We are pleased to announce the inauguration of the RAVSAK Small School Professional Development Scholarship. This scholarship will make the training, networking and professional development opportunities of the RAVSAK Annual Leadership Conference accessible to educators from small Jewish day schools and small Jewish communities across North America.
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Title: Head of School The Akiva School is the only independent elementary community day school of its kind in the region and has earned both local and national recognition as an outstanding academic institution. The school is located minutes from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, a culturally vibrant city... Featured School
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is a non-profit organization that is leading an educational movement of effective Israel supporters. We aim to inform and inspire strong voices for Israel through our dynamic and comprehensive educational curricula, workshops, and seminars. |
Conference Schedule | Presenters' Biographies | Register Now! | Sponsors Presenters' BiographiesCharlotte Abramson currently serves as the Project Director for the Jewish Day School Standards and Benchmarks Project, at the Melton Research Center for Jewish Education of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Charlotte served as Dean of Studies at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union, Upper School and principal of its middle school. Prior to her work in day school administration, Charlotte taught TaNaKH, Hebrew literature and Rabbinics at Hillel Day School of Farmington Hills, Michigan and at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, NJ.
Nora Anderson was born in Gibraltar and raised in Lima, Peru. Nora came to the United States to pursue a BA in Psychology with minors in Education and Mathematics from Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University. Immediately after college, Nora began teaching mathematics at MS 143 in the Bronx. After three years in teaching, Nora received a MS in School Guidance and Counseling from Lehman College, SUNY. She continued her career at MS 143 and worked as a guidance counselor for 10 years. Nora continued her education by pursuing a Masters in Education in School Supervision and Administration from Bank Street College of Education and a certificate in the Reading and Writing Process from Teachers College. Upon completion of this program, Nora became the assistant principal at PS 95 in the Bronx, in charge of grades 3 through 5 and the ESL and Bilingual programs. In July 2001, she was appointed middle school Assistant Principal at the Dobbs Ferry district in Westchester. Nora has been the Head of School at WFHA since July 2003. Nora lives in Rye Brook with her two children, husband and three step-children.
Rabbi Marc Baker is the Head of Gann Academy–The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston. A native of Lynnfield MA, Marc graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, and received his B.A. in Religious Studies from Yale University. After graduating from Yale, he received a Dorot Fellowship to spend the year working and studying in Israel. Marc spent four years living in Jerusalem and studying at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, as a Fellow and as a pioneer of the Pardes Educators Program. He received his M.A. in Jewish Education from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his Rabbinic Ordination from Rabbi Danny Landes, Director and Rosh Yeshiva of Pardes. Marc lives in Brookline with his wife Jill and their three children, Elisha, Meital and Maor. Rabbi Tzvi Berkson is currently the Middle School Principal for Judaic Studies of the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Florida and served as its high school interim principal for Judaics last year. Throughout his career Rabbi Berkson has organized and taught Tefillah in a variety of locations and formats, utilizing a multiplicity of teaching styles and modalities. Rabbi Berkson is also a mentor in the current SuLaM cohort.
Matthew Chanoff has designed and implemented broad-scale market evaluations and market-entry strategies in the United States, China, and Southeast Asia for Fortune 500 companies in several industries, including electronic components, high-tech materials, software, automotive market and aftermarket, chemicals, investment, and professional services. In addition, Mr. Chanoff is a co-founder of two Internet security companies, Damballa Inc. and Pramana Inc., and is co-director of Profounder LLC, an Atlanta based investment firm. Mr. Chanoff has a Masters of Arts degree in International Economics and Politics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Mr. Chanoff has served on the board of Brandeis Hillel Day School, the largest Jewish day school West of the Mississippi, for five years, with a focus on finance, investment, and compensation.
