Meet Our Teachers

Eve Atkins

Eve Atkins teaches the Beth Israel Mechina (preschool) program. She lives in Swarthmore and is a student at Strath Haven High School. She was the aide in the Mechina class for two years before she became the lead teacher last year.

Eve has been participating in the Beth Israel Hebrew School since she was in kindergarten. “I have always found it to be a warm, supportive, and fun environment.  Ever since I can remember, I have loved young children and I’ve been babysitting for many years. I have a lot of creative and interesting lessons planned. I really enjoy art and that will be a big part of the class.”

Laura Lee Blechner

Laura Lee Blechner teaches the monthly Gan (kindergarten) class at Beth Israel. She has been a member of Beth Israel for over 12 years, and is co-chair of the Religious Practice committee and a regular lay service leader and Torah chanter.  Also an avid Jewish learner, Laura Lee attends adult education, Mekom Torah classes and Torah Treks, in addition to reading many Jewish books and blogs each year.  She has been teaching the Gan family education class with Reisa Mukamal for 7 years, and is very excited to see members of our first class becoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah!  Her two daughters (ages 11 and 6) attend Hebrew School at BI.

Alex Dresner

Dr. Alex Dresner has taught Hebrew School at Congregation Beth Israel for five years. He has previously taught Aleph, Bet and Gimmel students and now teaches the Dalet class.  Prior to this, Dr. Alex taught first grade at B'nai Israel Synagogue in Rochester, Minnesota for four years and has tutored at multiple congregations. In his spare time, he likes to exercise and play with MRI machines.

Shawn Dresner

Shawn Dresner is a graduate of Beth Israel Hebrew School. Currently a senior in high school, she has been an assistant and a co-teacher in the Aleph-Bet classroom. This year she is co- teaching the Bet and Gimmel class. In her spare time, Shawn enjoys hanging with her friends and baking.

Rick Epstein

Congregant Rick Epstein has taught at Beth Israel for the past 16 years. All of the 4th through 7th grade students take his famous World Jewish History classes. He also has a very devoted large group of followers taking his challenging Current Events Elective on Tuesday afternoons.

Rick was a Judaic Studies, History and Religion major in college and attended the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College when enrolled as a religion major graduate student at Temple University.

Mara Finestrauss

Mara Finestrauss joined the Beth Israel Hebrew School staff in 2011 teaching Hebrew to the Hay (5^th grade) class as well as the popular art elective. Mara began her professional involvement in the Jewish community when she took an assistant teaching position at the Jewish Community Center Preschool in 2008. She quickly discovered that her strong Jewish identity and passion for education could be put to use at Temple Beth El in Newark, Delaware, where she served as advisor and coordinator of “Teen Connection,” a youth group for preteens. Between attending college classes and working several other jobs involving children, Mara began teaching first grade Hebrew School at Temple Beth El where she still teaches. She integrates her love of art, nature and positive interpersonal relations into the classroom on a regular basis.

Mara has an art background from Delaware College of Art and Design and Child Development coursework from Wilmington University. She coaches figure skating, provides childcare for families and has worked at a variety of daycare organizations and children’s museums. Mara is looking forward to a new experience with the congregants of Beth Israel. She is excited to be a part of the Beth Israel Hebrew school staff and community!

Reisa Mukamal

Reisa’s teaching career at Beth Israel grew out of her experience as chair of the Education Committee.  She began with a stint teaching Hebrew to the fifth grade Hay class, capitalizing on her semester abroad at Tel Aviv University.  When Principal Helene Cohen conceived of Gan Family Education, she joined forces with friend and colleague, Laura Lee Blechner. They are now in their eighth year of helping young families celebrate the Jewish holidays together with their kindergarten-age children.

Meanwhile, Reisa’s four sons were Bar Mitzvah-ed and, along the way, she began tutoring B’nai Mitzvah students, both an honor and a joy.  Sometimes she even gets to teach their parents.

“At Beth Israel, we try to infuse our teaching with meaning.  All sincere inquiry by students and members alike is respected and investigated.  Who would not want to work and learn in such an atmosphere?”

Amy Jo Rosenthal

Amy Jo Rosenthal teaches music once a month at Beth Israel. She also leads family services each week at two other area synagogues.  When not at work, she enjoys life in the woods with her husband Brian, with whom she shares six grown children, one grandchild, two dogs and two cats.

“I enjoy sharing my love of music with the students.  It's great to be here at BI!" 

Phyllis Rubin

Phyllis Rubin teaches Hebrew to the Dalet  (4th grade) and Hay (5^th grade) Tuesday students at Beth Israel. She has been teaching both religious and secular education in several area congregations for many years.

Following completion of her degree in Geography and certification in secondary education, Phyllis began her career teaching elementary school environmental education and organizing adult educational programs.  Starting in 1998, she co-taught weekly synagogue classes for toddlers and their mothers.  In 2003, she began teaching supplementary Jewish education in synagogues. 

“Morah Tsiporah”, as she is fondly called by her students, started teaching at Beth Israel in 2006.  She currently teaches and tutors at three synagogues, working with learners from third grade through adult.  In addition to teaching, Phyllis is also a correspondent for Main Line Media News.

Lee Senderowitsch

Lee Senderowitsch was born on Kibbutz Merom-Golan in the Golan Heights, Israel to Argentinean parents. When she was 4 years old, she and her family went on Shlichut to Buenos Aires, Argentina. There, she lived for 3 years and perfected her Spanish skills. Once living back in Israel for 2 years, her family decided to move to Northern Virginia, where she attended Middle School, High School, and two years of College. She also studied International Relations at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

Lee is currently teaching Hebrew and Israel to the Vav (6^th grade) and Zayin (7^th grade) classes and leads the very popular Israeli Dance elective at Congregation Beth Israel. “I am very happy here and extremely honored to be a part of this amazing community. :)"