YALE CLUB OF ISRAEL
News - Spring '06
In
This Issue
From
the President
Upcoming
Club Events
Previous
Events
Review
Internships
International
Club
Program
Alumni
Schools
Committee
Alumni
News
Club
Officer and
Program Coordinator Contact List
Dear
Friends,
As
the year draws to
a close, I'd like to thank all of you for helping make my first term as
president an enjoyable and successful one. Thanks to the
initiative and
effort of many club members and to your interest and participation, we
had a
year rich with events, programs and gatherings.
I
speak for the
entire club membership when expressing gratitude to those who initiated
and
organized the various events and programs. Thanks to Ari
Zalkinder '80
for arranging and hosting a unique winery tour and tasting event, to
Matt
Minoff '04 for giving us a chance to cheer a Yale basketball player in
Israel,
to Jonathan Friedland '70 for organizing an unusually lovely tour of
the Bahai
gardens and guiding us through Haifa and the Carmel Forest.
Thanks to
Orrin Persky '70, Miriam Hartman '80, Sandy Cash '83 and Ashok
Chandrasekhar '85 for providing the alumni of Yale, Princeton,
Harvard, MIT and Barnard with a exceptional evening of musical
entertainment.
Thanks
to Hershel
Safer '82 for assisting and supporting all new initiatives and club
programs
and for liaising with undergraduates at Yale interested in
Israel. Thanks to David
Mirchin for his efforts on behalf of the International Club program and
event
planning in general. Thanks to Rebecca Kopans '85 for
providing
assistance throughout the year. Thanks to Ashok Chandrsekhar for all
his
efforts as AYA Representative. Thanks to this year’s planning committee
including David Mirchin, Phil Waldoks, Matt Minoff, Nurit Altura,
Pennina and
Hershel Safer, Ashok C., Matt Mausner, and Louis Rowen.
I look
forward to working and
enjoying with all of you during the upcoming year.
Kind
Regards,
Carice
Witte BK '83
President,
Yale Club of Israel
UpCOMING
EVENTS
May
Please
reserve the
evening of Tuesday, May 30th to join us for an evening with
visiting
Yale Ph.d and Professor of Bible and Semitic Languages at Hebrew
Union College,
Cincinnati and Jerusalem, David Weisberg for a talk entitled
SCRIPTURE IN CONTEXT, How Ancient Texts Illuminate Biblical
Accounts
More
than 150 years
ago, Western scholars gained access to ancient documents, including
clay
tablets and other materials in the Near East, that opened up a new
world of
discovery and understanding. This lecture will attempt to present
information
about these discoveries and their impact upon biblical studies.
Professor
Weisberg, who is now completing a semester teaching at Hebrew Union's
Jerusalem branch,
specializes in cuneiform writing (wedge-shaped characters on clay) and
the
Babylonian language (a cousin of biblical Hebrew). This was first
deciphered in
the mid-19th century by Western scholars working on the ancient Bisitun
inscription (a rock-carved inscription located high above the road from
Mesopotamia to Persia).
Many such writings (smaller in size) are housed in Western Museums,
such as the
Yale Babylonian Collection.
Time:
8:30pm
Location: home of David Weisberg, 8 Gihon St., Abu Tor, Jerusalem
June
Please
reserve the evening
of Thursday June 8, 2006 to attend Nordau Gallery Opening at the Gina
Gallery
of International Naïve Art. Founder and naïve art lover, Dan
Chill has
offered to open his gallery to the Yale Club of Israel for a private
tour of
his latest exhibition. Dan will speak on the history of the
gallery, the
art itself and how he left the law to pursue this off beat genre.
<>Dan
graduated from Harvard Law School and Harvard's Kennedy School of
Government in
1970, and worked in a Boston
law firm until he made aliyah in 1975. For the next 28 years he
worked as
an international commercial lawyer in Israel (first in Israel Aircraft
Industries, then the Eisenberg Group of Companies and finally Indigo).
During travels on behalf of these companies, he encountered
and began
to collect naive art; and, in late 2003, transformed this avocation
into his
vocation, and founded GINA Gallery of International Naive Art.
