Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) Cohort 13 Fellows

Hillel is the Head of School at the Berman Hebrew Academy. He currently serves as Principal of DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach. He holds a PhD in English from the CUNY Graduate Center and Semicha from Rabbi Ari Enkin. He is currently pursuing an MA in Jewish Philosophy at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies.

Eden is the Assistant Principal for Advancement and Operations at the Contra Costa Jewish Day School, a community Jewish day school with approximately 175 students in Lafayette, CA. As a member of the CCJDS Administrative Team, Eden supports the Head of School in all aspects of day-to-day school management as well as strategic planning. She has primary oversight responsibility for Admissions, Marketing, Fundraising, Communications and Operations.

Eden brings to CCJDS her extensive experience in public service, community leadership, marketing and fundraising. Prior to joining CCJDS in 2011, she was the Director of Development and Marketing at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. She has also worked as a diplomat with the United States Department of State in Washington D.C. and the former Soviet Union. She received her MA in International Relations and Economics from the Johns Hopkins Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and her AB in Soviet and Russian Studies from Harvard University. Eden is the grateful parent of two CCJDS alumni and she and her husband Marc feel very fortunate to be part of the vibrant, inclusive and supportive CCJDS community.

Rabbi Feig, a native Chicagoan, has lived and worked in Los Angeles for over two decades. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Hebrew Studies and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin and has a Master’s Degree in Jewish Studies from the University of Chicago. Before finishing rabbinical school, Rabbi Feig worked at Milken Community High School, where he was Dean of Students and a Jewish Studies teacher. Prior to Milken, he was an administrator and teacher at Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School. In 2007, he was ordained as a rabbi at the Academy for Jewish Religion, California. Rabbi Feig teaches at Hebrew Union College’s teacher-preparation program, DeLeT, where he mentors student teachers. Prior to his role as Interim Head of School, he was Sinai Akiba Academy’s School Rabbi for 14 years. Rabbi Feig is the incoming Head of School at Ilan Ramon Day School in Agoura Hills, CA. He is married to Julie Flapan, who is a researcher at UCLA, and has three wonderful children.

Gillian, Incoming Head of School for Wilshire Boulevard Temple Glazer ECC and Brawerman East Elementary School, has been an integral part of Brawerman serving on both campuses over the last 18 years. She holds a California multiple subject teaching credential and administrative credential, as well as an MA in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Gillian began her teaching career at Brawerman West in 2005 and served as a first and second grade teacher before joining the Brawerman leadership team as the Director of Admissions for East and West in 2011 as a founding administrator. Gillian became Principal at Brawerman East in 2013 and spent the next five years growing the school, working together with the amazing pioneer educators and families to create and build the Glazer Campus. Gillian and her husband Adam also had three children (Leo - Grade 6 East, Lily - Grade 4 West, and Marley - ECC West) during this period, and after proudly graduating the charter class in 2018, she stepped away from Wilshire Boulevard Temple to focus on her family. During this time, Gillian spent two years as the Director of Development at Heschel Day School before returning to Brawerman during the pandemic in January 2021 as Assistant Principal and later Interim Principal of Brawerman West. Gillian is a Jewish camp person at heart which has greatly shaped her interest and informed her practice in the field of Jewish education. Gillian is excited to return to her roots at the Glazer Campus of Wilshire Boulevard Temple where she feels deeply connected to families, faculty, and the vision. Prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year and her new role, Gillian is thrilled to first participate in DSLTI and meet Cohort 13!

Rabbi Gabay is the new Head of School at the Northwest Yeshiva High School. He comes from Cincinnati, where he was the Associate Principal at Cincinnati Hebrew Day School. Before his time in Cincinnati, Rabbi Gabay spent over 15 years in Jewish Day Schools in Panama and Costa Rica. Rabbi Gabay has been in education for over 20 years and has led initiatives in Change Management, 21st Century Education, Strategic Planning, Curriculum Design, and active learning. He brings a balance and research-based blend of traditional Jewish instruction and innovative trends in education. Rabbi Gabay holds an MS in Educational Administration and Semicha from Rabbi Noach Weinberg and Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg.

Ginny will complete her second year as Head of Gross Schechter Day school in May. Her 24-year career at Jewish Family Service includes having overseen the Strengthening Families division and  the Hebrew Shelter Home. The Hebrew Shelter Home provides emergency and temporary housing for Jewish women and children escaping domestic violence or facing imminent homelessness. Ginny has extensive experience in executive and management level positions in the fields of youth leadership development, children’s protective services, intergenerational programming, summer camp and extracurricular enrichment. She is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences in Cleveland. Ginny’s husband Gadi is the ritual director at Park Synagogue. Their family, including their four children, Hadas, Ezra, Shai and Ayala all live nearby both Park Synagogue and Gross Schechter Day School in Pepper Pike, Ohio.

