Kol Bogrei rambam - Maimonides School

April 2011 ~ Adar II–Nisan 5771Page of 3Kol BogreiRambamConnecting Maimonides Alumni WorldwideGraduate is Think Tank’s New Manager for Foreign and Defense PolicyLazar Berman ’99 has joined the staffof the American Enterprise Institute, aWashington, DC-based think tank thatdescribes its mission as “dedicatedto preserving and strengthening thefoundations of a free society—limitedgovernment, competitive privateenterprise, vital cultural and politicalinstitutions, and vigilant defense—through rigorous inquiry, debate, andwriting.”AEI sponsors original research onthe world economy, U.S. foreignpolicy and international security, anddomestic political and social issues.As AEI’s program manager for foreignand defense policy, Lazar is involvedin various areas of research andpolicy, including setting the directionfor articles and events and budgetarywork. “I have time to do some of myown writing as well,” he said, particularlyon military issues.“It’s a very collegial place, very intellectuallystimulating” he said of hisnew employer. “People’s doors areopen, and a big part of being here islearning from the resident scholars.”The 70 AEI scholars and fellowsinclude John Bolton, Frederick Kaganand former Maimonides parent LeahSomers. A range of governmentofficials, from potential presidentialcandidates to freshman legislators,are on site for briefings on variousissues, he said.After earning an undergraduatedegree at Boston University, Lazarlived in Israel for four years, servingin the Israel Defense Forces as acommissioned officer. He said his IDFexperience enhanced his resume,with “expertise in military aspects offoreign policy, understanding howthings work on the ground, and therelationships between the politicaland the military.”He added that “leading a platoon of30 to 40 soldiers gave me managementskills that I can use in mypresent position… Having beenpart of some big events and understandinghow the process worksmade me want to think about, discussand move on to bigger issues.”Lazar received a master’s degree insecurity studies with a concentrationin military operations from GeorgetownUniversitylast May.He continuesto serve as theonly Jewishchaplain-inresidenceat Georgetown,a Jesuituniversitywith JewishstudentscomprisingLazar Berman ’99some 10percent of the population.Every residence hall has at least onechaplain, who “provides pastoral carefor the few hundred students in aresidence hall,” Lazar explained. Theexperience has been enlightening. “Itis an exciting and vigorous discussionof faiths,” he said.Lazar was a captain of one of the firstvarsity baseball teams at Maimonides.He said he was especially influencedby Coaches Brian Fox and Craig Genualdo.“They gave us confidence andthe ethic of fighting for what youwant.”Maimonides School 2000graduates and familymembers gather for theirannual Purim seudahin New York, from left:Dovid Green, BinyaminBerkovits, Rachel Pollack-Berkovits and AryehBerkovits, Sol Redlich andYishai Berkovits, AllisonPultman, Avi Pultman,Sara Pultman, NessaLiben, Noah Libenand Ayelet Liben, and EitanKimelman. Avi and SaraPultman’s daughter Jennaalso was on hand.

April 2011 ~ Adar II–Nisan 5771Page of 3Kol BogreiRambamConnecting Maimonides Alumni WorldwideRachel Epstein ‘07 Organizes Hillel’s First NationalBasketball TournamentRachel Epstein ‘07, a senior at theUniversity of Maryland, chairedthe recent inaugural National HillelBasketball Tournament for men andwomen, held at College Park. Twentyfivemen’s teams and seven women’steams from 20 colleges, comprisingmore than 250 players, took part.Ten Maimonides alumni were amongthem: Rachel’s sister Ellie Epstein‘09, playing for Rutgers; Erica Singer09, Avi Klausner ’08 and Max Vogel’08 for the Boston University teams;Aaron Schacht ‘09, University ofMassachusetts, Amherst; Toby Kuperwaser‘06, Brandeis; and MosheKlausner ‘06, Yeshiva University.On the Maryland Hillel roster wereAshie Cheses ‘09, Avi Packer ’09 andShlomo Golshirazian ’07. Also, OrenShuchatowitz ’09 was a coach for theMaryland men’s team.According to an article in the WashingtonJewish Week, “Rachel said shefirst got the idea to organize a multicampus,NCAA-style basketball tournamentafter participating in a MarylandHillel three-on-three tournamentwhen she was a freshman. ‘I saw thepotential for a much larger event, andI was shocked that it didn’t alreadyAnother Graduate Serving in IDFBen Barnhart ’05 is undergoingbasic training for the prestigiousGolani Brigade of the Israel DefenseForces. Ben made aliyah last year andcompleted the ulpan at Kibbutz SdeEliyahu. He was admitted to KeshetYehuda Pre-Military Academy inexist. I promised myself to make ithappen before I graduated’.”“The energetic Boston native, withthe help of an 11-person studentboard and the Maryland Hillel staff,raised funds, sent out applicationsto colleges across North Americaand recruited more than 100 studentvolunteers to host players, organizethe event and execute it,” the reportcontinued.In addition to the basketball gamesand Shabbat observance, theweekend included soccer and volleyballgames and a community servicecomponent. Proceeds from the eventbenefited the participating Hillelsand Bring It In—Israel, a non-profitorganization in Netanya that uses thegame of basketball to teach life skills,develop leaders, and build communityfor disadvantaged youth.Rachel recently stepped down asfounding director of the M-Cat SportsCamp, a three-week summer sportsinstructional and participatory experiencefor Maimonides Elementary andMiddle School students. The camp isstaffed entirely by former and currentMaimonides student-athletes.Ramat HaGolan, which focuses on anumber of key qualities and skills fora successful military experience, all inthe context of Torah learning. Ben wasdrafted in March. He is also a chayalboded (“lone soldier”) at Kibbutz SdeEliyahu.School Still Seeking 48“Lost” AlumniThe initial appeal for help inlocating graduates for whom theMaimonides Alumni Office doesnot have any contact informationhad limited success. If you haveinformation on how to contactthe following, please write info@maimonides.org or call (617) 232-4452, ext. 405:David Adler ’87, Jeffrey Adler ’83,Paul Berger ’61, Israel Birnbaum’66, Shalom Cohen ’64, MiriamEpstein ’89, Marian Finkelstein’67, Rita Finkelstein ’64, MelvinFisher ’54, Faith Freedman ’84,Yael (Shuchatowitz) Freedman’03, Darren Gerber ’89, BabakGhalili ’81, Alfred Goldin ’75,Charles Gottlieb ’65, and RobertGreen ’73.Also, Pamela (Rutberg) Greenwald’74, Suzanne (Bavly)Greenwald ’85, Ari Gurewitz ’89,Aharon Halevy ’01, Ian Herman’84, Michelle Hoberman ’77, IlanHochman ’79, Arthur Hollander’58, Earl Hollander ’53, DalitInbal ’74, Rachel (Cutter) Kvadrat’80, Joshua Leeder ’63, ReginaLesh ’70, Philip Levin ’75, JoshuaLieber ’86 and Yisrael Lieber ’89.Also, Mon Margolis ’97, Ann(Belofsky) Miller ’60, DavidMizrahi ’80, Aliza (Freundlich)Nohi ’84, Esther Peres ’79,Carmen Rahimi ’79, ChaimRobinson ’81, NechamaRobinson ’82, Dina Roizenblit’77, Tamar Rosenblum ‘77, StevenSamuels ’77, Lea Stern ’89, AlanSwartz ’77, Cynthia White ’77 andCaroline Yaghoubzadeh ’80.Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambamSubscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube