Jewish Education for Tomorrow’s Well-Rounded Leaders

Mrs. Susan Adelman, was born and raised in Florida. She and her husband Seth have raised their 5 children in the South Florida Jewish community. She graduated Cum Laude from Florida Atlantic University.

Mrs. Adelman has 18 years of experience in early childhood and elementary education. Mrs. Adelman’s goal is to constantly encourage everyone to do their personal best. She works hard to develop a community of educators and students in where everyone feels valued, respected, and important.

Mrs. Adelman engages students and staff to understand the deeper meaning of their studies through hands-on learning activities and technology in the classroom.

Eddie Alvarez received his Bachelor of Physical Education from Florida International University in 2023. After graduating from FIU, Eddie chose to become a PE teacher because of his passion for playing sports. That passion for sports fuels his teaching, where he excels in coaching kids on how to play and helping them improve their skills at whichever sports they choose.

Eddie has years of experience as a football, basketball, and baseball player while growing up in Miami. While in his senior year of high school, Eddie received the distinguished honor of being named team captain of his baseball team.

Eddie has 5 years of coaching experience. He started coaching locally at the Miami Beach JCC, where he coached youth travel flag football and basketball teams. Coach Eddie learned through his playing career the importance of how to compete with sportsmanship and how to work together as a team.

At Hebrew Academy, Eddie coaches the 5th Grade Flag Football and Basketball Teams, the Middle School Boys Flag Football Team, the High School JV Boys Basketball Team, and the Varsity Girls Flag Football Team. In 2023, in Coach Eddie’s first year at Hebrew Academy, his 5th grade boys basketball team won the JAL Championship.

Merav Tal Codron was born in Israel and grew up in Miami. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Florida and her MSM in Marketing from Polytechnic University. Prior to working at Hebrew Academy, Merav spent 12 years at Hochberg Lower School – Posnack East where she ran the Business Office for 4 years and the Admissions Department for 8 years. Merav attended Hebrew Academy as a child and is deeply passionate about Jewish education. She is grateful for the strong foundation she received and wants all students to benefit from an educational environment that is warm, engaging, and rich in Jewish values. Merav resides in Aventura with her husband Emmanuel, their children, and dog Snowy. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading and spending time outdoors.

Rabbi Jack Cohen will collaborate closely with the Judaic faculty of the High School, and will be a source of outreach to the community at large.

Previosuly, Rabbi Cohen served as the Director of Education for Olami in North America, training new teachers, coaching and consulting for veteran educators, writing curriculums and overseeing the development and deployment of innovative educational technologies. Prior to this, he was the Director of Education and Senior Educator for Meor Manhattan, teaching large and small groups, and overseeing an ecosystem of transformative educational programs for young people living in the city. Rabbi Cohen is also the co-author of Nurture their Nature: The Torah’s Essential Guidance for Parents and Teachers published in 2021 by Mosaic Press.

Rabbi Cohen’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Physics and Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was honored with the graduation address in front of 13,000 in attendance. Rabbi Cohen then spent six years learning in Israel in Machon Yaakov, Nesivos Aharon, Mir Yeshiva, and Yad Saadia Kollel. He became a close student of Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld, founder and director of Meor, and prolific author and speaker, Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein.  He received his Semicha from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg zt”l. Rabbi Cohen also completed a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Raquel Felici was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. At the age of 16, her family moved to Montreal, Canada, where she completed her senior year at L’École Maimonides. After graduation, Mrs. Felici attended Beth Jacob Teachers College of Montreal, where she obtained a Teaching Diploma in Judaic Studies, while simultaneously earning degrees in Languages, Literature, and Early Childhood Education from College Marie Victorin. Mrs. Felici is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Hebrew, and Italian.

In 1993, she moved to San Francisco, California, where she gained extensive experience as a High School Judaic Studies teacher at the Hebrew Academy in San Francisco and as a special education teacher working with children with disabilities in the public school system. In 1997, she returned to Montreal, where she served as an N3 teacher at Hebrew Academy of Montreal for 10 years. During this time, she obtained certifications in the Montessori and Reggio Methods.

