengthening Tradition

Email [email protected] or call 973-602-3601 to set up a tour of our state-of-the-art Wilf Lower School Campus.

The preeminenT prepAraTory school in new jersey for pre-K Through 12Th grade jewish educATion

College Alumni Basketball Game, December 24, 2013


Class of 1979Mazel Tov to Adam Berkowitz on the publishing of his first novel, The Hope Merchant, which is available on Amazon.

Class of 1990Welcome back to Marsha and former student Phil Goldwasser who are now the proud parents of two GOA students — Noam in 6th grade and Shayna in 3rd grade. They also celebrated the bar mitzvah of their oldest son, Avi, on December 1, 2013.

Class of 1997Mazel Tov to Sara Kahn-Troster and David Freidenreich on the birth of their son, Jacob Meir, on February 5, 2014. Congratulations to the growing family and big sister Naomi who live in Maine where Sara is finishing up a Master’s of Public Health at the University of Southern Maine.

Mazel Tov to Erica and Ari Zuckerman on the birth of their daughter, Abigail Dalia born on January 30, 2014. Abigail joins her big sister Sofia who is two years old (below).

Class of 1999Mazel Tov to Chanan Golub who made Aliyah in August 2013 with his wife Sivia, son Zev (22 months old) and dog Buddy. They currently live in Modiin, Israel. Chanan begun

working as the Head of Business Support Services (Chief Financial and Operating Officer) for the British Council Israel office.

Class of 2001Mazel Tov to Evan Majzner and Lindsay Kowalsky on their wedding. The couple celebrated along with other GOA alumni.

Mazel Tov to Arie Belok on his recent engagement to Heather O’Neil.

Mazel tov to Justin Pines and Tali Goldberg on their wedding in April.

Mazel tov to Rena Kaufmann and Matthew Abrams who welcomed their son, Joseph Michael, on March 13.

Class of 2002Congratulations to Jason Lichtman who was married to Shannon Janele Johnson (Now Shannon Janele Lichtman) on September 21, 2013 in beautiful Redstone, Colorado.

Mazel tov to Jessica (Meier) Werner and Jason Werner on a new daughter on April 23. Jason wrote: “Mia Rose Werner joined our family last night, four weeks early, at 6:09 PM weighing 6lbs, 1oz and measuring 19 inches. Mia and Jess are both healthy and Jess and I could not be happier.”

Class of 2003Kol Hakavod to Jeffrey Yoskowitz for being named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30.

Mazel Tov to Mindy Brittner and her fiancé Jackson on their engagement and upcoming 2015 wedding.

Mazel Tov to Danielle Haber and Josh Cohen on their engagement, they are looking forward to a summer 2014 wedding.

Class of 2004Mazel Tov to Jill Rudnitzky on her engagement to Ben Haghani which took place on December 21, 2013. Jill is the Vice President of the michael alan group, a marketing and event production company based in New York City. Ben Haghani is the Founder of Steelpoint Properties, a real estate development and acquisition firm, also based in New York City. The wedding is scheduled for later in 2014.

Class Notes: News From Our Alumni


Mazel Tov to Ilana (Weinstein) Bercuson and husband Eliezer Bercuson on the birth of Dov Netanel Bercuson on April 28, 2013. Ilana is currently working for JLIC at Princeton and has come across a handful of other Schechter/GOA graduates there.

Mazel Tov to Deena Heller and David Polsky on their wedding last year. David is from Milwaukee and a lawyer with the Inspector General of the Department of Children and Family Services for Illinois.

Mazel Tov to Jackie Tannenholtz on her engagement to Josh Gerber.

Class of 2006 Mazel Tov to Sarah Rothenberg and Evan Schonfeld (R) both from the Class of 2006 on their engagement.

Class of 2007Mazel Tov to Simona Caplan and

Class Notes: News From Our Alumni

Jacob Susskind, Class of 2011, Featured in Maryland Athletics ArticleBETHESDA, Md. – Maryland men’s basketball player Jacob Susskind (SSDS-GOA Class of 2011) and field hockey players Maxine Fluharty and Sarah Sprink spent time meeting fans and connecting with the community this past Sunday eve-ning as they took part in the Family Sports Night event at Congregation Beth El in Bethesd, Md.

