ALUMNI

Brandeis Today

Brandeis Today News

List of 10 items.

  • Spring 2024 And We Gathered

     
    In February, Head of School Dr. Dan Glass traveled to St. Louis for the annual conference of the National Association of Independent Schools. Along with four of our faculty members, he was there to present a brief primer for schools interested in teaching civics in a way that is student-centered, connected to the local context, and grounded in ethics and shared values. 
     
    In their presentation, 2nd-grade teacher Sara Goldrath taught about how to run a democratic class meeting; middle school Judaic Studies teacher Jennifer Baumer talked about learning through the lens of your community’s histories and heroes; Sharon Moore from 3rd grade shared about nurturing conversations around identity, bias, and the common good through literature and current events; and Maker Educator Sandee Bisson led the group in a hands-on project exploring what we have learned about civics as experiential education (all four teachers are part of the Mifgash Project’s design team). The group approached the presentation with the pedagogical care, strength and intelligence in sharing their ideas that is a hallmark of our professional community at Brandeis.

    It felt appropriate that we arrived back to school in time for Tuesday’s election, and also for the week’s Parshat Vayakhel. Vayakhel means “and he gathered,” and refers to Moses gathering the community together to reaffirm their shared commitments, and to begin building the Mishkan or tabernacle out in the desert. 
     
    As we recently gathered to vote (and in the months leading up to it), I noticed a rising awareness of our own civic structures among my friends and neighbors. In this cycle, for example, people were talking about the Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) membership, not just ballot measures or the names at the top of the ticket. I experienced us gathering in this time of civic engagement with a renewed sense of the stakes of our practices of citizenship, which I take as a good sign for our community and country in the long run. 
     
    As this presidential election year unfolds, with a November date with the ballot box not all that far off, I look forward to continuing to assemble and think and talk together as a school community about our shared commitments and values, and how we can bring our young people up with a deep understanding of what it means to be a steward of democracy.  

    While in St. Louis, Dr. Glass and our faculty invited local Brandeis alumni to dinner where they had a great time catching up with each other. All the boxes checked from professional development to meaningful meet-ups, our school can’t wait to host more gatherings while out and about around the country.
  • Winter 2023 From One Generation to the Next

    The Brandeis School of San Francisco has long been a home for families passionate about Jewish education, and we are grateful for the many ways it enriches all of our lives. Since 1963, Brandeis has provided a sense of belonging and connection to each other and to the broader community. Because of these connections, there is something special about the desire to return to a school that holds fond memories and where foundational life experiences took place, especially if it is answering the call to educate the next generation of students. As we move through our 60th school year, we take a moment to recognize some of the homecomings taking place at Brandeis; marked by the return of alumni in various teacher and staff roles around campus. 

    For many of these alumni, a return means giving back to the next generation as a way of acknowledging the importance of this institution as integral in the formation of their spiritual identity, and in recognition of this community as one that still supports them today.

    Two individuals who have made a significant impact with their return are Maya Menachem ‘15 and Avram Rosenzweig ‘15. Maya joined Brandeis full-time in the kindergarten classroom as a resident teacher this fall, and Avram as an aftercare teacher in the fall of 2021. It only takes a moment to watch them interacting with the students to know that they are beloved. 

    Maya beautifully expressed what returning to Brandeis has meant for her, “I have been lucky to grow up in the supportive and welcoming community of Brandeis. It brings me tremendous joy to contribute to this incredible community and to enrich students’ lives the way Brandeis did for me.” Maya joined the faculty alongside her mother and veteran Brandeis teacher, Sandra Menachem. Maya shared, “My mother has always been a source of inspiration. She has this beautiful ability to instill the joy of learning in her students. I aspire to bring that same spirit to the classroom for my students this year."
     
    It has taken 60 years of passionate work by many people to ensure the strength of our school today. This dedication has paved the way for a vibrant future that will continue to sustain the ecosystem of Jewish life in the Bay Area and beyond. Having alumni return as parents or join our faculty and staff shows the deep roots our institution has planted in San Francisco. Those roots are now bearing the fruit of the next generation who are investing back in our school to educate the upcoming Jewish leaders who are essential to bringing positive change to the world and who will lead our community and our school in the years ahead. 
      
