Who's Who in the School 2019-2020 - Temple Beth El

Who’s Who in the School 2019-2020

Rabbi                                                                  Rabbi Moshe Re’em
Rabbi Re’em, now in his 17th year of teaching in Midrasha, comes originally from Buffalo, New
York. He received a bachelor’s in Ancient Near East Culture and Languages from Columbia
University, a bachelor’s in Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D in
Educational Policy from the University of Wisconsin. Ordained at the JTS, he served in a
Conservative congregation in Wisconsin before moving to Israel, where he taught in the School
of Education at Bar Ilan University. Since 2002, Rabbi Re’em has served as Spiritual Leader at
Temple Beth El in Allentown. Moshe and Adina have three children, Yochai, Shai, and Hadar

Ganim and Kitah Alef                                     Morah Rebecca Bernfeld
Morah Rebecca is thrilled to be returning to teach our youngest
students. Rebecca was a classroom aide for five years in our religious school
and earned the 2014 Volunteer of the Year for her dedication to our school
children. She was the head teacher for our Ganim class in 2016-17 and this
year she will teaching our combined Ganim and Kitah Alef class for the second
year in a row. Rebecca studied early childhood education at Kutztown
University. Rebecca also taught Pre-K at the Jewish Community Center.

Kitah Bet -- Second Grade (Sundays)                                      Morah Diane Stein
        Morah Diane grew up in New Rochelle, New York and attended religious school at the
Reform synagogue there. Although she learned a lot, she would have loved to have been given
the kind of education that students receive at our E.G. Scoblionko Religious School here at
Temple Beth El!
        Morah Diane graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in classical piano
performance and earned her J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law. Diane
worked as a federal law clerk and public interest attorney in Manhattan for eight years before
her children were born.
        Morah Diane and her husband, Phil Stein, began their married life in Lebanon, New
Jersey before moving to Allentown. They are blessed with two wonderful and musical children,
Matthew, age 25, and Lisa, age 20. Matthew graduated from Wesleyan University three years
ago and works and lives in San Francisco. He is a violinist, violist, composer, and puzzler. Lisa
is a sophomore at Wesleyan University. She is a vocalist and cellist, and, as a former Kitah Bet
madricha, she enjoys helping out with Kitah Bet whenever she is home on vacation from
college.
        The Steins have been members of TBE since 2002.
        Morah Diane was a founding board member of the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society,
chaired the Lehigh Valley Zoo’s Benefit Committee for several years and also TBE’s Cultural
Arts Committee, and served on the Smoke-Free Task Force for the Coalition for a Smoke-Free
Valley.
        Morah Diane taught second grade on Sunday mornings at Temple Israel of New
Rochelle between college and law school, and this is her fourteenth year teaching at TBE.
Morah Diane enjoys photography, writing, playing the piano, foreign languages - especially
Yiddish and Spanish, rocks and minerals, the beach, and the Berkshires. She can tell you
many stories about the meaningful Judaica trip that she and Phil took to Guatemala not long
ago. Just ask her!

Kitah Bet -- Second Grade (Tuesdays)                                Morah Elaine Langer
        Morah Langer graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in Early Childhood
Education. She taught in Brooklyn for two years before moving to Allentown with her husband
Paul, in 1964, where she taught for 3 years before “retiring” to raise a family. She and Paul are
the proud parents (and grandparents) of Jeff, married to Nancy (parents of Bea, Henry and
Martin), Eric, (father of Jacob, Abigail and Max), and Debra, married to Jason, (parents of
Ayala).
        After “retiring” from teaching, Morah Langer became increasingly involved in the Jewish
community. She was on the Board and is a Life Member of Hadassah. She served as President
of the Jane Sussman Chapter of American Jewish Congress. She was the first woman to chant a
Haftarah at the first Simchat Torah women’s service at Congregation Sons of Israel. She served
several terms on the Temple Beth El Board in various capacities, including Membership Vice
President and chair of the Ritual and Service Committee. She enjoys chanting Haftarah at
Shabbat services. She is a perennial student, having attended the following programs: the
Lehigh Valley Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, sponsored by Project Yachad, Yachad U.
and Yachad Grad programs, 10 CAJE Conferences (Conference on Alternatives in Jewish
Education), the Melton Israel Seminar in Israel in 2002 and 2003, the MANAJE (Mid-Atlantic
New Alternatives in Jewish Education) Conference, the first two years of NewCAJE, and
LimmudNY, from 2013 - 2016. She taught 4th Grade at TBE Religious School for 11 years
before developing and teaching the 2nd Grade Hebrew Enrichment Program which she taught for
two years before being “promoted” back to 4th grade for 5 years. She opted to return to the 2nd
Grade Hebrew Enrichment Program after she had the opportunity to teach her Allentown
grandchildren, Jacob, Abby, and Max when they were in her 4th grade class.
        Morah Langer worked as a Senior Systems Analyst for 15 years before being able to
follow her heart into Jewish education. Her goal has always been and continues to be to pass her
love of Judaism and Israel, and her commitment to the Jewish community and to lifelong Jewish
education on to her students.

