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91���� is proud to welcome a new class of students to the School of Education’s three graduate programs: the Executive M.A. in Jewish Education (EMA), the��DeLeT��Credential Program (Day School Teachers for a New Generation), and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). Together, these students��represent��the next generation of Jewish educators, bringing with them a remarkable range of professional experience, personal passions, and a shared commitment to strengthening Jewish learning and community.��
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This year’s cohorts include congregational educators, classroom teachers, youth professionals, camp leaders, Hillel professionals, storytellers, musicians, historians, attorneys, marketers, researchers, athletes, and even a newly ordained rabbi. Many first discovered their love of Jewish education through summer camps, youth movements, Hillel, or synagogue life, while others came to the field after careers in law, design, communications, fashion, or public service. Outside the classroom, they are marathon runners, yoga instructors, scuba divers, antique hunters, surfers, song leaders, pickleball players, published writers, crafters, and aspiring novelists—bringing creativity, curiosity, and a wealth of life experience to their work as educators.��
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Although each program serves educators at a different stage of their professional journey, they are united��by a common purpose. The Executive M.A. in Jewish Education is a flexible two-year program for experienced Jewish educational leaders across North America seeking��to deepen their leadership and educational practice. The��DeLeT��Credential Program prepares aspiring day schoolteachers through immersive coursework, mentoring, and classroom experience, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to inspire the next generation of learners. Building on that foundation, the Master of Arts in Teaching offers��DeLeT��graduates an opportunity to further refine their craft through action research, reflective practice, and advanced professional learning.��
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Across all three programs, these students share a commitment to creating meaningful, inclusive, and innovative Jewish educational experiences. As they learn alongside one another and from distinguished faculty mentors, they will help shape the future of Jewish education in classrooms, congregations, camps, and communities around the world.

Meet the Newest School of Education Students

EMA

Rabbi Leah Citrin-Nelson ’15

Rabbi��Jamie Field��’24��

Rabbi Jamie Field is the Rabbi Educator at Beth El Temple Center in Belmont, MA. She was ordained by 91���� in New York in 2024. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Jamie left the West Coast after high school to attend Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion. After college, she worked at Washington Hebrew Congregation as their Curriculum Coordinator for two years before moving to Jerusalem for her first year of rabbinical school. In her free time, she enjoys watching Jeopardy, looking for antiques, and perfecting her challah recipe. She lives in Cambridge, MA with her fiancé, Joshua.

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Jennifer Holman

Emily Hummel

Emily Hummel is the Director of Congregational Learning at Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation (NVHC) in Reston, VA. She joined the NVHC team in 2017 and held four other positions there before becoming the Director in December 2025. She earned bachelor’s degrees in history and religion from the University of Mary Washington, and a master’s degree in religion from Temple University. She lives in Sterling, VA with her best friend and two rambunctious cats. Aside from Judaism, her passions include tabletop games, exploring the outdoors (especially the Great Smoky Mountains), and any craft that involves needle and thread.

Moran Lantner

Moran Lantner is an educator and Associate Youth Director with over two decades of experience. She specializes in creating immersive learning environments that blend language, leadership, and social action. Her background ranges from supervising instructional staff in the IDF to developing innovative curricula, all supported by a bachelor’s degree from the Bezalel Academy. She is particularly passionate about teaching conversational Hebrew to all ages and have spent 25 years teaching yoga in small classes and one-on-one settings, with a deep love for the Iyengar method. After moving from Israel to Brooklyn, she has remained very active in her synagogue community alongside her American husband and their three daughters. When she is not mentoring teens or directing Hebrew school operations, you’ll find her outdoors hiking or biking with her family.

