Summer Seminar and Symposia Faculty Biographies

Rabbi Richard F. Address was ordained at HUC-JIR (Cincinnati) in 1972, and received his Doctor of Divinity from HUC-JIR in 1997. In May 1998 he received his certificate in Pastoral Counseling from the PostGraduate Center for Mental Health (NYC) and in May 1999 graduated from HUC-JIR (NYC) with his Doctor of Ministry. Rabbi Address has served the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in a variety of capacities. Following congregation work in California, he joined the UAHC staff in August 1978 as the director of the UAHC Pennsylvania Council and Federation of Reform Synagogues of Greater Philadelphia. He continued as senior regional director of the Council through December of 2000. While serving as regional director, he was named, in July 1997 as director of the new UAHC Department of Jewish Family Concerns. This department, which sees as its mission the creation of “caring congregations”; brings together the work of a variety of programs in areas such as aging, substance abuse, self-destructive behavior, special needs, AIDS, gay and lesbian inclusion and the impact of emerging medical technology on the lives of our members.

Dr. Norman Cohen is a professor of Midrash at HUC-JIR, New York. He serves as the Provost of the College-Institute. He served as Dean of the New York School from 1988-96. He received his Ph.D. from the College in the field of Midrash, which is his area of interest.

Dr. Robert Harris is Assistant Professor of Bible at The Jewish Theological Seminary, teaching courses in biblical literature and commentary, particularly medieval Jewish biblical exegesis.  An expert in the history of medieval Biblical exegesis, Dr. Harris's dissertation was titled "The Literary Hermeneutic of Rabbi Eliezer of Beaugency." Dr. Harris has published several articles and reviews in both American and Israeli journals. Dr. Harris regularly delivers papers at academic conferences, such as the Medieval Congress and the World Conference for Jewish Studies; many of these addresses have resulted in scholarly publications in various academic journals.  Dr. Harris's forthcoming books include Discerning Parallelism: A Study in Northern French Medieval Jewish Biblical Exegesis and Rabbi Eliezer of Beaugency's Commentary on Amos and Jonah (with Selections from Isaiah and Ezekiel).

Dr. Harris has served as a rabbi in several congregations in the United States and Israel, including the Pelham Jewish Center in Westchester County, New York, and Moriah Synagogue in Haifa. He has led adult education classes at the Lower Westchester YMHA, and has also taught at the Solomon Schechter School in White Plains, New York. Dr. Harris spent 1995 at the University of Jerusalem.

Dr. Harris is a graduate of the Joint Program between JTS and Columbia University, receiving a BA in ancient studies from Columbia and a BHL in Talmud from JTS. He also received a MA in Judaica, a MPhil in Bible, and a PhD from JTS.

Dr. Barry W. Holtz is Dean of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America where he is also the Theodore and Florence Baumritter Professor of Jewish Education. In addition, he is Associate Editor of the Journal of Jewish Education and Editorial Chair of the Jewish Education Book Series at JTS Press.

As author and editor, Professor Holtz’s books include, among others: Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts (Simon and Schuster), Finding Our Way: Jewish Texts and the Lives We Lead Today  (Jewish Publication Society) and Textual Knowledge: Teaching the Bible in Theory and in Practice, (Jewish Theological Seminary Press) which won the National Jewish Book Award for education in 2004.

Linda Klonsky’s consulting services support leadership efforts to forge highly effective organizations based on strong governance structures, clear goals, resilient processes and mutually supporting relationships. Versatile and experienced, Linda’s expertise includes organizational assessments, strategic planning, leadership development, team building and training seminars.

Linda is a Johns Hopkins Fellow in Change Management and has also completed the Leadership Educators Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. In addition, Linda was awarded the Certificate of Achievement in Organization Development by the National Training Lab (NTL) Institute in Applied Behavioral Science. She is certified as an Open Space facilitator and has a M.Ed. from Towson State University.

Linda has served as the Director of Consulting for Synagogue 2000, a national non-profit organization consulting to synagogues across the US and Canada, and as adjunct faculty instructor at Hebrew Union College in New York City, where she taught Leadership and Change. Linda’s previous work with Community Federations also emphasized strategic planning and community organizing. Linda and her husband Elliott live in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Dr. Jeffrey Kress is Assistant Professor of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Senior Research Associate of The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education.  Dr. Kress coordinates The Davidson School's concentration in informal and communal education and teaches courses in developmental issues in Jewish education.

Dr. Kress has published his work in a variety of journals, including Journal of Jewish Communal Service, Journal of Jewish Education, Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, Journal of Special Education, and Journal of Primary Prevention. His most recent book, coauthored with Drs. Bernard Novick and Maurice Elias, is Building Learning Communities with Character: How to Integrate Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2002). He has conducted research in the areas of program implementation, particularly how innovations take root in new settings and can be best maintained; adolescent identity, with a focus on religious and spiritual development; and the creation of lasting educational programs through program development and implementation.