In 2007, seeking greater challenges, she moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she worked as the Campus Director at Netivot HaTorah South Campus, overseeing both General and Judaic Studies curriculum for students aged 3 to 8, and supervising all staff. In her spare time, she earned a certification in Special Education from York University. Mrs. Felici also holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and Special Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education in Early Childhood and Students with Disabilities from Touro College.

In 2013, Mrs. Felici joined the Hebrew Academy as the Director of Early Childhood Education. Since then, she has acquired CAJE’s licenses in Judaic Studies and Early Childhood Education, Advanced Level Director’s Credentials from the Florida Department of Children and Families, and a National Child Development Associate degree for ages 0 to 5. Additionally, she is currently working on obtaining a coaching license in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS). She is a graduate of Tufts University, where she obtained a degree in Engineering and Robotics, which has enabled her to highlight Hebrew Academy Early Childhood’s Makerspace as a presenter at Caltech in Pasadena, California.

Through her dedication to the school and her strong standing with accreditation agencies, Mrs. Felici has secured numerous grants that have enhanced the Early Childhood Program. In her spare time, she enjoys writing curriculum in Fine Arts and STEAM. Mrs. Felici is married and the proud mother of four wonderful boys—Yaacov, Gabriel, Yonatan (Class of 2014), and Ezra (Class of 2018)—as well as two amazing daughters-in-law and four beautiful grandchildren.

Zaniac provides a STEM push in program for grades K-5 focusing on Tinkering, Coding and 3D design. Zanaic also provides a Math Enrichment program for students with advanced math skills.

Stephen Izaguirre is a proud alumnus of Florida International University (FIU) where he received his Bachelor of Physical Education in 2011. During his tenure at FIU, he became captain of the men’s club volleyball team and an active member of the FIU Greek Life.

His love for volleyball began in middle school, but it was in 2006 where Stephen became the Varsity Girls’ Assistant Volleyball Coach and the Junior Varsity Boys’ Head Coach at Ransom Everglades. During his time at Ransom, the Girls’ team earned the title of District Champions for six consecutive years (2006-12), the Regional Champions in 2012, and they competed at the State Tournament of the same year. His boys’ team would take the title of the 2013 Palmetto Junior Varsity Invitational Champions.

Stephen has been an integral part of Hebrew Academy for over a decade, coaching multiple volleyball teams with great success. In 2021, the Middle School Girls’ Volleyball team won the Independent Athletic League (IAL) Championship, while the Varsity Girls’ Team finished as runners-up in the Florida District Championship.

In 2022, Stephen was honored with the prestigious “Light the Path to Education” award, recognizing his exceptional dedication and ability to inspire students to reach their full potential. This recognition is a testament to his outstanding contribution to the school and the impact he has had on his students at the Hebrew Academy.

Although his love for sports and athletics is apparent, a little-known-fact about Stephen is that he is also a wonderful musician – playing both the alto saxophone and snare drums since middle school!

Mrs. Kaltman has more than 14 years of experience in a broad range of educational leadership positions, including those of assistant principal, principal, and business administrator. Most recently, Mrs. Kaltman has served as the School Business Administrator and Assistant Principal at North Atlanta High School in the Atlanta, Georgia public school system. Mrs. Kaltman has a Master of Arts degree in Educational Studies from Emory University, a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Florida, and completed the Educational Leadership Endorsement Program at Kennesaw State University. In addition, she is completing an additional certification in Educational Leadership by the State of Florida.

Rabbi Litton previously served as the Director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Ann and Nate Levine Academy in Dallas, Texas. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Brooklyn College, a Masters in Education from Aspen University, and Smicha from Yeshiva B’nai Torah in Far Rockaway, New York.

While at Levine Academy, Rabbi Litton managed the Judaic studies program for infants through 8th Grade. He also implemented educational philosophies for the program with a focus on socio-emotional development and mindfulness. Rabbi Litton inspired a new school vision for inclusivity and fostered a sense of Jewish community within the school and the community at-large.

