 Gail Baker, Principal and Head of School – Gail Baker received
her Honours B.A. and B.Ed. from York University and M.Ed. from
the University of Toronto, where she specialized in curriculum
development. In addition to certification in dramatic arts, Gail
completed a course in “Teaching for Understanding” at the
Harvard Graduate School of Education. Gail also completed the
Jewish Day School Principal Certification Programme offered
jointly by York and the UJA Federation Board of Jewish
Education. She has co-authored the text book called “Ancient
Near Eastern Civilizations” the first of a series under
production. Gail served as the Chair of the Principals Association of the Centre for Enhancement of Jewish Education from September 2006 to September 2008. |
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 Ellen Kessler – Ellen Kessler received her B.A. from the
University of Toronto and her B.Ed. from York University,
specializing in environmental science. A charismatic,
child-oriented teacher, Ellen is a nature lover and interpreter
of natural phenomena to students. She shares Rabbi Heschel’s
vision of radical amazement – the ability to see miracles in
nature every day. Under her leadership, the School’s nature
study and ecological literacy programme has won several awards
and honourable mentions from JNF, the City of Toronto and the
Province of Ontario. |
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 Judith Leitner - Judith Leitner is dedicated to the Arts as
critical tools in the development of cognitive and creative
thinking. Judith studied Art History and Biblical Archaeology at
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and completed a diploma in
photography at Hadassah Community College in Jerusalem. Judith
has designed and taught integrated Visual Arts programmes at
public and private schools, as well as at Toronto’s Harbourfront
School by the Water and Kaleidoscope Project. In 1990, Judith
was awarded a three-year grant from The Canadian Jewish Congress
to establish an Integrated Arts Programme at She’arim Hebrew Day
School in Toronto. A Founder of The Toronto Heschel School,
Judith teaches Visual Arts in both English and Hebrew, and
consults on arts-based learning in all areas of study. Judith is
an active artist, and has exhibited her photographs in both
Israel and Canada. “Rosa: Love and Memory” is her most recent
work. |
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 Otto Baruch Rand – Baruch Rand was the founding principal of The
Toronto Heschel School and remained principal until his
retirement in 2001. He directed Jewish schools and school
systems for twenty-five years. He was the Principal of the
Abraham Joshua Heschel School in Manhattan, Director of the
Board of Jewish Education in Toledo, Ohio and Superintendent of
Jewish Schools in Winnipeg. Baruch received his B.A. from Hebrew
University of Jerusalem and M.A. from the University of Toronto.
He underwent intensive training in Accelerated-Integrative
Learning and from 1990-1992, operated the R.E.A.L. Education
Institute in New York, working in several school districts.
Baruch Rand is writing a series of textbooks "The Story of
Civilizations for Young People", the first volume of which was
co-authored with Gail Baker. |
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 Rachael Turkienicz - Rachael Turkienicz was the Founding Judaic
Studies Director at The Toronto Heschel School. She is currently
on faculty at York University in the Faculty of Education and
the Centre for Jewish Studies training students to teach
religious studies in public, Catholic and Jewish school
settings. She was also the York faculty coordinator for the
Jewish Day School Principal Certification Programme. Rachael is
the Director of Rachael's Centre, a non-affiliated
educational centre that focuses on Jewish text. Rachael received
her Honours B.A. and B.Ed. from York and her M.A. and PhD. In
Talmudic and Midrashic literature from Brandeis University., She
writes a monthly column for the Canadian Jewish News, is heard
twice weekly on CHIN radio and hosts a weekly television show on
issues of spirituality. Rachael is a Governor with the Canadian
International Peace Project and is a national officer of the
Canadian Jewish Congress, chairing the Holocaust Remembrance
Committee. She is also a certified dance teacher. |
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