Raker New Teachers

One of the best results of Zoom, is that many of you can see and hear your student’s teacher for the first time, every week! Rather than dropping your students off, you can actually get an idea as to who this person is who has my child for 2-1/2 hours on most Sunday mornings!

Let me introduce you to a few new teachers:

Ellie Singer: A graduate of ASU with a major in Nonprofit Leadership and Management and a minor in Parks and Recreation. Worked with REI and Arizona Outback Adventures. In 2018 Ellie worked as an intern in Tel Aviv with the Urban Farming Cooperative. In addition, Ellie was a counselor for URJ’s Kutz Camp, a leadership camp for teens from around the country. She is now teaching first grade for Raker.

Samantha Spencer: A graduate of University of Arizona, with a major in Economy and Industry and a minor in Marketing. Samantha is currently working at Vanguard. Samantha is a strong role model for our students as she worked as a Madrich, was a youth group board member, a NFTY Regional board member and active in her temple in New Jersey. Our third grade students are happy to have her each Sunday morning for Hebrew and Judaica!

Kerry Taylor: Welcome to our fourth grade teacher, Kerry Taylor! Kerry who moved here last year from California, has always been active in temple life. She taught seventh grade and third and fourth grade at her temple in Carmichael, CA and was a preschool teacher for the Shalom School in Sacramento. Outside of temple life, Kerry was a Vice President at Potter Taylor, located in Sacramento. Kerry was also a Board Member and Treasurer of the Mosaic Law Congregation and Board Member of the Sacramento Ballet. Kerry teaches both Hebrew and Judaica and is really enjoying her students.

What is exciting at RAKER? Our 7th grade students will be taking a virtual tour of the Museum of Tolerance on March 7th. Our 8th/9th grade students will be taking a virtual tour of Israel on February 7, February 21, and February 28! We are taking this tour with other temples in the Valley and we will have our own tour guide! And don’t forget the Camp Fair! On January 31, students had a chance to hear about many different Jewish camps and they were able to participate in camp activities.

Remember to plant your parsley! Send us a picture of it sitting on your Seder table.

Tobee Waxenberg
Director of Raker Religious School