Newsletter #2 FINAL - Syracuse Hebrew Day School

Volume 2, Issue 1January 2007Chai LightsThe Syracuse Hebrew Day School Alumni NewsDay School Alumni and Parents Establish Legacy Funds“As my parents planted for me, I shall sow or the ones yet tobe…”The Syracuse Hebrew Day School has been an importantpart of the lives of many Central New York families for manyyears, giving their children a foundation that will not crumble.Sending children to the Day School is a statement of belief inthe value of education and in the value of Judaism in ourlives. The validity of this belief is borne out by national statistics,showing that students who spend 7 to 12 years in dayschool are far more involved in theirJewish community, far more philanthropicto Jewish causes and farmore likely to support Israel than theirnon-day school counterparts.The Day School is, however, expensive.Day School parents pay schooltaxes and then in addition pay tuition.Some can afford this more easilythan others – and there are still othersfor whom, without tuition assistance,the school would be out ofreach.Avery Stone-Fish, Shayna & Joseph DeMari and Natalie Goldberg(and David Schram, not shown) have donated funds to the SHDSAlumni Legacy Fund through the Jewish Community Foundation.In 2006, a group of parents actedupon their strong belief in the value of a day school educationfor every Jewish child in our community, created the LegacyFund, program to perpetuate the work of the Syracuse HebrewDay School in developing the future leaders of theAmerican Jewish community through its rigorous academicprogram rich in Jewish values and learning. Since the program’sinception, gifts totaling almost $50,000 have been receivedfrom alumni and parents.Legacy Funds are entities established within the Jewish CommunityFoundation of Central New York for the benefit of theSyracuse Hebrew Day School. They consist of Legacy Fundsestablished by donors that adhere to the following stipulations:Enterprising Alum Combines Expertise and EntrepreneurshipJOSHUA GORDON, SHDS ‘94 is president and CEO of JAG Products. A recent profile in the CentralNew York Business Journal noted that “while many high school graduates work part time jobs duringthe summer to save money for college, Joshua Gordon started his own software company.” Joshfounded JAG Products, LLC in 1999 and continued to work part-time for the business while he earned abachelor’s degree in engineering from Cornell University. When he graduated in 2004, he pursued JAGfulltime.“Gordon, 24, developed the ClinicTracker software for mental-health clinics to manage operations,track patients, and keep up-to-date on paperwork. ‘It creates an entirely paperless office,’ Gordon says.JOSHUA GORDON Continued on page 41. A Legacy Fund may be named in honor of the donor, inmemory of an individual, in honor of a family or as deemedappropriate by the donor and the school. A named LegacyFund may also be established by a group of donors (e.g.,the parents of a graduating class) who pool funds to reachthe $10,000 minimum for a named Fund.2. Gifts may also be made in any amount to a general LegacyFund, in honor of special events, occasions such asand especially bar/bat mitzvah, individuals or as memorialor commemorative tributes.3. The purpose of Legacy Funds is toprovide financial assistance to theSyracuse Hebrew Day School, tocover the income lost through tuitionreduction based on financial need, tocover increased costs, to keep up withspecial technological teaching aids, tofund building and maintenance projectsand in these and other ways toenhance the quality education providedat the Syracuse Hebrew DaySchool.4.The principal, acting on behalf of theSyracuse Hebrew Day School and in concert with the fundadministrator, may elect to withdraw funds only duringthose calendar years in which $10,000 or more has beenraised and added to the Fund the previous calendar year.A total of up to 20% of the Legacy Fund may be utilized inthose years.All funds donated will be used to ensure that future generationsof Jewish children in Central New York will beable to participate in the benefits the Day School providesand that our Jewish people will be strengthened for generationsto come because of the generosity and commitment ofcontributors to the Legacy Fund.

