Racheli grew up in Brooklyn, NY and studied in Israel at Michlalah, and majored in Jewish Education with a minor in chemistry at Stern College. She was in the first cohort of the Legacy Heritage Jewish Educators Program, which combines courses in education, psychology and Judaic studies, with intensive classroom fieldwork. Racheli holds master’s degrees in Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, and Bible from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. She has taught Judaic Studies at Yeshivat Noam, Torah Academy of Philadelphia, and Ramaz Upper School. She previously served as the Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) educators at the University of Pennsylvania along with her husband Yaakov. She currently lives in Washington Heights, NY and serves as the rebbetzin and Yoetzet Halacha at Mount Sinai Jewish Center. She is the proud mother of three children.
Mrs. Yael Weil teaches Halakha. She also serves as the adviser to MIPAC, promoting Israel advocacy to the student body. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and Jewish Studies from Stern College, and Special Education and Child Life Certification from the Bank Street College of Education. Mrs. Weil comes to Ma'ayanot with tremendous teaching experience as she has taught numerous Judaic studies subjects at the elementary, middle and high school levels at various Yeshivot in California, New York and New Jersey. She is a well-known guest lecturer who has been hosted as a scholar-in-residence by numerous national Jewish organizations and women's groups. She currently teaches a weekly parsha class at Teaneck's Keter Torah, as well as kallah classes.
Dr. Rayzel Yaish serves as Ma'ayanot's Director of Guidance. She earned a B.A. in Pre-Med and Psychology from Stern College, and received her Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. Prior to coming to Ma’ayanot in 2007, Dr. Yaish was the Director of Guidance at the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy Middle School. She has worked with teens for many years, as a Head Counselor both at Camp HASC and Camp Simcha. Dr. Yaish enjoys consulting and presenting workshops for a variety of local and national organizations on topics related to mental health, general health, the special needs population, communication, leadership, and the interface of spirituality and psychology.
Ms. Arielle Zomberg teaches Chemistry. Prior to joining the Ma’ayanot faculty, Ms. Zomberg was a science teacher at Bronx Collegiate Academy for three years. She served as a Teach for America corps member, having been selected from among approximately 48,000 applicants to commit to teaching for two years in an under-resourced public school. She has also been an AP Chemistry homeschool teacher and a research assistant in the Neuroscience Department of Rutgers University. Ms. Zomberg earned a B.A. in Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience from Stern College, and an M.S. in Teaching, with a major in Teaching Exceptional Adolescents: Grades 7-12, at Fordham University.