ADMINISTRATION
Rabbi Shlomo Goldberg
Head of School/Menahel
rsg@yayoe.org
Rabbi Shlomo Goldberg has served for the last twenty-one years, as Menahel (Head of School) of Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov/Ohr Eliyahu a leading and innovative Yeshiva Preschool, Elementary and Junior High in the Los Angeles area. He holds Rabbinic Ordination from the Chief Rabbis of Shaarei Chesed and Jerusalem. Before moving to Los Angeles, Rabbi Goldberg served as the Rabbi of Congregation Torah BaMidbar in Santa Fe, New Mexico and the Pacific Jewish Center in Venice, California.
In addition to his administrative and rabbinic activities, Rabbi Goldberg lectures world-wide on the topics of education, leadership, personal growth, marriage enrichment, and parenting. He is a facilitator for the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” program, attended the Harvard University Summer Leadership Institute, completed a three-year fellowship as a Senior Leadership Fellow for the Yesud Maalah Program of Torah Umesorah, the National Council for Jewish Day Schools, (program for which he is now a senior lecturer), was a winner of the 2003 Distinguished Educator Award given by the Milken Family Foundation, and winner of the 2005 Outstanding Educator Award from Torah Umesorah.
In addition, Rabbi Goldberg authors a weekly article on education and leadership, and his writings have appeared in the Klal Perspective Journal and the “Jewish Action,” “Jewish Observer,” and “Homodia” magazines.
Rabbi Goldberg and his wife Robin are the parents of 8 children and many grandchildren.
Rabbi Eliezer Eidlitz
Executive Administrator
eeidlitz@yayoe.org
Rabbi Eidlitz is a native of Los Angeles and a student of Reb Simcha Wasserman, ztz”l. He resided in Bnei Brak, Israel for a number of years where he was a Talmid of Rav Shteinman, ztz”l in the Ponevezh Yeshiva.
Rabbi Eidlitz received smicha from Rabbi Ruderman at Ner Israel in Baltimore, Maryland where he was a Rebbe at the Ner Israel Yeshiva High School for 5 years. Since 1976 Rabbi Eidlitz has served as a school administrator and educator in California.
In addition Rabbi Eidlitz is the Rov of Bais Medrash Mordechai Yaakov; he is the author of “Is It Kosher?” and the founder of the Kosher Information Bureau a national clearing house and web site for all things kosher in the United States. Rabbi Eidlitz receives tens of thousands of emails from around the world inquiring about the verification of kashrus symbols and products.
Rabbi Eidlitz and his wife Debbie are the parents of 5 married children, many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Malca Schwarzmer
Torah Studies Principal
mschwarzmer@yayoe.org
Rabbi Yosef Bondi
Segan Menahel/Assistant Principal Boys’ Torah Studies
ybondi@yayoe.org
Rabbi Bondi originates from Kew Gardens, New York. He received Semicha – Yoreh Yoreh/Yadin Yadin from Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Queens NY, where he learnt for 14 years. While in Yeshiva, Rabbi Bondi was the personal secretary of the Rosh Hayeshiva, Rabbi Akiva Grunblatt Shlit”a. Rabbi Bondi also holds a masters’ degree from Trident University in Educational Leadership.
Prior to joining the YAYOE administration this past year, Rabbi Bondi was our 7th grade Rebbe. Rabbi Bondi served as well as an administrator in Boca Raton, Florida. Rabbi Bondi brings to YAYOE his educational and administrative talents and experience, coupled with his special and genuine warmth and care for each and every student. Besides being our Segan Menahel, Rabbi Bondi gives a weekly in depth Gemora shiur to YAYOE fathers.
Rabbi and Mrs Bondi (our 8th grade mechaneches) live in the Hancock Park area with their 4 children.
Rabbi Yaakov Jacknis
Assistant Principal Boys’ Limudei Kodesh Grades 5-8
rabbijacknis@yayoe.org
Rabbi Yaakov Jacknis our 8th grade Rebbi joined our Yeshiva 12 years ago. He originates from Monsey, New York. He went to Yeshiva Sha’ar Hatorah in Queens NY for high school and Bais Medrash. He then went on to learn in Yeshiva Mir Yerushalayim as a talmid muvhak of Rav Yosef Elefant shlit”a.
Rabbi Jacknis is a graduate of the Ner Lelef chinuch training program. In his years as our 8th grade Rebbe, Rabbi Jacknis has implemented some new programs that have been extremely motivational for all the boys in the yeshiva.
At the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, Rabbi Jacknis added a new responsibility as a Sgan menahel, Assistant Principal for Boys Kodesh 5-8. Rabbi Jacknis is looking forward to many years of working with the children, staff, and administration of YAYOE.
Rabbi and Mrs Jacknis live in the Hancock Park area with their 6 children who are talmidim and talmidos of YAYOE.
