Meet Our Tutors

Barbara Lesser Schwartz grew up in North Adams, MA and received a B.S. degree in Music Education at the University of Bridgeport, CT. She taught in CT for a few years before changing her career direction to music publishing. She worked at Radmus Music Publishing and Warner Bros. Music Publishing in New York City for several years. Concurrently, she taught religious school at a local reform synagogue, Mahwah, NJ. For the past three summers, Barbara has been spiritual leader and tutor at Round Lake Camp, a Jewish special needs camp in the Poconos, PA. In addition to working at a local Reform synagogue, she taught at Barnert Temple, Franklin Lakes. Barbara is known for her gentle manner in teaching all children including special needs. She lives in Fair Lawn with her husband Michael and her two children, Jeremy and Shaina.

Beth Fruchtman grew up in Teaneck and currently resides in Upper Saddle River. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Boston University and is a graduate of Jewish day schools. Beth loves working with kids and is especially sensitive to different learners. She is a very proud mom of three adult kids including her daughter who attends Tulane; a son who recently earned two bachelors degrees from Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary; and another son who is a Phd candidate in astrophysics at the University of Iowa. Beth Tutors  virtually and covers Bergen County in person.

Cammy Bourcier was born in Israel and came to the U.S. at age 5. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York and received her BA in Anthropology from Queens College. Following graduation, she spent a year at a Hebrew ulpan in Jerusalem. She returned to New York, where she completed her MA in Journalism and spent more than 25 years in Broadcast News and PR. In 2006, while she was studying to become a B’nai Mitzvah, Cammy began teaching 6th grade Hebrew at Temple Beth Or, where she continues to teach and tutor. She is also on the task force of the Jewish Federation’s education committee, which arranges twinning programs for religious and Hebrew School teachers in Bergen County and Nahariya.

Daniel Schwartz grew up in Wayne, NJ, and has recently split his time between his home there and Boston. He earned his BA in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics from Montclair State University, and is currently applying to graduate programs to pursue further study in linguistics. Before transferring to Montclair, he was involved with the Jewish Student Union and Chabad at Vassar College, where he occasionally read Torah and led services. Growing up, he was an active member of Temple Beth Rishon in Wyckoff, NJ, an unaffiliated synagogue, where he was introduced to several different Jewish perspectives. There, he participated in both the teen and adult choirs, and for many years following his Bar Mitzvah, volunteered to read Torah, Haftarah, and prayers almost every Shabbat during the summers and winters. At Beth Rishon, he also taught as a Bar and Bat Mitzvah tutor, for which he was recognized with the Volunteer of the Year Award. As a tutor, he gained experience with students of different abilities and learning styles. He loves working with all students and hopes to eventually carry the experience he gained as a tutor through to a career as a professor. Outside of teaching, he enjoys reading, comedy, cooking, and spending time with his family, friends, dog, and cats.

Deb Klock, who loves to be called Morah Devorah, was born in Nanuet NY and still lives there.  She graduated from University of Pennsylvania and worked in the field of Human Resources and Benefits for many years.  She then found her true love and passion and started teaching.  Over the last twenty years she has worked in six synagogues teaching every age level from Kindergarten to High School.  Morah Devorah received a grant to study at Yad Vashem in Israel learning how to teach the Holocaust to children.  She has also received a grant from Better Together /Heritage Legacy to teach a program on Inter-Generational relationships among students and seniors through a Religious School setting.  Morah Devorah loves working with the youth as shown by her involvement in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and her work as Camp Director at Camp Bullowa in Rockland.  She is the proud mother of two adult children.

Debora Propper Lesnoy grew up in Fair Lawn. She holds a degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Debora (Morah Debbie) ran an Israel information Center there and serving as Regional Coordinator for American Zionist Youth Foundation. She attended the Technion in Haifa, Israel as a graduate student.

While living in Israel, Debora worked for the Jewish Agency, translating and representing Israel on incoming cruise ships. She was a Junior Delegate to the Zionist Congress. Her first child, a son, was born in Haifa. After returning to the United States, she lived in New Hampshire, then Sharon, Massachusetts, teaching in Religious Schools in both locations. Debora helped initiate a Jewish Day School in Sharon, MA, teaching both secular and Jewish Kindergarten classes.

