Partial List of Contributors


Martin Abramowitz

Martin is a 76-year old retired Jewish communal executive who produces Jewish baseball cards, is on a mission to see all 40 or so Shakespeare plays, and is helping to establish a memorial to the victims of the Triangle fire. He and his wife Rhoda live in a 3-generation household. He naps a lot

Danny Alpert

Unable to fulfill his initial dream of taking over The Tonight Show from Johnny Carson, Dan Alpert settled for a fruitful career in a variety of roles in post-secondary education, most notably as president of a small two-year school. He retired early to his ideal community, Berkeley, California. There, he gardens, babysits grandchildren and picks fruit to help feed those in need.

Adele Fleet Bacow

Adele Fleet Bacow is an urban planner specializing in arts and community development and founded her firm Community Partners Consultants over 20 years ago. She feels fortunate to have been raised in a large loving family and continues to be inspired by both her parents. Adele finds herself quoting her mother regularly and since her death she wears purple more often.

Ronna Benjamin

After 28 years of practicing real estate law, Ronna Benjamin jumped into the world of writing and never looked back! She is loving her "second act" as Partner and Managing Editor at www.betterafter50.com, and is the co-author of “We Are Better After 50 Because…” a novelty book that will keep you laughing at midlife. She has also blogged extensively about her diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer, hoping to help others keep a sense of humor through tough times. A native Bostonian who loves to spend time with her husband and three adult children, Ronna also enjoys sailing, cooking, and walking with friends...and she tolerates skiing so she is not left home during family vacations.

Nina Berman

Nina Berman is a gal about town in Chicago. She can usually be found reading Virginia Woolf or the New Yorker in dimly lit bars, wearing all black and very sensible shoes. She can also be found cruising the radio airwaves as her truest form/alter ego, Penny Dreadful, hosting The Clambake (songs by ladies, women, and grrrlz) on WLUW-FM.

Ruth Bond

A self confess tumbleweed, Ruth originally hails from the U.K. but has spent most of her adult life on the move around the world. She currently lives in Hollywood CA with her very large GSD "Gable", and is working on her dog whispering skills.

Danny Brassell

Affectionately known as “Jim Carrey with a Ph.D.,” Dr. Danny Brassell (www.dannybrassell.com) has held a variety of titles and worked with leaders from a variety of fields and disciplines, but he has always considered himself first and foremost a teacher. He is a best-selling author of 15 books, including Read, Lead & Succeed. A gregarious, sought-after author, speaker and business consultant, Danny is a recognized authority on leadership development, reading, motivation and communication skills. His mission is to bring joy back into the workplace.

Barbara Brotman

Barbara Brotman, a former columnist and writer at the Chicago Tribune, was the columnist for the paper's Woman News section. Now an independent writer and communications consultant, she lives outside Chicago with her husband. She has two adult daughters, a 102-year-old mother and a passion for the outdoors, a sunny reading nook and singing in a community chorus.

Ralph Dacut

Ralph lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Dawn, and their 3 pets - dogs Layla and JoJo and Oscar, the cat. When not fulfilling his dream of playing music (percussion), he works in the medical technology field, an industry he loves and has been in for 30+ years. He and Dawn have three children who live in Boise, Phoenix and Minneapolis, and one adorable grandson, Caden.

Sharon Dewees

I was raised in North Hollywood, California. Served as an educator in the Los Angeles Unified School District starting as a day-to-day substitute, to teacher, to counselor and finished my career as an assistant principal. My most challenging career experience was at Manual Arts High School in South Los Angeles as the school made the transition from a predominately African-American school to a majority Hispanic population. This change was made without violence because of dedicated teachers and talent of the administrative staff in dealing with sensitive issues.

Jill Ebstein

Jill loves to talk, listen and synthesize what she hears when not playing tennis, walking a #18dog, or baking something to go with the perfect cup of coffee. A self-professed technology laggard, Jill has learned to fake getting on board with facebook, twitter and the like, but one-on-one communication still rules in her book.

