Jewish Day School in Chicago | Solomon Schechter Day School

Linda Schwartz

Permanent Substitute Teacher & Bus Supervisor

Birthplace:

Chicago

Education:

Bachelor of Arts, University of Illinois

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

The thing that I love most about working at Schechter is being a part of such a fabulous faculty and staff who all want to teach the children and help them become good people.

What do you love most about your job?

The favorite part of my job is teaching lifelong lessons to the students.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Respect is contagious.”

Becca Versman

Librarian

Birthplace:

Denver, Colorado

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Marketing, Bradley University
Metropolitan State University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

The community.

What do you love most about your job?

The students.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” —Malala Yousafazi

Eliana Horwitz

5th-8th Grade Social Worker

Birthplace:

Kansas City, MO

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Human Development, Binghamton University
Master of Arts in Social Work, The University of Chicago

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I am brand new to Schechter, and I am excited to be part of this community and come back to working in a Jewish school.

What do you love most about your job?

I love supporting students and helping them learn skills for school and life.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“What we know matters, but who we are matters more.” —Brené Brown

Pnina Mazor

5th & 6th Grade Judaic Studies Teacher & 5th Grade Hebrew Teacher

Birthplace:

Israel

Education:

Bachelor of Education, Zefat Teacher College
Bachelor of Arts, Hebrew Theological College
M.Ed. in Education and Supervision from Loyola University Chicago

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

To be part of the Schechter family.

What do you love most about your job?

The opportunity to touch the heart of our young Jewish souls while teaching them Torah Mishnah and T’fillah each day. To help them be proud and knowledgeable Jews.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“There are those who are asleep, let them sleep.

There are those who are awakening, stir them gently.

There are those who are awake, nurture them for they are the guardians of the planet.”

Hallie Redman

K-8th Grade Art Teacher

Birthplace:

Chicago, IL

Education:

Washington University; Art Institute of Chicago

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

My favorite part about working at Schechter is the wonderful community and camaraderie that this school is all about.

What do you love most about your job?

The thing I love most about my job is being able to share my passion with children and inspire them to be their creative best.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Creativity takes courage.” —Henri Matisse

Trisha Taylor

Sager School Front Office Administrative Assistant

Birthplace:

Park Ridge, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Science in History/Social Sciences Education, Illinois State University; Learning Behavior Specialist 1, National Louis University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

My favorite part about working at Schechter is the positive working environment.

What do you love most about your job?

I love helping the school and that I get to interact with all members of the school, whether that be teachers, administrators, students, or parents

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves.” —The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Alex Schwartz

Alim Teacher,Ginsburg ECC

Birthplace:

Evanston, IL

Education:

Bachelors in Environmental Studies, UW-Madison; Masters in Early Childhood Education, Erikson Institute

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I love teaching in the Jewish community I grew up in. Schechter creates joyful and meaningful Jewish experiences for young children and families.

What do you love most about your job?

I get to be a part of watching an exponential amount of growth and discovery in a short period of time.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Play is the highest form of research.” —Albert Einstein

Jill Katz

5th & 6th Grade Special Education Teacher

Birthplace:

Park Ridge, IL

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Master of Arts in Teaching, National Louis University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I love working one on one with students in order to help them feel successful in their classes.

What do you love most about your job?

I love watching students become more confident and independent learners. I also love collaborating with such amazing teachers.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Struggle is not the same as weakness.”

Suzy Hakimian

7th & 8th Grade Science Teacher

Birthplace:

Chicago, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Teaching and Biology, National Lewis University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

My favorite part is being part of a very special community committed to strong Jewish values and family.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that I can do something I’m passionate about while having fun doing it!

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“What you do makes a difference, you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” —Jane Goodall

Rachael Gray-Raff

5th & 6th Grade Judaic Studies Teacher

Birthplace:

New York, NY

Education:

Bachelor of Arts, University of Rochester
Master of Social Work, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University; Master of Arts in Jewish Education, Gratz College

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

Being a part of students’ developing sense of self in the Jewish world. Watching their faces as they make connections between their Jewish and secular learning.