Prior to that, Rabbi Litton spent five years as Director of Youth Services at the West Side Institutional Synagogue in New York, where he managed a team of 15 youth group leaders. Additionally, Rabbi Litton is the founder of Ta Shma Orchestra which has served as a “house” band for organizations such as Camp HASC, NCSY, and Bais Ezra. Rabbi Litton has also spent time as Dean of Discipline for Magen David Yeshivah in Brooklyn, Director of Student Activities for Manhattan Day School, and Assistant Director of Student Activities for both Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway High School, and Rambam Mesivta High School in Lawrence.

Mrs. Andrea Lucero received her Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education with a concentration in Social Studies for grades 6-12 at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York. She began her teaching career as a fifth-grade teacher at an independent private school and then later moved on to teaching U.S. History at a public high school in New Jersey. In 2002, she moved to Miami and began teaching part-time at the Hebrew Academy Middle School. Over the years as a teacher, Mrs. Lucero taught social studies, English, and math. After her first two years at Hebrew Academy, she began teaching the Middle School Social Studies classes. Over the years, Mrs. Lucero took on various roles as an educator at Hebrew Academy, such as the student council advisor, Ruach team coach, Community Service Coordinator, and grade level coordinator. While working on her master’s degree, Mrs. Lucero took her first step into administration by taking on the role of assistant to the Middle School principal. In 2008, Mrs. Lucero graduated from Nova Southeastern University with her Master’s in Educational Leadership. In 2011, she began her role as the Middle School Principal.

Adam was born and raised in Miami where he attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School. He was a standout performer on the school’s baseball team for three seasons, culminating in a senior season where he went 7-3 and posted an ERA of 1.81 with 76 strikeouts. After the season, he was named to the First Team All Miami/Dade County, selected by the Miami Herald.

He continued his baseball playing career as a pitcher for the University of Miami, where he featured in 69 games over four seasons, finishing with a career ERA of 3.90 and a total of 58 strikeouts. He graduated from the University of Miami in 2014 with a Bachelor’s in Education, majoring in Sports Administration with a minor in Sociology.

Prior to teaching at Hebrew Academy, Adam spent a year teaching English in Taiwan and then moved home to become the Athletic Director at Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes in North Miami Beach. At YTCTE, Adam started the middle school flag football, basketball, and soccer programs, coaching all three teams. Additionally, he oversaw the PE department for the middle school. Entering his second year at Hebrew Academy, Adam oversees the K-12 Physical Education programs, in addition to coaching the 4th Grade Flag Football and Basketball Teams, the High School JV Boys Basketball Team, and the Middle School Girls Flag Football Team.

Adam lives in Miami Beach with his wife Tori and their dog Marble. They love spending time at the beach and exercising, with activities like yoga, paddle boarding, and skateboarding.

Mrs. Stroll holds a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of Alberta and a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration from Concordia University. She began her teaching career in Canada and moved to Atlanta in 1997 to teach middle school English at Torah Day School of Atlanta. During her tenure in Atlanta, Mrs. Stroll studied in Maine with Nancy Atwell at the Center for Teaching and Learning and moved into a teacher leader role for reading and writing instruction in the middle school. She also attended Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University to broaden her teacher leader role to include kindergarten through fifth grade. After receiving her graduate degree, she began her role as Assistant Principal at Torah Day School of Atlanta, where she served for three years.

Mrs. Stroll and her family moved to Denver in the summer of 2016 for her to serve as the Lower School Principal at Denver Academy of Torah, and she assumed the headship at Denver Academy of Torah in 2018.

Mrs. Stroll has attended both of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education Principal Center programs. She has also participated in YU Lead, a leadership development program through Yeshiva University; and the Head of School Professional Excellence Program (HOSPEP) through Prizmah, and was a fellow in the Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI).

Mrs. Stroll and her husband have four children, one of whom will attend HA, and four grandchildren. Her other three children live out of state.

With over a decade of service, Daniel has been an educator at Hebrew Academy, where he has not only taught in a classroom setting but also inspired students through physical education. He is entering his fourth year as a P.E. teacher. He will also be stepping into his second year as the Assistant Coach for Hebrew Academy’s Boys and Girls Cross Country teams, guiding our students towards physical excellence and sportsmanship. His commitment to education extends beyond the classroom, fostering growth both on and off the field.