Accreditations and Associations
Our Staff
Administration and Support Staff
Ruth Gass, Head of School
Rabbi Joel Alter, Rav Beit HaSefer, Assistant
Head of School
Lucy Tannen, Dean of Students
Sue Stibel, Lower School Director/Coordinator General
Studies, Curricular Integration
Dorit Zmiri, Middle School Director/Coordinator Jewish
Studies, Curricular Integration
Chris Battista, Staff Accountant
Robert Laverdure, Business Manager
Deborah Leschinsky, IT Administrator
Donna Levy, Administrative Assistant
Arkady Potashinsky, Maintenance and Administrative
Associate
Helen Quint, Director of Admissions and Community
Outreach
Aliza VosLevitz, Administrative Assistant
Institutional Advancement
Linda Brodt, Interim Director of Institutional Advancement
Jamie Finkelstein, Associate Director of Institutional
Advancement
Erin Torrey, Institutional Advancement Assistant
Faculty
Daphna Avidan
Joanne Baker
Erin Baldinger
Deborah Barolsky
Michal Baruch
Emily Beck
Yael Binshtock
Irina Kader-Braginsky
Dave Delcourt
Brenda Dolan
Rita Fainaro
Rabbi Ariel Friedlander
Sharona Givol
Hannah Finestone Heilman
Liba Kornfeld
Rebecca Lemus
Eliana Lipsky
Susan Lunin
Ziesl Maayan
Claudia Marbach
Jared Matas
Ilene Miller
Miriam Newman
Kathy Parnes
Debbie Percher
Beth Polasky
Andrea Schaffer
Lee Silverberg
Vered Singer
Resources
Gary Alpert, After School Director and Teacher
Lauren Bass, English Resource Teacher
Tanya Ospovat, Hebrew Resource Teacher
Ilene Weiner, Middle School Resource Teacher
Brief Staff Bios
Ruth Gass, Head of School
Ruth became our new Head of School following an international search two
years ago. Her philosophy of education, range of expertise in secular
and Jewish education, and commitment to excellence made her a unique match
for this leadership role at JCDS.
Ruth has a B.A. from Vassar College, a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, and an M. Ed. from Harvard University’s School of Education. She became involved with JCDS through a chance meeting in 1998, after which she became a Trustee of the school and shared her time and talent serving on a variety of committees. Now a confluence of circumstances has enabled Ruth to make a full-time commitment to JCDS. Immediately prior to becoming Head of School at JCDS, Ruth was an adjunct professor and field instructor for the Public Elementary School Masters Program at Brandeis University. She was also a teacher, a school coach, and a researcher at The Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis and a field instructor from DeLet, a Brandeis program to train Hebrew Day School teachers. In addition, Ruth was Head of School at a K-8 charter school in Franklin, MA and Middle School Head at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, an independent K-8 school.
Ruth believes that students are wired for curiosity and wonder and that
it is the responsibility of educators to keep those qualities alive. “In
schools we need to create an environment that promotes students’
inherent need and desire to grow at their own pace and to learn about
and explore the world. Structure and rules promote exciting learning by
making the school experience safe and manageable for students.”
Ruth is clear that we prepare our children for more than success in school
we want them ultimately to contribute to society as adults in ways that
are both satisfying to them and worthwhile for their communities. As she
remarked upon her appointment to this position, she feels “It is
a gift to me to be able to apply my passion for education in this pluralist
community where learning is anchored in Jewish texts that help shape children’s
character and that provide a source of personal, cultural, and religious
identity. JCDS is a profoundly exciting school with a creative educational
design and a dynamic bilingual learning environment that has the capacity
to provide the best of secular and Jewish education to children from families
that span a wide range of Jewish beliefs, practices, and connections.”
Follow the link to read more about Ruth and her educational philosophy.
Meet our Head of School
Rabbi Joel A. Alter, Rav Beit HaSefer and Assistant Head of School
New to JCDS this year, Rabbi Joel Alter (Rav Yoel) is serving as Rav
Beit HaSefer - our school rabbi - and Assistant Head of School. In partnership
with our Director of Judaic Studies, Rav Yoel will help shape and coordinate
T'fillah and other observances throughout the school, and he will be a
teacher in our Middle School. In his role as Assistant Head, Rav Yoel
will also be in charge at school when the Head of School is unavailable,
and he will work on projects that support the school’s goals. Above
all, Rav Yoel will work to assure the fulfillment of our mission as a
pluralistic Jewish learning community.
Rav Yoel comes to us from The Shoshana S. Cardin School, Baltimore's Independent Jewish High School, where he was Assistant Head of School and Director of Judaic Studies. There, he helped shepherd a new school from its founding through its first graduation. Aside from his administrative team roles, Rav Yoel designed a Minyan program and Judaics curriculum both appropriate to the school's pluralistic mission, taught Judaics classes, and organized Shabbatonim. Prior to his four-year tenure at The Cardin School, Rav Yoel spent seven years as a teacher and curriculum coordinator in the Middle and High School of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (Rockville, Maryland).