Felicia Herman is Executive Director of The Natan Fund, a grant making foundation funded by young philanthropists. Previously, she was Research and Program Officer at the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life. She holds a PhD in Jewish history from Brandeis University, and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, David Ben-Ur, and their three children. Her eldest child is a first-grader at the Hannah Senesh Community Day School in Brooklyn. Dr. Adam C. Holden was born near London, England, and raised in the southern part of the United Kingdom. Dr. Holden has been a teacher, coach, and school administrator in both the private and public education systems of Europe and the United States. He has teaching experience ranging from elementary education through to graduate education programs, and presently works as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer for several colleges and universities, specializing in School Law. Adam is a former semi-professional athlete, playing competitive soccer for over a decade in Europe and holds national coaching and referee qualifications. He is also a former Commissioned Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force. Dr. Holden has received “Outstanding Achievement in Education” Awards from the University of Kansas, and USD 437, has been named in “Who’s Who in American Education” on several occasions and has a Citation for Distinguished Professional Service from the National Association of Secondary School Principals. He has studied at some of the world’s foremost educational institutions including Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford Universities. Dr. Holden is an accomplished Educational Consultant and Speaker for faculty in-services, school board training, and parent education seminars. He also works as an Independent Consultant for Private Schools and Public School Districts all over the country. In recent years, Dr. Holden has been invited to speak at more than a dozen National Conferences for organizations including: NASSP, AASA, ASCD, NCEA, RAVSAK, and PEJE. In addition, he has enjoyed numerous state and local invitations. Adam has been a Regional Associate for the National Catholic Educator Association, and has served on the International Partnerships Advisory Council for the National Association for Secondary School Principals. He has completed Head of School training with the International Baccalaureate Organization in all levels of the program: Diploma, MYP and PYP, and was awarded the coveted Blue Ribbon of Excellence from the State Department of Education in 2005. Dr. Holden is the Head of School of The Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School/The Ben Lipson Hillel Community High School, the second-largest Jewish community day school in the nation.
Anne-Marie Kee is the Executive Director of the Canadian Educational Standards Institute (CESI). In this role, she initiated a two-year project on Differentiated Instruction and the Think Tank on Global Education. Prior to her appointment in 2006, she was the Director of Evaluation Services for CESI; in this role, she initiated the National Tracking Project and co-authored the National Technology Project: A Report on Effective Practice. Her current commitments include Board member at Our Kids and Dialogue magazines as well as the Council for Independent School’s e-Learning Consortium. She is also an active member of the NAIS International Commission on Accreditation. She taught for the Lennox and Addington School Board for six years before moving to Montreal. At Lower Canada College, Anne-Marie was a Senior English teacher, the Dean of Studies and Chair of the Integrated Technology Implementation program.
Randall Maycock is a past member of the Brandeis Hillel Day School Board of Trustees, where he served as Treasurer for four years. He remains active on BHDS’ Budget & Finance and Investment committees. Randy attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and now works as a financial planner and investment advisor at Roof, Eidam & Maycock, LLC in San Francisco. Dr. Sandy Miller-Jacobs is a Professor and Director of Special Education programs at Hebrew College, Newton, MA. She is also Professor Emerita in Special Education, Fitchburg State College, where she served as professor, department chair, interim VP of Academic Affairs and interim dean of academic personnel. For six years at the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Boston, she helped initiate and expand day, congregational and preschool programs for students with special needs. She has published and provided professional development programs on differentiated instruction and other special education topics. BA, elementary education, Queens College of the City University of NY, M.Ed, special education, Boston Univ., D.Ed, special education Boston College.
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Dr. Tali Aldouby-Schuck is the Director of Professional Development and Judaic Studies Curriculum at the Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy in Greenwich, CT. Tali served as a TaNaKH Educator Consultant for the AVI CHAI Jewish Day School Standards and Benchmarks Project. She completed her Doctorate in Education and Jewish Studies at the NYU Steinhardt School of Education. Her dissertation research explored how Catholic and Jewish Bible teachers’ instructional practices are informed by their background, ideas and beliefs regarding the Bible. While pursuing her doctorate at NYU, Tali provided classroom supervision and mentoring for students pursuing their Master’s Degree in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education. In addition to teaching Bible at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School in Manhattan, Tali was a Melton Fellow at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During this fellowship her research focused on Bible teachers in American Jewish day schools who grew up as secular Israelis and how their secular upbringing influenced their pedagogy and content choices. Tali resides in Pelham, NY with her husband, Rabbi David Schuck, and their two sons.
