Administrative Staff

Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen

Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen is the Director of Lifelong Education.   She focuses on working with students and parents to meet their educational needs, curriculum & faculty development,  family  education and other special programming.  She also teaches in the Confirmation Academy and 6th grade and visits other Religious School classes regularly as a guest teacher.  Rabbi Cohen is an award winning author of books for children and teens.   Rabbi Cohen and her husband David have a young daughter, Arianna, a student at Temple Emanuel. 

856-489-0035, extension 20

Barry Pisetzner is the Religious School Administrator.  A public school teacher in Marlton, Mr. Pisetzner works at Temple Emanuel during the hours that school meets.  He focuses on organizational functions including registration, answering student and parent inquiries and following up with discipline, attendance and other issues that arise.  Mr. Pisetzner also teaches the 11th and 12th Grade Teacher Methodology Course.  Barry and wife Melissa have four children, all students at Temple Emanuel. Barry can be reached at 856-489-0035, extension 27

Cindy Schiffman is the Administrative Assistant for the Religious School.  She focuses on the administrative needs of the Religious School, including organizing mailings and other communication between the school and families, ordering supplies, and maintaining the school’s database.  Cindy is a synagogue member; she has two daughters.   She can be reached at 856-489-0035, extension 19

Clergy

In addition to Rabbi Cohen, each of our clergy members is actively involved in teaching in the Religious School. 

Rabbi Jerry David -- Confirmation Academy

Rabbi David teaches the 10th grade Confirmation Class, as well as visiting other classes for special programming.   Rabbi David and Peggy''s three sons -- Ben (now a rabbi), Jon (an architect) and Adam (a Temple Emanuel teacher) -- are all graduates of the Temple Emanuel Religious School. 

Rabbi Geri Newburge -- 7th Grade and Confirmation Academy

Rabbi Geri Newburge is Associate Rabbi at Temple Emanuel.  She teaches 7th Grade, elective courses in the Confirmation Academy and co-teaches 10th Grade for the second half of the year.  Rabbi Newburge enjoys cooking, working out and reading.

Religious School Teachers

Our teachers are committed to strong communication between home and Religious School.  If you have a question, comment or concern, your child's teacher would love to hear from you.  If the web-site does not include an e-mail link to your child's teacher, please e-mail Jean Klein and she will make sure that the teacher receives the message.To leave a phone message for one of our teachers, please call the Religious School office at 856-489-0035.  

Tali Alfassy -- 7th Grade Conversational Hebrew

Tali grew up in Israel and served in the Israeli army.   She enjoys bringing her love for Israel to her students.  Tali and her husband have two young daughters.

Rena Alpert -- Resource Room Coordinator

Rena Alpert, a Temple Emanuel member, is a public school Kindergarten teacher.  She has worked at the JCC Camps in Medford.

Debra Berger -- Third Grade

Debra Berger, a member of the Board of Trustees, also serves of the Religious School Sub-Committee at Temple Emanuel and is co-chair of the Religious School Accreditation Committee. Her daughter Chloe is a Confirmation Academy student.  She hopes to instill in her students a love of Judaism, Torah and especially a respect and love for Israel.

Barry Bruner -- Sixth Grade

When he is not teaching Sunday School, Barry Bruner works for the Department of Homeland Security as an accountant.  He enjoys reading, playing soccer and swimming.  Barry studied for a summer at Tel Aviv University.   Barry and his family belong to Temple Emanuel.  

Dr. David Chasen -- Confirmation Academy

Dr. Chasen teaches the Confirmation Academy's course on Judaism and sexuality with Rabbi Cohen and Dr. Sue Kaufman.   He is the president of Temple Emanuel's Men's Club and a pediatrician at Farm Pediatrics.

Michael Clark -- 5th Grade, Hebrew I and 11th Grade

Michael is a high school history and sociology teacher in Willingboro.  He is an avid runner, enjoys reading and hanging out with friends.   He and his wife Perri have a teenage son.  

Rachel Cranin -- First Grade

Rachel her master's degree in special education and teaches in the public school system.   Rachel grew up in Northern New Jersey where she was active in her congregation.

Shari Douglass -- 7th Grade

Shari Douglass has taught 6th grade in public school for over a decade, and has taught our teens at Temple Emanuel since 2003.  Her daughter, Ruthie, is an enthusiastic member of the Children’s Choir, and also attends religious school at Emanuel.

Shari hopes to show her students that, by carefully weaving the values of Judaism into their personal histories, their lives will be continually enriched.  She is honored to be a part of each student’s Jewish tapestry.

Barbara Gail -- Art, Hebrew III and Confirmation Academy

Barbara, a Temple Emanuel member, is a public school art teacher.   She also has her own art business.  Her interests include gardening and running.  Her students give her energy and ideas that she enjoys sharing with others.

Rosanne Goodman -- Resource Room Tutor

Rosanne Goodman has taught preschool in Cherry Hill for the last 21 years, 17 of them at Temple Beth Sholom Preschool.  She has also taught in Temple Beth Sholom's Religious School.  Rosanne wants to bring her love of Israel and its language to her students.  She has studied and lived in Israel and made several trips there in recent years.  For the past 11 years she has enjoyed studying advanced conversational Hebrew every Monday night. 

Suzi Greenberg -- Hebrew II and 11th Grade

Suzi has taught at Temple Emanuel for over two decades and serves as a B'nai Mitzvah tutor at the congregation.   Suzi has lived in Israel and is an avid reader, gardener, tennis player and roller blader.

