PHOTO ALBUMS!
Great pics from our Alumni Reunions + Events
CLASS MEMORIES SLIDESHOWS
2013-14
Prior Years':
REUNION SLIDESHOWS
2013-14:
Prior Years':
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NEW YORK VOTERS...
Please vote YES this Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, for New York's Smart Schools Bond Act.
By voting YES to Proposal #3 on Election Day and helping it pass YOU can provide Ramaz with an additional $250 per student.
The Smart School Bond Act of 2014, as set fort in section one of part B of chapter 56 of the laws of 2014, authorizes the sale of state bonds of up to two billion dollars ($2,000,000) to provide access to classroom technology and high-speed internet connectivity to equalize opportunities for children to learn, to add classroom space to expand high-quality pre-kindergarten programs, to replace classroom trailers with permanent instructional space, and to install high-tech smart security features in schools.
Please note, if Proposal #3 is approved it will allow every Yeshiva and Jewish Day School to receive up to $250 per student for technology for a total of $32 million. Language to the referendum was added ensuring that the technology supported by the bond issue includes yeshivot and non-public schools.
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WELCOME NEW ALUMNI PARENTS
Nancy (Lederman) Cohen '87
Joshua Crane '93
Michelle Davidson '93
Adam Fishman '97
Elise (Wolinsky) Kasell '99 & Daniel Kasell '98
Janine Bahar '89
Amy (Leifer) Budin '89
Susan (Koren) Lerner '84
Vivian (Shalom)
Nakash '03
Ari Rennert '96
Evelyn (Franco)
Spodek '98
Chantal (Tugenhaft) Ulmer '99
Nirit Weiss '89
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We hope it's a wonderful and successful year for you and your Ramazstudent(s).
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COME SING WITH KOL RAM! 
Join Kol Ram, the Ramaz alumni and community choir, open to Ramaz alumni, parents, and community members led by Daniel Henkin '85. Kol Ram meets every Tuesday night from 7:30-9:00PM.
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CHALLAH SEGULAH
Each month Natan@Ramaz, a committee of Parents Council, organizes a monthly challah segulah program as a way for the Ramaz community to come together for the purpose of tefillot.
A list of names are provided in advance of each Rosh Chodesh when volunteers bake challah at home and pray for a list of people in need.
BAKE WITH US FOR:
Kislev - Parshat Toldot, Nov 21/22
Tevet - Parshat Mikeitz, Dec 19/20
Shevat - Parshat Va'eira, Jan 16/17
Adar - Parshat Terumah, Feb 20/21
Nissan - Parshat Vayikra, Mar 20/21
Iyar - Parshat Shemini, April 17/18
Sivan - Parshat Behar-Bechukotai, May 15/16
Tammuz - Parshat Shlach, June 12/13
Please email us at Natan@Ramaz.org to let us know if you will be baking and/or if you would like to submit names for Tefillah. Names will be circulated to our bakers along with directions for separating Challah.
Tizku L'Mitzvot
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SHOP & SUPPORT RAMAZ!
Get a Fairway card and support Ramaz with your everyday grocery shopping.
Cards sold in $100 increments can be ordered ONLINE and picked up in the Development Office (Middle School, 114 East 85th Street, 3rd Floor)
For more info or to make other pickup arrangements, please contact Dayna Rosen
Cards benefit Ramaz Parents Council, can be used at any store location, and do not expire!
NOTE! Fairway contributes 10% of card sales to Ramaz's Parents Council, which in turn supports activities for current students.
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AMAZON SMILE!
Did you know Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible
purchases to Ramaz?
CLICK HERE for the Ramaz link and start shopping Amazon Smile.
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GET INVOLVED!
Your Reunion and other Alumni Programs and Initiatives will be enhanced (and more fun!) with your involvement. To help plan an event or to serve on a host committee, please be in touch with Lauren Katz, Director of Alumni Relations, at
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ALUMNI NEWS &
CLASS NOTES
Please continue to share your smachot, happy occasions, and please know, in times of need we are here for you, too.
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THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
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This month we are recognizing those alumni who represent this year's theme of the Power of the Ramaz Community. As you know, at this year's Ramaz Annual Dinner, we will be honoring the Hon. Michael B. Mukasey '59, Hon. Judy Harris Kluger '70 , and MK Issac Herzog '78. All three of our honorees have dedicated their lives to public service. We are proud to share the following list of alumni who represent the Power of Community in their Government and Public Policy roles.
Please note the list below includes those who have self-identified or we are aware work in public service. Please help us keep our records accurate.
EMAIL US to nominate yourself or someone else to the Government and Public Policy list.