Eric Amar has more than 13 years of leadership experience building efficient private school business offices and guiding change. An accomplished school business official and consultant, his vision and expertise in school business performance have driven notable improvement growth in the operational aspects of the private school sector. Offering a rare blend of creative and operational strengths, Eric has achieved exciting turnarounds and is recognized for his success in implementing successful long-range financial planning and multi-year flexible tuition programs. His strategic approach to building school business procedures is reflected in his work as a PEJE coach and as Principal Consultant of his consulting practice, where his concept creation and focus on strategic financial planning using tuition aid allocation programs has delivered impressive results. Eric also had significant impact in the development and maintenance of the formula guiding the allocation of Federation funds to schools in Montreal where he also held senior executive positions in Jewish Educational Administration. Eric Amar’s exceptional track record of school business improvement is based on his philosophy of total enterprise engagement in benefiting students. He is known for his ability to quickly identify and diagnose operational and financial impediments that go far beyond basic business procedures, working with schools to refine their organizational structure, operational procedures, flexible tuition programs and long-range financial planning. Eric received his and B. Comm from the Concordia University in Montreal and subsequently earned his C.G.A. (Certified General Accountant) and C. Admin (Chartered Administrator) designations.
Rabbi Dr. Nachum Amsel currently works with Rabbi Berel Wein and the Destiny Foundation as the Director of Educational Programming, whose mission is “to bring Jewish history to life in an exciting, entertaining and interactive way.” Rabbi Amsel has been a teacher, a school principal, has taught in university and has also taught over 1000 teachers how to teach more effectively. Rabbi Amsel has worked in all areas of formal and informal Jewish education and has developed numerous curricula including a methodology how to teach Jewish Values using mass media. He lives with his wife and four children in Jerusalem.
Dr. Ruth Ashrafi is Director of Judaic Studies at the Gray Academy of Jewish Education in Winnipeg, a vibrant K-12 community day school with circa 600 students. She is particularly interested in developing curriculum for Jewish day schools in the fields of Tanakh, rabbinic literature and Jewish History. Her Ph.D. is in Midrash and Medieval Hebrew Literature. She is a graduate of the Jerusalem Fellows Program. She is married and has one child.
Michael Blacher, of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore’s Los Angeles office, practices employment and labor law representing independent schools and school districts as well as cities, counties, and special districts. Michael has been particularly successful in advising clients to anticipate and prevent potential legal problems. Michael has assisted clients in a variety of school law issues. In particular, Michael specializes in employee and student issues as well as governance, and contractual issues. Michael also works extensively with schools on matters involving family and medical leave, discrimination, and wage and hour issues. He assists schools with parent/student handbooks as well as employee handbooks. A frequent presenter, Michael has provided workshops for a number of schools and associations including the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO), Bureau of Jewish Education, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Prior to joining Liebert Cassidy Whitmore in 2001, Michael worked on documentary films, including the Academy Award winner, The Long Way Home. He was an educational administrator at the Museum of Tolerance and an instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Michael received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. He received his M.A. in History from the University of California, Los Angeles and his B.A. from the University of California, Riverside. For the last several years, Michael has been recognized as a Southern California Rising Star.
Jonathan Cannon is Head of School at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School of Greater Washington. With over 1,400 students in its K-12 programs, it is one of the largest and most well-known Jewish day schools in the world. Prior to coming to Rockville, Maryland, Mr. Cannon was Head of School at the Carmel International School of Hong Kong, the only Jewish school in Southeast Asia. Mr. Cannon began his career in education in England as a teacher at the Jewish Free School in London, and then as Assistant Principal at Carmel College. He has designed and published curricula on values-based Torah education. Mr. Cannon has an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a Master’s degree in Education from London University’s Institute of Education.