Kitah Gimel – Third Grade                                         Morah Hannah Gura
Morah Hannah Gura is entering her fourth year as a teacher at Beth El, as well as her
fourth year at Muhlenberg College studying neuroscience. Hannah loves how she can
combine her passions for brain development and strong Jewish values to create fun
lessons that stick. From an Israeli American background, Jewish culture, and traditions
were celebrated and integrated from both nations and have ignited ruach (spirit) that she
looks forward to sharing with Kitah Gimmel.

Kitah Dalet – Fourth Grade                                          Moreh Ben Delin
    No stranger to Temple Beth El or the Hebrew school, Benjamin Delin will be stepping in
 to the role of Kitah Dalet teacher! Ben has gone through the Hebrew school as a student,
 then becoming an aide, and attending Midrasha, going on to be a substitute teacher here
 in the religious school! Ben is an Allentown native, Parkland High school graduate, and
 current Junior at Muhlenberg College here in Allentown, PA. Ben is studying
 Environmental Science and Sustainability Studies with a minor in Environmental Ethics
 and Spanish. Having completed three teaching courses with Cornell University, Ben is
 looking forward to implementing all the things he has learned from his Hebrew school
 teachers as well as his classes, to teach the new class of Kitah Dalet students.
    Ben is the son of Beth and Scott Delin, proud owner of two dogs, Bailey and Bruno, and
the youngest of three.

Kitah Hay -- Fifth Grade                                                Morah Shari Spark
Shari Spark was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, in a small but highly active
Jewish community. Committed and responsible Jewish family life fired Shari’s
background in Jewish education from an early age. In California, she attended the
University of Judaism and UCLA, also working as a synagogue youth director and
teacher. The next stop, St. Louis, Missouri, included serious involvement with Jewish
music both as a choir member and Torah reader, and training as a cantorial
soloist. Her cantorial pulpit experience includes High Holiday assignments in
Waco,Texas, Temple Emanuel in Virginia Beach, the Jewish Naval Chapel in Norfolk,
Virginia, and most recently at the Traditional service for the High Holidays here at
Beth El. Shari has experience conducting Jewish choirs, including founding and
directing the N’imah Choir of Beth El Allentown. Shari taught fourth grade and middle
school Judaic studies at the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater in Virginia Beach, a
Multiple Intelligences school. Shari currently serves as the Temple Beth El Ritual and
Service Coordinator, and is the coordinator of the Holocaust Resource Center of the
Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The many years teaching 5th Grade and
Midrasha have been thoroughly enjoyable and an enriching experience to add to all
the others!
Shari would like to introduce you to her family. Her daughter Carlyn, teaches
elementary school in North Carolina, and son Ezra is attending the Florida State
University’s PhD economics program. They all miss the best husband/father, Mark
Goldstein. Her family also includes doggies, Truman and Daisy. Living in the Lehigh
Valley since 2002, Beth El and Allentown feel just like home.

Kitah Vav -- Sixth Grade                                     Morah Liora Finkel
Morah Liora is from New Jersey and is a sophomore at Muhlenberg College studying Education
and Religion Studies. Liora graduated from Golda Och Academy, a nearby Day School. She
was a member of USY, a singer in HaZamir, and volunteered as a regular religious school tutor
for grades 3-6 for 5 years at her family’s shul. During Liora’s senior year she was a tfilah mentor
for 7th and 8th graders and spent three months in Israel with her graduating class. Soon after
arriving on campus, Liora became actively involved in Hillel and is currently on the Hillel board
as the interfaith chair. For the past three summers, Liora has worked as a counselor at Ramah
Day Camp in Nyack, NY. Most recently at camp, Liora assisted with the organization of the
staff tfilot as gabbai before the camp day and over Shabbat. This past winter, Liora attended the
Weinstein Institute for Counselor Training through the National Ramah Commission as a
member of the Ramah Nyack delegation. When she isn’t busy during the school year, Liora
enjoys theatre, listening to new Jewish music, watching Netflix, and beginning to imagine her
future as a full-time teacher. Liora is looking forward to a madhim year with her 6th grade class!