“This event was a great way to take a step back and connect with the community,” Susskind said. “It was nice to see people smile and learn what I’ve been through coming from a small Jewish day school to now playing at Maryland.”

Below: GOA Grandparents (and parent of Morah Penina) Barbara & Eliot Spack enjoying dinner in Israel with 2013 grads Avi Kessler, Toren Aronoff, Ilan Meltzer, Micah Lubow and three other Young Judaeans in Jerusalem!

Abbaleh Savitt on their engagement and upcoming wedding in August 2014.

Class of 2008Kol Hakavod to Michael Hochberg who was published in the November 2013 edition of Oxford Energy Forum in an article about the natural gas in Israel.

Class of 2009Mazel tov to Benjamin Yavelberg on his engagement to Sarah Roth.

Mazel Tov to Hal Belok and Hannah Kroll on their engagement.

Kol Hakavod to Jillian Rayfield who started her new job as a Staff Editor at The New York Times.

Mazel Tov to Melissa Cohen on her engagement to Todd Bernstein.

Mazel Tov to Robyn Kotek and Jason Turetsky on their December 2013 wedding.

Mazel Tov to Hili Rosen on her engagement to former Schechter student Dan Urban.


To the family of Dorothy Carchman, beloved mother of Marion Jacobson-Schwartz, mother-in-law of Hirsch Jacobson, z’’l, grandmother of Shira Jacobson (Class of 1985) Atara Jacobson (Class of 1987), Roni Jacobson (Class of 1989), Adinah Jacobson (Class of 1990), and great-grandmother of Jonah Bieber (Grade 6), Ari Bieber (Grade and Aliza Bieber (Grade 2).

To the family of Orna Eyal z”l, beloved mother of Tal Eyal (Class of 2012) and Jonathan Eyal.

To the family of Irving Weingrod z”l, beloved father of Louise Weingrod, father-in-law of Bob Sandor and grandfather of Joe Sandor (Class of 2009) and Maya Weingrod Sand (Class of 2012).

To the family of George Herscu, father of Michelle Levine and grandfather of Alexandra (Class of 2008) and Adam (Class of 2013).

To the family of Abraham Akselrad, beloved husband of Claire Akselrad, former Lower School nurse, and father of Aviva (Class of 1998), Rebecca (Class of 2002), Benjamin (Class of 2006), and Gila Akselrad (Class of 2010).

To the family of Arthur Potyk, brother of past board president and alumni parent, Bobbi Ostrow and uncle of Dana (Class of 1991), Jamie (Class of 1993) and Jonathan (Class of 1996).

To the family of Zelda Cohen, beloved mother of Jaye Sauer and grandmother of Marissa Sauer (Class of 2005) and Josh Sauer (Class of 2009).

To the family of Anci Cohenson, beloved grandmother of Stacey Cohenson (Class of 2009) and former students Melissa and Sarah.

To the family of Ruth Kalver, beloved mother of Brian Kalver, mother-in-law of board member Sue Och and loving grandmother of Emily (Class of 2013), Jonah and Jason.

To the family of Adeline Feinberg Kramer z”l, grandmother of Larry Kramer (spouse of Catherine Brown), mother of George Kramer, and great-grandmother of former GOA students Isaiah and Hannah Kramer.

To the family of Julia Ripps, beloved mother of Linda, Amy, Vanessa and Danny and grandmother of Navah Kogen, Coordinator of Experiential Education.

To the family of George Wolff, beloved father of Abby Wolff Levenson (Class of 2001) and Sandy Wolff (Class of 2005).

To the family of Sylvia Lipson, beloved grandmother of Melissa Cohen (Class of 2004) and Emily Cohen (Class of 2011).

To the family of Herman Schwarz z”l, beloved father of Paul Schwarz and grandfather Andrew (Class of 2003) and Evan (Class of 2006).

