North Shore Hebrew School Staff

A successful Hebrew School begins with an inspired and energetic Director. We found exactly that with our new Director, Heather Greenberg! Add our dedicated and caring staff, and you have the makings of a fantastic Jewish Education. Our close-knit staff is carefully selected for their warmth, experience, and enthusiasm towards children. All of our staff members are involved and committed to the Jewish community on the North Shore; and they look forward to sharing their sense of Jewish pride with your children!

Our Teachers:

Tots for Torah: Cindy Rosenberg

K – 1: Marla Mindel

Alef – Bet: Jill Wetmore

Gimel – Hey: Heather Greenberg

Hebrew: Nancy Orenberg

Cooking: Liora Kelman

Music: Ellen Garfield

Education Director, Heather Greenberg:

Originally from Montreal, Heather Greenberg is a graduate of Shar Shalom Hebrew School. As a teenager, she worked as a Madrikha (teaching assistant in Jewish Education), and as a Jewish camp counselor. She was also active in the B'nai Brith Youth Organization.

Heather went on to get her Bachelor's Degree in Special Needs Integration Education at Vanier College in the city of Ville St. Laurent in Quebec. Before her move to the North Shore, Heather had begun a Master's Degree in Education at McGill University in Montreal. Since then, Heather has participated in an Ulpan course at Hebrew College, attended classes for Project Etgar in Boston, and expanded her knowledge of Jewish Education with seminars at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism in New York.

Heather Greenberg has been involved with Jewish Education for 15 years. She has taught Junior Congregation at Temple Sinai, and has been an instructor at the North Shore Hebrew School.

In 2005, Heather was awarded the prestigious Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education; designed to recognize teachers in communities across North America who have made a commitment to the field of Jewish Education.

In her role as our Education Director, Heather wants the North Shore Hebrew School to be a place where children can blossom in their Jewish Education, and become enthusiastic and active Jewish adults in our community. Heather enjoys bringing children together from different backgrounds to form a family and develop new friendships. She envisions the school to be a fun, almost camp-like environment that children look forward to attending!

Heather lives in Swampscott with her husband, Stephen Seller, and her two children, Tyler (6), and Elle (4). When not teaching, Heather's creative outlet is designing and creating jewelry.

Instructor, Marla Mindel:

Marla Mindel has been involved in Jewish Education for 12 years. A life-long North Shore resident, Marla grew up in Marblehead, and she is very familiar with our Jewish community.

You may already know Marla from the JCC of the North Shore, where she has been a teacher for 12 years, including a position as the lead teacher of the Masoret program. Or you may know her from her work with the Hebrew School at Temple Emanuel of Marblehead, or the Chabad Hebrew School, or Young Judea, or maybe as the leader of Knesset Katan at Temple Sinai. Marla has also worked at Camp Menorah for 10 years, where she is currently the Unit Head for the younger campers, and runs the Shabbat House program. Chances are, with all the programs she has been involved with, Marla already knows your child!

In 2004, Marla was awarded the prestigious Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education; designed to recognize teachers in communities across North America who have made a commitment to the field of Jewish Education. Marla has also been the recipient of the Jewish Educator's Trip to Israel sponsored by the Robert I. Lappin Foundation.

Marla currently lives in Marblehead with her two children, Laura (16), and Robbie (14). When she isn't busy teaching our children, she is continuing her own studies at Salem State College in Early Childhood Education.

Instructor, Jill Simmons-Wetmore:

Jill Simmons-Wetmore has grown up surrounded with Jewish Education - her Mom, Judi Simmons, is the Director of Camp Menorah. Her Mom has been working for Camp Menorah since Jill was just 5 years old, and Jill has been at Camp Menorah ever since!

A graduate of Cohen Hillel Academy in Marblehead and Swampscott High School, Jill received her Bachelors in Communications from Salem State College. Since then, she has taken courses in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and she is currently pursuing her Masters in Education at Boston University.

Jill has served as Youth Director for the Marblehead / Swampscott USY (United Synagogue Youth) for 11 years, where she implemented Jewish cultural and social programs such as Havdallah on Phillips Beach and Hawaiian Shabbat. She has also taught at the North Shore Hebrew School for 5 years, led the Youth Services at Temple Sinai for 5 years, and of course, worked as a counselor at Camp Menorah during the summers.

Jill lives in Danvers with her husband, Michael Wetmore, her son, Mason (2), and their two dogs - Princess (a poodle mix) and Kingston (a mastiff).

Instructor, Cindy Rosenberg:

Resume coming soon!

Instructor, Nancy Orenberg:

Nancy Orenberg has an impressive resume when it comes to Jewish Education - she was a graduate of Prozdor in Brookline, went on to receive her Bachelor's in Jewish Education at Hebrew College (were she was class valedictorian!), then received another Bachelor's from Brandeis University in Near Eastern Judaic Studies with a minor in Elementary Education.

Her teaching experience stretches back 33 years; she started out teaching adults how to read Hebrew at a Temple Tifereth Israel in Everett. She has taught both adults and children over the years, and she has taught every aspect of Jewish Education - Hebrew and the aleph-bet (including conversational Hebrew), Jewish holidays and customs, prayer, music, Jewish history, Israel, etc.! She has worked as a private tutor, as well as an Instructor at various Hebrew schools in the Boston area - Temple Shalom Emet in Burlington (3 years), Temple Tifereth Israel in Winthrop (2 years), and Temple Aliyah in Needham (7 years). Nancy has been a teacher with the North Shore Hebrew School for 4 years.

Nancy has attended Inspirational Teaching Classes sponsored by the Robert I. Lappin Foundation, and she has been the recipient of the Jewish Educator's Trip to Israel sponsored by the Lappin Foundation.

Nancy currently lives in Marblehead with her daughter, Jessica (6).

Cooking Instructor, Liora Kelman:

Resume coming soon!

Music Instructor, Ellen Garfield:

A native of New York, Ellen Garfield has been involved with music for most of her life. She received her undergraduate degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, her Masters in Music Education from the Hartt College of Music, and received an Artist's Degree from the Institute for Vocal Arts.

In addition to her impressive education, Ellen has been teaching and performing Jewish music for over twenty-five years. Her teaching experience includes numerous well-known Jewish day schools, Hebrew schools, Jewish camps and educational workshops.

Not only does Ellen sing, she plays guitar, piano, and percussion! She performs with The Musical Mavens, and has done solo concert tours in Italy. She has also served as the Musical Director for the Israeli Dance Troupe Hamakor, and for the Greater Hartford JCC teen musicals. In addition, she performs with the band Musica Libera, based in Trieste, Italy.

Ellen resides in Lynn with her husband, Stuart (a photographer), their son Spencer (18), and two very spoiled cats, Zoë and Timmy.

We are proud to be designated as a United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Framework for Excellence School

The Community Hebrew School of the North Shore, Inc., d/b/a North Shore Hebrew School, admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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