2011-12 Staff Photos and Biographies

We are very proud of the teachers who work at Netivot. This page contains biographies of the teachers. Please click on a staff member to read each one's path that has taken them to our school.

A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils.

Ever Garrison

Administration

Morah Rivky Ross,
Head of School.

Nancy Mischel,
School Founder,
Early Childhood Consultant

Rachel Teitelbaum
Business Manager

Harry Chefitz,
Webmaster, IT Support
& Event Photographer

Shoshana Gross,
Registration and Admissions

Dr. Aly Mandel,
School Psychologist

Teachers

Morah Malky Rubin
Head Teacher,
Infant

Ms Stacy Gross
Assistant,
Pre-Primary

Morah Debbie Nardone
Head Teacher,
Primary

Morah Chavi Berkovits
Head Teacher,
Lower Elementary

Mr. Gregg Todd
Head Teacher,
Upper Elementary

“Mrs. B.”
(Phyllis Benedetto)
LE & UE Paraprofessional
Before & After Care

Ms Elizabeth Matelski
Assistant,
Infant

Morah Esther Greene
Head Teacher,
Primary

Morah Morel Ben-Yosef
Co-Teacher, Judaic Studies,
Primary

Moreh Chever Ben-Yosef
Head Teacher, Judaic Studies,
Lower Elementary

Ms. Sarah Todd
Head Teacher,
Upper Elementary

Morah Sareet Lorbert
Head Teacher,
Pre-Primary

Morah Adi Yarmush
Head Teacher,
Primary

Ms Pria Koduri
Intern,
Primary

Ms. Leena Stride
Co-Teacher,
Lower Elementary

Rabbi Gabi Spiewak
Head Teacher, Judaic Studies, Upper Elementary

Morah Jean Getraer
Head Teacher,
Pre-Primary

Ms Shilpa Gupta
Head Teacher,
Primary

Morah Adeena Winkler
Co-Teacher,
Primary

Morah Melody Margolis
Head Teacher, Judaic Studies,
Lower Elementary

Morah Vered Sharoni
Head Teacher, Judaic Studies, Upper Elementary

Morah Rivky Ross holds a B.A. in Jewish Studies and English Literature from Stern College, Yeshiva University, and completed the Bruriah Scholars fellowship in Talmud at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem. She has worked in the field of alternative Jewish Education for 20 years through organizations including Melitz-Centers for Jewish Zionist Education, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, and the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus.

She began her Montessori journey as a parent, falling in love with the method while her children attended Montessori schools in Ithaca, NY. Convinced that Montessori could be applied to yeshiva day school curriculum for an optimal educational experience, she trained in Montessori elementary education at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. Morah Rivky joined the staff of Yeshivat Netivot as Director in 2006 and became Head of School in 2009. She is both our chief executive and the director of curriculum development for the school. She is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on Jewish Montessori education and lectures widely on this topic.

Ms. Gross earned her bachelors degree in Hebrew and Arabic from SUNY-Binghamton and her JD from Rutgers Law School. She is a Montessori alumna, and both of her children have attended Montessori schools. Before joining our staff, Shoshana was a dedicated volunteer and advocate for the school. She now works in the administration in the areas of parent liaison, admissions, and special events.

Morah Rachel Teitelbaum graduated from the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University with a Bachelors of Science in Management Information Systems and an Associates Degree in Judaic Studies. Before joining the staff of Netivot, she worked as an administrator at a medical practice for 12 years. Since joining our staff, she has worked as an assistant, a teacher, and an administrator. She truly does justice to her business background and her love of children through her work at Netivot. While she is now responsible for our business and financial operations, you can still find Morah Rachel offering a helping hand in one classroom or another on a regular basis.

Nancy (ChanaSzenes) Mischel founded Yeshivat Netivot Montessori after observing in a number of Montessori schools and becoming convinced that this method would greatly benefit the Jewish community. Determined to have this school in place for her early childhood-aged children, she created a classroom in the basement of her home, later moving to two classrooms in a local synagogue and finally to our current home in Edison. She took on every aspect of school leadership, from developing basic policy to recruiting teachers to building shelves and scrubbing bathrooms. “Morah ChanaSzenes” trained in Montessori School Leadership at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New Rochelle, NY. She acted as Head of School until 2009, at which time she stepped down in order to return to being a full-time mother. She now serves as President of the Board of Trustees and as Consultant to our Early Childhood faculty.