Rav Yoel holds a BA in History from Columbia College, Columbia University, rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and an MA in Jewish Education from the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education. He received additional training and education in the Avi Chai Foundation/JTS Secondary School Leadership Training Institute, NYC, and the Hartman Institute's TICHON program in Jerusalem.
Lucy Tannen, Dean of Students
Lucy has been Head of our Middle School since 2003. This coming year her
position has changed and she will be the Dean of Students reflecting an
abiding interest in developing positive and productive connections between
parents, teachers, students, and curriculum. Lucy will also be the overall
supervisor for the Support Services Team. She is looking forward to working
with children as they sort through behaviors and emotions related to functioning
in a school.
Prior to joining our administrative team, Lucy was the Head of the Eliot Montessori School in Natick and, before that, the Lower School Director at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston.
Lucy has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado (Education with a Psychology minor), a Masters degree from Cornell University in Educational Measurement and Psychology (using and creating subjective and objective assessment tools) and a second Masters degree from the Hornstein Program at Brandeis University, specializing in Jewish Education. She was in the first group of professionals selected for a fellowship by the prestigious Wexner Foundation.
Lucy’s daughter is a Social Worker in St. Louis and her son is at Retail Control Solutions, solving computer problems. He and his wife, Ruth, have four children and live in Marlboro. Lucy loves to watch football games, going to the beach and reading.
Sue Stibel, Lower School Director/Coordinator
of General Studies and Curricular Integration, K-8
Sue joins the school as Director of the Lower School and Coordinator
of General Studies and Integration K-8. Sue has an enormous amount of
experience as an educator in many areas, including her work as an Educational
Consultant through the Tufts University Center for Applied Child Development
and training she led for the Massachusetts Department of Education BayState
Readers Grant. She has also served as a literacy, social studies, and
reading consultant in many schools in the Commonwealth, where she both
wrote curriculum and trained teachers. In addition, Sue has twenty years
experience coordinating curriculum at Jewish day schools, including fifteen
years at Cohen Hillel Academy in Marblehead, MA. She has taught graduate
level education courses at Lesley University Graduate School of Education.
Most recently she has served as a field instructor for the Delet program
and instructor for the undergraduate teacher practicum and MAT Reading
Foundations course at Brandeis University School of Education. Sue brings
a great deal of enthusiasm to her work at JCDS.
Dorit Zmiri, Middle School Director/Coordinator
of Jewish Studies and Curricular Integration, K-8
Dorit begins this year as Director of the Middle School and Coordinator
of Jewish Studies and Integration K-8. She will also teach either Tanakh
or Toshba in the middle school. Dorit was most recently Jewish Studies
Department Chair at American Hebrew Academy (AHA) in Greensboro, NC for
six years. At AHA, Dorit supervised the Jewish Studies staff, developed
and implemented the Jewish Studies Curriculum, and taught in grades 9-12.
Prior to her work at AHA, Dorit worked for over ten years with elementary
and middle school students at B’nai Shalom Day School, Greensboro,
NC and Temple Isaiah in Lexington, MA. Dorit is the 2006 recipient of
the Louis Hillson Memorial award for distinguished leadership and commitment
to Jewish education from Hebrew College. Dorit has a BA in Art History
from Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel, and a degree in Jewish Studies
from Hebrew College, Brookline, MA, where she graduated valedictorian
and won many prizes, including one for writing Hebrew poetry.
Daphna Avidan, Middle School Hebrew Teacher
Daphna, who is starting this year at JCDS as a middle school Hebrew teacher,
holds several degrees: a B.Sc. from Tel Aviv University, Israel, in Hebrew
and English Literature; a teaching certificate from Hebrew University,
Israel; and an M.Sc from Hebrew University in Information Science. Daphna
has taught Hebrew to middle school students in Israel for several years,
and she has also worked in publishing.
Gary Alpert, Director and Teacher of the JCDS After School Program
Gary joined the staff of JCDS in September, 2002. He has a Bachelor of
Arts degree from Brandeis University in Elementary Education and Sociology,
and he holds certification in Elementary Education from the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts. Gary enjoys photography, traveling, and spending time
his wife and two children.
Joanne Baker, Middle School English Teacher and Staff Writer
Following what was supposed to be a temporary three month position, four
years later, Joanne is still at JCDS! “I was on sabbatical and
thought it would be a fortuitous opportunity to experience another Jewish
day school. Once here, I felt so completely at home in the JCDS community,
I couldn’t imagine not staying. The rest is history!”
A lover of the English language, Joanne is passionate about teaching adolescents
Shakespeare and other fine literature, as well as teaching them the grammatical
and syntactical imperatives needed to become powerful writers. Joanne
takes great pride in the classroom use of a curriculum unit she developed
on Greek and Latin roots for teaching vocabulary mastery and language
literacy.
