Heard Round WexWorld

Wexner alumni from around the world write in a few words on how they plan to bring in the New Year

“In Israel, New Year’s Eve is hardly felt. Some go out and party, but for most it’s just another day in the office or at home. Luckily, it somehow happened that two of my sons, Daniel and Ziv, were born on the 24th and on the 31st of December.  So regardless, we celebrate their birthdays at this time and even joke that the younger was born on ‘New Year’s Ziv’.”

Lt. Col. (Res.) Yotam Dagan, a Wexner Israel Fellowship Alum (Class 24), works as Director of Community Outreach at NATAL, an NGO that treats victims of trauma related to war and terror. Yotam also co-founded the SEAL leadership program, which assists Israel’s most senior special forces veterans to help them take the lead in Israel’s public sector and become involved in social entrepreneurship. He is a former Navy Seal commander, a certified clinical psychologist, and a hostage negotiator.  Yotam and his wife Iris have four boys and live in the north of Israel. Yotam can be reached at dagan.yotam@gmail.com.

“Yom Sylvester, out west, is traditionally celebrated by watching the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, especially when the Stanford team is playing!”

Robert Spitzer, a Wexner Heritage alum (Seattle), is a real estate/business lawyer in Seattle with the international firm, Garvey Schubert Barer.  He is currently working on a Seattle community-wide strategic plan to support Israel, serves as a Trustee on the King County Library System, and plays mid-fielder on an old-guy soccer team.  Robert has served as President, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, National Fundraising Chairman, B’nai B’rith International, and yes, he’s an alumnus of that Jr. University based in Palo Alto. Robert can be reached at rbspitzer@gmail.com.

“One of the greatest New Year’s gifts when you live in Miami is having out-of-town family come visit! We will be spending our New Year’s Eve dining al-fresco with our Chicago cousins, looking so forward to 2014… and relishing the blessings of this past year!”

Lisa Kudish Rosenburg, a Wexner Heritage alumna (Miami 11) is a realtor at Coldwell Banker and has been involved with numerous organizations including National Young Leadership Cabinet, Hillel, MissionSPARK, and the Miami Jewish Council for Youth Services. Lisa can be reached at lisakudish@gmail.com.