HACD Alumni Newsletter Winter 2010 - Bet Shraga Hebrew ...

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Bet Shraga Shelanu
Our School, Our News
Alumni Newsletter | Winter 2010
Academic Excellence Rooted In Tradition

Dear HACD graduates,
For a while now, the Bet Shraga leadership team has been
working on a way to reach out to you, the alumni, for the
purpose of keeping you informed about our school and
to let you know that we are thinking of you and that we
hope you are thinking of us. We've created Bet Shraga
Shelanu in the hopes of connecting you to HACD and
to each other. Please let us know if you enjoy it.
Whether you graduated a year ago or a generation ago,
you’ll probably find it amazing how much and how little
has hanged over the years. The school is the same but the
students are different. The inspiring experiences and the
meaningful academic program are still strong. The jokes
about the teachers are the same. The faces of the students
are different, but Chuck is still here.
Please don't be a stranger. Your visits to our school bring
tremendous pride and happiness to our teachers. Your
contributions to our Shomray Torah Annual Campaign
secure the strength of our foundation. Your ideas and
suggestions infuse our leadership with creativity. Your
presence and involvement ensure the future of Bet Shraga
and the generations of Jewish leadership we produce.
May we continue to grow
and honor the mission of
our founding fathers.
B’Ahava,
Rabbi Rami Strosberg
Head of School (Class of '94)
Shomray Torah Fund Builds for the Future
Hebrew Academy teaches everything from the ABCs and the Aleph Bet to the Pirkei Avot and the Periodic Table. As you know,
all that costs money. Most independent schools have a gap between what tuition pays for and what it costs to run the school.
Hebrew Academy’s gap is around fifteen percent.
That’s where the Shomray Torah Annual Fund comes in. Among other things, it serves to retain teachers, develop challenging
educational programming, upgrade technology, and provide financial aid for students. Once exclusively a financial aid fund,
Shomray Torah’s purpose has been broadened this year. Shomray Torah garners funds through donations as well as the Heritage
Dinner in the late spring.
The Fall Campaign will continue through April. This year’s goal is two hundred thousand dollars; over the next two-year period,
the goal is to double the yearly fund. “A push to increase our financial base will help us build for the future,” says campaign chair
Carolyn Levine, the mother of three current students.
Levine states. “We all have the opportunity to help in some way, whether
it’s volunteering, donations, or ads in the directory. This is our school, and
we want everyone to feel a part of it and invested in it. Great things are
happening with Rabbi Rami at the helm. He’s brought a lot of new programs
to the school and a stability to the leadership,
and hopefully he will be around for a long time.”
For more information, contact ShomrayTorah@hacdalbany.org.
Articles written by Shoshana Flax (Class of ‘97)
Graphic design by Heidi Florussen
1
Table of Contents
2 Math and Mishna Madness
3 Focus on Chessed
4 The End of an Era: Mrs. Stein
to Retire in June
5-6 Class Notes - Updates on Alumni