Dr. Aly Mandel graduated from Barnard College and went on to earn her Psy.D from Yeshiva University. She specializes in child psychology and educational assessments. Dr. Aly has five children at Netivot, ranging from Primary to Upper Elementary. She was originally attracted to Montessori after she observed that the Montessori method dovetailed perfectly with Piaget's theory of child development. After years of involvement with Netivot she is more convinced than ever of the benefits of a Montessori education.

Harry received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia and an MS degree from Harvard. He worked in the field of Artificial Intelligence at Bell Labs for many years and was on the team that created the first commercially successful expert system. For the past 15 years, Harry has led math enrichment programs in our community. He now puts his prodigious talents to use as our school webmaster, IT consultant, graphic designer and our school photographer.

Morah Malky Rubin’s peaceful, calm and loving manner makes her the perfect caretaker for our babies. She has been Netivot’s Infant teacher since 2007 and has helped to transform her classroom into a thriving Montessori Infant program. Morah Malky trained in Infant/Toddler at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education.

Morah Jean Getraer holds a BA in Psychology with Education from Dartmouth College and a Masters in Education from Edinburgh University in Scotland. She was an early childhood teacher at Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School Centers for five years, and she has also worked at the Children's Television Workshop. Morah Jean has been a valued member of our team since 2004 and received her training in Jewish Montessori at Yeshivat Netivot. She is currently a Head Teacher at the Pre-Primary (Toddler) level.

Morah Sareet Lorbert earned her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education and Judaic Studies from Brooklyn College. She holds a Masters degree in Moderate Special Needs from Lynch College of Education. Once Sareet was introduced to the Montessori method, she was committed to it because she has always been interested in alternative ways to help children reach their educational goals. Morah Sareet trained in the Montessori method at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. She joined the Netivot staff in 2008 and has been a beloved Pre-primary teacher ever since.

Morah Esther Greene is one of the premier Jewish Montessori educators in the world. She has been teaching at Yeshivat Netivot Montessori since 2003. Morah Esther received her BA in Jewish History and Gender Studies from Smith College and continued her studies at Shearim College of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. She received her Montessori training at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. Morah Esther developed our Primary Judaic Studies curriculum and is often called upon to consult with other schools and present at education conferences. Aspiring Jewish Montessorians regularly schedule time to learn from Morah Esther and to observe her teaching in her classroom.

After earning an MA in Commerce and an MBA in Finance in India, Ms. Shilpa chose to pursue her lifelong desire to become a teacher. This path led her to the Princeton Center for Teacher Education, where she received her Montessori training. Shilpa joined Netivot in 2010-11 as an intern. We are pleased that Ms. Shilpa returned this year as a full Primary co-teacher, bringing her gentle warmth and loving rapport with her.

Raised in Netanya, Israel, Morah Adi Yarmush moved to New Jersey in 2003. While fulfilling field work requirements at Netivot for her degree in Early Childhood Education, Morah Adi immediately recognized the beauty and importance of the Montessori Method. Upon completing her Associates Degree in Liberal Arts Education at Middlesex County College, she continued her studies at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education, focusing on Montessori for Primary age children. Adi brings her warmth and innate respect for children to her role as a Head Teacher in the Primary program. She is a leader in her ability to integrate the various areas of the classroom, inspiring the children to think about the world in a global, cosmic way. Additionally, her passion for Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael is felt throughout the entirety of our school.

Morah Debbie Nardone received her Montessori certification from Hudson Institute for Montessori Education. Before joining the faculty of Netivot, she taught at Hudson Montessori School and Marlborough Montessori School. Morah Debbie is a Montessori master teacher with over twenty years of experience. As one of our pioneer teachers and an administrative staff member for many years, Morah Debbie has been integral in shaping Yeshivat Netivot. She is currently the Head Teacher with General Studies Portfolio in the T’eina classroom.

Morah Morel Ben-Yosef earned a teaching degree in Special Education and Israel Studies from Orot Yisrael College in Israel. She taught in an elementary special education classroom in Israel and also worked as a tour guide. Morel came to Netivot in 2010 as an Assistant Primary teacher and received her training in Jewish Montessori here at Yeshivat Netivot. This year Morah Morel is working as a Primary co-teacher where the children benefit greatly from her native Hebrew and from her talent in creating Judaic Montessori materials.

Morah Adeena Winkler worked as teacher’s aid at the Beth Yehuda School in Detroit for four years. She lived in Israel for three years and studied at Eyaht College for Women. After becoming interested in Montessori, Adeena observed at Yeshivat Netivot and was so enamored by our innovative program that she moved her family from Passaic to Highland Park, enrolled her children in the school and went for training at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. She is thrilled to be spending her first year at Netivot as a Primary co-teacher specializing in Jewish Studies.