Refreshments
will be
served.
Time: 8:30pm Location: 255 Dizengoff Street, Tel Aviv (Just
north of Nordau)
PREVIOUS
EVENTS REVIEW
3RD
ANNUAL WINE TASTING
<>On
Jan. 19th
the Club held its 3rd annual wine tasting event. This
year we
were treated to a unique experience. Thanks to the kind efforts
of club
member, Ari Zalkinder '80, the founder and director of the Castel
Winery, Eli
Ben-Zaken, opened his doors for an evening event, personally guiding us
on a
private tour of his winery. Seated around an expansive hard-wood
picnic
table, 30 alumni enjoyed some fabulous wine accompanied by the amazing
home made
breads of Chantal Zalkinder. During a description of the wine
production
process we toured the room housing enormous custom made wine vats
reaching over
4 and a half meters. From there we descended the narrow stone
stair well
to the Castel wine cellar inspired by the wineries of Bordeaux.
Among hundreds of pine wood
barrels, we had the opportunity to learn about the ins and outs of
establishing
a boutique winery in the Jerusalem
hills. From the winery we went up the street to the home of Ari
and
Chantal and enjoyed their very warm hospitality and spectacular view of
the Jerusalem hills
surrounding Ramat Raziel.
This
was the first
year the Yale Club hosted the wine tasting event without guests from
other
clubs. Nonetheless, there was standing room only in the charming
Castel
wine tasting area. Attending were David ’79 and Leslie Mirchin, Ashok
'85 and
Sima Chandrasekhar, Alisa Oddenheimer '82, Hershel '81 and Pennina
Safer '81
Ph.D, Carice Witte '83, Amy Persky and Phil Waldoks '73, Jonathan
Weisberg MPPM'93, Ari '80 and Chantal Zalkinder Orrin Persky '70,
Jason '90 and
Dena '91 Glasgow, Shira Wolosky (faculty '80-85); Sandor '84 and Susie
Joffe,
Michael '79 and Nava Weinstock and guests. (see photos http://alumninet.yale.edu/clubs/israel/)
HOSTING
VISITING DIVINITY SCHOOL GROUP
When
the Yale Club
of Israel learned that a group of Div School students were in Israel
and seeking Shabbat hosting,
a number of club members offered to open their homes. Their kind
and open
hospitality and revealing conversations with these Yale visitors had a
significant impact on their Israel
experience. Thanks to all of you who hosted the Yale guests.
MACCABI
RISHON vs. MACCABI TA
On
Feb. 12 Yale's
own Matt Minoff '04 joined his team, Maccabi Rishon, in overcoming
Maccabi TA
as a gang of 40 Yale alumni and their children cheered from the
bleachers. The
first Yale alumni to play
professional basketball in Israel
displayed the team playing we’d all expect of a Yale man. After
the game,
Matt joined us outside the stadium to give us his perspective on the
game.
It was a great photo opp. (see photos http://alumninet.yale.edu/clubs/israel/)
Yalies
and their children in the bleachers included Jim Parish Plass, Michael
Weinstock, Jason Glasgow, Ashok & Sima Chandrasekhar, Hershel
& Pennina
Safer Phil & Ehud Waldoks, Sandor and Susie Joffe, Ira Moskowitz,
Nurit
Altura, Ari Zalkinder, Carice Witte and Rebecca Kopans.
Bahai
Tour/Picnic in Carmel Forest – From
Richard Sherwin M.A. '60, Ph.D '63
Almost
50 of us gathered at the upper gate to the Baha'i Gardens on a bright
sunny day
at around 10:30 am, where we were met by four representatives of the
Baha'i
World Centre -- Murray R. Smith, the Deputy Secretary-General; Natashaý
from Surinam,
near the beginning of her two year service stint at the Centre; and two
othersý.
We stopped at
various lookout points to hear the background of the Bahai movement.
The
guides were very hospitable, easy to talk to and informative about the
gardens,
and the history of the site -- from the initial visit of the Bab
--whose golden
roofed tomb is the focal point of the garden's landscaping-- in the
late 19th
century to the present.
