Mrs. Rivka Kahan has been active in shaping academic and religious life at Ma'ayanot since she joined the faculty in 2002. Before becoming Principal, Mrs. Kahan served as Tanakh Chair, Director of Israel Guidance, Director of Professional Development, and Assistant Principal. She also wrote Ma'ayanot's Halakha curriculum and taught Tanakh, Talmud, Halakha, and Jewish Philosophy. She holds an M.A. in Bible from Bernard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University, and Certification in Talmud and Jewish Law from the Drisha Scholars Circle. She studied at Nishmat in Jerusalem and has a B.A. from Barnard College. Mrs. Kahan has written and lectured widely on topics relating to Torah and education. She embodies a passion for education and a deep commitment to Ma'ayanot's unique educational vision of helping students develop the skills and confidence they need to be active, creative, critical thinkers in all areas of learning and life.
Mrs. Tamar Appel, our Associate Principal, has brought her passion for teaching to Ma'ayanot since 2004, where she has taught Hebrew, American History, European History, Jewish History and Public Speaking. She is also a 9th grade mekhaneket. Mrs. Appel has a B.A. in American History and an M.A. in Modern Jewish 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. Bailey Braun comes to Ma’ayanot with a wealth of experience as a school social worker and Torah educator. Prior to joining Ma’ayanot, Mrs. Braun created a guidance program at Netivot HaTorah, a 600-student elementary school in Toronto. She also worked as a social worker at a public high school for at-risk teens. Mrs. Braun conducts lectures and seminars at retreat centers, college campuses, and synagogues throughout the U.S. and Canada on topics including Women in Jewish History, Chumash, mysticism, meditation, and poetry. She has a Master’s in Social Work from Ryerson University, a B.S.W. from Lakehead University, and a B.A. in Religious Studies from York University in Toronto.
In addition to serving as Assistant Principal of Co-Curricular Life and Director of the Ma’ayanot Scholars Program, Rabbi Zev Prince teaches Talmud and Halakha. Rabbi Prince runs many of our Torah programs outside of the classroom and works with all of our co-curricular departments. Prior to joining the Ma’ayanot faculty in 2008, Rabbi Prince worked in adult education as a member of the Boca Raton Community Kollel. He earned a B.S. in Psychology from Yeshiva University and Semicha from RIETS, the Yeshiva University Kollel in Jerusalem.
Mrs. Lisa Baron teaches Biology and works in the Learning Center. She also teaches Language Arts in 8th Grade at RYNJ, where she has been teaching for four years. Previously, she was a Head Teacher in the Elementary School and Early Childhood of Yeshivat Noam for 13 years. She also coordinated General Studies Support Services in Grades 2-5 and mentored teachers at Yeshivat Noam. She has a B.A. in Biology from Stern College and and an M.S. in Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities Grades K-12 from Teachers College at Columbia University Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Duncan Bell is a mentor in our STEAM department. He mentors all 9th and 10th graders and assists in program development for all grades. Dr. Bell holds a Ph.D. in Botany and Plant Biophysics from Michigan State University. He recently retired from a career developing research robots for the pharmaceutical industry. He is a founding member of the Nyack Library Makerspace and a former instructor at the Bergen Academy and Rockland County Makerspaces. He is a developer of special effects for the theater and for storefront windows.
Mrs. Heather Benjamin will be teaching U.S. History. She has taught Social Studies at RYNJ for 17 years, and has taught U.S. History and AP U.S. History at Heichal HaTorah. She has also served as an adjunct lecturer and Associate Professor of Sociology at Drew University. Mrs. Benjamin earned a B.A. in History from Rutgers University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, an M.A. in Sociology from New York University, and she completed her Ph.D. Comprehensive Exams in American Law, Gender, and Family at NYU.
Mrs. Gabrielle Berger, a Ma'ayanot alumna, joined the Ma'ayanot team in 2015 and teaches Talmud and Tanakh. Mrs. Berger holds a B.A. in Jewish Education from Stern College, an M.S. in Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education, an M.A. in Bible from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, and an M.A. in Biblical and Talmudic Interpretation from the Graduate Program for Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS) at Yeshiva University. She also serves as the Torah Bowl coach and is a certified kallah teacher.
Mrs. Nechama Becker, LMSW, is one of Ma'ayanot's founding faculty members, having taught Jewish History to our earliest classes. She left Ma'ayanot briefly to pursue a Master's in Social Work, and then rejoined the faculty in 2007 to serve as Guidance Counselor and mehanekhet. Mrs. Becker earned an M.A. in Jewish History from Bernard Revel Graduate School at Yeshiva University and an M.S.W. from Fordham University.
Rabbi Donny Besser teaches Talmud and Halakha, serves as the Judaic Studies Enrichment Coordinator, and is Mashgiach Ruchani. Rabbi Besser also serves as a dayan for the RCA Beit Din of America, and was involved in editing the Masoret HaRav Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah machzorim and a new Birkon, whose commentaries incorporate insights of Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. Rabbi Besser joined the Ma'ayanot faculty in 2005, prior to which he practiced law for six years. He earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School and received semicha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University.
Mrs. Nina Bieler, Ninth Grade Dean, earned a B.A. in Psychology from Stern College and an M.S.W. from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, where she received a certificate for Excellence in Jewish Community Service. Mrs. Bieler formerly worked as Ma'ayanot's Director of Admissions for six years. Prior to joining Ma’ayanot in 2004, Mrs. Bieler honed her community organization skills through her work at the UJA Federation of NY, The Jewish Community Relations Council in NY, and the Lenox Hill Bikur Cholim.