Kitah Zayan - Seventh Grade                                               Robin Roberts

        Robin Roberts was born and raised in Allentown PA. She grew up at Temple
Beth El and has always considered it “home away from home” no matter the location.
She has always been active in the Jewish community whether it be a counselor or
unit head at the JCC day camp or a facilitator of many early childhood school and
after school programs, and as a volunteer BBYO advisor. Robin attended Bloomsburg
University and graduated with a degree in Special Education. She has a master’s
degree in Technology Education from Wilkes University and a second master’s
degree as a Reading Specialist from Kutztown University. She has spent the first part
of her career as a secondary Learning Support teacher and the second part of her
career as a reading specialist. She is currently the Reading Specialist at Orefield

Middle School for grades 6-8. Overall, she has taught, mentored and guided kids from
1st through 12th grade and has outstanding memories from each experience. This
year will be her 24th year of teaching.
        While she considers Temple Beth El her spiritual family, nothing is more
important to her than her immediate and extended family. Eric and Robin adopted
their daughter Addison from China in 2010. Addison is the love of their lives and they
feel blessed every second of every day to have the privilege to parent such an
amazing little girl. As a life-long “five” generation member of TBE, a place that has
played a pivotal role in her life, she is honored to be a part of the Temple Beth El
Religious School Family.
        With new beginning starts new adventures!

Hebrew Lab                                                                  Morah Debra Ross
Debra originally hails from Cleveland, Ohio, but has been living in Allentown since 1978. She
received her B.A. in Hebrew Studies from Ohio State University and M.A. in Counseling
Psychology from Kutztown University. Debra taught Hebrew school for many years while her
children were young including two years as Religious School Director at Temple Beth El and six
years as Religious School Director at Kesher Zion Synagogue in Reading. Debra recently
retired (after 20 years) from Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit as a Behavioral Specialist/Mobile
Therapist. She is very excited to return to her old stomping grounds at Beth El as well as her
first love, teaching Hebrew. Debra is the proud "Ima" to Rachel, Noah, Benjamin, and Jonah
(all married) as well as the extra-proud "Savta D" to Yarden, Yair, Matan, and Caleb. In addition,
Debra has a small private practice as a Parenting Coach.

Music                                                     Morah Nellie Gershtein
Morah Nellie has been a part of the Temple Beth El musical family since 1990. She directs our
Junior Choir and teaches our Ganim through Kitah Vav (sixth grade) students. She has an M.A.
in Music Education and Chorus Conducting from St. Petersburg University in Russia. Morah
Nellie was a long time faculty member of the Jewish Community Center Preschool and
Kindergarten Program, and is now teaching at the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley. She
resides with her husband Vladimir in Allentown. Their daughter Marianna resides with her
family in Boca Raton, Florida.

Other friendly people you will see in the school:

Religious School Director                                                        Alicia Zahn
Alicia Zahn is originally from Allentown where she began her love of Jewish learning during an
Alexander Muss High School in Israel Program. She graduated from SUNY Stonybrook and
went on to receive a Masters of Elementary Education from Queens College. Alicia taught in
public schools in New Hampshire and New York before moving back to Pennsylvania. Her
career includes working with children from Pre-Kindergarten (teaching at the Jewish Day School
of the Lehigh Valley) all the way through high school (as Princeton Review SAT tutor and as
Jewish youth group advisor) and everything in between, as well as adult classes. She enjoyed
teaching in our Religious School for 15 years before becoming the school director. Alicia and
her husband Bruce, have four children, Helaina, David, Daniel, and Sammy, who have each
benefited from all our Religious School has to offer.

School Administrator                                                           Sheryl Block
Sheryl Block has taught Pre-K and Kindergarten for 10 years and has worked in the school
office in varying capacities. . She is pleased to see the continuous positive changes. She is
married to Rance, a native Allentownian. They have 3 children, Andrew, Beth, and Josh, who
attended our religious school, and 2 grandchildren, Joseph and Caroline, who currently attend
our school. It was in 1st grade, Sheryl made the important decision that she wanted to work
with children. She has worked at the JCC as a teacher for over 25 years, and most recently as
the ECE Director for 5 years. She came to Allentown from New York when she was 13 years
old.

Maintenance                                                                 Phyliss Millburn
Phyliss has been helping our synagogue to run smoothly for so long that we cannot imagine our
Beth El family without her. She has one daughter, three grandchildren, one great-grandchild
and her beloved Benny (the dog). Phyliss looks forward to school days because it is the
children that keep her going. The school children look forward to her genuine smiles and her
extra special hugs.

Maintenance                                                                      Audley Francis
In addition to working at Beth El, Audley also works at the Jewish Community Center. He
enjoys both his jobs and is looking forward to getting to know the school children while he helps
out with school maintenance. While not working, Audley relaxes in front of the television or
spends time with his young daughter.

In addition, we have many wonderful teen madrichim (guides and classroom
aides) as well as many wonderful teen and adult volunteers that all
contribute to the success of our school.