At Temple Emanu El, we believe in providing support to families throughout their lives. In the area of education, our Religious School faculty is among the best in the country. Our faculty members are degreed and/or hold special certification in their areas of expertise. Many continue their education at local universities, the Siegal College of Judaic Studies or the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland.
Faculty Bios
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Carolyn Abrams
Carolyn is currently teaching 1st grade at TEE. She has taught religious school for over 10 years. During the week, Carolyn is a stay at home mom to three. Carolyn and her husband Adam are members of TEE. Carolyn has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Sociology from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to motherhood, she taught elementary school.
Shari Bernstein
Shari is thrilled to return to the classroom where she will be teaching kindergarten while she continues to serve as the congregation’s Family Educator. Shari has amassed over 10 years experience teaching in TEE’s Religious School and Preschool; during the past three years she has also been working toward a Masters in Judaic Studies with a specialization in Jewish Education. In the spring of 2009, Shari completed the Moreshet Hebrew Teacher Training Program and was awarded a Cleveland Judaic/Hebraic Supplementary School Teaching Certificate. In 2010, she received the Morton Schein Family Education Award.
Aline Davis
A member of our congregation for twenty-one years, she holds a Bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in American Literature and Elementary Education and a Masters of Arts in Judaic Studies from Siegal College. She was also a graduate of the first Moreshet class at Siegal College, obtaining her Hebrew teacher’s license. Currently, she holds a Level A license in Hebrew and her passion is accommodating students with a variety of learning styles in the Hebrew classroom. She is a previous recipient of the TEE Libbie Braverman Award for Creative Teaching and the Ratner-Goldberg Award from the JECC. She was also awarded the Grinspoon - Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. She teaches 6th grade Parent/Child Hebrew, 11th/12th grade core class, the Hadrachah class for our madrichim and other Contemporary Topics in our TEEn Kolel program.
Ari Feinberg
Ari grew up at Germantown Jewish Centre in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. After graduating High School in 2009, he took a gap year in Israel with his youth movement, Habonim Dror. Ari has worked for two summers as a madrich at Camp Galil outside of Philadelphia. He is currently a sophomore at Oberlin College. Ari is thrilled to be joining the TEE faculty teaching Fourth Grade on Sundays, as well as Seventh Grade and Contemporary Topics classes on Monday evenings.
Erin Gabay
Erin is excited to be teaching Third Grade Judiacs and Parent/Child Hebrew this year. She has been teaching Religious School for 13 years and has been involved in the world of Jewish Education in a variety of roles, from preschool teacher to family educator. Erin has a Masters degree in Jewish Education from Siegal College of Judaic Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Jewish Studies and Religious Studies from Indiana University. Erin recently obtained her Ohio teaching license in Middle Childhood Education, with a concentration in Math and Science. She is mother to Maya, Oren and Tamar, and is married to Alon Gabay.
Amelea Gonzalez
Amelea is a new teacher at TEE, and is very excited to be teaching the fifth grade this year. She is a full time Biology major, and enjoys attending Shabbat services and taking courses in Modern Hebrew at the Laura and Alvin Siegal College of Judaic studies. Amelea plans to pursue medicine, and hopes to practice as a primary care physician. When Amelea is not teaching, she can be found studying in coffee shops, browsing art galleries, dancing, or singing karaoke.
Matt Greenfield
Matt Greenfield is immensely looking forward to returning as a 7th Grade teacher, having graduated from TEE high school early this millennium with two years of madrich experience under his belt. After receiving his B.A. in History from Case and M.Ed. in Middle School Education from John Carroll, Matt took a 3-year "early retirement" in Florida, teaching middle school English and History. He is excited to be back in Cleveland, teaching History and Creative Writing at Gilmour Academy. He is newly and happily married to Jackie Greenfield.
Beth Mann
Beth grew up at Temple Emanu El and is thrilled to join the TEE faculty this year, as Youth Director/Retreat Coordinator. In addition, Beth will be teaching 8th Grade and Contemporary Topics in our TEEn Kolel program. Beth is also the Regional Advisor NFTY-NEL, and is excited to bring her passion for experiential Jewish Education to TEE. She has a Bachelor's degree in Judaic Studies from the University of Cincinnati. Beth is mother to Michael and Morgan and is married to Phil.
Amy Newman Smith
Amy Newman Smith has been teaching Hebrew and Judaics in Cleveland since relocating here in from Southern California 2004. She has been teaching 2nd grade for many years and loves it. This year Mrs. Smith will also be teaching 9th Grade and Contemporary Topics. She is a graduate of Siegal College's Moreshet teacher training program. Mrs. Smith has also taught intensive Hebrew decoding classes for adults, as well as introduction to Judaism courses. She is the author of Words that Changed History: The Nuremberg Laws and is a freelance contributor to the Cleveland Jewish News. Mrs. Smith is married with 2 young daughters, a son and a pair of frogs.
Susan Powell
Susan is teaching 4th Grade Midweek Hebrew this year. An alumni of Kent State University, Susan taught Hebrew and Judaic studies for 8 years in Wilmington North Carolina before moving back to the Cleveland area two years ago. During the day Susan runs a home health care company providing support to children and adults with developmental disabilities. At night she is a mother to a 8 year old girl named Rayna, a 4 year old boy named Noah and a 14 year old cat named Kona.
Benjamin Senkfor
Benjamin Senkfor is very excited to be back in the Cleveland area and teaching at TEE. Ben is a graduate of both TEE’s Religious School and Hadrachah Program. After graduating from Charles F. Brush High School, Ben spent a year away in West Virginia. He is back to get his general education courses done and is excited to pursue a degree in Education. Ben is looking forward to teaching Sixth Grade and working with the youth group.
Channa Schulgasser
Channa Schulgasser started teaching Religious School in Providence, RI while getting her degree at Rhode Island School of Design. She loves the combination of Jewish education and arts and crafts. Her favorite projects involve "mehudar mitzvah" anything that beautifies a mitzvah ~ from illuminated brachot, colorful kippot, and decorative seder plates to personalized mezuzah cases and embellished textiles. Channa's education also includes a year of study at Kalisher School of the Arts in Tel Aviv. She moved to Cleveland after marrying a native Clevelander and has 3 little boys who also love to create things.
Marilyn Zaas
Marilyn had been teaching at Temple Emanu El since 2002. She has taught PreK, First Grade, Fifth Grade and now is teaching Third Grade Judaics and Hebrew, as well as 4th grade Parent/Child Hebrew. Marilyn and her husband Joel live in Solon and have been members of TEE since 1983. Their three children were all confirmed here and two graduated from TEE’s TEEn Kolel High School program. A graduate of Miami University, she taught 3 year olds at Kadima Gan preschool and is now teaching the same age at Park synagogue preschool. .
