Mrs Devorah Lewis - Principal
Mrs. Devorah Lewis attended Yeshivas Darchei Torah Girls High School in Southfield MI. After graduating, she went on to study in Yavneh Teacher's Seminary in Cleveland, OH. There she received her teaching degree from Torah U'Mesorah, and her Bachelors degree. In addition, she received certification in Special Education.
Immediately after graduating, Mrs. Lewis accepted a teaching position in Bais Yaakov of St. Louis. There she displayed a passion for teaching adolescents and a dedication to their education. After a year in St. Louis, she and her husband relocated to Israel where she attended the Ner Le'Elef training program. As part of the program, she spent two years in Santa Barbara opening her home to the Jewish college students there. Her most current residence was Dallas, TX, where she spent the past five years teaching in Mesorah High School for Girls.
Mrs. Lewis brings to Meira Academy experience in developing curriculum with a strong focus on skills as well as various creative teaching techniques geared to reach students of varying skill level. She has an understanding of teenagers and the ability to interact well with students, staff and parents.
Immediately after graduating, Mrs. Lewis accepted a teaching position in Bais Yaakov of St. Louis. There she displayed a passion for teaching adolescents and a dedication to their education. After a year in St. Louis, she and her husband relocated to Israel where she attended the Ner Le'Elef training program. As part of the program, she spent two years in Santa Barbara opening her home to the Jewish college students there. Her most current residence was Dallas, TX, where she spent the past five years teaching in Mesorah High School for Girls.
Mrs. Lewis brings to Meira Academy experience in developing curriculum with a strong focus on skills as well as various creative teaching techniques geared to reach students of varying skill level. She has an understanding of teenagers and the ability to interact well with students, staff and parents.
Mrs Sarah Clark - General Studies Principal
Mrs Sarah Clark attended higher learning at the University of Alabama where she received:
BA - Language Arts
MA - Education
MA - Special Education
Administration degree - Brooklyn College
Mrs Clark taught for 11 years in both Elementary and Junior High school. She served as the Director of Education and Programming at San Antonio CC in San Antonio, Texas. Mrs Clark then served as the general studies principal at Torah Academy for Girls in the Five Towns of Long Island, NY for 25 years. After her move to the West Coast, Mrs Clark became the Director of Education for the Center for Initiative in Jewish Education, CIJE. After 9 years at CIJE and watching and supporting Meira Academy, through her work at CIJE, she is now the General Studies Principal at Meira Academy since 2019.
Mrs Clarks passion for inspiring Jewish young women to become strong, life-long learners in the ever challenging world has been her life's work!
BA - Language Arts
MA - Education
MA - Special Education
Administration degree - Brooklyn College
Mrs Clark taught for 11 years in both Elementary and Junior High school. She served as the Director of Education and Programming at San Antonio CC in San Antonio, Texas. Mrs Clark then served as the general studies principal at Torah Academy for Girls in the Five Towns of Long Island, NY for 25 years. After her move to the West Coast, Mrs Clark became the Director of Education for the Center for Initiative in Jewish Education, CIJE. After 9 years at CIJE and watching and supporting Meira Academy, through her work at CIJE, she is now the General Studies Principal at Meira Academy since 2019.
Mrs Clarks passion for inspiring Jewish young women to become strong, life-long learners in the ever challenging world has been her life's work!
Mrs fia Lebowitz
Raised in Monsey, N.Y. and attended Beruria High School for girls. She had the opportunity to spend a year in Michlalah College for Women in Jerusalem where she was able to devote herself to Judaic studies. After returning to the United States, she enrolled in Stern College for Women in Manhattan. She later transferred to Towson University in Maryland where she completed her bachelors of science in psychology. As she was raising her family in Baltimore, she pursued her Master’s of Science in special education at John Hopkins University.
Mrs. Lebowitz has been living in Palo Alto for the past 11 years. She spent a few years working in early childhood special education and then took some time to raise her six children. She recently began teaching at Meira Academy as a Chumash, Halacha and Navi teacher. This year she teaches Chumash and Halacha.
Mrs. Lebowitz has been living in Palo Alto for the past 11 years. She spent a few years working in early childhood special education and then took some time to raise her six children. She recently began teaching at Meira Academy as a Chumash, Halacha and Navi teacher. This year she teaches Chumash and Halacha.
Mrs Aliza Coleman
Mrs. Coleman teaches Navi, Kesuvim, AP Psychology and PE. Her broad range of classes brings her into contact with every student at Meira Academy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Thomas Edison University and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Bellevue University. Having recently returned to the Bay area, she is delighted to rejoin the Meira faculty.
Rabbi Joey felsen
Rabbi Joey Felsen, Founder and Executive Director of the Jewish Study Network, hails from Toronto, Canada. He completed a B.A. in Political Science at York University before pursuing rabbinic ordination in Israel at the Mirrer Yeshiva. As an activist in university, Rabbi Felsen held the titles of National Chairperson of the Jewish Students’ Network of Canada and the Vice-Chairperson of the World Union of Jewish Students.
