Michael Roe, Hebrew School Director
Mike (he/him) joined our Hebrew School staff in 2012, initially teaching Kitah Vav (6th grade) and quickly becoming our revered Kitah Zayin (7th grade) teacher, a role in which he served for the next six years. In July 2019, Mike was promoted to the position of Hebrew School Director. He works closely with our teachers to enable inspiring Jewish connections and creativity, discoveries and debates, engagement and exploration, and friendships and fun to flourish in our Hebrew School.
Mike received his Master’s in Education from La Salle University and his Bachelor’s from Temple University in History. He is also a certified teacher for grades 7-12 in History and English. Outside of the synagogue, he teaches English and History at Parkway West High School in Philadelphia. Mike is a graduate of the BZBI-Society Hill Synagogue high school and teacher training program (2002), where he met his wife, Joy, in 9th grade. Mike and Joy have two young children, Ella and Jackson, who attend our synagogue’s Hebrew School and Playschool, and reside in Society Hill.
Jamie Schwartz: Gan (Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten)
Jamie (she/her) grew up in Center City and is a proud graduate of Society Hill Synagogue’s Playschool, Hebrew School, and Hebrew High! Prior to teaching the Gan Class, she worked as a teacher’s aide in our Hebrew School for five years and has helped to run the annual Purim Carnival for the past 17 years. Jamie has also worked as a counselor at our Playschool Summer Camp and at the JCC Camps at Medford. Jamie earned her B.S.E. in Digital Media Design, a program that was a combination of computer science and art, in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania, with a minor in Fine Arts. She is a Technical Artist at a virtual reality company in Philadelphia, where she creates 3D models and animations for virtual reality and augmented reality apps. In her free time, Jamie loves playing guitar and piano, drawing, and spending time with friends.
Jason Roe: Kitot Alef & Bet (1st & 2nd Grades) Hebrew
Rose Schonfeld: Kitot Alef & Bet (1st & 2nd Grades) Tanakh
Rose (she/her) grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and earned a B.A. in Psychology from SUNY Binghamton, where she also directed and acted in several student theatre productions. Rose worked as an assistant teacher and camp counselor at the Bergen Family Center for seven years. She has also worked extensively in special education classrooms and taught in our Playschool for a year. Rose is so excited to be sharing Jewish values and culture with children in our Hebrew School! In her free time, she enjoys baking and playing with her tuxedo cat, Joey.
Jacob Hayman: Kitot Gimel & Dalet (3rd & 4th Grades) Hebrew and Kitah Hey (5th Grade) Tanakh
Jacob (he/him) is a Philadelphia native and lifelong Society Hill Synagogue member who attended Hebrew School and Hebrew High School at our congregation. He worked for five years as a teacher’s aide in our Hebrew School and has been sounding the shofar for our Rosh Hashanah services since 2012. Jacob graduated from Temple University in 2022, with a B.S. in Health Professions from the College of Public Health. He is an aspiring medical student with a background in clinical trials, research, and volunteerism at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine and at Pennsylvania Hospital. In his free time, Jacob enjoys learning music and art and takes care of his Russian tortoise, Lechuga.
Megan Nachod: Kitot Gimel & Dalet (3rd & 4th Grade) Hebrew and Kitah Gimel (3rd Grade) Tanakh on Tuesdays
Megan (she/her) is the Playschool Director at our congregation and has worked with children and their families for over 20 years in a variety of settings, including special education settings, inclusive classrooms, Head Start, and full day childcare. She has been a teacher, Case Manager, Special Instructor, and Program Director and is delighted to have returned to her roots as a Jewish educator. Jewish education remains closest to Megan’s heart because it unites her joy of working with children and her love of Judaism. She values the dynamic opportunities that a Jewish education program has to connect children with meaningful rituals that link them to older generations. Megan received her B.A. in Liberal Arts from Shimer College, outside of Chicago, and studied at Xavier University in Cincinnati for her M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, specializing in Montessori Education for 3 to 6 year-olds. Megan resides in South Philly with her daughter and son.
