Staff Bios

Bryna Leider        Education Director
Bryna has worked in education for 12 years. She received a B.A. in English and Education from Touro College, and then became the lead teacher in a Pre-K class, a position she held for seven years. She also worked as a Judaic studies teacher for 1st, 3rd, and 6th grades and taught English Language Arts to 11th and 12th graders. These diverse experiences led her to pursue a M.S.Ed in Curriculum and Teaching (N-12) at Fordham University. After graduating summa cum laude, she accepted a position as the education coordinator of a large Head Start program. In 2006, she became an education consultant. She traveled to schools on the East and West coasts where she evaluated programs and guided implementation of changes, including creating customized curricula, and presenting a variety of staff development topics. She joined Luria Academy in 2007. Bryna attended Montessori training at the Montessori Teachers College of San Diego.

Tzippy Lob        Lead Teacher, 3-5 Class
Tzippy received a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Brooklyn College, graduating on the Deans list. She continued her education at Touro College Graduate School of Psychology and Education. She received a M.S. in both General and Special Education. She is a New York State certified teacher in general and special education. Tzippy joined Luria Academy in 2008. Previously, she was the lead preschool teacher at HIDEC, in Brooklyn. She was responsible for twenty-two children ranging from 2.5 to 5 years old. Tzippy also worked as a direct care worker in Ohel's foster care residence and taught at OTSAR's Sunday program and Bnos Bais Yaakov's after school program. Tzippy holds a Certificate in Montessori Primary Education (ages 3-5) from the North American Montessori Center.

Symie Lipkind        Teacher, 3-5 Class
Symie has been part of the staff of Luria Academy since its inception. She is working toward a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Intervention and is completing her 3-5 Montessori certification at West Side Montessori Teacher Education Program, which is affiliated with NYU. Her earlier experience involved working with children with special needs. She was a para-professional (supervisor of a child with special needs, usually in a regular education classroom) for a young boy, and a home care supervisor at the Jewish Board and Women's League. She also worked at HASC, where she did ResHab (relieved parents of children with special needs), worked one-on-one with autistic children, and provided ABA and massage therapies.

Sara Malasky        Lead Teacher, 5-6 Class
Sara is returning for her second year at Luria Academy. Before joining our school, she worked at the Preschool of the Arts in Chelsea. For four years prior, she taught Kindergarten at Yeshiva Ketana of Manhattan's early childhood center. Earlier, she worked in the special education department in the NYC public school system for two years and taught and developed curriculum for the Early Childhood Department as well as the fifth and sixth grades at Hebrew Academy in Austin, TX. Additionally, she taught literacy privately in many one-on-one and small group settings. Sara graduated from Touro College with a Bachelor's degree in education and is currently enrolled in a Literacy Education graduate program at Hunter College. She also has two years of training in the AUSSIE method, a balanced literacy approach. Sara trained at the Taryag Torah Montessori teacher training seminar with Rabbi Jonathan Rietti.

Devora Lea Kirschenbaum        Teacher, 5-6 Class
Devora Lea is returning for her third year at Luria Academy. She is a graduate of Machon Shoshanat Yerushalayim. Previously, she taught Pre-K in Boca Raton, Florida. Devora Lea has also directed camps across the globe, including in Finland, Ireland, Florida, Alabama, and California. Devora Lea is pursuing her Bachelor's degree.

Tiphanie Rosenblatt        Lead Teacher, 7-10 Class
Tiphanie has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a M.S. in English for Middle School. While in graduate school, Tiphanie taught sports classes for toddlers, ran a nursery/Pre-K camp, and was a nanny for three children. She is a New York State Certified teacher. Tiphanie has been a Hebrew School teacher for the past six years for grades four through seven. She also taught Kindergarten and Third Grade in various public schools. Tiphanie is currently enrolled in the Montessori Lower Elementary training program through the North American Montessori Center.

Rivkah Shirah Frances        Teacher, 7-10 Class
Rivkah Shirah is a new addition to Luria Academy. Previously, she worked at P.S. 721 in Bensonhurst and at Bais Yaakov of Boro Park. She is currently enrolled in an undergraduate program in History.

CONSULTANTS

STEPHANIE WHALEN
Stephanie was the long-time Director of the Staten Island Montessori School. After her retirement, she continued to work as an instructor at West Side Montessori Teacher Education Program. She has mentored student teachers for over thirty years.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR STAFF

Chana Rosenberger,        Physical Education
Chana is a certified fitness instructor and personal trainer. She has taught in a variety of gyms and schools since 1998. She recently earned a B.S. in Physical Education at Brooklyn College.

Jacqueline Fritz,        Yoga/Dance
Jacqueline earned a B.F.A. in dance from North Carolina School of the Arts. She trained at the Jeffrey Ballet School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and School of American Ballet. She received her yoga training at the Iyengar Yoga Institute. She has been teaching dance since 1999, and currently teaches yoga in a number of gyms and studios.

Jonathan Samson,        Music
Jon has a B.A. in Music Composition and a M.A. in Music Therapy. He is a Board Certified music therapist and teacher. Jon created a unique program that promotes self esteem, confidence, and focus through music. In addition to running a private practice, Jon runs a summer program at Packer Collegiate, and is a guest lecturer at Columbia University and other education institutions on the topic of autism and creative expression. Jon created a music program for the Blue School created by The Blue Man Group and has also worked for the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Jon is a pianist, guitarist, singer/songwriter, and recording artist.

Gili Levy,        Ivrit and Art
Gili was born and raised in Israel. She worked as a psychological interviewer for the IDF and also studied painting with the Israeli artist Zvika Lachman. Gili received an MFA from the New York Studio School, where she also taught classes. She will teach a unique combination of Hebrew Language and Art and will also be available for small group after school art lessons.