ArielLovesDana

Wedding Party

Born June 19, 1979 at Saint Joseph’s Hospital, to Randy and Fay Levin - Dana Brynn is the middle child of three. She has one older brother (Jordan) and one younger brother (Justin).

Meanwhile, a year earlier, in Boston, Massachusetts, May 4, 1978, Ariel Zusya was born to Jerry and Cindy Benjamin. He has one younger brother (Nadav).

A Fox Point, Wisconsin native, Dana’s first school was Indian Hill School where she studied through 3rd grade. Fourth through eighth grade Dana attended Maple Dale School and for high school went to Nicolet High School.

A few years old, Ariel and his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Ariel began school at Lubavitch Nursery School. He attended Hillel Academy from Kindergarten through the end of 7th Grade. For Eighth grade Ariel switched to Hartford Avenue University K-8 School and then Shorewood High School.

After graduating from high school, Dana moved to St. Louis, Missouri and Washington University. Dana graduated with honors from Washington University with degrees in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, and Psychology in 2001.

After graduating from high school, Ariel moved to Amherst, Massachusetts and Hampshire College. Ariel graduated from Hampshire College in 2000 having co-invented a tractor for organic farming that runs on vegetable oil, and having authored a thesis entitled, “Patent Pending”. After college Ariel moved to Jerusalem, Israel and, after completing a summer language program at the Hebrew University, he completed a year long study of ethics and Jewish law at Yakar (The Center for Social Concern).

Dana returned home to begin teaching at Southwood Glen Elementary School in Franklin, Wisconsin, and was a First Grade teacher for the 2001-2002 academic year and a kindergarten teacher the following year.

Ariel also returned to Milwaukee and took a job coordinating research in the Medical Oncology Clinic at Aurora Sinai Hospital.

Ariel’s friend Jordan, Dana’s older brother, realized the two were destined to be together and made a fateful introduction. On their fourth date Ariel was upset and exclaimed, “This quiche I prepared for you is too runny - you deserve better!” and Dana knew he was the one.

Ariel had always planned to go to law school but wanted to learn to speak Hebrew first. Before Ariel met Dana he had planed to return to Israel to take up his pursuit of the language. When it finally came time for him to go, he suddenly found all sorts of reasons (actually - mostly just one reason) to postpone. At the beginning of 2003 it became clear there would be no more postponing and Ariel got on a plane for Israel to study Hebrew at the renowned Ulpan Etzion. From the moment he arrived, he was glued to his phone wracking up an exorbitant bank-breaking phone bill but it was the only method of surviving without Dana by his side he could manage.

A sea and an ocean’s distance apart, Dana was also struggling with the absence. Having never visited Israel let alone traveled out of the United States, Dana realized it was time. She found herself a ticket and got on a plane. Nearly a full day later, they were reunited in Ben-Gurion Airport somewhere between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Ariel took the next month to show Dana all of his favorite haunts all over the country, though being certain to leave a few things out to assure motivation to return (as if that was necessary - Dana became as much a lover of Israel as her love, Ariel).

After spending months apart, Dana and Ariel knew they could never do that again. In the summer of 2003 Dana and Ariel moved to Denver, Colorado where Ariel started law school at The University of Denver Sturm College of Law. In their first year in Denver, Dana took a position as a full-time nanny. While she loved her employers and their little girl, this served to remind her just how much she missed the classroom. Dana made arrangements to return to teaching the following year as well as returning to school as a student to pursue a master’s degree.

Unfortunately life wasn’t all happy moments that year: Both Dana and Ariel each lost a grandfather. Through the intense sadness that accompanied this loss, Dana and Ariel learned that even in sadness they loved one another.

Starting their second year in Denver, Dana began teaching first grade at Thornton Elementary School in Thornton, Colorado (just north of Denver). TES is a Title-One school which means a large portion of their students are on federally reduced or free lunch. In other words, the population in this school is generally deeply troubled with financial woe. Dana was able to overcome the powerful neglect this population has so long suffered and managed to reach her students like only TES teachers can. In fact, TES posted the most significant academic gains in the district this last year. At the same time, Dana also began classes for her master’s degree at The University of Colorado, Boulder.

Just past the middle of this second year, Ariel decided it was time to take the next step with the woman he loves. On January 23, 2005, Ariel drove Dana to a secluded restaurant, Flagstaff House, in the mountains, perched on a cliff overlooking the Boulder valley below. Just before dessert Ariel arranged for the wait staff to bring out a crystal swan swimming on a silver tray with an open ring box ridding on its back. Dana said yes and the planning for the coming wedding began.