Morgan Cepollina: Kitot Gimel & Dalet (3rd & 4th Grades) Hebrew and Kitah Hey (5th Grade) Tanakh
Morgan (she/her) grew up in York, Pennsylvania, where she attended Sunday School at Temple Beth Israel all the way through her Confirmation and became a teacher for the next two years until she moved with her family to South Carolina. Before moving, Temple every Sunday and an occasional Friday night service with friends and family were regular for her. Morgan earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of South Carolina Beaufort and moved to Philadelphia to attend graduate school at Thomas Jefferson University, where she is in the second year of her doctorate degree studies in occupational therapy. Outside of Judaism and school, Morgan enjoys fitness and nutrition, being outside, and exploring coffee shops in the city. She is excited to get involved with a synagogue and her religion again!
Lily Hayman: Kitot Hey & Vav (5th & 6th Grades) Hebrew and Kitah Gimel (3rd Grade) Tanakh
Lily (she/her) is a lifelong Philadelphian and member of Society Hill Synagogue. She attended Hebrew School and Hebrew High School at our congregation and was a teacher’s aide in Hebrew School for four years. Lily also worked at our synagogue’s Playschool summer camp for three years and was a camp counselor at Camp Sequoia, an overnight camp for girls ages 7-17 who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Lily is currently pursuing her degree in Early Childhood Education with aspirations of becoming a special education teacher. In her free time, Lily enjoys doing many different styles of art as well as playing her ukulele.
Halana Dash: Kitah Hey (5th Grade) Hebrew and Kitah Vav (6th Grade) Tanakh on Tuesdays
Halana (she/her) completed her bachelor’s degree at Temple University and her M.Ed. at the University of Pennsylvania. She worked as a language teacher in France and New Zealand before returning to Philadelphia, where she is a French teacher at Kensington CAPA High School. Halana also tutors students of all ages in French and English. She grew up as a member of Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park and attended Hebrew School through her Bat Mitzvah. She then continued her Jewish studies through 12th grade at the Jewish Community High School of Gratz College, where she earned a Teaching Certificate. Outside of Hebrew School, Halana enjoys hiking, doing craft projects, hosting Shabbat dinners, and all things related to languages.
Dionna Dash: Kitot Gimel-Vav (3rd-6th Grades) on Shabbat
Dionna (she/her) completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied communications, linguistics, and French. She has taught Hebrew School at Temple Sinai in Dresher, the Joint Jewish Education Program in Pittsburgh, and Adath Israel in Merion Station. Dionna worked as a journalist for the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle before becoming the Digital Marketing Specialist at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. She grew up as a member of Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park and attended Hebrew school through her Bat Mitzvah, before continuing her Jewish studies through 12th grade at the Jewish Community High School of Gratz College, where she earned a Teaching Certificate. In her free time, Dionna likes to go hiking, bake desserts, and work on editing the manuscript of her first realistic fiction novel.
Alicia Rosenbaum: Kitot Gimel-Vav (3rd-6th Grades) on Shabbat
Alicia (she/her) is in her third year teaching at our Hebrew School and earned her masters in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Alicia completed her undergraduate studies at Lafayette College with a degree in Jewish Studies. She taught the 3rd Grade Hebrew School class at Sutton Place Synagogue in New York City in 2020-2021. Alicia also spent a year in Israel, teaching and exploring the country, and is excited to share her passion and knowledge of Jewish holidays, biblical stories, and prayers with our students in fun, creative ways.
Elena Marcovici: Kitot Gimel-Vav (3rd-6th Grades) on Tuesdays
Elena (she/her) grew up in Northern Virginia attending Temple Rodef Shalom, where she became a Bat Mitzvah and then joined the Hebrew School staff as a Madrikha (teacher’s assistant) for kindergarten and 1st grade. After high school, Elena moved to Philadelphia, where she graduated from Haverford College and then received her M.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of Hebrew Schoo, Elena works as a high school social studies teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and is excited to bring her passion for education and Jewish life back to Hebrew School. Elena loves to read, do arts and crafts, dance around her living room, take the occasional outdoor adventure, and spend time with her family and friends.
Gabe Stemmer: Kitah Zayin (7th Grade)
Gabe (he/him) is a South Philly native and a Society Hill Synagogue alumnus, dating to his Playschool days in the late 90’s. During the pandemic, Gabe left his career as a restaurant server and returned to Temple University, where he received his B.A. in French and Global Studies in 2022. Gabe possesses a passion for Jewish history –ancient, modern, and contemporary – with a specific interest in exploring how the traumas and triumphs of the past continue to strengthen and challenge Jewish communities today. When not teaching or working his dishwashing job, Gabe enjoys spending time in his West Philly garden and hanging with his partner, Alex, and his two cats, Buffy and Arya.