Debora moved back to Fair Lawn over 20 years ago, and became Director of the Leah Sokoloff Nursery School, located at Shomrei Torah in Fair Lawn. After 18 years there, Debora took the position she currently holds as Director of Early Childhood at Temple Beth Sholom in Fair Lawn. She has taught 2nd, 4th and 7th (Bar Mitzvah) grades at the Jewish Center in Fair Lawn for 21 years as well. She developed a curriculum for Middle School students studying Anti- Semitism through the ages, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Immigration and current events, including trips to enhance the experience.

She works closely with the local Federation and the various Jewish communities in Fair Lawn. Debora has five children; 2 boys and 3 girls, 10 grandchildren, and has been working as a Jewish Educator for over 35 years.

Jewish education is truly her passion.

Emily Kaufman was raised in Miami, Florida where she attended the South Dade Hebrew Academy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Judaic Studies from Tulane University and a master’s degree in elementary education from Nova Southeastern University. Additionally, she has completed all coursework toward earning a master’s degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She currently teaches Rabbinics and Tanakh at the Golda Och Academy in West Orange, New Jersey. 

Before joining the faculty at Golda Och, she taught at the RASG Hebrew Academy in Miami Beach, Judaic Studies at the Rodeph Sholom School in a Manhattan, and worked as the B’nai Mitzvah coordinator at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills. 

Emily lives with her family in Maplewood and is a classically trained ballet dancer, musical theater enthusiast, and amateur bath-bomb maker. 

Emily tutors in Livingston/Short Hills & Westfield/Scotch Plains areas.

Estelle Haberman is a native New Yorker from the Bronx N.Y who lives with her husband Roger and her two daughters Jenette and Molly in Fair Lawn NJ. She is a second career teacher who has a Masters in the Art of Teaching Graduate degree and an undergraduate Communications Degree. Her first career was as a Purchasing and Office Manager. During her childhood years she attended The Hebrew Arts School for Music and Dance in N.Y. Estelle sings and plays piano.

Presently Estelle is working as an assistant teacher in Pre K through 6th grade in a Bergen County Public school. She has taught in numerous Yeshiva Day Schools in grades 2-5. She has been a Special Education Teacher at The Sinai School. She taught grades 4 and 5 for 6 years at Temple Beth Or, Washington Township, and is presently teaching at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center/Congregation Beth Israel for 7 years. During this time she has taught all grades. Her experience as a teacher has given her the knowledge to work with students with different learning abilities. Estelle also teaches special holiday programs at the center. Estelle loves being with her students and their families helping them to prepare for their memorable occasions of their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, whether in the US or in Israel.

Galia Baruch was born, grew up, and spent most of her life in Israel. After graduating from high school she served in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Galia studied Psychology and Sociology at Haifa University. She also studied at IDEA (Institute for the Development of Executive Assistants) in Tel Aviv. In 1996, Galia moved to the United States with her husband Dov and her two children, Ofir and Adi. She enjoys teaching and loves learning new things. Currently, Galia teaches at The Gerrard Berman Day School (Solomon Schechter of Northern NJ), in a religious school in Bergen County, sings with the Temple Beth Rishon choir, and attends the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning.

Shalom. My name is Jared Hoffman and I'm inspired by what I do teaching Judaism and Hebrew. I lived in Israel for a year learning from Orthodox Yeshiva in Jerusalem and working for the Ministry of Health in Tel Aviv. I returned to the United States to continue my career in science where I currently work as a Chemist for an Aerospace company that prepares parts for Airplanes, Spaceships, and defense equipment. I am involved with many areas within the Jewish community including activism, education, and outreach. ❤✡

Jared tutors in Bergen County, Essex County, Livingston/Short Hills areas.

Jennifer Klein has been a Religious School teacher and private Bar and Bat Mitzvah tutor for more than 25 years.  With a Solomon Schecter primary education, Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation and a teaching certificate from Midrasha in her repertoire, Jennifer has an extensive background in Judaic studies.  She also enjoyed spending several summers at Camp Ramah in the Poconos and values the lessons learned at Jewish summer camp. 

Her start with teaching began at The Village Temple in Manhattan and quickly expanded to Temple Emanuel, also in NYC.  Since those early years, Jennifer has taught at various other synagogue Religious Schools in Brooklyn and areas of NJ.  For the last ten years, she has held positions at local temples in Manalapan, NJ.  Throughout the years, Jennifer has also built a wonderful reputation around private tutoring teaching countless children to read Hebrew and prepare so many for Bar and Bat Mitzvah.  Jennifer has patience, professionalism and has an extremely engaging approach to teaching.    She enjoys bonding with her students over lessons as she prepares them to be called to the Torah. 

