Class Correspondent

Meredith Bodgas was named editor-in-chief of Working Mother magazine and WorkingMother.com. Nina Michelle Auster Cusner, MA’05, MAT’07, writes, “We moved back to my hometown of Baltimore two years ago. I teach at the school that I went to as a kid, and now my kids go there as well. We just got back from a wonderful trip to Israel, which my kids loved. I can’t wait to go again with them.” Debbi Finkelstein is the new cultural arts specialist at the Cohen Hillel Academy. Brett Friedman was named partner at Ropes & Gray. His wife, Ashley Firestone ’05, threw a surprise party, which Max Polonsky, Avi Coburn, Jeremy Hamburgh and Michael Chapper attended. Abby Gondek is a PhD candidate in the global and sociocultural studies department at Florida International University. She is engaged in archival research in the U.S., the United Kingdom and South Africa. Her dissertation examines the social-science networks of Jewish women anthropologists and sociologists from 1920-70. She earned her master’s degree in African and African diaspora studies in 2015. Anna (Natsume) Gribben and husband Brandon had a baby girl, Noa Riley, in August. Anna is a senior marketing-operations project manager at Nordstrom’s headquarters, in Seattle. Adam Herman was named director of admissions and student services for the Kelley Direct MBA and MS programs at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He is in the final phase of a doctorate in higher-education administration at Indiana’s School of Education, completing a dissertation focused on strategic behaviors within admissions and marketing functions at four-year colleges and universities. Mara and Robert Jackel welcomed a baby boy, Adrian Chaim, just minutes after 2017 began. Sheila Kaufman and Sanjay Nand had a son, Sachin Joseph, on April 2, 2016. Asher Micah was born on Sept. 19 to Alyssa Krop-Brandfon and Joshua Brandfon ’05. Eszter (Lengyel) Neuman and her husband, Ariel, welcomed their second son, Louis Krausz, in October. Zev is very excited to be a big brother. The family lives in Los Angeles, where Eszter is senior director of legal affairs at TeamHealth and Ariel is a partner at Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks, Lincenberg & Rhow. Michelle Shain, Heller MA’13, PhD’16, is now an associate research scientist at Brandeis’ Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies. Michelle and her husband, Adam, MS’04, welcomed a son, Zachary Mark, on Aug. 21. He joins big siblings David, Elizabeth and Abigail. Cal Stein and his wife had their first child, Greyson Rayfiel, on Jan. 1, 2016. Cal was promoted to partner at Donoghue, Barrett & Singal, where he works with Bruce Singal ’70.

Photo of attendees at a surprise party for Brett Friedman

SURPRISE GUESTS: To celebrate the promotion of Brett Friedman ’04 (center) to partner at Ropes & Gray, his wife, Ashley Firestone ’05, threw him a surprise party. Attendees included Max Polonsky, Avi Coburn, Jeremy Hamburgh and Michael Chapper, all ’04.

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