About Our Staff
Rebecca Schnaper, Director of Education
Rebecca is so excited to be joining the B'Yachad community! After graduating from Brandeis University with a degree in Near Eastern Judaic Studies and minor in Elementary Education, she spent 1 year teaching at Maimonides School in Brookline, MA and then moved to Springfield where she taught 3rd grade for 9 years. During her time teaching, she also completed her Masters degree in education from American International College. Throughout college and her early teaching career, Rebecca worked for ten summers at Camp Ramah in the Poconos. This was where her love of Jewish education blossomed!
To contact Rebecca, email her at rschnaper@byachadspringfield.org
Our Rabbinical Leadership
Rabbi Amy Wallk
Temple Beth El
Rabbi Amy S Wallk has been an active Jewish educator for more than 30 years. She has worked with adults and children, in both formal and experiential settings. Rabbi is considered to be a gifted teacher and a visionary educational leader. In addition to her ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, she has earned a Master's Degree in Jewish Education from the University of Judaism and a PhD in Education from Michigan State University.
Rabbi Jeremy Master
Sinai Temple
Rabbi Jeremy Master was born and raised on Long Island. He graduated with a BA in Religion and the College of Social Sciences from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. After college, he attended the Hebrew Union College and was ordained in 2004. He currently serves as the Rabbi of Sinai Temple since 2018.
Our Teachers
Debra Cohen
Pre-K Teacher
Morah Cohen is well known to the preschoolers in Longmeadow, MA. She is beginning her 30th year teaching and has worked at Sinai Temple teaching 2nd grade for several years, along with Temple Beth El, providing child care for the High Holidays and the Tot Shabbat Program. Morah Cohen loves to teach, sing, dance, tell stories and do fun activities.
Helene Shapiro
K-1st Grade Teacher
Morah Helene has been teaching at Sinai and Temple Beth El for a combined 28 years, however she's been a teacher since 1989! She loves her work and her students so much. She loves creating projects, learning through games, and fostering other fun and engaging activities with her students. In 2011 she won teaching awards for Western Mass and Nationally.
Audrey Chasen
2nd Grade Teacher
Morah Audrey began her teaching journey at Sinai Temple 6 years ago as a madricha. She is proud to bring her experience with Pre-K through 5th grade to the classroom this year as a teacher. Outside of her passion for teaching and Jewish education, Morah Audrey attends CT State Community College Asnuntuck and works as a retail stylist. She can't wait to teach your children this year!
Hannah Wald
2nd Grade Teacher
Morah Hannah started out her teaching journey as a madricha at Sinai Temple, from 2014 to 2018. She graduated from Westfield State with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2022. During the week, Morah Hannah works as a floating infant, toddler, and preschool teacher. Morah Hannah is also taking classes at Elms College, in communication sciences and disorders, with the goal of becoming a Speech and Language Pathology Assistant.
She looks forward to sharing her passion for Early Childhood Education with the B’Yachad community.
Norma Garde
3-4th Grade Teacher
Morah Norma has been teaching in the Springfield Jewish Community for over 20 years! Throughout that time, she has taught grades 1-4. Over the years, she has also worked with children of all ages having been involved in girl scouts. In addition to her work at Sinai, Morah Norma currently works in retail and has a small home business creating various paper crafts.
Michelle Greston
5th Grade Teacher
Morah Michelle has previously taught at Reform and Conservative Synagogues in NY & CT and at Sinai Temple & Temple Beth El. As an Occupational Therapist in the public schools, she works with children from Pre-K through 12th grade with various disabilities. Morah Michelle has enjoyed getting to know students and families while tutoring Hebrew and helping both young and adult students prepare for their B'nai Mitzvah. Morah Michelle is delighted to be teaching at B'Yachad!
Phyllis Katz
6-7th Grade Teacher
Morah Phyllis has taught Judaics in every grade from 3rd to 12th. An accomplished educator, she has her MA teaching license in history, and has won the Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Prior to teaching, she was an attorney in Washington, DC and has coached over 500 middle-school and high school students in basketball. Morah Phyllis currently leads tours for school children at Springfield's Museum of Fine Arts.
