Pesach at Isabella Freedman

is a connector, passionate about facilitating rich Jewish experiences and helping people make informed Jewish decisions. She received semicha from Yeshivat Maharat, where she completed internships at Congregation Sherith Israel, Beth David Synagogue, MIT Hillel, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She earned her AB at Harvard University and wrote a senior honors thesis about the Bais Yaakov girls’ school movement, of which she is an alumna, and its role in the evolution of Orthodox women’s formal religious education. She is currently pursuing a PhD in religion at Boston University. As a Va’Tichtov fellow, she is writing a book about animals in the Torah. In 2013, she was named as one of the Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” young visionaries reshaping and broadening the Jewish community. She and her husband Rabbi Evan Crane served on the faculty at Isabella Freedman for Pesach 5784, and they are excited to be back for Pesach 5785!

is an accomplished Jewish leader who is passionate about building community. He is an experienced baal tefillah and baal kriah who believes in facilitating davening that is participatory and meaningful. Originally from the Boston area, Evan is an alum of MIT and the Sloan School of Management. He learned at Yeshivat Yesodei HaTorah and received semicha from Rabbi Chaim Brovender. He has held various roles in the Orthodox Minyan at Harvard Hillel, which serves as the primary Orthodox shul in Cambridge, MA, including four years as president and two as gabbai. Outside of the Jewish community, Evan works on the business side of the biotech industry. He and his wife, Rabbanit Talia Weisberg, served on the faculty for the 5784 Pesach Program at Isabella Freedman earlier this year, and they are excited to be returning for Pesach 5785!

teaches Tanakh and Machshevet Yisrael at SAR High School in Riverdale, NY. He received semikha at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Berkovitz has served on the Rabbinic team at Kehilath Jeshurun in New York City. He has taught in diverse communities across the United States and Great Britain, sharing his unique approach to Hassidut, Tanakh, and Jewish Philosophy.

is the Yoetzet Halakha of Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, CT. She serves on the Judaic Studies faculty at S.A.R High School in Riverdale, NY, teaching Tanakh and Gemara, and acts as Sophomore Student Dean. Zissy has previously been Community Educator at Lincoln Square Synagogue, as well as Congregational Scholar at Kesher Israel Synagogue in Washington DC. She has taught in diverse communities across the United States and Europe, sharing her love for Torah and Mitzvot with Jews in all stages of life.

has over 15 years’ experience teaching at the middle school, high school, and college levels. Originally from the UK, Daniel holds a Master’s in Classics from Oxford University and a postgraduate degree in teaching Classics from Cambridge University; he also received certification in the UK in World Languages and Ancient Humanities, and has taught a variety of historical, cultural, and mythological courses covering Greece, Rome, Egypt, Britain, and Europe. He is currently the lead Humanities teacher at the Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan. Previously, he served as the international scholar-in-residence in Classics at Fordham University. A regular contributor to services at Kehilat Hadar and Shaare Zedek, Daniel loves to lead services and read Torah for the community, as well as occasionally teaching on Shabbat mornings. His hobbies include cricket (though he might gradually be willing to shift into baseball!) and Magic: The Gathering, a popular trading card game.

is the Rabbi of Ohr Torah Stone’s Jewish Learning Center where he is responsible for the creative, educational, spiritual and programmatic direction of the organization. He is committed to open mindedness and likes to work and learn with the entire Jewish Community and beyond.

His articles have appeared in the Huffington Post, Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, New York Jewish Week, JTA, the Jerusalem Report, Manhattan Jewish Sentinel, Long Island Jewish World and the New Jersey Jewish StandardTimes of Israel and Jewcy.com.

Rabbi Kalb received his rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Chief Rabbi of Efrat and Rosh Hayeshiva of Yeshivat Hamivtar. He has also studied at Hebrew University.

received his bachelor’s degree with honors in biology from Brown University and his Master’s and Doctorate in agronomy from Cornell University. He has also studied with Rabbi Chaim Brovender at Israel’s Yeshivat Hamivtar and conducted research on corn, alfalfa, and soybeans at Cornell, the US Department of Agriculture, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Cancer Research. Since 1989, he has been a science teacher and educational consultant. Dr. Greenberg was Senior Editor of science textbooks at Prentice Hall Publishing Co. Previously on the faculty of Yeshivas Ohr Yosef, the School of Education at Indiana University, and the University of Phoenix, he has taught at the Heschel School since 2008. In 2021, he published Fruits of Freedom, a Passover Haggadah with a commentary from the perspective of the history of Jewish food and agriculture. He is a frequent speaker at synagogues, schools, and botanical gardens. Dr. Greenberg can be contacted at jon@torahflora.org.  .

is a NYC-based multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and educator. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including at Galerie Lucida, Governors Island, Coral Gables Museum, and Dominican University. A recipient of the City Artist Corps Grant, her art delves into themes of childhood, memory, nostalgia, identity, and environmentalism. Deborah’s practice investigates the dynamic between childhood and parenting, often using recycled, non-traditional materials, including fabrics that reflect her early training in textile design. Her works tell stories of childhood, frequently portraying fragmented memories and experiences. The figures in her pieces are often set within natural landscapes, surrounded by flora and fauna that evoke her childhood explorations of Inwood, NYC, its parks, the Hudson River, and local public spaces. Her work draws inspiration from medieval manuscripts, Victorian motifs, and symbolism. Deborah incorporates painting, drawing, assemblage, ceramics, and animation into her practice. As an educator, Deborah has worked with the Hudson River Museum, 92Y, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, and ArtsWestchester. She has curated exhibitions at Bronx Art Space, Bronx Council on the Arts, Lehman College Art Gallery, and Wave Hill. Deborah is currently the Assistant Director, Curator of Education at Lehman College Art Gallery, and an Adjunct Lecturer at Lehman College, CUNY.

is a community Jewish educator based in NYC. She is the founder and lead educator of Judaics Tutoring NYC, where she and her team of educators work with curious learners of all ages and stages who seek to deepen their Jewish knowledge and experiences in ways that most resonate with them. Abby teaches adults at the 92NY, My Jewish Learning, and Melton Adult Jewish Learning, among other organizations. She holds a BA in history from Yeshiva University and an MA in Judaic studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary. You can learn more about Abby at www.explorejewish.com.