In This Issue

Shana Tova

Previous Events Review

Yale News

Club Notes

Shana Tova Message from the Club President

5768  was certainly a watershed year for the Club.  It started out with the club winning the first All-Ivy Sailing Regatta with Yale leaving Harvard and MIT in its wake.  Princeton didn’t have its own boat.  Then what has become the Annual Alumni Concert featuring our supremely talented alumni, many of whom double as lawyers, mathematicians and cantors, enjoyed a standing room audience of alumni from American and British Universities.   In January, thanks to good teamwork on the part of our club members, we were honored to host former Dean Salovey (now Provost) for brunch in Tel Aviv.  The Dean was enthusiastic about alumni in far off Israel's commitment to and interest in Yale and our aim for improved contact and communications with the University.   He returned to Yale promoting us seemingly at every opportunity.  Call it serendipity but last year the club was contacted by such varying departments and schools as YIISA, the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism, The School of Public Health, SOM, and the undergraduate Birthright group at Yale.  We also formalized our program for hosting visiting undergrads and graduate students for Shabbat.  There was a heartwarming turnout by alumni signing up to host.

As a result, last year was the club’s busiest yet even before we heard that Whim'n Rhythm was making their debut trip to our humble country and the Whiffs were returning for the first time in eight years.  All the concerts were, of course, smashing successes.  All in all it was a great year for expanded relations between the Yale Club of Israel and the University.  This year we hope to engage more of you in the club events and activities. 

For now, I'd like to simply wish all of you a Shana Tova, G'mar Hatima Tova!

Carice Witte '83

President

Yale Club of Israel

EVENTS REVIEW

October '07

The year's events began on a beautiful Autumn Friday on the Mediterranean in the Hertzliya harbor.  In Israel's first All Ivy Sailing Regatta, 7 boats filled with alumni from Yale, Harvard, MIT, U-Penn, Columbia, Brown and a few from Princeton, raced a course several kilometers off the Hertzliya shore.   With a crew of nine and a Ha’aretz journalist in tow, Yale pulled ahead of Harvard and MIT early on.  The Yale boat led for most of the race, jibing on the last leg to put MIT in their wake.  After drinking the winner's champaign, the Yale crew joined the other alumni for lunch at the marina.  (see Ha'aretz news clip below).  The winning boat included Ari Zalikinder, Bill Cohen and his son Jonathan, Jonathan Weisberg, Gila Manolson, Alisa Odenheimer, Carice Witte and friend Arik DeMayo, and Paula Friedland.

Staying with the outdoor theme, the next event was a Succoth tiul in Nachal Hashofet.  The hike was led by Jonathan '70 and Paula Friedland's son Ori who works for LOTEM and is a certified nature guide.  Thirty five  club members and their children were treated to explanations of the rich history and geology of the area as well as a stop for a swim at a natural spring and water fall.  We then took a short drive less than 10min to Emek Hashalom where we'll all pressed grapes  in the only wheel chair access wine press in the middle east.   We then had a lovely picnic lunch washed down with out home made wine.

At the third annual Alumni Concert, talented Yale alumni musicians and singers performed to standing room only at the Felicia Blumenthal theatre in Tel Aviv.   Over 125 Alumni from Yale, Harvard, Barnard, U-Penn, Columbia, Cornell, Wharton, Kellogg, Oxford, Princeton and MIT  were treated to a everything from home grown folk on guitar to classical cello solos and viola-piano duets.  Although we appealed to the other clubs' alumni to perform, the only non-Yalie was the clever Laura Seton, BU ‘85 (wife of Yoel MS '87) who opened the program with a hilarious song she wrote and performed bemoaning never having gone to Yale.   She was followed by a stunning cello performance by Louis Rowan, Ph.D '73, is Professor of Mathematics at Bar-Ilan University. A guest singer then performed a selection of Indian Alap Druphad Ragas that defy description…actually, I prefer not to describe it - you had to be there.  Miriam Hartman, SM '80, principal violist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Ashok Chandrasekhar, PC '85, a partner in the Tel Aviv law firm Goldfarb, Levy, Eran, Meiri & Co on piano then performed a Bach Sonata to an enthusiastic ovation.  Bass singer, Steven Timoner, MM '01 treated the audience to a medly including spirituals and Gilbert and Sullivan.   Raz Kohen MM '88, cellist and founder of the Schubertiad annual Schubert celebration, performed Schumann. Both Raz and Steven were accompanied by Ashok.  The program concluded with The Tontine Vocal Ensemble featuring our own club Treasuer, Orrin Persky '70,  Whiffenpoofs of 1970 and partner at E.S. Shimron, I. Molho, Persky & Co.