  • Summer 2023 Art in Action at Brandeis

    Last week, Bay Area artist Ron Moultrie Saunders, artist and landscape architect, visited Brandeis and spent two days with the second, seventh, and eighth grade students making art. Ron was invited to Brandeis by faculty member and artist Rebekah Goldstein who shares studio space with him at Minnesota Street Project Studio in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco. Rebekah is overseeing the Art in Action Visiting Artist Program established through the generosity of the late Al “Bumpy” Friedman z”l, grandparent of Brandeis alumnae Elie ‘20, Noa ‘20, Emma '20,  and Nathan Friedman-Lowenthal. Al’s dedication to his own artistic practice of sculpting stone which he took up in his 60’s was important to him and brought a great deal of joy to his life. He wanted to share that joy with our students.
     
    The Art in Action Program aims to enrich the educational experience of our students by exposing them to art that responds to contemporary social issues. It creates opportunities to connect the work in the classroom to the world around us, through the lens of a specific artist. Through this program our students engage with artists who demonstrate a commitment to social or environmental justice and explore how those ideals are tied to Brandeis’ community values - ometz lev, tikkun olam, and chesed. Furthermore, the aims of this program expose students to how artists respond to contemporary issues and problems in the world and raise awareness to those issues, how they are creative change makers, and how they can create community through art.

    Ron began his multi-day visit by sharing a presentation of his artwork with the students while talking about how he makes his photograms, which are photographs that are made without the use of a camera. Later students moved to the art room where they created a canvas of found objects to imprint their artistic silhouettes using sunlight on cyanotype paper.  
     
    When the second graders surveyed the results of their labor, they marveled and delighted in the creative process and took time to remark on the artwork of fellow classmates who inspired them. It is obvious our students are learning a lot about themselves through their art-making. They discover the importance of self-expression and learn how to transpose their thinking into a visual representation of the many ways they see the world.
     
    There is beauty in the way we approach art, unraveling the miraculous ways our minds work, finding connections, and engaging in dialogue to discover greater universal truths. That experience and process is what donor Al “Bumpy” Friedman cherished and wanted to share with our students at Brandeis. We are grateful to Al and to donors Barbara and Ron Kaufman, grandparents of Brandeis alumnae Olivia '16 and Anna Perlman '16 who continue to invest significantly with a major gift each year to support the Arts Program at Brandeis.
     
    Our community members and families past and present play a significant role in sustaining a culture of giving and engagement at our school and collectively your generosity makes an important impact on the lives of our students. Simply put, our health as an institution relies heavily upon the philanthropy of our entire community. As we close another school year, I am heartened, grateful, and encouraged by the success of our various campaigns and the willingness of each family at Brandeis to play a part in our school’s success.
     
    Thank you to the late Bumpy Friedman and to Barbara and Ron Kaufman whose gifts fuel the creative spirits of 336 students in the 2022-2023 school year. We are endlessly grateful to be blessed with talented art teachers who take our students on the journey of not just making art but also introducing them to the history of art and bringing them into conversation with working artists. What a gift to our students and our school! 
  • Spring 2023 A New Torah for Brandeis

    A New Torah for Brandeis

    The Brandeis Campus has evolved over the years as have our relationships with our neighbors on Brotherhood Way like the KZV Armenian School where our students gather annually to connect and share cultures. Just up the hill, Brandeis has utilized our neighbor synagogue for many years to celebrate tefillot, Purim spiels, and graduation with our students and their families. Most recently, life next door shifted as Congregation Am Tikvah formed as a merger of two legacy San Francisco Jewish communities, B’nai Emunah and Beth Israel Judea. The synagogue continues to be a place that our community is bonded to as a partner in Jewish life and learning - one that holds many joyful moments of celebration and growth. 
     
    As a result of this merger, Am Tikvah realized they had an extra legacy Torah which they generously offered to loan to Brandeis to replace our fragile and damaged Torah. On January 23rd, Executive Director of Am Tikvah and Brandeis alumna and parent Talya Brass Kesselman ‘94 joined Brandeis Director of Jewish Learning Debby Arzt-Mor and seventh grade students to gather for a ceremony in which the Torah was delivered to Brandeis.

    The Uherský Brod Scroll, a rescued Czechoslovakian Torah, comes with a history of its own and was loaned to B’nai Emunah from the Memorial Scrolls Trust of London. Talya dedicated the Torah to our school, ”as the community who gets to give light to its lessons for the 21st century.” Following the dedication, just days away from his Bar Mitzvah, seventh grade student Max Yugoff read from the Torah and it was placed in the Ark in our Beit Midrash. 