“Every year, Greek and Latin root work is one of the great highlights
of the students’ academic and intellectual growth. Committing hundreds
of these roots to memory increases their vocabulary base exponentially,
and even more exciting, they love doing the work associated with the memorization!”
When not in the classroom, Joanne is a professional musician, playing
both piano and accordion with The Boston Kleztet, a locally renowned klezmer
band. She is involved in several other endeavors, from writing sonnets
to doing professional calligraphy, to tutoring for college essay writing,
to taking care of her yard, garden, twenty year old cat and four year
old dog!
Erin Baldinger, Middle School Math Teacher
Erin Baldinger came to JCDS in 2005. She teaches math in our Middle School
and is also a Middle School Advisory/Homeroom Teacher. Erin has strong
music skills and adds to the already vibrant music life of the JCDS community.
Her musical talents include playing trombone and guitar and singing.
Erin has a BA in mathematics from Tufts University. Her undergraduate
studies included a semester studying in Rome, Italy. Erin has completed
additional course work in middle school math education at the University
of Minnesota, and she is a licensed math teacher in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts for grades 5-12.
Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Erin was very involved in Jewish
education and programming work before and during her college years.
Deborah Barolsky, Lower School Teacher, 3rd/4th Grades
Deborah has taught at JCDS since 1997. During her first five years at
the school, she taught in a combined 1st/2nd grade class. This year will
be her 5th year of team-teaching in a 3rd/4th grade class. An experienced
teacher before she arrived at JCDS, her prior experience includes teaching
general studies in other settings as well as teaching Hebrew, Bible, and
Judaic studies in Jewish supplementary (afternoon) schools. She has a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Swarthmore College,
and a Master of Science degree in Elementary Education from Wheelock College,
with an additional concentration in Teaching English as a Second Language.
Over the course of her tenure at JCDS and during summers, Deborah has
been developing curriculum, collecting resources, and refining units and
lessons.
Deborah’s interests include religious studies, literature, science, math, cello, painting, drawing and fencing. Her enthusiasm and zest for life and learning permeate everything that she does. What she most enjoys about teaching is “helping students learn how to wrestle with open-ended questions, solve problems, and work together effectively.”
Deborah and her husband Charles are the proud parents of daughters Emma (a student at JCDS), and Hannah.
Michal Baruch, Lower School Teacher, 3rd/4th Grades
Michal joined JCDS in 2004, as a teacher in one of our 3rd/4th grade classes.
Michal has 22 years of experience in education. For fourteen years she
taught and supervised reading and language in elementary schools in Israel.
For nine years prior to coming to JCDS, Michal taught in the United States, including grades 3-6 at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Haverhill. She holds a Bachelor's Degree and a teaching certificate from Achvah College in B'ear Tuviya, Israel.
Lauren Bass, Resource Teacher, Lower School
Lauren joined our staff as a part-time Resource Teacher in 2002. She provides
reading support to lower school students in and out of their classrooms,
and she is involved in monitoring and implementing accommodations that
are recommended in Individualized Educational Plans for students.
Lauren has a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University in Elementary Ed (K-8) and Special Needs (K-12). She also has a Master’s of Education degree from Wheelock College in Early Childhood Administration. In addition, Lauren has had training in the Orton-Gillingham and Wilson approaches to teaching reading. Prior to joining JCDS, Lauren taught preschool at the Striar Jewish Community Center in Stoughton, MA, and held numerous positions working with children and adults with special needs. Lauren lives with her husband, son and daughter, and a dog.
Emily Beck, Middle School Math Teacher & Lower School Math
Tutor
Emily, a parent of three JCDS students, joins the staff as a middle school
math teacher. She will also continue the work she began this past spring
as a lower school math tutor. Emily’s undergraduate degree, in Comparative
Religion, is from Harvard College. She also holds a Masters in Elementary
Education from the Lesley College/Buckingham Brown and Nichols Collaborative
Masters Program. She taught sixth grade at Buckingham Browne and Nichols,
and for the past ten years, Emily has worked for Connected Newsletter,
researching and writing two monthly columns about educational Web sites
for teachers.
Yael Binshtock, Lower School Teacher, 3rd/4th Grades
Yael joined JCDS in 2006 and is teaching 3rd and 4th grade students,
with her homeroom base in the Alon classroom.
Yael was born and raised on an Orthodox kibbutz in the Negev. Although she spent most of her childhood years in Israel, she spent two wonderful years in London when her father worked for the youth movement Bnei-Akiva there. After high school Yael served in the Israeli army where she worked as a teacher in Nature and Judaism. After that she studied Judaism for a year, and then went on to Ben Gurion University. She has a Bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy from Ben Gurion University and a Teaching Certificate from Herzog College. Her concentration in the Certificate Program was teaching Tanakh.
Yael lives with her husband, Alex, and their daughter, Naomi.