Now in their third year in Denver, Dana continues to teach first grade at TES and is working on her master’s degree and Ariel is finishing his third and final year at law school. As the year progresses, so too does the wedding approach. The wedding is scheduled for July 2, 2006. Dana & Ariel hope to see you there!

The Supporting Cast:

Jordan Levin

Jordan is Dana’s older brother and the reason Dana and Ariel found each other. In 2004 Jordan graduated one of the top in his class from Marquette University Law School. Jordan is now with the office of Choice One Communications. Besides being a master of the law, and the best negotiator Ariel’s ever met (Jordan is king of the upgrade), Jordan is also a master of Karaoke. In his spare time, Jordan loves to travel with recent trips ranging from Paris, France, to Springfield, Illinois, to cruises in Alaska and the Caribbean. Jordan lives with Susie in Wisconsin and in September of 2006, Jordan will marry Susie. Jordan is clearly the better ping pong player in their relationship.

Susie Gilfuss

Susie has been like Dana’s sister since before Jordan introduced Dana to Ariel. Susie is a 911 dispatch operator for the North Shore Milwaukee. Pick up the phone for help and Susie is your first line of defense. When you talk to her you’ll find out she’s one of the friendliest people in the world but watch out when she gets a ping-pong paddle in her hand – she plays to win. A former flight attendant Susie also loves to jet set, though Susie isn’t always just riding around in planes, she occasionally jumps out of them. Susie lives with Jordan in Wisconsin and in September of 2006, Susie will marry Jordan. Susie is clearly the better ping-pong player in their relationship.

Nadav Benjamin

Nadav is Ariel’s little brother. A famous (or soon to be) fashion photographer, Nadav has made a name for himself in the New York fashion scene. Having graduated from RISD (the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence) in 2004, Nadav immediately found success in the wild and fast paced world of camera jockeying. Did you catch his multi-page photo spread in Flaunt Magazine? Alright, so maybe you didn’t see Nadav’s work, but did you hear his latest? He lives in Brooklyn with his girlfriend Gisel. When you see him you should ask him about the blue bunny.

Gisel Florez

Gisel was a year ahead of Nadav at RISD. After beating some sense into Nadav with a wiffle bat, the two began to date. After graduating in 2003 Gisel moved to New York and took a job at Industrial Color as a Digital Capture Technician also in the fashion industry (she could probably tell you the inside scoop on Victoria’s Secrets). Gisel is now a still life photographer at Barneys New York. When Gisel isn’t helping perfect the Barneys image, she’s taking shutter BUG to a new extreme - ask her about insects… if you dare.

Justin Levin

Justin is Dana’s younger brother. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2005 with a degree in theater, Justin moved West. He is living large in sunny southern California. By day he is a mild mannered staffer at one of California’s premiere rehab clinics (you could ask him about the famous and infamous clientele but you’ll never get anything out of him) and by night he transforms into singer/songwriter extraordinaire. He has also appeared in a number of movies and recently received his SAG card. He has an album in the works; maybe he’ll sing you a couple of verses if you catch him at the right moment.

Brad Hansher

Brad is one of Ariel’s dearest friends. They met when, now senator, Herb Kohl was running for his first term in 1988. They didn’t really become friends, however, until Herb’s victory party when the two managed to sneak into the Senator’s private party suite on the locked floor of the Hyatt. Their adventures together continued throughout high school and college and beyond. Brad graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2000 and went to work for Time Warner in Milwaukee as their Government and Community Relations Liaison. After college Brad often spoke of a desire to fly off to Europe for some backpacking, return to the States, and move to New York. Well, in 2005 Brad finally did just that. Quickly becoming a big apple native, Brad was a man of the town but missed his Midwestern roots and so he recently returned to Chicago. He is also an accomplished skier, a talented musician, and an avid weight-lifting gym-goer. Where does he find the time?

Jason McKinney

Jason is one of Ariel’s oldest friends. At four years old Jason and Ariel first met in Morah Miriam’s classroom at Lubavitch Nursery School in Milwaukee. They continued on together to Hillel Academy where they were classmates, teammates, and, at times, comrades (battling insane and mean-spirited bus drivers and power hungry tyrannical administrators). Perhaps most exciting of all, however, was their time with Lorraine Cohen, the music teacher, where some might say Jason got his start. After grade school, Jason began a distinguished career in music both singing and playing. He went on to North Carolina School of the Arts to become a famous (or soon to be famous) opera singer. Jason has an adorable son, Noah, to whom, when not singing his heart out, Jason pours his heart out teaching Noah important life lessons like the difference between candy corn and habañero peppers. (They really do look similar, don’t they?)

