- Southeast Mini-Reunion - December 18, 2019News from Florida
The Southeast FLorida Class of ’62 group gathered on December 18, 2019 for another Mini-Reunion at which we paid tribute to Libby Fishman (far right, in gold) who passed away last year. Libby’s contributions to the class as Class President and a very active Barnard alumna were toasted by the group--Alice Alekman, Arlene Diamond, Roz Gordon, Vivian Palmer and Nancy Wong. We all miss Libby a great deal. The photo is from the preceding April. In addition to Libby it includes Judy Feit Orange, who was ill for this memorial get-together
Written by Roz Gordon
- Second Annual East End Mini-ReunionSetauket - August 27, 2019
On Tuesday, August 27, 2019, ten members of the Class of ’62 gathered at Leah Dunaief’s lovely home in Setauket on the waters of Port Jefferson harbor, with a view of the Long Island Sound beyond. MIchele Chaussabel Cusumano, Leah Salmonson Dunaief, Mimi Ehrlich, Gale Zimmerman Fieldman, Roz Marshack Gordon, Linda Schwartz Kline, Sara Ginsberg Marks, Susie Levenson Pringle, Rita Gabler Rover, and Marcia Stecker Weller feasted on platters of wonderful food graciously provided by Leah and shared thoughts about books, life and the many things we have to be grateful for in our lives. It was delightful and we look forward to the 2020 East End Mini at Linda Kline’s home in Watermill on the South Fork.
Leah described her experiences from the time she and her late husband moved to Setauket in 1969 because of the proximity to Stonybrook University. It was then that Eleanor Traube Kra showed her around. Twenty years later she purchased the incredible house she lives in today.
Here is Leah’s story. “During my years on the North Fork before the perfect house I was not impressed with the local newspaper and started the Village Times (1976). It has grown over these past four decades to 6 hometown papers along the north shore of Long Island, one website & platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and You Tube. In addition, we are in the movie business, making ‘One Life to Give’ about Nathan Hale and the Revolutionary War Culper Spy Ring. Anyone know a good distributor/purchaser? Come visit TBR News Media, if you are in the neighborhood.”
Our classmates’ advice about life were almost of one voice. You’ll get through it.! Live in the moment! Let it go! Be grateful for what you have! Wake up, consider the day and enjoy it! Every moment is precious! Do it today - don’t put it off!
WASHINGTON DC MINI REUNION
JUNE 3, 2019
Susan Schwelling is involved as a board member with Bowen McCauley Dance Co., a Washington DC area chamber dance group that just performed at the Kennedy Center. Their director/choreographer creates wonderful dances that are often performed to specially composed music played by the composers themselves. They also offer workshops, K-12 school programs and highly effective Dance Classes for Parkinson’s Disease patients and care partners. We love attending their performances!
Judy Terry Smith attended the North American Paleontological Convention in Riverside, CA in June to present results of her research on fossil mollusks from Baja California, México and the ancient Gulf of California. Many of the fossils are Caribbean species that moved into the Pacific before the Panamá land bridge formed.
L to R: Susan Taube Schwelling, Ann Sue Kober Werner, Abbe Fessenden, Judy Terry Smith, Marsha Corn Levine, Gail Fieldman.
- New York Mini-Reunion SpringMay 30, 2019
On May 30, 2019, 15 classmates and three guests gathered at Janice Wiegan Lieberman’s beautifully decorated apartment – with its dramatic green walls – to enjoy perspectives on writing from three classmates who are authors. Janice spoke on the books she has written based on her years of clinical psychology practice. Linda Schwartz Kline spoke on building her career in theatre through writing television and theatrical scripts. Barbara Lovenheim – also a website publisher – spoke about her book “Survival in the Shadows: Seven Jews in Berlin” and her current work directing and curating the online magazine NYCitywoman.com.
