Jake Marmer
413-584-6622 ext. 101
Jake Marmer is LGA’s new Head of School. An experienced and passionate Jewish educator, he is the recipient of a Harold Grinspoon Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewish Education, as well as the recipient of Dorot Fellowship, M2’s Jewish Pedagogies Research Fellowship, and LABA East Bay Fellowship. Most recently, he served as the Education and Programming Director at the Bronfman Fellowship. Previous to that Jake spearheaded the Jewish Studies Department at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto, where he served as inaugural Dean of the department. Jake is also an established writer and performer; he is the author of three poetry collections, two klezmer-jazz-poetry records, and has published numerous essays on Jewish arts, culture, and education in the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Forward, and Tablet, among other publications. His undergraduate degree is from Yeshiva University, and he also holds a Master’s in Comparative Literature from CUNY Graduate Center. Born in the provincial steppes of Ukraine, in a city that was renamed four times in the past 100 years, Jake recently moved to Western Massachusetts from Los Angeles, with his partner Shoshana Olidort and two children, Lev and Ora. He is delighted to be a part of this beautiful community and is honored to help LGA grow to its fullest potential.
Deborah Bromberg Seltzer
413-584-6622 ext. 102
Deborah joined the LGA staff in 2003 bringing ruach (spirit) and song from her many years of experience working in day schools and summer camps. Her goal at LGA is to instill a sense of curiosity and fun in Jewish learning. Deborah is a 2012 recipient of a Harold Grinspoon Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewish Education and a 2012 recipient of the national Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award. She holds a BA in American Literature from Barnard College, Columbia University, a BA in Midrash from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and an MA in Jewish Education with a concentration in Day School Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Deborah lives in Northampton with her husband Bruce and four children, all of whom graduated from LGA. She enjoys reading children’s literature, doing arts and crafts, and Israeli dancing.
Ashley Hooten
413-584-6622 ext.100
Ashley joined the staff in the fall of 2008 and brings a special mix of professionalism, office experience, and knowledge of young learners to this very crucial position. She is highly committed and excited to help the school succeed and grow into the future. In 2007, Ashley earned a BA in Psychology from UMass Amherst with a minor in Elementary Education. She is a native of Western MA where she lives with her husband and 3 children. Ashley enjoys photography, Pilates, and reading.
Bianca Cuperman
413-584-6622 ext. 103
Bianca joined the LGA staff in June 2011 after relocating from Florida with her husband. Bianca has spent many years working in general accounting both in and outside of the Jewish synagogue community. She says, “I love what I do, working with people and numbers.” Bianca feels right at home in a Jewish day school. Both of her grown children attended Jewish day school – kindergarten through high school. Bianca enjoys the cooler New England weather and is happy being closer to her children, and her grandchildren who live in Montreal. Bianca is also LGA’s resident chef, preparing tasty hot lunches for our students and staff.
Rosemary joins the staff of LGA as the Director of Student Services, bringing recent experience from that same role in a public school district. She has a strong background and broad experience in special education, holding both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the area, along with more than 19 years’ experience working with students with disabilities in varying capacities; she is also a certified reading specialist. Her passion is supporting those students who learn differently, as well as their families, ensuring they receive the programming they require to succeed.
Rosemary and her husband have 2 adult sons; split their time between Central Massachusetts and Cape Cod and enjoy working on various projects around the house. She has 3 grandchildren that she adores who keep her very busy!
Social Work Intern
Lisa Papademetriou
Lisa Papademetriou is currently enrolled in Smith College School for Social Work and joins LGA for her 2024-2025 practicum placement. As a former teacher, editor, and author of over 20 books for young readers, Lisa is passionate about exploring emotional subjects through literature and writing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Vassar College and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also teaches creative writing at Simmons University. Lisa lives in Florence with her husband and daughter so you will probably see her everywhere now.
President & Treasurer
Sara Farber
Vice President
David Kieval
Vice President
Sara Luria
Secretary
Sarah Barnett
Rabbi Justin David
Shana Fishel
Hilary Costa
Rabbi Riqi Kosovske
Rabbi Yechiael Lander
Sonia Wilk
Rabbi Benjamin Weiner
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