RRS Upper School

Meet the Upper School Staff

Upper School Coordinators: UpperSchool@cbtpotomac.org

Rachel Levine-Hyman is excited for her 22nd year in Upper School at CBT.  Her career in the world of Jewish non-profit spans over 28 years (and counting) and includes working with all ages from toddlers to Hazak. But her favorite, happiest moments are those spent in the classroom with Jewish teens exploring Holocaust education, Hot Teen Topics, Mitzvot/Values, Jewish Film & Entertainment, and so much more.  You can often find Rachel sitting on the desk or amongst the students to better connect and create an environment that encourages thoughtful and active understanding and participation. Rachel co-teaches the 7th Grade Holocaust and Antisemitism course for Upper School.
 

Rani Schlenoff is a career Jewish Communal Professional who has worked with students from preschool through college, Rani found her most meaningful teaching experiences to be with middle school students. Her favorite class topics are Jewish Behavioral Ethics and Holocaust Education. She is a fan of teaching “Lounge Style” with a casual community atmosphere to create an “experience,” rather than just a class. During the day, you can find her teaching her favorite secular subjects as a middle school substitute teacher. She is thrilled to be sharing the Upper School Coordinator position with Rachel and to be in her 16th year teaching at CBT. Rani co-teaches the 7th Grade Holocaust and Antisemitism course for Upper School.
 

Hava Shirazi is a life-long Jewish educator with a Masters of Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a fluent command of Hebrew from her time living in Israel. She has taught in Jewish Day Schools and religious schools, and has been teaching Pre-K at CBT for many years. She is excited to be starting her 15th year of teaching Upper School here and dedicated to helping Jewish students understand the history of Israel and the reasons behind the current conflicts. This is a specialized curriculum written just for CBT Upper School.  Hava teaches the 8th Grade Journey Through the History of Israel course for Upper School.

 

Rabbi Steven Bayar is co-author of Teens & Trust: Building Bridges in Jewish Education, Rachel & Mischa, and You Shall Teach Them Diligently to Your Children: Transmitting Jewish Values from Generation to Generation.  He was the lead author of the ZIV/Giraffe Curriculum (Righteous Person’s Foundation) and as co-founder of Ikkar Publishing has written more than 40 curricula ranging from the “Philosophy of Moshe Chaim Luzzatto” to “Teaching Jewish Theology through Science Fiction and Fantasy.”  He is Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, and since retirement he has been a full time instructor in rabbinics at the Golda Och Academy middle and upper school in West Orange, New Jersey and has served as interim Rabbi in congregations in New Jersey and San Antonio. Rabbi Bayar teaches the 9th/10th Grade Teen Topics and God course for Upper School.

The Upper School at CBT is much more than sitting in a classroom and having class - it’s an entire experience designed specifically to create community between the students and connect them to the larger congregation and Jewish population of both the United States and around the world. 

Each evening starts with T’filah together which sets the tone as we engage in prayers to connect us with Jews past, present, and future. This is wonderful practice for our students in their B’nai Mitzvah year, and after it as well. 

The experience continues with dinner which differs each week and is served by our teachers. Students sit with others and socialize freely until the meal is concluded with Birkat HaMazon (the blessing after the meal), and then on to class. 

Our unique class structure brings the entire population of each grade together for specific topics which last the whole year. Students have time to form deep connections with each other and their teachers through active discussion, debate, activities, and more. This class design allows students to create a mini-congregation which is extremely tight by the time they reach Confirmation in 10th grade. 

Classes at CBT Upper School
 

7th grade: Wednesday evenings: Holocaust Education & the History of Anti-Semitism. This class takes a deep dive into the history of Anti-Semistim; life before, during, and after the Holocaust; and modern-day manifestations of Anti-Semitism. Students will learn through various forms of media, group work, and activities.  In May, the class will take a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to add to their knowledge. This class is taught by Rachel Levine-Hyman and Rani Schlenoff, both of whom have been teaching in the Upper School since 2004.
 

8th grade: The 8th grade will  journey through the history of Israel from the British Mandate to modern times. This experiential class will cover important events, influential people, conflict and controversy, and current events. In today’s world, knowing the history and the impact of events shaping our Jewish world is crucial. This class is taught by Hava Shirazi, who has been teaching Upper School since 2004, and who also teaches in the CBT preschool.
 

9th/10th grade: In his debut year at CBT, Rabbi Steven Bayar, a published author about Jewish teens, is excited to engage students with media, current events, and theology. With the help of Star Trek (mostly Captain Jean Luc Picard), God (Well, at least Morgan Freeman working with Bruce Almighty), and a little Taylor Swift, the class will explore topics of Free Will, Evil, and Prayer as Rabbi Bayar teaches a combined course on Teen Topics and God. The journey will continue with a segue into modern issues of maturing in our ever-changing (and somewhat scary) culture and society.  Seat belts are not required.