Zara Hoffman was born in China but has been a resident of New York City since she was a year and a half old. While attending the Dalton School, she found herself highly involved in a number of school clubs including Habitat for Humanity, “the feminism club” and many others. A motivated writer, Hoffman wrote for the school newspaper and even self-published a book when she was a junior. Writing and her other pursuits didn’t prevent her from being involved in other activities. Hoffman enjoys archery, tennis and swimming, as well as singing and playing the piano.

While at Brandeis, Hoffman expects to start on a double major in psychology and English with a computer science minor. She’s also expressed an interest in participating in the ballroom dance and archery clubs, saying that they “definitely pique my interest.” Hoffman also self-selected a roommate, opting to pair with a girl from the MyDeis Class of 2019 Facebook group.

As for leisure, Hoffman listens to Sara Bareilles, Imagine Dragons, Ed Sheeran, OneRepublic and Of Monsters and Men. She also watches “Penny Dreadful,” “Once Upon a Time” and “Sherlock.” For movies, she greatly enjoyed “The Imitation Game” and “The Theory of Everything.”

“I think it’s going to be very busy and exciting, but also a little scary (but not too much),” Hoffman said about leaving home for college.

Hoffman is particularly excited to learn more about the social justice community at Brandeis. “As my whole family is devoted to equal rights, and most of my relatives are lawyers involved in social justice, it’s always been a very important part of my life. I think we should always stand up against what we consider to be unjust and that debate is welcome as long as the good of the people and goal of equality are always kept in mind.”
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Josh Goldberg lives in Florida and, during high school, transferred from a private Jewish school to a public school. While attending school, he was a member of the National Honor Society and Students Against Destructive Decisions, but also found himself wanting to become a member of more clubs.

Goldberg is interested in establishing a psychology practice containing branches of therapy and neurology, among other things. He hopes to take some psychology courses the first semester and is interested in joining clubs pertaining to his interest in counseling.

He proclaims a love for television and music, and describes a wide range in his taste. His favorite shows of the day include comic hero shows, such as Arrow and the Flash. Goldberg spoke about his musical taste, saying, “I am in love with classic rock songs from artists like Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen […] but I also can’t stop tapping my feet to some alternative rock songs played today.” Goldberg will be living in Shapiro in Massell Quad.
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Talya Ackerman is from Marlboro, New Jersey, and attended Marlboro High School. Describing her circadian rhythm, she labels herself a morning person, saying, “If I’m not up by eight, the rest of the day may as well be spent re-watching ‘Arrested Development’ on Netflix.”

Ackerman wishes to major in neuroscience, provided that she can figure out how to perform calculus without a calculator. “Whenever I read anything about brains, I get all nerdy and smile to myself and the people around me look at me kind of funny,” she said.

For leisure, Ackerman listens to Frankie Cosmos, King Krule, FIDLAR, Avi Buffalo, Mitski and the Front Bottoms (“I have to rep New Jersey”). Her favorite movie is “Amélie,” though she doesn’t speak French. Ackerman also wishes to join the Brandeis Cheese Club, although she says that she hears it is quite elusive.