Staff Profiles - 2009 – 2010 / 5769 - 5770
FACULTY
Lauren Ayzenberg now in her 3rd year at MWJDS continues to bring experience, commitment and creativity as our Kindergarten teacher. She previously worked as a Lead Teacher at Gan Yeladim Early Learning Center in Newton, MA. Lauren received her Masters Degree in Creative Arts Learning from Lesley University while working full-time as a Special Education Aide in Brookline Public Schools. She loves using art and multi-media to inspire her students, skills she honed during co-ops in the Boston Public Schools while completing her Bachelors in Art and Elementary Education at Northeastern University. Lauren has also worked as a counselor and mentor at Ramapo for Children, a UJA Federation camp, which serves children with a wide range of emotional, behavioral and special needs. This summer, Lauren and her husband, Albert, moved to Natick.
Orly Bejerano joins the MWJDS faculty as a Hebrew instructor for a fourth year. Orly, a native of Israel, has taught adult Hebrew language classes at MWJDS as part of our community adult education programming as well as elementary school students. She brings her wide range of experience which includes teaching children at the Maimonides School, the Temple Beth Am Hebrew School, the Prozdor program of Hebrew College, and the Chabad Center of Natick. She has also been a Hebrew Lecturer at Brandeis University. Orly received her Masters and Bachelors degrees from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Hebrew teacher training at Hebrew College in Newton as part of the Neta Project, a curriculum initiative in Hebrew language and culture for day school students.
Patricia Kelly-Bernhard, an accomplished artist and art educator, is the MWJDS Art Teacher this year. Since receiving her BFA and Masters Degrees in Education, Patricia’s classroom experiences include teaching visual arts in public and private schools, pre-school age through grade 12, directing an after-school program, and teaching studio classes at the Worcester Art Museum. Additionally, for over ten years, Patricia taught visual arts for children with special needs and physical handicaps. She continues to exhibit her own work at many galleries and art spaces in Worcester County as well as in several private collections in the U.S. and Scotland.
Amy Brickman, Learning Specialist, returns to MWJDS for a fourth year after teaching religious school and Jewish family education in the Boston area since 1992. She received her undergraduate degree in Jewish Education and a certificate in Jewish Early Childhood Education from Hebrew College, and a Masters of Education degree from Lesley University, with a Massachusetts license in moderate special needs. Amy is the lead MWJDS staff member on the Wisnia-Kapp and Wilson Reading Programs. She is looking forward to working with children individually and in small groups, and enhancing MWJDS's capacity to meet the needs of all of our students across the curriculum.
Rebecca Byard is the MWJDS first/second grade lead teacher. She received her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University and is a graduate of Oberlin College where she majored in biology and environmental studies. Rebecca was a teacher in the pre-kindergarten class at Alef-Bet Childcare Center in Cambridge for four years and our first grade teacher last year. She has also worked at Drumlin Farm and her skills and interests in science and ecology are well suited for MWJDS. Rebecca and her husband Dan live in Waltham.
Music teacher Max Chaiken is a graduate of Brown University with a degree in Economics and Public Policy. Max has been using music in Jewish educational settings for almost 10 years. He served as the head song leader at the URJ Camp Harlam from 2004-2009, and has been a song leader for synagogues, youth groups, and religious schools throughout New England and across the country. Having recently moved to Brighton, Max also works with Temple Beth Shalom (Needham) Religious School as well as the Rashi School in Newton.
Betty Goldberg serves as Curriculum Coordinator. Betty comes to us with experience teaching a variety of grade levels and an expertise in special education. Previously, Betty coordinated special education services at the Bowen Elementary School in Newton. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education and her Masters Degree in Special Education. She was trained in the Wilson Reading Program and certified by Massachusetts General Hospital, Language Disorders Unit in the Orton-Gillingham Reading Program. Betty works closely with faculty to present a rigorous program meeting the needs of all MWJDS students. Betty and her family reside in Wellesley.
