Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman - Rosh HaYeshiva

I was a very good student in high school, but I loved shtick. I’ve been teaching now for almost 30 years. My philosophy as a teacher is – never give up on a student. I remember one particularly annoying student – you know, the kind who would raise his hand and call out, “ooo, ooo”, but when I’d call on him he’d say, “Oh, I forgot the answer.” But I kept encouraging him, and years later someone came back from Eretz Yisrael with regards from that boy – who is now a RAM at a yeshiva there. I always remind the staff that there is nothing sweeter than nachas from unexpected places! I love to laugh with my students at Rambam and Shalhevet; sometimes they tell me my jokes are “corny”, but I reply I’m a doctor of podiatry – what do you expect!

Rabbinic Ordination
• Yeshiva Bnei Torah

Academic Credentials:
• BA – Brooklyn College
• Dr. of Podiatric Medicine – Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine

Work Experience:
• Founder, Rosh HaYeshiva and Proud Faculty Member —Rambam Mesivta and Shalhevet High School

Rabbi Yotav Eliach - Principal

Most people know that I come from a family of Jewish educators; my father was the head of Flatbush Yeshiva for many years, and my mother is a well-known professor and author. So, perhaps it was natural for me to follow in their footsteps. I’ve been teaching for 29 years – it’s a little hard to believe, actually – 10 of which have been spent at Rambam. My focus has been on the fact that our Yeshiva students need to be prepared to become ambassadors for Israel and for Judaism on the campuses and in the workplace. That means that they not only have to have the necessary information at their fingertips, but also be able to present it – verbally or in writing – in an informative and convincing way. I also speak publicly about Israel and Zionism and am active in “Write On!” which teaches students to use the press as a medium through which to express support for Israel.

My proudest achievement is when I see my students making Aliya, serving in the IDF, becoming teachers of Zionism and Jewish history, or otherwise becoming community leaders. As a high school student …well, to quote Mark Twain, let’s say that I didn’t let school get in the way of my getting a good education! I wasn’t really a troublemaker but was certainly no Tzaddik either. As a teacher, I mix it up with my students all the time, and I can give as good as I get. Once, my students put this very lifelike plastic cockroach on my desk. I saw it when I entered class, pretended to ignore it and began teaching. Two minutes into the class, I picked it up, popped it into my mouth and began to chew. The class roared with laughter and even gave me a standing ovation

Rabbinic Ordination:
• Yeshiva Tomer Devorah

Academic Credentials:
• BA in History and Middle Eastern Studies (Brooklyn)
• MA in International Affairs (NYU)

Work Experience:
• Teacher – Yeshiva of Flatbush
• Administrator – Yeshiva of Flatbush, Rambam

Mr. Hillel Goldman - Assistant Principal

On my first day as a student at Columbia University’s Teachers College, they placed us in a circle and asked us to explain why we were there. Since I was in the graduate program for the Teaching of English, the majority discussed how a love of either Chaucer, Shakespeare, Austin, or some other writer had led them to want to teach English. When it was my turn, I noted that while a love of the subject was necessary to be a successful teacher, the reason why I was there was because of the students, not the authors.

I have spent the last six years cultivating this student-centered approach while teaching English full time at both Magen David Yeshivah and Shaare Torah Boys High School. It is one of my core beliefs as an educator that if students are empowered and challenged, they will achieve phenomenal results both inside and outside the classroom.

Toward that end, I was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in the Bar-Ilan/Lookstein Educational Leadership Advancement Initiative and, with the help of the Magen David students, founded Emet Viyatsiv: The MDY Academic Integrity Society. Additionally, I was also able to launch MDY's first Book Club and coached their College Bowl Teams.

Following my mornings at Magen David, I would race over to Shaare Torah, teach another five English classes and also serve as the school’s first Activities Director. In that capacity, I was able to establish, with the assistance of some amazing administrators and students, a Shaare Torah/OHEL Chavrutah Program, and the school’s first Debate, Chess, College Bowl and Torah Bowl Teams.

