High School Faculty & Staff - Charles E Smith Jewish Day School

High School Administration

Aileen Goldstein

Interim High School Principal

B.A., Jewish Studies
M.A., Educational Administration

Melissa Fisanich

Interim High School Assistanat Principal

B.A., Language and Literature
M.A.T., Secondary English

Alexandra Brown

Director of Upper School STEM

B.S., Science
M.S.Ed., Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Victoria Garner

Director of College Counseling

B.S., Secondary Education
M.F.A., Theater

Wendi Kaplan

Director of Upper School Admission

B.S., Journalism

Roslyn Landy

Dean of Students, 11th and 12th Grade Counselor

B.A.
M.A., Education
School Counseling

Becky Silberman

Director of Athletics, Upper School Health and Exercise Science Chair

B.S. Kinesiology
M.Ed.

David Solomon

Debra Herman Berger Director of Arts Education

B.A., Literature
M.A., English
Ph.D., English

Ginger Thornton

Director of Innovative Technology

B.A., English, History/Philosophy
M.A., English
M.A., History
A.B.D, English

High School Administrative Support Staff

Staci Koester

Registrar and College Guidance Associate

B.A., Secondary Education

Robin Shapiro

Administrative Assistant

B.A., Judaic Studies
M.S., Forensic Science

Heather Udell

Upper School Administrative Assistant

B.A. Psychology/Religion
M.A. Kinesiology
Certificate in Gerontology

High School Arts Department

John Michael D'Haviland

Vocal Music Teacher and Theatrical Music Director

Erin Holmes

Upper School Ceramics Teacher

B.F.A
M.F.A

Gary Prince

Upper School Instrumental Music Teacher

M.M., Music Education
B.F.A., Jazz & Contemplative Studies
BA, Psychology

David Solomon

Debra Herman Berger Director of Arts Education

B.A., Literature
M.A., English
Ph.D., English

B.A., Studio Art with a Minor in Art History
M.A., Art Education
Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction
Psychoanalytic Studies Program (PSP), Psychoanalytic Studies Certificate
Advanced Professional Teaching License (APL)

Debra White-Dilworth

Upper School Photography Teacher, High School B'Yachad Coordinator

B.A., Photography and Film
M.F.A., Photography and Film

College Counseling

Victoria Garner

Director of College Counseling

B.S., Secondary Education
M.F.A., Theater

Rachel Jacobs

Associate Director of College Counseling

B.A., History
M.Ed., Counselor Education

Staci Koester

Registrar and College Guidance Associate

B.A., Secondary Education

Joshua Rauguth

Assistant Director College Counseling

B.A., Intercultural Communication & Jazz Performance
M.A., School Counseling

High School STEM Department

Alexandra Brown

Director of Upper School STEM

B.S., Science
M.S.Ed., Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Rustom Meyer

Upper School STEM Teacher

B.S., Biological and Environmental Engineering
Masters of Engineering, Biological and Environmental Engineering
Professional Engineering License

Terrilynn Platt

Upper School STEM Teacher

B.A., English
JD

Hadley Steelman

Upper School STEM Teacher

Ginger Thornton

Director of Innovative Technology

B.A., English, History/Philosophy
M.A., English
M.A., History
A.B.D, English

High School English Department

Alexandra Coleman

High School English Teacher

Dory Fox

High School English Teacher

A.B., English and Jewish Studies
M.A., English Language and Literature
Ph.D., English Language and Literature

Nancy Wassner

English Department Curriculum Coordinator and High School English Teacher

B.A., College of Letters
M.Ed., Secondary English

Thomas Worden

High School English Teacher

B.A, English Literature
Ph.D., British Literature (1609-1640)

High School Health & Exercise Science Department

Matthew Landy

Assistant Director of Athletics, Social Entrepeneurship Program Coordinator

Becky Silberman

Director of Athletics, Upper School Health and Exercise Science Chair

B.S. Kinesiology
M.Ed.

Spencer Wood

Middle School Health and Exercise Science Teacher

Levitt Family Media Center Staff

Mirele Kessous

Media Specialist

B.A., Visual Art, Concentration: Children’s Illustration
M.L.S., Library Science

Upper School Health Room

Jillian Pedone

Upper School Nurse

A.A., General Studies

High School Hebrew Department

Aviya Betker

High School Hebrew Teacher

Talya Edery

High School Hebrew Teacher

B.A., Bible and Jewish History
M.A., Teaching Hebrew as a Second Language

Anat Kaufman

High School Hebrew Teacher, High School Liaison to Israeli Families, High School Israel Engagement Coordinator

B.A., Special Education
M.A., Special Education and Judaic Studies

Shelli Putterman-Kenett

Upper School Hebrew Language Chair

B.A., Building Elements and Architecture
M.A., Teaching Hebrew as a Second Language
Doctor of Modern Languages Candidate
Certified Language Program Administrator

