Brandeis Magazine

Thanks to all who shared their news. My husband, Matthew, and I welcomed twins Jacob Manuel and Rebecca Sarit into our family. They join big sister Nina. All three are excited to be future alumni of Brandeis.

Erin (Desmond) Barber and her husband, Tom, welcomed their first child, Thomas Anthony IV, in August 2016. Alison (Warren) Chernin was named chair of the English department at Saint Mary’s, an all-girls school in Raleigh, North Carolina. She and her family reside at the school, which celebrated its 175th anniversary this year. Sarah Kaplan and her husband, Jason Springer, welcomed their first child, Brandon Chaim, on Feb. 4. Julie, MA’05, and Jonathan Krystal had their second child, Sasha Miriam, in February. The new baby joins big brother Zachary. Chad Kurtz is the new president of Brandeis’ Alumni Club of Washington, D.C. Bryan Lambert was inducted into the Auburn-Lewiston (Maine) Hall of Fame, just seven months after being enshrined in the Joseph M. Linsey Brandeis Athletics Hall of Fame. During high school in Auburn, Bryan starred in basketball, baseball and football. At Brandeis, he was a basketball and baseball standout. After college, he became a pitcher in the Washington Nationals’ minor-league system. Reuben Posner and Leila Billick had their second daughter, Hadas Hope, in November. Big sister Aria turned 4 in April. Leila is a grant writer for Avodah. Reuben is founding director of Havana Arts, a new Jewish overnight arts camp based in Southern California, which begins operation in summer 2018. The family moved to the West Coast over the summer. Rachel Schneider and her husband, Josh Erich, welcomed daughter Lily Eve on Jan. 27. Rachel writes, “Lily’s already feisty, smart and strong, and reports to mom that she hopes to join the Brandeis Class of 2039.” Arnon Shorr’s short film about Jewish pirates, “The Pirate Captain Toledano,” premiered at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival in May, and had its international premiere a few weeks later at the Near Nazareth Festival, in Afula, Israel. Samantha Slater married Justin Meservie on Dec. 11 at Crest Hollow Country Club, in Woodbury, New York. Samantha is the communications director for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, of Colorado. Formerly, she was executive director of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Justin is a senior adviser at the White House Office of Management and Budget. According to a story in The New York Times, they met in May 2013 and went on a few dates. A few months later, they ran into each other on a nearly empty morning rush-hour bus during a government shutdown, and decided to give dating each other another chance. Alec Zadek was elected a member at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo. He has experience in litigating closely held business disputes, post-closing contractual disputes and indemnification disputes, and representing insurers in coverage disputes.