Teachers Biographies

Getting to Know our Staff at Alef-Bet - The staff of Alef-Bet is as diverse as our community. Teachers have been here anywhere from it's beginning in 1987, to joining us for the first time this year. Our staff reflects the same range of involvement in Jewish life as our families. While speaking Hebrew is not a requirement, we feel fortunate when a member or members of our staff do speak Hebrew. Traditionally, our staff are college graduates and have a successful history of working with young children. Characteristic of our entire faculty is a respect and appreciation for the individuality of each child, the joys and wonder of childhood, and the importance of a partnership with each family. Most of all, each one has demonstrated a dedication to the children in our care. We hope these paragraphs will begin to introduce our teachers to you. (The number at the end of each biography indicates the year s/he started at Alef-Bet.)

ALEF TEACHERS

Maggie Cooper has returned to Alef-Bet as an Alef teacher, after thirteen years as our revered Director. She has been with Alef-Bet almost from its inception and has been reinventing it ever since. She left for a short interlude of rest, reflection and personal space, which had been in short supply during her tenure here. Just as Maggie appreciated, allowed and stressed the importance of each individual staff member being the unique person they were, she does the same with each child. Maggie merges the exuberance of a child's interests into the learning and the curriculum of the classroom. She is as comfortable on the floor as she is up and dancing about with the children. It was seeing the light in Maggie's eyes when with the children, that Judi proposed the idea that Maggie rejoin us at Alef-Bet. How fortunate we are to have her. Maggie is always available for collaboration with a teacher about curriculum ideas, encouragement or emotional support or a chat with a parent who had a concern. With parents and children alike, she had the ability to set things aside and attend fully and with sincere attention to the person who needs her at the moment.

Maggie is extremely devoted to her community and family. Maggie recently celebrated her daughter Elizabeth's marriage. Maggie's formal background includes a BA in English and a M.ED. in Special Education as well as additional course work in early childhood Jewish education and administration. She tries to be observant of mitzvot and treasures Jewish tradition, continuously learning about Talmud and Torah. She is a member of a women's Torah study group. Though she maintains her own strong convictions, she has been open to listening to other points of view, which makes for an intellectual liveliness and relaxed appreciation of Judaism. Indeed, she has modeled an example of tolerance and inclusion so that families representing a wide variety of levels of observance and immersion in Jewish traditions feel comfortable and welcome in our community. How unusual and what a blessing for us. We value Maggie more than words can express and know that it is because of her that Alef-Bet became the warm family it is Maggie is OCCS Lead Teacher and Director Certified. (7/8/1988)

"Sam" Frydman-Coleman brings with her a rich and varied background in the Jewish educational field. If you don't see Sam when you enter the Alef classroom, it's probably because she is on her elbows involved in a creative arts activity. Her ideas, whether regarding traditional or Judaic curriculum, seem endless. She smiles and communicates as much with her eyes as she does with her voice. Curious as to the endless boundaries of a child's understanding, one never knows where her explorations will take them. Her soft spoken nature and calm pace make her a safe partner on these journeys into the yet to be discovered. She is the classroom's musical alchemist in 'reading the children' to know exactly what music to play to put the children in a great mood.

In addition to working at Alef-Bet she teachers Hebrew School and tutors children for their Bar / Bat Mitzvah. Like several of our other teachers, she has worked with children from toddlers through elementary school. Sam has a BA from Emerson College in English with a double minor in psychology and Hebrew language and culture. She also attended the University of Tel Aviv. Sam is OCCS Lead Teacher Certi-fied. (9/2/2003)

Rita Shandalov has been called the "secret treasure" of Alef Bet. She has been a mainstay of the Alef class for the last 16 years. Rita emigrated from the former Soviet Union and says that she learned her English along side the children. Her first career was as a piano teacher in a conservatory of music where she taught both adults and children. We have recently been successful in enticing her to play the piano for us again. As our resident grandmother-she now has three grandchildren--Rita's wisdom is invaluable to us and we routinely make use of it. When we want to know if a child has a temperature, we ask Rita for her opinion before we go for the thermometer; when we want advice for how to sooth a particular child or put him to sleep, Rita's advice can be key. It is not unusual for the newer younger children to be seen sitting on her lap, or pointing in her direction, "RRRiiiiita!". She is able to see the individual temperament and pay appropriate attention to each toddler and, at the same time, maintain a vigilant awareness about what is going on in the whole classroom or playground. In other words, she has the proverbial eyes in the back of her head. When she is not at Alef-Bet Rita enjoys spending time with her family; taking walks around the lake in front of her home; reading novels; cooking and visiting friends. Rita is OCCS Teacher Certified. (10/14/1988)