Thanks to Marcia Stecker Weller, Joy Felsher Perla and Joan Rezak Katz for organizing this delightful session and to Janice for her gracious hospitality. In additional to Janice, Linda, Barbara, Marcia and Joy, the following classmates and guests enjoyed the tea, coffee and sweets: Ellen Cohen Carlton, Michele Chaussabel, Sandra Ravitz Edlitz, Gale Zimmerman Fieldman, Libby Guth Fishman (accompanied by her husband Alan), Eva Goldenberg Gans, Roz Marshack Gordon, Karen Charal Gross, Carole Kaplowitz Kantor, Sara Ginsburg Marks, and Sylvia Dresner ’65 (a member of the Barnard 62 NYC Book Club). The event raised $400 for the class of ‘62 Scholarship Fund.
We also had the pleasure of hearing from Zoe Hockenberry ’20. She is the recipient of a scholarship established by Karen in both her own name and her daughter’s name, to be awarded to a student whose mother went to Barnard.
Our panel of writers L to R: Janice, LInda and Barbara.
Left: Janice, Sandy Edlitz, Roz Gordon.
Above: Libby Fishman, Joy Perla
- SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA MINI-REUNION
APRIL 22, 2019On April 30, seven members of the Class of ’62 gathered at Cafe Chardonnay, a lovely restaurant in centrally located - for us - Palm Beach Gardens —Judy Feit Orange, Nancy Kung Wong, Alice Finkelstein Alekman, Roz Marshack Gordon, Arlene Klein Diamond, Vivian Himmelweit Palmer, and Libby Guth Fishman*** enjoyed some wonderful conversation, recommended books to each other and learned all about the exciting charitable activities Nancy is chairing.* Arlene went to law school in later life and does pro-bono work.** We had met in January and are hoping to keep meeting regularly. We are eager to hear from SE Floridians who are interested in joining us. Please contact Alice Alekman (alicealek@aol.com) or Roz (rosalindgordon62@gmail.com).
Submitted by Roz Gordon
*Nancy Wong is Chair of the Executive Committee of Impact 100 Martin, which was started in 2017. We are part of a movement that started in Cincinnati in 2001 by Wendy Steele. The Impact Model is: at least 100 women, each donating $1,000 annually, vote to award a game-changing $100,000 Impact Grant to the nonprofit organization where it will have the most local impact. Any funds over the $100,000 are divided among finalists vetted by the Grants Committee. Impact 100’s Model of collective giving is important because it allows allows each woman member to be part of a greater effort, funding significant community projects in a way none of us can do alone.
There are over 50 chapters in the US and over $65 million have been awarded since 2001. Our chapter awarded $107,000 in 2018 and have just awarded $151,000 in April of this year. Our objective for this coming year is to get our membership to at least 200, but hopefully to 300 so we can award 2 or $100,000 grants in 2020.
Congratulations on a wonderful achievement! (SCP)
**Arlene Diamond shared some info with us after the Mini. “I got a Master’s in Physical Chemistry from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn worked as a Research Physical Chemist for both Schering and Ciba-Geigy where I also was Assistant to the Director of Drug Metabolism. I was the Chairman of the Science Department for the Harvey School in Katonah, NY, where I taught Chemistry, Physics and AP Chem. I got my JD from Pace University in White Plains in 1993 with a concentration in Environmental Law and was the Case Note Editor for the Environmental Law Review. While at Pace, I did an internship under Judge Sandra Miller in the Appellate Division. Once we moved part-time to Florida, I did pro-bono work for Westchester-Putnam legal services in White Plains as well as Legal Services for the Palm Beaches; I also was a Mediator for Broward County.”
Quite a resume! (SCP)
***Libby Fishman is spending more time on her art. “Most of last year and this has been spent improving my technical skills in hand stitching and embroidery which is very relaxing and enjoyable.”