December ‘07

The month began with education and ended with beer.  Yale participated in the Israel Educational Foundation/Fulbright  University Schools Fair along with other Ivy League schools.  Alumni met and spoke with scores of students interested in applying to Yale's undergraduate and graduate schools.  Our next stop after the Tel Aviv exhibition grounds was the artist village of Ein Hod.  That's where we held our fifth annual wine tasting.  However, it turned out to be a beer tasting.  In the picturesque setting of the Art Bar Café owned and run by Danny Shlyfestone, a former sound man for the Rolling Stones, (who also did sound for the Whiff concert at the Friendland's this summer) we enjoyed some of the most unique beer in Israel.  The 56yr old malt magician gave up working with the Electric Light Orchestra, Rick Wakeman from YES, and Emerson Lake and Palmer, among others, to brew his multi-hued rich mix, reminiscent of the best of New Zealand or Scotland..  For the full story see: http://planetisrael.wordpress.com/2008/01/06/beer-ivy/

January & March

During this time, Israel had a number of visits from Yale Faculty.  Dean Peter Salovey was invited by Haifa University to speak to a group in Hertzilya on Emotional Intelligence.  The Yale Club of Israel was invited.  About ten alumni attended the evening that started with cocktails and a buffet dinner.  We had a chance to meet briefly with Dean Salovey and then enjoyed an interesting and entertaining presentation on the meaning and significance of Emotional Intelligence.  A few days later about a dozen alumni met with the Dean and Justine Levin-Allerhand Director of Development for Science and Engineering for brunch.  Also joining us was Gidon Bromberg - 2007 Yale World Fellow and the Israeli Director of Friends of the Earth, Middle East.  After Dean Salovey presented a brief summary on where Yale is today, we discussed how to enhance communication and interaction with Yale.  The Dean was quite forthcoming as were the alumni.  We all left with a strong sense of both the Club's commitment to and interest in expanding the connection with the university and the Dean's interest in supporting that aim.

Later that month, a small group of alumni in Jerusalem met with a Birthright group from Yale.  They discussed what it  is like to make aliya and to live in Israel.  Shortly after Dean Salovey's visit, we heard from  Charles Small, Director of The Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism (YIISA).  Bill JD '59 and Lila MA '58 Cohen opened their home to Charles and a group of about twelve alumni where we were treated to a fascinating discussion on the formation and efforts of this new initiative.  (for more information see: www.yale.edu/yiisa)

In March Dr. Martin Klein, Associate Dean, Yale University School of Public Health (YSPH)gave a faculty talk to Yale Club members.  Hershel Safer ’81 writes: The evening was graciously hosted by Mira and Lester '68 Shulman at their home in Ganne Hadar. Mira and Lester welcomed us with a comfortable setting and a tasty buffet.

Marty leads YSPH's development efforts. He told us about YSPH's growth: increases of 50% in faculty and 100% in research and training funds over the past decade, as well as more students with an increased percentage of minority students. Comparative studies have found YSPH's faculty to be the most productive among public health schools in the US.

He spoke about YSPH programs around the world. YSPH faculty have set up research and treatment programs in a large number of developing countries; these activities improve the health and lives of many people who have not had access to adequate heath care. YSPH faculty have collaborations and have taken sabbaticals in Israel, but YSPH does not have active programs here.

Marty discussed ways to improve interactions between YSPH and Israel. One approach that he mentioned is for the Yale Club of Israel to raise a scholarship fund to send an Israeli student to study at YSPH. An additional possibility is to identify opportunities and funding for YSPH students to do summer internships in Israel, working in either research or service. He noted the lack of strong public-health education in Israel and is interested in finding ways for YSPH to help fill the void.

The attendees discussed successes and failures of the Israeli public health system, including HMOs that provide almost universal healthcare access, though with some question about the quality of the care; and the initial success of blanket immunization programs, with recent declines in availability and in participation by some societal groups.

April '08

We were back outside with an unusual club tiyul - horseback riding in the hills of the Golan Heights overlooking the Kinneret.  Almost 30 alumni and their families congregated at Emek ha Bokrim Horse Ranch during hol hamoed Pesach.  Everyone mounted and rode a beautiful trail into the hills.  To get a better feel for the experience take a look at the ranch's home page slide show. http://www.ybay1.co.il/index25.aspx?sHome=habokrim  It's not us in the photos but it might as well be.  After the ride we all sat together on the grass and picnicked and then headed off in different directions to enjoy the rest of the Pesach holiday.

June-July '08

The year never really ended.  We thought our final event of the year would be with the ever-popular Michael Oren.  Our hosts, Michael MA '81 and Meira Partem, laid out a beautiful buffet in their Jerusalem home.  Everyone enjoyed meeting and catching up on their spacious veranda before and after the talk.  And of course, as last time, Michael attracted a standing room only crowd.  However this year, in addition to the many alumni in the room, there was a coterie of undergraduate Michael Oren fans who had attended his seminar at Yale during his teaching stint there last year.  Michael gave a fascinating talk on the roots of anti-Israel policy in American academia starting from the widespread acceptance of Edward Said's theses in his tome Orientalism.  This was followed by huge sums of Saudi donations to leading universities establishing chairs and departments of Islamic studies.  Michael discussed the quid pro quo the Saudis demanded regarding the disestablishment of Israel studies and the discrimination against scholars dealing with this and Israel's place in the middle east.  On a lighter note, the evening concluded with Michael performing on his bodhran. 

July 4^th weekend marked Whim'n Rhythm's first visit to Israel since their formation in 1981.  Thanks to the initiative of their manager, Dani Gilbert, who'd been to Israel before, we were added to their summer world tour, albeit somewhat at the last minute and through the back door.  The Whims have traditionally planned tours with the local embassies rather than the clubs.  We learned of their visit when the Embassy asked us about housing them during their stay.  Upon hearing from us directly, they were thrilled to learn that the club wanted them to perform.  The Whims sang for a gathering of about 35 alumni and friends on my roof in Haniel.  It was a beautiful evening, with a calm breeze assisting the natural acoustics of the Emek Hefer hills.  To see excerpts of their performance go to these links: