Religious School Faculty

Hinda Rosenbaum, the new Director of the Shaarei Kodesh Religious School, has a B.A. in Education/Anthropology and over 28 years experience in education and business management.  As a teenager, she made “aliyah” to Israel with her family and completed the Israeli high school “Bagrut” matriculation, then returned to the United States to continue her studies.  While working in the business world, she has been a successful manager for two companies and was directly responsible for maintaining, organizing, and implementing all facets of their operations.  Mrs. Rosenbaum has applied her devotion to education with her experience in religious school and preschool teaching.  She also worked with the Jewish Education Commission of South Palm Beach County in the Teacher’s Resource Center.  Mrs. Rosenbaum has a long connection with the Ramah Camps.  She was a Hebrew teacher and ran the Teacher’s Resource Center for two summers at Ramah New England.  For the past 11 summers, Mrs. Rosenbaum has interacted with the campers and staff at Camp Ramah Darom as the Infirmary Administrator.  Mrs. Rosenbaum has been a teacher and the religious school coordinator on Sundays and Hebrew language teacher for the older students at Shaarei Kodesh.

Elisa Leavitt comes with a rich Conservative Jewish background. She grew up as an active member of Temple Israel of Natick, under the guidance of Rabbi Harold Kushner (author of many books and best known for, When Bad Things Happen to Good People) who provided great intellectual inspiration. Mrs. Leavitt has inspired students as a USY advisor, successful homeschooler and religious school teacher.  As a staff member at Camp Ramah Darom, she realized that every day should feel like camp, especially when inspiring children to love being Jewish. Mrs. Leavitt studied for 2 years in the Florence Melton Institute adult education program, as well as receiving special training through, B’yachad, a teacher development institute.  A past Sisterhood president, Mrs. Leavitt has been honored for leadership in the Conservative movement.  In 2008, the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism awarded her the internationally recognized Baalat Mitzvah Award.  Mrs. Leavitt brings out the Jewish neshamah (soul/spirit) in each child and allows it to soar through creative hands-on play, intellectual stimulation, and storytelling.  She is excited to partner with the families of Congregation Shaarei Kodesh in continuing to transmit Judaism as a living, breathing religion with the purpose of making every moment of our lives significant and to uplift the physical world.

Meredith Weinberg (aka: Morah Miriam) has been a Jewish educator for six years. She graduated Florida Atlantic University with a B.A. in Judaic Studies and Performing Arts.  Morah Miriam has been SATO (Social Action/ Tikkun Olam) Vice President of USY (2000 & 2001), and was chosen as USYer of the year in 1999 & 2000.  She was on the FAU Hillel board as co-president (2004), and was a volunteer for over 7 years at her childhood synagogue.  Morah Miriam completed the two-year Florence Melton Institute program as well as the JNF TEVA training and was chosen as a JNF Ambassador for 2009.  JNF asked her to be part of their program again in 2010 and she will continue to represent our school and bring innovative programs and materials to her classes.  Morah Miriam offers an exciting approach in the classroom.  She utilizes the Jewish Web online bringing the students into the Jewish digital world and incorporating it into her lessons along with traditional learning methods.  As a teacher with our school for the past year, Morah Miriam has proven herself a valuable resource.