Fall 2011 - Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences - Case ...

of her favorite memories is the late Ed Jenkins’ group
work class using drama techniques. Her field work was
also memorable: the first year with ex-convicts at the
Salvation Army’s Harbor Light; the second year at Jewish
Family Services as a supervisor of youth programs.
“Doing my practicum at Harbor Lights, a halfway house
for prisoners preparing for parole, was an eye-opener for
me as I learned about a culture that I had never
experienced and met men that were different from any I
had ever known.”
Judie’s sister, Maxene Madorsky Zion, followed the trail
to SASS and graduated magna cum laude in 1990. She
went on to study at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland in
a three-year postgraduate program, got certified in
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing),
and is presently completing her training as an Imago
marital therapist. Maxene lived in Florida for 11 years
and returned to Cleveland because she received a full
scholarship to attend SASS in the Practice
Demonstration Program.
Her favorite memory was doing an independent study
with Dr. Elizabeth Tracy and Dr. Neil Abell on compulsive
gambling, which was published in 1991 in the Journal of
Gambling Studies. Maxene has worked in a private
practice for the past 17 years.
The next generation, Rachel Madorsky (Judie and Maxene’s
niece) and Jodi Zion (Maxene’s daughter) were at MSASS at
the same time, graduating in 1996. Rachel has blended her
love of social work with theatre. “I always knew I wanted
to help people live happier lives as well as to perform
artistically,” says Rachel. Why did she choose MSASS
“Location. Location. Location,” Rachel explained. “MSASS is
a top ten social work school, I had family in town, and it
was a happy surprise to graduate with my cousin Jodi.”
She knew she was in the right place when she heard a
professor say in a class one day, “Therapy Is Art.” In 1999
Rachel moved back to Cleveland from Austin, Texas where
she was working as a senior instructor for a personal
growth company. It was a fortunate decision since this is
where she met future husband Second City Director David
Buckman. They soon moved back to Austin where Rachel
counseled lawyers, judges and law students as part of The
State Bar of Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program.
Currently, in addition to a private practice serving adult
individuals and couples, she and David perform and teach
improvisation at the ColdTowne Theatre in Austin, Texas.
Rachel also trains psychotherapists and psychiatrists in
therapy skills using the art and philosophy of
improvisation. Her latest gig in theatre is with Whole
Foods (husband David is the butcher); see http://www.
youtube.com/watchv=E6nWKaPG4nM.
For Rachel’s cousin Jodi Zion Lurie, who had a B.A. in
psychology, it was a question of whether to teach or to
do social work. Either way, she knew long ago that she
wanted to work with children and adolescents. She says,
“I knew education was important but how can kids
progress when they are overwhelmed with problems.”
She chose social work because it opened the door to
more options for a career. Jodi’s Mom and the
reputation of MSASS inspired her choice for graduate
school. She found the interactive format of classes at
MSASS just right for her. Field placements at
Bellflower Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse
and Bellfaire JCB reinforced her commitment to
serving children. After graduation in 1996, she worked
in the in-patient psychiatry section with pre-teens and
adolescents at Laurelwood Hospital, part of University
Hospitals System. Today, she has brought her two
loves together — education and social work — as
student assistance facilitator at Solon High School.
In 2008, Jodi won the Oscar Steiner Award of the
Jewish Big Brothers, Big Sisters Association for her
vision and commitment to children. She has also
enhanced her MSSA by receiving a post-masters
licensure in school counseling from John Carroll
University in 2010.
(L-R) Jodi Zion Lurie, Rachel Madorsky, Judie Perelman, Maxine Zion
FALL 2011 17