Jewish Philosophy Department - Faculty List

Mrs. Tamar Appel, Assistant Principal, has brought her passion for teaching to Ma'ayanot since 2004, when she became a teacher of Hebrew, American History, and Jewish History at the school.  She currently serves as Chairperson of the History, Jewish History, and Jewish Philosophy Departments, and she designed the school's Modern Jewish History curriculum.   Mrs. Appel has a B.A. and an M.A. in History from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also completed her coursework toward a Ph.D. and won the Penn Prize for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching.  She is committed not only to guiding students toward intellectual development, but also to helping them find their own personal paths as young Jewish women.
 

Ms. Sarah Gordon, Ma'ayanot's Director of Student Activities, also teaches Talmud and Jewish Philosophy and serves as an eleventh grade mehanekhet. After graduating from Stern College with a B.A. in Judaic Studies, Ms. Gordon spent two years studying at Yeshiva University's Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies. She holds an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University and another M.A. in Modern Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University. She has spent time studying in education programs at Midreshet Lindenbaum and Pardes and is currently participating in a Certificate program in Experiential Jewish Education through Yeshiva University's Center for the Jewish Future. Ms. Gordon also has extensive experience in informal Jewish education, having served in a number of leadership positions at Camp Stone, including Educational Director, as well as working as a Program Head for Bnei Akiva's MachHach Ba'Aretz Israel trip.

Mrs. Nava Orlian works in Ma'ayanot's Office of Student Special Services, teaches Jewish Philosophy, and serves as an eleventh grade mehanekhet. Upon completing her B.A. in Education and Judaic Studies at Michlalah, the Jerusalem College for Women, she stayed on at Michlalah to both teach and to serve as an adviser to students in the overseas program. While in Israel she was also involved in founding the ELIYA School for the Blind in Jerusalem and she instructed students with various learning disabilities in Israeli high schools. Upon returning to the United States, Mrs. Orlian received her M. S. in Special Education from Hunter College, became certified as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, and attended the Master’s Program in Jewish History at Touro College.

Mrs. Shoshana Samuels teaches Halakha and Jewish Philosophy and serves as a ninth grade mehanekhet. She earned a B.A. in Judaic Studies from Stern College, an M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from Ben Gurion University, and she is a graduate of the Keren Ariel Yoetzet Halakha Program at Nishmat in Israel.  While living in Israel, Mrs. Samuels taught high school students at Mekif Amit and at Yeshivat Bnei Akiva in Beer Sheva, and she also worked with elementary  through college-age students in a variety of informal Jewish educational settings. In addition to teaching at Ma’ayanot, Mrs. Samuels is the yoetzet halakha at Congregation Rinat Yisrael, Congregation Netivot Shalom, and Kesher Synagogue in Bergen County, and  she regularly visits the Jewish community in Los Angeles to give shiurim and to serve as yoetzet halakha there as well.