Carole Wald is well known as one of the premiere kosher caterers in the Boston area. Before raising her four children she attended Boston University School of Liberal Arts. (Her youngest child was in a nursery school class that Maggie taught many years ago and is now a student at Yeshiva University!) Carole is a dedicated "learner:" She attends many classes to extend and deepen her commitment to Torah and mitzvot. Not surprisingly, Carole is well known in Newton for hosting as many as 20 young people at her Shabbat table. Carole exhibits strength, solidity and warmth. When she is around, one feels a sigh of relaxation and a realization that things are going to be OK. She attends to every toddler with sensitivity, interest and appreciation of their individual temperament. Under her guidance, Alef children have had the opportunity to make many delicious foods with her like latkes, cakes, cookies and of course pizza. When Carole is presenting a cooking project the children are rapt with attention. They sit quietly, each looking on as they wait for their turns to mix (ten strokes per child). Carole is our resource when we have a question about Kashrut as well as other aspects of Jewish tradition, which she treasures. It needs to be noted that Carole is quite generous to other teachers, coming up and asking what she can do to help when she sees that one of us is busy with school tasks at naptime. Carol is OCCS Teacher Certified. (9/5/2000)

Crystal Oliver: see Part-Time Assistant

BET TEACHERS

Judy Bier joins us this year to teach in the BET room. She brings a wealth of experience and dedication from her 15 years in the field of Jewish education. She has a veritable treasure trove of songs, games, and curriculum ideas that she can pull out at a moment's notice. Energetic and always moving, in mind or body, she is easily able to keep things interesting in the BET room. Cooking and baking are mainstays of weekly activities. But check first, it could be anything from Flubber or Playdough to Challah or Honey Cake. Throughout the day you can see Judy sharing a keen observation of the nuances of a child's interest, temperament or development. She is passionate about her work. One of our first tasks when she came to Alef-Bet was to find a place for her boxes of teaching materials.

Judy received her teaching certification from Jewish Teacher's Training College in Gateshead, England. In addition to working with toddlers through elementary age children, she is also an instructor of enrichment classes for Hebrew language and cooking. On several occasions, she has presented workshops at the Bureau of Jewish Education conferences. Judy is the mother of six children, one of whom is still living at home. She is intensely involved in the Jewish community of Allston-Brighton where she does much volunteer work, both formally and informally. Judy is OCCS Lead Teacher and Director Certified. (9/2/2003)

Naomi Potash has a passion for learning. Her interests include Buddhism, meditation, child development, children's literature, Jewish religion and the history of Judaism. Her first degree was in art and her first teaching experiences included teaching sculpture to high school students and general art to junior high students in inner city schools. Many years later, she got a BFA in painting. This experience was gratifying to her soul. Naomi came of age in "The Sixties" and social change, always on her agenda, informs her teaching at Alef-Bet. Naomi's Jewish background was secular and she is enjoying the opportunity to learn about Jewish history and ceremonial life with the children. She participated in the Me'eh Program, a 2-year course on Jewish history, tradition and religion.

