Hebrew Day School, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Alumni News

Ari K ’81 graduated from Yale University with a degree in political science, then obtained a J.D. from New York University Law School in 1995, and is now a labor lawyer living in Berkeley, California. He and his wife Kerstin, who is Directing Attorney of the Fair Housing Law Project, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, have twins.
Natalie (Ilana) C ’81 graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in education and journalism, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was president of her senior class. Natalie is an accomplished pianist and writer and has had her writing published in many venues.
Carmel G ’81 graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in history and economics, received an M. Phil. From Oxford University, and an M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School. She spent a semester studying Arabic in Cairo and then became a journalist, traveling to Jordan and Syria to conduct interviews in Arabic. She is currently an equity analyst with Thomas Weisel and Partners in San Francisco.
Ilana B ’81 was a Centennial Scholar at Barnard and received her Ph.d. in English from the University of Pennsylvania, where she received the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by Graduate students. She taught English at the University of Michigan and is now teaching at Michigan State University. She is married to Ori, and has one child.
Yitzhak G '81 graduated from Columbia University and the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Biology and an M.A. in Information Science. He is an electronic archivist at the Center for International Earth Science Information Network of Columbia University. His spouse is Jennifer, and they have a son David born in November 2003 and a new baby girl, Yakira, born in April 2006.
Rebecca N ’83 graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in drama and anthropology. She spent a year in England working in theatre, then spent time teaching karate to Bedouin children (she is a black belt) and now lives in San Francisco where she is the founder and Artistic Director of the Crowded Fire Theatre Company. She has directed thirteen of their eighteen productions including, most recently, Slow Falling Bird by Christine Evans. She has also directed for Intersection for the Arts, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, the Exit Theatre, Shotgun Players, Berkeley Opera, the Magic Theatre, Playground, and Woman's Will. She was a recipient of the San Francisco Bay Guardian's Upstage/Downstage "Great Director" award for One Flea Spare and was chosen by Theatre Bay Area for their "Keep an Eye On" series. She was a founding member of Theatre Bay Area's Nomads Taskforce and serves on their Theatre Services Committee. She is also a member of the selection committee for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival.
Daniel S ’84 graduated from the University of Southern California in 1994, then moved to Alaska where he worked at two radio stations in Anchorage and as a photographer. He moved to New York in 1996, working as a composer, photographer and television producer. He produced for HBO’s on-air promotion department for several years as well as for the PBS music series “Great Performances.” Daniel was recently awarded the United Airlines Hemispheres Grand Prize for his photography piece “Punta Del Este.” His works are set in locations ranging from Hawaii and Alaska to Mexico, South America and Europe. Recent exhibitions have included the Photo District Gallery and the Christopher Stanley Salon in New York City. He lives with his wife in New York.
Miriam G ’85 graduated from Barnard College with a B.S. in Architecture. She is the founder of The Giving Web.com, a web design company specializing in website design and development for non-profits. Her spouse is David and they have a son Eitan born in February 2002 and twins Sarah and Noah, born in May 2006.
Liell K (6th Gr. ‘86) is the international service manager for a medical equipment company. He has two children, Eden Lola, born 2002, and Barr, born in 2004.
Michael E (6th grade ’88) graduated from Tufts University in Music and American Studies and is currently a senior editor for Rolling Stone magazine in New York. His spouse is Nina.
Nessa V (6th Gr. ’87) received a B.A. with High Honors in Psychology from the University of Michigan and is a Human Resources Manager in San Francisco. She is married to Bob and has a son, Benjamin, age 3 and a new baby girl, Sasha, born September 2006.
Mira S ’87 received an M.A. in Jewish Communal Service from Hebrew Union College and a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She currently works for Jewish Family Services in Ann Arbor. She is married and has two sons.
Ariel V ’90 graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Organizational Studies with Honors, and is currently working at a real estate investment firm in Chicago. He does volunteer work for victims of terror.
Naomi A ’90 graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and now tutors students who live in the Mission District in San Francisco. She has recently been accepted to a Masters program in Human Rights Law which will include programs at The Hague and UNESCO.
Robert F ’90 is completing the coursework for a Ph.d. in Anthropology and Public Health at Columbia University, specializing in mental health and cross-cultural psychology. He will be doing field work on recovery from trauma.