Ingrid Goldfein, the fourth grade teacher, is a graduate of the Bank Street School of Education in New York City. Her experience is vast, having taught a variety of grades from K-7. Ingrid is a graduate of University of Wisconsin and served on the educational staff of Hadassah's Camp Young Judea in Sprout Lake, NY. She also teaches in the religious school of her synagogue. Ingrid lives in Worcester with her husband, Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky, and is joined at MWJDS by her son Jonah, in grade three, and Lili in first grade.
Wayne Goldstein is the school's Wellness and Physical Education teacher. He brings to MWJDS over 15 years of experience in management and supervision of school, synagogue and summer camp programs. He serves as Director of Informal Youth Education at Temple Emanuel in Newton. Previously, he was the Operations Coordinator for the JCC Maccabi Games for the JCC of Greater Boston and Regional Director for the Mulberry Childcare Centers. Wayne has also directed after-school programs for the Leventhal Sidman Jewish Community Center and the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston. He holds a Masters Degree in Sports Counseling and Psychological Services from Springfield College and a Bachelors in Psychology from Clark University.
Nancy Kaftan, consulting sixth grade teacher, recently retired from teaching elementary school in Stoneham after a long and rewarding career. Nancy's degrees are in elementary education, reading, and Jewish education. A Framingham resident and a very active member of her Natick synagogue, Nancy brings her expertise in upper grade elementary education to MWJDS.
Janis Kamin, grade three teacher, joins the MWJDS faculty with a variety of skills and experiences. Janis has her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Rider University, and a master's degree in Special Education from Framingham State College. For the past 13 years, HaMorah Janis has taught special needs children in Westborough and Framingham Public Schools. Prior to that, she taught preschool at Temple Beth Sholom in Framingham. Janis resides in Framingham with her family.
Assistant Teacher/Hebrew Specialist, Marjorie Matross, returns to the MWJDS team for the third year; she was our substitute teacher for one year previous. Last year she worked in grades one and two, making her an excellent team member of our combined 1st and 2nd grade class. Marjorie also serves on the faculty of Temple Israel of Natick. She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Clark University. For the past ten summers Marjorie has directed the sports program at Camp Grossman. Marjorie is a fluent Hebrew speaker having spent many years in Israel and is an active member of her synagogue, Temple Israel of Natick.
Tali Mugg, a native of Israel and a Hebrew and Judaics teacher, has taught students of all ages from kindergarten to high school in the Worcester area. She taught elementary and middle school Hebrew and Judaics at the New Jewish Academy of Worcester from 1994 - 2008. She has also taught at Temple Sinai in Worcester and Ulpan at Congregation Beth Israel. Tali studied Elementary Education and received her certification from Levinsky College in Tel Aviv. She and her family reside in Holden.
Phoebe Kazdin Schnitzer, PhD is the MWJDS School Psychologist and Coordinator of Special Education Services. For over 25 years, a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Harvard University, Dr. Schnitzer has worked with children and families through the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston, where she held a series of senior administrative positions. Dr. Schnitzer also serves on the psychology staff of Children’s Hospital Medical Center and holds a teaching appointment at Harvard Medical School. She has worked in local Jewish day school settings since 2001.
Dara Seidman brings her experience, energy, and passion to MWJDS as our fifth/sixth grade teacher and Social Justice Coordinator. She previously worked as a fourth grade teacher at Claremont Preparatory School in New York City, where she also led the Community Service Committee. Dara received her Masters Degree in Childhood Education from New York University, while student teaching in the New York City Public Schools. She completed her Bachelors degree at Union College, where she majored in Sociology and studied Hebrew and Judaic Studies. While living in NYC, Dara was a Community Volunteer for the UJA Federation of New York.
