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

Middle School Administration

Mitchel Malkus

Head of School

B.A., Political Science and Government
M.A., Judaic Studies
Rabbinic Ordination
Ed.D., Curriculum and Teaching

Eliana Lipsky

Middle School Principal

B.A., History
M.A., History
Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction

Janet Ozur Bass

Middle School Assistant Principal

B.A., English Literature
B.S., Biological Sciences, Concentration: Microbiology
Rabbinic Ordination

Aileen Goldstein

Academic Dean

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

Cassandra Batson

Upper School STEM Coordinator and Middle School Math and Science Chair

B.A., Biochemistry and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
M.A., Science Curriculum and Instruction

Emma Hart

Director of Upper School Admission

B.A., History and Secondary Education
M.Ed., Education

Lenore Layman

Director, Educational Support Services

B.A., Special Education
M.A., Special Education Learning Consultant

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 Instructional Technology

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

Middle School Administrative Support Staff

Staci Koester

Registrar and College Guidance Associate

B.A., Secondary Education

Susan Townsend-Gray

Executive Assistant

Heather Udell

Upper School Administrative Assistant

Middle School Arts Department

David Solomon

Debra Herman Berger Director of Arts Education

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

Sherry Benedek

Upper School Vocal Music Teacher

B.M., Vocal Performance

Erin Holmes

Middle School Ceramics Teacher

Jessie Nathans

Middle School Visual Arts Teacher

B.A., History
M.A., Communication Design

Gary Prince

Upper School Instrumental Music Teacher

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

Benjamin Tellie

Upper School Art and Graphic Design Teacher

B.A., Studio Art with a Minor in Art History
M.A., Art Education
Psychoanalytic Studies Program (PSP), Psychoanalytic Studies Certificate

Debra White-Dilworth

Upper School Photography Teacher

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

Middle School STEM Department

Cassandra Batson

Upper School STEM Coordinator and Middle School Math and Science Chair

B.A., Biochemistry and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
M.A., Science Curriculum and Instruction

Rustom Meyer

Upper School STEM Teacher

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

Jennifer Newfeld

Middle School Jewish Text Teacher, Digital Animation Teacher, and Jewish Life Chair

B.A., Psychology
M.Ed., International Education
M.A., Jewish Education
Ed.D, Curriculum, Teaching, Leading and Learning

Terrilynn Platt

Upper School STEM Teacher

B.A., English
JD

Hadley Steelman

Upper School STEM Teacher

Ginger Thornton

Director of Instructional Technology

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

Middle School English Language and Social Studies

David Carrington

Middle School English Teacher

Deborah Feigenson

Middle School English Language Arts and Social Studies Chair

B.A. English Language and Literature
M.A. Teaching of Secondary English

Matthew Jacobson

Middle School Social Studies Teacher

B.A., Government in Politics
M.Ed., Secondary Social Studies Education (7-12)

Kimberly O'Donnell

Middle School Humanities Teacher

B.A., History and Sociology
M.A., Contemporary British History
Ph.D., History

Samuel Sullivan

Middle School English and Humanities Teacher

Jacob Winkelman

Middle School English Teacher

Heidi Zansler

Middle School Social Studies Teacher

B.A., Political Science, Concentration: American Government and Developing Countries
M.S., Real Estate Finance

Middle School Health & Exercise Science Department

Alexander Kirsch

Health and Exercise Science Teacher

B.S.
M.S.

Becky Silberman

Director of Athletics, Upper School Health and Exercise Science Chair

B.S. Kinesiology
M.Ed.

Victoria Simonetti

Athletic Trainer and High School Science Teacher

Levitt Family Media Center Staff

Cheryl Fox Strausberg

Media Center Specialist

B.A., International Relations
M.A., Political Science
M.L.S, School Library Media

Mirele Kessous

Assistant Library 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.

Middle School Hebrew Department

Liat Arditi Zarouk

Middle School Hebrew Teacher, Middle School Israeli Liaison, and Middle School Israel Engagement Coordinator

B.A., Behavioral Sciences Management and Economics
M.A., Sociology of Education

Aviva Gershman

Middle School Jewish Text and Hebrew Teacher

M.A., Linguistics
MJEd, Jewish Education

Guy Koren

Middle School Hebrew Teacher

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

Middle School Jewish Text Department

Aviva Gershman

Middle School Jewish Text and Hebrew Teacher

M.A., Linguistics
MJEd, Jewish Education

Maryana Harouni

Middle School Jewish Text Teacher

B.A., Social Work

Aliza Libman Baronofsky

Middle School Math and Jewish Text Teacher

B.A., Specialised Honors in Religious Studies
B.Ed., Junior/Intermediate History
ALM, Master's in Math for Teaching
Semikha, Yeshivat Maharat

Jennifer Newfeld

Middle School Jewish Text Teacher, Digital Animation Teacher, and Jewish Life Chair

B.A., Psychology
M.Ed., International Education
M.A., Jewish Education
Ed.D, Curriculum, Teaching, Leading and Learning

Derek Rosenbaum

Middle School Jewish Text Teacher and Department Chair

B.A., US History
B.A., Jewish History
M.A., Hebrew Letters & Title of Rabbi

Michael Rubin

Middle School Jewish Text Teacher

Marc Silberstein

Middle School Jewish Text Teacher and Zman Kodesh Coordinator

M.J.Ed.

Middle School Mathematics Department

Cassandra Batson

Upper School STEM Coordinator and Middle School Math and Science Chair

B.A., Biochemistry and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
M.A., Science Curriculum and Instruction

Madelyn Dahl

Middle School Math Teacher

Aliza Libman Baronofsky

Middle School Math and Jewish Text Teacher

B.A., Specialised Honors in Religious Studies
B.Ed., Junior/Intermediate History
ALM, Master's in Math for Teaching
Semikha, Yeshivat Maharat

Ethan Merlin

Middle School Math Coordinator and Middle School Math Teacher

B.A.
M.A.

Rachel Meytin

MS Experiential and Service Learning Chair

B.A.,
BLit
MBA
MAEd

Middle School Science Department

Cassandra Batson

Upper School STEM Coordinator and Middle School Math and Science Chair

B.A., Biochemistry and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
M.A., Science Curriculum and Instruction

Jessica Hill

Middle School Science Teacher

Nick Miller

Middle School Science Teacher

B.S., Biology
M.A., Biblical Studies

Cara Parsons

Middle School Science Teacher

Study Hall

Sam Rubin

Middle School Study Hall Teacher

Middle School World Languages Department

Maria Gutierrez Fernandez

Middle School World Language Teacher

Silvia Kurlat Ares

Upper School World Language Department Chair, Middle School DEIJ Coordinator

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

Middle School Counselors

Hadassah Gabai

Middle School Counselor

Evonne Schnitzer

Interim Student Advisor

B.A., Education
M.A., Early Childhood Education

Middle School Educational Support Services

Ricki Farber

Upper School Learning Specialist

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

Marjorie Kane

Middle School Learning Specialist

B.S., Marketing
Masters in Special Education, John Hopkins University

Lenore Layman

Director, Educational Support Services

B.A., Special Education
M.A., Special Education Learning Consultant

Susan Zuckerman

Feder Family Educational Support Services Chair

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

Upper School Technology

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

Lamont Segears

Database Administrator

Ginger Thornton

Director of Instructional Technology

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

Will Wilson

Upper School Help Desk Engineer

CESJDS Middle School Faculty & Staff