Social Studies 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.
 

Mrs. Dena Block, a Ma'ayanot alumna, teaches Talmud, History and Jewish History. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Mrs. Block serves as Director of Student Programming and as a ninth grade mehanekhet. After graduating from Ma’ayanot in 2004, Mrs. Block first studied at Migdal Oz in Israel before attending Barnard College. She earned a B.A. in History from Barnard College and an M.A. in Biblical and Talmudic Interpretation from the Graduate Program for Advanced Talmudic Studies at Yeshiva University. Mrs. Block is currently studying toward an M.A. in Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School at Yeshiva University and is training to become a Yoetzet Halacha through Nishmat.

Mr. Alan Deaett teaches American History, World History and American Government at Ma'ayanot. He also serves as adviser to the Stock Market Game and to Model UN. Mr. Deaett earned his B.A. in History at  Amherst College and his M.S. in Social Science from William Paterson University. Prior to coming to Ma'ayanot, Mr. Deaett served as Social Studies Department Chair and taught history at Glen Rock High School for forty-five years. He earned New Jersey Governor’s Awards as Teacher of the Year in 1992 and 1996, he was selected as Social Studies Supervisor of the Year in 1987 by the New Jersey Council for Social Studies, and he was designated Teacher of the Year by the Glen Rock Educational Association in 1992. Mr. Deaett also coached football at Glen Rock High School for over forty years, winning nine state championships during his tenure. He has been named Coach of the Year by the National Foundation Hall of Fame (1988), Ridgewood News (1996 and 1998), New York Jets (1997) and the New York Giants (2003). Coach Deaett was inducted into the Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003 by the New Jersey Coaches Association.

Mrs. Pam Ennis, Director of Community Relations, joined the Ma'ayanot faculty in 1999, and since that time she has taught the twelfth grade American Government course and numerous elective courses, including Economics, Legal Studies, Criminal Law, Current Events and Global Issues, and Israel Advocacy.  In addition to teaching, Mrs. Ennis previously served as Ma’ayanot’s Senior Grade Advisor, Yearbook Advisor, and Middle States Coordinator. While Mrs. Ennis continues to teach American Government this year, she also recently assumed the newly created position of Director of Community Relations at Ma’ayanot. Mrs. Ennis' love for all things related to education is evident in her volunteer activities; she has served on the boards of both RYNJ and TABC, and is currently Co-Chair of the TABC Education Committee. Mrs. Ennis holds a B.A. in Psychology from Queens College and a J.D. from Fordham Law School. 

Dr. Richard Katz teaches AP Psychology. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Case-Western Reserve University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College. He completed post-doctoral research at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry and has authored a number of scientific articles. Most recently, he has taught courses, including Brain and Behavior and AP Biology, at Dwight-Englewood School. He has previous teaching experience in the psychology department of Johns Hopkins University and at Bryn Mawr College. 

Mrs. Elana Lefkovitz, a graduate of Ma’ayanot’s Class of 2002, teaches History and Jewish History. Mrs. Lefkovitz studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum before earning a B.A. in American History from Barnard College and a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She worked as a research assistant, legal intern, and teaching assistant while in law school, in addition to serving as a project coordinator for the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. 

Mr. Yaakov Samuels teaches ninth and tenth grade History at Ma’ayanot. He also serves as the adviser for Model U.N. and as the coach for the Debate Team. Mr. Samuels received his B.A. in History from Rutgers University, an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and K-12 State Teacher Certification and designation as a “Highly Qualified Teacher of Social Studies” from New Jersey City University.