Class of 2020

Class of 2020 Hornstein graduate students in a group outside on the lawn

Congratulations to the Hornstein Class of 2020!

On Sunday, May 24, 2020, 21 months of intensive educational programming culminated in a virtual commencement ceremony. This particular group of students rose above the challenges imposed upon them by the pandemic, completed their studies with aplomb, and went on to find excellent jobs in the Jewish community. Mazel tov to the Hornstein Class of 2020! 

Graduating students Harry Abrahams, Katie Hamelburg, and Molly Goldmeier chaired the student planning committee under the guidance of Prof. Mark Rosen.

Class of 2020

Harry Abrahams
Harry Abrahams, MA’20, MBA’20
Class of 2020

Originally from Natick, Massachusetts, Harry Abrahams, MA’20, MBA’20, now lives in Cambridge over by Porter Square. He graduated with a BS in Physiology and Neurobiology from the University of Connecticut where he was involved in the Student Union, intramural sports, a capella, and Alpha Phi Omega, the National Co-Ed Community Service Fraternity. While at UConn, he uncovered a passion for Jewish communal and nonprofit work thanks to some very dedicated Hillel professionals. His experience with Hillel lead him to work for the organization for three years starting as a program director, becoming an assistant director, and finally running his own Hillel as an executive director. After his work with Hillel, Harry started his own nonprofit consulting business working with smaller schools and nonprofits on how to improve their management and fundraising practices. In his free time, Harry enjoys writing and recording music and playing guitar at coffeehouse open mics.

Sanford Aronson
Sanford Aronson, MA’20, MBA’20
Class of 2020

Sanford Aronson, MA’20, MBA’20, was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. He attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he earned degrees in Iberian and Latin American Studies and Jewish Studies. At Vanderbilt, he also served as a Vice President of his campus Hillel and lived in a dorm community dedicated to cross-cultural communication. For the past four years, Sandy has worked at Temple Beth Elohim (TBE) in Wellesley, Massachusetts as their Community Organizer, where he supports both youth and adults in pursuing their social justice passions. In particular, he has helped push the topic of mental health into synagogue life, and has guided his members through the process of resettling two Syrian refugee families. He is an alumnus of the JOIN For Justice Jewish Organizing Fellowship. Sandy is excited to be a part of the Hornstein community and hopes to make a greater impact on the world around him.

Michael Fishbein
Michael Fishbein, MA’20, MBA’20
Class of 2020

Michael Fishbein, MA’20, MBA’20, is an experienced Jewish educator and community leader with a deep interest in civic engagement and social equity. Mike worked at Temple Israel of Boston for ten years, ultimately as Assistant Director of Education. Mike helped create “The Tent: a Jewish Learning Community for Greater Boston Teens at Temple Israel of Boston,” a school based on partnerships among area congregations representing multiple streams of Jewish life; he was The Tent’s director for its first three years. Mike holds a BA in Biology from Drew University. He began his professional life first as a high school teacher and coach and then as the general manager of a Boston restaurant. Mike was a 2018 Combined Jewish Philanthropies “Chai in the Hub” honoree. He lives with his family in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, where he loves to cook paella with friends in the backyard.

Molly Goldmeier
Molly Goldmeier, MA’20, MBA’20
Class of 2020

Molly Goldmeier, MA’20, MBA’20, raised in Southfield, Michigan, is a graduate student at Brandeis University pursuing an MBA in Non-Profit Management at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and an MA in Jewish Professional Leadership from the Hornstein Program. Prior to beginning this experience, Molly attended New York University and developed an independent major in fashion marketing. During her time at NYU, Molly held various leadership positions at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life on Campus including Hillel Vice President, Hillel Religious Life Chair, Engagement Intern, and Jewish Learning Fellowship Educator. Molly also served as a Resident Assistant on campus. Molly was awarded an NYU President’s Service Award as well as a Bronfman Center Exemplar of Excellence. Molly spent her summers attending Camp Stone in Sugar Grove, PA, where she served as Head of the Wilderness Program and Head of Camp. Molly spent the past three years working in the corporate offices at Warby Parker and J.Crew, focusing on corporate social responsibility, branding, and campaign strategy. Molly believes she can leverage lessons from the fashion industry to help develop creative, sustainable, and inclusive Jewish experiences and spaces.

Daniel Nussbaum
Daniel Nussbaum, MA’20, MPP’20
Class of 2020

Daniel Nussbaum, MA’20, MPP’20, grew up not far from Brandeis in Framingham, Massachusetts with a strong connection to his local Jewish community. He attended Temple Shir Tikva Religious School in Wayland and worked as an assistant teacher there for five years. During his college years, he was a head counselor at Camp Kaleidoscope at the JCC Greater Boston. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. For his honors thesis, he examined the relationship between social welfare spending and mental health. The experience led to his interest in research that meets social policy goals. Currently, Daniel is a research specialist at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and the Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis. He works on the American Jewish Population Project to estimate the Jewish population at national, state, and sub-state levels. He is excited to broaden his understanding of Jewish communities, and to become a more effective social science researcher.

Bar Sananes
Bar Sananes, MA’20, MBA’20
Class of 2020

Bar Sananes, MA’20, MBA’20, is from Rosh Ha'Ayin in Israel. She most recently served as the Israeli Emissary at the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, where she worked to strengthen Palm Beach's connection to the people, culture, and history of Israel. Bar holds a degree from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC) in Government, Diplomacy, and Strategy – with a sub-specialization in Counter-Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Political Communication. She is a graduate of the Honors Rabin Leadership Program that trains young people for leadership roles in Israel. Prior to this, Bar served three years in the Israel Defense Forces as an infantry instructor and officer in the rank of Sergeant in the IDF's officers’ training course. Bar has taken various leadership roles in the field of female empowerment in business, foreign affairs and diplomacy, social entrepreneurship, and Jewish communal work. She is interested bridging the gap between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to promote social responsibility in Israel. Currently, Bar is interning for the Ruderman Family Foundation, where she is working on the field of inclusion of people with disabilities throughout our society.