Dr. Kress received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Rutgers University. He completed an internship in clinical/community psychology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's Community Mental Health Center, and then worked there as a program development specialist for the Social Decision Making/Social Problem Solving program.

Dr. Joseph McDonald is a professor at the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University.  He is also currently a member of the design team of the new University Neighborhood High School, located on the Lower East Side, and opening under the auspices of the Manhattan High School Superintendency in September 1999.  He also advises a second new high school set to open in September 1999 in Manhattan d the Mt. Sinai Medical School.

His educational background includes a BA from the University of Scranton (1969), EdD, Harvard University (1986) and an MAT, Harvard University (1972).  Dr. McDonald is a member of the NY State Academy of Teaching and Learning and teaches courses such as Inquiries in Teaching and Learning, Doctoral Seminars in Curriculum and Instruction, Teacher Education, and Assessment and Evaluation.  Recent publications include School Reform Behind the Scenes (Teachers College Press, 1999) and Redesigning School (Jossey Bass, 1996).

Dr. Pearl Kane is the Associate Professor of Education and The Klingenstein Family Chair for the Advancement of Independent School Education at the Teachers College of Columbia University.  Her educational background includes a B.A., City College of New York; M.Ed., Smith College; Sixth year certificate in Administration and Supervisor, Hunter College; Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University.  Her doctoral Interdisciplinary focus is teacher training, administration, and organization development. 

Selected publications include: The Colors of Excellence (TC Press), Independent School, Independent Thinkers (Jossey-Bass), The First Year of Teaching: Real World Stories from America's Teachers (Walker), The Challenge in Trusteeship (Association of Governing Boards), and "Leadership in the New Millenium" (Independent Schools).

Dr. Lisa Grant is Associate Professor of Jewish Education at the New York School of Education of the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. She earned her Ph.D. in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2000. Her research and teaching interests include adult learning and religious development, organizational change, and the role Israel plays in American Jewish life.

Recent publications include:

Grant, Lisa D., Schuster, Diane T., Woocher, Meredith, and Cohen, Steven M. A Journey of Heart and Mind: Transformative Jewish Learning in Adulthood. New York: JTS Press, 2004.

Grant, Lisa D. "Connection and Caring: The Role of Educational Leadership in Adult Jewish Learning." Religious Education Vol. 99, No. 2 (Spring 2004).

Grant, Lisa D. and Schuster, Diane T. The Impact of Adult Jewish Learning in Today's Jewish Community. New York: United Jewish Communities, 2003.

Grant, Lisa D. "Transitions and Trajectories Post Adult Bat Mitzvah." Journal of Jewish Education. (Fall 2003).

Schuster, Diane T., and Grant, Lisa D. (2003). "Teaching Jewish Adults," in Nachama Moscowitz, editor, The New Jewish Teachers Handbook, 2nd edition. Denver: A.R.E. Publications.

Dr. Lawrence Hoffman is Professor of Liturgy and Director of the Synagogue 2000 Initiative for synagogue spirituality at the Hebrew Union College ries: 1) the history of Jewish liturgy; 2) ritual studies (the application of the human sciences and philosophical thought to the act of human ritual); 3) contemporary worship and modern Jewish spirituality.  Dr. Hoffman was ordained from HUC-JIR, New York in 1969 and received his Ph.D. from HUC-JIR, Cincinnati, in1973.

Recent books include:

The Way Into Jewish Prayer (Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000).

Minhag Ami: My People's Prayer Book, Vol.4, The Liturgy Surrounding the Torah Reading (Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000).

Minhag Ami: My People's Prayer Book, Vo. 5, Birkhot Hashachar (Morning Blessings), (Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2001).

Minhag Ami: My People's Prayer Book, Vol. 6, Tachanun and Concluding Prayers ([forthcoming] Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002).

The Journey Home: Discovering the Deep Spiritual Wisdom of the Jewish Tradition ([forthcoming] Boston: Beacon Press, June, 2002).

Jo Kay is the Director of the New York School of Education of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She received her BA in Education from Brooklyn College, and her MA in Hebrew Culture from the School of Education at New York University. In 1987, she was chosen as a Melton Fellow, studying in the Senior Educators Program for Jewish Education in the Diaspora at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.  In 1996, she studied at the Fingerhut School of Education at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles for a "Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Family Education," after which she participated in the Teacher Educator Institute of the Council for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE).