Morah Chavi Berkovits has a BA in Psychology from Stern College, a Masters Degree in General and Special Education from Hunter College and Montessori training from the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. Before Morah Chavi joined us at Netivot, she taught tactile sign language to students with deaf-blindness at The Jewish Guild for the Blind and was a special education teacher in a regular education classroom. She has been Head Teacher in our Lower Elementary classroom since 2008 and has been instrumental in developing our flagship integrated Jewish Montessori Elementary program.

Moreh Chever Ben-Yosef is a graduate of Mekor Chaim, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s yeshiva in Israel, and first worked in the United States as a Mekor Chaim Ambassador in Washington, DC. He has extensive experience in the field of informal Jewish Education and received his training in Jewish Montessori here at Yeshivat Netivot. Moreh Chever is known to incorporate music and drama into his lessons and is the designer of numerous new Jewish Montessori materials.

Morah Melody Margolis holds a Bachelors degree in Religious Studies and English Literature from the University of Leeds and an MSW from Rutgers University. She has several years of experience in informal education through the youth movement Bnei Akiva. Morah Melody believes in making education accessible to children and, after observing at Netivot, came to believe that Montessori was a creative and joyful way to do that. First joining our faculty as an assistant, she became so enraptured with the method that she soon became a co-teacher and then head teacher. She has trained in the Montessori language curriculum at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education and now leads our curriculum development team, producing and replicating our materials and providing training for new Jewish Montessori schools.

We are happy to welcome Ms. Leena Stride as a teaching intern at the Lower Elementary level. She earned a BA in Economics and International Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill and an MBA from the American University in Washington, DC. After assisting at the Princeton Montessori School, Ms. Leena decided to train as a Lower Elementary Montessori teacher at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. She has also assisted in Upper Elementary at Acorn Montessori School.

In 1994, Gregg Todd and his wife, Sarah, were looking for an alternative to daycare. They found Blackstock Montessori school in Villa Rica, GA and fell in love with Montessori through their children. Seven years later, Gregg found himself working in an Upper El class and pursuing Montessori training. “Mr. Gregg” is now a veteran Montessorian who has taught in Montessori programs around the country and lectured at national Montessori conferences. He is certified in Lower and Upper Elementary through the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies. He holds an MAT with a specialty in reading from Pacific University in Oregon. Mr. Gregg established our flourishing Upper Elementary classroom and continues to teach and develop extensions to the core Montessori materials at this level.

Ms. Sarah Todd holds a degree in Economics from the University of West Georgia and a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Special Education from Chaminade University, Hawaii. Sarah has her Montessori Elementary Certification from the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies and has been working in Montessori for more than fifteen years. She first joined the Netivot faculty as a Lower Elementary teacher and has since become an Upper Elementary -eacher. Ms. Sarah devotes a great deal of time to her work both in and out of the classroom, regularly attending sporting events and special occasions and staying in tune with popular culture to help connect with her students.

Morah Vered Sharoni grew up in Hevron, Israel, and has been teaching at Netivot since 2008. She holds a degree in Education with a specialty in mathematics. She began her work at Netivot as our Lower Elementary Judaics teacher and later moved on to start our Upper Elementary, the first fully integrated Orthodox Jewish Montessori classroom of its kind. Morah Vered trained in portions of the elementary curriculum at Princeton Center for Teacher Education and in Jewish Montessori at Yeshivat Netivot. Her enthusiasm and creativity in the classroom are reflected in the joy her students exhibit in their pursuit of Torah learning.

The Netivot family is thrilled that Rav Gabi was able to join us as our Upper-elementary co-teacher in 2011. He holds a B.A. from Yeshiva University, studied for three years at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Alon Shvut, and received his smicha from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg of Jerusalem. He is training in-house in Jewish Montessori while also completing a Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology at Fordham University. Rabbi Spiewak has experience in both formal and informal education and has taught a wide range of Jewish texts with an emphasis on Talmud. His focus in the field of Psychology has been on adolescent volunteerism and the relationship between civic engagement and positive youth development. In addition to teaching, Rav Gabi enjoys a good game of touch football during recess.

Mrs. Phyllis Benedetto (Mrs. B) came to us as a paraprofessional in 2007 and soon became a much-loved staff member at all levels. She currently serves as the Before Care and After Care provider as well as a paraprofessional in Upper Elementary

Netivot - The Montessori Yeshiva

Honoring the path of every child חנך לנער על פי דרכו

2011-12 Staff Photos and Biographies

Administration

Teachers