    Debby Arzt-Mor closed the ceremony sharing that, “While the name of Am Tikvah might be a new one, our relationship with our neighbor as Jewish community remains unchanged and that together we will continue to help our students grow as Jews, good people, and leaders.” We are grateful to have these special relationships with our neighbors and friends on Brotherhood Way who support our school, our students' lives and learning, and our community. 
  • Winter 2022 Sukkot in Yosemite

    “To be spiritual is to be amazed.” ~Abraham Joshua Heschel

    In October, Brandeis revived the beloved community event, Sukkot in Yosemite, after a three-year hiatus. Over 180 families traveled to Yosemite Valley for several days of exploring, hiking, meditating, praying, singing, and celebrating together. This tri-annual journey to Yosemite is freeing. Being immersed in nature gives us space to re-establish balance in our lives. It calms our nervous system and urges us to leave behind the demands of our busy lives and to instead focus on the basics - meals with friends, bike rides across the park, and an awareness of being a small part of a very large and timeless universe. This community gathering invites all of us to cultivate awe at the natural wonder surrounding us while reorienting our perspective to the immediacy of the present moment. After four days of wow in the Sierra Nevadas, there is no doubt the time nourished our spirits, strengthened our friendships, and imprinted memories deeply tied to the Brandeis experience. 

    For the past four years, Brandeis has been one of fourteen schools participating in Dr. Lisa Miller’s Collaborative for Spirituality in Education, a project developing curricula for teaching spirituality in schools. Professor of psychology and education at Columbia University, Teachers College, Dr. Miller’s research asserts that spirituality supports health and happiness and that spirituality also encourages our children to be more engaged and better citizens. Her research also shows that a spiritual practice can be a panacea for depression and anxiety, conditions seemingly prevalent in children today. This work intersects naturally with one of the three core tenets of in the Brandeis 2023 Strategic Plan. which also guides our planning and core practice at the school: "Ethics and spirituality are good for our children and our world." We believe that the challenges of this century will require ethically-fluent and spiritually-grounded leaders. Our students are given many tools to develop their authentic spiritual identity that is rooted in each child’s own life experience and background. Spirituality is practiced in many ways at Brandeis with an emphasis on social and emotional learning, mindfulness, Jewish rituals and traditions, and the values of chesed (kindness), ometz lev (integrity), and tikkun olam (service).” 

    How do these practices impact our students? Our students use mindfulness and breathing techniques to calm their bodies and minds. They celebrate Shabbat and practice gratitude for a week well-done. We see our students organizing projects of tzedakah whether collecting toys for children in need, or serving meals to the poor, hungry, and homeless at local shelters. Our values are embedded into our curriculum and our students are encouraged to reflect on how they appear in everyday interactions. These regular practices of service and gratitude nurture a mindset of abundance, and foster growth and learning in our students while reinforcing the idea that every person can make a meaningful and positive contribution to create a better world.

    Spiritual satisfaction reminds us and our children that we have everything we need and more. The things you can’t buy, the screen that turns off, is our individual power to experience radical amazement in our everyday lives. From stargazing under a dark night sky to a community-led tefillah in an amphitheater surrounded by trees, taking time to actively nurture our souls and be reminded of our interconnectedness, is something that is profoundly important for our collective psyche. A trip to Yosemite with a view of Half Dome can jumpstart your journey of awe, but so can simply looking up into the sky at sunset on your drive home. It is our goal to give our students the vocabulary, the skill sets, and a safe space to hone their spiritual awareness and their understanding of themselves as they grow and mature at Brandeis.

    Take a moment before 2022 draws to a close to fill your bucket with something you find transcendent. Revel in it and breathe it in deeply. I wish you sacred moments like these and the ones we shared in Sukkot in the year ahead. 
  • Fall 2022 Returning to Their Brandeis Roots

    As the 2022-2023 school year kicks off, Brandeis is flush with rosy-cheeked students abuzz with excitement to see their friends, share stories of summer adventures, and settle into the rhythms of the fall. Many students eagerly await familiar rituals like blowing the shofar on the bluetop on the first day of school, which marks the start of the year and all of its promise. 

    For some of our students, their first day at Brandeis is also the beginning of something new they will have in common with one of their parents. This fall we are delighted to welcome a number of students who will be the second generation of their family to attend our school. 