Jennifer tutors in the Manalapan/Marlboro area

Paula Krantz is a native New Yorker, from Queens, NY.  She studied at New York University and received a B.A. in Business and Literature.  She was a Purchasing Manager of Packaging and Promotional Materials for Colgate-Palmolive Company and Nestle Foods Corporation.  After settling in Bergen County, New Jersey to raise her family she joined Orangetown Jewish Center.  While at OJC she helped revitalize and re-establish the Religious School and ran the Jr. Congregation service for many years.  After leaving this lay leadership position she began teaching religious school in Bergen and Rockland Counties.  While initially teaching all grades her focus tended to B'nai Mitzvah students for over ten years.  Paula is proud to be Jewish and shares her love and enthusiasm of Judaism with her students.

Paula tutors in Bergen County.

Teresa Rogers has been a teacher at Monroe Temple, a reform synagogue in Orange County, NY for 30 years. Known as the "jack-of-all-grades," Teresa has taught every age group, from preschool to post-bnai mitzvah. She also teaches Torah trope, Haftarah trope and Limud, a reading program for special needs students.

        For 17 years, Teresa was the Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor at Monroe Temple. Even during the pandemic, where meetings were solely on Zoom, Facetime or phone calls, each student was successful and confident in understanding and chanting Torah and Haftarah portions.

        As a prolific songwriter, Teresa has composed over 200 poems, songs, Biblioshticks, Purimspiels and testimonials, both at Monroe Temple and Temple Beth Shalom in Florida, NY. Her range runs from parodies of musicals (Middle East Side Story, Sound of Mentsches, Lyin' King) to original material for many leadership testimonials. Her creations have won her 2 consecutive "Creative Teacher Awards," from CAJE, the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education. Her poetic achievements include personalized Bar/Bat Mitzvah candle-lighting poetry and speeches.

Teresa tutors in Orange and Rockland counties, NY

In a career that has been all about leading groups of all ages in song, Anna West Ott is Cantor Emerita at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, NJ, where she trained hundreds of children for Bar and Bat Mitzvah,  directed 3 choirs and a multigenerational band, as well as founded and directed for fourteen years what is now HaZamir Central Jersey. She currently is the Artistic Director of Kol Dodi Community Chorale of Metro-West and co-directs Makhelat Hamercaz Jewish Choir in Central NJ, and has created and participated in many Interfaith/Multicultural events.  Her Anshe Segulah Men’s Chorus sang at many Yom Hashoah observances in Central New Jersey.

Cantor David Wallach Born in a small Wisconsin Jewish community, Cantor David Wallach has always held a strong connection with his Jewish identity and practice. After singing for 15 years as a professional opera singer in New York, he started to recognize the need to foster a greater religious and community connection and did this with his pursuit of the Cantorate. He received his Masters in Sacred Music becoming an invested Cantor from the HL Miller Cantorial School. Cantor Wallach also received his Master’s in Jewish Education from the Davidson School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. With the rebirth of religious learning, he has never found himself more fulfilled. David recognizes that if Judaism is to flourish, proper education may be the clergy and educator’s greatest responsibility and joy. And to him, the true meaning of Tikkun Olam.

Cantor David has most recently served as assistant Cantor to Hazzan Mark Biddleman at Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. At the Orangetown Jewish Center Cantor Wallach was an educational intern, performing a number of different duties including conducting and providing music for the religious school as well as teaching and tutoring. He has also served as Jewish educator at various synagogues in the New York/New Jersey area.

Hazzan Carey Cohen was born and raised in Toronto, Canada where he began singing in his synagogue choir at the age of 10. The choir performed in concert in Canada and in Carnegie Hall, recorded an album of synagogue prayers, along with participating in services on a regular basis under the direction of the world renowned Hazzan, Zvee Aroni z'l.

He has served congregations for over thirty years in the USA. He, then, went on to direct an adult special needs program at the local JCC and served as the Camp Administrator for the JCC’s overnight, Camp Interlaken, and its Judaic advisor for over eleven years. Hazzan Carey enjoys working with Bar/Bat Mitzvah students and enjoys their celebration every step of the way with them.

Hazzan Carey is a graduate of the Manhattan School for Cantors which was directed by Hazzan Zvee Aroni z'l. Upon his graduation, he was appointed the administrator of the cantorial school from 1975-1979.