My wife Deena and I, not to mention our little Eliana, are incredibly excited about being part of the Rambam Mesivta community, and at the prospect of growing and learning alongside its students. By working with the boys as well as for them, it is my hope to live up to the Rambam legacy and past while working to enhance its future.

Academic Credentials:
• B.A. English, Queens College
• M.A. Teaching of English, Teachers College, Columbia University
• Educational Leadership Advancement Initiative Phases I & II, The Bar-Ilan/Lookstein Center for Jewish Education

Teaching Experience:
• Magen David Yeshivah High School
  Teacher-English, Film Studies
  Administrator-Grade Advisor
• Shaare Torah Boys High School
  Teacher-English, Business Math, Public Speaking
  Administrator-Director of Student Activities

Mr. Jeff Ganeles - Administrator

If one was asked to describe me (or Mr. “G.” as my students fondly address me) as a teacher, I suspect the responses would likely include words such as excited, energetic, and fun. To me, math is an amazing subject, challenging at times, but one that can be immensely gratifying and certainly one that has so much to offer. I just hope that my passion and excitement for the subject rubs off a little on my students. I want my students to appreciate how often math is used in their daily lives. It gives me great pleasure to see a student’s excitement when he or she finally arrives at the correct solution to a difficult problem.

While I have always taken a special liking to math as a subject, I have also expanded my interests into other subjects and professions. Before my days as a high school teacher and administrator began, I pursued a career in the actuarial field. Ever since I was a child and even to this day, I still dream of becoming a licensed pilot. While in college I became a certified EMT and currently I teach a high-school EMT course in another school. Furthermore, I have taken my love for math and my students’ love for making money and combined it into developing an introductory college-level business math course named “Mathematics of Investment”.

Outside the classroom, my students and I share a very special bond. Last year over 100 of my students joined my wife Rina and me in celebrating our marriage, and this year in celebrating the bris of our precious little son Rafi, who has already been given the title of “Baby G.” I share in their excitement and they share in mine. It’s a very special relationship we have and one that I hope to continue to have with all my students in the years to come.

Academic Credentials:
• Queens College: B.A. Mathematics

Teaching Experience:
• Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB) 2003
• Rambam Mesivta High School : 2002 - Present

School Administration :
• Rambam Mesivta High School: 2005 - Present

Rabbi Shmuel Fink - Administrator

Rabbi Fink learned in Mesivta of Long Beach and Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim. He received his Smicha from Harav Ephraim Greenblatt Shlita, author of the Rivivos Ephraim. In addition to being a Rebbe in Rambam, Rabbi Fink is the Deputy Chairman of the Department of Computer Science at Touro College where he has been a professor for 12 years.

Rabbi Sol Appleman - Beis Medrash Rebbe

RABBI SOL APPLEMAN was a Rebbe at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County for twenty-three years. He was recognized by the Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Life Monument Fund and was the recipient of the prestigious Excellent Teacher Award in 1997. He was Alumnus of the Year of HANC in 1987 and received the Centennial Lamplighter award from Yeshiva University in 1986. He was the rabbi at the East Nassau Hebrew Congregation in Syosset, NY, since 1978. He received the Synagogue Achievement award from the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America in 1980. He is currently in his fourth year of teaching at Rambam Mesivta where he received the Man of the Year honor in March, 2005.

He attended HANC for nine years and Yeshiva University for eleven years: from high school through Semichah and Bernard Revel Graduate School (MS in Jewish Philosophy). He is the author of An Overview of the Talmud, The Jewish Woman in Judaism and Is There Life After the Bar/Bas Mitzvah and has also written numerous articles in The Jewish Press, The Jewish Week and The Jewish World. He is also the owner of Custom Software & Computers and designs computers, networks and writes software.