Irina Kader-Braginsky, Middle School Math Teacher
Irina, a parent of one JCDS student and two alums, will be a
middle school math teacher this year and will also offer Math Lunches
for students who would like some additional challenges. Irina has led
after school math clubs at JCDS for several years, and this past year
she offered math enrichment in Grades 3 and 4. She has a B.S. in Computer
Science and an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from the Automation and Computer
Science School of the GRSU (Russian State University of Oil and Gas).
Irina has been a math tutor for many years and a lead teacher in the Studio
of Engaging Learning, an after school math education program.
Linda Brodt, Interim Director of Institutional Advancement
Linda R Brodt – Since 1995, she has served as the President
and principal consultant of LRB, Ltd.- an insurance and human resources
consulting firm. She has a lifelong involvement, as a volunteer, in local/national
Jewish communal organizations, in a variety of capacities– development,
education, strategic planning and administration. Most recently, Linda
served as a JCDS Trustee and chair of JCDS’ development committee.
She also was Board Member, JCCGB Co-Chair, Israeli Independence Day, JCCGB,
Early Childhood Education Task Force Co-Chair, JCCGB, Vice President Personnel,
JCCGB and is a member, Wexner Heritage Foundation.
Brenda Dolan, Lower School Teacher, First Grade
Brenda will be the English speaking teacher in Grade 1, and she
joins us after many years teaching young children in Jewish settings.
She is a recent graduate of the DeLeT program at Brandeis University,
a program that trains and certifies teachers, with a special emphasis
on teaching in Jewish Day Schools. Brenda was a student teacher at the
Rashi School, an assistant teacher at MetroWest Jewish Day School, and
a lead teacher at the Alef-Bet Childcare Center in Cambridge for seven
years. She holds a BA from Boston University with a major in History.
During her junior year, Brenda lived in Israel during her junior year,
on kibbutz Beit Haemek and studyied at the University of Haifa.
Rita Fainaro, Middle School Hebrew Teacher
Rita joins us as a member of the Middle School Hebrew staff.
Rita has BA in English Literature and Sociology from Tel Aviv University,
Israel and an MA in Language Teaching from the School of Education, Tel
Aviv University, Israel. Her MA thesis was on differential testing accommodations.
Rita has taught in a variety of settings, including high school and college,
with an emphasis on teaching languages.
Jamie Finkelstein, Associate Director of Institutional Advancement
Jamie joined our staff as Associate Director of Institutional Advancement
in June, 2007. She has always been active in the Jewish community, especially
enjoying the years she worked at Camp Eisner, a Jewish overnight camp
in the Berkshires; first as a counselor and later as an art teacher and
administrator. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from
Union College and a Master of Science degree in Advertising from Boston
University. Following her graduate studies, Jamie took a position as a
Gift/Data Coordinator and Marketing Assistant at the Solomon Schechter
Day School of Greater Boston and concluded her time there as the Assistant
Director of Development and Marketing Assistant. Jamie was immediately
drawn to JCDS where she is a part of the new Institutional Advancement
office, using her skills in graphic design, marketing, development and
event-planning to serve the JCDS community.
Rabbi Ariel Friedlander, DeLeT Fellow
Rabbi Friedlander will be a DeLeT fellow in Alon, one of the 3/4 classes.
She has joined the Brandeis DeLeT program, where she will earn a Masters
Degree in Education while working four days a week at JCDS. Rabbi Friedlander
has a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, US Law and Politics and Film
Studies from University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, and she has
Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute
of Religion, New York, NY. Rabbi Friedlander has been a congregational
rabbi and worked with students in various settings, including tutoring
for Bnai Mitzvot, teaching in Hebrew schools, and working with youth groups.
Sharona Givol, Hebrew Coordinator
Sharona joined JCDS in 2002. She joined the faculty as a Hebrew teacher
and as the Hebrew Coordinator for our Middle School. The demands of her
responsibilities as Hebrew Coordinator expanded significantly as she worked
to develop and implement the Proficiency Approach to teaching Hebrew in
and then beyond the Middle School grades. Her work on the Proficiency
Approach is linked to the Covenant Foundation grant JCDS received for
this purpose. Sharona has been sharing the school's successes in this
realm with Jewish educators near and far, through workshops and through
written material.
Sharona was born and raised in Tel-Aviv. During her military service she was sent north to the Golan Heights; fell in love with the area and built her home in Kibbutz Ein Zivan. She has an extensive professional career in education. While teaching grades 5-9 in one setting in Israel, Sharona was responsible for helping foster children adapt to their new families and communities. She managed a center for children with learning disabilities, working with dyslexic Middle School students. Later she co-founded the Community Day School of the Northern Golan Heights. From 1986 to 1997 Sharona worked for the "Logal" educational software company in Israel, as Director of Reading Comprehension and Language Arts.
Sharona and her husband share the belief that their greatest investment is their five children: Yossi, Gal, Yotam, Tom, and Dan. Their dog, Echo, is also a full-fledged member of the family, and terrific company.
