Jerusha Coltof (Kitot Nitzanim-Gan & Lomdim b’Yachad Staff)
Jerusha has been teaching in the Pelham Jewish Center for 23 years. She has taught children from Nitzanim through Kitah Zayin. Jerusha is a Special Education teacher, working with young children with various learning disabilities. She earned her degrees from Boston University, Manhattanville College and Touro College. As always, Jerusha is looking forward to a wonderful year with your children!
Sandra Daniels (Shabbat & Family Sunday’s Leader)
Sandi has been an Early Childhood educator for over 20 years, working with children ages 3-5. She earned a Master’s Degree from Manhattanville College in Early Childhood Education. She ran a lovely Tot Shabbat program for many years. The services were engaging and interactive, and connected children and their families to Shabbat through prayers, songs, movement, games and stories. Sandi has subbed in a Gan class, and has done many leave replacements. Currently, she is working at Riverdale Temple, in a UPK class. She is looking forward to continuing the shared partnership with PJCs parents and children on Saturday morning during Torah Time. Sandi has three grown children and two wonderful grandchildren.
Rivka Kisling (Kitah Alef)
Rivka earned her Master’s degree in Education and School Counseling from Lehman College. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dance from the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem. Rivka has been teaching for 22 years at the Elementary and Middle School levels both in Israel and the US. During the summer, she teaches Jewish cooking at Sprouts Day Camp at Croton-on-Hudson.
Gail Koller (Kitah Bet)
Gail holds an MA in Art Therapy, an MSEd in Recreation Education, and is certified as a Nature Specialist. She has taught nature from a Jewish, spiritual perspective at numerous early childhood centers and religious schools and has also taught Jewish art electives and family holiday programs at Westchester Jewish Center and B’nai Or in Morristown, NJ. Gail was a founding faculty member of Avenues: The World School’s @Home program and, in addition to PJC, teaches religious school at WJC. Gail loves to travel—especially to Israel where she has lots of family—and loves to go on nature walks with her three grown children, husband, Steve, and their two “grand-dogs!”
Sonia Levin (Hebrew Learning Specialist)
Sonia is a Hebrew Language and Reading specialist. She received an M.A. in Education from Tel Aviv University and a second M.A. in Jewish Education from Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Her research was focused on teaching Hebrew decoding skills to children with dyslexia, and other language/reading disabilities, based on data available in Israel, Europe, Russia, and the United States. Through her practice with this novel decoding system, Sonia found that it can be used to teach Hebrew reading not only to children with learning disabilities but to students at any level. In addition to being a seasoned teacher, Sonia also facilitates professional education training. During the week, she works as a reading learning specialist at SAR Academy in Riverdale, NY. She currently lives in New Jersey with her children.
Emily Herzfeld (Lomdim b’Yachad Staff)
Emily is excited to be returning to the PJC, where she had previously taught Kitah Gimmel from 2005-2007. She has a Master’s Degree in Early Education and has been teaching in nursery schools for over 15 years. In addition to Kitah Gimmel, Emily has taught Gan classes at religious schools for 10 years. She is also a learning specialist at the Beth El Synagogue Religious School. She is a certified yoga instructor (200 hr and children’s) and has been teaching yoga for eight years, with a focus on children’s yoga, Jewish-themed yoga and children’s Jewish-themed yoga. Emily is the host of The Jewish Yogi podcast. When she is not teaching religious school or yoga, she can be found enjoying her friends, her family and nature.
Betty Moallem (Lomdim B’yachad – Bubby’s Kitchen)
Betty has a college degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, and worked for the Marriott Hotels before specializing in Early Childhood Education, where she led classrooms for the last 27 + years. This will be Betty’s fourth year teaching at PJC and her second year leading “Bubby’s Kitchen,” cooking and baking Jewish cuisine from around the globe. She and her husband have four children, a grandchild and a dog named Alfie.
Eden Levy (Shinshinit )
Eden has just graduated high school in Ra’anana, Israel, where she majored in photography. The youngest of three children, she loves horseback riding and working out. She has been in the Israeli Scouts for many years and served as a scouts counselor for the past three years working with elementary and junior high kids. Eden is happy to be doing her year of volunteering service with the Jewish communities in Westchester, teaching about Israel.
Michael Divon (Bnei Mitzvah)
This is Michael’s first year of teaching the Bnei Mitzvah class after a 30-year career in nursing. Earlier as a kibbutznik, he took part in forming a new kibbutz by the Dead Sea called Kibbutz Kalia, where he raised cows for 14 years and served in the Israeli Army during the Yom Kippur War. He became a registered nurse after graduating from Mount Vernon Hospital School of Nursing in 1993, and has worked since then as a Psychiatric RN in a psychiatric hospital in Westchester County. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2012 at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. He and his wife live in Hastings-On-Hudson, and are proud grandparents of a new grandson.
Lori Weber (Shirah Chadashah/Music)
Hazzan Lori Weber will be teaching Jewish music,prayer ands Torah tropes. Lori received her Cantorial ordination in 2025 from the Academy of Jewish Religion (AJR). She holds both a B.S. in Music Therapy from SUNY Fredonia and an M.A. in Music Therapy from NYU. She has sung in various bands throughout the Tri-State Area: performing for weddings, corporate events, nursing homes and more. Lori currently works for a variety of local synagogues in Westchester, teaching religious school music and leading Kabbalat Shabbat for services/Jewish holiday programming for seniors residing in assisted living facilities. She lives in Westchester with her amazing husband, Robert, and two beautiful sons — Sammy and Zachary.