Mrs. Bulbin has been teaching religious school at Temple Judea for over 40 years. Her husband Stan and Barbara have been active members of Temple Judea for a long time. Stan is a past-president of Temple Judea and Barbara is a past-president of Women of Temple Judea. Their children - Neil, Alan, and Sharon - became Bar and Bat Mitzvah and were confirmed at Temple Judea. Barbara loves teaching children to read and write Hebrew and about Hebrew being an integral part of Judaism.

My name is Ania Diaz. I have the pleasure and the honor to teach Kindergarten at Temple Judea. I have been involved with Jewish education in some form since 1990. I have worked with different synagogue schools in South Florida, and I was involved with the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education for almost a decade. I’m a firm believer that learning should be fun. I am very thrilled to be given the opportunity to be a part of the link that binds our people together: teaching our children and keeping the Spirit of Torah alive l’dor v’dor (from generation to generation). Feel free to contact Ania!

Mikki, a Miami native, first came to Temple Judea in 1996 to attend conversion classes. At that time, she was teaching kindergarten 6 days a week. She married Lee, a nice Jewish boy from Charleston, SC and had 2 children – Sophie and Jake. A few years later, she returned to Temple Judea to enroll her children in Preschool. After several years as an active preschool volunteer and professional room mother, she joined the preschool faculty. This is Mikki’s 8th year working at the Preschool and her second year working in the Religious School. She is currently one of the Mommy and Me teachers and a frequent substitute in the Preschool as well as the 1st Grade Religious School teacher.

Melanie Cole Goldberg, RJE is thrilled to be teaching 5th grade Hebrew this year at Temple Judea.  She has been working for over 25 years in the field of Jewish Education.  She earned her MAJE and MAJCS from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles.  At Temple Judea Melanie teachers students of all ages including families, adults and grade school children.  She loves to bake challah each week for Shabbat.  When not at TJ, Melanie works as an educational specialist for Miami-CAJE and the URJ.  She is married to Rabbi Edwin Goldberg and together they have two young adult sons, Joey and Benjy.

Sarah Hartnig is a junior at the University of Miami studying English Literature and Journalism. This will be her third year teaching in the Religious School. Sarah has also worked with the Preschool Program and is looking forward to her new position as the advisor to Judea Temple Youth (JTY). On campus, Sarah enjoys writing for the student newspaper, serving on the Undergraduate Honor Council, riding for the Equestrian Team and assisting with Shabbat Unplugged services at Hillel.

Raised in upstate New York, Amy Kutell began to create art at an early age. She attended the School of Architecture, Art and Planning at Cornell University where she received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in 1991. Amy has called South Florida her home since then and has pursued various careers in the arts, including textile design, mural design, illustration, teaching and museum education. She completed her Master’s in Art Education at Florida International University in 2005 . She teaches adult painting classes at the Coral Gables Youth Center and Drawing & Painting at Doral Academy Charter High School. Amy is also the Art Educator for the Religious School at Temple Judea where she enjoys sharing her artistic energy with students in grades K through 6. Amy resides in Coral Gables, Florida with her husband Ben, a Temple Judea Religious School alum, and sons Jonah and Ethan, current Temple Judea Religious School students. Feel free to contact Amy!

Julie is a Jewish Educator by training. She holds a Masters Degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College's Rhea Hirsh School of Education. She served as the Director of Education at Temple Judea for 7 years before retiring to work as a part time Educational Consultant for the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education in Miami. Most importantly she is the mother of three girls, Sophia, Abigail, and Sydney. This is her fourth year working with the Religious School and she is thrilled to be back in the classroom and loves Temple Judea!

Miriam became a religious school educator at Temple Shir Ami in 1994, where she taught 1st grade for 4 years. Ten years ago, Temple Shir Ami merged with Temple Judea and Miriam began working with the Women of Temple Judea as treasurer. Nevertheless, the lure of religious school eventually led her back to teaching. Since 2001, she has alternatively taught Special Needs, 2nd grade and 3rd grade at Temple Judea on Sunday mornings. She and her husband of 25 years, Pedro, can be regularly found at Friday night services - please say hello if you see her. Her son Joseph is involved in the Children’s High Holy Day services. Miriam’s most important class rule is to have fun learning.

Erica Getz Sheftel is a sophomore at The University Of Miami. She is double majoring in advertising and graphic design with a minor in business. She was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. All of her life she attended Jewish summer camp at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute in Wisconsin. This past summer she was a counselor for the oldest group of campers and lead various outdoors trips like rock climbing, biking, canoeing and hiking. When Erica is not studying or working, she likes to spend time relaxing and traveling with friends and family.

Maya was born in Argentina, in a small city with a very small community. When she finished her High School studies she went to live in Israel in the south of the country, near Beer Sheva in a kibutz. Maya has worked with kids since she first arrived in Israel. She attended Key College in Beer Sheva and recived her Teaching Certificate with a major in Science. Maya has lived in Miami for over 4 years, and has worked at the Margaux Early Childhood School of Temple Judea and at Temple Beth Am with the second grade. Maya says the following about Jewish education:

Working in Jewish education is the perfect way for me to combine two fundamental parts of my being. Being a teacher is my life choice and to educate a new generation by showing them the love for Israel, our Traditions and the Hebrew language is my goal and it is here that I found the opportunity to join them.

After 42 years of teaching Hebrew School in Middletown, CT., I am glad to be on Temple Judea faculty. My hope is to make students proud to be Jewish and to make learning Jewish history meaningful.

Alyssa Wohl is a junior at the University of Miami studying International Studies and Psychology. She is originally from North Potomac, Maryland. Alyssa was very active in her synagogue, acting as President of the youth group, serving on the Board of Directors, and teaching second graders at religious school. She is very excited to join the Temple Judea community and meet the families that belong to this beautiful, welcoming synagogue. Feel free to contact Alyssa!