Sara E ’90 graduated from Ohio State University in 2002 with a degree in Art History and is currently living in New York City.
Lauren G ’91 graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in International Relations. She then received her M.P.H. in Epidemiology from Columbia University and is now a CDC/CSTE fellow at the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Flora F ‘91 works for Project Renewal in New York City, and also for Joblinks for the mentally ill.
Janet L ‘91 is in her final year of Nurse Practioner training at Massachusetts General Hospital, with a specialty in family medicine. Janet has a BS in Biology from Carnegie Mellon University, and a MS in Biological Sciences from Harvard University.
Deena L ‘92 graduated from Michigan State University in 2004, where she received the university’s Women, Gender, and Social Justice Outstanding Student Activism Award.
Sivan O ‘92 is a research associate in orthopedics at the University of Michigan.
Ruth B (6th Gr. '92) is studying anthropology at the University of Michigan.
Alyse T ‘93 studied psychology at Indiana University and graduated in 2004. She currently lives in Jackson Hole, WY and works in marketing, advertising and at an early learning center.
Naomi G ’93 was awarded an interdisciplinary degree in social science from MSU.
Carrie G ’94 graduated from Harvard University, following which she had a fellowship with an international human rights foundation to help re-establish Gorongoza National Park in Mozambique. In '06-'07 she spent a year as a Richard and Rhoda Goldman Graduate Fellow at UN Watch in Geneva. Currently, she attends Yale Law School.
Lara M ’94 graduated from the University of Michigan in 2005 with a concentration in Public Health and a major in Spanish. During college she mentored Latino youth.
Amy L ’94 is a pastry chef, artist, potter, and weaver. She has a BS in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Eli S ’94 and his colleague Jessica Rauch won a $10,000 prize in August 2008 for their idea called "The Generation Project", a project that brings educational resources to low-income communities. He is currently a student at the University of Michigan Law School. At Kalamazoo College, Eli was editor of the student newspaper and won an award for his research on responses to catastrophic terrorist attacks.
David L ’94 is in his second year of a PhD program in Material Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has a BS in Material Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Andy T ‘95 graduated from MSU in 2006 having studied business and pre-law. He currently owns and operates MoonWinks Cafe in Ann Arbor.
Etan K ‘95 graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Spanish and Judaic Studies. He now works in Chicago and is engaged to married in June of 2009.
Jeremy A ‘95 is a student at Brown University.
Joshua W ‘95 is studying physics at the University of Pennsylvania.
Josh B ‘95 was selected as the student commencement speaker for the December 6, 2006, University of Michigan commencement. He has been in the news often this year as the President of American Movement for Israel.
Julia H, who attended HDS for two years until her family moved to Florida in 1992, will soon be getting her BA in communications, with an emphasis in television, from Florida International University.Adam L '96 is a student at Oberlin College.
Ilanit S-L '96 (6th Gr. '97) married Alex H on July 6, 2008. She is in a Ph.D. program in Math at Northeastern University, and Alex is studying pre-med at a post-baccalaureate program at Harvard.
Jacob G '96 graduated from Indiana University and is starting Temple University Law School (Philadelphia) in September 2008.
Naomi M '96 is a student at Brown University.
Yaniv Z '96 graduated from the University of Michigan in 2007 and is working as a software engineer in San Fransisco.
Anna C '97 is a pre-med math major at Oberlin College.
Paul G '97 is studying at McGill University.
Noah G. '98 is a CUNY Scholar at Hunter College (New York City) majoring in Renewable Energy
Noah L '98 recently started employment with McKinsey & Co., a management consulting company. He expects to spend three days traveling and working at clients’ offices for the next two years. Noah has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
Shoshana S '98 is a student at Oberlin College.
Rachel F '98 is starting her senior year at the University of Massachusetts, majoring in Sports Management.
Gavriel S '99 is studying musical theater at the University of Michigan.
Natalie B '99 is in her second year at Hampshire College. She spent the past summer studying at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem.
Tani S-L '99 is spending the Summer of 2008 in Uganda where he is doing research with the Abudayan Jewish community and working in a nearby medical clinic.
Ben F '00 is a National Merit Semi-Finalist for 2007 and is also an AP Scholar.