Rabbi Joshua Elkin is the Executive Director of the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE), a grant making and advocacy organization for Jewish day schools. Prior to PEJE, he was the Head of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston for 20 years. Rabbi Elkin was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and went on to complete a doctorate at Columbia Teachers College in the field of curriculum and teaching. He has also served as Adjunct Lecturer in Jewish Education at the Brandeis Hornstein Program for Jewish Communal Service. In 1987-88, Rabbi Elkin spent a sabbatical year in Israel as a Jerusalem Fellow. Currently, Rabbi Elkin is on the Board of Gann Academy: the New Jewish High School of Greater Boston. He has served on the Board of Camp Ramah in New England and most recently on its Director Search Committee. He is a Past President of the Solomon Schechter Day School Principals Council. He has authored numerous articles on Jewish education and day schools. A number of institutions have chosen to recognize his contributions, including most recently the Jewish Theological Seminary, Hebrew College, Solomon Schechter Day School of Manhattan, and Gann Academy: the New Jewish High School of Greater Boston. Rabbi Elkin is married to Judy Israel, who is currently the Program Director of DeLeT at Brandeis University, a day school teacher preparation program. They are the parents of Jonathan, Benjamin, and Liza, all of whom have attended Jewish day school from K through 12. For recreation, Josh enjoys biking, choral singing, and gardening.
Karen Feller is Head of School at Donna Klein Jewish Academy, a K-12 community day school of over 700 students in Boca Raton, Florida. Mrs. Feller holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education. Throughout her extensive career in education, Mrs. Feller has taught elementary, middle, and high school grades in both the public and private sectors. She has been an administrator at Donna Klein Jewish Academy for approximately 10 years. Prior to coming to DKJA, she served as the Head of three schools, including seven years as Head of the Hillel School of Tampa, a K-8 Jewish community day school. She also has served on the board of the Pennsylvania Association of Private Schools; the Florida Kindergarten Council (FKC); and is a past president of the RAVSAK. Mrs. Feller has been a presenter at several conferences, including Project SuLaM, at conferences for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS), as well as a participant in numerous focused think tanks.
Chaim Fischgrund was born in Straubing, Germany to parents that were both Holocaust survivors. In 1950, the family moved to Israel and, in 1958, to Brooklyn, NY where Chaim graduated cum laude with a BA in History from Yeshiva College. He holds a Bachelor of Religious Education from Erna Michael College of Yeshiva University and an MA in History from City University of New York. In 1974 Chaim made Aliyah with his wife, Harriet, and their infant son. A second son and a daughter were born in Israel. Chaim taught history and Bible in the ORT Netanya School and held a variety of other educational posts there including: History Department Chair, Coordinator of Tutorial Services and Extra Curricular Activities. From 1980 to 1983, Chaim served as an emissary for the Jewish Agency in Cape Town, South Africa. He joined AMHSI as a core teacher in April 1983, was principal from 1991 to 1999, was promoted to Headmaster in 1999 and appointed Executive Director of Israel Operations in 2004. As Executive Director, his duties include developing and overseeing the curriculum and budget for all Israel based programs, serving as the main point of contact with various institutions in Israel, and involvement with fundraising efforts in the United States. Chaim also travels regularly to North America to speak to Jewish and secular audiences about Israel and the High School.
Steve Freedman is in his sixth year as Head of School at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit. Previously Steve served as Educational Director of Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park, PA. for thirteen years and served as Assistant Principal at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester before that. He has taught new educational leaders at the New Director’s Institute, sponsored by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and is past President of the Jewish Educator’s Assembly. Steve is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary where he received his MA in Jewish Education and Principal’s Certificate in Day School Education. He has done post graduate work on leadership and institutional change. Steve’s most important position is that of husband to Joan and Abba to 4 wonderful children.