Rochelle (Jadek) Daniels '66 - Broward County Board of Commissioners
April (Chaifetz) Everett '72 -U.S. Postal Services
Evan Greenland '72 - State of Wisconsin
Mriam (Sobel) Litvak '74 - Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging
Naomi Mark '76 - Human Resources Administration, NYC
Louis Lipsky '77 - Office of the Prime Minister (Israel)
 | | Louis Lipsky '77 pictured at the Israel Gathering, (1/2014) |
Robert Silberstein '81 - Embassy of the United States - Lithuania
Cindy (Goodman) Keating '82 -
NYS Division of Disability Determinations
Carol Mesesson Teig '82 - NYC Department of Education
Ethan Goldrich '84 - United States Department of State
Michal Levin '84 - Israel Police - Cyber Crime Unit
Elana Scherzer Yeger '87 - Legislative Cousel, Rockland County
Judith (Wolpoff) Berger '89 - NYC Administration for Children's Services
Joshua Flax '90 - Federal Mediation
& Conciliation Services
Andrew Jakabovics '94 - Enterprise Community Partners
Michael Gerber '97 - US Department of Justice
Erin Eisenberg '96 - NYC Department of Homeless Services
Aaron Feinstein '96 -NYC Department of Environmental Protection
Michael Fragin '91 - Village of Lawrence, Nassau County
Laura Singer '03 - US Energy Information Administration
Ruthie Talansky '03 - Kings County District Attorney
Sarah Sabshon '05 - Joint Committee on Public Health, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Yoni Bokser '07 - Queens Borough President
Pasha Gol '08 - NYC Economic Development Corporation
Daniella Sehgal '08 - Mathematica Policy Research
Deborah Beth Medows '09 - NYS Legislative Bill Drafting Commission
NOTE! In each newsletter this year, we'll feature different alumni and the impact they are making in their communities.
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ALUMNI PROFILE
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This year, we are highlighting alumni who have exemplified the Ramaz mission by making an impact on the world around them. This is the "Power of Community."
JACQUES E. BRAND '78
In 1966, Jacques Brand (then known as Jackie) came to the United States as a young boy from Belgium with his father. He attended Ramaz for his entire lower, middle, and upper school education and still counts members of his class as some of his closest friends. Following his graduation from Ramaz, Jack went to Boston University and graduated in 1982, spent 6 years at Lehman Brothers, and then received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1990. After spending several years at BT Alex.Brown, he joined Deutsche Bank in1999 where he now serves as CEO of North America and is a member of the Group Executive Committee. Over the span of his 25-year career in the financial services industry, Jack has advised numerous clients on major strategic and capital-raising transactions across all global sectors.
Although Jack has had an illustrious career as an investment banker, his early aspirations were to work with children and be a gym teacher. Many may recall that in his last year at Ramaz, Jack was the "Athletic Director" for Nursery through 3rd Grade students as part of his senior project; he was also given the honor of serving as the "Haskamah Gym Leader" when Noam Shudofsky z"l gave him the keys and responsibility to open the gym at 7:00 each morning.
At a very young age, Jack's father, Felix z"l, taught him about the importance of tzedakah and giving back to the community. These lessons were reinforced at Ramaz by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein '49, Noam Shudofsky z"l, and others. Jack remembers with great fondness and appreciation when he and his Ramaz friends advocated for the rights of Soviet Jews and regularly participated in rallies at the Soviet Mission. This past summer, he had the pleasure of meeting Natan Sharansky, and was reminded that any one individual has the power to make a positive difference as a leader in Israel.
Jack is involved in UJA-Federation New York and is an active member of the Board at The Jewish Museum ('JM). In fact, he was instrumental in bringing key exhibits to the JM, including the landmark Chagall and Cone Sisters shows. He also serves on the Board of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and is the Chairman of the Board of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) at Johns Hopkins University, an organization that promotes a transatlantic dialogue between the United States and Germany.
In addition to feeling a Hakarat HaTov to Ramaz for the high quality experience he had both inside and outside the classroom, academically and on the basketball court, Jack appreciated being a part of the close Ramaz community. When he and his father moved to New York, they had no family in the United States. Jack feels real gratitude not only to the Ramaz community at large, but in particular to the families of four of his classmates - Steven Koppel, Michael Kagan, Nathan Lindenbaum, and Seymour Sub. This group became Jack's surrogate extended family. As Jack shared, "I am grateful to Ramaz and its community for paving the way for a successful life both personally and professionally." Last but not least, Jack would also like to thank Esther Trakinski, Ramaz '79, for introducing him to his wife.
