Religious School Faculty

Shelley Barbash

Jeff Fuchs

Nina Kohn

Marla Lambert

Ellee Shawe

Zara Singer

Iris Spector

Lauren Thomas

Shelley Barbash – Bet Morah My name is Shelley Barbash and I am a Bet Class teacher. I share my classes with Bilha Seitchick and teach on Sundays. I starting teaching Sunday School at Shaare Shamayim when I was 17 yrs. old. (Let’s just say that was a very long time ago!) I have worked at Ohev Shalom Religious School for the past 4 years. I am a teacher assistant at Holland Middle School in Council Rock School District. I am a teacher by trade who is certified in Elementary Education, Special Education/Early Childhood Education. I was raised in a Kosher home and my Jewish background and upbringing has enabled me to become a Jewish educator. Hebrew was also my language of choice in High School and College. I have been teaching in Religious Schools off and on for 34 years. I also was a principal at an Early Learning Center run by the Jewish Federation. Therefore, in conjunction with my secular teaching, I have much experience working with children. It is a job that I feel very comfortable doing and which I enjoy enormously. back to faculty list

Jeff Fuchs Bio coming soon! back to faculty list

Nina Kohn – Dalet Morah My name is Nina Kohn. I am a Dalet teacher here at Ohev Shalom. I have been working as a Jewish educator for 13 years. This is my second year teaching in the Religious School here ay Ohev Shalom. I am an Art and Hebrew teacher for the Perelman Jewish Day School Bucks County Campus here at Ohev Shalom during the day. My inspiration for becoming a Jewish educator is my love of being Jewish and being able to enrich and nourish children’s Jewish identity. I have a BS in Art Education from Penn State University. I also hold a teaching certificate from Gratz College and I myself graduated from the Solomon Schecter Jewish Day School. back to faculty list

Marla Lambert – Gimel Early Morah My name is Marla Lambert. I am a Gimel teacher here at Ohev Shalom. I have been a Jewish educator for 17 years. I have taught here at Ohev Shalom since 1997. During the day, you can find me at Northeast High School teaching Spanish for the Philadelphia School District. I have always had a passion for Judaism, Jewish learning, and the synagogue. Since I was studying to be a teacher in college, I felt that being a Hebrew School teacher made sense. Not only did it enhance my teaching skills, it also allowed me to instill the same love of Judaism I had to young Jewish children. I graduated from Gratz College Hebrew high School in 1985. I took several semesters of Hebrew and Jewish Studies Temple University as an undergraduate. In 1997, I received a Masters Degree in Jewish Studies from Gratz College. I have also visited Israel twice. I traveled there once as a teen with Gratz College Summer Ulpan program, and most recently in 2000 as a chaperone of 20 High School students from Northeast High School. back to faculty list

Ellee Shawe – Kesher Morah My name is Ellee Shawe. I have been a Jewish educator for 33 years. For the last 3 years, I have taught 1st and 2nd grade here at Ohev Shalom. When not teaching here at Ohev Shalom, I am a Banker. I began substituting in OCJCC and really loved it. I loved taking young children and introducing them to our rich heritage. I myself loved Hebrew School and wanted to share this love with future generations of Jewish children. I attended 4 years of Gratz College. My course of study in college was Early Childhood Education. back to faculty list

Zara Singer Bio coming soon! back to faculty list

Iris Spector – Gimel Morah My name is Iris Spector and I am the Gimel Late teacher here at Ohev Shalom Religious School. I have been a Jewish educator in the USA for 17 years. All of those 17 years have been at Ohev Shalom Religious School.  I am originally from Eretz Yisrael.  I see a great need for Jewish teachers and the importance of Jewish education for children who live outside of Israel. I see the need to develop a strong Jewish identity and pride in children in the Diaspora. I am currently a Jewish educator during the day at Perelman Jewish Day School. I teach 3rd and 4th grade here at the Bucks County Campus at Ohev Shalom. I attended Siminar Hakibbutzim College in Rmat-Aviv, Israel for Early Childhood Education. I served in the Israeli Army Intelligence for 2 years. I worked as an Early Childhood teacher in Israel, came to the USA and worked at Gratz College as a Hebrew teacher. I also worked at Kol Emet as a Religious School teacher as well as here at Ohev Shalom. back to faculty list

Lauren Thomas – Dalet Morah My name is Lauren Thomas and I have been involved in leading and teaching Jewish children for 5 years. The first four years were involved in being a Youth Advisor for USY here with Shelley Geltzer, a job that I thoroughly enjoyed. This past year I have been teaching the Dalet class along with Nina Kohn. I am enjoying the new Project Etgar curriculum, and your children. During the day I am also a secular school teacher. I love teaching and I am proud to be Jewish. Therefore, I want to teach my students here at Ohev Shalom all about Judaism so that they can feel the same way. I feel qualified to teach children because I have my teaching certificate in Pennsylvania and teach in the Philadelphia Public School System and I myself have attended Hebrew School up to Confirmation. After receiving my teaching certificate, I taught in a Jewish Day School for a while before taking a secular school appointment. While at the Jewish Day School, I attended many professional development seminars and classes enhancing my teaching skills. back to faculty list

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