Mrs. Shayna Goldmann
Director of Graff-Rand Early Childhood Center
sgoldmann@yayoe.org
Mrs. Marty Fox
Director of Music and Fine Arts
mfox@yayoe.org
Mrs. Marty Fox is the Music and Enrichment Director at YAYOE. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice and Music Education and is Orff Shulwerk Level III certified. She is also completed a 3 year program in Jewish Music from where? She has coached voice for Kol Neshama Girls’ Performing Arts Conservatory, Ohel Chana High School and taught music for Crossroads Community Foundation (currently PS Arts). In partnership with the Milwaukee based Ruach Foundation she recently wrote RECORDERS PLAY JEWISH MUSIC, a teaching manual based on her experience teaching recorder at YAYOE.
Mrs. Fox has been teaching music, producing and directing plays, and developing special arts programs for YAYOE for 21 years.
Mrs. Gita Hirsch
Director of General Studies
ghirsch@yayoe.org
Mrs. Hirsch has been in the field of education for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA and a Master’s degree in Special Education from California State University, Northridge. The combination of her education and professional experience has allowed Mrs. Hirsch to develop and hone the use of many educational tools and strategies to promote engaged student learning.
Mrs. Hirsch’s greatest strengths include collaborative leadership and strategic planning which she has applied while evaluating, updating, and creating curriculums across all general studies content areas. Through teacher mentoring and curriculum development, she has helped promote rich, integrated, activity based classroom instruction to meet the needs of a diverse learning population.
Mrs. Hirsch truly enjoys the challenges of education, working with teachers, parents, and students, and the opportunities to help each child meet his or her learning potential. She feels privileged to be a member of the YAYOE administrative team. Mrs. Hirsch is very excited about her new position, and together with Mrs. Ashley Scotti, they will continue to create, develop and inspire administrators, staff, students and parents of YAYOE for many years to come.
Mrs. Hirsch and her husband Haim have six children, present and former students of YAYOE.
Mrs. Ashley Scotti
Director of General Studies
ascotti@yayoe.org
Ashley Scotti has been teaching at Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov/Ohr Eliyahu since 2010, and is proud to call this her teaching home. Mrs Scotti’s involvement in the Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov/Ohr Eliyahu Administrative team grew last year, taking on more responsibility in overseeing the elementary school. This year, along with Mrs. Gita Hirsch, has been appointed Director of General Studies while she continues her role as lead teacher in the 4th grade boys’ class.
Mrs. Scotti attended San Francisco State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies. She continued on at the University to complete her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She spent years volunteering in classrooms and working as a teaching assistant until she was ready for a classroom of her own. She credits this time in school and in other teachers’ classrooms to her creative and well-rounded teaching style.
Mrs. Scotti has a specific and driven interest in creating a curriculum that works best for the classes at Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov/Ohr Eliyahu. Each year, she is excited to update and make her 4th grade curriculum better than the year before. She loves including meaningful projects and field trips to allow learners in her classroom work to their highest potential. She may be best known for creating an Annual 2nd and 4th Grade Field Day, at which the boys celebrate a wonderful year, and develop leadership and teambuilding skills.
Mrs. Scotti is excited about her new position, and looks forward to many more wonderful years teaching and leading at Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov/Ohr Eliyahu.
Mrs. Clarisse Schlesinger
Registrar
cschlesinger@yayoe.org
Mrs. Schlesinger has been at YAYOE for over 25 years as a teacher of multiple grades and subjects and as an administrator and technology consultant. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at New York University as well as her lifetime teaching credentials. Mrs. Schlesinger authored the report that resulted in our school achieving WASC accreditation in 2002, at that time one of only two schools who had applied for candidacy and was granted immediate accreditation.
Mrs. Schlesinger developed a hobby of loving computers and technology into a passion; she enjoys updating the YAYOE web site and working with web site developers.
In addition, Mrs. Schlesinger heads the Admissions department of the yeshiva, working closely with the Early Childhood Department, the Menahel, and the prospective parents to facilitate the process of new families joining the YAYOE family.
Mrs. Schlesinger and her husband Fred are proud parents of three adult daughters, one teenage son (a YAYOE alumnus) and bli eyin hara, 12 grandchildren. She now works part time in order to spend more time with her family.
Mrs. Robin Goldberg
Director of Learning Potential Program
rgoldberg@yayoe.org
Mrs. Leora Ganchrow
Director of Student Development
lganchrow@yayoe.org
Mrs. Sarah Lipman
Education and Administrative Systems
slipman@yayoe.org
I come to YAYOE with a background in elementary school education, followed by a career in the hi-tech industry. For over twenty years, my professional goal has been to create seamless communication flow between people and content — via User Experience, 3D Gesture Interactions, Information Design and Wearable Technologies.
My creative focus is on cross-linking knowledge patterns from a broad range of specialties (medicine, biology, mathematics, cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, industrial design, history, educational theory) to generate new models for engaging people, understanding their efforts, and actualizing their potential.
At YAYOE, my role is to help organize information so that its full impact can be empowered for teachers, administrators — and ultimately individual students. YAYOE’s leadership and outstanding teaching staff represent the world’s most dedicated, talented and agile Torah-centered educators.
It is a privilege to work in partnership with a team that is literally building our world by building individuals.