Of all of his accomplishments, Jack is most proud of his family. He has been married to his wife, Maria Gurewitsch Brand, also a New Yorker, for over 26 happy years. Together, they have three sons who attended the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, Scardale High School, and then have gone on to Amherst, Bates and Middlebury Colleges. Jack and his family live in Westchester and have been members of Temple Israel Center in White Plains for over 20 years.
On Monday December 8, Jacques will be honored at the 2015 UJA-Federation Wall Street Division Dinner with the Gustave L. Levy Award.
We are proud of Jack's accomplishments and many worthwhile endeavors. Click HERE for more information about the UJA event.
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NADINE ROSENTHAL '86
How many Ramaz alumni can say it was their Senior Work Study assignment that set them on their path for life? For Nadine Rosenthal '86, working in a hospital emergency department as a volunteer in her senior year was the impetus for her future professional trajectory and accomplishments.
Nadine grew up on the Upper East Side and attended Ramaz from Nursery through the 12th grade. Following graduation from Ramaz, Nadine went to Columbia University and earned dual bachelor degrees in Economics and Nursing as well as a Master's of Science in Nursing.After working for ten years as a Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, she continued her education at Case Western Reserve University and earned a Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree in Clinical Leadership.
Nadine has approximately 25 years of experience as a Hospital Administrator and Critical Care Nurse. Currently she is serving as the Director of Nursing for Medicine Services at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. In that role, she is responsible for direct care and  operations for multiple critical care, step down, and medical/surgical units as well as pulmonary critical care and acute care of the elderly. In her spare time, Nadine is a Legal Nurse Consultant, serves as an Expert Witness for medical malpractice cases, and volunteers as a patient advocate and health care facilitator whenever needed for the KJ/Ramaz and Orach Chaim communities. She has been the recipient of numerous clinical and leadership awards, has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau, The Honor Society of Nursing and has been a certified critical care nurse and board certified advanced nurse executive for over 20 years. In addition, she lectures locally and nationally and publishes on topics of critical care and hospital administration.
Nadine shared, "there were many members of the faculty who contributed greatly to her education and success and I give Ramaz credit for starting me on my career path." Nadine remains in close contact with her friends from the Class of '86, "these friendships are everlasting whether we see each other often or not." Throughout the years Nadine has remained connected to the alumni community. Most recently, she served on the Host Committee for the Medical and Healthcare Networking Event held this past July and is a mentor to our college-age alumni interested in pursuing a career in nursing as well as hospital administration and operations.
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CLASS NOTES
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MAZAL TOV!
BIRTHS:
Ashley & Larry Buterman '92, on the birth of their daughter Piper Evelyn
Ellen Hochberg '93 & Israel Meth, on the birth of their son Jonah
Leora (Klein) Werthenschlag '93 & Emmanuel Werthenschlag, on the birth of their daughter Margot Liv Moriah
Melissa (Zinaman) Schwechter '98 & Evan Schwechter, on the birth of their daughter Julie Gabriella (Yehudit Gittel)
Malka Chana & Ezra (Friedland-Wechsler) Amichai '94, on the birth of their son Aryeh Tzion Nachman
Emily (Scharfman) Menchel '00 & David Menchel, on the birth of their son Eli Judah
Joanna (Schacter) Parker '00 & David Parker '00, on the birth of their daughter Jane; and to grandparents Sheira & Steven Schacter '68 as well as the entire Schacter and Parker families.
Lisa & Dov Weinstein '00, on the birth of their son Aaron; and to grandparents Judith (Kuper) Jaffe '74 & Andrew Jaffe
Talia (Stechler) Dayan '03 & Isaac Dayan, on the birth of their son Aaron Mitchell
Rebecca (Rohr) Ritter '03 & Harry Ritter, on the birth of their son Jonah Jack; and to grandparents Pamela (Nash) Rohr '78 & George Rohr
Gealia (Singer-Cimet) Singer '04 & Matthew Friend, on the birth of twins
Becky (Abrams) Greenwald '04 & Dan Greenwald, on the birth of their son Kobi
Eeta (Neiman) Pinewski '04 & Jason Pinewski, on the birth of their son Eli Charles
Margot (Schacter) Marans '05 & Josh Marans, on the birth of their son Daniel; and to grandparents Sheira & Steven Schacter '68 as well as the entire Schacter and Marans families.