Emily Lusardi����

Emily Lusardi is the Jewish Learning Center (JLC) Director at Congregation BJBE in Deerfield, IL. She received her bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and her master’s degree from National Louis University. She also completed the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute, Cohort 11. Lusardi has been in her current role for the past four years. Prior to that, she worked at BJBE in various roles supporting the Education team and working as an early childhood teacher. Lusardi focuses her leadership on joyful Judaism, a love of learning, and a caring community. When not working, she spends time with her two teens and two dogs. She enjoys going on long walks with friends (and her dogs) and playing pickleball when she can.

Jennifer Schatz-Young ��

Jennifer��Schatz-Young��grew up in Pembroke Pines,��FL, where her family has been lifelong members of Temple Beth Emet��since she was an infant. Growing up at TBE,��Schatz-Young��was��very involved��in synagogue life and has celebrated many milestones on her Jewish journey there.��For the past 20 years since��graduating from��Florida Atlantic University, she has worked at Temple Beth Emet as the��Merkaz��Limud��& Jewish Teen Leadership Assistant Director��where��she has��helped develop family programs and community outreach programs. She has visited Israel��numerous��times on educational trips, including March of the Living (as a teen), a few trips through her local Jewish Federation, as a chaperone for��IsraelNow,��and most recently with Momentum. In 2017 she was recognized for “Excellence in Synagogue School Education” and received The Dr. Sidney & Rose Esterson Award.��Schatz-Young��has enrolled in��the EMA��program in hopes of learning alongside a diverse network of peers and gaining insight��into��what other congregations are doing around the country. She is also looking to fill in gaps in her knowledge��in order to��better inform her work at Temple Beth Emet.��Schatz-Young, along with her spouse, David,��has��three daughters.��

Amanda Schwartz

Amanda Schwartz is the Youth Education Director at Temple B’nai Israel, where she has been on staff in various roles since 2021. She holds bachelor’s degrees in biology and nursing and brings a wealth of experience to her position. Before relocating from the Dallas area to Oklahoma City in 2015, she built a career as a pediatric ICU nurse and unit team leader, combining her scientific background with compassionate patient care. Outside the Temple, she and her husband Randy are kept busy with their blended family of five children, ranging from elementary school to college-age.

Leah Shapiro

Max Winer-Green����

Max Winer-Green is the Affinity Groups and Adult Programming Associate at Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. He earned his Bachelors of Music Production Technologies and Religious Production from the Honors College at Oregon State University. He has worked at Hillel, synagogues, and Jewish day schools as an educator, song leader, and storyteller. Winer-Green and his wife Lizzy have a husky named Kaya. Max enjoys game nights, cooking, spending time outdoors year-round in Los Angeles.

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DeLeT��Certificate��

Eden Becher��

Eden Becher is from Phoenix, AZ, by way of Fair Lawn, NJ, and currently lives in Los Angeles. She graduated dual degrees in Creative Writing from Columbia University and Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies from The Jewish Theological Seminary. She will be a teaching assistant in first grade at Brawerman East Elementary School this year, having previously taught at IKAR and Temple Akiba. In her free time, she enjoys various arts and crafts, playing guitar, and writing music and poetry.

Taylor Gottbetter��

Alexa Hirsch��

Alexa Hirsch is an aspiring day schoolteacher from Los Angeles, CA. She received a bachelor’s in history from Barnard College and a bachelor’s in Jewish history from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She will be a teaching assistant in kindergarten at Pressman Academy, having previously worked closely with third-through fifth-grade students at Heschel Day School, supporting students in homeroom classes as well as with specialists. She is passionate about providing students with a well-rounded combination of general and Jewish education. Growing up, Hirsch was an active member of BBYO’s D’vash chapter, through which she met her fiancé. She finds joy in a wide variety of activities outside of her work. She owns and cares for three home aquariums, maintains over a dozen houseplants, and recently earned her SCUBA certification. ��

