Faculty

Mrs. Marsha Arons
English. M.A., Northwestern University. She is the faculty advisor for ICJA's award-winning literary magazine: Charlotte's Web. Mrs. Arons is also a writer, author and video producer. She is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul and author of Teen Miracles. Mrs. Arons is National Board Certified as a Master Teacher, and she began at the Academy 2002.

Ms. Jessica Cheney
English.
 
Mr. Joshua Cooper
U.S. and AP U.S. History, Economics and Athletic Coordinator. B.A., The Colorado College. M.S. of Education, Northwestern University. Previously, Mr. Cooper taught statistics, P.E. and coached ultimate in Seattle, WA. He is National Board Certified as a Master Teacher, and he began at the Academy in 2003.
 
Dr. Catherine D’Anna
Psychology. Ph.D., Loyola University. She began at the Academy since 2001.

Mr. Gregory DiFrancesco
AP Chemistry.
 
Mrs. Debbie Feder (Class of 1996)
Librarian. M.A., Dominican University. Her goal as librarian is to provide guidance in the use of resources, infusing each classroom with Information Literacy elements.
 
Rabbi Louis Fliegelman
Talmud, Jewish Law, Chumash and Jewish Civics. M.A., Northeastern Illinois University and Smicha from Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem in New York City. Before coming to Chicago, Rabbi Fliegelman taught at Akiba Academy of Dallas. Rabbi Fliegelman is also the freshman counselor and Chesed advisor.

Rabbi Elie Ginsparg
Tanach. BA and Semicha from Hebrew Theological College. MEd. from Loyola University Chicago. Published two books on Jewish Dietery Law. Senior member of the Bellows Kollel of Beis HaMidrash L'Torah at HTC. He began at the Academy in 2011.

Ms. Ruth Gleicher
AP Biology. View her course website.

Mrs. Mara Goldblatt
Tanach. B.A. Northeastern Illinois University. She began at the Academy in 2004.
 
Ms. Sheri Goldstein
English Department Chair and Crown Prints advisor. B.A., Northern Illinois University. Her goal is to help students develop a love for language through reading great literature and examining provocative writings. She began at the Academy in 1986.
 
Rabbi Reuven Gottesman
Talmud. Smicha and B.A. from Hebrew Theological College; M.A., Loyola University.

Mrs. Chavi Gottlieb
Chemistry. B.S. from Loyola University in chemistry and natural science. M.S. in chemistry from Northeastern University. She began at the Academy in 2008.
 
Rabbi Reuven Gross
Talmud, Halacha, Chumash, Oral Law, and Jewish Thought. B.A., Mesivta of Long Beach, NY and Smicha from Beth Medrash Gevoha, Lakewood, NJ. Rabbi Gross is also rabbi of Congregation Sha'arei Tzedek Mishkan Yair. He began in the Academy in 1991.
 
Rabbi Joel Gutstein
Talmud. M.A. Northeastern Illinois University;  Smicha from Hebrew Theological College. Rabbi Gutstein is also the Rabbi of Congregation Yehuda Moshe of Lincolnwood.

Ms. Ann Dee Holland
Case Manager, Academic Services. BSED in Special Education from Northern Illinois University. M.S. in Counseling from National Louis University. She began at the Academy in 2005.
 
Mrs. Miriam Jaffe
Chumash, Navi, Oral Law and Jewish Thought. M.A., Loyola University. Mrs. Jaffe is the faculty advisor for Mashpiim/Mashpiot. She began at the Academy in 1989.
 
Mrs. Tirza Kahan
English. B.A. and M.A., City College of New York. Her goal is to help students effective communicate by improving their oral communication skills as well as their writing skills.  She previously taught high school in the New York City public schools as well as Bronx Community College. She has been the yearbook faculty advisor for the past 10 years. She began at the Academy in 1992.

Mrs. Molly Katz
Chumash and Jewish History.  B.A., Barnard College.  NY State Teacher's Certification, Secondary Social Studies.  She previously was on the faculty of Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim.  Mrs. Katz is an Academy alumna ('04) and began teaching in 2009.

Mr. Jonathan Keller
Math. He began at the Academy in 2010.

Ms. Kathleen Kelly
Art and girls' gym. B.A. in Art Education, Southern Illinois University. M.S. in Art Management, Southern Illinois University. She began at the Academy in 1991.

Rabbi Danny Kroll
Gemara, Chumash and Navi. B.A., Yeshiva University and smicha from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). Currently pursuing a master's in education from Azrieli Graduate School at YU. Rabbi Kroll is an Academy alum (2001) and began teaching in 2008.
 
Rabbi Shmuel Kurtz
Talmud, Halacha, Navi, Oral Law and Jewish Thought. Chairperson of the Talmud and Advanced Jewish Studies Program. He has Smicha from Shevet U’Machokek in Jerusalem, and he began at the Academy in 1993.

Mrs. Elyse Litwack (class of 1998)
Mechanechet. B.S., Loyola University. Teaching Certificate, Ministry of Education, Israel. She began at the Academy in 2008 and is an Academy alum.

Marisa Loebmann
Tanach. B.A. Stern College, M.A. Bernard Revel Graduate School for Jewish Studies of Yeshiva University. Mrs. Loebmann is an Academy alum ('04) and began teaching at ICJA in 2009.
 
