After a year of extensive world travel, Dr. Baharav is excited to return to Kehillah’s math department. After working in the local high-tech industry in various research, management and executive roles, he enjoys sharing his interest in math and computer science with students.

Dr. Baharav has more than 30 issued U.S. patents, published over 40 scientific papers and chapters, and is a distinguished lecturer and a Senior member of the IEEE. In addition to keynote talks in numerous professional conferences, Dr. Baharav taught graduate classes in SJSU, and math and computer science in local colleges. He received his Ph.D. in EE from the Technion, Israel.

His teaching style combines project-based and hands-on activities, with a strong emphasis on basic principles. He believes that offering a multitude of approaches to learn a subject can help engage students and make learning fun. In his classes and life, he emphasizes reflection and contemplation.

Dr. Baharav, his wife, and their two children have been long-time residents of Palo Alto. When not teaching (and traveling!), he enjoys spending time with family and the outdoors. As an ultra runner, he likes running on the local hills. He has completed the WS-100 endurance run and cross-trains in swimming and biking. As a chess player, he can sometimes be seen at local chess events.

Jordana is thrilled to be a member of the Kehillah community! She has worked in education since graduating with her bachelor’s degree in strategic and corporate communication and integrated educational studies from Chapman University.

Upon graduating from Chapman, Jordana moved to Boston for an Assistant Director position in the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Northeastern University. As an Assistant Director of Admission, Jordana worked with both first-year and transfer students applying to Northeastern from across the United States and around the world. In three admissions cycles, Jordana read over 5,000 student applications and has continued to stay on their seasonal reading team since leaving her full-time position.

While working as an admissions professional at Northeastern, Jordana completed her Master’s of Science in Leadership and is eager to continue applying the leadership skills from the program within the College Counseling Department. With experience in college counseling and advising, Jordana has worked with students across the Bay Area to help students reach their potential at the school that is the best fit for them, both inside and outside the classroom!

Kristy is excited to rejoin Kehillah as a Chemistry teacher in the Science Department! She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii surrounded by warm weather and a wonderful family. For her undergraduate, she attended the University of Southern California and majored in chemistry. Kristy then spent some time at UC Santa Barbara where she got a Masters in Science Education. Although her journey in California started in Los Angeles, Kristy continued to move north until she found her first teaching job in the Bay Area. Kristy feels fortunate to have found a career that she genuinely loves. This will be her 11th year as a high school chemistry teacher. She hopes to help students find their voice in the science classroom and explore the possibilities of learning new ways to interpret the world around them. Kristy enjoys spending time in San Carlos with her life partner (Tony) and their cat (Yuumi), taking daily naps, and trying new vegan food.

Dr. Roy (Ro’ee) Danovitch is an experienced educational leader passionate about building school communities where young people can flourish – as learners, leaders, and engaged human beings. Most recently Roy served as a curriculum and professional development consultant at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he coaches principals, instructional coaches, and teachers on integrating culturally responsive teaching practices that meet the needs of diverse learners. Previously, he served as Head of School at Northern Light in Oakland, overseeing initiatives that diversified programming, improved retention, and strengthened commitments to access and equity across all areas of school life.

Born in Beer Sheva, Israel, and raised in Los Angeles, Roy taught English – and later served as Dean of Students and General Studies Principal – at Shalhevet School, a co-educational “Just Community” Jewish high school. In this capacity, Roy worked with faculty to create independently designed, accelerated courses (SAS: Shalhevet Advanced Studies) rooted in cross-disciplinary competencies, a process that diversified pathways for students to demonstrate mastery and opened up more experiential, project-based investigations across the Arts and Sciences. He also developed a new schedule that deepened opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, advisory programming, and professional development across both General and Judaic Studies. These initiatives helped expand the school’s visibility while fostering a culture of innovative and engaged teaching, learning, and leadership practices.

Roy has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a graduate degree in literature from the University of California, Irvine, and an M.Ed. in school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. Additionally, Roy completed his doctorate in Philosophy of Education and Organizational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, where his research centered on organizational practices which empower student and faculty.

A Scrabble fanatic, Shakespeare nerd, and tea lover, Roy lives in Oakland with his amazing partner Erica (a professor of education and liberal studies at SJSU), and their endlessly inspiring children, Noa and JJ (and their dog, Noamie!)

Bruce (Baruch) Finkelstein is from New York, and lived most of his adult life in Israel as a rabbi, educator, and writer. He is an ordained rabbi from the Israeli Rabbanut and Chief Rabbi Goren; he has a doctorate in Talmud from Bar Ilan University, exploring the topic of rabbinic discretion in Jewish legal decisions. Dr. Finkelstein has published articles in the most prestigious rabbinic and academic journals and books. He also has co-authored several books on topics relating to pregnancy, childbirth, fertility, postpartum depression, and early childcare, including an international best seller.

Kaylin Liang is an experienced college counselor with a passion to support students in navigating the complexity of college admissions. She has worked as a College Counselor and then as Director of College Counseling at top international high schools in China. Prior to joining Kehillah, Kaylin served as Director of Academics, overseeing academic advising programs, at the Quarry Lane School in the Bay Area. 

Kaylin holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.A. in education and human development from George Washington University.

In her free time, Kaylin enjoys hiking, camping, traveling, and crocheting. She has generated a small following on Instagram for her crochet account, @LilCrochtedThings. Most of the time, Kaylin hangs out at home with her husband and two cats, Laney and Tofu.