Rabbi Ari Chait - Rebbe

Rabbi Arie Chait was born on the east side in Manhattan. At the age of six, his family moved to Israel where they resided for eight years. In 1989, his family moved back to the U.S.A. where Rabbi Chait attended Bais Shraga high school in Monsey. After graduating in 1993, Rabbi Chait returned to Israel to attend Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva, where his grandfather is the Rosh HaYeshiva. Rabbi Chait then attending Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva in Kew Gardens Hills for 10 years where he received Semicha (Rabbinic Ordination). During the first years at yeshiva, Rabbi Chait attended Touro College and received a degree in Accounting .Prior to teaching at Rambam, Rabbbi Chait had been teaching at Mesivta of Roslyn high school for three years.

Rabbi Moshe Farkas - Beis Medrash Rebbe

Rabbi Moshe Farkas learned in the Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, Yeshiva Bais Medrash LeTorah in Skokie and Yeshiva Brisk in Chicago, and in Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn. He received his smicha from Harav HaGaon Aharon Soloveichik, zt"l. He is the Moreh D’Asra in Congregation Mateh Zevulun in Far Rockaway. Rabbi Farkas has been teaching in Rambam since 1993.

Rabbi Noam Horowitz - Rebbe

Rabbi Shlomo Kovitz - Rebbe/Mathematics

Rabbi Jonathon Muskat - Rebbe

RABBI JONATHAN MUSKAT teaches gemara, hashkafah and halakhah at Rambam. Rabbi Muskat grew up in Toronto, Canada and after graduating from Yeshiva High School, he studied at Yeshivat Shaalvim in Israel for a year and a half. Subsequently, Rabbi Muskat attended Yeshiva University, where he received a B.A. in Speech & Drama and in Jewish Studies, an M.A. in Medieval Jewish History and Semikhah (Rabbinic ordination). Rabbi Muskat also received a J.D. from New York University School of Law and he practiced corporate law at the Wall Street law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson for four and a half years. Currently, Rabbi Muskat also teaches at HAFTR High School and he is the Morah D’Atra of the Young Israel of Oceanside.

Rabbi Yitzchak Friedman - Rebbe

Rabbi "Y" was brought up in Hicksville, Long Island and later attended Yeshivas Shor Yoshuv where he learned and received smicha from HaRav Naftali Jaeger Shlita. Before coming to Rambam, he was the 12th grade Rebbe in Mesivta Ohr Torah where he also ran the Israel Guidance Program. Currently he is a 9th and 11th grade Rebbe.

Rabbi Yosef Ziskind - Rebbe

A graduate of Yeshivah M’Kor Chaim Talmudic Academy, Bais Hatalmud and a "Musmach" of the Mir Yeshiva of Jerusalem. In addition to being a Rebbe in Rambam Mesivta, he is also a Rebbe at Yeshivah Ateret Torah. Rabbi Ziskind also serves on the Rabbinic Advisory Committee for Kehilas Moreshes Yaakov and the coordinator of outreach. He is responsible for the development of continuing education classes for adults, seminars, shabbatons, and educational planning.

Mr. Bill Caffrey - English

Mr. Jason Gelman - Global Studies

Señor Joseph Cardillo - Spanish

Señor Cardillo came to Rambam in 1997 and found a new home after a thirty four year career in the Baldwin School District. In Baldwin he was a teacher of French, Italian and Spanish, District Director of Foreign Languages, and Baldwin Summer School principal. He also has been a professor of French Literature and Italian language for the past thirteen years at Dowling College on Long Island. In the past he has conducted trips to Europe with his foreign language students. He derived the greatest pleasure seeing them speak to the native speakers of the language they were studying and functioning so well in a foreign culture. What a delight! His goal as a Spanish teacher is to have the students enjoy the language and learn to communicate with a native speaker who knows no English. Many of his students have returned to report that they have had to use the Spanish they learned in their work. Very rewarding.

Mr. Max Gottfried - Art

Max Gottfried is a painter, graphic designer and educator who has been Rambam Mesivta’s art teacher from the very beginning. Professor Gottfried teaches at NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE (since 1992). His classes include Drawing, Advanced Drawing, 2D Design, Advertising and Airbrush Painting. He has lectured at Montclair State (NJ) and numerous libraries and educational institutions throughout the US. He is also the art teacher art the HEBREW ACADEMY OF LONG BEACH (Elementary school grades 1-8) since 2000. He is the painting instructor at the USDAN Center for Creative & Performing Arts since 1998. He continues to exhibit his paintings in galleries worldwide. Recent local exhibits include: Firehouse Gallery (Garden City, NY), Mill Pond Gallery (St James, NY).