High School History Department

Carl Atwood

Isadore and Bertha Gudelsky History Department Chair, High School History Teacher

B.A., History and Economics
MAT, Teaching
M.A.Ed, Teacher Leadership

Mark Buckley

High School History Teacher

B.A., History
M.A., Early American History

Dana Foster

High School History Teacher

B.A. Social Studies Education

Natalie Levitan

High School History Teacher

B.A., Law and Society
B.A., Secondary Education
M.Ed, Curriculum and Instruction
M.A. credits in Gilder Lehrman US History Program
Certificate: Learning Differences and Neurodiversity

Sara and Samuel J. Lessans Jewish History Department Faculty

Anna Band

High School Jewish History Teacher

B.A., History and Jewish Studies
M.A., History
Ph.D., History

Rachel Bergstein

Director of the CESJDS Center for Excellence and Engagement in Jewish History, Evonne and Elliot Schnitzer Family Jewish History Department Chair

B.A., Jewish Studies and English
M.A., Jewish History
Master of Philosophy in Jewish History

Sara Coxe

High School Jewish History Teacher

B.A., Religion
M.A., Jewish Studies
Ph.D., Religious Studies

Jeremy Shine

High School Jewish History and Israel Studies Teacher

B.A. International Relations and Russian Studies
M.A.T. Teaching

High School Jewish Text Department

Ruth Balinsky Friedman

High School Jewish Text Teacher

Paul Blank

High School Jewish Text Teacher

B.A., Psychology
M.A., Rabbinic Literature

Grace McMillan

Nancy and Paul Hamburger Jewish Text Chair, High School Jewish Text Teacher

B.A., Comparative Religion
M.T.S., Comparative Religion
M.S.W.

Reuvane Slater

High School Jewish Text Teacher

B.S., Talmudic Studies
Rabbinical Ordination
M.S., Educational Administration

High School Mathematics Department

Victoria Ball

Dean of Experiential Learning and Leadership, High School Math Chair

B.A.
M.Ed., Educational Leadership

Karen Pang

High School Math Teacher

B.S., Mathematics
B.A., Mathematics Education
Minor in Voice

Robert Shorr

High School Math Teacher, High School Jewish Life Chair

B.A., Chemistry
B.A., Jewish Studies
MEd, Jewish Education

Reuben Silberman

High School Math Teacher, 11th Grade Dean of Students

B.A., Mathematics
M.F.A., Creative Writing

John Watkins-Chow

High School Math Teacher

B.S., Mathematics
B.S., Mechanical Engineering
M.S., Mechanical Engineering

Publications Department

Jessica Nassau

Director of Publications

B.A., English
M.A., English
M.S., Education

High School Science Department

Kimberly Agzigian

High School Science Teacher

B.A., Economics
M.S., Biology

Melissa Andrew

9th Grade Dean, High School Biology and Ecology Teacher

B.S., Biology and General Science Education

Raymond Hodges

Ruth and Samuel Salzberg Science Department Chair, High School Physics Teacher

M.S., Physics
M.A., Mathematics
Certification in Physics, Mathematics, and Earth & Space Science: Grades 7-12, State of MD

Daniela Munteanu

High School Chemistry Teacher

M.S., Chemistry and Physics Education
M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction
IB Chemistry Teaching Certification, State of Maryland

High School World Languages Department

Rebecca Drucker

Upper School Spanish Teacher

Silvia Kurlat Ares

World Language Department Chair

B.A., Philosophy
M.A., Argentine Literature
PhD, Latin American Literature and Culture
Pos-Doctorate, Latin American Literature and Culture

Upper School ESOL

Rebecca Reiser

Upper School ESOL Teacher

B.A., International Studies/French
M.A., International Development
M.A., Education

High School Counseling

Melissa Gartner

Director of the Upper School Health and Wellness Center

B.A., Sociology and Communications
MSW

Roslyn Landy

Dean of Students, 11th and 12th Grade Counselor

B.A.
M.A., Education
School Counseling

Elise Resnick

9th and 10th Grade Counselor

High School Educational Support Services

Brett Kugler

10th Grade Dean, High School Learning Specialist

B.S., Studio Art
M.A., Special Education

Ronitte Libedinsky

High School Educational Support Services

Susan Zuckerman

Feder Family Director of Upper School Educational Support Services

B.A., Speech and Hearing
M.A., Educational Psychology

Upper School Technology

Arsen Amirov

Database Manager

Ryan Aqui

Director of Information Technology

MCSE, MCSA, CCNA, Security +

Hadas Heyman

Instructional Technology Specialist

B.A., Education
M.A., Teaching English as a Second Language
M.S., Instructional Technology

Beth Poston

Instructional Technology Specialist

B.S., Elementary Education
M.S., K-12 Instructional Technology

Ginger Thornton

Director of Innovative Technology

B.A., English, History/Philosophy
M.A., English
M.A., History
A.B.D, English

CESJDS High School Faculty & Staff