Cari M '00 received a National Merit Letter of Commendation for 2007 and was selected for the National Honor Society.
Dafna E '00 is a National Merit Semi-Finalist for 2007.
Daniel S ‘00 is a National Merit Finalist. He graduated from the Paramedic Program at Huron Valley Ambulance in 2008 and then volunteered on an ambulance crew for Magen David Adom in Israel. He will start at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2008.
Julianna S '00 received a National Merit Letter of Commendation for 2007. She is currently an engineering/physics major at Dartmouth College.
Maggie Z '00 will begin studying music at EMU in the fall of 2008.
Maya A ‘00 is in her second year of college studying Judaic Studies, Biology and Psychology at the University of Southern California (USC).
Maya S '00 is a National Merit Semi-Finalist for 2007.
Noah B ‘00 got a National Merit Letter of Commendation. He just returned from a year in Israel with the Habonim Dror Workshop program, and will be a freshman at Indiana University in the fall of 2008.
Rafi E '00 received a National Merit Letter of Commendation for 2007 and has starred as the lead in The Crucible and Godspell in high school productions, and has had major roles in many other productions.
Samuel S '00 is a National Merit Semi-Finalist for 2007.
David S '01 is a National Merit Finalist. He received the Senior Math Prize at his high school, and will start Swarthmore College in the fall of 2008. He plans to be an engineer. He is certified as a lifeguard.
Emily B '01 will spend the 2008-2009 school year on Young Judea Year Course - Tochnit Shalem. She will then be a freshman at Vassar College.
Ilana E '01 will be attending Williams College in the fall of 2010 on a full scholarship.
Judy B '01 will be in Israel on the Habonim Dror Workshop program starting in the Fall of 2008. When she returns, Judy will attend Kalamazoo College.
Leor S-L '01 will begin attending Brown University in the Fall of 2008
Orli G '01 is starting college in September 2008 at the MSU Residential College for Arts and Humanities.
Sarah A '01 will be spending the '08-'09 school year in Israel at Beit Chana Seminary in Tzfat.
Sophia B '01 will be in Israel on the Habonim Dror Workshop program starting in the Fall of 2008. When she returns, Sophia will attend the University of Michgan.
Yoni S '01 was chosen by the Ann Arbor News as a Young Citizen of the Year finalist.
Roee A ‘02 will graduate from New Community Jewish High School (Los Angeles) in June 2009 and will begin an eight year BA/MD medical school program at the University of Southern California (USC). During the first four-year portion of the program, he will major in writing, holocaust studies, and biology.
Robert A '03 starred in Huron High School's rendition of "Return to the Forbidden Planet."
Mara A ‘04 is a member of Pioneer High School’s Soulfege A Cappella Group which won the 2009 Varsity Vocals' Midwest High School A Cappella Competition. Mara will be competing with Soulfege in the National High School A Cappella Finals at Lincoln Center in New York in April.
Merav E (attended HDS in ’00-’03 and would have graduated with the class of ‘04) is a merit scholar.
Ari A '05 starred as Captain Keller in Skyline High School's first-ever Theatrical production of William Gibson's "The Miracle Worker."
Julia R '05 was selected as a "promising young writer" by the National Council of Teachers of English in 2008. In 2009, she won a gold medal on level 4 of the National Latin Examination.
Jonathan S '06 celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at the JCC with the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Havurah. He loves languages and is currently studying Japanese and Hebrew.
Daniel R '06 tied for first place in the State of Michigan on the National French Exam for students at his grade level in 2008.
Shachar A (attended HDS in ’01-’02 and would have graduated with the class of ‘06) will graduate from Milken Jewish Community Middle School in 2009 and won the Rabbi Leah Kroll Scholarship for his poetry and essay on Jewish perspectives on Darfur. He will get a free trip to Israel. Next year he plans to attend Milken Jewish Community High School in Los Angeles.
Isaiah (Shaye) Ellis, who attended HDS for three years until his family moved to New Jersey in 2003, continues to act professionally. He has appeared at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia in Peter Pan, State Fair, A Christmas Carol, and currently is performing in Fiddler on the Roof at the Walnut through the end of July, 2010. Other professional theatre in South Jersey includes Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird. Isaiah caught the acting bug while performing plays at HDS!