Scott J. Goldberg, Ph.D., is the Director of the Institute for University – School Partnership at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, where he also is Director of the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Division of Doctoral Studies. Dr. Goldberg is an active researcher of various educational and psychological topics including: Differentiated Instruction, multilingual literacy development and assessment, the connection between learning disabilities and behavior problems, religious development, the effects of media on learning and behavior, bilingual education, and special education. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from New York University, an M.S.Ed. in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education in New York, and a B.A. in Jewish Studies from the University of Chicago.
Mariashi Groner has more than twenty years of experience in school administration and classroom teaching. She received her training in Judaic teaching at Beth Rivka Seminary, Brooklyn, New York. She learned school administration from the ground up as the founder of a combination Jewish preschool/day school in Charlotte more than twenty years ago. The school grew and expanded one grade per year in each of the early years. The school’s successful preschool program later broke off and became The Jewish Preschool on Sardis, while the day school moved its campus to its present location at Shalom Park. Later, Mrs. Groner was approached by Charlotte Jewish leaders seeking to form a community day school built upon the existing school. Charlotte Jewish Day School was the final result of their and Mrs. Groner’s combined efforts to build a community day school of excellence. She actively participates in RAVSAK, the Jewish Community Day School Network, and seeks out networking opportunities with other educational professionals throughout the country. Mariashi lives in Charlotte with her husband, Rabbi Yossi Groner. She is the mother and grandmother of ten children and six grandchildren, who all have attended (or currently attend…or will soon attend….) CJDS.
Aimee Gruber has spent the past 18 years honing her skills in admission and related fields. As a Field Representative for the Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB), she travels extensively throughout the U.S. and in Asia visiting schools, presenting at conferences, and meeting with education contacts on behalf of member schools and families. She began her career in the early 1990s at The White Mountain School (NH) as an Assistant Director of Admission and went on to serve as Director of Admission and Financial Aid at the Tilton School (NH) and The Webb school of Knoxville (TN). She spent five years as the Associate Director of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) in Washington, DC, where, among other things, she managed professional development workshops, organized international student recruitment efforts in Asia for member schools, developed marketing and promotional materials on boarding schools, and represented TABS worldwide. She served two terms on the Board of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Foundation and served as lead faculty member for SSATB’s International Admission Program.
Kim Hirsh is a Development Officer with the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest, the planned giving and endowment arm of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest. A key part of her job is coordinating a $50 million endowment campaign for academic excellence and affordability in MetroWest’s three Jewish day schools. To date, the campaign has raised more than $20 million in commitments. Prior to joining the JCF, Kim worked as Development Director for the Hebrew Academy of Morris County (HAMC), a Community Jewish day school in Randolph, NJ. Kim works as a coach for the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE), specifically with the New York Leadership and Fundraising Academy. She is an active volunteer both for her children’s Jewish day school, the HAMC, and for a secular private school, Newark Academy, where she serves on the Board of Trustees. Before entering the field of development, Kim worked for close to 20 years as a newspaper and magazine journalist, as well as a public relations professional for the University of Iowa and other non-profit organizations.
Joel M. Hoffman, PhD, an expert in translation and Hebrew, lectures across the globe on popular and scholarly topics spanning Hebrew, translation, history, prayer, education, and Jewish continuity. He has taught at Brandeis University; the Academy for Jewish Religion; and, currently, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. He presents at dozens of congregations and community events each year, and consults nationally and internationally for supplemental and day-school Hebrew programs. In August, 2008, he chaired CAJE 33, the largest gathering of Jewish educators in the world. Dr. Hoffman is the chief translator for the popular 10-volume series, My People's Prayer Book (winner of the National Jewish Book Award) and for My People's Passover Haggadah, both from Jewish Lights Publishing. He is the author of the widely-read In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language (NYU Press). He writes a 
Michael Kay is Director of Judaic Studies for the Upper School of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD. He is also a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Leadership and Jewish Studies at New York University, where he is completing his dissertation on the topic of leadership and community building in ideologically pluralistic Jewish high schools. He previously taught at the Weber School in Atlanta, GA and in several adult Jewish education institutions in Atlanta, New York, and Washington. He is an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and the Day School Leadership Training Institute, and he is a recipient of the Young Scholar Award from the Network for Research in Jewish Education.