What do you love most about your job?

Continuing to learn and grow as a professional; having amazing committed partners who challenge me to be my best.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ:

“In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.” —Pirkei Avot 2:5

Rabbi Raphael Ozarowski

7th-8th Grade Judaic Studies Teacher

Birthplace:

Long Island, NY

Education:

BA in Judaic Studies, Yeshiva University; MA in Jewish Education, concentration in Pedagogy, The Jewish Theological Seminary
Rabbinical Ordination, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

My favorite part about working at Schechter is the sense of shared community and purpose.

What do you love most about your job?

What I love most about my job are the close and multivarious relationships that I get to develop with my students, each of whom is a whole universe unto themselves.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.” —Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Bridget Kaplan

Sager School Nurse

Birthplace:

Green Bay, WI

Education:

Master of Science in Nursing, Loyola University Chicago

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

My favorite part about working at Schecter is being part of a team with a shared mission. The Schechter team cares deeply about educating students while also nurturing their mental, spiritual, physical, and social-emotional health.

What do you love most about your job?

Forming wonderful relationships with students and tzevet while supporting their health and wellness

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Wherever you are, be there totally.” –Eckhart Tolle

Inbal Schnitman

Kindergarten Hebrew and Judaic Studies Teacher

Birthplace:

Israel

Education:

Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education, K College, Israel

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

Working with professional educators and being a part of this amazing community.

What do you love most about your job?

I love seeing the children grow to love Hebrew and Israel and develop their Jewish identity.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Veahavta L’racha Kamocha” “You should love/treat others the way you love yourself/want to be treated.” —Torah (Rabbi Akiva)

Faye Bearman

Judaic Studies Coordinator and Instructional Coach

Birthplace:

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies and Master of Arts in Education, American Jewish University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I love working at Schechter because it is filled with curious and thoughtful students!

What do you love most about your job?

I love my job because I get to work closely with our talented Judaic Studies faculty to evaluate, update, and revise our curriculum and create important learning experiences for our students.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Do not despise any person, and do not discriminate against anything, for there is no person that has not his hour, and there is no thing that has not its place.” —Ben Azzai (Pirke Avot 4:2)

Mike Shuman

5th-8th Grade Math Teacher

Birthplace:

Baltimore, MD

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama, Yeshiva University; M.Ed. Curriculum & Instruction, Barry University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

Knowing that there are colleagues and ELT who support at every turn.

What do you love most about your job?

The lightbulb moment when a student gets IT.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Pressure is a privilege”

Avi Allali

5th-8th Grade Hebrew Teacher

Birthplace:

Dimona, Israel

Education:

Teacher Certificate Ministry of Education, Israel; Bible Teacher, Ben Gurion University, Be’er Sheva

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

To teach Hebrew and Israeli culture.

What do you love most about your job?

To introduce the students to the special and complex things in the State of Israel.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִיש”

—Pirkei Avot, Chapter 2:5; “In a place where there are no men, try to be a man.”

Lauren Patinkin

2nd Grade General Studies Teacher

Birthplace:

Deerfield, IL

Education:

Bachelors in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis on Child and Adolescent Development, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Masters in Teaching, National Louis University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

It is the perfect synergy of two of my greatest passions in life: education and Judaism.

What do you love most about your job?

Watching students grow academically, socially, and emotionally, as well as helping children develop a love for learning.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Judy Szapiro

Sager School Front Office Administrative Assistant

Birthplace:

Chicago, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Spanish, Northeastern Illinois University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

Schechter is so much more to me than a place of employment. It is a community; a place where I have been able to make wonderful friendships, sharpen my Hebrew skills, and feel right at home.

What do you love most about your job?

