Authors

Rabbi Amy Bardack Rabbi Amy Bardack (editor) is the Judaic Studies Curriculum Director at SSDS of Greater Boston, where she has served in Judaic leadership since 2002. Amy led a school-wide initiative in Hebrew proficiency which transformed Hebrew language learning, making the school a national model of excellence. Current projects include working with teachers on redesigning Tanakh curriculum through a standards and benchmarks approach, and on helping students find joy and inspiration in tefillah.

Amy received her BA from Columbia University, MHL from the University of Judaism, and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Before coming to Schechter, she served as Judaic Director of Yavneh Day School in Los Gatos, CA, and as Rabbi of the Conservative Synagogue of Fifth Avenue in New York City. Amy has written several articles on Jewish spirituality for books, including Lifecycles: Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal Milestones . She lives in Newton with her husband and two children.

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Rabbi Beth Naditch Rabbi Beth Naditch (editor) was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999, and earned a Masters Degree in Jewish Education from JTS that same year. Currently, she is a member of the faculty of the DeLeT/MAT program at the Mandel Center for Jewish Education at Brandeis University, where she teaches future day school teachers in the areas of tefillah, Tanakh, and spiritual formation.

In addition to her work with DeLeT, Beth is certified as a professional chaplain by the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. She developed and directs pastoral volunteer training programs for Hebrew Senior Life and Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, in which she teaches the art and skills of pastoral care. Beth offers classes and groups at several Boston area synagogues and institutions. Beth, her husband, and their three sons live in Newton.

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Micah Zimring Micah Zimring (designer) Micah Zimring is a user experience designer, graphic designer, and lettering artist. He's been hooked on design and art since his first calligraphy lessons at age 12, and he designed his first ketubah at age 14. Since then, he's created dozens of ketubot, invitations, and other types of unique Jewish calligraphic art. His calligraphy has been featured in Letter Arts Review. Micah is currently a user experience designer for Intuit QuickBase.

Micah has a BFA in graphic design from the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts). He lives in Newton with his wife and two sons.

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Lori Kahn Lori Kahn (writer) Lori M. Kahn is the School Librarian at the Aaron Kushner Library at SSDS. Her entire professional career has been as a Jewish educator. For the past twenty years Lori has shared the joys of literature with her students and has introduced them to the larger community of readers. Presently she is very involved in school projects that integrate technology into education.

Lori received her BA from Brandeis University, her Masters in Elementary and Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education and her Masters in Library and Information Sciences from Simmons College. She has three children and two grandsons. Lori and her husband live in Newton.

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Naomi Katz Mintz Naomi Katz Mintz (writer) Naomi has been teaching Kindergarten since 1988 at SSDS, where each morning she uses her guitar to lead her children in tefillot. In past years, she directed five of the school's eighth grade all-Hebrew musicals and she also served as director of Family Camp at Ramah in New England. Naomi has worked as education director, teacher and Tot-Shabbat leader at synagogues in the Boston area.

Naomi received a Bachelor's Degree in human development from Cornell University and a Masters in Teaching from Harvard. She is the recipient of the Keter Torah Award for excellence in teaching from Boston's Bureau of Jewish Education. The mother of a cantorial student, Naomi lives with her husband in Acton, Massachusetts.