After years of experience as a teacher in public and religious schools and summer camps, Kay created the award winning PACE (Parents and Children for Education) Family Education Program. A past Director of Judaic Studies of the Rodeph Sholom Day School of Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City (for ten years) she next served as the Education Director of the Rodeph Sholom Religious School (for nine years).  Beginning during her tenure at Rodeph Sholom, Kay continues to serve as a consultant and faculty member in Jewish Family Education at the Whizin Institute for Jewish Family Life at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. She has also served as a consultant for the American Friends of Rechov Sumsum (Israeli Hebrew Language Sesame Street of Children's Television Workshop), and as a consultant for the Shalom Sesame Video Series and Family Materials.

Her most recent publications include Make Your Own Passover Seder, Jossey-Bass Publishers (Jan. 2004); "Family Education: Who We Teach," The Ultimate Jewish Teacher's Handbook, Ed. Nachama Skolnik Moskowitz, (ARE Publication, 2003); "Commentary on Cases in Jewish Family Education," Casebook in Jewish Family Education, Eds., Rachel Brodie and Vicky Kelman, (Torah Aura, 2001) and Torat Hayim: Parashat Yitro (online Torah study posted 1/25/03 by the UAHC).

In 2001 Kay was named a recipient of the "Covenant Award for Excellence in Jewish Education."

Mitchell Karp is the founder and lead consultant of Karp Consulting Group, Inc. A former civil rights attorney who brings nearly two decades of pioneering work to human rights issues and communications skill-building, Mr. Karp created KCG to assist private and public sector organizations (both managers and staff) improve intergroup relations, understand their legal rights and responsibilities, and develop productive work environments free of bias, harassment, and discrimination.

Prior to establishing KCG in 1994, Mr. Karp was the founding director of the New York City Commission on Human Rights Training Institute, where he designed and presented training programs on disability discrimination, sexual harassment, cultural diversity, conflict resolution, and communications skills topics.

Mr. Karp holds a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, a J.D. from Rutgers Law School, and a Master of Organization Development from the American University/NTL Program. He currently serves as adjunct faculty to the Management Development and Human Resources Programs at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Dr. Jonathan Woocher is President of JESNA, North America's organization for Jewish education advocacy and excellence. JESNA is a program innovator and continental resource in a wide range of areas including day school and congregational education, Jewish youth, recruitment and development of Jewish educators, research and evaluation, and media and technology.

Prior to assuming his position at JESNA in 1986, Dr. Woocher was Associate Professor in the Benjamin S. Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service at Brandeis University, where he taught courses in Jewish political studies and communal affairs and directed the program in Continuing Education for Jewish Leadership. He received his B.A. from Yale University, summa cum laude, in Political Science, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Temple University in Religious Studies. He has also studied at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Before going to Brandeis, he served as Assistant Professor of Religion and Director of Jewish Studies at Carleton College in Minnesota.

Dr. Woocher is the author of the book Sacred Survival: The Civil Religion of American Jews, published by Indiana University Press. His monographs and articles on Jewish community, education, and religion have appeared in numerous books and journals, including the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Judaism, The Journal of Jewish Communal Service, Agenda: Jewish Education and Avar Ve-Atid: A Journal of Jewish Education, Culture and Discourse. Dr. Woocher is also a co-editor of Perspectives in Jewish Population Research, published by Westview Press.

Cyd Weissman, is Project Director for the New York-based RE-IMAGINE PROJECT works with congregational schools that exhibit a readiness for innovation. In conjunction with ECE's Torah-centered process guide, meeting guide, and an online interactive learning module on Alternative Models of the Religious School, Cyd provides online, telephone and in-person consultation.

Previously, Cyd was the Director of Education at Congregation Beth Am Israel, in Penn Valley, Penna. As a team leader, she guided a ten-year process of school innovation resulting in a nationally recognized model of communal education (an alternative model of the religious school) known as a "Shabbat Centered Community." This model has been included in ECE's online interactive learning module, noted in JESNA's "A Vision of Excellence," and written about in The Self-Renewing Congregation and Becoming a Congregation of Learners. Cyd has been an adjunct professor at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pa., Hebrew Union College in NY, and a guest lecturer for Gratz College and the Whizin Institute. She has presented workshops around the country and in Israel on family education and educational change.

Sheila Adler is the Educational Director at Bet Torah Religious School in Mt. Kisco, NY. She is also a consultant at the Center for Training and Development where she develops and delivers seminars and materials on communication and management skills to major corporations and educational institutions. Sheila received her M.A. in Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the seminary. She is past President of WAHS and the JEA.

Mindy B. Davids, RJE is the Director of Education at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City. She holds a double Masters degree in Jewish Education and Jewish Communal Service from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and has completed the coursework toward a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Fordham University. Mindy serves as the 1st Vice President of the National Association of Temple Educators (NATE) and on the Executive Committee of the URJ Commission on Jewish Life Long Learning. In addition, she serves as the co-chair of the Israel Engagement committee for ARZA and represents the RHSOE on the HUC-JIR Council of Alumni Associations. Mindy served for ten years as a member of the RHSOE Clinical Faculty and now teaches at the HUC-JIR New York School of Education.  She is also the immediate past-president of the Jewish Educator's Association of Orange County and served on the regional boards of the Anti Defamation League, Hillel Foundation, and several committees of the Bureau of Jewish Education.

