Staff

Ms. Belli is an expert teacher with more than 15 years of experience in early childhood and elementary education field. Ms. Belli is an expert on early literacy and reading comprehension, which is very helpful in her current field. Presently, Ms. Belli’s concentration is science. She has improved the science curriculum by enriching it with lots of hands-on activities for the kids. Every lesson culminates in a lab, which ensures long-term retention. She has worked in the schools in Florida and New York City, and all her former 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.​​

Mrs. Tran is a dedicated educator with 13 years of experience in elementary education. She is currently teaching 3rd grade English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Mathematics at Staten Island Hebrew Academy, where she is in her second year. Originally from Los Angeles, California, Nien completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley and earned a Master’s in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her teaching career includes experience at an elementary charter school in Los Angeles and a Department of Defense elementary school in Okinawa, Japan. Nien and her family relocated to Staten Island due to her husband’s work. They are proud parents to two young daughters, Nori and Nyla, aged 5 and 3. Nien is passionate about guiding young learners and is committed to helping them realize their potential as they grow and learn.

Miss Romandetti is a passionate middle school Social Studies and English Language Arts teacher, drawn to this age group’s energy, curiosity, and potential. She believes these subjects are crucial for developing critical thinking, communication, and a deeper understanding of the world. Her teaching philosophy focuses on fostering a supportive and engaging environment where students feel safe to express themselves and connect learning to real-life experiences. Beyond teaching, Miss Romandetti is active in her community, teaching religion classes at her church, practicing yoga, and spending quality time with family and friends—activities that enrich her life and positively influence her classroom presence.

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.

Diana Estrada has been working in youth programming for over 12 years and teaching for 5 years, bringing a wealth of experience and passion to her work. She is deeply committed to special education, reading, language arts, and soccer which she uses to make connections with the variety of SIHA scholars. The social-emotional well-being of every one of her students takes importance in Ms.Estradas priorities. Diana takes great pride in her role in the NACHAs program, believing strongly in helping students reach their full potential both academically and in life. It fills her heart with love and fulfillment when she sees a student make a breakthrough or achieve a personal academic goal.

Mrs. Spiegel is a graduate of Maimonides College and Beth Jacob Teachers Seminary of Toronto. She also studied at Midrasha Ohr Yerushalim in Israel. She has many years of teaching experience serving as preschool teacher, Sunday school teacher, afternoon school teacher and adult education instructor. Her love for Yiddishkeit can be seen in her approach to teaching. She always sees the good in every child and her Yideshe Mama really shines through. As a result, the children greatly enjoy learning about their heritage.