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Rabbi George Barnard was born in Cambridge, MA and is a 1969 graduate of Harvard University, receiving a B.A. summa cum laude in philosophy. He attended HUC in New York from 1969 to 1975, earning the degree of M.A.H.L with honors in Talmud and philosophy, as well as a rabbinical diploma. From 1971 to 1973, Rabbi Barnard studied Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and received a Masters in Education from the University of Cincinnati in 1982. Rabbi Barnard has taught high school almost every year since coming to Cincinnati in 1975, at Northern Hills Synagogue, at pre-Mercaz and combined high schools, and at Mercaz. Rabbi Barnard is the Rabbi of Northern Hills Synagogue - Congregation B’nai Avraham.
Phyllis Binik-Thomas is a contemporary Jewish artist and educator. She creates one of a kind, hand-calligraphed and hand-painted, personalized ketubot and other calligraphic art commissions by clients throughout the country. She is also Director of Education at Beth Israel Synagogue in Hamilton, Ohio. Phyllis works with her clients to design a piece of art that combines a selected text with unique symbols and illustration that are personal to each couple. The process of working closely with people to create something meaningful and special to them is just as important to her as is the finished product.
Barbara Morrison-Bresler grew up in Dallas, Texas and holds a Fine Arts Degree from the University of Texas and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. She was a librarian at the University of Nebraska, the Archivist/Director for the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, and a consultant archivist with the Jewish Women's Archive in Boston. Since moving to Cincinnati, Barbara has served as the Librarian at Adath Israel. Barbara is married to Scott Bresler and loves being the mom of Lenny, Elka and Micah.
Amber Feldman is the director of cultural arts and city director for BBYO at the Cincinnati JCC. She moved up here from Atlanta where she was education director for Jewish Theatre of the South. Amber got her undergraduate degree at Temple University in Philadelphia where she double majored in theatre and Jewish studies and went on to graduate school at the University of Texas in Austin. While in Austin she worked with Cinemakids film festival’ an international youth film festival that takes place yearly in Austin. Amber has taught and directed theatre around the country and is working to build up the arts program at the JCC.
Jenny Grubbs is a second year graduate student at the University of Cincinnati in Communication. Her focus is on environmental communication and feminism. She is currently applying to PhD schools and working on her thesis. She hopes to teach at the university level and work as a consultant for non-profit animal rights organizations one day. Jenny also teaches 4th grade at Adath Israel. She grew up in Cincinnati and is still a member of Young Judaea. Jenny is looking forward to teaching at Mercaz!
Scott Kabakoff grew up here in Cincinnati, attending Yavneh day school during his youth through the eighth grade. He has been teaching various grades at area religious schools since he was eighteen. He has his B.A. in Judaic studies at the University of Cincinnati. Scott is beginning his first year as the USY advisor at Northern Hills Synagogue. For the last seven years he has been teaching second grade at Adath Israel’s religious school, and in 2005 was the recipient of the Walter Hattenbach Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Scott became a father for the first time, and is the proud father of son Jacob. In his spare time Scott enjoys photography, reading and spending time with his wife and son.
Zahava spent 32 years as a teacher at
Yavneh Day School. She mentored countless teachers and brought many new
programs to the school. She developed a Hebrew enrichment program, creating the
materials from scratch. Zahava has taught Hebrew to everyone from preschool age
to adults. She has also tutored students in bar/bat mitzvah preparation and has
spoken to a many groups about her personal life experiences. She has taught at
Adath Israel’s high school program and at Northern Hills religious school in the
past. Zahava is currently teaching 3rd grade at Adath Israel’s Religious
School. She also currently serves as an ambassador of Holocaust and Humanity
center speaking to Elementary, Junior High and High schools about the Holocaust
and the importance of tolerance. Allison Schottenstein Alley Schottenstein is a recent graduate of Brandeis University who studied Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Women and Gender Studies. Alley recently completed her senior research on the Jewish Multiracial Identity in America. She has been active in the Jewish community in Cincinnati for several years and has researched extensively at the American Jewish Archives. Much of Allison’s interest in the Jewish community has been influenced both by her family as well as her travels around the world. One of Allison’s fondest memories is her visit with the Jewish community in Cuba. In her spare time, Allison enjoys creative writing and films. Allison is planning on pursuing a Ph.D in Jewish Studies in the Fall of 2009
Rabbi Benjamin Travis holds an M.S. in Business from Johns Hopkins University, along with ten years of Rabbinical training. He began formally teaching teens in 1997 while living in Jerusalem, serving on the staff of an English-speaking religious school. After coming to Cincinnati in 1998 to become part of the Cincinnati Community Kollel, Rabbi Travis continued working with teens and college age students, giving weekly classes both in Cincinnati and the Miami University Hillel. He has spent the last several years as a Judaic studies teacher and administrator at the Cincinnati Hebrew Day School. He is a former captain of a championship Frisbee team and his other interests include tennis and playing guitar.
Sharon Wasserberg is the Director of Education at Adath Israel. She earned her BA at Northern Illinois University in De Kalb, Illinois where she studied Sociology and Psychology as well as acquiring teacher certification for grades 6 through 12.Many years later, she returned to full-time graduate school study at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and was awarded both a MAEd and B.Lit. Sharon taught Religious School for about 25 years, directed a Stepping Stones Program, and has been the director of education at synagogues in Evanston, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin before moving to Cincinnati in 2005.In her spare time, she enjoys a good game of Scrabble and completes Sunday crossword puzzles in ink. Laurie Weinstein Laurie is a Cincinnati native who lives in Oakley with her husband, Michael, a Rabbinic student at HUC, and their 3 year old son, Mose. She has taught in the past at Reform Jewish High School and currently trains prospective B'nai Mitzvah students. She also chants Torah and Haftorah for Adath Israel. She currently is a Cantorial Soloist at a small congregation in Richmond, Indiana where her husband is the student Rabbi.
Tracy Weisberger, director of education and programming at Northern Hills Synagogue, is a native Cincinnatian who has taught in various Jewish settings. She graduated from The University of Cincinnati with a Bachelors in Judaic Studies and then earned a Masters in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Tracy resides in Amberley with her husband and three daughters.
Rabbi Irvin Wise is a Cincinnati native and a Woodward High School graduate. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Indiana University and an MA in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion. His Rabbinic ordination was also received from HUC in 1979. He has served as the Director of Student Activities and Assistant Rabbi at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, and as the Executive Director of the Hillel Foundations of Ohio University and the University of Minnesota. Rabbi Wise has been the Senior Rabbi of Adath Israel Congregation since 1992. He is married to Kathy, with whom he has three daughters – Ora, Shalva, and Tehila.
Dara Wood is thrilled to continue as the Director for Mercaz for this school year. She was an active part of the Mercaz board for the over five years, serving as chairperson for two years. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education and a Montessori certificate. Dara spent a year substitute teaching with Lakota schools and then served as head teacher at a local Montessori pre-school for 4 years. She served at Adath Israel as the chair of the religious school board for three years and is currently in her third year as a Vice President of the congregation. She is looking forward to helping Mercaz continue the growth we have all seen these past several years. She is married to Rob and has two children, Brittany, a Mercaz graduate, and Becca, a current student.
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