As a newspaper reporter, I try to stick my nose for news wherever I can. But sometimes the news comes to me when I least expect it.

Such was the case last week when I ran into Marni Flagel at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education. Always the proud mom, Marni updated me on her children.

Aly Goldberg has started Iristify, an event and strategic networking solutions firm in Louisville. Named after the Greek goddess Iris, Aly’s focus is to help businesses that are working to repair the world. “All of my clients are either non-profits or mission-driven for-profits that have either created products that help people or use their success to give back to their communities,” Aly said.

Andrew Flagel was named vice president for advancement and member engagement for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. In this role, he’ll help promote the mission of AAC&U by leading strategic advancement and membership growth and development. He has spent more than 25 years working in higher education including as senior vice president at Brandeis University and dean and associate vice president at George Mason University.

Rabbi Ari Ballaban, assistant rabbi at Temple Beth Or, and director of Dayton’s Jewish Community Relations Council, presented his paper, The #Me Too Movement and ‘Your Momma’ Jokes in the Babylonian Talmud: Studying Sotah 42b in Light of Toxic and Hegemonic Masculinity at the Society of Jewish Ethics Annual Meeting in January, held in Louisville.

Debbie Feldman, president and CEO of Dayton Children’s Hospital, is one of the new board members of the Ohio Hospital Association. The association is a trade group that lobbies on behalf of hospitals. Feldman has been with Dayton Children’s since 2012.

Debbie Lieberman was recently elected as an officer to the County Commissioners of Ohio Board of Directors for 2019. She has been a Montgomery County commissioner since 2004.

I’m excited to take over this column for Rachel Gilbert, who did a fantastic job spreading the good news about our community. Make sure to let me know what’s going on in your family so I can include it in a future column.

Send your Mr. Mazel items to Scott Halasz at scotthalasz1@gmail.com. 

To read the complete February 2019 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.