News

The First Annual South Florida Reunion took place last week at RARE Steakhouse in Miami Beach. Thank you to event chairs Ben Tabaria and Mordy Landesman for organizing the get together, which was both fun and tasteful (both meanings apply, but we’re really talking about the food). Jordan Lahav, Yoshua Attia, Yakov Hill, Jeff Malley, Gavi Berman, Johnny Chames and Josh Fox, in addition to Ben, Mordy and LCM Director of Alumni Affairs Aryeh Young, met up at RARE to reconnect, catch up and fill up. We’ll X off the days until next year’s reunion and stay in touch in the meantime!

Sure, it’s not March Madness, but we can still hoop it up. The team of Ezra Bookbinder, Avraham Young, Jonathan Yousefzadeh, Ilan Attar, Shlomo Shasha, Yosef Zelka, Nachum Twersky and Joseph Gomez emerged victorious during the annual LCM intramural basketball tournament, coming back from a 38-point deficit with just over six minutes left in the finals and winning 62-38 in overtime.

Dr. Yitzchak Goldstein is a graduate of Lander College for Men and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and currently a third-year pathology resident at Montefiore Medical Center. Einstein's pathology department recently featured his research in their Department of Pathology Newsletter. Using a software called Clinical Looking Glass (CLG), a proprietary analytics software program developed by researchers and clinicians at Montefiore Medical Center, Dr. Goldstein can track  thousands of patients who had a lab test performed, following them over time to see if, and when, they develop a clot. Reprinted with permission. 

The Psychology Club welcomed Avi Golden to speak about Aphasia, a disorder in the part of the brain that controls language. In 2007 the then-33-year-old Golden suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak. Through a rigorous schedule of rehabilitation—including six hours in speech therapy every day—Golden regained the ability to speak, though with great difficulty and several limitations. For instance, Golden cannot remember names, at least as they pertain to speech itself. That is, other than members of his immediate family, if he sees someone, even a close friend, he can’t say their names. The information is still in his brain but trapped in the pathways between his memory and his ability to speak, so he could still write the name down on a piece of paper and then read it aloud. About 40 guys came to hear Golden, who still enjoys snowboarding and horseback riding as he did before the stroke,  talk about his condition and recovery.

This week’s in Shabbos with Rav Shmulewitz was highlighted by the annual cholent cook-off and the first-ever bake-off. Eleven cholents—some sweet, some spicy and some just really fatty—and 16 desserts were entered into the competition. As with the popular and electoral votes that don't always match up, defending champion Avrumi Weiser won the people's vote for top cholent and walked away with the "Golden Crockpot," but Rav Shmulewitz, the discerning but fair judge, declared a tie between Weiser and Clarence Wilcox, for which they split the $100 Visa gift card.

The guys observed a Thanksgivukah Extravaganza to celebrate the one-time cultural phenomenon in the form of a feast celebrating both festive occasions. Representatives of four countries—the U.S., Israel, Canada and Belarus—enjoyed heaping portions of turkey, stuffing, roast beef and of course latkas. For some reason vegetables were served, too. After going around the table so everyone could say what they were thankful for, they lit candles and sang Chanukah songs. They would have sung Thanksgiving songs, too, if only anyone knew any. Miraculously, the leftovers lasted eight days (hat tip: Tzvi Norowitz!).

Students and faculty came out in force for the Lander College for Men annual Chanukah Mesibah. After Maariv and candle lighting, we came back to the Beis to hear a Chanukah shiur by Rabbi Doniel Lander on the nature of the pirsumei nisah of Chanukah in contrast to the pirsumei nisah of Purim, and then headed upstairs for the party. While listening to the unmistakable sounds of the Lander Band, we danced for upward of an hour—sometimes circle, sometimes break, sometimes interpretive—only slowing down when the arrival of the food from Carlos and Gabby’s coincided with physical exhaustion. Students danced with Rebbeim, Rebbeim danced with students and just about everyone danced with a smiling Rav Parnes, creating the type of pure, organic ruach that cannot be manufactured or replicated.

About 30 Lander alumni gathered at the Rodriguez Steakhouse in Jerusalem last week for the 4th annual LCM Alumni Reunion in Israel. Former students from all over the country enjoyed a night of catching up with friends, seeing rebbeim, hearing divrei Torah and, well, steak. The alumni in attendance spanned the history of Lander, with some representatives of the first and second classes, and others who graduated in June.

What’s the best spot on campus? Is there something I can find to improve the living experience in the dorms? What would make Rabbi Shmulewitz proud?

No, these are not the idle thoughts of students waiting for class to begin, but some of the items Lander students needed to find for the annual LCM scavenger hunt.

We work hard and we play hard. With the end of the chagim season, we had a jam-packed in-Shabbos to relax, have fun and take the edge off our first full week back.