Class Correspondent

40th Reunion
June 6-8, 2014

In July 2013, my husband, Irwin, and I made a return trip to Toronto. We also explored Cambridge and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, two charming towns we had never before visited. After a wonderful family reunion in Aruba in August to celebrate my 60th birthday and my mother’s 85th, the summer seemed to end too quickly. Daughter Laura, 26, works as a digital marketing coordinator. Daughter Tracy, 29, is a fourth-year associate at a large law firm in California, and was recognized by the firm for her pro bono work. Thanks to all who found the time to write to let us know what’s going on in your life. I’m hoping many of you are circling your calendars for our 40th Reunion in June. Meanwhile, if you are not receiving email reminders from me about submitting a Class Note, send me your current email address and I will make sure you’re back in the loop.

Marian Bass and Jane Kaufman spent a beautiful mid-August day on Cape Cod catching up on each other’s life. We send our condolences to Daniel Brin, P’08, whose wife, Janette Oakes-Brin, P’08, died in a car accident on March 5, 2013, in Moorpark, Calif. Their 22-year-old son, Nathan, was a passenger in the car, but he was not injured. Daniel and Janette were married for 31 years. Cathy Morris Chernoff had a busy August. She traveled to Las Vegas to visit her son, Marc, who had a summer internship with Cirque du Soleil working on “Love,” the Beatles show at the Mirage. She also went to the Williamstown (Mass.) Theatre Festival for the premiere of “The Bridges of Madison County.” The musical began a Broadway run on Jan. 13, at the Schoenfeld Theatre. Cathy is one of the producers. Congratulations to Jack (Gilberg) Gilron, P’09, and his wife, Amy, P’09, on becoming grandparents. Their daughter, Miryam, gave birth to Ayala. Michael Goldenkranz writes, “The summer of turning 60 continued with another visit from a Brandeis friend. Mark Gershenson, my close buddy since kindergarten, spent the first weekend in August 2013 with us in the Pacific Northwest. Word on the street is that Kenny Raskin will visit in the near future if he performs in Seattle’s iconic Moisture Festival.” Kathryn Hellerstein’s book “A Question of Tradition: Women Poets in Yiddish” is expected to be published this year. She and her husband, David Stern, lectured and conducted research in Israel during summer 2013. Her son, Jonah, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and her daughter, Rebecca, is pursuing an MSW there. They are in touch with many Brandeis alumni spanning the generations among their family and friends. Brandeisians in the family include nephew Rafi Stern ’11 and his bride, Heddy Ben-Atar ’11, and cousins Ed Feldstein ’61, P’88; Judy Rothenberg Feldstein ’63, P’88; Marc Hellerstein ’75; and Daniel Hellerstein ’83. Friends with a Brandeis connection include Betsy Platkin Teutsch; Peninah Chilton Berdugo; Lori Lefkovitz ’77, P’09; Rita Mendes-Flohr ’69 and Paul Mendes-Flohr, MA’73, PhD’74; Hilene Flanzbaum ’80; and Maeera Shreiber, MA’80, PhD’91. Cantor Ellen Jaffe-Gill writes, “After an agonizingly boring summer, I have begun my final year of studies at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. God willing, I’ll be a graduate rabbi — and a legal wedding officiant in all 50 states — when the class gathers for our Reunion in June.” After 12 years, the last eight as manager of corporate travel and services, Andy Jick left the Timberland Co. following its sale. Since 2001, he has been the public address announcer for Boston College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams after doing the same for the Boston Celtics from 1980-97. He recently underwent treatment for pelvic cancer. Adrianne Kahn writes that her senior-year cottage mate, Elena Ganczuk Krybus, found her in Arkansas after Elena settled in Dallas. Elena had previously lived in Belgium and Israel. Adrianne reports, “It was lovely to be entertained by our other housemate, the amazingly svelte Sue Morgenstern, at Elena’s daughter’s wedding. This past summer, Elena became a first-time grandmother to Max. I am thrilled that my son, Andy, graduated with highest honors from Georgia Tech as a mechanical engineer and is a new homeowner of a fixer-upper — with parent slaves providing the labor. I am always happy to entertain classmates in the area.” Judith Karp Kurnick reports, “After more than 33 years in the Philadelphia/New York area, I moved to Houston to become the director of communications at the Houston Grand