News from William Davidson School Alumni
Mazal tov to our 2022 graduates who have taken on these positions:
Matthew Altman is an assistant director of Park Avenue Synagogue’s Congregational School.
Leehee Baruch is a teacher at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School.
Anna Bruder is continuing her JTS studies and enrolled in The Rabbinical School.
Gabe Cohen is the assistant rabbi of Temple Emanu-el of Closter, New Jersey.
Shira B. Forester is a Judaic studies teacher at Luria Academy in Brooklyn.
Adam Gillman is continuing his JTS studies and enrolled in The Rabbinical School.
Harman Avery Grossman is assistant general counsel at Johnson and Johnson Inc.
Anna Hartman is the director of early childhood excellence at the Jewish United Fund in Chicago.
Aaron Hersh is an assistant director of Park Avenue Synagogue’s Congregational School.
Elyssa M. Hurwitz is a Jewish educator at the Moishe House in New York City.
Jesse Nagelberg is serving as the rabbi of Congregation Bnai Shalom of Olney, Maryland.
Jacob E. Nurick is the manager of adult engagement at the JCC Mid-Westchester.
Nancy Parkes is the founder and CEO of JTeachNOW.
Kayley Romick is a chaplain resident at Catholic Health Services of Long Island.
Alicia Rosenbaum joined Rutgers Hillel as its Israel engagement and programming coordinator.
Tab Scribner is the director of congregational learning at Temple Judea in Fort Myers, Florida.
Sara Shapiro-Plevan is the founder and CEO of the Gender Equity in Hiring in the Jewish Community Project and also of Rimonim Consulting.
Ben Varon is a chaplain resident at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.
We wish continued success to our alumni from all years on these accomplishments:
Sara Stave Beckerman became the director of Hebrew Home Page, part of the JCC Manhattan’s Jewish Journey Project. Sara continues to teach at the Schechter School of Long Island.
Melissa Cohavi recently became the director of Park Avenue Synagogue’s Congregational School.
Lynn Davis is the director of the Jewish Community Relations Council for Tucson and Southern Arizona and works out of the Tucson Jewish Museum.
Makai Dorfman is completing a master of science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from University of Wisconsin-Stout and serving as a marriage and family therapy intern at Evolve Therapy in Plymouth, Minnesota.
Daniel Dorsch and Sami Tanenbaum were included in this year’s Jewish Atlanta’s 40 Under 40 for 2022
Jenna Ferman is the assistant director at Penn Hillel, having previously served as its director of student and Israel engagement.
Jodie Goldberg is now the program officer at The Covenant Foundation.
Hillary Gardenswartz is the new director of student experiences at Civic Spirit.
Lesley Hoffman Goldenberg was promoted to director of family education at Congregation Temple Israel in St. Louis, Missouri.
Hannah Grossman assumed a new role at Repair the World as its New York program director.
Ben Herman became the senior rabbi of Mosaic Law Congregation in Sacramento, California in July 2022.
Brandon Johnson was recently promoted to be the Director of Business and Operations and Registrar at Camp Ramah in Northern California.
Daniela Kogan joined Jewish Community Relations Council of New York as its new program associate, fellowships and coalitions.
Debbie Kornberg is the founder and CEO of www.spiceandleaf.com. Through her cooking classes and live broadcasts, Debbie infuses her degree in Jewish education with her knowledge of Israel and passion for teaching others how to create delicious and healthy meals using ingredients from around the world.
Kelly Kossar became a Jewish learning guide at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, Massachusetts.
Yigal Kotler is a 2022 Covenant Award recipient for his impactful work with the Russian-speaking Jewish community as the director of Jewish education at the Council of Jewish Emigre Community Organizations.
Rachel Krueger is the Chief Development Officer at ImpactIsrael.
Glenna Lee joined the JCC Manhattan as a meditation instructor in summer 2022.
Sarah E. Levine recently became the cantor at B’nai Aviv in Weston, Florida.
Rachel Alexander Levy was recently appointed the executive director of Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut in New London, Connecticut.
Jessie Lavintman is serving as the interim Newman School director for the 2022-2023 academic year. The Newman School is part of Talmud Torah of St. Paul’s offerings.