Larry Kligman has been involved at Heschel for 30 years. He first came to Heschel as a student starting here in the third grade. After receiving his bachelor’s degree and teaching credential, Larry rejoined the Heschel team teaching Judaic Studies and PE. During this time, Larry continued his education receiving a Masters Degree in Education and an Administrative Credential. In 2000 Larry was promoted to Dean of Middle School students and in 2006 was promoted to the Middle School Director position. While Larry has indeed had a long and prosperous relationship at Heschel, his proudest role is as a current parent. He has three children currently attending Heschel.
Dr. Laurence Kutler has been involved as a Head of School in Jewish Community Day Schools for thirty years. He is a past president and one of the founders of RAVSAK, and a mentor at project Sullam. Dr. Kutler has published widely in the fields of Hebrew Bible, Ancient Near Eastern Languages, Jewish Education, and Holocaust literature. He is currently the Head of School at the David Posnack Hebrew Day School in Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
Sacha Litman is the founder of Measuring Success. Sacha holds an M.B.A. with highest distinction from the Kellogg School of Management and a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, funded by the Wexner Graduate Fellowship program. Sacha has studied at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies in Israel through the Dorot Fellowship, and holds his Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics from Yale University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude with distinction. Sacha began his career at McKinsey & Company, where he consulted with both for-profit and non-profit clients. He was subsequently the Director of Campus Strategic Services for Hillel's International Center. Sacha has published articles on non-profit measurement in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Contact Magazine, and other trade journals.
Dan Niles was formerly CEO of Neuberger Berman Technology Management, a business unit formed by Mr. Niles and Neuberger Berman from January 2004 through the end of 2008. It was a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers. In his role as CEO, Mr. Niles was focused on long and short equity investments in the technology sector for both institutional and high net worth investors. In April of 2006, the Satori Technology Fund, which Dan manages, was awarded the “Best Newcomer” award at the 2006 MARHedge US Performance Awards in New York City. The category was for hedge funds with less than a two year track record and the judging decisions were based primarily on performance, but also took into account qualitative and structural criteria. Mr. Niles joined Lehman Brothers in May 2000 and was the head of computer hardware and semiconductor research. During his tenure in Lehman Brothers' Equity Research Department, Mr. Niles became one of the most recognized research analysts in any sector. Mr. Niles was ranked by Institutional Investor Magazine's "All-America Equity Research Team" survey from 1999-2003 in the semiconductor category and from 2000-2003 in the PC hardware/IT hardware categories, most recently being named the #1 analyst in the semiconductor category, and runner-up in the IT hardware category for 2003. In 2000, Mr. Niles was one of only three analysts in any industry sector to receive three awards (stock picking, useful and timely calls, and earnings estimates) in the "Who's the Best" category. He has received five awards in the Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" survey, including awards for stock picking in the categories of computer peripherals, computer hardware & PCs, and most recently semiconductors in 2003. Mr. Niles was previously at Robertson Stephens where he held similar responsibilities. From 1990 to 1994 Mr. Niles was in Robertson's mergers & acquisitions group. Before starting his Wall Street career, Mr. Niles was an engineer with Digital Equipment Corporation. Mr. Niles received a BS in systems engineering from Boston University and an MS in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
Zion Ozeri was born in Israel to immigrants from Yemen and currently living in New York City, Zion Ozeri is one of the world’s leading photographers exploring the Jewish experience. Raised in Israel during a period of mass immigration, he interacted with many diverse cultures. This unique background gives him a cross-culture perspective that suffuses his work. He graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute, both in New York City, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. His photographs have appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, The Jerusalem Report, Moment, the Middle East Insight, and many other publications. His work has been exhibited in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, The Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv, The Spertus museum in Chicago, The museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, the 92nd Street Y in New York, the Skriball Museum in Los Angeles and many galleries across the United States. Ozeri recently published The Jewish World Family Haggadah Simon & Schuster, 2005), and a coffee table book, The Jews of Yemen, The Last Generation, (Keter, Jerusalem, 2005). Ozeri won a Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism in 2004. His new curriculum, The Jewish Lens, is currently in schools across the USA, and Israel.