Page 2The Syracuse Hebrew Day School Alumni NewsSHDS Alumnae Make NewsRecha Winkelman, SHDS ‘83RECHA WINKELMAN, M.D.,SHDS ’83 received her medicaleducation at the Sackler Schoolof Medicine at Tel AvivUniversity, interned at LincolnMedical Center, did her residencyin radiology at WinthropUniversity Hospital and wasa fellow at the University ofCalifornia in San Francisco.Affiliated with the AmericanCollege of Radiology, theRadiologic Society of North America, the AmericanRoentgen Ray Society and the American Institute ofUltrasound in Medicine, Recha enjoys travel, reading,cycling and skiing in her spare time.Jackie Martin SHDS ‘91JACKIE MARTIN, SHDS ’91,has just joined the staff of TheAssociated Press. Previously,as an independent photojournalistbased in Birmingham,Alabama, her clients includedthe New York Times, TheBloomberg News Service,L’Express Magazine andAmerican Medical News. Jackie is fluent in Spanish, andshe has a passion for covering issues of Latin Americanimmigration to the United States.Marji Gold-VuksonMARJI GOLD-VUKSON is the author of over adozen books for the general market plus anequal number for Jewish children. In the educationalarena, she wrote A.R.E.’s text, “TheTeacher Pleaser: 10,000 Instant Activities forthe Jewish Classroom,” as well as holiday,Shabbat, and “Torah Copy Paks." Marji and herbrother Jonathan attended the Day School inthe 1960’s. Marji recently found us through ourwebsite and wrote to say that “the experienceswe gained in the rambling old mansion onGenesee Street that once housed the schoolhad a profound impact upon us and we carriedthe messages we learned there with us into ouradulthood.”Hannah Siegel SHDS ‘98HANNAH SIEGEL,SHDS ‘98 is a juniorat Harpur Collegeof Arts & Sciencesat Binghamton University,majoringin creative writing andminoring in French.She is active in Hilleland in Chabad.Hannah is also thecurrent editor-in-chiefof the Hillel magazine,KOSHER-style.(www.hillelatbinghamton.org/PublicationFiles/KosherStyle119200638usr5.pdf)Hannah volunteers and bakes at the KosherKitchen, a dining facility that is open every day.During her sophomore year, she was a volunteerin a Binghamton city school. She credits theSyracuse Hebrew Day School with fostering andencouraging her interest in Judaism, a facet ofcollege life where she is the most active today.She enjoys the academic challenge of Binghamtonand also the number of Jewish students whostudy there.

Volume 2, Issue 1All in the Family:Page 3SHDS in the Arts:ESA KANTER JAFFE, SHDS ‘80 brought her youngest son Jonah to school to gethis name on the waiting list!MISA AZRIA, SHDS ‘83, and herdaughter Alexis Barth recentlyattended a Pre-Chanukah Party &Open House at the Day Schoolwhere Alexis will be enteringKindergarten in the fall of 2007.Alumnae ELANA KUPPERMAN, SHDS “06 and MIRIAM GOLDBERG, SHDS ‘02 and first graders Sadie Tenenbaumand Bess Schueler helped welcome visitors to the Pre-Chanukah Party & Open House.’HDS in Hollywood!!ADAM KRASSENBAUM, SHDS ‘86 whouses the stage name Adam Kassen, isthe director and executive producer(with older brother Mark) of the newtelevision series "The Minor Accomplishmentsof Jackie Woodman," which follows the fortunes of thetitle character, a writer, and a friend maneuvering through the not-soglamorousside of Hollywood.Adam and his brother have been in show business together for morethan a decade, with their own production company. They won twoawards for “The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang," which they produced.The tallit pictured on the cover of theFall 2006 issue of Lilith magazinewas designed by RACHELKANTER, SHDS ‘82 . “This tallit isan attempt to merge two parts of awoman’s life – the traditional aspectsof motherhood with modern-day spirituality,to crate a more fulfillingprayer experience” explained Rachel.“It also points out the demands madeon a young mother during prayer.Can you have small children and participatein services? Can a differencetype of tallit make it any easier?”Rachel is married to Andrew Ely andis the mother of Siona, Pacey andAvital. She lives in Manhattan whereshe is an artist.Of her prayer shawls, she wrote, “Mytallitot are nolonger justpieces of fabricto hold the fourtzitzit. They area means of connectingmystory as awoman withmy story as aJew.”

JOSHUA GORDON Continued from page 1‘The software is essential for mental health clinics because the facilitiescould face fines or be forced to close their doors if the paperworkisn’t compliant or up-to-date with Medicare and Medicaid standards,’Gordon explains.5655 Thompson RoadDewitt, New York 13214Phone: 315-446-1900Fax: 315-446-3714E-mail: shds@twcny.rr.comCheck out our new WEBSITE!www.shds.orgJosh’s clients include mental health clinics in Syracuse, Binghamton,Cortland, Madison County, Washington, D.C. and California. JAGoperates with 17 independent contractors who work from their ownoffices, telecommunicating via the Internet. Gordon has no immediateplans to move into office space, as the client load is managedcompletely from his in-home office in Syracuse.“Demand for JAG’s software is increasing rapidly. The company’srevenue tripled from 2004 to 2005, Gordon says, and its revenue increased50 percent from 2005 to 2006. Josh has received awards forhis intuitive designs. He has also spoken about entrepreneurship andsoftware design for medical records in this country and abroad.This issue of Chai Lights isdedicated in memoriam toScott Dubnoff SHDS ‘01