    For alumni, reconnecting with Brandeis during the application process can prompt some predictable nostalgia, but it often leads to expressions of profound appreciation for what was an impactful time in their lives. For Naomi Horton-Vienna '98, it was important that her daughter Lucy ’31 develop a solid foundation in Judaism in order to understand more about her identity and her family’s history. Naomi remarked, “Brandeis gave that to me in a way that changed and shaped who I am. I am forever grateful for that experience.” Naomi is already looking forward to the many ways her daughter will build on their family traditions by bringing home the lessons she learns in school. 

    Another common theme is the desire for their children to be surrounded by the same supportive teachers our alumni knew as Brandeis students years ago. Kindergarten parent Ariela Morgenstern ‘92 reflected, “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to have my child go to Brandeis, where, as a student, I absorbed the creativity, self-expression, and Jewish values that I still cherish. I want Lilah to be surrounded by teachers who will spark a love of learning in her, which is what Brandeis provided for me.” Ariela told us that her return to the Brandeis campus this past spring rekindled warm memories of beloved faculty and staff, who went out of their way to foster an environment of acceptance and belonging. 

    The extended Brandeis community is a support system that enriches the educational experience for students and sustains families in joyful and challenging times. We come to know each other through the many events that take place on campus, at practices and games, performances, birthday parties, holidays, and scores of other gatherings that keep our calendars full. Relationships evolve over many years at Brandeis and seed connections that extend into the greater Bay Area Jewish community and beyond. Talya Kesselman Brass ‘94, has told her daughter Sara, a new student in the Class of 2025, so many stories about her time at Brandeis. “It is exciting for us to enroll the next generation of our family at Brandeis. The San Francisco Jewish community is incredibly unique, and Brandeis is at the heart of what makes it so special. We are proud to invest in this school and continue to watch it flourish.”

    The Brandeis experience is one that creates a legacy of strong values and the knowledge that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. It is especially meaningful when our alumni return to us with children of their own! Welcome back Naomi, Ariela, and Talya! We are so happy to have you back! 

    Do you know of other alumni families who would enjoy being featured in this newsletter, if so please let us know! 
  • Summer 2022 The Return to Israel

     
     
    The inaugural Brandeis 8th Grade Israel Trip took place in the spring of 2007. At the time, there were multiple travel options available to our students, including visits to Yosemite and Washington, D.C. In 2010, it was decided, both because of the cost associated with multiple excursions and time spent away from the classroom, that there would be one annual overnight trip. The opportunity for Brandeis students to experience Israel, a land so important to our school and vital to our curriculum, made the decision easy and thus was born the Annual 8th Grade Israel Trip, the pinnacle of our student’s experiential education. Our students were notable to visit Israel in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this year we are happy to share that the restrictions were lifted and our beloved tradition was reinstated.

    At Brandeis, the study of Israel is a key subject central to student learning and one of the five pillars of our Enduring Understandings of Jewish Education. Like the Enduring Understandings, the trip to Israel synthesizes many years of study which imparts on our students a deep connection to Israel and its people. The history of Israel (ancient and modern), arts and culture, geography, and traditions come to life for our students in this sacred homeland of the Jewish people. 

    “At Brandeis, we endeavor to graduate students who are engaged with Israel, ready to deepen their understanding of the challenges it faces, leading to a meaningful, lifelong connection to the Land, the State, and its inhabitants. The 8th Grade Israel Trip has a central role in realizing this vision,” says Debby Arzt-Mor, Director of Jewish Learning. While traveling across Israel, students explore, learn, pray, and play together while securing the bonds of their friendships on the eve of their graduation from Brandeis. This journey is meant to be a defining moment in their education at Brandeis - one in which Israel becomes a real place and a meaningful experience in their lives. 

    Jenny Rinn, Director of Lower School and one of this year’s chaperones on the trip shared it best in her summary of what the Israel Trip contributes to the education of our students, “As this trip rounds out their Brandeis education, so does it commence new beginnings and perspectives. As our soon-to-be graduates anticipate the transition to high school, we hope they embrace the unknown that lies ahead of them with wonder and awe. The Israel Trip is a practice of welcoming new possibilities with enthusiasm and curiosity.”