Helen Fagan

Helen is from Iran and has spent her career helping others. These days she enjoys teaching, research, taking dance lessons with her favorite human (aka husband), and praying she becomes a grandmother sometime in this decade! Helen's passion is to develop human potential! Her website is HelenFagan.com

Tamar Fox

Tamar Fox is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. She has written a children's book, No Baths at Camp, which is a PJ Library selection, and frequently contributes to Jewniverse.com, Kveller.com, and Previously.tv. By day she works for the City of Philadelphia, in the Office of Open Data and Digital Transformation.

Elyse Friedman

Elyse Friedman, now well into her seventies, is thinking that it may be time for her to stop editing other people’s writing so that she can spend more time practicing. She recently started taking violin lessons again-after a 53-year hiatus.

Rachel Jordan

Rachel is a Food Scientist with nearly 20 years of experience in research and development in the food and beverage industry. She and her husband live in the Chicago suburbs, along with their two young sons. When not attending her children’s many sporting events, she enjoys gardening and running. Inspired by Jill Ebstein’s first book (At My Pace), Rachel recently took a break from the corporate world to devote more time to her children and aging parents.

Roseanne Lesack

Dr. Roseanne Lesack is a psychologist and the director of the Unicorn Children's Foundation Clinic at Nova Southeastern University in South Florida. She specializes in helping children and in her spare time gets to spend time with her own three children and husband.

Laurel Lloyd

Laurel Lloyd, a graphic designer and editor by day, enjoys spending her free time writing songs, making fused glass creations, preparing vegetarian meals, playing paddleball on the beach, and--most especially--"hanging" with her lovely daughter and, of course, her most fabulous Mom.

Rena Magun

Originally from New Jersey, Rena Magun moved to Israel from Virginia in 1995. She is the CEO of israelbarbatmitzvah.com. She and her husband, Rabbi David Ebstein, are living the dream in Jerusalem with their four children, ages 20 to 28.

Barbara Michael

Barbara Michael retired in 2014 and spent 2015 wondering what happened so she returned to the workforce as a senior aviation advisor doing what she loves but doing it on a greatly reduced schedule! She and her husband live in Louisville, Kentucky where they enjoy entertaining friends, playing bridge, and going to the opera. They also love to travel

Wendy Mnookin

Wendy Mnookin’s most recent book of poems is Dinner with Emerson. She lives with her husband in Newton, Massachusetts, where they raised their three children. You can find out more at her writing website, wendymnookin.com

Gary Orren

Gary Orren is a professor of politics and leadership at Harvard University where he has taught for the past 47 years. He grew up in Kansas City, his mother’s hometown. In his free time, he enjoys playing strings (the violin, the guitar, the ukulele) and playing with other strings (a tennis racket).

Marsha Katz Slotnick

Married to her Newton High School sweetheart Marc, Marsha Katz Slotnick continues to enjoy her career as a professional fundraiser in the field of senior care in Massachusetts. She especially relishes spending time as “bubbie” to her 6 grandchildren, the offspring of her 3 daughters and their husbands. It should be no surprise that Marsha is rarely seen around town without her lipstick!

Evelyn Starr

Evelyn is a marketing consultant and writer, with a side gig as college counselor to her kids. When she is not researching brands, markets or colleges, you can find her doing hot yoga, reading, walking, eating dark chocolate and enjoying time with friends and family. Not all at the same time though.

Lynne Thompson

Tamar Fox is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. She has written a children's book, No Baths at Camp, which is a PJ Library selection, and frequently contributes to Jewniverse.com, Kveller.com, and Previously.tv. By day she works for the City of Philadelphia, in the Office of Open Data and Digital Transformation.

Maria Trent

Raised in rural North Carolina, Dr. Trent is a clinician scientist, has been married to the love of her life almost two decades, and is the mother of two wonderful children.