HEBREW HELPERS - Key Persons
Alexis is a Philadelphia native, born and raised on the Main Line, where she still lives today. She has been teaching Hebrew and Jewish studies since she was confirmed in 2007. She is certified to teach Hebrew to children with special needs, has a Bachelor's in studio arts, as well as a Master's in elementary education, and a Master's in special education. Having a learning disability herself, and struggling with Hebrew as a child, she feels that she is able to use her experiences to better assist children who may need extra support. Aside from teaching Hebrew, she is also a general education teacher and a pet sitter. She is a music lover, avid baker, and makes a mean matzo ball soup.
Aliya has been working in Jewish Education for the past eleven years, focusing on music and singing. A former camp counselor, Camp Assistant Director, and a long-time Songleader, Aliya loves instilling fun into Jewish education, adding "ruach" into every prayer, reading, and song. After graduating from UCLA, Aliya has been pursuing musical theatre (you'll often find her singing at Disneyland!) while still continuing her work as a Songleader in the South Bay, and now Culver City's Temple Akiba. Whether teaching pre-schoolers their "alef bets" or leading Bar or Bat Mitzvah services, it's truly a joy instilling Jewish values and traditions through song.
Asher is an LA native who is passionate about sharing the joys of Jewish learning in its many forms. The son of a rabbi and a product of Jewish day schools, he graduated from USC, where his work in ancient Semitic studies led to publication of a paper on the digital reconstruction of Dead Sea Scroll fragments. Asher currently serves as the musician in residence at Valley Beth Shalom Synagogue, and performs traditional music of his Sepharadi and Judeo-Arabic heritage with various ensembles.
David is a teacher and comedian living in Los Angeles. He was born in Miami Florida, has lived in Philadelphia and recently moved to Los Angeles from Chicago Illinois. David has been working with Jewish students for a decade as a teacher and administrator. He currently works for several Jewish organizations in Los Angeles where he focuses on weaving the values of performing arts in with Jewish tradition. When not working with Jewish students, David is a working actor/comedian in Los Angeles. He has toured the country teaching improv, sketch and creative writing to thousands of people of all ages. David spends his free time either on stage, watching the Miami Heat or professional wrestling. The most impressive fact about David is he has proudly attended the past eight WrestleManias.
Deanna is a writer, performer, Jewish educator, ritual leader and facilitator. She has served as officiant and cantor at high holiday and shabbat services nationwide, and creates highly personalized and innovative Jewish-based lifecycle rituals for families and individuals seeking deeper meaning and interaction with tradition. She has visited numerous synagogues, universities and camps as a workshop facilitator, scholar and creative artist in residence. She plays the ukulele, was trained in opera, and loves to hike and salsa dance.
Debbie is the East Coast Director of Hebrew Helpers as well as serving as its Director of Training & Curriculum. Debbie has been teaching kids how to read Torah since she was 15 years old, and she's mentored hundreds of kids for their bar and bat mitzvahs in Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles since 2000. Her mission is not just to teach kids about Judaism and prepare them to become Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, she wants to show kids that Judaism can be fun and interesting, and relevant in their lives. Debbie also has an M.F.A. in Acting and works in film and on TV.
Leah has been with Hebrew Helpers since its inception. Originally from Canada, Leah has lived all over the US, including San Antonio, Seattle, Salt Lake City. She lived in Israel for 3 years on various programs which helped her to become fluent in modern Hebrew. In Los Angeles, Leah has taught students of all ages in a variety of topics including modern Hebrew, Prayers, Jewish Ethics, Bible Stories, Jewish History. She has worked with many private students and synagogues include Stephen S. Wise Temple, University Synagogue, Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Temple Akiba, Adat Shalom, Beth Shir Shalom, Malibu Jewish Center and IKAR. She also worked as a Judaica Teacher at Camp Ramah Ojai and created and taught an interactive curriculum for the 10th graders about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Leah is a member of the IKAR Davening team, helping to lead and inspire participants through prayer. Leah's passions include speaking Hebrew, farmers markets, and her adorable dog, Moxie. Purple, as anyone who knows Leah can attest, is her signature color!
Michael is thrilled to work on managing Hebrew Helpers on the East Coast as the East Coast Coordinator. Michael holds a doctorate in Jewish Education from Gratz College and an honorary doctorate from JTS. A longtime Jewish educator and administrator, Michael also works as director of curriculum and instruction at Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley, and lectures and conducts tours of historic Jewish Philadelphia. Michael spent many years as a USYer and USY director, and a Camp Ramah counselor and Rosh Edah (Poconos). In addition to his Jewish education work, Michael is an avid reader, and a pretty awesome baker specializing in challah, banana bread, and hamantaschen.