Jessie is the Interim Head of School and Director Day School and Judaics at the Gordon School in Miami. Throughout her career, Jessie worked in a variety of educational and community-building settings including; Day Schools, Jewish summer camps, Hebrew schools, Jewish Study Abroad organizations, philanthropic and leadership training programs, and was the Senior Educator for Base Miami for six years. Jessie earned a Masters degree in Jewish education and a Certificate of Advanced Jewish Studies from the Pardes Educators Program in Jerusalem as well as a Certificate in Jewish Day School Education from Hebrew College of Boston. Before receiving her M.A., Jessie received a B.A. in Modern Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University. She was the recipient of the Covenant Foundation’s 2020 Pomegranate prize. Jessie loves to read, bake, RV with her family, and spend time outside. Jessie lives in Miami with her husband Adam, her two delicious kids, Charlie and Matan, and their sweet dog Nadi, named after her favorite cafe in Jerusalem.

Jake is the incoming Head of School at the Lander Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, MA. He is a passionate and committed Jewish educator whose experience includes leading the Bronfman Fellowship as Education and Programming Director and spearheading the Jewish Studies Department at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto, where he served as the inaugural Dean of the department. He is the recipient of a Dorot Fellowship, a LABA Fellowship, and an M2 Jewish Pedagogies Circle Fellowship, as well as the Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Jake is a widely published poet and essayist. A lifelong learner, he holds a Master’s in Comparative Literature from the CUNY Graduate Center; his greatest teachers, however, are his students and his children.

As an alum of Jewish day school herself, Danielle has dedicated her career to improving the educational experience for students in these institutions. She spent the first ten years as a middle school math teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago, where she also served as the eighth grade team leader, oversaw their school accreditation, and created their JSTEAM program. In her most recent role as K-8 General Studies Principal at Akiba Yavneh Academy of Dallas, Danielle formalized curriculum, developed teacher leadership opportunities, made data a central component of the educational experience, transformed the approach to student discipline and social-emotional learning, and created a school-wide community building program. Danielle holds both a BA in Mathematics with a Minor in Jewish Studies and a MS in Secondary Education from Northwestern University, as well as a MA in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus. She also completed her school administration certification at Concordia University, which has prepared her well for her leadership roles in Jewish day schools. Danielle is excited to be the new Middle School Principal at Brauser Maimonides Academy in Florida. In her free time, she enjoys hosting Shabbos company, traveling with her family, and playing board games.

Bracha is a passionate Head of School at Central/YUHSG and teaches Gemara. She hopes to inspire her students to share in her love for Torah, Halacha and dedication to the Jewish community and Israel. Ms. Rutner also serves as the Yoetzet Halakha at the Kemp Mill Synagogue in Silver Spring, MD, combining her passion for helping others and her commitment to Halacha. As a graduate of Stern College for Women and Nishmat’s Keren Ariel Women’s Halakhic Institute in Jerusalem, with a masters degrees in Education Administration from St. John’s University and having done graduate work in Talmud from Hebrew University, she is devoted to educating the next generation of young women. She and her husband are educating and bringing up four children in West Hempstead, NY.

Dr. Schwartz is the Chief Curriculum and Program Officer at Milken Community School. Joining Milken in 2008, she previously served in the roles of Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, and Upper School Principal. In addition to her administrative work, she has taught courses in Jewish law, literature, writing, math, and Israel studies.

Dr. Schwartz’s resume includes work at a variety of Jewish institutions, independent schools, and private educational enterprises. She earned a B.A. from Stanford University where she studied English and Jewish Studies. She earned a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from University of California, Los Angeles where her dissertation research dealt with the training of independent school teachers to meet the needs of students with specific learning challenges.

Outside of school, she enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her husband Victor and children Madelyn and Joseph. She also volunteers with Speak Up and Beauty Bus, two organizations that represent the causes and people closest to her heart.

Rabbi Jordan Silvestri is the head of school at the Robert M. Beren Academy in Houston. After a ten-year career in social services, Jordan transitioned into the world of educational leadership first at Sinai Schools and then in the administration at Ramaz and Yeshivah of Flatbush. Jordan is an avid reader and student in the art of leadership and self-development. His mission of ensuring that all learners have a safe and welcoming space for them to grow is at the heart of his practice.

Dr. Strulowitz, Principal of Bruriah High School and Middle School, is a lifelong learner who is passionate about cultivating a warm and positive school experience for her students that enables them to challenge themselves academically, grow religiously, build meaningful relationships, and develop the self-confidence to achieve their dreams. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership and innovation at Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education at Yeshiva University, and she also holds an M.A. in Differentiated Instruction from Azrieli and B.A.s in Psychology and Judaic Studies from Stern College. Dr. Strulowitz lives with her family in Passaic.

After spending years teaching in classrooms from Spain, to Texas, to Greensboro, Eva has found her home at B’nai Shalom. She first came to BSDS as a parent, thanks to her two sons, Isaac (Class of 2029) and Asher (Class of 2032). Her deep love of B’nai Shalom began to grow as a parent, inspiring her to join the staff in 2019.  After spending two years teaching Humanities in the Upper School, Eva became the Director of Admissions in 2021 and this year has transitioned to the Director of Advancement, where she will oversee enrollment and development activities.

Eva has a B.A. in American Studies from Mount Holyoke College and M.A. in History from Northeastern University.  In May of 2022, Eva received her second Masters, this time in Teacher Leadership from Brandeis University after participating in a two-year-long Fellowship composed of Jewish Day school educators from across North America.