Life is never boring at the front office! I am lucky to work with a fantastic team of professionals who not only help keep things running smoothly, but also keep things fun, which is always a great way to spend your day.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Live and Learn!”

Hannah Pogrund

1st Grade General Studies Teacher

Birthplace:

Park Ridge, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Master of Education (Teacher Leadership), Brandeis University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

As an alumna of Schechter, I feel honored to give back to the community that raised me. I love contributing to the nurturing environment that allows students to be comfortable taking risks while strengthening their own identity.

What do you love most about your job?

I love watching my students apply problem-solving skills to persevere through a challenge for the first time!

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Life is like a watermelon, you know you’re going to get some seeds; just spit them out and take another bite .” —Jeff Steinmann

Noreen Ohcana

5th-8th Grade Mathematics Teacher

Birthplace:

Santa Monica, CA

Education:

MAT, National-Louis University
BS in Marketing, Loyola University of Chicago

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

The community—it’s special to work at a place where your coworkers and students and their families are all part of one big Jewish community with shared values.

What do you love most about your job?

The students—I love making math attainable. My favorite moments are when students who are intimidated by math suddenly get it and feel empowered to be confident about their math skills.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“People (or students) do not have shortcomings, only uniquenesses. The goal of a good teacher is to turn these uniquenesses into advantages.” —Israel Gelfand

Zahava Berman

Director, Ginsburg Early Childhood Center

Birthplace:

Evanston, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Human Development & Family Studies, focus on Child Development, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
JECELI Fellow, IDEAL18 Fellow

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I love Schechter’s supportive community and working alongside exceptional educators.

What do you love most about your job?

I love working and collaborating with each of the yeladim and their families, supporting them as they learn and grow.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Education means teaching a child to be curious, to wonder, to reflect, to enquire. The child who asks becomes a partner in the learning process, an active recipient. To ask is to grow.” —R’ Jonathan Sacks

Rebecca Gold

1st & 2nd Grade Special Education Teacher

Birthplace:

Skokie, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education, Bradley University
M.Ed. Reading and English Language Learners, National Louis University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

The community at Schechter is exceptional. I adore our students, partnering with their families, and teaching with incredible educators.

What do you love most about your job?

Teaching and growing literate children is a true honor and privilege.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.”― Anne Frank

Tami Warshawsky

Director of Advancement

Birthplace:

Philadelphia, PA

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing, Pennsylvania State University
Master of Science in Communications, Drexel University
Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

Working in partnership with a dynamic and passionate faculty and staff and Board.

What do you love most about your job?

Schechter was a gift for my children and family, and I love helping to make sure Schechter is strong for today and tomorrow’s students and families.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Our lives are stories in which we write, direct, and star in the leading role. Some chapters are happy while others bring lessons to learn, but we always have the power to be the heroes of our own adventures.” — Joelle Speranza

Noa Padowitz

K-8th Grade Assistant Principal

Birthplace:

Johannesburg, South Africa

Education:

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, Brandeis University
Master of Arts in Education, Tufts University
Master of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Northeastern Illinois University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

The phenomenal, kind, caring, and compassionate community!

What do you love most about your job?

That I get to spend my days helping students learn how to be their best self.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” —Maya Angelou

Debbie Harris

Director of Educational Technology

Birthplace:

Chicago, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Arts, Northwestern University
Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies
Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

As a lifelong learner, I enjoy the opportunity to be constantly learning and growing.

What do you love most about your job?

Every day I get to combine my passions in Judaics, education, and technology.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Creativity is intelligence having Fun.” —Albert Einstein

Samantha Kaplan Orlov

Director of Student Support Services

Birthplace:

Highland Park, IL

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree, University of Colorado at Boulder
Master’s Degree from National-Louis University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

My favorite part about working at Schechter is the fantastic community of teachers, parents and students. Each day, I get to collaborate with a dedicated team of educators and partner with families in supporting and growing our students.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that I get to help teachers support their students every day!