Jamie Mafdali was promoted to director of youth engagement: learning and program at Temple Dor Dormin in Weston, Florida.
Marla Field Olsberg joined Brandeis University’s Hornstein Program as its program manager in April 2022.
Ari Perten is the vice president of programming, New York for Moishe House.
Zac Price joined the faculty of Towson University as assistant professor of early childhood education.
Yanira Y. Quinones recently joined the professional team of the Harold & Elaine Shames Jewish Community Center as its director of Jewish life.
Amy Ripps retired from Beth Meyer Synagogue as its director of congregational learning and now serves as the southern region coordinator for JSurge.
Mark Robbins is the new director of Jewish life and rabbi at Washington and Lee University.
Alyssa Rachel Schwager is the new director of youth and family engagement and director of programs of Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle, New York.
Charlie Schwartz recently launched Leharus: A Jewish Tavern and House of Learning in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Vanessa Shamosh is the Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management at the Jewish Leadership Academy.
Yoni Stadlin, co-founder of Eden Village Camp, is now the chief program officer at Hazon.
Dana Levinson Steiner completed her studies and earned a Ph.D. from NYU Steinhardt in June 2022. Dana serves as the director of ACCESS Global at AJC.
Joshua Troderman is now the director of donor relations at Brandeis University.
Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath, senior director of knowledge, ideas, and learning at The Jewish Education Project, published her book, Coming of Age During the Resurgence of Hate, last June and was an Education and Jewish Identity finalist in the 72nd National Jewish Book Award. We also thank Samantha for co-facilitating an interactive webinar for Davidson alumni in November 2022, on best practices for scaffolding conversations with students about contemporary antisemitism and the implications of this learning for choices related to Jewish identity.
Hannah Wallick is the new director of Camp Young Judaea Midwest.
Allison Bratt Weil is the new director of early childhood education at the Rabbi Mark and Morah Renee Panoff Preschool of Temple Isaiah in Fulton, Maryland.
Aliza Weinstock transitioned out of the day school setting and now applies her knowledge and skills to better strengthen the Greater MetroWest Federation in New Jersey as its Quest for Excellence day school manager. Aliza works closely with local day schools including Golda Och Academy, Kushner, JEC, and Gottesman on their ongoing professional development initiatives.
Julie Wohl is now the director of education at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dahlia (Bernstein) Yafé is the new director of Jewish culture and programming at the JCC Mid-Westchester.
Mazal tov to all the outstanding Jewish educators, especially our Davidson alumni, who were selected to receive a 2022 Covenant Foundation grant to support their creative approach to Jewish education: Mara Braunfeld, director of children and families at the Hadar Institute, received a Signature Grant to create A Little Taste of Devash—original Torah content for young children and their families based on the weekly parasha; Susie Tanchel, vice president of community education at Hebrew College, along with her colleague received a Signature Grant to strengthen the spiritual formation of rabbinic education among current students; Pamela Barkley, vice president of programs of Moving Traditions, received a Signature grant to expand Kulam, a new-post-b mitzvah program for tends of all gender identities; Laynie Soloman, associate rosh yeshiva & director of transformative leadership of SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, received a Signature Grant to expand the Pedagogy Chaburah, a teacher-training program that facilitates SVARA’s method of Talmud study to be taught at other organizations and in other communities; Eliana Light, founder and head t’fillahsopher and podcast co-host of the Light Lab, received an Ignition grant to create the T’fillah Teachers Fellowship to train congregational educators in innovative pedagogy of spiritual development in religious schools across the country.
Mazal tov to all the rabbis and Jewish educators named in the 2023 JJGI Fellowship for Rabbis and Senior Educators, particularly all JTS alumni and these Davidson alumni: Saul Kaiserman, doctoral candidate; Etan Weiss, the director of Jewish life at the Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School; and Benjamin Herman, senior rabbi of Mosaic Law Congregation.
Mazal tov to all the Wexner Field Fellows in Cohort 7, especially our three Davidson alumni: Dr. Hannah Bennett, who is the head of school of Briskin Elementary, Temple Israel of Hollywood’s Day School in Los Angeles, California; Dr. Laura Herman, who is director of program and evaluation at JPRO Network; and Ivy G. Schreiber, who is the director of New York education initiatives at the Jewish Education Project.
