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June 8, 2001/Sivan 17, 5761, Vol. 53, No.36
Graduation marks lifelong bond
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
The graduates gather for a tallit ceremony. From left are Michael Moskowitz, Avi Taff, Rebekah Nathan, Eli Hammerman, Avi Mallin, Gabe Glazer, Risa Zemel and Lauren Moskowitz.
Photo courtesy of Linda Moskowitz
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The Valley is a transient community. Families move every few years and a native Phoenician is a rarity. In this environment, it is often difficult to develop and maintain life-long friendships, yet a group of recent University of Arizona graduates has done just that.
It all started at the Beth El Center for Early Childhood Education. From a Moms and Tots class through preschool and kindergarten, a tight-knit group formed. The parents were friends and heavily involved in synagogue activities. The children went to school together and played together.
As the kids grew to be school-aged, the bonds remained. These youngsters attended Hebrew school together, were involved in the same youth groups and even had their b'nai mitzvah the same year.
During high school years they were active at Beth El and United Synagogue Youth (USY) and several traveled on an Israel-Poland pilgrimage together. Those who attended the same public high school were the closest of friends at school. Those who didn't spent their weekends and summers together.
After high school, 11 of these students attended the U of A, with four of them living as housemates.
"I don't think any of us would have imagined we'd have been able to stay so close for so long, but we're all very happy that we did. We've made other friends, but few of them nearly as tight a group as the one we started with in the beginning," says graduate Gabe Glazer.
To commemorate these relationships and to celebrate this group's successes, the graduates' parents planned a Shabbat dinner the weekend of the U of A graduation. Nine of the graduates and their families attended: Michael Moskowitz, son of Linda and Les of Scottsdale; Avi Taff, son of Judy and Rabbi Reuven of Sacramento; Gabriel Glazer, son of Arlene and Marvin of Phoenix; Risa Zemel, daughter of Barbara and Barry of Phoenix; Eli Hammerman, son of Cheryl and Stan of Scottsdale; Rebekah Nathan, daughter of Marti and Steve of Phoenix; Mindy Friedlander, daughter of Pat and Gary of Phoenix; Brian Shucker, son of Carol and Mark of Phoenix; and Avi Mallin, son of Risa and Bruce of Phoenix. Unable to attend were Ben Raker and Sarah Pear.
The dinner at the University Marriott in Tucson was preceded by a Shabbat service for which a special Siddur (worship service) was created by Rabbi Taff. A tallit ceremony had the graduates gather beneath tallit held by all those who had taught the graduates. Each was given an embroidered challah cover with his or her name, the U of A logo and the graduation date. Linda Moskowitz created a series of collages of pictures of the graduates, from preschool through adulthood.
In addition to the families of the graduates, two other notable guests were present - Sue Cohen, who was the kindergarten teacher of four of the students, and Gayle Weiss, who taught preschool at the time the graduates attended Beth El. Cohen read a letter to the graduates, including notes she had kept about the students when they were in kindergarten. She says that many of the attributes they displayed as 5-year-olds are still evident today.
"It was very moving because these students have maintained these relationships for all these years and these are all outstanding kids. They're all solid in their Judaism. One would think that if they get a good start early on and if they maintain that through the years, then they would end up good, solid people - solid in their religion. It was very special to take a secular event such as a graduation and tie in the Jewish component," says Cohen.
Through the years, the common bond in the group was their connection to Beth El. When the graduates were in preschool, Judy Taff served as preschool director and Linda Moskowitz was the youth director. Most of the graduates are still involved at Beth El and parent Gary Friedlander currently serves as the synagogue's president.
While they remained friends at U of A, the academic pursuits of the graduates varied. Moskowitz studied veterinary science and biochemistry and hopes to attend medical school; Glazer studied economics and finance; Friedlander majored in nursing; and both Taff and Hammerman studied political science and Judaic studies.
Zemel says that spending part of the graduation weekend with her long-term friends and their families was very emotional.
"Most of their families are like second families to me," Zemel says. "It's been very helpful in the sense that you learn so much from your parents and then to have other parents also helping you out in life and giving you advice and watching out for you - knowing that you have this whole support system no matter what you do is very encouraging."
According to Glazer, most of the graduates are planning to relocate to the East Coast to begin their careers. Glazer is getting married this week and will be moving to Washington, D.C., to begin work with an economic consulting company.
Avi Taff plans to move to nearby Maryland to serve as youth director at a synagogue outside of Baltimore, and Risa Zemel is planning to relocate to Boston.
"I know that no matter where we are, we'll always be friends forever. It helps that our families are all friends and we'll never lose touch," says Zemel. "It's really nice to have friends in your life that you know will always be there."
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