Administration | Kindergarten Team | Grade One/Two Team |
Grade Three and Four Team | Grade Five and Six Team |
Grade Seven and Eight Team | Specialists Team | Resource Team
Dr. Ray Levi, Head of School (AB, Oberlin College; MA in Education, Claremont Graduate School; PhD in Music Education, Case Western Reserve Univ., focused on literacy development and original language and music composition by young children),
is beginning his eleventh year at the Day School. Dr. Levi came from Ohio, where he was the Head of the Agnon School, Cleveland’s Jewish Community Day School, for seven years. He is a Mentor on the faculty of the Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) an AVI CHAI Foundation program at Jewish Theological Seminary preparing aspiring leaders for Jewish Day School. A past chair of the Heads Council of the Minnesota Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), he serves on the Executive Committee of RAVSAK, the Jewish Community Day School Network, and is on the Board of the Council for Spirituality & Ethics in Education (CSEE). Dr. Levi is a past member of the Board of Governors of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and the Editorial Board of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). In addition to many years of classroom teaching in the primary grades and as a middle school advisor, he has been an adjunct professor of Education at John Carroll University (Cleveland), a director of special curriculum projects at University School, and a staff development consultant for the Institute for Educational Renewal. He and his wife Ginny are the parents of two grown daughters.
Helen Siegel, Lower School Director (BA and MSEd, Queens College, City Univ. of New York),
is beginning her 20th year at the Day School. She has enjoyed a wide range of teaching experiences in three different states, including over 14 years in public education in New York City. She has taught ESL, Spanish, junior high school English, and more. Always involved in Jewish education as a supplementary school Hebrew and Sunday school teacher, Helen joined the Day School faculty as an opportunity to integrate general education with Hebrew and Jewish studies. At the Day School Helen served as a third grade teacher and Division Coordinator for grades 3-6, and now begins her seventh year as a Day School administrator. She has served on an accreditation team for ISACS and is a member of the JCRC’s Speakers Bureau, educating the broader community about the Holocaust. As a master/mentor teacher for adult distance learners, she worked with local Jewish educators in the Gratz College Covenant Foundation’s Jewish Education Certificate program. She completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Principal’s Institute in the summer of 2005, studied in the Nishma and Na’aseh professional development seminar on prayer in 2007-08, and participated in subsequent learning circles on prayer in 2008-09. In addition, she participated in a JCES-sponsored seminar on mentorship last summer and during the 2008-2009 school year. As a trained Asset Champion for St. Louis Park’s Children First initiative, she is a liaison to the wider community in her support of all students. She looks forward to another exciting year working with the students, families, and faculty in the outstanding program at the Day School.
Harry Adler, Upper School Director, Grade 8 Science (BA and ME University of Virginia; Post Graduate Education Program, University of St Thomas), is beginning his third year at the Day School after eleven years at the Twin Cities Jewish Middle School (TCJMS) and the Talmud Torah of St Paul (TTSP). He moved into the education field after fourteen years of business experience in engineering, finance and management. After several experiences in Minneapolis Public Schools while completing a licensure program, he taught math and science to third and fourth graders at the Talmud Torah of St Paul. He then began his involvement at TCJMS where he served initially as a science and math teacher to 7th and 8th graders. As his ten years at TCJMS progressed, he added on administrative roles taking on the Principal role for the 2006-2007 school year. Harry lives in Minneapolis with his wife, two children and several pets. He looks forward to an exciting year.
Robert Portnoe, Judaic Studies Director; Grade 5 Judaic Studies and Geometry Teacher (BA and MA in History, Univ. of Penn.; BS in Economics, Univ. of Penn. Wharton School; Juris Doctor, National Law Center of George Washington Univ., Washington DC; coursework toward MA in Ed., Univ. St. Thomas), is beginning his 15th year at the Day School. He has been involved in teaching Jewish education to Twin-Cities first-graders through adults. Rob spent part of the past three summers studying at the Shalom Hartmann Institute in Jerusalem. He currently teaches adult education for Congregation Darchei Noam. Rob is a member of the Educational Leadership Team and Administration team.
Rabbi David Wirtschafter,
Rabbi-in-Residence, Grade 8 Judaics and Rabbinics (BA English Literature, Brandeis Univ; MA, Ordination HUC-JIR), was most recently a congregational rabbi in CA before joining the HMJDS family in the summer of 2008. Raised in Minneapolis, he attended Temple Israel, Talmud Torah, Camp Teko, Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute and JCC summer camps. He has served congregations in New Hampshire, New York, California and Iowa. Much of his work has focused on working with youth groups and teaching b’nai mitzvah students. Prior to joining our staff he was an active parent and visiting Rabbi at Morasha Jewish Day School in Orange County, participating in the T’filah (Prayer) program and studying Torah and holidays with fifth and sixth graders. Social justice, helping communities to be inclusive, and a love of Israel are among his enduring passions. David is married to Shana Sippy, an author, PhD candidate, and visiting scholar at Carleton College in Religious Studies. They have two children, Zachariah (Grade 4) and Emanuelle (Grade 1), both students at HMJDS.
