Our Staff
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Our dedicated staff consists of experienced and passionate educators who are committed to guiding and inspiring our students. They serve as supportive role models, fostering both academic excellence and personal growth in every child.
Mrs. Adina Deckelbaum
Menaheles
Morah Adina Deckelbaum holds a Master’s in Education and has been an established mechaneches for over 20 years. She has most recently served as the Early Childhood Director at Yeshiva Ketana of Manhattan for the past 9 years, where she has become beloved in the West Side community. She is known for her trademark warmth, energy, creativity, and passion to help each child grow and succeed.
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Morah Adina has raised the bar of education at Yeshiva Ketana’s preschool, with students excelling in all academic areas. Her extensive educational background includes working in both integrated and mainstream classrooms, and building curricula in both Limudei Kodesh and General Studies. She has worked in multicultural environments and fuses her administrative experience with a keen understanding of child development to inspire growth within each child. We are delighted that she has joined Bais Yaakov of the Upper West Side and will help shape the future of the girls in our community.
Mrs. Yocheved Jurkowitz
1st Grade Limudei Kodesh
Morah Yocheved Jurkowitz is a superstar in her field. As a first-grade Morah for many years, she has earned a sterling reputation for connecting with her talmidos and creating an environment where each child can flourish and shine. Morah Yocheved is a teacher’s teacher and has authored and illustrated the widely acclaimed Safa Yafa curriculum, which is being utilized at countless schools across the country.
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Morah Yocheved is a Kriah specialist par excellence and is known for her ability to help each student build Kriah fluency, laying a strong foundation for Chumash skills. She also uses her incredible artistic and creative talents as the Art and Activity Director at the well-known Camp Bnoseinu summer camp.
Mrs. Laya Landsberg
1st Grade General Studies
Mrs. Laya Landsberg brings close to three decades of experience along with the latest academic and research-based methodologies to our first graders as they embark on their learning journey. Her ever-growing passion for continuous learning and dedication to using cuttingedge methods to reach each child instills a genuine love for learning in her students. Mrs. Landsberg is trained in both the Wilson/Fundations and Orton/Gillingham approaches to teaching reading.
To enrich and solidify their academic achievement, Mrs. Landsberg utilizes Whole Brain Teaching, Social-Emotional Learning, and Brain Gym Exercises throughout the day. She has implemented the Math in Focus curriculum which is built within the Singapore math curriculum framework. This supports students in developing a strong conceptual understanding by placing emphasis on problem-solving strategies. Community ventures, timely lessons, and hands-on activities further enhance the learning experience.
Mrs. Sherri Kaye
2nd Grade Limudei Kodesh
Mrs. Sherri Kaye joins us with over 25 years of professional experience teaching lower elementary grades. She taught second grade in Bais Yaakov of Queens for 10 years, and has recently been teaching in Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB). Mrs. Kaye has created a curriculum that is highly academic and appealing to her talmidos, and she is known to differentiate her subjects based on her students’ needs and goals.
She is highly successful at introducing and mastering Chumash skills in a fun and engaging environment. She has extensive training in the Lomdei Blended Learning Platform and enhances her lessons with technology integration. Mrs. Kaye is well known for her close relationships with her students and her open communication with their parents. As a professional artist, Mrs. Kaye brings a great deal of creativity to her classroom, and she strives to make the Torah and Judaism relevant to her young students' lives.
Mrs. Jolie Herskowitz
2nd Grade General Studies
Mrs. Jolie Herskowitz is a dedicated educator with a passion for inspiring students to reach their full potential. She received a BA in Psychology from Stern College, and has completed her Masters in Jewish and Special Education at Touro University. She employs many techniques to individualize each lesson and support all types of learners. She utilizes a multimodality approach to keep students engaged and excited about learning.
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Mrs. Herskowitz has worked in elementary school classrooms both as an assistant teacher and small group instructor. She fosters a supportive learning environment where students are encouraged to explore, question, and grow. She has most recently been a beloved third grade instructor at Yeshiva Ketana of Manhattan. She is a rising star and has quickly earned a reputation as a professional who keenly understands children’s social and emotional needs. Mrs. Herskowitz strives to instill a love of learning in every student she encounters.
Mrs. Devorah Meisels
Learning Center Director
Mrs. Devorah Meisels has over 15 years of experience in chinuch and has most recently served as a Kriah/reading specialist and core math educator for the past 12 years. Mrs. Meisels has earned her BA in psychology from Touro University and holds her Master's Degree in Special Education from Daeman College.
She is passionate about meeting every child's academic needs and provides both scaffolding support and enrichment to our diverse learners. Mrs. Meisels works closely with both our Limudei Kodesh and General Studies teachers to help diversify curricular goals so each student is met at her individual learning capacity.
Miss Meirav Masri
Dance & Gymnastics Coach
Miss Meirav Masri received her BA in psychology from Touro University and has 10 years of training in gymnastics and dance. She is a qualified tutor and works with children to help them achieve their personal, intellectual, and physical goals. Morah Meirav's charismatic and infectious smile endears her to her students and brings out their positive energy in their gym and gymnastics classes, a definite highlight of the week!
Mrs. Shayna Landau
Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Shayna Landau serves as administrative assistant and office manager. Mrs. Landau graduated from Lakewood Institute of Technology as a computer programmer and uses her skills of efficiency and organization to create a professional and smooth running of the Bais Yaakov office and admissions process.
Mrs. Landau's background includes years of working in schools, summer camps, and after-school clubs which has helped her build a wonderful rapport with our students and staff and she avails herself to assist in whatever capacity she is needed.