    And with that, I say “Mazel Tov!” to the Class of 2022 who will be graduating in just a few short weeks. May you go far and accomplish your heart’s dreams. Our teachers, parents, grandparents, friends, and our entire community support them now and always on their journey. 
  • Spring 2022 From The Head of School

    On Friday, March 11th, we hosted over 200 grandparents and special friends on the Brandeis campus, our first large-scale in-person event since March of 2019. The sun was shining, our students were abuzz with excitement, and our guests were thrilled to join us for student performances, visits to the classrooms, and a chance to get to know other members of the extended Brandeis family. The program was designed to let visitors experience “a day in the life” of our students, and included a joyful Shabbat celebration before lunch. Students proudly showed off what they love about Brandeis while confidently hosting their special visitors and making sure everyone felt at home.
    On Friday, March 11th, we hosted over 200 grandparents and special friends on the Brandeis campus, our first large-scale in-person event since March of 2019. The sun was shining, our students were abuzz with excitement, and our guests were thrilled to join us for student performances, visits to the classrooms, and a chance to get to know other members of the extended Brandeis family. The program was designed to let visitors experience “a day in the life” of our students, and included a joyful Shabbat celebration before lunch. Students proudly showed off what they love about Brandeis while confidently hosting their special visitors and making sure everyone felt at home. 

    I opened the program with the Shehecheyanu blessing to mark this milestone moment, and I share my full remarks highlighting our diverse, welcoming community here.
  • Winter 2021 Brandeis Medical Advisory Group 

    Brandeis Medical Advisory Group 

    Like schools around the country, Brandeis has had to marshall a variety of resources to enable students to safely attend classes in person during the pandemic. A particularly invaluable source of expertise and creative thinking has been our Medical Advisory Group.
    Brandeis Medical Advisory Group 

    Like schools around the country, Brandeis has had to marshall a variety of resources to enable students to safely attend classes in person during the pandemic. A particularly invaluable source of expertise and creative thinking has been our Medical Advisory Group.

    This group of current and former Brandeis parents, all of whom are respected physicians, has advised our Head of School and offered guidance on everything from reopening plans to our ongoing policies and procedures related to masking and vaccines. The group also holds regular all-parent forums via Zoom to address questions about the changing landscape of the pandemic and keeping families safe and healthy. They provide ongoing reassurance and expertise to the community, along with a hefty dose of compassion, patience, and good humor. 
     
    We are also grateful to Dr. Bob Wachter, the Chair of UCSF’s Department of Medicine and a frequent contributor to UCSF’s Medical Grand Rounds pandemic-era video series, who is the father of two Brandeis alumni. In collaboration with Dr. Wachter, we were able to partner with Mission Wellness, a specialty pharmacy who led the first of two on-site vaccine clinics for 5-11 year olds in November. These clinics are open to the general public, and we are proud to host such an important event on our campus. 

    Thank you to the members of the Medical Advisory Group! We are grateful for your dedication to the welfare of our community. 
     
    Dr. Rebecca Berman, Dr. Matthew Cooperberg, Dr. Erin Gordon, Dr. Louise Greenspan, Dr. Franklin Huang, Dr. Erica Lawson, Dr. Samantha Kamras, Dr. Won Kim, Dr. Aaron Kornblith, Dr. Lucy Kornblith, and Dr. Jonathan Terdiman.  

  • Fall 2021 Welcome From the Head of School

     
    We are excited to launch Brandeis Connects, a new quarterly communication tool that will make it easy to learn more about the Brandeis community present and past, stay connected with classmates, and learn about the many ways you can engage with our school. We hope it will help you continue to remain connected and be part of the sustaining and caring community for which Brandeis is known. 
     
    From Head of School Dr. Dan Glass:

    We are excited to launch Brandeis Connects, a new quarterly communication tool that will make it easy to learn more about the Brandeis community present and past, stay connected with classmates, and learn about the many ways you can engage with our school. We hope it will help you continue to remain connected and be part of the sustaining and caring community for which Brandeis is known. 

    Since its founding fifty-eight years ago, Brandeis has thrived because of those who have invested time and the financial resources to support the Brandeis mission and educational experience of our students. We are grateful to have a community that gives so generously to ensure a thriving Jewish day school in San Francisco which in turn contributes to the thriving Jewish community of the Bay Area. 

    All of the ways you remain involved and connected have a positive impact on our school. We look forward to finding ways to invite your continued support and hope that you will share the ways Brandeis has made an impact on your children and families.