Class Correspondent

I founded the Boston Maccabi Rugby Club, the Bay State’s first and only Jewish rugby team. I take a lot of pleasure in knowing that we are defying the stereotype that Jewish athletes are afraid of contact sports, or bruise easily, or are allergic to fields. The club won its first game in November and is gearing up to start the next season. I wanted to infuse the team with Jewish values of tzedakah and tikkun olam, so the team is also a service organization off the field, handing out food and clothes. For more information, email bostonmaccabirugby@gmail.com.

Marissa Collins and Daniel Short were married on Oct. 16, 2011, in Woodstock, Md. They currently reside in Greenbelt. Marissa and Dan were married by Binyamin Biber, a Humanistic Jewish rabbi. The Brandeis contingent consisted of Hadar Sayfan ’07, Nina Schwartz ’05, couple Jackie Murphy ’05 and Daniel Gandhi, couple Daniel Muenz and Ava Morgenstern, Amanda Milstein (and husband Charles Koppelman) and Amy Schiller. The bride and groom are both keeping their birth name. Joshua Simmons was appointed vice chair of the American Bar Association’s copyright and social media committee. He is an associate in Kirkland’s New York office. His practice focuses primarily on intellectual property litigation, including copyrights, patents and trademarks. His pro bono matters have included the successful representation of asylum seekers before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Aliza Liebman married Benjamin Gellman-Chomsky ’08 on Sept. 4, 2011, in Columbus, Ohio. More than 20 Brandeis alumni were in attendance, including matron of honor Kayla (Liebman) Bellin, best man Adam Barish ’09, bridesmaid Jessica Herman and the mother of the groom, Susan Gellman ’78. Six alumni of the a cappella group Brandeis VoiceMale sang the first dance.
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