Lizzy Siman-Tov, Hebrew Coordinator and a native of Israel, has extensive experience teaching Hebrew, Bible, history and literature to a variety of grade levels. She taught Hebrew as a second language at Hebrew College’s Prozdor Program for high school students. While working for the Israeli Education Ministry, Lizzy taught in a start-up, experimental school using new education methods for teaching reading and writing. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that a child’s second language is best learned by using the language itself; therefore she uses the Hebrew immersion method in her classroom. She also strives to ensure that students enjoy the experience of learning through the use of games, songs, and stories. Lizzy holds an Ulpan teaching certification, a Bachelors degree in Education, and a certified teaching diploma from the Seminar Hakibutzim College in Tel Aviv, and is a graduate of Me’ah.
Ronit Ziv-Kreger, PhD, Judaic Studies and Family Education Consultant and a native of Israel, is devoted to sharing the joy of our tradition with both children and adults. She has a passion for building bridges between contemporary life and Jewish text. While living in Israel, Ronit created and directed an empowerment program in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, which continues to run in 50 schools. Currently, she teaches Ikkarim, a course on Jewish values and the journey of Jewish parenting and Me’ah. Ronit will also serve on the faculty of Boston’s Jewish Community Day School (JCDS) this year. Dr. Ziv-Kreger is a graduate of a two year intensive Jewish education program at Pardes Institute in Jerusalem, as well as a cantorial program at Jerusalem's Hebrew Union College. She earned a Ph.D. from M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management with a dissertation on the link between identity and motivation. She is the mother of three children and lives in Sharon.
ADMINISTRATION
The smiling face of Victoria Felson, Office Administrator and Marketing Associate, is for many visitors the first indication that they have entered a welcoming environment when they come through the door at MWJDS. Before coming to our school, Victoria was Program Director of the Newton Historical Society, where she was involved in programming, marketing, public relations and community outreach work she also performs for MWJDS. She also oversees many of the day-to-day functions of the school. Victoria spent 15 years in various roles in Boston’s real estate industry, in marketing, leasing, property management and eminent domain, including work on Boston’s Central Artery Tunnel Project and South Boston Convention Center. Victoria holds a Bachelors in communications from Emerson College and is an active congregant at Temple Beth Am of Framingham where she and her family reside.
Michael Goldstein, Development Director, strives to secure the funds MWJDS needs in order to maintain its high quality education and community learning programming. Michael has extensive experience in business and fundraising. He has over 11 years as an executive director of non-profit organizations, including Providence Summerbridge, Youth Tech Entrepreneurs, LiNC, and City Year Rhode Island. Michael is especially proud of his Jewish learning as an adult and recently became a Bar Mitzvah in May 2008. Michael has a BA from Brown University and an MPP from Harvard University. Michael was recognized in 2002 by the Boston Business Journal and in 2007 by the Providence Business News in their respective “40 Under 40” awards for promising young business leaders.
Robin Kaye, Operations Manager, has a diverse background in both the business and nonprofit sectors, including experience as Vice President of the Harvey Kaye Corporation. She also served as program coordinator at CBS-TV in New York. Robin’s extensive community involvement includes work with the Adult Patient Family Advisory Council at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and service as Team Captain and member of the Captain’s Circle for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. She had been active in the Framingham school system as room parent, coordinator of the computer expo, and reading tutor. She has also been a volunteer for the Brandeis University National Women’s Committee and the Framingham Chapter of Hadassah. Robin holds a B.S. from the Boston University School of Public Communications.
Abby Leibel, a native of Israel, is our Development Associate. She has experience primarily in the non-profit world and more specifically, in development. Abby has a degree in Social Studies with a specialization in Organizational Behavior from the University of Maryland at College Park. Recently, Abby went back to school to work on her Interior Design degree and home-based business. Abby and her husband are the proud parents of a 3-year old boy.
Valerie Montuori, RN, Consulting Nurse, brings many years of nursing experience to MWJDS. Valerie worked as a staff nurse in the Maternity and Labor & Delivery departments of a local hospital. Additionally, she is certified as both a childbirth educator and lactation consultant. During the summers, Valerie serves as the Health Care Administrator and Camp Nurse at a local day camp. To satisfy to her creative energies, Valerie has been a floral designer in Northboro where she resides.