Pamela (Shams) Ness '08 & David Ness, on the birth of their son Howie
ENGAGEMENTS & MARRIAGES
Lisa (Lerer) Zahn Lazar '83 & Uri Lazar, on the marriages of her daughters Gabriella Zahn to Matthew Bielski, and Sara Zahn to Evan Cohen; and on the engagement of her daughter Daniella Lazar to Shalom Barishansky
Joshua Prager '89, on his marriage to Shuly Adams
Noah Drezner '96, on his engagement to Oren Pizmony-Levy
Stephanie Knepper '00, on her marriage to Craig Basman
Louis Lipner '01, on his marriage to Annika Goldman
Julie Blinbaum '02, on her engagement to Ethan Marcovici
Jordana Pomeranc '03, on her marriage to David Benharrouch
Joshua Samot '03, on his marriage to Lauren Goldberg
Michael Rosenberg '07, on his engagement to Sarah Zivic
Jonah Mermelstein '08, on his engagement
David Saad '08, on his engagement
Noah Kolatch '09, on his engagement to Tali Herenstein
MAZAL TOV
Rabbi Yaakov Bienenfeld (former faculty from 1987-2005), on being honored by the Young Israel of Harrison at their Annual Dinner on Sunday, November 9. For more information: www.yioh.org
Scot Glasberg '82, on becoming the Presidient for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Herbert Block '83, on his White House appointment to the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad
Rabbi Hayyim Angel '87, on his appointment as Scholar In Residence at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun (KJ)
Yael Federbush '87, on being named an "Orthodox All-Star" by Jew in the City
Sarah Gluck Knox '92, on opening of her studio, The Integral Body
Rachel Wolf '95, on her her promotion to Chief Executive Officer of American Committee for Shaare Zedek
Ariela (Friedman) Fine '97 and Yael (Friedman) Farkas) '01, on opening the store Threads on Central Avenue in Lawrence, NY
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We wish Aidan H. '14, who recently enlisted in IDF, hatzlachah rabbah.
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CLICK HERE to see the September publication of births, engagements, weddings, and condolences in our Class Notes.
To share personal and professional news, please CLICK HERE and complete the form or EMAIL US.
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LOWER SCHOOL VISITS
Schedule a visit to learn more
about our Early Childhood Center/Lower School.
Click HERE to schedule a tour or
call 212.774.8025.
Click HERE for an application.
ECC Brochure |
Both being proud alumni of Ramaz, we were excited for Leo to begin his own journey at the school. His wonderful experience so far has exceeded all expectations as he loves going to school each and every day!
Elise (Wolinsky) '99 and Daniel Kasell '98
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IMPORTANT DATES:
Sibling Application Deadline: 10/27
Application Deadline: 11/17
ECC Teacher Recommendations Due: 12/7
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UPPER SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, November 8 | 8:00 pm
Ramaz Upper School
PARLOR MEETINGS
Englewood | 11/11 Brooklyn | 11/12 Teaneck | 11/13 Manhattan - UWS | 11/18 Westchester | 11/19 Five Towns | 11/24 Queens | TBD Stamford, CT | TBD
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"The sheer sense of joy and nostalgia I felt when I brought my son Jacob to the Ramaz Open House was amazing. I had the utmost confidence that Ramaz having been an incredible experience for me, would also be the best school for my son. It felt even better once Jacob started the year, and he is even happier and more well adjusted than I could have ever imagined."
Amy Budin Leifer '89 |
IMPORTANT DATES: Sibling Application Deadline: 10/27 Application Deadline: 11/17 General & Judaic Studies Recommendation Letters Due: 12/7 Transcript Submissions Due: 1/5
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Wednesday, November 5 | 7:00 pm
HOST COMMITTEE:
Tanya Low '07 and David Parker '00, CO-CHAIRS
Jason Birke '95, Natan Edelsburg '06, Adam Flomenbaum '06, Michael Frankel '99, Rachel (Benishai) Garson '99, Benjamin Gottlieb '05, Emily Kaufman '08, Alex Luxenberg '07, Jon Merkin '04, Sabina Parker '07, Adam Scheer '90, and Allan Schwartz '93
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WE'RE GEARING UP FOR NEXT YEAR!