We
descended thru the formal Persian style gardens --the religion began in
Persia-- themselves on marble steps with runnels of water on each side,
their
faint murmurings a soothing accompaniment to the lovely sunshine,
gentle wind,
and absolutely lovely scenery...Jonathan Friedland '70, who arranged
the day's
events, offered a bird's eye view geographical survey of the North from
the
point of Acco in the northern distance to the Rambam Hospital in the
south,
with the Hadar and Port of Haifa laid out in tones of gray and purple
and blue
beneath us. It was an incredible opportunity for taking lots of lovely
photos
for us, and my computer now has a series of vivid screensavers and
collages
which remind me happily of the tour which concluded with an interesting
film
and Q & A in the Baha'i's Reception Center Theater.
From
here the group
drove individually up past Haifa University's tower to the Beit Oren
crossing
leading into the Carmel Forest where a lovely picnic was enjoyed by
all, and I
do mean all -- it seemed like half of Israel was picnicking too, Jews
and Arabs
alike. Some strolled thru the forest while others played ball, after
which we
wended our ways home, visually, intellectually and gastronomically
replete.
(see photos http://alumninet.yale.edu/clubs/israel/)
The
day's revelers
included David '79 and Leslie Mirchin, and their 3 children, and 5
family
guests from the USA, Hershel '81 and Pennina Safer '81 Ph.D, Carice
Witte '83
and her 5 children, Shlomo Friedlander
’66, Jonathan SOM '93 and Galia Weisberg and their 2 children, Neta
M.Sc in
1983 and M.Phil in 1984 and Ruthie Amit, Lector NELC 82-85, Fellow of
Jonathan Edwards College., Jim Parishplass '75 and 2 children, Jonathan
Friedland '70, Aaron Levin '43, Dr. Lester and Mira Shulman; Naomi and
Jonathan Marder and their 3 children, Amy Persky and Phil Waldocks and
2
children, Ari Zalkinder and one child, Richard MA '60, Ph.D '63 &
Rachael
Sherwin, David Ph.D. '65 and Ophra Weisberg.
CLUB
WEBSITE
http://alumninet.yale.edu/clubs/israel/
Please
check the
site for the club events calendar and other news. Site manager,
Jonathan
Weisberg SOM '93, will be pleased to receive content contribution and
suggestions
for making better use of the site.
INTERNSHIPS
Undergrads
continue
to inquire about internship opportunities so if anyone can suggest
possible
options or is interested in helping out with this program, please email
Hershel
Safer at hsafer@aya.yale.edu.
INTERNATIONAL
CLUB PROJECT
During
their
travels, Yale alumni living in Israel
visit clubs around the world. The clubs have expressed ongoing
interest
in an insider’s view of Israel.
They enjoy hosting casual encounters such as lunch or 'coffee'
where the
Israel
based alumni discuss anything from daily life in this misunderstood
country to
geo-politics depending on your interest and bent. Yale Club of
Israel
alumni don’t need to be any kind of expert. Just living here makes us
expert
enough.
<>In
February of this
year, Club President, Carice Witte '83, met with the Yale Club of
Southern
Florida. The group was warm and welcoming. There was
sincere
interest in a first hand perspective of life and politics in Israel.
They were curious about all
aspects of daily life. There was a noted contrast in knowledge base
between
those with immediate family in Israel
and the other Florida Yale alumni.
Most of those who attended were not active in Jewish
organizations, charities etc. Their
main source of information concerning the reality here
is limited to the media. As such, they found the real story
surprising
and interesting. Their openness was commendable.
If
you happen to be
traveling abroad and would like to share some of your experiences
with the local
natives, please advise David 3-6 weeks in advance of your
trip…anywhere.
David will coordinate with a Yale club in the relevant locale. dmirchin@meitar.com
ALUMNI
SCHOOLS COMMITTEE
– From
Alexander
Rechter, ASC Director
I
am very glad to inform you that this year, 3 Israeli applicants have
been
admitted to the Yale class of 2010 ! ! They are Stav Atir, who
was interviewed by James Parish-Plass, Roy Cohen who was
interviewed
by Phillip Waldoks, and Aya Shoshan who was interviewed by Hershel
Safer.
