The Justice

Brandeis alumna Debbi Finn and her husband Arthur pose in front of their tour bus with University President Jehuda Reinharz. Photo courtesy of Shulamit Reinharz

Once the summer months roll in, the Reinharzes may find themselves across the globe from muggy Waltham, but they're still just as involved in the life cycle of this University.

As leaders of the Alumni Association's annual trips abroad, the pair guides both alumni and friends of the University to faraway places to reconnect with old friends and discover new venues for involvement in their alma mater.

This past summer, they selected Morocco, Prof. Shulamit Reinharz (SOC) said, out of a desire for more "exotic" travels.

"A long time ago at Brandeis, trips were organized as one of the many enjoyable things that alumni could do [to] keep up their relationship with the University," Reinharz says. "About five or six years ago, the University reinstated this, first on an experimental basis. Since it's been so successful, I think it's going to last a long time."

Since the Alumni Association reinstated the tours, the Reinharzes have accompanied alumni on all five of the overseas adventures. The first took place in Greece, and participants ranged from parents of current students to alumni long since done with Sherman and Shapiro.

The following year, the group explored Sicily, and the year after, participants enjoyed a tour of Russia that included a boat trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

"We not only bring alumni on the trip, but we meet alumni in the places we're going," says Reinharz, adding that it is not unusual for trip participants to visit and dine with Brandeis graduates who now make their homes overseas.

Morocco made for a fascinating experience, she said. Travelers from California to Boston flew from New York to Casablanca, a city on the Atlantic side of Morocco. There, the group met Aziz, a Muslim tour guide who later invited the Reinharzes to his home for dinner. The group traveled everywhere by bus, from Casablanca to the Imperial Cities, where ancient kings lived and ruled, to the Sahara desert.

Morocco was an especially meaningful destination for a group that was largely made up of Jews. Though the trips aren't Jewish-themed, the Reinharzes seek out locations that are "friendly to Jewish travelers," like Morocco, as compared to most other Arab countries that don't allow Jews or those who have traveled to?Israel to cross their borders.

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