Staff
Mrs. Ilanit Dinar
Business Office Manager
Ilanit Dinar is the daughter of a Jewish Ukrainian born mother who immigrated to Israel and instilled in her children the importance of Jewish heritage. Being born in the US, Ilanit went to yeshiva her entire academic career and she graduated from Flatbush High School. Together with her husband, she continues with sending their own children to Yeshiva as preserving Jewish heritage is something they value immensely. Ilanit graduated from Briarcliff College with an Associate’s Degree in Business. She obtained Series 7 and 63 License and worked in Bear Sterns as a registered sales assistant. With her financial background she helps run SIHA’s administration efficiently. She is extremely dedicated to SIHA as she strongly believes in its mission of a great academic education while teaching the students to have a love and appreciation for their Jewish roots.
Ms. Carmit Cohen
Parent Coordinator
Carmit Cohen is the proud parent of Jaden, a 4th grader at SIHA. She has been involved with the PTA ever since enrolling her son in the school and has planned many beautiful events in and around the school grounds.
Mr. Steven Kaufman
Director of Operations
.Steven Kaufman has been working at SIHA since September 2020, in various roles and now serves as the school’s Director of Operations. Mr. Kaufman holds an MA from CUNY and brings well over a decade of experience in the educational field to this position, including having been a former university professor
Mrs. Cynthia Adams
Elementary School Teacher
Mrs. Valbona Belli
Russian Language Teacher/Science Teacher
employers consider her a great asset to the school because she truly cares about each child, is very organized, and communicates her expectations clearly to students and parents alike.
Mr. Andrew Ferrera
Resource Room Teacher and After School Supervisor
Mrs. Patricia Giordano
Middle School Advisor and Science Teacher
Ms. Regina Iannizzotto
Elementary School Teacher
Ms. Ety Perez
Ivrit Teacher
Rabbi Yaakov Kuritsky
Judaic Studies Rebbe
Rabbi Kuritsky was born in NY and raised in Baltimore, MD.
His father, now retired, practiced as a Rabbi and a child Psychologist. His mother of Blessed memory, a loving homemaker, was born in Russia prior to WWII.
Rabbi Kuritsky was educated in Yeshiva Beth Moshe high school of Scranton, PA and continued there for four years post High School. He continued his education in Israel and then in Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, NJ.
Rabbi Kuritsky has also taken many courses in Education and Pedagogy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Rabbinic and Talmudic Studies.
He comes with many years experience teaching both Secular and Judaic Studies. He has been a Principal for both Judaic studies and Secular Studies collectively for over two decades.
He is known for his love and caring for students and helping them reach their potential. Students and parents cherish the individual attention he gives to each student.
Ms. Mary Beth Melendez
School Guidance Counselor
Mrs. Alla Shats
Elementary School Teacher
Mrs. Rhonda Sherman
M.S., CCC/SLP
Rhonda graduated with a Bachelor of Science from College of Staten Island in Psychology and received her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Brooklyn College City University of New York. Rhonda completed her externship at Staten Island University Hospital with clinical practicum in the ventilator and neurology units as well as the Outpatient Clinic. Rhonda also holds a degree as Teacher of Judaic Studies from Bnot Torah Institute Jerusalem, Israel.
Rhonda’s clinical experience includes providing services to individuals from infancy to adult, evaluating and treating individuals with a variety of disorders including: Feeding and swallowing disorders, Articulation disorders, Language disorders, Voice disorders, Fluency disorders, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Vocal Cord Dysfunction, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Hearing Impairments, Cerebral Palsy, Prematurity, G tube feedings, Central Auditory Processing Disorder, Sensory issues, Aphasia, Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Down Syndrome.
Rhonda has been Director of Clinical and Homebound Services for Midwood Child Development Center and currently maintains a private practice servicing Early Intervention (EI), Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) and Committee on Special Education (CSE).
For the past 20 years, Rhonda has been providing services to private school students with a wide range of learning disabilities and has been working with Staten Island Hebrew Academy (SIHA) Nachas Program since 2018.
Rhonda’s mission at SIHA is to have each child reach their maximum potential by providing exemplary assessment and treatment of communication skills with quality speech-language therapy, all while having a positive educational experience.
Mrs. Shaindy Spiegel
Elementary School Judaic Studies Teacher
Mrs. Alexandra Slonim
Middle School and Nachas Program Teacher
Ms. Svjetlana Tatic
Middle School Teacher
Mr. Roumany Toumas
Middle School Math Teacher
Mr. Toumas has over 18 years of experience teaching math to students from grade 1 to grade 12. He comes to us highly recommended by the Yeshiva Tiferes Naftali High School, where he taught algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus to students. He also helped prepare his students for the SAT exam.
Ms. Jill Treisder
Occupational Therapist
Mr. Toumas has over 18 years of experience teaching math to students from grade 1 to grade 12. He comes to us highly recommended by the Yeshiva Tiferes Naftali High School, where he taught algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus to students. He also helped prepare his students for the SAT exam.
Ms. Sarit Glickman
Nachas Assistant
Mrs. Iris
Nachas Assistant
Mrs. Sterna Ivry
Elementary School Judaic Studies Teacher