Faculty
Marian Kleinman, principal, teacher, writer, and cantorial soloist, is delighted to lead our Faculty Team for her fifth year at BAT. Kleinman is a cantorial student at the Academy for Jewish Religion and working on a Masters in Jewish Studies through Gratz College. She was a religious school principal, choir and music director at Temple of Israel (Wilmington, North Carolina); she holds NY State teaching certification in English and Social Studies; she was a part-time free-lance journalist and has written a screenplay and memoir about her mother’s experiences during the Shoah; she’s earned several awards and fellowships including the 1989 Louis Ginsberg Memorial Fellowship; and she has taught at several online colleges, community colleges, and public schools. In addition to her work as an educator, she’s the Cantorial Soloist at Congregation Agudas Achim in Livingston Manor, NY. With her husband Mark, daughter Rosa, and a dog, she lives in Greenwood Lake, NY.
Brian Weil attended Beth Am Temple's Religious School, Hebrew High and was confirmed right here at Beth Am in 1998. Brian is a graduate from Nanuet High School and has an Industrial Engineering degree from Binghamton University as well as an MBA from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. During the week, Brian makes the daily trek to New York City to work at Weight Watchers as a sourcing specialist. Brian has been tutoring Hebrew since 1997, and is entering his sixth year as a teacher at Beth Am. Brian is teaching Grade 2 this year.
Deborah Klock lives in Nanuet, NY. Her son, Andrew is now a college freshman, and her daughter, Sarah is on National Tour with Sesame Street. She’s been very involved in working with and teaching children at OJCC, Reuben Gittelman Hebrew Day School, Ramah Day Camp, Nyack, and through Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. This is her fourth year at BAT and she’s teaching Grade 3 and Grade 7 Judaica.
Karen Herskowitz lives in West Nyack, NY with her two children, Jacob and Sara, and her husband Michael. She's taught Sunday school at Beth Am Temple for more than 15 years, and in the Clarkstown School District for almost 25 years. She's looking forward to another wonderfully rewarding school year! She’s teaching 1st and 3rd grade.
Paula Kaplan lives in River Vale, New Jersey with her family. She is a member of The Orangetown Jewish Center (OJC). She teaches at Glen Rock Jewish Center, and she occasionally leads the Junior Congregation service at OJC. Paula loves being Jewish and she looks forward to sharing her passion for Judaism with her students at Beth Am. This year Paula is our Hebrew teacher for Grades 4 and 7.
Ruth Pernick has taught every grade, except for 2nd, at Beth Am Temple over the past 25 years. She teaches fifth and sixth grade Hebrew this year. Ruth is married to Rabbi Daniel Pernick and is the mother of 4 wonderful kids: Sarah, 25, Ben, 24, Joshua, 23, and David, 20. Sarah is working and living in NYC, Ben is going for his degree in Music Therapy at Berklee College of Music, Josh is teaching in the Jewish Federation Preschool part-time and working part-time for the Federation doing a geographical survey in Charleston, SC, and David is a junior at Tufts in Boston.
Anita Kopf (“Morah Anita”) lives in Pearl River, NY with her husband Sheldon. She has three children, and her five grandchildren who enjoyed attending Beth Am Temple Religious School. Anita has taught every grade 2nd through 7th at Beth Am Temple. This year, Anita is teaching sixth and seventh grade Hebrew and KESHET. Her goal and passion is to bring meaning and happiness to the children through Jewish studies, to help them become confident Hebrew prayer readers, and to help them enjoy their Jewish lives. With her public school background of many years, Anita tutors bar mitzvah students at Beth Am Temple and also tutors children from other temples and for public school studies.
Emily Simonson lives in Suffern and attended the Reuben Gittleman Hebrew Day School from Pre-k - 8th grade. She then continued her Jewish education at the Solomon Schechter Upper School of Westchester. In May 2011, she graduated from Cornell University with a BA in Art History, and is currently earning her Masters degree in Childhood General and Special Education at the Bank Street College in Manhattan. Emily will be teaching Hebrew High School this fall and is looking forward to an amazing first year at Beth Am Temple!
Francine Rykman (“Morah Francine”) lives in Piermont NY with her husband Jonathan. She is a NY/NJ certified teacher and school administrator. She is currently enrolled in coursework towards becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has been an educator for ten years and is excited to begin her journey here at Beth Am Temple. This year she’s teaching Grade 4 Judaica.
Sheri Grubman lives in Montvale, NJ with her husband Larry. She has over 20 years of corporate experience and is now reinventing herself working as a substitute teacher in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District and a substitute teacher's assistant in the Montvale School District. She is very enthusiastic with her new undertaking of teaching 5th grade Judaica at Beth Am Temple. Sheri has two wonderful sons, Ian, 27, who has worked in the US Senate for the last 5 years and Kyle, 23, who has just finished his two year commitment teaching high school math for Teach for America in Washington, DC.