Jewish Education Leadership Institute

- Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Faculty & Staff

George D. Hanus is Chairman of the Jewish Education Leadership Institute at Loyola University Graduate School of Education, Chairman of the National Jewish Day School Scholarship Committee _ Operation Jewish Education/The 5% Mandate, Chairman of the World Jewish Digest/Jewish Broadcasting Network and current Chairman of the Superfund for Jewish Education and Continuity. Mr. Hanus is past Chairman and current Chairman Emeritus of Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago, Illinois. He is past Vice Chairman and Director of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Jewish United Fund and served as a member of the Executive Committee and the Overall Planning and Allocations Committee of the Jewish Federation. Mr. Hanus is past President and Chairman of the Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School in Skokie, Illinois, and a past Trustee of the Kollel Torah Mitzion of Chicago. He is also a past elected Trustee of the Niles Township High School District #219 in Illinois. Mr. Hanus earned his Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Northwestern University School of Law.

Rabbi Dr. Harvey A. Well is Superintendent of Schools of the Associated Talmud Torahs of Metropolitan Chicago. Rabbi Well, who holds a Ph.D. from Loyola University in Educational Administration and Supervision and a Type 75 Certificate from the State of Illinois, has been a teacher, principal, and administrator of Jewish schools for over four decades. Rabbi Well also serves as the Rabbi of the largest Orthodox synagogue in the Midwest. Rabbi Well is the Provost of both the Jeli Administrative program as well as the Master teacher Program.

Julie Nathan Lennon is the Executive Director of the Jewish Education Leadership Institute and has been with the Loyola/JELI graduate programs since it’s inception. She is a product of the Chicago Day School system and holds a B.Sc. from Washington University in St. Louis in Physical Therapy. She is married to George Lennon and has five children.

Arthur Birn is a former executive with Sears Roebuck and Company. He has been actively involved in Day School and Yeshiva Scholarship administration for the past 25 years in New Jersey and Chicago.

Rabbi Dr. Yaacov Dvorin is the principal of Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School in Skokie, Illinois. Prior to his becoming the principal in 1998, he served as the Assistant Principal of the school. Rabbi Dvorin also served as the Director of Religious Studies at the Sager Solomon Schechter Day School in Northbrook and as the interim Assistant Principal. Rabbi Dvorin received his doctorate from the Hebrew Theological College of the Jewish University of America in Religious Education.

Dr. Shana Erenberg Dr. Shana Erenberg the Chairman of the Department of Education and professor at Blitstein Institute of Hebrew Theological College in Chicago. She also maintains a private practice for the diagnostic evaluation and remediation of learning disabilities in children and adults. Dr. Erenberg is the Special Needs Consultant to the Community Foundation for Jewish Education and the Board of Jewish Education of Chicago, as well as the National Special Needs Consultant for the Union for Reform Judaism. In addition, Dr. Erenberg serves as a consultant to numerous day schools and public schools in metropolitan Chicago and throughout the United States, and is the co-chair of the International Consortium of Jewish Special Educators in Central Agencies. Dr. Erenberg is the founder of the Keshet Sunday School and served as its director for twenty years. Dr. Erenberg has served as a Level I Due Process Hearing Officer, and continues to do advocacy and due process work.She also serves as a member of the University Review Board for the Illinois State Board of Education. Dr. Erenberg has a doctorate in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Northwestern University, and multiple State teacher certifications in Elementary and Special Education. She is married to Steve Erenbreg and has four children.

Dr. Janis Fine is Associate Professor of Education Administration and Supervision at Loyola University Chicago and serves as the graduate program director for that area. In her teaching and scholarship, Dr. Fine joins theory and practice to illuminate administrative decisions, especially as they bear upon attaining excellence in instructional leadership. Before joining Loyola's faculty 11 years ago, Dr. Fine spent 15 years in the Chicago Public Schools, including 10 years administering special education programs for 25 high schools.

Dr. Vivian Gordon, B.A., J.D., Ph.D. from Northwestern University; is an Adjunct Professor at the Anne M. Blitstein Teachers Institute for Women of the Hebrew Theological College. Dr. Gordon served as Assistant Professor at the John Marshall Law School and as a Hearing Officer for the Illinois State Board of Education. Dr. Gordon has received numerous awards including the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Award; YWCA Leadership Award; Outstanding Young Women in America Award; Outstanding Young Woman Lawyer of the Year; United Nations International Youth Year Award; National Bar Association Award; and the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship. Dr.. Gordon holds the position as the liaison between JELI and the Loyola School of Education and as the Academic Program Coordinator for the joint JELI/Loyola M.Ed in Administration and Supervision.

Dr. Marla Israel is the Assistant Professor, Educational Administration at Loyola University School of Education. Dr Israel holds the position as the liaison between JELI and the Loyola School of Education and as the Academic Program Coordinator for the joint JELI/Loyola M.Ed in Administration and Supervision.

Miriam Jaffe is a teacher and the activities director at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy of Chicago. She received her BA from Northeastern Ill University and her Masters in Educational Administration from Loyola University through the JELI program .Mrs. Jaffe received her teaching certification from Midrasha Ohr Yerushaliam in Israel and Yavne Teachers' College in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dr. Beverly Kasper is the Associate dean of Academic Programs in the Loyola School of Education. Dr. Kasper is also the Graduate Program Director in Educational Leadership, Administration and Supervision, Higher Education and Type 75 Principal and Superintendent.

Rabbi Yehuda Krohn, Psy.D. is a graduate of the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. He writes and presents on a variety of topics that relate to Judaism, psychology and the intersection of the two. Rabbi Dr. Krohn, a licensed clinical psychologist, sees individuals, families and couples in his Lincolnwood, Illinois private practice.