Prof. Alan Hulsaver - AP Mathematics

PROF. ALAN HULSAVER teaches AP Calculus at Rambam Mesivta and is also an adjunct professor at SUNY Old Westbury and Nassau Community College. He has a Master of Science degree from Adelphi University and has taught many years in the Oceanside school district. He enjoys playing golf and running.

Mrs. Rebecca Isseroff, Science Coordinator

I have a sense of wonderment about science that I view as an extension of my life philosophy as a Torah-observant Jew. I remember how I felt when I learned about how the structure of hemoglobin changes, enabling it to transport oxygen to different parts of the body. I was amazed at how beautiful and perfect it was; it was clear that this could only be the work of Hashem. I try very hard to share these feelings with my students and mentees, and I think it helps account for the tremendous successes that we’ve had at the national and even international science competitions at Rambam. Of course, success in any competitive environment requires hard work on the part of the coach, but mostly on the part of the student. At Rambam, we will provide the car – but we’ll look to our students to provide the gas. And we know the results will be pretty amazing.

Academic Credentials:
• BSc – Chemistry (Brooklyn)
• MA – Secondary Education – Chemistry (Adelphi)

Work Experience:
• Chemistry Teacher – Rambam, HAFTR, SKA, Lawrence High School
• Science Coordinator - Rambam, HAFTR

Awards:
• NYS Woman of Distinction Award
• Long Island Technology Hall of Fame Award
• Who’s Who among America’s Teachers
• Gruss Foundation General Studies Excellent Teachers Award

Accomplishments:
• Siemens Westinghouse: 6 national winners, 4 additional regional finalists, 6 additional semifinalists
• Intel STS: 10 semifinalists, 1 finalist
• Intel ISEF: 16 finalists, 4 first-place winners, 2 second-place winners, 3 fourth-place winners

Mr. Ariel Jerushalmy, Global Studies

Long ago, I came to the conclusion that a corporate/financial job wasn’t for me. I’ve always had an interest in history and hence a desire to work in an area for which I have a genuine passion. I also like to share this passion with others. Thus, teaching seems like the perfect position for me.

My goal is to help my students cultivate an understanding of the narrative of world history, coupled with an analytical approach to better understanding the events that have shaped world history. I love opening the students’ eyes via exposure to the various cultures, people and religions that make up our diverse world. “This past summer I had the unique opportunity to visit Peru and experience the rich history and culture, as well as interact with fellow travelers from all over the world.”

Academic Credentials:
• BA in Economics, Brooklyn College
• MA in Education/Social Studies, Brooklyn College

Work Experience:
• Progress High School, Magen David Yeshivah High School, Rambam

Mike Kelly, Algebra, Geometry

It’s only dawned on me recently – I’m what you’d call a math “wonk”. I’ve always loved math and when I see my students do really well on the Regents exam, I’m not sure who’s happier, me or them. Sure, I’ve done other things: I was actually a bass player in a great rock band for about 10 years. But math has always been my first love. I’ve taught all of the different high school math disciplines, Sequential I, Math A, Math AB, Algebra/Trigonometry and so forth. I’ve taught SAT and PSAT prep courses. I’ve been teaching for 10 years; this is my fourth year at Rambam. I’ve participated in many different types of preparatory programs that demonstrate different methods for teaching math, and actually making it fun. That’s important, to my mind, because math is not the first love of many students, so it’s something that most students need help with. I remember myself as a young teacher trying to explain to a class the conditional statement in a chapter of logic under the eye of a very stern and uncompromising principal; after a few failed attempts, I asked the students if anyone thought they could explain it better than I did. One student raised her hand, I sat down and she explained the concept beautifully. And it turns out that the principal was impressed that I had figured out a better way to get the lesson across to the class, even if it meant foregoing ceremony or personal pride. To me, that’s the most important message to get across to my students: that I really want them to learn, and will do almost anything to help them get there.