L to R Judy Orange, Nancy Wong, Roz Gordon, Alice Alekman, Arlene Diamond, Vivian Palmer, Libby Fishman
- New York Fall Mini Reunion
November 18, 2018A fascinating discussion on
“What got me into music and how it affects my life”Twenty-two alumnae and a few guests gathered with moderator Joan Katz and three panelists at the Vagelos Alumnae Center on November 18th for a light brunch and interesting discussion led by three active musicians. Shari Thompson grew up in a musical family but hated to practice; she returned 30 years later to serious piano studies with two teachers, loves the harmony and order of practicing every day. Joan Kretchmer was a transfer student and government major, later earning a MA and PhD in music; she now performs, teaches, directs Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, records oral histories of musicians and recently authored “Yona,” a new book. Valerie Horst played the recorder in high school, returned to it at Barnard; she was a music major, specializes in early Medieval Renaissance music and teaches; she played with early music groups at Sarah Lawrence and Amherst, among others, takes every opportunity she finds to perform and grow. Other classmates spoke of playing with chamber groups, having more time to practice in retirement, enjoying being in a community of musicians, writing for theater, using music as a tool for curing cancer, and just enjoying concerts, singing, music wherever they find it. We look forward to a future mini that will focus on writing.
After the program several attendees toured the new Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning. We were amazed at the beautiful, multipurpose spaces and high-tech offerings, along with actual books: a Design Center with a 3D printer, a Media Center for film and post production editing, a Computational Science Center, Archives Department, faculty offices and a coffee bar. The 2600 current students tend to arrive with knowledge of computers, but the College also offers classes for those who need more instruction.
Classmates in discussion. L to R: Karen (Charal) Gross & daughter Dana (Barnard ’88),
Shari Thompson, moderator Joan Katz, Valerie Horst, Joan Kretchmer
Below Left: L to R, Kathy Puerschner next to sister Lynn Hurst, Eva Gans, Deborah Rubin, Joy Perla,
Linda Kline, Marcia WellerBelow Right: L to R, Rita Auerbach ’65?, Linda Persily, Ellie Edelstein, Kathy Pueschner, sister of Lynn Hurst,
Eva Gans
- MINI-REUNION - MAY 4, 2018 - NYC
Janice Wiegan Lieberman '62, a long-time docent at the Whitney Museum of American Art, led a tour of the exhibition, “Grant Wood: American Gothic and Other Fables.” This exhibition, “which [speaks] both to American identity and to the estrangement and isolation of modern life, . . . brings together the full range of [Wood’s] art, from his early Arts and Crafts decorative objects and Impressionist oils through his mature paintings, murals, and book illustrations.”
Top row left- Linda Futterman, Mimi Erlich, Stan Futterman, Harriet Inselbuch, Ann Sue Werner, Herb Weller, Louise Avidon, Joan Katz, Karen Gross, Meyer Gross, Marcia Weller. Bottom row- Sara Marks, Elihu Inselbuch, Janice Lieberman (Docent)
Mini Reunion Review
From 2017 and earlier
NYC Fall Mini Reunion - a great success
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Vivian Levy Ebersman was the star of our NYC Metro Area Mini Reunion at the Met Breuer Sunday, December , 2017. Vivian, an art historian, took us through the Munch show. She was an outstanding docent and a great example of a very talented woman in our class who was kind enough to give back to the college by taking us around. Vivian credits retired Barnard Professor Barbara Novak with inspiring her.
The following people attended, although there were several others who signed up but couldn't make it at the last minute: Sylvia Dresner '64, Joan Rezak Katz, Linda Schwartz Kline, Sara Ginsburg Marks, Naomi Steinlight Patz and Norman Patz, Martha Reeves, Deborah Berson Rubin, Marcia Stecker Weller and Herb Weller. After the wonderful tour, the group had brunch in the Breuer restaurant.From left to right: Marcia Weller, Debbie Rubin, Vivian Ebersman and Joan Katz holding the flowers,
DC Mini Reunion
November 13, 2017
Classmates from the Washington, DC area met for a Mini Reunion dinner on Monday, November 13, 2017 at the Pines of Rome Restaurant in Bethesda, MD. Judy Terry Smith writes: "Here we are, minus several people but happy to be together. Roxanne Fischer still works full time in genetics at NIH but the rest are busy in other ways. Evie Kahn Philipps is painting, has had several shows and sold some paintings. She showed us a portrait she made in pencil of a teenage granddaughter in a Gatsby-era Halloween costume. It was extraordinary!"
From left to right: Roxanne Fischer, Marsha Corn Levine, Evie Kahn Philipps, Francine Schneider Weinbaum, Judy Smith, Barbara Levine, Susan Taube Schwelling, Gail Steg Feldman