To the family of Irene Holtz Raicer z”l, beloved mother of Abbie Halperin and grandmother of Rachel Halperin Zibelman (Class of 1990).

To the family of Howard Heller z”l, beloved brother of Jeffrey Heller and uncle of Dena (Class of 2004), Rebecca (Class of 2007), and Benjamin.

To the family of Rita Singer z”l, beloved mother of Beena Levy, Lorraine Rappoport and Jeffrey Singer, mother-in-law of Steve Levy and Harvey Rappoport, grandmother of Joshua Rappoport, Benjamin Rappoport, Rachel Meiner (Class of 2001), Jaime Levy (Class of 2006) and Jacob Levy, and great-grandchildren Neomi Meiner and Toby Rappoport.

To the family of Fira Bialik z”l, mother of Israel Majzner, mother-in-law of Linda Majzner and grandmother of Marc Majzner (Class of 1996), Robbie Majzner (Class of 1999) and Evan Majzner (Class of 2001).

To the family of Bernard Ellis, beloved father of Evie Posner, father-in-law of Sasson Posner, and grandfather of Geffen (Class of 2013), Eden (Grade 11), and Carmie.

Our Sincere Condolences

Tsipi IsraelMazel Tov to Tsipi Israel on the birth of a new granddaughter: Ori Israel Kotok (4 lbs. 3 oz.)

Rabbi Eugene WernickWe regret to inform you of the passing of Barbara Wernick Bennett z”l, beloved sister of Upper School teacher Rabbi Eugene Wernick

Ben Bekele (former WOL school custodian) Mazel Tov to Ben and his wife who welcomed their first baby girl, Maya Beniam, who was born on February 5, 2014 @ 6:05 pm and weighs 5 lbs. & 6.8 oz. and measuring 19.3”. They love every inch of her.

Rabbi Michael MonsonWe regret to inform you of the passing of Jennifer Monson z”l, beloved sister of Rabbi Michael Monson.

GOA Faculty News

What is unique about Gloria and her relationship to Carrie is that the incoming principal was Gloria’s former third grade and fifth grade student. As Vice Principal, Carrie found it exciting to work with her former teacher and observe elementary education from Gloria’s perspective. Carrie said that it has been a privilege and an honor to work alongside Gloria and she will miss both their personal and professional relationship.

While the leadership at Schechter/GOA is changing, Carrie notes that some aspects of the school never change. What Carrie loves most about Schechter/GOA is that it still has the same warm feeling now that it had when she was a student. While the school has changed physically, there is still a feeling of having a Schechter/GOA family and a wonderful camaraderie where everyone knows you – teachers, parents, students – and you feel as if you all have a close relationship. She looks forward to continue the legacy of Schechter/GOA and making it the best school that it can be.

Carrie also wanted to invite alumni and let them know they are welcome to visit the school any time. Who knows, it could inspire you to be next in line for the Principal position.

Continued from cover

1418 Pleasant Valley WayWest Orange, New Jersey 07052

GOA is accredited by the NJ Association of Independent Schools and is a beneficiary agency of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ. It is affiliated with the Jewish Federation of Central NJ, the Solomon Schechter Day School Association, and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, NJ Region.

Eric F. Ross Upper School Campus1418 Pleasant Valley WayWest Orange, NJ 07052(973) 602-3600

Wilf Lower School Campus 122 Gregory AvenueWest Orange, NJ 07052(973) 602-3700

Stephanie Bash-Soudry Director of Development & Alumni RelationsJason Silberfein Associate Director of DevelopmentGlenn Slavin Director of Marketing & CommunicationsCarly Wolkoff Marketing Associate

Sheryl Pearlstein Chair, Board of TrusteesDr. Joyce Raynor Head of SchoolAdam Shapiro Associate Head of School & Upper School Principal Julia R. Malaga Chief Financial OfficerGloria Kron Lower School Principal

We welcome your feedback about this newsletter. Please share with us your comments and suggestions by sending an email to Carly Wolkoff, [email protected]

Don’t forget to like the Schechter/Golda Och Academy Alumni Society page on Facebook.

Documents

Spring 2014 Alumni Newsletter