Academic Credentials:
• BA – Mathematics (St. John’s University)
• MA (in progress) – Secondary Education (Molloy College)

Work Experience:
• Mathematics Teacher – Elmont Memorial HS, Huntington Learning Center, Rambam, HAFTR

Mrs. Shaindy Lisker, Chemistry

I don’t consider myself a “geek” by any stretch of the imagination. But I do like challenges and what can be more challenging than teaching some really tough courses, like Biology, Chemistry, even Calculus! I’ve taught them all, and I’ve been at it for more than 10 years. My classes are serious, but there’s always that moment when a student has to help me to erase the top reaches of the blackboard that gets a laugh. How well have I done as a teacher? Well, whenever I walk down Central Avenue, it seems that I’m stopped by former students from, Rambam, Reenas Beis Yaakov, and now Shalhevet, all of whom want to chat. Just the other day I was out with my son, and I met 4 former students, all of whom wanted to talk. Once, I had promised my son that we would be home in time for lunch, and he really tried to be patient, but when I finished chatting, my son said to me, “did you say we’d be home by lunch or dinner? Let’s hope you don’t meet any more of your students, or we might not be home until breakfast!” What can I say? I thrive on having that kind of relationship with my students.

Academic Credentials:
• BA – Queens College
• MA in Secondary Education and Youth Services – Queens College

Work Experience:
• Chemistry and Biology Instructor – HAFTR, Rambam, Reenas Bais Yaakov, TAG
• Calculus and Lab Instructor – Shevach High School

Prof. John Naclerio - Intro to Business

PROF. JOHN NACLERIO has come to us with over 34 years of teaching business experience at both Baruch college and Nassau College. He retired from the US. Customs and Border Protection as the Assistant Director, Mission Support. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Science from St John's University and a Masters Degree in Executive Management, graduating with honors. He has received over 30 awards for outstanding govermental achievements and is a survivor of the World Trade Center. His training of staff on evacuation techniques resulted in no deaths of Customs employees that day and received a Congressional Citation for working under hostile fire.

Mr. Ira Schildkraut - College Guidance/History

Ira J. Schildkraut joined the faculty of Rambam Mesivta after teaching Social Studies at Freeport High School for 35 years. During that time he specialized in United States History & Government and Advanced Placement United States History. He served as Social Studies Department Head for 25 years. He has written curricula for numerous Freeport High School and New York State courses and continues to serve as a testing consultant for the New York State Education Department, writing U.S. History & Government Regents Exam questions and constructing U.S. History & Government Regents Exams. In addition to teaching Economics and two Advanced Placement courses at Rambam Mesivta, he is currently serving as Director of College Guidance. He also is faculty advisor for the Model Congress delegation and the Debate Team. Outside of school, he covers Freeport Village and School Board meetings for the Freeport-Baldwin Leader weekly newspaper.

Prof. Joanne Stevens - AP English/ History

JOANNE STEVENS-BAIR is a wife and mother of three. She teaches A.P. Language and Composition and Global History and Geography here at Rambam. Ms. Stevens-Bair is also the coach of our Mock Trial team. She attended Fordham College at Rose Hill and graduated with a B.A., Summa Cum Laude with Honors in the top 5% of her graduating class, Phi Beta Kappa. She also attended Fordham School of Law and graduated with a J.D. at the top 15% of her class. Ms. Stevens-Bair is a sole practitioner who has maintained a diversified practice of law in Garden City for almost twenty years. She has a love for teaching and has taught at numerous paralegal programs such as Queens College and Adelphi University. She is a popular and celebrated instructor at the Hofstra University Paralegal Studies Program where she has taught for over fifteen years and where she received the “Teaching Award of Excellence”. Ms. Stevens-Bair is presently writing a paralegal introduction to law textbook for that program and continues to stir the students at Rambam.

Mrs. Edith Tolins - English

Cantor Moshe Weiss - Music