Math and Mishna Madness
If you had to guess what middle school students are getting
excited about right now, math and Mishnah might not be
your first guesses. But a few new programs and curricula have
infused these two subjects with renewed interest in HACD’s
middle school.
“I realized when we came to Hebrew Academy that we had a
lot of very talented math students, but they didn’t always have
the opportunity to do teamwork and problem solving,” says
middle school math teacher Alexandra Schmidt. Now that
Ms. Schmidt has introduced participation in two annual math
competitions, there are problems aplenty to solve—the good
kind, of course.
The MATHCOUNTS Competition, a series of “bee” style
contests held at the end of January, presents problems that
Ms. Schmidt says are “generally a lot more interesting than
those kids see in school. They make people think, and they
make people talk.” Ms. Schmidt started the program at
Hebrew Academy in 2004.
Though Hebrew Academy is one of the smallest of the
twenty-plus schools participating in the Capital District
Chapter competition, it has a higher participation rate than
most schools. This year, seventeen of Hebrew Academy’s
forty-seven middle schoolers plan to join the competition.
Significant numbers of middle school students from
Hebrew Academy have also participated in the American
Mathematics Competition for grades 8 and below (AMC8)
for the past two years. In each year, a Hebrew Academy
student’s score on this challenging exam was in the top five
percent among students nationwide. Hebrew Academy has
even hosted students from other schools who want to
participate in the competition, which is held in November.
“Math works best as a social endeavor,” Ms. Schmidt remarks.
“It shouldn’t just be some genius doing it in a closet by himself
with no one to compare things with. We don’t want math to
be an isolating thing.”
In the area of Mishnah, what’s new is actually old in some
ways. Last year, the school adopted the V’Shinantam
curriculum created by Rabbi Dr. Pinchas Hayman and
provided by Bonayich Educational Services. The curriculum
asks students to memorize passages from the Mishnah, just as
scholars did in the yeshivot of old. It includes incentives like
prizes for finishing a perek and web games from MISHNAH-
Kids.com. Rabbi Hayman visits the school twice each year.
Middle school Judaic studies teacher Shara Siegfeld observes
that the new program has led to “a greater appreciation of
rabbinic laws and the development of our law. It’s increased
enthusiasm in Rabbinics class and given the students a sense
of pride in achievement. Getting prizes and having the creator
of the program come to the school all help with that.
“There are all these accompaniments that we’ve never had
before,” Ms. Siegfeld notes. “We have posters in the classroom.
There’s a CD with all the Mishnayot so that students can go
home and review and prepare themselves for what’s coming.”
Though memorization is an integral part of the program, by
no means are students simply learning passages by rote.
Instead, they make meaning by “creatively applying the
Mishnayot to today’s circumstances,” according to Ms.
Siegfeld. For example, she says, students discussed how to
apply the laws for saying the Amidah while traveling by
donkey to modern air travel.
Before the introduction of this program, Hebrew Academy
had not had an organized Rabbinics
curriculum for about twenty years.
"This program presented itself and was
fantastic," says Ms. Siegfeld. "We had a
workshop with Rabbi Hayman and he
gave us some statistics about how
effective the program is. We found
everything that he predicted to be true:
kids have embraced the program.
Learning has been its own reward, and
kids have really developed from it."
V'Shinantam is a four-year program, and
as of this year, Hebrew Academy is starting
it in fifth grade. Eventually, the plan is to
introduce Talmud as well. Meanwhile,
says Ms. Siegfeld, "Alumni are welcome to
come study Mishnah with us."
2

HACD Renews Focus on Chessed
No student is an island. At Hebrew Academy, students
constantly make connections with each other and with the
larger community. Several programs emphasizing chessed
give students the opportunity to connect with others and
brighten people’s days—including their own.
Twice a month, the sixth grade visits the Daughters of Sarah
Senior Community. With the help of the recreation staff,
the sixth graders and the residents on the units participate in
a wide variety of activities, some of which include cooking,
trivia, bowling, Nintendo Wii, arts and crafts, and holiday
celebrations. “The students spend about an hour and build
meaningful interactions with the residents, who truly brighten
up with every visit,” says middle school Judaic studies teacher
Shara Siegfeld.
The eighth grade participates in the Reach Out and Read
(ROAR) program through the Jewish Federation of
Northeastern New York. Once a week, the students visit
Eagle Point Elementary School in Albany to work with their
second grade buddies on their reading and English Language
Arts development. “Throughout the program, our students
provide consistent role modeling, which is tremendously
valuable for our second grade buddies,” says Ms. Siegfeld.
“Our eighth graders truly feel the rewards of their efforts as
they hear their buddies’ reading skills develop. They see the
gigantic smiles when they enter the classroom, and they feel
the love-filled, squeezey hugs the little ones greet them with.”
“In ROAR I have maybe some new friends and helped them
learn to read as well as learning a few things myself,” says
eighth grader Elena Pollack. “Reading together, laughing, and
even doing art projects allowed me to see what kids in that
age bracket are into. I have already used this knowledge when
babysitting and it works great. I love seeing the kids’ faces
when I step through the door, and how excited they get when
they finish a book. Seeing their smiles is something I look
forward to every week.”
As Ms. Siegfeld puts it, the time they spend on these chessed
projects is “a time when our students truly understand the
differences they can make in the world.”
Sixth grader Vered Ornstein remarks, “I’ve learned by going
there every few weeks that these people are a lot more capable
than we give them credit for. I’ve also learned that they’re not
all the same. They all have different things that they are able
and not able to do. It’s really a new kind of thing for me and
I think I’ve learned a lot, and I always feel good about myself
when they thank me or seem happy.”
While the sixth graders share their time with older members
of the community, the seventh and eighth graders share theirs
with people younger than themselves. Throughout the year,
each seventh grader spends time with a buddy from Hebrew
Academy’s kindergarten. “The buddies have scheduled
programming once a week, ranging from holiday based
activities and celebrations to learning stations to school
improvement and beautification projects such as bulb planting,”
says Ms. Siegfeld. “At school assemblies, kindergarteners and
seventh graders are always found together, as the little ones
understand immediately that HACD is one large family and
they love being with their seventh grade siblings. It is fantastic!”
3

