Director of Temple Israel Religious School & Family Engagement
Naomi is thrilled to join the team at Temple Israel as the Director of the Religious School and Family Education. She is passionate about crafting meaningful experiences that allow children and families of all ages to find their connection to Judaism in a personal and authentic way. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Naomi acquired her love for Judaism from her nine years at the El Paso Hebrew Day School and leadership roles in USY. She earned her BS in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at the University of Texas at Austin where she was also involved in Jewish campus life and Israel activism. She continued on to earn an MA in Jewish Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary. While in school, Naomi taught in Jewish preschools and religious schools and spent her summers as a ropes course instructor at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack. Naomi was instrumental in the expansion of the Youth & Family Education department at Central Synagogue where she redesigned the religious school's K-2nd grade curriculum, staffed teen trips, planned community-wide holiday celebrations, and founded Camp Central, the synagogue's early childhood summer camp. Naomi also served as the Director of Education at Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester where she ushered the community through COVID-19 while co-leading the Women's Study Group. Most recently, Naomi served as the Director of Programming at the Moise Safra Center, a JCC in the heart of the Upper East Side, while participating in the fourth cohort of UJA's Ruskay Institute for Jewish Professional Leadership. During her free time, Naomi enjoys watching Bravo, rooting for the Texas Longhorns, and hiking and kayaking in the great outdoors. She and her husband, Sherman, have a daughter, Chaviva, and a dog named Mallomar.
