1950s
Elliot Aronson writes, “I am 93 years old and have lost most of my eyesight. Nevertheless, I am currently working on the 13th edition of my textbook “The Social Animal,” in collaboration with my youngest son, Joshua, who is also a social psychologist. I live quietly and happily in Santa Cruz, California, with my wife of 70 years, the former Vera Rabinek, a gifted artist.”
70th Reunion: Oct. 24-26
Herbert Lewis’ latest book is “Correcting the Record: Essays on the History of American Anthropology” (Berghahn Books, 2025).
Elaine Phillips Ostroff, P’80, G’13, received a Distinguished Alumni Award from B.M.C. Durfee High School, in Fall River, Massachusetts, in May 2024. A 1951 Durfee graduate, Elaine was recognized for her professional accomplishments in the field of universal design, and her advocacy in behalf of civil rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. She also belatedly received varsity letters for her athletic achievements during high school.
Naima (Wallenrod) Prevots is collaborating with a colleague at Teachers College, Columbia University, on a book about the Progressive Era, dance and the arts. She has a grandson at Hofstra and another at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Susan Gold is the author of “The Eyes Are the Same,” a memoir about her childhood during the Holocaust, which included two years of living underneath a stable. The book was published by Full Court Press in August 2024.
Ruth Porter Bernstein recently attended classes held by the Winthrop (Massachusetts) Civilian Police Academy that show what it’s like to work as a police officer.
Philip Conti still practices dentistry at the office he opened in Malden, Massachusetts, 60 years ago. He and wife Ruth have been married more than 65 years, and have two daughters and three granddaughters.
David Kline writes, “Retired is a great way to be a rabbi. My wife and I live in Brooklyn, close to our three kids and five grandchildren, ages 20 to 2. Getting older is not so bad.”
Janet Hentoff Krauss writes that, in her 90th year, she chooses activities that inspire her spiritually and creatively, including participating in a Zoom poetry group and leading a Zoom poetry-discussion group.
Longtime educator Bret Schlesinger is the author of the book “Understanding Education: Why Schools Don’t Work — and How To Fix Them,” published in September 2023. A five-part video version of the book will be shown on Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Television, in New York.
David Goldberg shares a message: “Still living, but I’ve stopped buying green bananas!”
Lois Zajic writes, “Sadly, my husband of 60 years has passed away. My ‘granny-nanny’ job is over, as my grandson has his driver’s license. And my school no longer maintains a library. So I am out of work (my son corrects me: ‘Mom, you are retired’). I have moved to a lively senior facility, where I lead trivia games (mildly combative), run the recycling program, play in a performing chamber music group and study Great Courses. Thank you, Brandeis, for starting me on a lifelong journey of learning.”
Carolyn Feigelson pays tribute to three Brandeis faculty members who shaped her: historian Frank Manuel, philosopher Herbert Marcuse and psychologist Abraham Maslow. “I cannot imagine having gone through my college years without this intellectual intensity and personal connection,” she writes. “I feel as if it were yesterday.”
Jazz composer and bassist Chuck Israels, who received a Brandeis Alumni Achievement Award in 2023, is the author of “Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture,” published by Backbeat Books in December 2023. He reports he’s living happily in Portland, Oregon, and occasionally travels to perform.
Marcia Leventhal is board president at the American Dance Therapy Association.
Karin Meyers writes, “Who knew the cute guy I met in the Brandeis mailroom in 1955 (Burt ’57) — who asked me if I was Jewish — would be by my side as we celebrated our 65th wedding anniversary. Burt and I have not only established a scholarship fund at Brandeis, we are also working with the development office to establish an engineering program. We encourage other alumni to join this effort.” In December 2022, Karin became a bat mitzvah in Israel with two of her granddaughters.
Alicia Ostriker has written a new poetry collection, “The Holy and Broken Bliss” (Alice James Books, 2024). Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review, saying the book “resonates long after the final page.”