School Faculty (2009–10)
Sandee Lever: Gan Am (Kindergarten) and Tot Shabbat
Sandee Lever has supervised, co-ordinated and taught in the field of Jewish Early Childhood Education for many years. She received her Bachelors of Science degree from Penn State University and her Master’s degree in Early Childhood from Johns Hopkins University. She has participated in the Machom L’Morim program at the Center for Jewish Education and has received her Continuing Education certificates from Baltimore Hebrew University. Sandee served as Director of the Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center and was instrumental in the creation of the Learning Ladder at Temple Oheb Shalom.
She is presently employed by Towson University as University Supervisor of student interns and has taught Curriculum Planning and Child Development at Baltimore Hebrew University. Sandee is the facilitator of the Mothers Circle – an outreach program, sponsored by the Jewish Outreach Institute and has conducted many parent and staff development workshops at a local and national level.
Gila Toso: Machina and 2nd Grade
Gila grew up in Baltimore and attended a Jewish day school. After graduating high school, she spent a year in Israel. Returning to Baltimore, Gila earned her Bachelors in Psychology and is now taking prerequisites for Occupational Therapy at Towson University. This is her third year working with first and second graders in Hebrew school and her second year with Beth Am. Trying to make learning fun as well as meaningful, she actively incorporates elements of drama and story telling into the lessons.
Becca Friedman: 3rd Grade
Becca is part of the Beth Am faculty for her third year. She is finishing her Masters Education at Johns Hopkins University and a 5th grade teacher at Talmudical Academy. She spends her summers at Camp Shoresh and spent a year in Michlelet Esther in Jerusalem. Her interests include flying, dancing, rock climbing and Tang So Do.
Shira Saperstein: 4th Grade and 5th Grade
Shira has been working at Beth Am for six years. She has a M.S. in Early Childhood – Special Education from Johns Hopkins and has worked with children of all ages and abilities. Also, Shira is a private resource teacher working with students between the ages of three to adult individually or in small groups. This year, the students will take a deeper look into certain episodes from the TaNaCh using the actual text and also use various secondary commentaries on the Torah.
Chava Feldman: 6th Grade on Wednesday
Chava graduated from UCLA, having majored in Philosophy with an emphasis on Metaphysics. After college, she went abroad to Jerusalem, Israel, to explore her Jewish roots and has returned with her family to Baltimore. She is also teaching the Parents’ Religious School class which covers Judaic topics and enables parents to engage their children in Jewish learning at home.
Rachel Hirsch: 6th Grade on Sunday
Rachel has been teaching at Beth Am for many years, but this is her second year teaching 6th grade. She introduced the Chocolate Seder to Beth Am. Rachel is an attorney and a native of Baltimore, having been born in Iran. She hopes to give her students a sense of pride for their Jewish heritage.
Jay Seidel: 7th Grade on Sunday
Jay has been teaching Hebrew School for years: grades 5, 6 and 7. Currently, a third year medical student at Temple University, he is a native of Baltimore. He attended TA grades K-8 and then Ner Israel for high school graduating from Ner Israel Rabbinical College with a Bachelors of Arts in Talmudic Law. He enjoys biking, woodworking and ice cream.
Rabbi Jon Konheim: 7th Grade on Wednesday
Rabbi Jon Konheim has been a rabbi for over 36 years and has taught seventh graders for more than 25 years. Before becoming a rabbi, he served as a communications officer and engineering officer in the US Navy. Rabbi Konheim was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1972 and joined the (Conservative) Rabbinical Assembly in 1977. In addition to being a congregational rabbi, he has served as a Hillel advisor, hospital chaplain, prison chaplain, chaplain to a state school for the mentally retarded and a fire chaplain. He has an engine named in his honor at the Paterson, NJ Fire Department Headquarters. Rabbi Konheim is also a doctoral student at Spertus College in Chicago. His many hobbies include skiing, biking, computers and reading.
Rabbi Yehudah Oratz: Avodah Coordinator
Rabbi Oratz has coordinated the service and learning program for the 8th graders for over four years. It is entitled Living Jewish Values through Avodah (service). He involves the confirmation students in service work and explores the work through the lens of Jewish tradition. He is a full time Director of Judaic Studies at Beth T’filoh Dahan Community High School.
Cantor Ira Greenstein: Music Specialist
Through the years, Cantor Greenstein has taught in the Hebrew School program focusing primarily on liturgy, trope, and the structure and meaning of the synagogue service and its terminology. Among other things, he has run junior congregation and adult services, served on Camp Ramah staff, and taught classes and seminars since a teenager, encompassing every age group from kindergarten through adult. His youth related work has centered on the period from pre-b’nai mitzvah through confirmation. For now, Cantor Greenstein will work with all classes to further enhance the music program and Jewish holiday celebrations.