Hannah Finestone Heilman, Science Teacher, Grades 3/4 and 5
Hannah, our new science teacher for Grades 3/4 and 5, was most recently
an Assistant and Co-teacher at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater
Boston. Prior to that position, she was an Assistant Teacher at Rashi.
As the daughter of two rabbis, she comfortably integrated Jewish Studies
and General Studies in her teaching. She was also a DeLeT Fellow after
graduating cum laude from Brandeis University with degrees in Theatre
Arts and Biology.
Nancy Knight, Music Teacher, Grades K-4
Nancy will return to teach music this year, she has been teaching
at JCDS since 2001. Nancy has studied music since the age of eight. She
sings and plays many instruments, including oboe, Irish whistles, recorders,
saxophone, pipe and tabor, and guitar. Her musical experience covers classical
music, early music, traditional folk and a recent foray into Yiddish music.
Nancy has attended music teacher trainings at the New England Conservatory
in Boston and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York. Nancy performs
regularly with the Revels touring group, Circle of Song, as a featured
soloist, performing in theatres, libraries, museums and schools. Nancy
also teaches Early Childhood Music and Movement when she is not at JCDS.
She looks forward to continuing to share the joy music brings her with
the whole JCDS community. Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers
University and a Master of Arts degree from University of Michigan.
Liba Kornfeld, Lower School Teacher, First Grade
Liba joins us as the Hebrew speaking teacher in Grade 1 from
the Solomon Schechter Day School of Manhattan, where she taught Grades
1 and 2. Liba has a BA in Talmud and Rabbinic Studies from the Jewish
Theological Seminary, New York, NY and an M.S. in Early Childhood and
Elementary Education from the Bank Street College of Education. In addition,
she participated in the Melton Senior Educators Program and wrote a thesis
entitled Hebrew Immersion in the Early Grades.
Deborah Leschinsky, IT Administrator
Deborah has been our Information Technology Administrator since 2001.
She had been in the high-tech world for over twenty years before coming
to the school, working in a number of capacities from software engineer,
educator and analyst, to product management.
At JCDS, Deborah maintains our computer network, plans for our systems, and purchases hardware and software for the school. She troubleshoots technical complications of all sorts for the entire staff with patience and good humor.
Deborah holds a B.A. from Barnard College where she studied Urban Studies and Political Science. She lives in Brookline with her husband, David, and their three daughters, Sarah, Hannah and Maya, who are students at JCDS. She spends her limited free time gardening, reading, and doing graphics work for Eureka!, the puzzles and games store that David opened in Coolidge Corner a few years ago.
Robert Laverdure, Business Manager
Robert joined our staff as Business Manager in October of 2006. He has
a Bachelor of Science degree in Business with an emphasis on Accounting
from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He worked as a cost accountant
in the construction industry for several years before working in independent
schools. In February of 1997 Robert joined the staff of Solomon Schechter
Day School of Greater Boston, first as Accounting Manager, and concluding
his tenure there as Associate Director of Finance. Rob joined our staff
with 10 years experience in the financial aspects of day schools and deep
commitment to serving the needs of JCDS and its families.
Donna Levy, Administrative Assistant
Donna joined the JCDS staff in December of 2005 after working in an administrative
capacity in the Longwood Medical Area. Prior to holding that position,
she lived in Jerusalem where she and her former husband owned an art gallery.
(They had founded their first gallery, the Alon Gallery, in Newton Centre
in 1976.) When in the Boston area before her move to Israel, Donna was
a member of the Zamir Chorale (1986-96). Her daughter graduated from the
Solomon Schechter Day School of Boston, served as a sergeant in the Israel
Defense Forces and is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont and
is currently an intern in Washington DC at Coop-America. Donna speaks
English and Hebrew and is looking forward to be starting her first year
in the Me'ah Program this fall.
Eliana Lipsky, Middle School History Teacher
This is Eliana’s third year teaching at JCDS. She will be teaching
American History to our 7th and 8th grade students for the first semester.
Eliana grew up in Houston, Texas, where she was a competitive swimmer and an active athlete. After high school, Eliana studied in Israel for one year at Midreshet Lindenbaum. Returning to the States, Eliana earned a B.A. from Boston University (majoring in history with a minor in religion), and, while at B.U., she was part of the B.U. Jewish a cappella group, Kol Echad. For a year she also lived in New York City where she worked for the Lipper Program at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, conducting Holocaust education sessions for various school and other groups in New England and New York. In 2004, she taught at a new pluralistic Jewish high school in Phoenix through the Jewish Teacher Corps, which was an initiative funded by the Avi Chai Foundation.
Eliana expects to complete her Masters Degree program at Boston University’s College of Arts & Sciences this year. She will be focusing on Medieval European history with an emphasis on the interactions between Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
Susan Lunin, Middle School Science Teacher
Susan is happy to be returning to JCDS for her third year of science teaching.
