Rabbi Yisrael Serraf- 2nd Grade Boys Judaic Studies

Rabbi Yisrael Serraf was born and raised in Montreal, Canada and went to Rabbinical College of Canada. At the age of 20, he was sent on shlichut to reach out to the Jewish Community of Singapore and beyond in South East Asia for 2 years. He enjoys soccer, art, and spreading the light of the Torah to both young and old. He is married to Rivka and they have 2 children. 

To contact Rabbi Yisrael Serraf, email iserraf@emek.org.

The teacher's assistant is Rachel Brown.

Diane Rosenthal- 2nd Grade Boys Secular Studies

Diane Rosenthal was born and raised in New York.  She is a graduate of Pace University with a BA in Elementary Education.  Diane taught a variety of grades during her twenty year tenure at Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy where she was Teacher of the Year in 2010.  She holds a certification from UC San Diego in Gifted and Talented Education.  She is very excited to be teaching at Emek for the third year.

To contact Diane Rosenthal, email drosenthal@emek.org. 

The teacher's assistant is Myra Rackliff. 

Meira Leah Shifman- 2nd Grade Girls Judaic Studies 

Meira Leah Shifman is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach Torah studies to the second grade girls at Emek this year. After graduating high school, she attended Seminar Yerushalayim where she completed her teacher’s certificate. She then returned home to California where she has been aiding several elementary level grades at Emek for the past two years.  Meira Leah recently completed her Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts with a focus on Judaic studies and elementary education from Excelsior College.  She is looking forward to a fantastic year of learning and growth.

To contact Meira Leah Shifman, email meirashifman@emek.org.

The teacher's assistant is Sharona Shamtoub. 

Rachel Rosen- 2nd Grade Girls Secular Studies

Rachel Rosen grew up “over the hill” in west Los Angeles.  She graduated with her BA in Metropolitan Studies from New York University and received her MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena.  Rachel was a preschool teacher at Valley Beth Shalom’s Early Childhood Center for six years, followed by one year revamping their after-school program and serving as their After School Kids Club Program Coordinator.  Recently, Rachel completed her California State Teaching Credential through the DeLeT program at Hebrew Union College.  She spent her DeLeT year as a teaching intern at Pressman Academy and taking classes at HUC in the evenings.  Rachel is thrilled to be beginning her elementary teaching career at Emek and looks forward to a fantastic year in 2G!

To contact Rachel Rosen, email rrosen@emek.org.

The teacher's assistants are Marilyn Silver and Donna Lerner.