Middle School Girls

Tova Union- 7/8th Grade Girls- Student Council Advisor

Born in New York, Tova graduated with high honors from Torah Academy for Girls of Far Rockaway, where she participated in Student Council, drama, and choir. After making aliyah, she attended Lustig High School in Ramat Gan, became fluent in Hebrew, and graduated with distinction.

Tova studied Natural Sciences, Judaic Studies, and Education at Michlalah Jerusalem College for Women. After marrying Rabbi Avraham Union, she taught at Ohr Somayach College for Women and Noam Elementary School in Jerusalem.

The family later moved to South Africa, where Rabbi Union founded Ohr Somayach of South Africa. Tova served as Rebbetzin, taught at the Hebrew Academy of Cape Town, directed the community’s Bat Mitzvah program, and trained kallah teachers.

After moving to Los Angeles, Tova taught Torah Studies at Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy for 23 years. For over 14 years, she has served Emek Hebrew Academy as Middle School Mechanechet, Spiritual Advisor, and Director of Student Activities. She teaches Torah, leads student programs, mentors students, and guides families through high school admissions.

Tova and Rabbi Union are proud parents of nine children and grandparents to many beloved grandchildren. She remains devoted to nurturing Torah values, personal growth, and Jewish leadership.

To contact Tova Union, email [email protected].

Rabbi Mordechai Shifman

Emek Hebrew Academy Teichman Family Torah Center is fortunate to be under the direction of Rabbi Mordechai Shifman. Formerly, Rabbi Mordechai Shifman distinguished himself as a highly effective leader, serving as the High School Principal and Rav Bet Sefer at the Rabbi Alexander Sender Gross Hebrew Academy in Miami Beach, Florida for over twelve years. Due to his efforts both within the school and out in the community, the Rabbi Alexander Sender Gross Hebrew Academy High School enrollment almost doubled. Since his arrival in 2011, Rabbi Shifman has made a tremendous impact at Emek increasing the number of students from 480 to over 890 students. This is a direct result of his kind nature, positive attitude, warmth and the family-like environment that he has instilled at Emek.

Rabbi Shifman studied under the tutelage of the venerable sage Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Zt”l in Jerusalem followed by many years of studying under the direction of Harav Yochanan Zweig Shlit”a at the Talmudic University of Florida, where he received his Yoreh Yoreh Semicha ordination. Many of the ideas and concepts contained within Rabbi Shifman’s weekly Torah Thoughts and Emek Blossoms are based upon the teachings of his Rosh Yeshiva.

Rabbi Shifman is an accomplished Talmid Chacham and is a sought-after lecturer. He has served as the scholar-in-residence on numerous programs all over the world and has inspired thousands of people with his thought-stimulating lectures. Rabbi Shifman has delivered a daily Daf Yomi class for over twenty one years and his capacity to elucidate the most difficult Talmudic passages in a clear and cohesive manner is unparalleled. Rabbi Shifman’s gregarious and dynamic personality makes him the perfect fit to unify and galvanize our diverse community. The combination of a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Religious Education ensures that Rabbi Shifman is leading our school with the necessary fiduciary responsibilities, without compromising our expectations for the highest Torah and general studies standards.

To contact Rabbi Mordechai Shifman, [email protected].

Morah Ariella Rosenblatt

Morah Ariella Rosenblatt grew up in North Hollywood and is an alumna of both Emek Hebrew Academy and YULA Girls High School. She earned her B.A. from California State University, Northridge, and her M.A. in Education with a concentration in Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction from California State University, Bakersfield. She is also currently pursuing certification in educational therapy. This year, Morah Rosenblatt is excited to join the Administrative Team as the Middle School Girls Torah Studies Curriculum Coordinator. She and her husband—both proud Emek alumni—are blessed with four children: two Emek graduates, including a son currently studying at Yeshiva University and a daughter attending YULA High School, as well as two children currently enrolled at Emek. Passionate about fostering meaningful Torah learning experiences, Morah Rosenblatt is dedicated to supporting students in discovering their strengths and reaching their fullest potential.

To contact Morah Ariella Rosenblatt, email [email protected].

Sarah Perets

Sarah Perets lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children. The daughter of shluchim (envoys of the Lubavitcher Rebbe) to Grenoble, France, Sarah grew up in an environment dedicated to self-sacrifice and the transmission of Jewish values, especially through her parents, who have been teaching daily for over 45 years. She regularly teaches classes to the French-speaking women’s community, as well as a bi-monthly class in English. Sarah is among the first religious Jewish women to share her Torah lessons on social media for French-speaking audiences. She frequently participates in conferences around the world via Zoom, Instagram, and Facebook. Sarah Perets (Lahiany) studied at her parents' school in Grenoble, then at Beit Rivkah in Paris. She later pursued psychology at the University of Reims, France, and education at Hemdat HaDarom in Netivot, Israel. In the United States, she completed ABA training to work with children with autism and other special needs. From a young age, Sarah has loved teaching and sharing her passion, creating several programs for young girls and women. Today, she offers group and individual Torah classes, conferences, workshops, and retreats. Her areas of expertise include personal development through the teachings of Torah, Chassidut, and Kabbalah.

To contact Sarah Perets, email [email protected].

Niva Taylor

Niva Taylor is passionate about inspiring young students to develop a meaningful connection with Torah and mitzvot. With years of experience teaching Torah to women through LINK Kollel and, more recently, the Jewish Women’s Initiative (JWI), she strives to bring warmth, clarity, and depth to her teaching. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Jewish Education at Touro University and is excited to join the Emek Hebrew Academy community as a 7th Grade Limudei Kodesh Morah. An LA native, Niva lives with her family in Pico-Robertson, where she and her husband are raising children ranging in age from 8 to 21. In her free time, she enjoys writing, traveling, cooking, and spending time with her kids.

To contact Niva Taylor, email [email protected].

Leah Farivar

To contact Leah Farivar, email [email protected].

Chana Herzog

To contact Chana Herzog, email [email protected].

Erica Solomon

To contact Erica Solomon, email [email protected].

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