Faculty and Staff

Faculty and Staff

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Director of Lifelong Learning
Rabbi Nicki Greninger was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Teaching. She was ordained as a Rabbi in 2008 from the New York campus of the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), where she also earned a Masters of Arts in Religious Education.  Rabbi Greninger is especially passionate about liturgy, prayer, and ritual, and her article “Believing, Behaving, Belonging: Tefillah Education in the 21st Century” in the Journal of Jewish Education is used in Jewish education classes throughout the country. Rabbi Greninger was a 2012 recipient of the prestigious Pomegranate Prize by the Covenant Foundation and she was a Wexner Field Fellow from 2019-2022. Rabbi Greninger serves as the Northern California coordinator of the Women’s Rabbinic Network (WRN), the Co-Chair of the Ethics Task Force for the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), and she is a co-founder of #onwardHebrew. She also teaches occasional courses at HUC-JIR as an adjunct faculty member. Rabbi Greninger is married to Dr. Daniel Greninger, and they have three children.

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Assistant Director of Education and Youth Programs & Avodah T.A. Coordinator
Daniella wears many hats at Temple Isaiah. You may see her in the halls during JQuest, training the Avodah TA’s or teaching 8th grade at Noar Night. Daniella graduated from Clark University with a degree in Economics and Business Management. After spending some time traveling and teaching English classes in China, Daniella worked as a business consultant with a specialty in organizational efficiency. Daniella has been an active volunteer in her local community, has held board positions at East Bay public and private schools, and serves on the board of Jewish LearningWorks. A native of Moraga, Daniella currently resides in Berkeley with her family. In her free time, Daniella can likely be found painting, cake decorating, or scrapbooking.

JQuest Faculty

Minis (Ages 2 & 3)

Siena Naaman Cohen
Siena Naaman Cohen is a native Israeli, born and raised in Tel Aviv. She graduated from Derby University in Israel, in the College of Management, and she has a masters degree in Human Resources.  Siena lives with her husband, 4 kids, and many pets (cats, reptiles, and fish) in Lamorinda.  She is a member of Temple Isaiah and has been a volunteer teacher of Hebrew through Movement for the last few years. Siena is excited to be part of the JQuest Minis team at JQuest, as she loves teaching at Temple Isaiah!


Gabby Zoger

Juniors (Age 4)

Dana Magen
This is Dana Magen’s second year teaching at JQuest. She was born and raised in Israel and lived her last decade in a place somewhere between Haifa and Tel Aviv, called Zichron Ya’akov. After serving three years in the IDF as a combat commander, she moved to a kibbutz down south called Ketura and worked with people with special needs. She is currently in her junior year at UC Berkeley majoring in Philosophy with the aim to continue to law school straight after. She is super excited for the upcoming year with JQuest Juniors!

Kadimah (Pre-K & 1st Grade)

Joy Plummer
Joy received her BA in philosophy in 2002 from California State University, Fresno, and proceeded to work in philanthropy for the Jewish world, first at the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund and then at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of the East Bay. She and her husband Eric live in Livermore with their three children and are active at Congregation Beth Emek, where Joy taught 2nd grade in their religious school for 5 years. Prior to joining Temple Isaiah’s engagement team (in 2023), she worked in the food world for more than ten years while raising her family. In her spare time, Joy is probably cooking global Jewish cuisine, baking bread, or cuddling with her dog Bowie. 

Tamar Zaken
Tamar has spent over a decade directing Jewish Service Learning programs at Memizrach Shemesh, the Center for Jewish Social Leadership based in Jerusalem. She graduated from the Joint Program at Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and received an MSW from Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University in New York. Tamar is an informal educator, organizer and community worker. When she is not teaching at JQuest, Tamar spends time translating Sephardic Rabbinic texts to expose English speaking audiences to their inspiring message of inclusion and justice.

Tzofim (2nd Grade)

Debbie Goren
Debbie grew up in the Bay Area and relocated to the East Bay last summer with her family after living on the Peninsula for the last 20 years. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a BA in Anthropology. Upon completing a Certificate of Musical Performance in 2018 from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA, she began teaching music to grades K-4. Before coming to Temple Isaiah, Debbie taught 1st and 2nd grade religious school at Congregation Peninsula Sinai in Foster City. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, giving her dogs belly rubs and all things musical.