She has a Bachelor of Science (in geology) and a Masters Degree in science
teaching. To keep her Massachusetts certification current, she has taken
many unique courses and workshops. Susan has been a mentor to many student
teachers and learned as much from them as they learned from her during
her long career in the Brookline Public Schools.
Susan especially enjoys teaching children in this stage of adolescence because it is so rewarding to be a positive influence on young people. She is also passionate in her desire to help students acquire the science skills and knowledge that will allow them to continue their science education and to be good citizens in the future.
A member of the Newton Conservation Commission, Susan and her husband Mitchel, a retired dentist, share the joy of their three sons and a daughter.
Claudia Marbach, Middle School Toshba Teacher
Claudia has been teaching at JCDS since 1999. She teaches Torah SheB'al
Peh ("Toshba", Oral Law) and continues to develop the Toshba
and Judaics curriculum in the Middle School. A dramatic highlight of her
Toshba classes is a mock trial using rules of legal procedure from the
Mishnah. Claudia spent a year at a women's yeshiva in Israel, and she
studied at Drisha in New York. She has a Bachelors Degree in English from
Barnard College and a law degree from Boston University. Claudia has completed
the Pardes Summer Educators Program and participated in a year-long seminar
at Brandeis University called “Teaching Rabbinics.”
Jared Matas, Kindergarten Teacher
Jared has been working at JCDS since 2003. This is his third year teaching
our kindergarten class. Jared started at JCDS as a DeLeT intern. He has
a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, studied Hebrew
at Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem, and completed his Masters of Arts in Teaching
at Brandeis University in 2005. As part of his graduate studies, Jared
conducted teacher-research, producing a thesis entitled “The Times
They Are A-Changin’, Multiple Meanings of Time in Teaching.”
Previously, Jared was the national director of Habonim Dror North America,
based in New York, and lived in Jerusalem where he directed Year-Long
Programs in Israel for the Jewish Agency.
Ziesl Maayan, Middle School Tanakh Teacher
Ziesl joined our faculty in 2006 to teach Tanakh in the Middle
School. She has eleven years’ professional experience in Jewish
education and programming, most recently as Program Director at Ma’ayan,
Boston’s Torah Studies Initiative for Women, and Hebrew language
and Judaics teacher at Temple Reyim.
Ziesl received her BA in Sociology/Women’s Studies and a minor in religion from Oberlin College in Ohio. She also trained as Mother-Daughter Bat Mitzvah Program Instructor with MaTaN and attended Midreshet Bat Ayin in Israel from 1999-2004, where she did extensive study in Tanakh.
Her personal philosophy states, “Teaching Judaism is about inviting a student into what will be a life long relationship with text, history and personal Jewish identity. In order to lay the foundation of that relationship, each person must find the way that he or she connects to and understands the stories and ‘characters’ in the Tanakh. ”
Her husband, Rabbi David Maayan, teaches at Maimonides. The Maayans have
two young children, ages 5 and 3.
Ilene Miller, Middle School Humanities Teacher, Grade 5
Ilene joins us this year as the Grade 5 Humanities teacher. She comes
to JCDS with over twenty-five years teaching experience in the Brookline
Public Schools, where she taught fifth grade for over twenty years. Ilene
has a Bachelors of Science in Education from Lesley College and she has
coauthored two books about Literacy: The Writing Process in Action, published
by Heinemann, and the Literacy Handbook for the Brookline Public Schools.
Ilene was also a Co-director of the Freelance Players Theater Troup (ages
8-12) at the Heath school in Brookline and worked with Troubadour, Inc.
teaching poetry and prose in the Taylor School in Mattapan.
Miriam Newman, Kindergarten Teacher
Miriam joined the staff of JCDS in the fall of 2000, with 15 years of
teaching experience, of which nine years were in Jewish settings. She
has a B.A. in Religion from Barnard College, an M.Ed. in Child Development
from Tufts University, and an Elementary Teaching Certification from the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Miriam was the Judaic Curriculum Consultant
at the Gan Yeladim Day Care Center for the six years immediately preceding
her coming to JCDS. Prior to that, she taught curriculum development at
Lesley University and was an instructor and student teacher supervisor
at Wheelock College. She taught at the Demonstration School of the David
Yellin Teacher’s Seminar in Jerusalem, and in a Kindergarten class
in Cambridge. In 1998 Miriam participated in a Mentor Teacher Training
Program through Wheelock College. She also has teaching experience in
creative movement, drama, and science.
In 2007, Miriam was awarded the Keter Torah Award from the Boston Bureau of Jewish Education for outstanding achievement in Jewish Education. She was also chosen as the 2007 Boston recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education, a national award which Miriam will receive in November, 2007
Miriam lives in Newton with her husband Michael, three children, Josh,
Tali, and Daniel, and Kelly the Wonder Dog. Miram loves to swim, cycle,
paint, dance, cook, read, and walk her dog.