Mrs. Amy Birman, LCSW, serves as a guidance counselor and mehanekhet. Mrs. Birman has a B.A. in Psychology from Barnard College and an M.S.W. from New York University’s Shirley M. Ehrenkranz School of Social Work, where she won a Community Service Award. She has held positions as a social worker at Cancer Care and Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services, and as a social work intern at Riverdale Mental Health Center and These Our Treasures. Mrs. Birman’s warmth and understanding make her a valued member of our guidance department. She spends her summers planning and teaching science to campers at Moshava Ba'Ir.
Mrs. Dena Block, a Ma'ayanot alumna, is Director of Admissions. She has been teaching Talmud and Halakha since 2010. She has also taught History and has worked as Co-Director of Student Activities. After graduating from Ma’ayanot in 2004, Mrs. Block studied at Migdal Oz in Israel before attending Barnard College, where she earned a B.A. in History. She holds an M.A. in Medieval Jewish History from Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, an M.A. in Biblical and Talmudic Interpretation from the Graduate Program for Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS) at Yeshiva University, and earned Yoetzet Halakha Certification from Nishmat's Miriam Glaubach Center's U.S. Yoatzot Halakha Program. She serves as a Yoetzet Halakha at the Mt. Sinai Jewish Center in Washington Heights and for the community of Stamford, CT.
Mr. Yoni Blu has joined our Hebrew department. Mr. Blu holds a B.A. from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and a teaching certificate from the Hotam program at the Levinsky and Oranim Colleges. He taught high-school students for the past three years at Multidisciplinary School Amal Makif in Beer Sheva.
Mrs. Chaya Brand has several years of experience teaching Math at all-girls yeshivot in New York and New Jersey. Prior to coming to Ma’ayanot, Mrs. Brand taught Math at Bais Yaakov High School and Yeshiva Ketana in Passaic, Torah Academy for Girls in Far Rockaway, and Bnos Malka Academy in Forest Hills. She earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Mathematics from Touro College and an M.A. in Middle Childhood Mathematics Education from Brooklyn College.
Mrs. Judy Buchnik has experience as an ESL teacher in Israel and as a Hebrew teacher and tutor in the United States. She has taught Hebrew at The Moriah School for seven years and at Bereisheet in Tenafly, an enrichment program for Israeli children . She is the owner of JBE Tutoring, which provides a wide range of academic tutoring to students. In Israel, she taught English at the Youth Renewal Fund, Savyonim Junior High School, and Moreshet Zvulun Elementary School. She holds a B.Ed in English Education from Beit Berl College and an M.A. in Political Science and Communications from Bar Ilan University.
Mrs. Gillian Cofnas joined the Ma'ayanot team in 2015 and teaches Chemistry, Physics, and STEAM. Mrs. Cofnas earned BASc and MASc degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto. Early in her career, Ms. Cofnas gained extensive research experience through her work in biomedical research facilities. She shifted to a career in education by teaching Chemistry at RYNJ’s middle school and individually tutoring students, primarily in math and science. She is Ma'ayanot's Science Research Coordinator and coach of our Science Olympiad team.
Dr. Oshra Cohen serves as a guidance counselor. Dr. Cohen earned her B.A in Psychology at McGill University and her Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. Prior to coming to Ma'ayanot in 2009, she worked at The New York State Psychiatric Institute, served as a clinical health psychologist at CAPS of Rockland County, and was an adjunct faculty member at Stern College and at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology. In addition to working at Ma'ayanot, Dr. Cohen maintains private practice offices in Manhattan and Rockland County.
Ms. Margolin has served as chair of the social studies department at Katzhanelson High School and as a teaching assistant at Tel Aviv University. She has also worked at The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, where she was a Hebrew teacher. In addition, she has various work experiences outside of the field of education in the start up world. She holds an MBA and an LLB in Law and Business Management from Tel Aviv University, a teaching certificate in social studies from Beit Berl and is a member of the Israeli bar.
Mrs. Suzanne Cohen is the Tanakh Chair and serves as Co-Director of Israel Guidance. She holds a B.A. from Stern College, where she was both a Max Stern Scholar and a Kukin Fellow. She also earned an M.S. in Jewish Secondary Education from the Azrieli Graduate School at Yeshiva University and an M.A. in Bible from Bernard Revel Graduate School at Yeshiva University. Prior to joining Ma’ayanot’s faculty in 2003, Mrs. Cohen taught Tanakh at Bat Torah Academy and coached students for the National Bible Contest. Mrs. Cohen's is a past Chair of the RYNJ Board of Education.
Mrs. Devora Dawidowicz joined the Ma'ayanot faculty in 2015 and teaches Talmud and Halakha. She earned a B.A. in Judaic Studies and Biology from Stern College for Women, an M.S. in Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education at Yeshiva University, and is currently training to receive Yoetzet Halakha Certification from Nishmat's Miriam Glaubach Center's US Yoatzot Halakha Program. Before joining the Ma’ayanot faculty she taught Tanakh at Maimonides Upper School, Torah Academy of Brighton and the Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, NJ.
Rabbi Jeremy Donath teaches Halakha and Tanakh. He is currently the Rabbi of Congregation Darchei Noam in Fair Lawn. Rabbi Donath received semicha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), an M.A. from Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, and a B.A. from Yeshiva College.