Omanut (3rd & 4th Grade)

Heather Howe
Heather grew up in New York and lived in several different states around the country before putting down roots in the beautiful East Bay. She graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A. in Sociology with concentrations in Clinical and Gender Studies, and she earned her Masters Degree in Educational Psychology with a focus on Early Childhood and Gifted Education from the University of Colorado at Denver. Education has always been the focus of Heather’s career path, as she began teaching in Early Childhood Education as a lead teacher, and then moved into Higher Ed Administration before taking time off to become a mom. As a lifelong artist, Heather is excited to combine her deep love of art with her passion and commitment to Judaism as the Omanut teacher. Heather has three awesome kids: Gavin, Chloe and Bryn.

Bonim (3rd & 4th Grade)

Adeelee Fox
Adeelee is a native Californian and first generation American, born to Israeli parents. Adeelee has a passion for music, languages, writing and dance. She has worked in religious schools for over 18 years and has been a classroom teacher for 13. About to begin her second year at JQuest, Adeelee is enthusiastic about the Bonim Curriculum and loves the Temple Isaiah community! She can often be found spending time with her family which includes her husband, three sons and their dog.

Teva (3rd & 4th Grade)

Jojo Peterson
Jojo is another JQuest teacher who also grew up attending Temple Isaiah. She graduated from Cal State Fresno with a degree in Animal Science which explains her love of animals. Jojo lives in Briones with her son, Adam, and her husband, Phil, along with their many dogs, horses, chickens, lizard, and tortoise.  Jojo has taught at Gan Ilan, helped at Noar Night, served as staff for several 10th grade DC trips, and has been a Rosh (Unit Head) at Camp Kefli for years. She’s thrilled to be teaching Teva again this year.

Y’tzira - Storytelling (5th & 6th Grade)

Maimone Attia
Maimone Attia is lead teacher of the Y’tzira program. He has been teaching the Y’tzira class for many years. Maimone is a storyteller and children’s entertainer. He creates interactive mystery experiences for children of all ages. He also works as a freelance videographer and writer on short narrative films and documentaries. He holds a B.A. in Film.

Etgar - Games and Puzzles (5th & 6th Grade)

Ethan Wellerstein
Ethan is a JQuest alum and is so excited to return to Temple Isaiah. He recently graduated from UC Davis with BAs in Philosophy and International Relations. This past year Ethan worked as an immigration paralegal through the Avodah Fellowship in Washington DC. He’s taught 5th and 6th grade religious school for the past three years and is excited to bring his experience back home to Temple Isaiah. In his free time, Ethan enjoys reading sci-fi, backpacking, and powerlifting.

Hagigah - Arts & Crafts (5th & 6th Grade)

Dovrat Forte
Dovrat was born and raised in Israel, where she earned her B.Ed., teaching credential, and M.A. in Education, majoring in learning disabilities and ADHD. She also earned her credential in assessment and diagnosis of learning disabilities and ADHD and worked as a diagnostician while continuing her career in teaching. Teaching has always been one of her big passions. Dovrat moved to the US in 2017 with her husband, and since then has worked as a Hebrew and Judaic Studies teacher in LA and at CCJDS until last year. Dovrat has a 4-year-old son and she is soon to become a mom to a new baby girl. She and her family are members of Temple Isaiah and she is very happy to join the JQuest team. 

Youth Director / 7th Grade Coordinator

Jacob Friedman
Jacob is entering his second year at Temple Isaiah. He has been involved in Jewish education for several years and has worked as a song leader at Jewish camps and in Jewish communities all over the country. Jacob graduated from Indiana University – Bloomington with degrees in Jewish Studies and Sociology. In addition to his work at Temple Isaiah, Jacob is also a Moishe House resident, and puts on all kinds programming for Jewish young adults in Contra Costa County in his home. Jacob is passionate about getting out in nature and being silly, and his favorite shows are all about animated characters saving the world through the power of music and friendship.

