A Jewish Hebrew Immersive After School Program
Our Staff and Teachers
Lori Kipnes
Executive Director
lori@keshernewton.org
(617) 244-5390
Having shepherded Kesher through a change in administration and a move back to our renovated space on the Temple Reyim/Hebrew College campus, Lori is excited about leading Kesher into a new year.
Lori joined Kesher in 2017 and has served as Director of Curriculum, Learning, and Inclusion;, Hebrew Coordinator; and a teacher. Lori reinvigorated Hebrew proficiency principles at Kesher and moved our Yahadut curriculum to full project-based learning.
Lori has experience teaching children from preschool through 8th grade in day school, supplementary school, camp and tutoring settings. She has a background in Jewish pluralistic settings, including the Jewish Community Day School of Greater Boston (JCDS) and Gann Academy. As a teacher and a parent, Lori has worked with children with many different learning styles and is well-versed in differentiated instruction and inclusion protocols. She lived, worked, and raised four children in Karmiel, Israel; two of her daughters live there still. Lori holds a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education with a concentration in Hebrew additional-language instruction from the Delet Program at Brandeis University. She also earned a Master of Social Work from Simmons University and a BA from Wesleyan University in Women’s Studies and Religion. In her spare time, Lori enjoys reading, theater, and spending time with her family and friends.
Beth Kozinn
Director of Operations
beth@keshernewton.org
Beth Kozinn, who has been with Kesher since 2021, is excited to be back at Kesher for another year. A graduate of Brandeis University and Suffolk Law School, Beth has worked primarily in the non-profit sector. During her 25 years working for the Union for Reform Judaism, Beth served as a regional office manager, executive assistant, event planner, and program coordinator for Introduction to Judaism programs. When not at Kesher Beth enjoys volunteering at Temple Beth Avodah and Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh, gardening, reading, exercising and music. Beth lives in Newton with her husband and they have a daughter who is a senior in college.
Cassie Seinuk
Anafim Teacher
(grades 4-5)
Rosh Drama, Communications Coordinator
cassie@keshernewton.org
We are thrilled to welcome back Cassie Seinuk to the Kesher team! Cassie began at Kesher in 2013 as an Assistant Shorashim teacher, and has taught Hebrew and Judaic Studies, as well as directed the Hebrew-infused Kesher musical and Kesher's arts-based learning program for many years after. Cassie is a Jewish Cuban playwright and AEA stage manager with a BA from Brandeis University with High Honors in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing, and her MFA in Writing for Stage and Screen from Lesley University. Currently, she is an Instructor of Theater Arts at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Cassie has experience working with all ages, including running youth services at Temple Reyim, and directing the Hebrew-infused musicals at Camp Yavneh and Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston. Cassie lives in the metrowest area with her husband and two young children.
Debbie Percher
ShorashimTeacher
(grades K-1)
debbie@keshernewton.org
Debbie is very excited to join the staff of Kesher Newton. After having had the opportunity to sub and familiarize herself with the program last year, Debbie is thrilled to become a teacher in the school. She strongly believes that the best way to learn a language is by having the opportunity to speak it. She also believes that it is best to learn about the Jewish heritage and culture by experiencing it – hands-on. It is her full intent to explore these avenues this year at Kesher.
Over the years, Debbie has worked in a variety of formal and informal Jewish Education settings and brings with her many years of experience working with elementary school children of all ages.
Debbie holds a BA degree in Jewish History from Haifa University, an MA degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary, as well as an MLS degree.
In her free time, Debbie enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling with her husband.
Rabbi Daniel Victor
Nitzanim Yahadut Teacher
(grades 2-3)
daniel@keshernewton.org
Daniel Victor is enthusiastic to be joining the staff at Kesher this year. He is an ordained rabbi and has a master's in Jewish education. Daniel has spent twelve years working in synagogues and over twenty years at Jewish camps and other informal learning environments. He feels blessed having had the opportunity to work with Jewish youth as they learn Hebrew, study Jewish texts, celebrate all the holidays during the Jewish calendar year and life-cycle milestones. Daniel believes that Hebrew is not just the language of our sacred texts, it is the language of daily life; How we say hello and goodbye, how we wish each other joy and comfort, and experience the dynamic moments in our lives. He looks forward to learning together with the students as they build their foundation of Jewish knowledge and explore the Jewishly infused moments in their lives.