Naomi's dedication is easily seen in the early and late hours of preparation. Her work with children is reflective and purposeful. Children in her groups have extensive opportunities to explore a wide variety of art media, to garden, to bake, and to love the treasures of literature. She's equally devoted to helping children understand their own emotions and nurturing their interactive skills. Naomi suggests ways in which all the classes may extend the children's opportunities to "make art." She has given workshops on children's art making to parents and teachers. These workshops have had both theoretical and practical orientation. Naomi is OCCS Lead Teacher Certified. (5/9/1997)

Sara Beth Levine: see Adminstration

Crystal Oliver: see Part-Time Assistant

GIMMEL TEACHERS

Rich Kramer, is a truly unique individual. He brings his lively science interests into the classroom in the form of fascinating participatory projects and demonstrations. One year Gimmels watched Rich fire off a model rocket. Rich was an adolescent science aficionado and spent many happy and intense hours designing rockets and entering them in contests. Rich takes the curriculum where other teachers fear to tread; i.e. setting up a woodworking department in the Gimmel room. There are real tools, safety goggles and, of course, an orientation program on safety procedures. Another great strength that Rich brings to our community is that he is a grownup who likes to play. This allows him to lie on the ground, roll around, sit on the floor, wrestle, cuddle, run away and otherwise spontaneously delight the Gimmel children as he encourages them to celebrate life. Rich tries to let the children take the lead during playtime, finding out what games they enjoy rather than always using his teacher's authority to direct or introduce new things. As much as Rich loves to play, he also brings a peaceful composure to the classroom and to a child's heart.

Rich has a deep commitment to social change (he worked with homeless people before coming to Alef -Bet) and brings this commitment to the classroom where he gently and repeatedly emphasizes the benefits of compromise, tolerance, non-violence and compassion. We value how quiet and tender Rich can be with the children. Rich participates in yoga retreats, group sing along evenings, art making parties and peer therapy. Rich says that he is rediscovering his Jewish roots by teaching the Gimmels about Torah and Jewish holidays. The Gimmel class manages the Tzedakah collected at Shabbat, researching potential recipients and distributing the money. Rich has a BA in Political Science from Vassar College. He has taken courses at Lesley College to be Lead Teacher certified. Also he has taken workshops through Re-Evaluation Counseling about children's emotional development. Rich is OCCS Lead Teacher Certified. (6/17/1996)

Rebecca Byard graduated from Oberlin College where she majored in Biology and environmental studies. She has spent time working at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln, MA as well as at the Boston Museum of Science and the Sciencenter in Ithaca, NY. The combination of her quiet/sensitive and her energetic/exuberant nature provides a perfect balance for our four year olds. Coming to see the Gimmels, one never knows whether you will find a small group nestled closely together listening to a story with her or finding her outside chasing the children around on the playground in the rain. Her gentle character is such that when she provides support to the children in problem solving or conflict resolution, the children truly trust and listen to her. Rebecca’s commitment to the environment keeps us mindful of Tikkun Olam. In addition, she is part of a community cooperative supporting local agriculture, thus providing some financial security for farmers against detrimental acts of nature. Her favorite activities to do with children include; science experiments, nature activities, cooking, singing, and art activities. Rebecca is OCCS Teacher Certified (9/9/04)

Sara Beth Levine: see Adminstration

PART-TIME ASSISTANT

Crystal Oliver

Welcome Crystal Oliver !

Alef-Bet welcomes Crystal Oliver as a part-time assistant. Many of you have seen Crystal in the Alef / Bet room since September adeptly playing with, enjoying, and supporting many of the children. Her intuition and natural skills in positive guidance and play were quickly noticed by our staff. "Can we hire her?" was the unanimous chorus. Crystal will now be working in the BET room during the first hour of the morning, Mondays through Thursdays. {This will mean pulling Sara Beth away from the children to now be in the office at that time, where I need her too.}

Crystal has four younger siblings and has been taking care of them, and other children since she has been very young. She has been very involved with her sister who has autism. Crystal feels this has contributed so much to not only her understanding of child development and learning, but also to her patience, and ability to communicate in different ways. 

In High School, Crystal was in the Early Child Care course, where she worked in a child care program, including doing curriculum planning, group and individualized activities in the classroom. She has been a nanny/sitter for three families for four years. One of her great interests is animals, as evidenced by her ?extended family? of two dogs, five parakeets, a rabbit, and fish. The Alef-Bet children love hearing her stories about them. Crystal?s interests are very family oriented, as her brothers and sister are a large part of her routine and life, which means sports, animals, reading, and their other interests. 

Crystal is looking forward to a career in early childhood. She is CORI'ed and DEEC Teacher Qualified. (11/2005)

ADMINISTRATION and OFFICE