Tanya Ospovat, Lower School Hebrew Resource Teacher
Tanya joined our Resource Team in 2005. Prior to coming to the school,
she worked in a variety of educational settings in Israel and the United
States. Tanya worked for three years as a Resource Room teacher at Solomon
Schechter Day School of Worcester (now New Jewish Academy), evaluating
the academic needs of students and providing instructional and behavioral
support according to the IEP (Individualized Education Program) to ensure
the success of the student. Tanya was also a teacher and tutor of Hebrew
at the elementary and middle school levels, including Tal Am and Tal Sela
programs. She developed educational and intervention programs, conducted
individual and group treatment, and worked with children and adolescents
with developmental disabilities and behavior disorders.
Tanya’s education includes a Masters degree in Special Education and Speech Pathology from Minsk State University, Belarus, and she holds certification in Special Education and Speech Therapy from the Israel Ministry of Education and Culture. She is also a licensed educational counselor in Israel.
Kathy Parnes, Middle School Humanities Teacher
Kathy began teaching in 1997 at JCDS. She teaches Humanities – an
integrated course of English and History - to the 6th grade class, and
she is also a Middle School Advisory/Homeroom teacher. Kathy will continue
to work with other Middle School teachers on Electives, and she will also
continue to coach the JCDS Forensic (speech) Team on Mondays after school.
A native of Newton, Kathy has over 20 years of teaching and administrative experience working with 3-14 year olds, primarily in Jewish day schools. She taught at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School in New York City for ten years before coming to JCDS. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Political Science from Carleton College and a Master of Science in Elementary Education from Bank Street College. Kathy served as one of the first mentoring teachers for the DeLeT program at Brandeis University, now in its fifth year, which is implementing an innovative approach to training day school teachers.
A social and political activist, Kathy approaches teaching with passion and a commitment to making a difference in the life of each child. Last summer, she spent a week at a Facing History and Ourselves institute on Racism and Membership. She looks forward to sharing what she learned with her colleagues and students. Kathy brings her love of literature and drama to the classroom. She has staged numerous plays with the JCDS middle school classes and will continue the tradition this year.
Kathy and her partner, Sue Wurster, live in Waltham with their daughters,
Cara and Daniella. Both girls are students at JCDS, giving Kathy the perspective
of both a JCDS parent and a faculty member.
Debbie Percher, Lower School Teacher, Second Grade
Debbie has a B.A. in Jewish History from Haifa University, an
M.A. in Jewish History from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York,
and a Masters in Library and Information Science from Rutgers University.
Her teaching experience includes schools, camps and community centers
in the US and Israel. She was a substitute teacher at JCDS for two years
ago and started full time in 2006 as a second grade teacher.
Beth Polasky, Kol Echad Choir Director
Beth, parent of a current JCDS student and an alum, will be the
JCDS Kol Echad Choir Director. In addition, Beth will be an Israeli song
leader for JCDS, working with classes for haggim celebrations and for
the fun of learning and singing Israeli songs at other times. Beth has
been a JCDS Board member, and she has extensive experience in leading
singing with children. She was a song leader at Camp Young Judaea in Michigan,
a Music Leader for Tot Shabbat at Temple Emanuel in Newton, and a Choir/A
Capella Leader at many informal venues. Beth has spent the last fifteen
years working with 5th, 6th and 7th graders, first as a Hebrew and prayer
instructor at Temple Beth Elohim and then as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor.
Beth has a BA from Johns Hopkins and a Masters of Education from the Harvard
Graduate School of Education.
Arkady Potashinsky, Maintenance and Administrative Associate
Ark is the “go to” guy for most of the small repairs
that need attention in and around the building. He has worked at JCDS
since the fall of 2004. Ark and his family moved to the United States
from Russia in 1996 to start a better life and to have more opportunities
for their children (one graduated from college/the other is now in college).
Ark has a technical engineering degree from a college in Russia, and has
worked as an engineering assistant here in the U.S.
Ark enjoys fishing and travel both in the U.S. and abroad.
Helen Quint, Director of Admissions and Community Outreach
Helen joined the staff of JCDS in the spring of 1998. She came
to the school with a rich background in Jewish education and administration,
and with strong roots in the Boston Jewish community. For the ten years
just prior to beginning her work at JCDS, Helen taught at and directed
two Jewish early childhood programs in the Boston area. During that time,
she led workshops and published articles to share ideas for teaching Hebrew,
t’filla, and Jewish values to preschool age children. Her entrée
into the field of Jewish Early Childhood Education followed her return
from kibbutz life in Israel, where she had worked with young children,
and her completion of Hebrew College's Early Childhood Institute. Before
her career in Jewish Early Childhood Education, Helen taught special needs
students in therapeutic settings. She also taught Hebrew to school-age
children in afternoon Hebrew Schools and to adults in a day school’s
Adult Education Program. During her tenure as our Director of Admissions
and Community Outreach, Helen has attended numerous conferences sponsored
by PEJE (Partnership in Excellence in Jewish Education) and DAF (Jewish
Day School Advocacy Forum) and she has led workshops related to Admissions
and Recruitment.
