HAFTR Lower School Staff

Rabbi David Leibtag - Head of School

Ms. Joy Hammer - Principal

Rabbi Gavriel Herzig - Associate Principal

Ms. Devorah Altman
General Studies
3rd Grade English
B.A. Early & Elementary Education – George Washington University
M.S. – Bank Street College
NY State Certified

Mrs. Tovah Bane
Judaic Studies
B.A. Brooklyn College
M.S. Guidance & Counselling – NY Institute of Technology
Certification as a Schools Attuned Counsellor – Nova University
66 credits towards PhD – Long Isalnd Univeristy, New School for Social Research
Herzilah B.H.L., Board of Jewish Education
Teacher Certification
300 + credits continuing education from Michlellet Lifschitz, Machon Herzog, Hebrew University- Jerusalem, Israel

Miss Dena Bienenfeld
Lower School
Library
Hebrew Theological Seminary

Mrs. Judith Geller Blachman
General Studies
1st Grade General Studies
BA Brooklyn College
MA Brooklyn College
Board of Education, NYC

Mrs. Ilene Brooks
Lawrence Public Schools District – Special Education
Resource Room
BA Brooklyn College
M.S. Special Education – Brooklyn College

Mrs. Lea Cohen
General Studies
Reading
1,2,4 – Language Arts, Reading
BA – Stern College for Women
Masters – Adelphi University

Mrs. Barbara Drucker
General Studies
3rd Grade
BS Early Childhood Education – City College of New York
MS Music/Early Childhood Education – Brooklyn College

Mrs. Henna Englander
Judaic Studies
Resource Room
BS Computer Science, Touro College
MS Special Education, College of New Rochelle
BYA Teacher Diploma

Dr. Samuel Frankel
Guidance, School Psychology
B.A. Yeshiva University
Ph.D. Festant Graduate School, Yeshiva Univerity
Smicha – RIETS – Yeshiva University
MHL – Bernard Revel Graduate School

Mrs. Michele Frenkel
General Studies
4th Grade
Queens College
Masters in Science – Queens College

Mrs. Osnat Fried
Judaic Studies
4th Grade
Bar Ilan University

Mrs. Esther Fruchter
General Studies
3rd Grade
B.S. Education – Temple University
M.S. Education – Adelphi University
BJE Degree in Early Childhood Education

Mrs. Debroah Fulop
General Studies
2nd Grade General Studies
B.A. Early Chidlhood – Queens College
M.S. Early Childhood with a specialty in administration and supervision – Queens College

Mrs. Chana Garfinkel
Judiac Studies
3rd Grade
B.A. Stern College
Credits towards Special Education Masters – Adelphi University
Hebrew Teaching Diploma – Stern College for Women

Mrs. Linda Gayne
General Studies
Art – Grades 1-5
Reading – Grades 1-5
Permanent sub for all grades
BA Elementary & Behavioral Science – Queens College
Masters in Elementary Education – Queens College

Mrs. Cynthia Goldberg
General Studies
3rd Grade
BA – Barnard College
MA Elementary Education – Queens College

Morah Janet Goldman
Music
2nd Grade
B.A. – Queens College
Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Cantor’s Institute – Jewish Theological Seminary
Teachers College

Mrs. Itty Goldshmid
Judaic Studies
4th grade
Beth Chanah – Zefat, Israel
Beth Rivkah Seminary

Mrs. Anne Golombeck
General Studies
1st and 2nd Grade Reading & Book Talk
BA – Barnard College
Masters in Reading – Queens College

Miss Yasmine Javdanfar
General Studies
4th Grade General Studies
3rd Grade – Math and Reading adjunct
4th Grade – Reading & Writing adjunct
BA Sociology and Early & Elementary Education – Queens College
MS Elementary Education with a specialty in Mathematics – Queens College
NY State & City Certified

Rabbi Avraham Kramer
Judaic Studies
5th Grade
Excelsior College
Smicha

Miss Rivky Lasker
Judaic Studies
3 rd Grade Judaic Studies
Machon Shoshanat Yerushalayim

Mrs. Yehudit Levine
Judaic Studies
1st Grade Judaic Studies
BA Brooklyn College
MA Brooklyn College
MA in Judaic Studies and Certificate – Schools Attuned

Mrs. Naomi Liebowitz
General Studies
5th Grade
BA Elementary Education
AA Judiac Studies – Yeshiva University
MA Reading – Adelphi University

Marge Malone, RN
Health Office
BS Adelphi University
Masters of Nurse Education – Molly College
Registered Nurse

Mrs. Audrey Menachem
Technology
N-5 Instructional Technology
B.S. Education, Baruch College
M.S. Education, Baruch Graduate School
S.A.S. Administration and Supervision, New York University
Currently enrolled in doctoral program at Yeshiva University

Mrs. Rena Mosak
Art Director
1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade Art
B.A. Brooklyn College
M.A. Queens College

Mrs. Judith Moshel
Hebrew Resource Room
Grades 1-5 Reading and Judaic Studies
BS Education – Queens College
MS Education – Queens College
Hebrew Teachers Degree – teachers Institute
BJE – Hebrew Teachers License

Mrs. Jill J. Motechin
General Studies
4th Grade
4th and 5th grade book club – reading enrichment
Barnard College
MS English Literature – Queens College

Rabbi Stuart Olshan
Judaic Studies
5th Grade
B.A. Psychology – Touro College

Mrs. Miriam Rosenberg
Hebrew Resource Room
Teachers Seminary – Reading course

Mrs. Belle Rothstein
General Studies
4th Grade
B.S. Biology – Brooklyn College
M.S. Education, specialty in reading – Brooklyn College
Teaching Certification – N-6
Reading Certification – K – 12

Mrs. Jill Rubin
Judaic Studies
4 th Grade Judaic Studies
BA Stern College
MA Bernard Revel Graduate School – Jan. 2006

Ms. Shelley Schmutter
Special Education
B.A. Elementary Education – Queens College
M.S. Special Education – Queens College
Professional Diploma School Administation & Supervision – Queens College

Mrs. Robin Schwartzman
General Studies
2nd Grade
B.A. – Brooklyn College
M.S. – Brooklyn College

Mrs. Deena Schwebel
Judiac Studies
3rd grade Judaic studies
Eitz Chaim Day School, Toronto, Canada
Bais Yaakov of Toronto, Canada
Jewish Teaching degree - Machan Rivkin Yerushalim, Israel

Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Siff
Judaic Studies
Director of Limudei Kodesh
B.A. Yeshiva College
RIETS
B.A. Jewish Studies, Minor in Sociology

Miss Samantha Silberstein
General Studies
4 th Grade General Studies
BA Broadcast Journalism, Hofstra University
MAT, Elementary Education, CUNY Queens College

Mrs. Saritte Silvera
Music
1st and 3rd grade music
B.S. Accounting – Sy Syms School of Business – Yeshiva University

Mrs. Janet Spector
English
1st, 2nd, 3rd Grade English Reading
Enrichment Book Talk
BA Stern College for Women
MS Bank Street College of education

Mrs. Tamara Wartenberg
Judaic Studies
2nd Grade Judaic Studies
Emunah College – Jerusalem, Israel

Rabbi Moishe Waxman
CAHAL
1st and 2nd Grade
Judiac Studies
BA in Education, Minor in Psychology
Masters in Special Education – Touro College
Smicha

Mrs. Dina Winchester
Judaic Studies
2nd Grade Judaic Studies
Bar Ilan High School, Netanya, Israel
Bet Midrash for teachers, Ephrata, Jerusalem
Certified teacher degree
Trained through Board of Education in Haifa, Israel