Thank you for the wonderful piece you created about THA alumni, a nice choice of students from different “generations,” so to speak (“Making their mark: Tucson Hebrew Academy alumni,” AJP 9/23/16).
In keeping with my propensity for nostalgia, small world stories and the conviction that there is less than one degree of separation in the Jewish world, following is a combination of the above. Since our daughter Abbie was the subject of one of the profiles, I’ll start with her. She said that English teacher Jan Lipartito was “one of the greatest possible gifts to her brain.” Jan’s husband and son were both my husband’s law students. Head of School at THA, Jon Ben-Asher, also said that Jan was his favorite teacher who taught him to write and one of those who raised him to be a “mensch.” Rounding out that connection is a cute picture in Abbie’s bat mitzvah album where she is dancing with the current Head of School. She baby-sat the incredibly accomplished cousins, Lindsey Baker and Gerri Pozez. Josh Lederman’s mother, Amy Hirshberg Lederman, was also one of Boris’ law students.
Moving on to Brookline, Mass., where we went to a bat mitzvah on Sept. 24 in a very warm, welcoming shul. When the service was over, a woman with a wonderful smile came right over to us. Hugs all around … it was Hadine Joffe, another THA alum whose mother, Marcelle, sent her the link to the profiles. Who knows how many more connections await us all in this New Year. A good time to say a happy and healthy and peaceful New Year to all.
— Billie Kozolchyk