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“A little progress each day adds up to BIG results!”

Rabbi Jonathan Bubis

Rav Beit HaSefer (School Rabbi)

Birthplace:

San Francisco, CA

Education:

Rabbinic Ordination and Masters in Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I love seeing smiling faces in the hallway, and smiling right back!

What do you love most about your job?

I love celebrating our tradition joyously with students!

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“To love another person is to see the face of God.” —Les Miserables, the Musical

Hillary Levitt Dunn

Director of Admissions & Enrollment

Birthplace:

Chicago, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Juris Doctor, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I love tagging along on the journey our students take each day expanding their minds and cultivating their Jewish identities.

What do you love most about your job?

The community — it’s all about the people!

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” —Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Shira Wenig Rozgovich

Development & Events Manager

Birthplace:

Skokie, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Bachelor of Arts in Religion, Minor in Middle Eastern Studies, Syracuse University
Master in Israeli Politics & Society, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Teaching Certificate in ESL, Levinisky College, Israel

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I love being a part of the community in so many ways: as an alum, a parent, and a staff member.

What do you love most about your job?

I love the community and the people I work with. This is by far the best job I have ever had.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Don’t take life too seriously, you will never get out of it alive!” —Albert Hubbard

Rebecca Swislow

Marketing & Communications Manager

Birthplace:

Deerfield, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Theatre Studies, Emory University
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Classical Acting, The George Washington University/Shakespeare Theatre Company

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

The humans in this building are filled with passion and warmth—that energy is contagious and inspiring

What do you love most about your job?

I’ve always been enamored with language and the powerful ways it can be harnessed to promote understanding, connection, and purpose. I love how this position challenges and empowers me to find the fitting words that amplify the magic taking place each and every day at Schechter!

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” ―William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

Louis R. Moeckler

IT Manager

What do you love most about your job?

I love working with our incredible ELT and our amazing tzevet, and I especially love seeing the children smiling and laughing.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Where there is a will, there is a way.”

Jackie Povitsky

ECC Administrative Assistant & Aftercare Coordinator

Birthplace:

Skokie, IL

Education:

Interdisciplinary Studies and Teaching English as a Second Language, Northeastern Illinois University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

My favorite part about working at Schechter is having the opportunity to make a positive, lasting impact in children’s lives and working with an amazing team of people that care so deeply about this, as well.

What do you love most about your job?

I love supporting the teachers in the classroom, as well as making relationships with parents.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

Elana Dermer

Alonim Bet Teacher, Ginsburg ECC

Birthplace:

Skokie, IL

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, Bradley University

What is your favorite part of working at Schechter?

I love being a Jewish educator and a part of Schechter’s community.

What do you love most about your job?

I love the curiosity and excitement the kids have as we explore new things.

Please share a quotation that is meaningful to you:

“Be curious, not judgemental.” —Walt Whitman

Ignite. Educate. Empower.

More Than a School.

A Community For Life.

Ignite. Educate. Empower.More than a school.A community for life.

Now you can TAP into your child’s future.

Who We Are

SCHECHTER is an ISACS-accredited, National Blue Ribbon award-winning school with the Sager School (K-8) and the Ginsburg Early Childhood Center. We offer an innovative, nurturing, and joyful environment that blends academic excellence with Jewish life, learning, and values.

Why Schechter?

Ginsburg Early Childhood Center

A joyful, stimulating, and nurturing environment for your child to learn and grow. Moving to our new home on Schechter’s Northbrook Campus in fall 2024.

Alumni Stories

How can you best measure the impact of a Schechter education? Through the personal and professional journeys of our extraordinary alumni.

Schechter Stands With Israel ישׂראל

At Schechter, Israel is one of our core values. Now more than ever, we are caring for and supporting our students, families, tzevet, and alumni and welcoming new Israeli students and families.

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Ignite.
Educate.
Empower.

More Than
a School.

A Community
For Life.