Sheri Greenblatt -- 3rd Grade, Hebrew II and Hebrew IV

Sheri has been a teacher for over a decade.   She grew up at Temple Emanuel and her daughters have attended the Pre-School at Temple Emanuel.   With her sister Laura Hoffman, she advises Temple Emanuel's Club Noar (K, 1, 2) and Club Chaverim (3, 4, 5).  She has traveled to Israel as part of a musical troop.

Abby Harvey -- 7th Grade

Abby is a doctoral student at Temple University in Psychology.   She grew up at Temple Emanuel and says that her favorite Temple Emanuel memory is going to Israel with her Confirmation Class.  Abby now chaperones other Confirmation class trips to Israel.

Rosie Hymerling -- Pre-School Sundays

Rosie Hymerling has spent her career as an elementary school teacher.   She began the Pre-School Sundays program at Temple Emanuel and has been teaching this program for as long as anybody can remember.   Rosie and her husband Lee, a past president, have been active members of Temple Emanuel for many decades and raised their son, Mark, at the congregation.  

Dr. Sue Kaufman -- Confirmation Academy

Dr. Kaufman teaches the 10th Grade Judaism and Sexuality class with Rabbi Cohen and Dr. David Chasen and serves on the Religious School Sub-Commitee.   She finds teaching the course both rewarding and fun.  Dr. Kaufman practices pediatric, adolescent and adult gynecology.  She and husband Dr. Michael Shore have raised their three children at Temple Emanuel.

Kim Klein -- Fourth Grade

Kim also teaches at the Pre-School at Temple Emanuel.   She previously was a high school French teacher.   She hopes to deepen her students' connection to the "many Jewish holidays and traditions."  One of her favorite times is the last night of Chanukah, experiencing the "warm glow of the candles" together with family.

Pam Kuperschmidt -- Kindergarten and Confirmation Academy

Pam grew up at Temple Emanuel and is raising her family here.  She has been involved in nearly every aspect of education at the congregation from the Pre-School through Adult Education.   She graduated from the teacher training program at Gratz College.

Tzippi Lasman -- Resource Room Tutor

Tzippi is a native of Israel where she served in the army as part of the military police.   She and her husband run an Israeli import business.  She is an avid reader.  Her students call her "Mrs. Tzippi,"  although she has never traveled to the state.

Alan Kritz -- Hebrew I

Alan Kritz is a public school teacher in Cherry Hill.   He is also a landscape architect.  His interests include watching action movies, the Eagles, Penn Basketball, the Riversharks and spending time with his family. He says that teaching is all about making a difference for kids.

Beth LeVine -- Resource Room Tutor

Beth has a Master's degree in Judaic Studies and has taught for over 20 years.  She has studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.   She says that being a tutor is a very rewarding experience as she watches her students progress and master their Hebrew reading skills.

Susan McDermet -- Resource Room Tutor

Susan, a Temple Emanuel member, has taught in Jewish schools for over two decades -- teaching nearly every grade level and subject.   Her son is a student in the Confirmation Academy.

Margery Ross -- Resource Room Coordinator

Margery has been a Temple Emanuel member for over 25 years her son was Confirmed and graduated from the Congregation's ELITE program.   She has taught all grades from Kindergarten through adults, including special education.   Margery worked at the JCC Camps in Medford for over 20 years.

Shira Sand  -- Hebrew III, Hebrew IV, Hebrew Tutor

Shira Sand is a Temple Emanuel member and has taught at the Religious School since 1998.  She also taught at the congregation's Pre-School.   Shira had her adult Bat Mitzvah at the congregation.  She hopes that her students will have a fun as well as important experience at Religious School.

Bena Sax -- Resource Room Tutor

Bena is a public school Kindergarten teacher.  She and her huband Matt are proud parent of two young children.  Their son Shane attends the Pre-School at Temple Emanuel.

Major Joe Sillman -- Hebrew I, Confirmation Academy

Major Sillman is retired from the US Air Force, where he did several tours of duty in Israel.   He and his wife Donna have raised their two children at Temple Emanuel.

Rachel Smilowitz -- 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Hebrew II and Hebrew IV

Rachel is  6th grade public school teacher.   She is a marathon runner, has spent time in Israel and has two young children.  Her favorite memory from her own religious school experience is her Bat Mitzvah.  She says it was hard work but a really great experience.

Lisa Soler -- Fourth Grade

Lisa is a Temple Emanuel member and her children study at the Relgious School.  She is a member of the Religious School Sub-Committee.  She is a recreational therapist and loves to travel, read and go to the movies.

Michele Susson -- Hebrew I

Michele is also a teacher at Temple Emanuel's Pre-School.  Michele is a runner, biker and swimmer.   Over the summers, she teaches Karate at the JCC Camps in Medford.   She and her husband Barry are raising their children at Temple Emanuel.

Ken VanDyk-- 6th Grade, Confirmation Academy

Ken grew up at the congregation and graduated from Temple Emanuel Religious School when it was on Cooper River Parkway.   He lived for Israel for two years.  He lives on a horse farm and enjoys acting, writing and directing.  Ken has taught at Temple Emanuel for over a decade and hopes that his students will have a love for being Jewish.

Stephanie Vitale -- Student Advocate

Stephanie works for Bancroft Neuro-Health when she is not at Temple Emanuel.  Her daughter is a graduate of the Pre-School at Temple Emanuel and a student in the Religious School.

Julia Zavadsky -- Children's Choir

Julia directs both the adult and children's choir at Temple Emanuel.   She was born in the former USSR and has lived in Israel.   She enjoys swimming and travel.