Natasha Cooper-Benisty was raised in London and Long Island, but now calls New Jersey home. She holds a Bachelors in Drama from Vassar and a Masters in Jewish Communal Service and Nonprofit Management from Gratz. Natasha attended Jewish Day School and lived in Israel after college, where she became fluent in modern Hebrew. She currently teaches 3rd grade Judaics and Hebrew at Golda Och Academy in West Orange, NJ and 5th and 6th grade Hebrew at Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston, NJ. Natasha enjoys sharing her enthusiasm about Judaism with her students, as well as watching them learn and express their excitement about their faith.
Rachel Moran is a Jewish educator with many years of experience in religious school teaching, songleading and one-on-one B'nai Mitzvah lessons both in Philadelphia and now in Los Angeles. A graduate of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Rachel has worked with Society Hill Synagogue in Philadelphia and Temple B'nai Abraham in Massachusetts. A singer/songwriter herself, Rachel loves to connect to Judaism through music. Rachel wants to show her students that preparing for their B'nai Mitzvah doesn't have to be stressful and scary, but can be an amazing and fun experience. In her spare time, Rachel loves cooking, gardening, hiking and playing guitar.
Robyn was one of our first mentors and currently serves as our Director of Community Engagement in addition to her teaching. A mom of two, Robyn sees her role as a mentor to both nurture and guide her students (and their parents) through the process of becoming Bar/Bat mitzvah. In addition to her work as a mentor for Hebrew Helpers, Robyn runs the day camp for Temple Akiba every summer. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Robyn's Jewish education began in Pre-School. It continued throughout High School and while studying at Penn State University. She also studied for a semester at Tel Aviv University. There is always more to learn when it comes to our Heritage and Traditions, which is what she always tells her students. "I never expected to learn so much while teaching; each and every student has taught me something!"
Sarah grew up very active in the Jewish community. She has taught Kindergarten, 3rd Grade and 6th Grade in different schools in New Jersey, Boston, and now Los Angeles. She thinks that learning should be both challenging and exciting.
Shana Caplan recently graduated from Thomas Jefferson University with a Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy. She attended Camp Ramah in the Poconos as a camper and staff member for many years. Shana's love of teaching goes back to her teens, when she assisted in Hebrew School classes, and she continued as a Hebrew School teacher during her undergrad years. During her free time, Shana enjoys figure skating, playing sudoku puzzles, and eating at local Philly restaurants.
Sigi Ravet is an actress and performer who has mentored kids all over the Los Angeles area for the last decade. She has taught at multiple Hebrew schools and worked closely with teenage girl groups. Originally born in Jerusalem, Sigi is a fluent Hebrew speaker and triple-citizen who grew up on both US coasts. She spent her childhood in Jewish day school and Camp Ramah in Ojai. Sigi has been lucky to combine her passions for acting and love for kids as a mentor at Hebrew Helpers - guiding her students toward an animated, thrilling, and exciting overview of all things Jewish. When she's not mentoring, you can find Sigi performing on stage, often in Jewish shows (The Diary of Anne Frank, Bad Jews, and The Immigrant are a few recent productions). Sigi loves comedy and uses it in all elements of her work. She is grateful to have found a dual career pursuing her craft while mentoring kids and even more grateful to her parents for raising her with a love for Judaism so that she wouldn't need to take a restaurant job.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Founder
Todd is the Founder and Executive Director of Hebrew Helpers. After many years as a Jewish educator in both New York City and Los Angeles, Todd started Hebrew Helpers in 2005 with the mission to create authentic and meaningful Jewish learning experiences without boundaries or restrictions while at the same time, paying tribute to tradition. Raised in Elkins Park, PA, Todd studied with Cantor Charles Davidson at Congregation Adath Jeshurun. He is an alum of the University of Pennsylvania, Alexander Muss High School in Israel and Project Otzma. In his spare time, he produces independent feature films.
Zohar is a theatre director and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. She has worked in Jewish education for the past fifteen years. This has included teaching at synagogues and Jewish day schools throughout Boston and NYC, being a counselor at Camp Ramah in New England, and privately tutoring students. She has an M.F.A. in Directing from Boston University and loves cats, biking, and cooking.