Megan is truly excited to be joining the Kehillah community as the Dean of Students. Megan is bringing a decade of experience in education, most recently at KIPP DC. She has taught both special education and general education, and all grade levels in high school. At KIPP DC, Megan built and led the musical theater program, the only one of its kind at a Title I high school in Washington, DC. For the last few years, she led an in-school, application-based career academy at KIPP DC, which focused on delivering high-quality classroom instruction in finance and information technology as well as coordinating 50+ work-based learning programming events between students and corporate partners. Megan is well-versed in building, supporting, and growing student programming, and developing genuine student leadership opportunities and skills. She was particularly drawn to Kehillah's mission of creating and bolstering community and a sense of belonging for all students, as this is one of her own core beliefs. Megan looks forward to strong collaboration with students, teachers, and families to help amplify student voice, choice, and leadership development at Kehillah. 

Megan is an East Coast native - she was born and raised just outside of Philadelphia, making her (regrettably) an avid Philadelphia sports fan. In her spare time, Megan enjoys cooking, eating, hiking, traveling, and reading. 

A technology integrator, teacher, administrator, educational publisher, and combat vet, RM brings experience working within complex systems, with educators, youth, and technology. He has worked with diverse populations in public and independent schools across the U.S. and international schools in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

RM holds an M.S. in Technology Leadership and Administration & Supervision from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A.T. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of St. Thomas, and a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota.

When not at Kehillah, you can find him honing his making and tinkering skills on a 40-foot school bus he is converting into a mobile home.

David Weiner is an experienced educational leader, teacher, dean, and college counselor who takes a consensus-building approach to implementing new initiatives and believes deeply in servant leadership. He has over thirteen years of experience working in independent schools in a variety of administrative roles, including Upper School Director, Interim Head of Middle & Upper School, Dean of Studies, Director of College Counseling, and Registrar. At Barrie School, where he worked for eight years, he oversaw the creation of a teacher evaluation system, the transformation of the daily schedule, and an extensive curriculum review using Rubicon Atlas. He also led teams that transformed teaching and learning to become more innovative, whether it was strategically implementing project-based and inquiry-based learning or reimagining the middle and upper school’s educational model to more fully embrace experiential learning. He has also taught history and psychology, coached tennis, basketball, and squash, and served as an advisor at all of the schools at which he has worked. 

Most recently, Dave was the Upper School Director at Khan Lab School (KLS), where he has helped implement a competency-based and blended learning educational model in line with the mission and vision of the school. Also passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), David defended his dissertation in May of 2022 on how two independent schools in the DC area responded to their schools' #BlackAt Instagram pages. As a white, cisgender, Jewish man, David believes in the power of Judaism to foster connection and belonging while also serving as an ally for underrepresented and marginalized communities. 

After college at the University of Rochester where he received his BA in history and psychology, David fell in love with independent schools as a history teacher and college counselor. He then moved to Washington, DC to be with his now wife and earned a MS in Education with a Certificate in Leadership for Independent Schools from Johns Hopkins University. Most recently, he completed his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania where he worked as a NAIS Independent School Fellow, presented at the NAIS Annual Conference on how the pandemic transformed teaching and learning, and co-authored an article, Crisis Leadership in Independent Schools – Styles and Literacies, that was subsequently published in Flux Leadership: Real-Time Inquiry for Humanizing Educational Change. 

Dave currently lives in Cupertino, California with his wife, Vanessa, and two sons, Ethan (4) and Alexander (1). When not at school, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, exercising, attending Tot Shabbat events, and keeping up on world events.

Along with teaching English at Kehillah, Richard will be taking on the role of Academic Operations Manager and New Faculty Advisor. 

Richard holds a B.A. in English literature and creative writing from SUNY Empire State College and an M.A. in the Teaching of English from Columbia University, Teachers College. A native New Yorker, Richard taught high school English at The Packer Collegiate Institute for 11 years while also serving as Upper School Dean, and he then served as Head of Upper School at The Kew-Forest School and Director of Middle School at International School of Brooklyn. Prior to his career in education, Richard was a professional ballet dancer, actor, singer, musician, and database designer/programmer. Richard enjoys being back in Northern California (where he spent his late teen years), enjoying the outdoors with his family, and is finishing his next novel (under the pen name R.B. Woodstone).

An avid traveler and citizen of the world, Jay has traveled to over 35 countries (and counting). Jay got his education from the School of Hard Knocks (the World), Foothill College (the Bay), and finally Massey University (Aotearoa). Jay is passionate about history and current events, which led him to major in Journalism. He is most excited about working with children and feels very fortunate and eternally grateful to work with our community. The best education he has ever received is his current one: life and the people in his. Jay joined Kehillah in 2021 and looks forward to continuing to grow within our community. Go Rams!

Rabbi Dennis is very excited about his new role leading the Experiential Education program this year. For over 37 years, Rabbi Dennis has directed several national and local Jewish initiatives and institutions, increasing participation and affiliation and developing innovative educational programs and social justice initiatives. Rabbi Dennis has always been a voice for pluralism, interfaith outreach and communal diversity. He has worked in sacred partnership with lay leadership to raise critical funds, improve and strengthen governance, develop leadership programs and leadership education, and create strategic plans. Now, he is thrilled to join the outstanding team at Kehillah, and looks forward to being part of the school’s amazing community.

Rabbi Dennis’s decades in the Jewish community have afforded him great opportunities for professional and personal development. Whether in the context of involvement in Jewish day schools, national and local educational programs, Jewish summer camps, Israel travel and education, Jewish Community Federations and JCCs, or 20 years as a pulpit rabbi, Rabbi Dennis has been passionately committed to the growth and sustainability of our Jewish communal experience.

Rabbi Dennis is married to Mandy Eisner, who is the Director of Development at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills. They have two children: Max, a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Sadie, a student at UC Berkeley. They also have a new puppy named Lucy who is without a doubt their most difficult child.