The End of an Era: Mrs. Stein to Retire in June
If you’re reading this, it’s extremely likely
that you’ve had Mrs. Barbara Stein as a
teacher. It’s also quite likely that this news
signals to you the end of an era: after
thirty-one years at Hebrew Academy,
Mrs. Stein will retire this June.
Influenced to become a teacher by “some
wonderful History teachers in college,”
Mrs. Stein began working at Hebrew
Academy soon after enrolling her
daughter Nicole as a student. She has taught in the Learning
Center and spent most of her time in third grade, and has also
taught middle school Jewish History. Additionally, she spent
six years as Assistant Principal of the Elementary School.
“Each year has its different challenges as all classes are
different,” Mrs. Stein remarks, “but that’s what’s so interesting
and what keeps you fresh as a teacher. What’s changed most
[over the years] is the world. Children grow up faster, know
more, and have technological skills that are amazing and a
challenge to keep up with.”
Mrs. Stein’s favorite project is the Art Appreciation unit she
developed. “I feel that art is for everyone and it allows us to
see the world in a special way,” she says. “It never fails to amaze
me how creative the students can be. A favorite story is when
a student, Avi Wachs Cashman, was doing a report on
Michelangelo. He decorated the cover of his report with a
section of the Sistine Chapel that has God breathing life into
Adam. He had superimposed his picture over Adam’s and
mine over God’s. It still makes me smile.
“Another favorite was when I was a principal,” she adds.
“I had worn a very colorful striped suit to school and Mrs.
[Lorraine] Arcus invited me to the Kindergarten because
they were learning about Joseph’s coat of many colors. I went
down and proceeded to twirl around and show off my jacket
when one on the children yelled out, ‘throw her into the pit.’
We laughed at that one for years.
“The best thing about teaching at Bet Shraga is of course all
the wonderful students I’ve met,” she says. “It has also been a
place where I have formed lifelong friendships.”
Much of what Mrs. Stein does on the weekends is probably
unsurprising. “I clean, do school work and try to read a book.
There are always four or five on my nightstand waiting for
me. I do love movies and museums too. I don’t think anyone
will be surprised because I constantly speak of my love of
books and art. I don’t, however, remember speaking fondly
of cleaning!”
However, there are things that most former students don’t
know about Mrs. Stein. “As a teen I worked for the election
of John F. Kennedy and was very fortunate to see him in
person. I also heard Robert Kennedy and Sargent Shriver
speak at Queens College.”
She also reveals a past in show business, or at least in quizshow
business: “I appeared five times on the show Jeopardy
and three times on another show called The Who, What,
or Where Game.”
So what’s next after Mrs. Stein retires “ I plan to sub at
school and volunteer at a number of places that hold
meaning for me. My daughter is planning to take me
to London in 2011 and that is a lifelong dream.”
“As for the rest,” she says, “I will play it as it comes.”
4

1970-1975
Ari Nachum Gerber (‘70) lives in Israel with wife Yael and two
daughters. He works as a Senior Technical Writer at RSA,
the Security Division of EMC.
Debby Biskin Flancbaum (‘72) recently welcomed a grandchild.
Judy Phaff Ledger (‘75, Grade 12) recently welcomed a
grandchild.
1976-1980
Class Notes: Updates on Alumni
Annette Kriegel Davidoff (‘76) lives in Sharon, MA and works as
a cardiologist at Boston Medical Center. She and husband Ravin
Davidoff have three grown children.
Marcy Rosenthal Leiman
(‘89) lives in Needham,
MA with husband
Mitchell and daughter
Hannah. She teaches a
“Mommy & Me” class at
Isis Maternity.
Josh Zucker (‘89) and
wife Jill recently welcomed
daughter Charlotte.
1991-1995
Marcy Rosenthal Leiman (‘89)
Zachary Pozner (‘90) was recently married.
Jason Winig (‘78) and wife Fran recently welcomed twins.
Amy Rosenbaum Steklof (‘78)
1981-1990
Amy Rosenbaum Steklof (‘78, Grade
12) lives in Penfield, NY, where she was
recently elected Town Clerk. She and
husband Kevin have three children.
David Kriegel (‘79, Grade 12) and
wife Lisa recently welcomed
twins Jack and Nili.
Paula Cohen-Martin (‘82) lives in New Jersey with husband Paul
and two children. She does freelance illustration and
other artwork.
Yaffa Shira Grossberg (‘83) lives in
Jerusalem with husband Michael Kaplan
and two children. She teaches at the
bilingual Hand in Hand School for Arab
and Jewish children.
Jo-Ellen Pozner (‘86) recently married
Ben Zeitlin.
Yaffa Shira Grossberg (‘83)
Malka (Melissa) Packer (‘89) is a student at the
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. She
works as a pastoral counselor and leads a group for ninth grade
girls called “Rosh Hodesh, It’s a Girl Thing.”
Alisa Katz (‘91) produced the film Defiance.
Ari Krepostman (‘91) is in the process of moving from
New York City to Los Angeles and developing a movie
with writer/director Matthew Bonifacio.
Elishe (Rothenberg) (‘92) Binder and husband Nachum
recently welcomed daughter Ma’ayan.
Engagement of Rachel Arcus (‘94)
to Jeremy Goldberg
Jeff Bratspis (‘94) was recently married.
Michael Kay (‘93) lives in
Chevy Chase, MD with
wife Rachel. He works as
Director of Judaic Studies
for the Upper School of
the Charles E. Smith
Jewish Day School.
Aviva (Silton) Robinson
(‘93) and husband
Ami recently welcomed
son Solomon.
Rachel Arcus (‘94) is
engaged to Jeremy Goldberg.
Julie Massry Knox (‘94) and husband Jim welcomed
son Ezra.
Aliza Halpert Scher (‘94) and husband Dan Scher (’97)
recently welcomed daughter Ellie.
5