Helen has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Brandeis University and graduate course credits in Education and Administration from Boston University, Wheelock, and Hebrew College. She is an active member of Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline, where she has served on a variety of committees including the Access Task Force, the Education Committee, and the Board of Trustees.
Helen and her husband Stan live in Brookline and have three wonderful adult children.
Andrea Schaffer, Lower School Teacher, Second Grade
Andrea has been at JCDS since the fall of 2004, when she was
placed at the school as a DeLeT Fellow. Andrea is a proud Canadian who
grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the comforts of a supportive and active
Jewish Community. In Winnipeg, Andrea attended a pluralistic Jewish day
school from K – 12 and was a counselor and administrator at the
Hebrew immersion summer camp, Camp Massad. Andrea graduated from the University
of Winnipeg where she studied Psychology and Conflict Resolution Studies.
She also enjoyed a year of study at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. Andrea
took graduate courses at the University of Victoria and spent this past
summer completing her Masters of Teaching through the Mandel Center for
Jewish Education at Brandeis University.
Now accustomed to life in Boston, Andrea is eager to continue at JCDS. For her first two years, Andrea taught third and fourth grades. Last year she taught second grade, and she is happy to continue teaching at this level.
Lee Silverberg, Lower School Teacher, 3rd/4th Grade
Lee joined JCDS in 2006 as teacher in Erez, a combined third and fourth
grade classroom. A recent graduate of the DeLeT Program, he completed
his student teaching in a 4th grade class at South Area Solomon Schechter
Day School. Lee grew up in Miami, Florida, and he has a BA in Psychology
and English from Emory University and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University.
This summer he completed his M.Ed. at Brandeis University.
Vered Singer, Art Teacher, Middle School Hebrew Teacher
Vered has been teaching at JCDS since the school opened in 1995. She began
as a Lower School teacher, teaching art on the side. Her responsibilities
over the years have shifted. Continuing from last year, she will be the
art teacher for the whole school and a middle school Hebrew teacher. She
has eighteen years of experience in education, having taught both in Israel
and the U.S. For several years she was principal of the Israel Complementary
School in Lexington. In addition to her certification to teach Kindergarten
through grade 2 from Levinsky Teachers College in Tel Aviv, Vered has
certification to teach handicrafts and general arts in grades 1 through
9 from Bet-Berl Teachers College in Kfar-Saba.
With her passion for Israel, Hebrew, handicrafts and art, Vered brings an abundance of creativity and warmth into the school. Vered lives in Burlington, is married to Ilan, has three daughters, Nitzan, Tali, and Lee-Or.
Alysia Stark, Director of Operations
Alysia joined JCDS in the spring of 2000, bringing many years of office
administration experience to the school. She is responsible for the daily
operation of the facility including safety, maintenance, logistics, building
arrangements, and telecommunication. She also manages the office and supervises
the administrative staff, maintenance, and IT administration. In the realm
of financial administration, Alysia oversees the non-academic inventory
and vendor purchases.
Prior to coming to JCDS, Alysia worked in the high tech industry for 18 years in various positions of office administration, marketing, event planning, training, instructional design, and finance. Since 1985, Alysia taught computer classes in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and graphic art programs. Alysia graduated from Boston University while working full time (7 years) in the Office of Admissions and Financial Assistance and was responsible for the creation and management of their Word Processing Center.
Alysia has enjoyed working with children and teens for many years. She taught Hebrew School in the greater Boston area and has been a youth advisor and teacher for United Synagogue Youth. She has been very active in the local Jewish community, serving on the boards of CJP's Young Professionals, the Jewish Community Relations Council, and MetroWest Jewish Community Center. She is currently on the board of her local Hadassah and Sisterhood chapter. Alysia lives in Framingham with her husband and son.
Erin Torrey, Administrative Assistant
Erin began working at JCDS at the end of February, 2007. Prior to joining
the JCDS community, she was an Educational Tour Consultant for EF Education,
helping thousands of middle school, high school, and college students
to travel the world. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Classical and Medieval
Studies from Bates College, as well as a minor in Ancient Greek. She has
played piano since the first grade, grew up in Connecticut, and loves
to sail with her family. Erin is a Harry Potter fanatic, along with her
mother and three sisters. She has Harry Potter books in three different
languages- English, Spanish, and Ancient Greek.
Ilene Weiner, Middle School Resource Teacher
Ilene holds both a Master’s Degree in Education and a Master’s
Degree in Business Administration. A teacher for almost 20 years, she
was most recently employed at the Merrimack Valley Hebrew Academy where
in addition to teaching, she developed curriculum. As our Middle School
Resource Teacher, Ilene works to support a variety of student needs and
to offer guidance in differentiated instruction to teachers. She continues
to teach at two afternoon religious schools in the area.