Ofer Alphabet, Information Technology Director (BS in Management Information Systems, Univ. of Tel Aviv), is beginning his seventh year working with HMJDS and the entire Barry Family Campus. Originally from Israel, he was a Captain in the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Division. Ofer came to Minnesota in 1985 where he owned a computer consulting company and physical therapy clinics. After selling his companies, Ofer wanted to be more in touch with the Jewish community and came to work at the Campus. Ofer and his wife, Pam, are the proud parents of two daughters, Taylor (a 3rd grader at HMJDS) and Sydney.
N. Melegari (Mel) Newman, Staff & Student Services Coordinator, Lower School Administrative Assistant (BS in Communication Arts-major in Theater & Dance, minor in Music, UW-Superior.), is beginning her 14th year at the Day School. She came to the Day School because she feels that facilitating the education of children (our future) is important and rewarding. Mel and her husband, Scott, have three children. She also sings in the praise-and-worship band her husband leads at their church. She highly values the cross-spiritual enlightenment she gains by working within this community.
Abbe Gordon Payton, Admissions & Outreach Director (BA in Journalism, Univ. of Minn.),
is beginning her ninth year at the Day School. Her professional experience is in public relations, marketing, advertising, sales, publishing, and management. She particularly enjoys working with prospective and new parents, helping to integrate them into our vibrant school community. Abbe, a Florence Melton Adult Mini-School graduate, has served on two ISACS (Independent Schools Association of The Central States) accreditation teams and presented multiple times at the PEJE (Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education) Assembly. Abbe and her husband have four children: two are Welsh terriers, one is a Day School graduate and one is a current Day School student.
Steve Richardson, Business Director
(MBA in Accounting UW-Madison, BS in Managerial Systems, UW-Green Bay, CPA) began his career as a member of the audit staff of Coopers & Lybrand LLP (now PricewaterhouseCoopers). He left public accounting to enter the commercial real estate industry, where he served as Chief Financial Officer at Northco from the company’s formation in 1984 until recently. During his tenure, he was also Principal and a member of the Board of Directors. He is looking forward to the new and unique challenges and rewards he will encounter in a nonprofit environment. Steve grew up in Green Bay and, though he moved to the Twin Cities after college, he remains a Packers fan. He enjoys playing handball. He and his wife Karen have two grown sons.
Bat Sheva Berman, Hebrew Coordinator (Teaching degree, Teacher’s Seminar), is beginning her ninth year at the Day School. After high school, she served in the army for two years where she planned youth programs in development towns. She taught Hebrew and directed all holiday programs at Torah Academy for 21 years before coming to the Day School. Bat Sheva lives in St. Louis Park with her husband and three children. She is the winner of the Mann Jewish Educator of the Year Award and Grinspoon - Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Bat Sheva developed the curriculum for Kol Ivrit, a new, highly successful Hebrew immersion camp for students entering grades one to four, run jointly by the Day School and the Sabes JCC.
Randy Kustanowitz, Substitute Coordinator, originally hails from New York. He has been in the Twin Cities since 1984. He went to the Hebrew Academy of Suffolk County in New York as a child and sent his daughter to the Day School. His background is in Minneapolis public schools as a substitute teacher. He lived in Israel for six months on Kibbutz Hazorea and participated in the ULPAN program.
Susan Divine, Controller (Business Administration-Accounting, Univ. of Minn.; CPA), is beginning her 16th year at the Day School. Susan previously worked at Coopers and Lybrand LLP (now Pricewaterhouse Coopers), first as an auditor then as a tax advisor specializing in non-profits and fiduciary tax work. Susan enjoys brisk walks along the lake and an exciting game of Mah Jongg.
Jill Blustin, Upper School Administrative Assistant (CPA; BS in Accounting, Univ. of Minn.), is beginning her 3rd year working at the Day School and her 13th year as a Day School parent. Jill previously worked at Deluxe Corporation for 7 years as a Corporate Accounting Analyst, Accounts Receivable Manager and as a team member on a Business Architecture/Shared Services Design Team implementing SAP Software. Prior to that, Jill worked at Grant Thornton for 5 years as an auditor. Jill and her husband Sholly have two children: Sam, who is a Day School graduate and is now a senior in high school, and Talor, who is currently in 6th grade at the Day School.
Andrea “Drea” Johnson, Development Assistant (Diploma in Office Administration, Office Services, KRS Computer Business School),
joined the Day School over eight years ago. She enjoys working closely with the students, family and faculty. Last year was Drea’s first year as the basketball coach of HMJDS’s Squad A 5th & 6th Grade team. Drea has three children, and two of them attended the Day School. She believes that having her children attend the Day School is allowing them the opportunity to experience and have more knowledge of different cultures. What Drea values most about her years at HMJDS and having her daughters attend HMJDS is the feeling and the knowing of the Day School community’s togetherness, closeness, and support of one another.
Ethan Tarshish, Admissions Assistant (Interdepartmental degree in Film Studies, Jewish Studies, and Writing, Univ. of Minn.), is rocking his fifth year at the Day School (his 11th year if you count when he was a student). A Day School alumnus, he has also worked closely with the Jewish community while acting as Advocate for Temple Israel’s Na’aseh V’nishma program for the past 11 years. A self-proclaimed “comic book aficionado,” Ethan brings his love of reading and storytelling to the Day School, injecting adventure and excitement into any given day. Ethan also has a comic series he self publishes at www.woeisoz.com . Ethan enjoys books, films, filmmaking, writing, and goat herding with his wife Julie (Tzipporah) Tarshish. Ethan and Julie are expecting twins in the early fall of 2009.