Rabbi Felsen and his family moved from Jerusalem to Palo Alto in 2001 to launch the Jewish Study Network. He received the 2006 Grinspoon-Steinhardt National Award for Excellence in Jewish Education for his teaching at Kehillah Jewish High School. He currently teaches in the Florence Melton School for Adult Education at the Jewish Community Centers in Palo Alto and Los Gatos, in addition to the regular classes that he conducts as independent JSN educational offerings.
Rabbi Felsen is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Community Federation of the San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. He is also the founding Board President of Meira Academy and the proud parent of a pioneering freshman.
Rabbi Felsen and his family moved from Jerusalem to Palo Alto in 2001 to launch the Jewish Study Network. He received the 2006 Grinspoon-Steinhardt National Award for Excellence in Jewish Education for his teaching at Kehillah Jewish High School. He currently teaches in the Florence Melton School for Adult Education at the Jewish Community Centers in Palo Alto and Los Gatos, in addition to the regular classes that he conducts as independent JSN educational offerings.
Rabbi Felsen is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Community Federation of the San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. He is also the founding Board President of Meira Academy and the proud parent of a pioneering freshman.
Rabbi Avi Lebowitz
Rabbi Avi Lebowitz received his ordination from Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore and a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University. He moved to Palo Alto in 2002 with his family to join the Jewish Study Network and became the Educational Director of the JSN in 2005. He served part-time as the Rabbi of Congregation Ahavas Torah in San Jose for the first two years following his arrival to the Bay Area.
An expert in the realm of Halacha (Jewish law), Rabbi Lebowitz recently published a comprehensive and scholarly work on the Mikvah (ritual bath), which includes an innovative commentary on the related Mishnaic tractate. He is also the author of “Nasiach Bechukecha”, a commentary on the Chayei Adam’s principles of the commandments. Rabbi Lebowitz is consulted worldwide on intricacies of Jewish law.
In addition to being on our board of directors, Rabbi Lebowitz teaches halacha at Meira Academy. He is an active member on the Head of School search committee of South Peninsula Hebrew Day School and is the only rabbi in the Bay Area who is qualified to write Gittin (Jewish divorce papers) that are universally accepted.
An expert in the realm of Halacha (Jewish law), Rabbi Lebowitz recently published a comprehensive and scholarly work on the Mikvah (ritual bath), which includes an innovative commentary on the related Mishnaic tractate. He is also the author of “Nasiach Bechukecha”, a commentary on the Chayei Adam’s principles of the commandments. Rabbi Lebowitz is consulted worldwide on intricacies of Jewish law.
In addition to being on our board of directors, Rabbi Lebowitz teaches halacha at Meira Academy. He is an active member on the Head of School search committee of South Peninsula Hebrew Day School and is the only rabbi in the Bay Area who is qualified to write Gittin (Jewish divorce papers) that are universally accepted.
Mrs Afnan Nicola Asmar
Mrs. Nicola-Asmar is the biology, chemistry and physics teacher. She has taught chemistry for over ten years in both public and private schools in Israel. She has B.Sc in Chemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and she has also earned her M.Sc in Science Education from the Technion in Israel (2013). She really enjoys teaching and loves to see her students grow in the science field. Outside of teaching Mrs. Nicola enjoys discovering new places and spending time with her kids and family.
Mr ty Wilding
Ty Wilding teaches history to the ninth and tenth graders. He is a native of California and graduated from UOP with a BA in social science. He has been teaching History for 5 years. Prior to that he taught English in Japan for 2 years. Mr. Wilding hopes to convince his students that history is not only important and relevant but also exciting. He believes that if students can see how history can be exciting then they will want to learn more. One way that he feels that he can do this is to show them that history is more than just books. Mr. Wilding was lucky enough to have lived in Japan and also to have visited several other countries. He thinks that it is important to show students that history is out there for them to see. He really enjoyed getting to see such historical places as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City in China and thinks that it is important to encourage our students to get out and see as much of the world as they can. In essence he wants to motivate his students to explore history.
Mr Mervyn Danker
Mervyn Danker is a South African trained high school humities teacher. He also served as a school principal in South Africa, Australia and the United States. In the latter country he led a WASC and CAIS accreditation team. He is a certified track and field coach, has run several marathons and ultra marathons. His interest in sports extends mainly to rugby as player, coach, reporter and broadcaster.
Dr KAren Lang
Dr Karen Lang is a doctor of English in Composition and Rhetoric with experience in teaching AP Literature and Composition, designing research and writing courses, coaching speech communication, facilitating program management, leading curriculm development, and conducting faculty training. Dr Lang values hospitality in the classroom, experiential learning and student centeredness.
Mrs Ashley Bailey
Bio coming soon.
MRS YEHUDIS DUKHOVNY
Bio Coming Soon