7th Grade

Stephen Steinberg
Steve loves teaching 7th grade so much that he has been doing it for years. He grew up at Temple Isaiah and was actively involved in the religious school, working as a TA for a few years. Steve attended college at Princeton University, where he earned a degree in religious studies and served as the song leader and then sh’liach tzibur for the Reform community at the Center for Jewish Life. In 2001, he returned home to attend law school at UC Hastings in San Francisco, and began teaching at Temple Isaiah that same year. During the week, Steve works as an attorney at BZBM specializing in intellectual property cases (e.g. patent and trademark infringement). Steve staffs the LA Trip every year, and describes it as “maximum fun, minimum sleep.”

Danielle Hershon
Danielle grew up in the Bay Area, going to Temple Isaiah as a child, and teaching at JQuest and Gan Ilan over the years. She can’t wait to come back this year to teach 7th grade! Danielle graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Social Welfare and has been working in Product Management within the Health Tech sector for the last seven years, building products that increase access to quality healthcare across the US including the national COVID vaccine finder (vaccines.gov). In her spare time, she loves to practice yoga, travel, go hiking (especially around redwood trees) with her dog, Charlie, and spend time with friends and family. 

Director of Student Support

Bridget Wellerstein
Bridget is the Director of Student Support for Temple Isaiah. She has many years of experience in Early Intervention, Inclusion, and Special Education and has provided continuing education for teachers and parent education for both Alameda and Contra Costa counties. She holds a B.S. in Speech, Language Pathology and Audiology, and a M.S. in Education. Bridget believes in creating accessible and inclusive environments for all children and families. She works to build relationships that support and encourage diverse, equitable, and inclusive settings and communities of learning and belonging. When not working Bridget finds balance and joy in nature. She and her husband spend time sailing the bay. They have two wonderful, adult children who are both Gan Ilan and JQuest alums.

Special Needs Aide

Justin Griggs
Justin Griggs is very excited and happy to be part of the Temple Isaiah community!  When not at Temple Isaiah, he is a teacher at an amazing school for children with special needs called Wellspring, and he works part-time at Whole Foods Market in Lafayette.  In his free time, Justin sings and plays guitar in a rock ‘n’ roll band called The Cushion Theory with his brother.

Hebrew Specialists

Yardena Small
Yardena Small is a native Israeli, born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel. She currently lives with her husband in Walnut Creek and has a grown son.  She graduated from Seminar Hakibutzim in Israel (a College of Education) and from Gratz College in Philadelphia, PA ( an institute of Jewish learning). Yardena taught 2nd grade at Temple Beth Ami in Philadelphia for two years and 3rd and 4th grade at Congregation B’nai Shalom in Walnut Creek, CA for 26 years. In addition to her work at Isaiah, she is currently a substitute teacher at the Contra Costa Jewish Day School in Lafayette, CA. Yardena loves kids and is excited and happy to teach at Temple Isaiah!

Shinshinit

Noga Ben Shimol
Noga, is our Shinshinit from Israel! The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Shinshinim program is the “year of service” program that offers Israeli high school graduates an opportunity to delay mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces and serve Diaspora communities for up to 10 months. The program allows communities to meet young Israeli ambassadors who perform meaningful service prior to entering the army. She has received extensive training on serving in an American Jewish community and will be working with Temple Isaiah folks of all ages from Gan Ilan to JQuest to our senior members and sharing all about Israel.

Songleader

Isabel Grossman-Sartain
Isabel is a native of Los Angeles who recently moved to Oakland, and she is thrilled to be joining Temple Isaiah as song leader! For the past two years, Isabel has had the pleasure of working as a songleader and assistant teacher at Temple Israel of Hollywood, where she grew up. She also attended Camp Alonim, in Simi Valley, as a camper and counselor for the past thirteen years. Isabel is passionate about the power of music in Jewish prayer, in the Jewish community, and hopes to bring her distinctly camp-style song leading to Temple Isaiah. In her free time, Isabel enjoys studying ancient history, playing guitar, and cuddling with her cat, Mars.