Rabbi Dr. Leonard A. Matanky is the Associate Superintendent of the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago, and Director of its Morris and Rose Goldman Computer Department of Judaic Studies. A graduate of Chicago area Jewish day schools, (including the Ida Crown Jewish Academy, where he concurrently serves as Dean) Rabbi Matanky was ordained and received a Masters degree in Religious Education from the Hebrew Theological College, a Masters degree in Educational Administration from Loyola University and a Ph.D. from New York University. Rabbi Matanky has lectured across the United States, Israel and in Europe and is the author of numerous educational articles.

Ronnie Masliansky is General Manager, Product Control, for Arcelor Mittal Steel USA. He has been with the company for 34 years. As part of his job description he negotiates multi-million dollar deals with steel customers every day. Mr. Masliansky has taught negotiations seminars for 19 years. In addition, he has taught business school evening classes for 10 years. Born and raised in New York City, he is a graduate of Yeshiva University and holds a MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He is Married to Susan and has 3 children.

Rabbi Michael A. Myers received his B.A. from Loyola University, his M.A. in education administration from the University of Illinois, and Semicha, Rabbinical ordination, from the Hebrew Theological College. He is the recipient of the Kohl International Fellows Award in and was selected as a Jerusalem Fellow. He currently serves as Director of Jewish Studies of Ida Crown Jewish Academy and as Principal of General Studies at the Telshe Yeshiva.

David Nadoff, B.A., J.D., M.A. has a bachelors degree (summa cum laude), a masters degree in Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago, and holds a law degree (summa cum laude) from Northwestern University Law School. He is an autodidact in Torah studies.

Janet Pierce -Ritter is the Associate dean fo Student Academic Services at Loyola University School of Education.

Debbie Polin is Vice President of Human Resources for Rand Financial Services, Inc, since 1993. Prior to joining Rand she was the Director of Telecommunications and Office Administration for Gerald, Inc. Debbie has served as Treasurer and Vice President of Budget and Tuition at Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School since 1993. She is currently the President of the Board of Directors. Debbie has her B.S. from Washington University in St. Louis, and her MBA from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Dr. David Prasse is the Dean of Loyola’s school of Education

Sherwin Schneiderman is a practicing certified public accountant with over 40 years of experience. He is a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He has served as the scholarship chairperson for the Ida Crown Jewish Academy for over 20 years.

William T. Sturtevant, Ed.D. is VP Trust Relations & Planned Giving,University of Illinois from 1980 until 2004 he was Vice President for Planned Giving and Trust Relations and built what is considered by many to be one of the nation’s preeminent gift planning programs. .Mr. Sturtevant's responsibilities now encompass developing and implementing strategies for donors and families capable of gifts at a level of $5 million or more. During his years at Illinois, he has been directly involved with over $400 million in major gifts. He earned the Certified Financial Planner designation in 1984 and regularly assists a variety of charitable organizations with complicated or unusual gift situations. He has been listed in Who's Who, and in 1995, he was honored as Planned Giving Professional Of The Year by Planned Giving Today. His seminars and presentations are extremely popular and he is a frequent speaker before development professionals, hospital groups, and civic organizations. He authored The Artful Journey: Cultivating and Soliciting the Major Gift which was published in 1997, updated in 2004.

Dr. Brigid Patrizi Schultz received a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University Chicago (2005). She received an M.A. in Educational Administration from Governors State University (1998), while earning her Type 75 Administrative Certificate. She received a B.A. in English from Governors State University (1995), with a minor in secondary education.Dr. Schultz is currently a clinical faculty member in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago. In addition to her work with pre-service teachers, she also serves as the Unit Assessment Coordinator for the School of Education. Prior to her clinical faculty appointment, Dr. Schultz had been the Coordinator of Clinical Experience in the School of Education. In this capacity, she initiated contacts, made placements, and entered into agreements with officials in school districts throughout Chicago and the suburbs regarding all clinical placements. For the past nine years, Dr. Schultz has worked as an educational consultant in the field of student learning styles. She has implemented staff development workshops throughout the country with an emphasis on learning styles and teaching strategies, providing educators with the tools needed to improve curriculum, instruction, assessment, and ultimately, student achievement. Dr. Schultz had served as an adjunct faculty member at both Lewis University and Rockford College. She has presented at numerous state and national conferences.

Rabbi Dr. Gerald A. Teller received his Doctorate in Education from Wayne State University, a Bachelor of Arts, Brooklyn College; Master of Hebrew Letters, Jewish Theological Seminary; Ordination, Jewish Theological Seminary, Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav; and a Master of Arts in Education, University of Detroit. He was the Superintendent of Education at the United Hebrew Schools of Detroit and the Board of Jewish education/Community Foundation for Jewish Education in Chicago. He is the recipient of a number of awards and grants including an Honorary Doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He has published widely in the field of Jewish education.

Dov Shandalov is currently the Business Adminstrator for Hillel Torah Day School and has served in that position for the past 21 years. He attended Northeastern Illinois University and Depaul University graduating with a degree in Business Administration. He is married with three children.

Lois Zoller has devoted her life to a diverse group of important national and international general and Jewish community. Currently, she is Campaign Chairperson of the Jewish United Fund and has served on the Boards of Trustees for Anshe Emet Synagogue, Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Jewish Family & Community Service, Response Center, and the Spertus Institute of Judaic Studies. She has served as President of the Woman's Division of the Chicago Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. She is an Executive Board member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and serves on the Executive Committee of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Livnot U'Lehibanot National Board, American Friends of Weizmann Institute of Science Board of Governors, and on the Executive Committee of the Joint Action Committee ( JAC).

Marie Rosin-Dittmar - Senior Coordinator of Student Academic Service for Loyola University School of Education. Marie assists with application questions and registration difficulties. Marie has been an important part of the JELI team since its inception in 2001.