Opera. It’s an innovative company in a diverse, growing city with a thriving arts scene. With one child in vet school and another midway through college, I am looking forward to starting a new life chapter.” Kathy McDormand writes, “We took the trip of a lifetime in delayed celebration of my 60th birthday. In May 2013, Paul and I cruised from Miami across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. We have wonderful memories and photos of our visits to Madeira Island, Lisbon, Le Havre, Dover and Amsterdam. I only wish we had had more time to explore all the beautiful places we visited. We definitely need to revisit Amsterdam.” The score Tom Phillips wrote for “Jesse Owens,” a PBS “American Experience” documentary, was nominated for a news and documentary Emmy. He is working on another “American Experience” documentary, “Freedom Summer,” which chronicles the 1964 Mississippi voter registration push during which three students were murdered, and a film about the Black Panther party. Stanley Reed is chair of the litigation department at Lerch, Early & Brewer, where he has practiced law since 1984. His wife, Joyce Branda, is a deputy assistant attorney general in the civil division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Their son Ben, 29, is a litigation associate at Hogan Lovells in New York. Son Alex, 26, is gainfully employed. Daughter Genna, 22, was accepted into the Teach for America program and is teaching algebra at a New Orleans high school. Manuel Rivera was named school superintendent in Norwalk, Conn., where he once lived and his children attended school. He served as superintendent of the Rochester, N.Y., school system from 2002-07 and was New York’s deputy secretary of education from 2007-08. Manuel most recently was CEO of Believe to Achieve International, a nationally recognized education consultancy. Ernie Rubinstein happily reports, “My life partner, Paul Glassman, and I officially married in December 2011. I am hoping to publish a book I wrote on philosophical spirituality. I am also looking forward to early retirement.” Sandra Saltzer-Duzak retired from full-time employment and plans to travel even more (cruises to Mexico and Alaska are already booked), volunteer and see what other adventures await. Betsy Sarason Pfau writes, “In June 2013, Dan ’73 and I attended his 40th Reunion and had a wonderful time (preview of things to come). We saw many of our own classmates, including Francine Ladd Sohn and Susan Hammerschmidt Hunter, P’09. July saw us on a fabulous golf/touring cruise to Ireland and Scotland, which we enjoyed very much. Dan got to play great golf courses, and I saw historic sites. I had always wanted to see Scotland and finally got the opportunity. I have agreed to co-chair our upcoming 40th Reunion, and hope that many of you will join me on the committee to make this the best Reunion so far.” Hugh Schwartz is married and lives in Scarsdale, N.Y. He and his wife, Janet, recently celebrated the bat mitzvah of their daughter, Elena. Hugh is president of Cooks International, an environmentally friendly consumer products company. He is also the managing director of Strategic Business Foundations, a consulting firm that specializes in late-stage startups and turnarounds. Stephen Simons, MA’76, PhD’02, has lived in Portland, Maine, for three years and is very active with Chabad of Maine. He is an insurance professional with New York Life. Shelly and Barbara Brickman Stein ’73 will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary this year. They are the parents of three sons, two married and one engaged, and have four granddaughters. After 25 years in investment banking, Shelly left Merrill Lynch three years ago to become president and CEO of Glazer’s, one of the country’s largest distributors of spirits, wines and malt products. Barbara continues to be very involved in the Jewish community and has been recognized both locally and nationally for her efforts. They still live primarily in Dallas but spend time in Sullivan’s Island, S.C., and New York. Shelly writes, “One of the fun aspects of my business is celebrity involvement in spirits and wines. We have hosted many dinners at our home with people such as George Clooney, Jim Nantz and Patti Stanger. We always enjoy hearing from Brandeis friends.” Khan Zahid spent August 2013 in China as a distinguished visiting scholar at Shanghai Finance University. Janet Zimmern lives in Cambridge, Mass., and has a private psychotherapy practice in nearby Arlington.

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