Mrs. Orit Marmel
Hebrew and Chumash and Hebrew department chair. B.A. from Beit Berl Teacher’s College in Israel. She began at the Academy in 1999.
 
Mrs. Stacey Masliansky
English. B.S. in Secondary English Education, Indiana University. She began at the Academy in 2004.

Rabbi Moshe Miller
Talmud, Navi and Chumash. B.A. from Wits University in South Africa. Smicha from Rabbi Zalman Nechamya Goldberg, Av Beis Din Jerusalem. He began at the Academy in 2008.

Rabbi Michael Myers
Bible and Modern Jewish History. Smicha from Hebrew Theological College and B.A., Loyola University. M.A. in Educational Administration in 1979, University of Illinois. In 1984, he was awarded a Kohl International Fellowship. In 1986, Rabbi Myers was selected as a Jerusalem Fellow. He began at the Academy in 1981.

Mrs. Sima Neiger
Tanach and Hebrew. B.A., Barnard College. M.A. Loyola University. Mrs. Neiger is an alumnus of the Academy and began teaching in 2005.
 
Mr. David Newman
Science department chair. B.A., Northeastern University. He began at the Academy in 1972.

Mrs. Marna Nitekman
Spanish.  B.A. in Spanish, University of Illinois, M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership, UIC. She has taught Spanish, French and ESL at Hanna Sacks, Niles North, Northwestern University and in Park Ridge, East Chicago, and the Bronx. She also conducts ATT methodology workshops for foreign language teachers.
 
Mrs. Stephanie Pederson
Mathematics Department Chair. B.A., Northern Illinois University. Mrs. Pederson has also taught in Newark and Plainfield, Illinois.

Mr. Steve Pederson
Music Department. B.A. in Music, University of Minnesota. Mr. Pederson has performed and taught a wide variety of guitar styles in many capacities. He is also a music composer who has worked in the recording studio producing music and CDs, including his own solo classical guitar CD. 
 
Mrs. Sari Ray
Navi, Chumash and Hebrew. In addition to studies in Israel and at the Sorbonne University in Paris, M.A. in Secondary School Education; specialty in French and Hebrew languages. Mrs. Ray pursued Ph.D. studies in Romance languages at NYU and Northwestern University. She was a Melton Fellow at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She began at the Academy in 1976.

Tzippy Rimel
Hebrew. She began at the Academy in 2010.
 
Rabbi Barry Robinson (Class of 1961)
Talmud and Halacha. B.A. He began at the Academy in 1999.
 
Rabbi Shlomo Rosen
Talmud, Halacha, Navi, Oral Law, Jewish Thought and Jewish History. B.A. from University of California-Berkeley; Smicha from Yeshiva University. He began at the Academy since 2001.
 
Mr. Allen Sears
Physics. B.A., University of Illinois at Chicago. He began at the Academy in 1999.
 
Rabbi Binyomin Segal
Talmud, Halacha, Navi, Oral Law and Jewish Thought. Ed.D., Loyola University; Smicha from Rabbi Michel Twerski.
 
Ms. Susan Sennett
Social studies department chair. M.A. and J.D. Prior to working at the Academy, Ms. Sennett practiced law and taught legal writing and research and business law. Ms. Sennett is also the faculty advisor to the Student Council and the Panim el Panim program. She began at the Academy in 1993.

Ms. Ayala Shahaf
Hebrew. She began at the Academy in 2010.

Ms. Rachel Shandalov
Hebrew. BA, Stern College, MSW, Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Ms. Shandalov is an Academy alumna ('05) and began teaching in 2010.

Mrs. Shelley Stopek (ICJA class of 1970)
Navi, Chumash and Academic Support. B.A., University of Illinois, B.J.S., Spertus College; certificate of teaching Hebrew as a second language, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She has earned an Advanced Teacher’s Certificate from the Associated Talmud Torahs (ATT) of Chicago, and is the Director of the Nathan and Shirley Rothner ATT Summer Camp program. She began at the Academy in 1991.

Mrs. Sarah Wainkrantz
Navi and Chumash. B.A. She began at the Academy in 1991.

Rabbi Ira Wallach
Mechanech. He was formerly a member of the YU Torah Mitzion Kollel, where he interacted with and taught Academy students. He began at the Academy in 2010.

Mrs. Marlene Wasserstrom
Mathematics. B.S., University of Illinois. Mrs. Wasserstrom has written many mathematics textbooks and supplementary materials as well as curriculum and testing materials. She has worked as a math consultant for the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago since 1967 and is dedicated to providing a firm foundation in mathematics to students with special learning needs. She also worked as a consultant and mentor to the teachers at the Jewish Children's Bureau Therapeutic School. She began at the Academy in 1975.

Mr. Mark Wax
Boys' gym instructor.

Mrs. Beth Wiesenberg
Judaic Studies. B.A., Hebrew Theological College. She began at the Academy in 2008.

Mrs. Kochava Yitzchak
Navi, Chumash, Oral Law and Jewish Thought. B.A., Stern College. M.A., Bernard Revel Graduate School. She began at the Academy in 2003.