Tobias��(Tobey)��Lee��

obey Lee is starting his first year at Sinai Akiba Academy as a 3rd Grade Teaching Assistant. Prior to that, he worked as a fourth-Grade Educational Assistant at Pressman Academy, providing academic and emotional support to students. A native of Los Angeles and a proud product of Jewish day school education, he is excited to begin his journey as a teacher. Lee completed his undergraduate studies at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in Psychology and minoring in History and Music. In his spare time, Tobey enjoys watching and playing sports, listening to live music, trying new restaurants, spending quality time with family, and going on road trips with friends.��

Marcus Loebenstein��

Aaron Miller��

Aaron Miller is from Los Angeles, CA, and graduated in 2021 from the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor’s in mathematics and art history. Before moving to teaching full-time, he was a caretaker, a full-time volunteer with the SCA New Hampshire Conservation Corp, and a substitute teacher. He will be teaching second grade at Sinai Akiba Academy this year. Aaron loves to cook and is an avid runner, having completed his first marathon in April 2026. He is also a voracious reader and hopes to write a novel one day.

Elizabeth Suman��

Liz Suman earned a bachelor’s with honors in Liberal Arts from California State University, Northridge in 2022. She currently works at Valley Beth Shalom Day School as a Kindergarten Teacher’s Assistant. Outside of education, she enjoys baking and exploring her creativity through pastry arts. She attended the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, where she earned a diploma in Professional Pastry Arts. She also loves going to the beach and spending quality time with friends.

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DeLeT��MAT��

Jonathan Abelson��

Riley Creditor��

Riley Creditor received her bachelor’s in psychology with a double minor in Spanish and applied developmental psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was a member of DeLeT Cohort 24. She is working in second grade at Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School in Northridge. She is so excited to continue creating a safe, positive learning environment that ensures the needs of every diverse learner are met. Outside of the classroom, she spends her free time baking, reading, running, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Adelia Hunt��

Adelia Hunt holds a B.A. with honors in Political Science from Barnard College, a J.D. with honors from American University Washington College of Law and was a member of DeLeT Cohort 23. She is the lead general studies teacher in first grade at Contra Costa Jewish Day School. Prior to entering the field of education, Hunt practiced law, worked in Congressional Affairs and as Assistant to the Ambassador at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C., conducted research at a political think tank in Israel and taught courses in Constitutional Law to public high school students in Washington, D.C.

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Morgan Justiss��

Micaela Kelman (Martin)��

Micaela Kelman received her B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Northridge, in 2024, graduating magna cum laude. She graduated from DeLeT in 2025 with Cohort 24. Kelman has been teaching for nine years, beginning her journey as an assistant in the art room before teaching TK, kindergarten, and second grade. She currently works as a lead teacher in kindergarten at Briskin Elementary School in Los Angeles. She is passionate about creating a warm, engaging classroom environment that nurtures student growth, curiosity, and strong Jewish values within the school community. Outside of the classroom, Kelman loves spending time in nature, hiking, and going to the beach. In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts, traveling, watching movies, and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Ruth Kerman Blackman��

Ruth Blackman was raised in Southern California, where she earned her degree from SDSU and later received her teaching credential with DeLeT Cohort 11. She brings nearly a decade of lower elementary classroom teaching experience to this next chapter, having most recently focused on mentoring new and student teachers. She loves creating positive, nurturing environments that spark real-world learning and help students, kids and adults, discover the tools they need to succeed. She lives in San Diego with her husband, Justin, and their two children, Daisy and Simon. When she’s not focused on work, you can find her doing yoga, enjoying the beach, exploring nature with her family, or getting crafty.

Liv Reinis��

Liv Reinis grew up in Los Angeles and attended Jewish day school for 12 years. She completed a B.A. in Educational Studies from Vassar College in 2024 and will earn her teaching credential through DeLeT this summer in Cohort 24. Reinis will be teaching first grade at Briskin Elementary School this year, after two years as a Kindergarten co-teacher. She enjoys swimming in large bodies of water, gaming of all sorts, and going to the gym.

Benjamin Rudy��

Sarah Sterne (Olguin)��

Sydney Waco��