Stuart Abrams
Stuart Abrams is a teacher of Genocide Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Humanities at Avon High School .Mr. Abrams has been awarded the Korzenik Fellowship for Excellence in Holocaust Education by the Greenberg Center at the University of Hartford. He has also been awarded the prestigious Mandel Teacher Fellowship from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He has been selected as the 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year for the Avon Public Schools.

Rabbi Yitzchok Adler
Rabbi Yitzchok Adler is the Rabbi at Beth David Synagogue in West Hartford. Rabbi Adler previously served congregations in Jacksonville, Florida; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Savannah, Georgia. He is on the Executive Board of the International Rabbinic Fellowship. Rabbi Adler and his wife, Leslie, have three children, one who attends the Hebrew High School of New England, another who made Aliyah to Israel, and a graduate of Stern College and Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, with honors.

Carrie Berman
Carrie Berman is a great cook, who is eager to share her love for Jewish culinary excellence with her Yachad students. She holds a BA in History from Bates College, and an MA in Teaching Social Studies from Teachers College, Columbia University. Carrie also teaches sixth and seventh grades at the Beth El Temple Religious School and is involved in Special Education Advocacy. She has taught Social Studies in both Middle School and High School, in addition to supervising student teachers at the college level.

Deborah Bradford
Deborah Bradford is an adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University and Tunxis Community College, and Assistant Editor of Tuesday: An Art Project. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Connecticut Review, and Big Land, Big Sky, Big Hair (Dos Gatos Press, 2008).

Rabbi Steven Chatinover
Rabbi Steven Chatinover is faculty of the Teen Leadership and Tzedakah Institute, a program of the Jewish Community Foundation in collaboration with Yachad, is a teacher and Rabbinic advisor at Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford. In a prior incarnation he was the Rabbi of Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor. He has been involved in Jewish education, in particular teen education, for more than 20 years. Rabbi Chatinover was the recipient of the Grinspoon/Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. He and his wife, Leah, are the proud parents of Levi, Jacob, and Nadav.

Tamar Dor
Tamar Dor is a certified holistic therapist with 15 years of teaching experience. She is a native Hebrew speaker who came to the U.S. seven years ago. Tamar worked as a Hebrew teacher at Solomon Schecter Day School and Beth El Temple, and gave private lessons for childern and adults mastering conversation skills. Tamar lives in West Hartford with her husband and two daughters.

Robin Sherman Herman
Robin Sherman Herman has worked as an educator for more than 20 years. She received a B.S. in Art Education from State University of New York at Buffalo. She teaches art at Solomon Schechter Day School, Emanuel Synagogue, Beth El Temple, and Yachad. She also works as a freelance illustrator, and is co-author/illustrator of I Love Menopause Because published by Andrews McMeel. Robin was the recipient of the 2004 Grinspoon/Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. She is the proud mom of Ary, a graduate of Yachad.

Rabbi Yosef Kulek
Rabbi Josef Kulek received his rabbinic ordination in Arad, Israel. He previously taught Judaic studies at Chicago's Hebrew Day School, and has been Director of Youth Activities at Chabad House for the past five years. Rabbi Kulek spends his summers as the Director of Camp Gan Israel and also teaches at the University of Hartford Hillel. He resides in West Hartford with his wife Dalia, and their children.

Susan Kurtis
Susan Kurtis received her BA and MS in education and special education at the State University of New York in Albany. She is currently a teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School. Susan has been active on the boards of Emanuel Synagogue and Yachad, and has served on the boards of SSDS, the Commission on Jewish Education and leadership, and the American Cancer Society Auxiliary. She is the proud parent of Jason, Ryan and David, all SSDS and Yachad graduates.

Rabbi James S. Rosen
Rabbi James S. Rosen has served as the Rabbi of Beth El Temple since 1992. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and graduated Magna Cum Laude in Hebrew Language and Literature from the University of Minnesota. He also has an M.S.W. from Columbia University. Before coming to Beth El, he was Associate Rabbi at Chizuk Amuno Congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. Rabbi Rosen has taught adults and youth extensively in both congregational and community settings.

Moises F. Salinas, Ph.D.
Moises F. Salinas, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Central Connecticut State University. His research focuses on development, education, and stereotypes. He is a native of Mexico, and has completed degrees in Israel and Mexico. He received his Ph.D in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas in Austin in 1998. Currently, he also serves as chairman of the Greater Hartford Region American Zionist Movement. Dr. Salinas recently completed a year Sabbatical in Israel.

Rabbi Menachem Samuels
Rabbi Menachem Samuels is the Rabbi of the Chabad House of the Valley in Simsbury, Connecticut. Rabbi Samuels attended the Lubavitcher Yeshiva of Detroit, Torat Emet in Israel, The Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey and The Rabbinical Seminary in New York. He was a rabbi in Caracas, Venezuela. Rabbi Samuels lives in Simsbury with his wife Blumie, and their four boys, Yisroel, Chaim, Shalom, and Levi Yitzchak.

Rachel Schein
Rachel Schein is a fifth-year graduate student at the University of Hartford’s Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology, pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology. She received a BA from Muhlenberg College in 2006 and MA in clinical practices in psychology in 2008. Rachel is the Youth Director at Temple Sinai where she coordinates all youth activities for 5th-12th graders, including the 6th and 7th grade mitzvah and ethics curriculum, the Rosh Hodesh: It's A Girl's Thing program, and the junior and senior youth groups. In addition, Rachel works as a therapist in Wheeler Clinic's Children's Outpatient Services in Bristol. Rachel is thrilled to be returning to the Yachad faculty for the third year!

Zachary Scheinerman
Zachary Scheinerman has worked in the field of religious studies for years, teaching at both Temple Sinai, Congregation Tikvoh Chadoshoh, and now, Yachad. He earned a BA in psychology and religious studies at Connecticut College, and attended Yachad in high school. He currently co-authors a successful blog on anti-Semitism, Israel, and Jewish issues.

Cyral Sheldon
Cyral Sheldon, Director of the Teen Leadership and Tzedakah Institute, a program of the Jewish Community Foundation in collaboration with Yachad, grew up in New York City and received a BA in English and Sociology from City College of New York. She earned a Master's in education from Boston University and worked in the corporate world as a director of training and communications. She was also Administrative Director for Jewish Family Services. Her three children attended Solomon Schechter Day School. Cyral lives with her husband, Richard, in Farmington.

The Young Emissaries
The Young Emissaries, Gal Ron and Yinon Or, are 18 years old. Gal is from Gan Ner, and Yinon is from Hoshaya. They both come with tremendous experience in youth leadership and great enthusiasm to share their love of Israel. The mission of the Young Emissary program is to strengthen the ties between the two regions by building living bridges by means of people-to-people connections and strengthening the ties with Israel amongst the people living in the host communities. Our Emissaries work throughout the community in our agencies, synagogues and schools to build living bridges.

May Zamechek
May Zamechek served as principal of Congregation Tikvoh Chadoshoh in Bloomfield for 12 years, and continues to work as a para-educator in special education, grades 7 and 8, at Canton Middle School, where she has been for the past 16 years. She earned a BA in Secondary Education and Judaic Studies from Lehman College in New York.