Brandeis Magazine

Joey Hartstone’s novel “The Local,” published last year by Doubleday, was an Editors’ Choice in The New York Times. Max Louik is a partner at Reed Smith in the law firm’s Pittsburgh office. As a litigator in the insurance recovery group, he counsels policyholders on their insurance placements and renewals, and advocates for their interests through mediation, arbitration, and litigation. His cases include insurance-recovery matters related to COVID-19. Joshua Ritz reports he has passed the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner board-certification examination. Gila Ward is director of leadership at the Coro New York Leadership Center, a nonprofit in Manhattan. Ilana (Shapiro) Yahdav and husband Liron welcomed their second daughter, Sophie, at the end of 2022.