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.
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 Dov Dukhovny
Dov Dukhovny is a San Francisco native who attended Lowell High School and U.C. Berkeley before taking a ten-year detour to study in various yeshivos. He eventually received his B.A. in Mathematics (minor in CS) from Rutgers University in New Brunswick and moved back to Bay Area to be closer to the Golden Bears. He is currently at the Jewish Study Network, where his research interests are Bible, Talmud, and Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed. He teaches advanced algebra and trigonometry.
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. Devorah Lewis
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.
Mrs. Svetlana Goldenberg
She teaches computer science that is designed to introduce students to the breadth of the field of computer science through the exploration of topics and practice of problem solving techniques and algorithmic development, as well as computer literacy and ethical issues. Mrs. Goldenberg holds a Master’s degree in computer science from the University of California, Santa Cruz . She has previously worked as a master teacher part-time at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions from 2005-2007, an AI and a GUI intern at Black Pearl, a computer applications trainer at MicroCenter education, and a conductor at Kids Can Sing.
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.
Mrs. Afnan Nicola-Asmar
She is chemistry and biology 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 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 teaching Mrs. Asmar enjoy discovering new places and spending time with her kids and family.
Mrs. Marta Sanchez-Vasquez
Mrs. Sanchez-Vasquez teaches art. She has taught Spanish in San Francisco for over 15 years to students of all ages and levels. While working at Aptos Middle School, Mrs. Sanchez-Vasquez developed a language program for students from Spanish-speaking homes and immersion schools.
A native of Bogota, Colombia, Mrs. Sanchez-Vasquez traveled widely, sailed around the world, and lived in many countries before coming to the United States. Settling in San Francisco, she earned a BFA in photography and a MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.
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.
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.
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 Dov Dukhovny
Dov Dukhovny is a San Francisco native who attended Lowell High School and U.C. Berkeley before taking a ten-year detour to study in various yeshivos. He eventually received his B.A. in Mathematics (minor in CS) from Rutgers University in New Brunswick and moved back to Bay Area to be closer to the Golden Bears. He is currently at the Jewish Study Network, where his research interests are Bible, Talmud, and Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed. He teaches advanced algebra and trigonometry.
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. Devorah Lewis
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.
Mrs. Svetlana Goldenberg
She teaches computer science that is designed to introduce students to the breadth of the field of computer science through the exploration of topics and practice of problem solving techniques and algorithmic development, as well as computer literacy and ethical issues. Mrs. Goldenberg holds a Master’s degree in computer science from the University of California, Santa Cruz . She has previously worked as a master teacher part-time at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions from 2005-2007, an AI and a GUI intern at Black Pearl, a computer applications trainer at MicroCenter education, and a conductor at Kids Can Sing.
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.
Mrs. Afnan Nicola-Asmar
She is chemistry and biology 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 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 teaching Mrs. Asmar enjoy discovering new places and spending time with her kids and family.
Mrs. Marta Sanchez-Vasquez
Mrs. Sanchez-Vasquez teaches art. She has taught Spanish in San Francisco for over 15 years to students of all ages and levels. While working at Aptos Middle School, Mrs. Sanchez-Vasquez developed a language program for students from Spanish-speaking homes and immersion schools.
A native of Bogota, Colombia, Mrs. Sanchez-Vasquez traveled widely, sailed around the world, and lived in many countries before coming to the United States. Settling in San Francisco, she earned a BFA in photography and a MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.
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.