Jeff Paikin is the Chair of the Board for the Canadian Educational Standards Institute. He graduated from Hillfield Strathallan College and earned his B.Comm. degree at Mount Allison University. He is a past board member at Mount Allison Alumni Association and the Junior Achievement Board of Directors. He is a past director of the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation and is currently a member of the Children's Aid Society Capital Campaign for Hamilton. He has been a committee member of the B'Nai Brith Sports Celebrity Dinner since 1984, and has served as dinner chair or co-chair 11 times since joining the committee. It is the largest annual fund raising dinner in Hamilton. Since 1994, Jeff has been the President of New Horizon Homes. He is currently a Partner and Board Member with the Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Club. Jeff has a keen interest in education and has been Chair of the HSC Board of Governors since 2005, and a member of their board and of the Board of Trustees since 1999.
Dr. Alex Pomson is a senior lecturer at the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at the Hebrew University. He was founding Head of Jewish Studies at the King Solomon High School in London. From 1996 to 2004, he served as Associate Professor of Jewish Teacher Education at York University, Toronto where he coordinated York’s Jewish Teacher Education Programme. He recently completed a longitudinal study funded by the Canadian Government, published as a co-authored book, Back to school: Jewish day schools in the lives of adult Jews. His next book, a co-edited volume, Jewish schools, Jewish communities: a reconsideration, will be published in spring 2009 by the Littman Library of Jewish Civilization.
Nancy Pryzant Picus, RJE, is the Director of Jewish Learning at The Shlenker School in Houston, Texas, a Reform day school serving children ages eighteen months through fifth grade. She received her Masters of Arts in Hebrew Education from The Rhea Hirsh School of Education of Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She is also the president of PARDeS, The Progressive Association of Reform Day Schools.
Frances M. Urman is the project director of the Day School Leadership Training Institute. She is responsible for managing all program operations, including planning, marketing, participant selection, logistics, staff and external consultant supervision, and dissemination of project results. Fran held the position of principal at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union in West Orange, New Jersey, from 1999–2004. She previously held leadership positions at the Solomon Schechter High School of New York and the Yitzhak Rabin High School in Ottawa, Canada. Additional professional work includes twenty years of teaching experience in the Orthodox, Conservative, and community day schools of Canada and the United States. Fran holds a master's degree in Education from Tufts University. She completed the Secondary School Leadership Training Program (precursor to DSLTI) at The Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and has studied at the Principal's Center, Harvard University. Fran is married to Stan Urman and is the proud mother of three grown daughters―Mia Urman Tsur, Dr. Marnina Urman, and Samara Urman―and one wonderful grandson, Noam.
Dr. Rennie Wrubel retired in June, 2008 after 42 years in education, from Milken Community High School where she had served as Head of School for the past 11 years. While at Milken among her many accomplishments was her collaborative working model with faculty and staff that led to the development of the Advanced Jewish Studies Center, the Mitchell Academy of Science and Technology and the Stephen S. Wise Youth Orchestra (now the L.A. Youth Orchestra). Dr. Wrubel was awarded the Jewish Educator Award for 2006 by the Milken Family Foundation for these efforts among many. Dr. Wrubel came to Milken with her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Fordham University, a Masters Degree from the University of Wisconsin in English and American Literature and a dual Bachelor’s Degree in English and Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She taught English in middle and high school and then worked as an English Department Head for 11 years prior to becoming an assistant principal and principal of Byram Hills High School in Armonk, N.Y. where she served for 13 years. During her tenure, the high school was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School. Currently, Rennie Wrubel and her husband Stan have retired to Palm Desert, California and make frequent trips to Israel to do the job they love most-being grandparents to Eitan, Nir and Tamar.© 2008 RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School Network