While
the overall
Yale admissions rate was 8.6% (1823 admitted out of 21,099 applicants),
our
admissions rate was 15.8% (3 admitted out of 19 applicants).
I
want to
congratulate you all for a job well done, and console those who
have
interviewed worthy candidates who were not admitted. Let's all
make
an effort to see that all those who were admitted, will also
matriculate.
As
of today, we
understand that Stav Atir has chosen Yale, Roy Cohen is going to
Harvard, and
Aya Shoshan is undecided between Yale and Columbia.
ALUMNI
IN ISRAEL
NEWS
- From
Aaron Levin, Yale Club Amuta Executive Committee
Director
<>Congratulations
to the Israeli alums who keep their classmates informed via the YAM.
Here's
what I've found.
Alan
Slivka 51 Jerusalem-Married Dr Ruth Golan Ritve, a neuroscientist and
child
therapist. Jim Parish-Plass 75. Usha-Meeting and dining with Dean Peter
Solovet
in Haifa."nice
perks for being a member of the Yale Club of Israel" Bob Hoffman 54.
Schluhot-re daughter Elena, department head at Central Bureau of
Statistics
providing him with 14th grandchild. Lester Shulman 68 Rehovot-Head of 2
government virology departments and teaching at BGU and son post-doc at
Yale.
Sandor Joffe 84 Bet Shemesh- works by internet at Beth
Israel Hospital
in New York,
says in touch with Ron Lehman and Deena Cohen Zimmerman here. Stephen
Wald 75
Givat Zeev-reporting daughter's marriage and he 50th. He and Stephanie
also
have one in college and 3 in elementary school. Kim Treiger Bar Am in
Oxford for PhD in Law
before returning here. David Gorin 04 Jerusalem-Studying Hebrew and
looking for
volunteer job. Phil Waldoks 73 Jerusalem-Lawyering in Tel Aviv,
reporting
Ehud's marriage, Noam in New York
and Amy and daughters at home. Art Zallinder hosting classmate here for
Maccabiah. Carice Witte reporting on club events, particularly the
alumni
concert, and family developments. Ashok Chandrasekar reporting on the
September
concert.
If
I've missed any of you, please sign on. - Aaron Levin 43 Kiryat Shmona
Congratulations
to Orrin
Persky '70 on the birth of his grandson.
Congratulations to the proud father, Rannan Persky and his family.
Congratulations to Deborah '96 and Ozer Herzog on the birth of their
son,
Gabriel Tzvi Herzog, born on May 7/Iyar
10.
Club
Officers and Program Coordinators
Carice
Witte '83 carice@aya.yale.edu
president
Rebecca
Kopan '85 kopans@zahav.net.il secretary
Ashok
Chandrasekhar '85 ashok.chandrasekhar@glelaw.com
AYA representative
Jonathan
Weisberg
MPPM '93 weisberg@aya.yale.edu
website manager
Nurit
Altura MBA '03
naltura@yahoo.com
J-branch Coordinator
Orrin
Persky '70 opersky@smplaw.co.il
Treasurer
Alex
Rechter '69 alexander@rechter.co.il
Alumni
Schools Committee Director
David
Mirchin '79 dmirchin@meitar.com
International Club Program Coordinator
Hershel
Safer '80 hsafer@aya.yale.edu
Internship and
Undergrad Cooridator
Look
forward to
seeing you at the upcoming events,
Carice
Witte
President,
Yale Club
of Israel
If
you
have news of Club members or are performing and would
like to see
Yale alumni in the audience,
send notice to Kopans@zahav.net.il
To
participate in the International Club Program contact: David Mirchin dmirchin@meitar.com
Visit
the Yale Club of Israel website: http://alumninet.yale.edu/clubs/israel/
Annual Dues:
Family 120nis,
Individual 100nis
Payable to:
Yale Club of Israel (a
non-profit organization)
Send C/O:
Orrin Persky, Club Treasurer
E.S.
Shimron, I. Molh,
Persky & Co.
Technology Park
Manahat,
Jerusalem 91487
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