EMAIL US if you'd like to get involved in planning any of the following events:
- NETWORKING EVENTS
- FASHION - January, 2015
- REAL ESTATE - February, 2015
- LAW
- MARKETING/PR/ADVERTISING
- ALUMNI-AIPAC YOUNG LEADERS BRUNCH - 12/7
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| MILESTONE REUNIONS |
25 YEAR REUNION | CLASS of '89
Saturday Evening, November 15 | 7:45 pm
Ramaz Upper School
HOST COMMITTEE:
Ari Ackerman, Janine Bahar, Daniel Brown, Amy Budin Leifer,
Steven Ebner, Dara Freed, David Freilich, Elie Landau,
Daniel Lurie, Gil Pagovich, Carolyn Rubin, Michelle Kleinhaus Schachter, and Robyn Price Stonehill
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10, 15, 20 YEAR REUNION | CLASSES OF '05, 00, '95
Saturday Evening, February 7, 2015 | 8:00 pm
Ramaz Upper School
'05 HOSTS: Harry Baumgarten, Stephanie (Franco) Biselman, Aliza (Berkowitz) Black, Jordana Fruchter, Sam Goldberg, Ariel Grun, Margot (Schacter) Marans, Moshe Neiman, Alison (Liebman) & Yitzy Rubin
'00 HOSTS: David Greenbaum, Aaron Krawitz, Elizabeth (Goldman) Schilowitz
'95 HOSTS: Jennifer (Schleider) Cubell, Adam Dayan, Evan Farber, David Kaufthal, Emil Kleinhaus, Jessica Kobrin-Bernstein, Benjamin Lebwohl, Stephanie Minkove, Lisa Sopher-Deutch, Davida (Friedman) Yehaskel
EMAIL US to join your milestone reunion Host Committee.
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40, 50, 60 YEAR REUNION | CLASSES OF '75, '65, '55
March 8, 2015 | 11:30 am
EMAIL US to join your milestone reunion Host Committee.
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5 YEAR REUNION | CLASS OF '10
Thursday, June 11, 2015 | 7:00 pm
The Terrace | Ramaz Upper School
HOSTS: Charlene Lerner, Talya Presser, Ethan Stein
EMAIL US to join your milestone reunion Host Committee.
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ART CLASS with RACHEL RABHAN '92
Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:30 PM
Ramaz Upper School
CLICK HERE for details, dates, fees, and to register.
KRISTALLNACHT: A CONVERSATION WITH EYEWITNESSES
Monday, November 10 | 7:30 PM
Ramaz Lower School (125 East 85th Street)
JOIN US: Two Holocaust survivors share their memories of Kristallnacht. Click here for more information.
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Sunday, January 11, 2015 | 5:00 pm
Marriott Marquis, Times Square, NY
HONORING: Member of Knesset Isaac Herzog '78, The Honorable Judy Harris Kluger '70, and The Honorable Michael B. Mukasey '59
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May 17, 2015 | TBD
CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE | AFTER PARTY
May 31, 2015 | TBD
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HEAD OF SCHOOL SEARCH UPDATE
Jacob W. Doft '87, Chairman of the Board
The school year is off to a great start and our 1132 students are enjoying a spirited learning experience. Ramaz has never been stronger, benefiting from a renowned faculty, renovated facilities, and a revamped administration. It is from this position of strength that we search for a new Head of School.
We thank everyone who has reached out with suggestions and volunteered their time in this effort. This outreach has cemented in our minds the opportunity and need to involve as many of our constituencies as possible. While we know that not everyone can be personally involved, we developed a process that is indeed representative and inclusive. To this end, we have created four advisory groups that the Charter Trustees will be leaning on for their insight, perspective, and feedback. The groups comprise the Faculty Council, Executive Committee of the Parents Council, the Rabbis and President of KJ, and the Central Administration. These advisory groups will be interacting and sharing their thoughts with a smaller, more nimble search committee formed to manage the process and report to the Charter Trustees. This search committee includes:
- Alissa Shams - Parents Council President
- Dr. Roberta Solar - Assistant Head of School
- Rabbi Haskel Lookstein '49 - Rabbi of KJ and Principal of Ramaz
- Noreen Wachs - Faculty Council nominated representative
- Jacob Doft '87 - Chairman of the Board
- David Stonehill '86 - Treasurer and Charter Trustee
- Pamela Rohr '78 - Former Board Chair
- Dr. Leora Mogilner - Secretary and Charter Trustee
- Scott Hoffman - Charter Trustee
- Mitch Davidson - Charter Trustee
Assisting and advising us will be an excellent group from the Yeshiva University Institute for University-School Partnership, chosen after a thorough screening of relevant search firms. Their stewardship of the process will be invaluable in ensuring that we conduct the most rigorous, professional search. The search committee and advisory groups have begun their work. Currently, materials are being finalized, ads are being planned, and candidate lists are being compiled.
It is our hope that this process be as transparent as possible, while still respecting the confidentiality and dignity of the candidates. We will be corresponding with you from time to time to keep you apprised of our progress, which we hope will result in the hiring of a new Head of School as soon as we can. This is a wonderful opportunity to accelerate the school's evolution and improvement. We are all excited by the prospect of finding the right leader to help take us to new heights.
In the course of this process, your comments and suggestions are welcome at search@ramaz.org.
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