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CJL Faculty 2024-25

Meet our Faculty...

Rabbi Wendy Pein ~ Director of Congregational Learning  

Rabbi Pein is one of the rabbis at Temple Israel and oversees the Center for Jewish Learning. Rabbi Pein received her M.A. in Jewish Educational Leadership through Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and her Doctor of Divinity in May 2022. Rabbi Pein is enthusiastic about Jewish education and revealing how Judaism is relevant and meaningful to our modern lives. She will be leading our teens on the trip to the Religious Action Center (RAC) this year. She lives by the maxim to “keep growing and learning.”

Rabbi Jennifer Jaech - Lead CJL High School Instructor

Rabbi Jennifer Jaech became the Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel of Northern Westchester in 2006. Rabbi Jaech has been teaching high school/confirmation students at Temple Israel since 1999. She initiated the Confirmation Class trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Religious Action Center’s L’Taken Social Justice Seminar. Rabbi Jaech takes a student-centered approach to teaching in the CJL high school and listens carefully to what teens wish to learn and explore about their Jewish heritage. Rabbi Jaech also teaches our Sunday CJL students on a regular basis. She enjoys instructing children and adults, both within our synagogue and in the broader community.

Alice Kossin ~ Temple Tots

Alice is a long time Temple and CJL faculty member. As an early childhood educator/counselor, she finds joy in exploring the spiritual connection between tots and their families through music, stories, and art. Temple tot events revolve around holidays, focusing on creating experiences which enhance the bond between families and our Temple community.

 

Ana Hurwitz ~ Gan (Kindergarten)

As a child Ana enjoyed spending Shabbatot on the Lower East Side with her Bobi (grandmother), forging a deep love and connection with her Judaism. She spent thirteen years at Yeshivat Ramaz, a year in Israel studying in a girl’s seminary, and then returned to New York to attend Binghamton University. After college, she started a career in PR and eventually opened a restaurant in Tribeca with her two brothers: Tiny’s and the Bar Upstairs. Ana currently lives in Croton with her husband Seth and three young daughters. Ana is a returning teacher to Temple Israel, and she is passionate about helping students find joy and a spiritual connection in Judaism

Shari Applebaum ~ Aleph Bet (Second Grade) 

Shari Applebaum has a passion for teaching and has been an educator for the past 17 years. Her joy in teaching students in grades K-7 shines through in her lessons. She engages her students in their learning about Jewish holidays and Torah stories by making each story come alive in role play and recreating the story. When Shari is not teaching, she spends time hiking the trails in the area, baking, volunteering on behalf of persons with mental health challenges and is on the Board of Directors of Lagond Music School, where she is the founder of need based high school music scholarships for aspiring musicians.

Elexis Koch - Kitah Gimmel and Dalet (Third and Fourth Grade Judaica)

Elexis Koch will be returning to our Sunday CJL Faculty this year as a co-teacher for Gimmel/Dalet Judaica. She has fond memories of her Jewish education at Solomon Schechter and later at her Temple in Bucks County, PA. She is a lover of Jewish music and a member of the Temple Israel choir Hallel B’shir. She and her husband are members of Temple Israel and have a daughter who serves as a Madricha (teen aide). She is looking forward to fostering a love of Judaism and an understanding of Jewish values among her students in the CJL this year.

David Schwadron - Kitah Gimmel and Dalet (Third and Fourth Grade Judaica)

David Schwadron is a new addition to the faculty of Temple Israel. David has been a member of Temple Israel since birth. David had his baby naming, bar-mitzvah, and his confirmation all at Temple Israel. From 2010-2012, David was a Teacher’s Aide for 2nd grade Judaica at Temple Israel. David has also been training in martial arts for 24 years and has been teaching martial arts to children of all ages since 2005. David will be bringing his background in movement and sports to the CJL this year.

Lane Chazdon ~ Kitah Gimmel and Dalet (Third and Fourth Grade Hebrew) 

Lane Chazdon has taught Hebrew for many years, “the most enjoyable of which have been at Temple Israel.” This year he is teaching Kitah Gimmel and Dalet (third and fourth grade) Ivrit (Hebrew). Lane appreciates being part of the long, long chain of teachers and students that have sustained the Jewish people for thousands of years. He feels that this is a “chain we cannot allow to break.” Lane appreciates the “special feeling when a teacher sees a student grasp a concept or skill that has been eluding them. Even better is seeing the student’s confidence grow and motivation get stronger.” Lane incorporates many game-like, small group learning stations to accomplish learning objectives.

