Shany is a gifted member of our faculty, having called SAR home for 18 years. Her ability to effortlessly charm a classroom of students while simultaneously nurturing their souls and building their Ivrit B'ivrit linguistic abilities is unmatched. Her energy, enthusiasm and devotion to the development of her students makes her simply adored by parents and children alike.
From the time she arrived, Shany was instrumental in creating the unique Hebrew Immersion program in the ELC. Her goal was to create an environment where learning Hebrew is enriching, fun, and all encompassing throughout the school day. Now the program is so successful that upon graduation from the ELC, the children have a strong and established enduring foundation in Hebrew language, Israeli culture and Jewish values.
If a family needs support of any kind you can always count on Shany to be there for them on both a professional and personal level. Among her colleagues, she is a real leader, always working to create a collaborative environment and provide a platform for new and veteran teachers alike to share ideas and initiatives. Shany actively mentors new teachers when they join SAR Academy from Israel.
Shany Ohayon
Faculty SAR Early Learning Center
And the apple–or tapuach, in this case–doesn’t fall far from the tree. The daughter of two teachers, Shany, who grew up in Israel, knew she wanted to teach from the age of six, going on to tutor students throughout her high school years. Shany graduated from the “Michael Project,” a unique and groundbreaking learning methodology developed and implemented in Israel. The basis of this method is the belief that anyone can succeed and excel in their chosen field. During her tzahal service, Shany visited and mentored children in shelters who needed social, emotional and academic support. After obtaining her BA in Special Education In Israel, Shany supported children with special needs, helping them feel included in their classrooms. At 26, Shany completed her MA in special education in New York, graduating with a degree from the Jewish New Teacher Project as a mentor for teachers.
Shany is married to her loving husband Nachum and lives in Riverdale with their precious daughter, Osher (4N).
Melissa Rothwax
Faculty SAR Academy
Melissa Rothwax, or Morah Melissa, as she is known by her students, personifies the SAR mission of believing that every child has a divine spark. Whether it is the students in her class who are expertly being taught math strategies or former students who have returned to her area from the eighth grade in order to create a meaningful yearbook, the magic of Melissa is that she is constantly thinking and rethinking how to best nurture each child to meet his or her potential.
Soon after graduating from a teaching program at Brandeis University, with a B.A. in Psychology, Melissa moved to New York City, knowing she wanted to work as a teacher. Joining SAR 16 years ago as an Assistant Teacher of fourth and fifth grades, she quickly became a third grade Head Teacher and has been teaching third grade for the past 15 years, with the same team for nine years.
While teaching, Melissa earned her master’s degree in math and science education (grades K–6) at Hunter College, taking classes at night. As she became further involved at school, Melissa advanced many of SAR’s technology initiatives, including training other teachers in the use of smartboards, leading the Yearbook Committee, and supporting the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Committee. Notably, Melissa’s class was the first to partner with the Sinai program. She values inclusiveness as is evident by her continued commitment to students in Pisgah and Sinai.
Joining the SAR Academy Teachers Committee in 2012, on behalf of the General Studies Department, Melissa soon realized there was a room for more representation and formalization. She continues to be a devoted member of the Teachers Committee, lending a helping hand to her fellow colleagues when it comes to programming, scheduling, and morale.
Among the faculty, Melissa is a true leader and mentor, consistently supporting teachers and aiding in training new faculty. She models the spirit of collaboration that is a hallmark of the SAR community. In her modest style, Melissa is both eager to share her knowledge and is ready and willing to learn from others and innovate the curriculum.
Outside of the classroom, since 2012, Melissa has worked at Camp Morasha in many capacities and currently serves as Program Director overseeing camp programming and logistics. Melissa has also been very involved in raising funds for Chai Lifeline, first running in its half-marathons 13 years ago in merit of a refuah shleima for an SAR student. She is of course now hooked, and has involved many SAR faculty members and students in supporting the cause. Her next run will be in Miami this January!
Adina Shoulson, Chair, SAR High School History Department, has dedicated herself to the institution and her students, bringing our history curriculum to new heights, and inspiring our students towards intellectual inquiry of the past and present, both in and out of the classroom.
In 2006, Adina joined SAR as a history faculty member and has served as History Department Chair since 2010. In that role, Adina has devotedly implemented several impactful school-wide programs and co-curricular activities that relate to history or current events, both engaging and challenging students.
During her tenure, Adina has been responsible for designing and implementing the 9th and 10th grade integrated World Jewish History course, which she teaches herself today. She has developed and taught senior courses on History and Memory, Jewish Life in America and Modern Israel. She has developed several programs to expand the experience of SAR High School students into our broader community. “Building Bridges,” a community program with Fieldston and University Heights High School, “Global Matters,” and “Future Global Diplomats,” offering students a unique opportunity to learn more about, and discuss, international affairs, diplomacy and the UN, are examples of successful initiatives that Adina has brought to SAR High School.
Adina Shoulson
Chair of the SAR High School History Department
Adina notably participated in the first Machon Siach cohort on Israel Education and co-authored the paper, Israel Education at SAR: An Evaluation of the Teaching of Israeli History at a Modern Orthodox Day School. She has also participated in the Israeli Palestinian Conflict Reading Group, Darkei Siach: An Introduction to Islam for Modern Orthodox Jews, and the Center for Middle East Peace Yeshiva Cohort which culminated in a trip to Israel this past summer.
Adina is currently co-leading a Machon Siach group bringing together members of the Tanakh and History departments to investigate their methodologies and content. She is also spearheading an initiative to develop a curriculum to bring communication and civil discourse tools to our students.
Prior to her time at SAR, Adina taught History and Jewish Philosophy at Maayanot High School and History of Zionism and the State of Israel at NYU. Adina received her B.A. from Columbia University and earned her MPhil in the NYU Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies. Adina and her husband Todd Stern live in White Plains and are parents to Gabi (HS ‘22) and Sonia (Grade 11), and Dalia (Grade 9) Stern. They are active members of the Hebrew Institute of White Plains and their home is always open, welcoming, and warm.