Brandeis Magazine

After 10 years of practicing law in New Jersey, Jennifer Brandt became a certified mediator in commercial and family law disputes, with a focus on family business mediation. Then, in 2009, she received a Master of Arts in international relations and dispute resolution, and now concentrates on international mediation. She has worked with court systems and private mediation centers in Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, India and the Republic of Georgia to promote, develop and train judges and attorneys in mediation. David Glasser says it was “truly an honor and a hippie dream” to master the 50th Anniversary Edition of the Grateful Dead’s iconic album “Workingman’s Dead” at his facility, Airshow Mastering, located in the foothills west of Boulder, Colorado. David’s work with the Dead began in 2004 with the re-release of “The Grateful Dead Movie.” Frederic Kessler, P’10, was appointed president of Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey in June. He is special counsel at law firm Saiber and a former Superior Court judge. After Jennifer Lopez’s halftime performance at the 2020 Super Bowl, magazine articles on her beauty regimen mentioned her use of Lancer Skincare products, formulated by Beverly Hills dermatologist Harold Lancer. Mindy Littman Holland’s fourth book, “Days of Wine and COVID: Fifty-Seven Stories of Pandemic Proportions,” was published in June. She reports she enjoyed her Brandeis class reunion on Zoom. Ted Merriam is a tax attorney at his own boutique law firm in Denver, defending citizens from civil and criminal government investigations and prosecutions. He’s been married to Donna for 38 years and has two daughters (Amy is his office manager, and Cassidy is an intellectual property attorney). A longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, Furthur and Dead & Company, Ted says he remains indebted to emeritus American studies professor Stephen Whitfield, PhD’72, for his guidance and inspiration. Maria Rodriguez writes, “Through thick and thin, my husband, Jimmy Gomez, and I raised four wonderful children, all college graduates, and it all started because I said yes to attending Brandeis. In 2011, I lost Jimmy to pancreatic cancer. As the pandemic rages on, I am alone but have been fortunate to hold on to one of the most meaningful communities I have ever been a part of: the Brandeis community. The university’s Zoom seminars have been a wonderful place to reconnect and remember good times.” University Professor Jonathan D. Sarna, MA’75, became a grandfather in the midst of the pandemic. Grandson Cyrus Sarna Schwartz bears the Hebrew name Nahum Levi Yitzhak, in memory of great-grandfather (and Brandeis professor) Nahum M. Sarna and, on his father’s side, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev (Cyrus is a direct 10th-generation descendant). Pamela Zickler-Rikkers is an archival researcher for film and television projects. She recently worked on a documentary about WWII liberators, “Liberation Heroes: The Last Eyewitnesses,” produced in conjunction with the USC Shoah Foundation. She has four daughters and five grandchildren. She shares a few undergraduate memories: “Brandeis hosting disco dances for us to get to know one another. Dancing the Bump with dormmate Deborah Colker, P’17, and other freshmen. Film analysis classes (Bergman, Truffaut, Hitchcock, Fellini, Renoir) with Andrew Silver. Early-morning swimming in the pool (and sharing cups of strong tea with storyteller/maintenance worker Jerry Porter). What moves us in life and art? Humanity. Brandeis encouraged its embrace and its demonstration in living works.”