Judy Kropf ~ Kitah Hay (Fifth Grade) and Kitah Zayin (Seventh Grade) 

Judy Kropf attended Hebrew University in Jerusalem and taught English as a foreign language (EFL) to Israeli middle and high school students. She also helped to facilitate many English language immersion programs while living in Israel. She joined the CJL Faculty at Temple Israel in 2016. She teaches Kitah Hey Jewish Life Cycles and Hebrew/Judaica, as well as connecting our 5th graders with Israeli penpals. Judy co-teaches our 7th grade B'mitzvah class with Oren Neiman. Judy lives in Garrison with her spouse Noel and has two grown daughters, who are also Hebrew school teachers. In her spare time, Judy loves to bake sourdough bread, crochet, hula hoop, sing folk songs, and dance folk dances from Israel, the Balkans, and Hungary, as well as doing partner dancing with Noel.

Laura Copel - Kitah Vav (Sixth Grade) Judaica

Laura Copel started teaching at Temple Israel in 2001. Over the years she has taught first, sixth, and seventh grades, incorporating music as much as possible. Laura is looking forward to meeting and learning with her students this year while she continues to tutor B'mitzvah students in Hebrew Boot Camp. She is a long-time member of Temple Israel, serving on the Ritual Committee and in Sisterhood. A published composer of Jewish music, Laura plays flute in Sh’ma Na Na, Temple Israel’s band, and is music director of B’not, a women’s vocal quartet. By day, she works at the Union for Reform Judaism.

Susan Smith ~ Kitah Vav (Sixth Grade) Hebrew and Judaica 

Susan Smith has been a member of Temple Israel for 33 years. Susan comes from a family of religious educators as her father was a Reform Rabbi. She is passionate about teaching Hebrew and uses creative strategies to help her learners decode and comprehend the meaning of Hebrew prayers and identify the Hebrew letters/vowels. She has also received training in the Orton Gillingham approach to teaching the Hebrew alphabet and vowels. Susan has been a Jewish educator at the CJL for the past 16 years and is also a tutor for the B’mitzvah Mitzvah Hebrew Boot Camp program at Temple Israel. Susan works full-time as a Teaching Assistant at Anne M. Dorner Middle School in Ossining in the Special Education Department and resides in Croton with her husband.

Oren Neiman ~ Holocaust Studies Kitah Zayin (Seventh Grade)

Oren Neiman is a native Israeli who served in the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Unit. A graduate of Purchase College, Oren is a popular Jewish educator, a trained Holocaust educator through Yad Vashem (Israel's Holocaust Musuem) and Facing History and Ourselves, and an accomplished guitar player who composes and serves as a worship service accompanist throughout synagogues in Westchester. Oren will be teaching Holocaust Studies in Kitah Zayin.

Ariela Wehrle ~ HTM (Hebrew Through Movement) Specialist  
Ariela Wehrle has previously taught in the CJL and now works as a Hebrew Resource Instructor in the CJL. She was born and raised in Israel and moved to the United States in 1990. She taught at "Havura on Hudson" for two years. Since 2010, she has been teaching at Temple Israel. She loves “Temple Israel as a Jewish haven and as the school for Jewish education.” Ariela is a specialist in HTM - Hebrew Through Movement – an approach where students learn Hebrew by hearing and responding to Hebrew commands. Ariela believes that students learn best when learning is joyful and playful.

Asya Reznikov ~ Gan (Art Specialist)

Asya Reznikov was born in the Soviet Union and came to the US as a child. Her work is exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries and museums and is in numerous public and private collections. She holds MFAs from Hunter College and the Universität der Künste, Germany and a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art. Asya Reznikov has taught art to children from 18 months old through high school and college, as well as adults of all ages. Currently, Asya is a studio art teacher at Riverdale Country School where she teaches high school and middle school students and is also part of the Global Studies team.

Emily Wiesen ~ Madrichim (Teen Aide) Coordinator

Emily Wiesen grew up at Temple Israel as a CJL student and is now continuing her journey here as the Madrichim Coordinator. She is excited to help make students feel as welcome as she did and work with the Madrichim, Rabbi Pein, and other staff to make the program run smoothly. Emily is a recent graduate of Binghamton University and is in the beginning stages of building her career. In her free time, she enjoys cooking delicious meals, spending time in nature, and laughing with her friends and family.

Ohad Vered ~ Shinshin (Israeli Emissary)

Ohad Vered is 18 years old and lives on Kibbutz Dvir, a small, close-knit community in Israel. His hobbies include playing the guitar and in Israel he plays in a band which performs occasionally. He is looking forward to bringing Israel and the special traditions of his kibbutz to Temple Israel and will be a weekly Israel emissary for our Wednesday and Sunday CJL students.

Sun, December 22 2024 21 Kislev 5785