Vinny Belur

Vins, as Dana calls her, is one of Dana’s closest friends from college. Dans (pronounced Day-n-s) and Vins met in their first year at Washington University in Saint Louis and became inseparable. Though Vins received an engineering degree from Wash U she soon realized that the world needed her in another way and she returned to school to receive a second BA in psychology. Though her family calls Louisiana home (fortunately they are from a dry part of the state and Katrina and Rita didn’t catch them), she is now pursuing her master’s in psychology at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. She just recently returned from a homecoming trip to India, her first since she was a child, where she was able to reconnect with relatives, the land, and the culture.

Lauren Howe

Dana’s oldest friend, Lauren is a special education teacher in Stillwater, Minnesota. She lives there with her husband, Matt (also a teacher) in a beautiful house Matt has been customizing for them (ask them about the bed that Matt build). An outspoken match for Dana’s childhood reserve, Lauren was an adventurer. Lauren graduated from the University of Minnesota in the twin cities (where she and Matt met; he was literally the boy next door) in 2002. By the time the wedding rolls around Lauren will have given birth to their first bouncing baby /* sex of this child has been omitted because deep down you know you want to be surprised! /*. Mazal Tov, mamma (and pappa)!

Michael Maistelman

Mike is a bit like Ariel’s older (though some might say younger) brother. Mike appeared one day (while Ariel was in high school) in Milwaukee shortly after graduating from law school and moved into Ariel’s family’s home while he prepared to sit for the bar in Wisconsin. Mike was always good for an adventure; he and Ariel went winter camping, rock (or building – they once climbed Ariel’s high school) climbing, bridge repelling… oh… and Mike used to take his older-looking-than-he-was cousin to the bars – a real conversation starter. Not long after moving to Milwaukee Mike fell in love with this amazing women, Heidi, and has been with her ever since. Now married, Mike is a practicing attorney specializing in political and election law and a father to Etan, Miriam, and Daniel, specializing in outdoor adventures and almost unnatural fearlessness. Mike is also a bit like Moses (at least according to Campaigns and Elections Magazine) since last year he was chosen one of the top 10 Democrats in the country… we’re waiting for him to lead us to freedom. In the meantime he’s maintaining his bark and his bite for the Governor of Wisconsin. Be cautious mentioning the Canadian chain, “Tim Horton’s�? when you see him.

Heidi Maistelman

Heidi is clearly Mike’s better half. After a career in the music publishing business working for Hal Leonard, Heidi returned to school at Northwestern to pursue her masters in musical education. Graduating Cum Laude, Heidi is now a grade school music teacher in Milwaukee. In her spare time, Heidi has become an expert eBay users. With four kids at home (three not her husband) it is a wonder how Heidi finds the time!

Carmel Fride

Carmel is one of Ariel’s closest friends from Israel. They first met when Ariel joined an Israeli eco-activist group in Israel that was protesting the cross-Israel high way (in favor of less cars and more public transportation). During Pessach (Passover) 2001, the group hiked along the likely path of a train system that would connect Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and Haifa (if one were ever built). On the first day of the 50km hike, Ariel and Carmel found themselves falling behind the rest of the group (Ariel was waiting for the slowest members for fear they would get lost and Carmel was collecting wild flowers and roots to make tea). After a hurried and at times panicked catch up to the rest of the group, the two have become close friends. After the army (Israel has compulsory service) Carmel decided to come to the States, buy a motorcycle ala-James Dean, and motor across the country. After an extended stay with Ariel and the family in Milwaukee, Carmel eventually settled on San Francisco where he is pursuing a degree in, as he describes it, “Jewish Engineering�?, or for the rest of you, business. If you’re lucky, he’ll share his mother, Bilha’s, famous recipe for Labne.

Annette Burkhart

Annette Burkhart Annette is Dana’s friend and piano teacher from college. The way Dana describes it, the two would meet for a lesson and at times never touch the piano–too much to talk about. Annette is an accomplished musician from Saint Louis who, when not shaping the musical minds (and fingers) of the future as an adjunct professor of music at Saint Louis University and a Teacher of Applied Music atWashington University, plays four handed and two piano concerts as well as a variety of other performances. She lives in Saint Louis with her husband, Dale Burkhart, an expert on the world of flowers and plants.

Our Rabbis:
Rabbie Cherie Koller-Fox
Rabbi Ron Shapiro