Risa Werblin joins the MWJDS team as Director of Admissions. She combines her background in Jewish communal work and insurance sales, with her devotion to Judaism and Jewish education. Risa’s vast volunteer experiences both locally and regionally with Hadassah, Young Judea, and Temple Israel of Natick will help facilitate her recruitment efforts. Additionally, her involvement with promoting Jewish camping and youth initiatives complements Risa’s goals of increased community outreach and programming for pre-schoolers and young Metrowest families. Risa and her husband live in Framingham with their three children.
DeLeT INTERN
Brandeis University’s DeLeT program (Day School Leadership through Teaching; the Hebrew word for “door”), prepares recent college graduates and career changers to teach general and Judaic studies in the elementary grades in Jewish day schools. We are pleased to welcome two DeLet fellows this year to MWJDS.
Greg R. Fishbone, grade four DeLeT intern, received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctorate from Temple University School of Law. His studies included summer school at Tel Aviv University. Although he worked for years as an attorney, Greg’s real passion is writing for children. He served as Assistant Regional Coordinator and WebMasters for the New England regions of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. In 2007 he published his first children’s novel, The Penguins of Doom. Greg also enjoys developing holiday story programs for children at his local synagogue. Greg is interested in the effective use of technology to provide a learning environment that fosters creativity, curiosity, and knowledge-sharing.
CONSULTANTS
Carolyn Michaeli has been associated with MWJDS for four years as an Occupational Therapist. She is particularly interested in wellness, mental health and health promotion. With five young grandchildren, including two in a Jewish day school, Carolyn has especially become interested in the learning styles and needs of toddlers and young children. Carolyn brings her expertise to our classrooms by creating exercises that enhance fine motor coordination. She works in groups and with individuals. Carolyn and her husband, Israel, are members of Temple Israel of Natick and Founders of MWJDS.
Judy Spitzberg, Creative Arts Director, who is spending another sabbatical year in Israel with her husband, has a special talent for devising imaginative techniques to integrate music with all facets of education and brings an impressive array of accomplishments to the school. Judy wrote a music curriculum using the arts to reinforce concepts in science, history and language arts, which has been used by the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Department of Education and the Canton Public Schools. In 2004, she received the American Music Foundation Award for creative lesson plans which used dance, poetry, music and art to explore the music of Aaron Copeland. Judy received her Bachelors degree in Music Education from Boston University's School for the Arts, a Masters from Lesley University in Creative Arts in Education and teaches graduate arts courses to fellow educators. We hope to have Judy visit us as an artist-in-residence this fall.
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Carolyn Keller, Head of School, is a nationally recognized Jewish leader and educator. In establishing the first Jewish day school in Metrowest, she has overseen the development of a unique, integrated Judaic-general studies curriculum, welcomed families from across the spectrum of Jewish observance, and initiated educational and cultural programs for adults and families, making MWJDS a center of Jewish learning and celebration for the entire community. Previously, Carolyn served as Director of the Commission on Jewish Continuity and Education of Combined Jewish Philanthropies. Among the programs initiated during Carolyn’s tenure are Me'ah, now a leading model of adult Jewish education across the nation and Sh'arim, which trains family educators for synagogues and community centers. Carolyn is former Director of Camp Ramah in New England and of several religious schools and served as an instructor in Jewish Education at Hebrew College. A Jerusalem Fellow, Carolyn has received numerous awards from the Jewish community, including the Keter Torah Award for Excellence in Jewish Education from the Bureau of Jewish Education; the Sidney Hillson Educational Award from Hebrew College; and the Bernard Reisman Professional Excellence Award from Brandeis University. Carolyn received her M.A. from Brandeis University, her Bachelors degree from SUNY Buffalo, and certification from the Harvard Principal Center.
CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS
Pat Blank
Ellen Bloch
Paul Cantor
Adele Carl
Marilyn Feinberg
Elaine Marmer
Carolyn Michaeli
Judy Spivak