Hazzan Carey has served on the executive council of the Cantors Assembly(Conservative Movement), where he previously served from 1994-1997. He served as the co-chair of their international convention held in Milwaukee in 1994, as Management co-chairperson for their annual International Conventions for fifteen years and has served in many positions on local cantorial and musician boards.

Hazzan Carey has also served as a member of the community’s Jewish Chaplaincy Service.

He received the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2015 from the Cantor Assembly.

Mark Biddelman led Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley in prayer, song and study for 48 years, 1967 to 2015.

A New Jersey native, he has been conducting services and singing for Jewish organizations since the age of seven. He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music from which he received his Investiture, Cantorial Certification and Bachelor of Sacred Music degree. The college also awarded him the degree of Doctor of Music honorous causum. Cantor Biddelman is certified as a Hebrew school and music teacher by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the New York Federation of Synagogues.

Throughout the years, Cantor Biddelman has been a musical innovator and has composed numerous musical settings for the Shabbat prayers. In 1971 he composed the first folk-rock service for Shabbat Eve ever to be performed in a Conservative synagogue. Music from this service has become part of the contemporary Jewish Synagogue liturgical repertoire and is being sung in synagogues throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 1991 he composed another setting for the Friday eve service scored for electronic instruments. In addition, he has written other original compositions of Jewish content and his settings of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah blessings were published in the official Life Cycle Handbook of the American Conference of Cantors.

Cantor Biddelman has appeared as guest cantor at congregations throughout the metropolitan area, conducted services in Israel and appeared on radio and TV. He has also been the recipient of several awards including B’nai B’rith Man of the Year in 1990 and the Israel Bonds Sh’ma Yisrael Award in 1988. In 1994 he was inducted as an honorary Fellow of the Jewish Theological Seminary and in 2022 he received the degree of Doctor of Music honorous causum from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is a past Executive Vice President, President, Vice President and Secretary of the New Jersey region of the Cantors Assembly, and has served as a conductor of the New Jersey Cantors Choral Ensemble, the world’s very first choir of both men and women cantors.

During his tenure at Temple Emanuel, Cantor Biddelman has prepared over 2,000 youngsters for Bar and Bat Mitzvah and prepared dozens of children and adults to conduct daily and High Holiday services. He continues to present concerts and programs and conducts services for senior citizens at facilities throughout northern New Jersey. Cantor Biddelman and his wife Bette, a craftswoman, are active members of the Jewish community and the community at large. His daughter Terra, also a craftswoman, and his grandson Elijah live in Austin, Texas.

Rabbi Claire Ginsburg-Goldstein was raised in Chicago where she attended Akiba Jewish Day School, a modern Orthodox Day School. She realized at a young age that she was more of a non-denominational Jew, but always passionate about Israel. After her traditional Conservative Bat Mitzvah at the age of 13, Rabbi Claire began to tutor others for B’nai Mitzvah, Hebrew decoding and reading; as she was passionate about teaching her love for the Jewish religion to these young children. Her first trip to Israel happened when she was a freshman at Northwestern University. Rabbi Claire has been tutoring and traveling to Israel ever since. In addition to her bachelors degree from Northwestern in Sociology and a teaching certificate for Middle school, she studied at Spertus College of Judaica, where her mother was a professor. She received a Bachelors of Hebrew Letters from there as well. Rabbi Claire continued her studies at Jewish Theological Seminary earning a Masters in Jewish education and a Masters in Interdisciplinary studies. She published articles on Jewish education and "re-Jew-ne-vational" approaches to Jewish education. Along with those two masters, she also earned a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. In 1982, when women did not have opportunities to become ordained rabbis, Rabbi Claire began to work in the JCC world as a social worker and camp director. After getting married and having 4 children, Rabbi Claire followed her dream where she attended The Academy for Jewish Religion, followed by Rabbinic Seminary International. She completed her studies in June of 2012 and became an ordained Rabbi. During this time, she was hired as a "mitzvah manager" while revamping the curriculum for middle schoolers at Beth Israel congregational school in Bergenfield. In 2002, her son Sam gave her the impetus to start “ Bears from Bergenfield.” They collect stuffed animals for children in Israel suffering from terror. To date, they have collected and redistributed over 183,500 stuffed toys to Israel, Bergen County, and the South Bronx. Rabbi Claire has trained over 600+ students for B’nai Mitzvah, mostly trained at Surprise Lake Camp, where she served 18 years as their in house Rabbi.