Dina Eliezer is the Educational Director at Temple Beth Sholom in Cherry Hill, NJ. She has a Masters in Jewish Education in the Administration Track from Gratz College and is currently a PhD candidate in Jewish Studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies in Chicago. Dina is an honorary recipient of a gold medal from the Jewish Community of Izmir, given to people who have helped the Jewish communities of Turkey. She co-authored ";In the Footsteps of the Hebrew Letters," an introduction to the Hebrew letters for primary grades.

Shanee Epstein has been working in education for over 25 years and has been at Town and Village Synagogue since 1993. She is an artist who brings her creativity to education. Shanee earned her BA in Education and Psychology at University of Massachusetts and her MFA at Pratt Institute in New York. She has developed a school that engages the mind and inspires the heart to Jewish living. Shanee initiated the efforts of cooperative programming with the Downtown Kehillah Educators, has been active on USCJ Educators Advisory panel and was a keynote speaker at the USCJ Biennial convention. Shanee has taught workshops on teen programming, the power of rituals, parenting and integrating arts into Jewish learning. She is also the co-founder of 440 Gallery, an artist-run exhibition space in Park Slope. Shanee lives in Park Slope with her husband and two sons. Shanee grew up in a loving extended traditional family and has learned first hand of the tremendous gifts that Judaism can bring to family life.

Saul Kaiserman is the Director of Lifelong Learning for Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York and the editor of the weblog New Jewish Education. From 2005-2007, Mr. Kaiserman was a Mandel Jerusalem Fellow at the Mandel Leadership Institute in Jerusalem, Israel, where his area of focus was on leadership and educational change in congregational settings. He holds a Master of Arts in Jewish Education from the Davidson School of Education of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Mr. Kaiserman was a founding staff member of the TEVA Learning Center for Jewish Environmental Education and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center and the Education Advisory Board for the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation. His article "Synagogue Schools and Congregational Agendas" appeared in the January 2007 issue of Sh'ma: An Online Journal of Jewish Responsibility.

Lynn Lancaster is the Director of the Forest Hills Jewish Center Religious School in Forest Hills, NY. She has been working with the Re-Imagine Project over the last eighteen months and is currently piloting a number of initiatives. Lynn has participated in the two-year certificate program in Jewish Family Education through SAJES and was part of the first cohort of the PLI program. She has also sat on the BJE Advisory Board in Nassau. She received her BA in Comparative Religion from SUNY.

Lauren Resnikoff serves as the Director of Education at Temple Sinai in Roslyn Heights, NY.  Prior to joining the professional staff at Temple Sinai, she served Temple Beth David in Commack, for 15 years, first as the Religious School Director and thereafter as the Director of Lifelong Learning.  She received a MS with distinction in Instructional Technology from the New York Institute of Technology in Westbury, New York and a MA in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College.

Rabbi Jodie Siff is the Assistant Rabbi at the Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore in Plandome, NY. She received her Rabbinic Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Jodie serves as a Steering Committee Member for Kolot: Center for Jewish Women's and Gender Studies and is the co-author of the article in Sh'ma, A Journal of Jewish Responsibility entitled "When a Child Leaves Home."

Yonni Wattenmaker, RJE is the Director of Lifelong Learning at Central Synagogue in Manhattan, after having served for 10 years as the Director of Education at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford, NY. She is also a member of the Clinical Faculty at the New York School of Education at the Hebrew Union College Religion. Yonni received her Master of Arts in Religious Education from the Hebrew Union College following a BA in Judaic Studies from the George Washington University.

Susan Werk is the Educational Director at Congregation Agudath Israel of West Essex in Caldwell, NJ. She received a Masters in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She is a board member of the JEA and the Conservative Movement Jewish Educational Assembly and was the recipient of the JEA Hoffman Award for her creative God curriculum and the Leo Brody Jewish Communal Service Award for professional excellence given by the New Jersey Association of Jewish Communal Service. Susan Co-authored "Figuring It Out Together: A Program of Family Study and Experiences" published by "The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Commission on Jewish Education."

Ira Wise is the Director of Education at Congregation B'nai Israel in Bridgeport, CT. He is also on the summer faculty of Joseph Eisner Union Institute Camp in Great Barrington, MA. Ira has a Master of Arts in Jewish Education from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at the Hebrew Union College Angeles. He is a founding board member of Crossroads Diversity in Elmwood, NY and Bridgeport, CT and was chair of the CAJE College Program. Ira is also the author of I Can Learn Torah, Volumes 1 & 2, Torah Aurah Productions, 1991, 1992.

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