Saja Azem Khawaled
Ivrit Teacher
saja@keshernewton.org
Before coming to the US, Saja was an elementary school math and science teacher at the Yad b'Yad school in Jerusalem, an integrated, bilingual school for both Jewish and Arab students in Israel. Saja was also a summer science school program instructor for Israel's Ministry of Science and Technology, a children's instructor for ALUT-Israeli Society for Children with Autism, as well as a computer and robotics instructor at Taibe High School. Saja holds a B.A. in chemical engineering from Hadassah Academic College in Jerusalem, as well as General and Advanced teaching certificates from the David Yellin Academic College of Education in Jerusalem. Saja taught Shorashim Hebrew and was a Lifnei Kesher teacher in the Spring of 2021 at Kesher Newton. Saja currently lives in Cambridge with her husband, who is doing a post-doc at MIT, and her young daughter.
Miriam Ben-Ur
Ivrit Teacher
miriambu@keshernewton.org
Miriam is delighted to be starting her second year at Kesher. Miriam has a BA in International Studies and has always loved languages, music and cultures of the world. Miriam started tutoring languages in college and since then she has taught Spanish, French and Hebrew.
In her free time, Miriam enjoys playing music with friends and spending time outdoors.
Nomie Bental
Director of Family Programming
Director of KesheRoked
Ulpan Teacher
Boston-Haifa Connection Coordinator
nomie@keshernewton.org
Kesher is so happy to welcome back Nomie Bental. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Wisconsin and earned a Masters in International Business in Paris. Previously, Nomie worked in public diplomacy at the Consulate General of Israel to New England, as an Education Specialist at the Milton Jewish Day School of the Nation's Capital and at the Ministry of Social Affairs in Israel. Nomie has been dancing since before she could walk, and has performed, taught, and choreographed in dance troupes around the world. In her imaginary spare time she loves to travel, salsa dance, and also directs ONOT-Kayitz (Boston's Middle School and High School Israeli Dance Performing Troupes). Nomie lives in Ashland with her husband and new daughter.
Joe Wolke
Middle School Yahadut Teacher, Tikkun Olam and Tiyulim Coordinator
joe@keshernewton.org
Joe Wolke teaches the Judaic studies portion of Kesher Middle School. Joe is a recently retired Technology Consultant who’s passion has always been the study and teaching of Jewish history and culture. A Brandeis University graduate with more than 40 credit hours in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies (NEJS), Joe is a lifelong student who continues to study in synagogue and community based programs. He regularly participates in the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America’s online and group sessions and will once again, this summer, be attending Hartman’s Community Leadership Program in Jerusalem. He has also participated in the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism’s National Leadership Training Program (Sulam) for synagogue leaders. Joe has taught both student and adult classes in American Jewish history and for many years gave bus tours of Jewish Chicago. He loves seeing children (especially his grandchildren) develop the same love of Jewish history and culture that he has. He is excited to be continuing with the Kesher Newton team in developing and teaching this exciting Judaic studies program for middle school students.
Liz Levin
Project Based Learning Consultant
Liz Levin grew up in Baltimore in an active Jewish family, belonged to Jewish youth groups, and attended summer camp affiliated with Habonim Dror, a Labor Zionist organization. As a teen, Liz began working in Jewish education as a tutor and youth group counselor, and she served as a delegate to the World Zionist Congress in Israel.
In college, Liz majored in History and Religious Studies at McGill University in Montreal. She holds a Certificate in Jewish Informal Education, Leadership, and Camping from Hebrew College and a Certificate in Teaching English to Young Learners from Cambridge University. She earned her MA in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College in 2014 and has been running formal and informal Jewish educational programs in the Boston area for a decade. She is currently the Jewish Experiential Educator at the JCC of Greater Boston. Liz lives in Waltham with her husband and three young daughters.