Class Notes: Updates on Alumni
Rami Strosberg (‘94) and wife Debbie Greene Strosberg (‘96)
welcomed son Leor.
Jack Umansky (‘94) is engaged to Jane Khorosh. He lives in
New York City and works for KPMG LLP Advisory Services
as a Project Manager and consultant.
Alison Bernstein (‘95) was recently married.
Arielle Koblenz Kay (‘95) and husband Jason Kay (’96)
recently welcomed daughter Ellie.
Jessica Kriss (‘95) was recently married.
Lily Rabinoff-Goldman (‘95) was recently married.
Randy Rosenthal (‘95) was recently married.
Gary Ginsburg (‘98) married Meghan Slutzky in 2008.
He recently began a job as Press Officer for the Division
of Budget.
Jessica (Levine) Tayler (‘98) and husband Zeke recently
welcomed son Isaiah.
Abby Goldberg (‘00) was recently married.
Josh Schwartz (‘00) lives in New York. He is working
toward a doctorate in Jewish studies, and was recently
awarded a space in the Wexner Graduate Fellowship.
Adir Saati (‘03) is studying Personal and Athletic Training
at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI.
Li-Or Kohn (‘04) was recently married.
Nava Silton (‘95) recently married Ariel Brandwein.
1996-2004
David Kieval (‘96) recently
married Emily Sowalski.
Marriage of David Kieval (‘96)
and Emily Sowalski
Meredith Hochman Weprin (‘97)
lives in Manhattan with husband
Andrew and recently began
working at the McCarton Center
for Developmental Pediatrics as
a speech-language pathologist.
Avi Rasowsky (‘97) lives in
Houston, TX with wife Heather.
He works at Gallup as a
consultant.
Morris Levy (‘96) recently
married Daniela Smolov.
David Bratspis (‘97) recently
married Bat-Chen Schlesinger.
They live in Alon Shvut, Israel,
and plan to move to the Jewish
Quarter in the Old City of
Jerusalem, where David works
at Yeshivat HaKotel.
Daniela Smolov Levy, Morris Levy ‘96, Arielle Koblenz Kay ‘95 Jason
Kay ‘96, David Kieval ‘96, Emily Sowalski, Daniel Kieval ‘02, Lily
Rabinoff-Goldman (Green) ‘’95, Hillel Green, Josh Arcus ‘99, Rachel
Arcus ‘94, Tina Avellino ‘96, Meredith Hochman Weprin ‘97
Bet Shraga Mourns &
Remembers
Deborah Schapiro Horn ‘82
Daniel Kliman ‘84
Ravit Greenberg (‘98)
was recently married.
Marriage of Meredith Hochman (’97)
and Andrew Weprin
6

Head of School
Rabbi Rami Strosberg
Lower School Coordinator
Patricia Balmer
Middle School Principal
Daniel Miller
President & Chair
Board of Trustees
Marta Koblenz
Admissions Director
Lorraine Arcus
Stay in Touch!
For more information about becoming a HACD Alumni Association member
or on upcoming Alumni Events, email Julie Massry Knox at, jmassry28@yahoo.com.
Please share your news with us by emailing Shoshana Flax at shoshana.flax@gmail.com.
Join the Facebook group “Hebrew Academy”
54 Sand Creek Road, Albany, New York 12205 | 518.482.0464 | F. 518.482.0129 | hacdalbany.org
Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York is a generous supporter of
Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of the Capital District