Faculty and staff
The Syracuse Hebrew Day School is an extraordinary place for children. It is a place where all of our energies are dedicated to helping children become their best selves. We purposefully create an environment to meet their needs from early childhood to emerging adolescence.
Laura Lavine
Head of School
Head of School Laura Lavine describes the Syracuse Hebrew Day School as a “gem of a school.” With more than forty years in education, she is delighted to be leading a school in which students meet the New York State Learning Standards and the demands of a robust curriculum of Hebrew and Jewish studies.
Read Full Biography Here
llavine@shds.org
Laura Lavine
Head of School
Melissa Klemperer
Executive Assistant
Mrs. Klemperer has a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Syracuse University. While earning her Master’s degree in Elementary and Special Education K-6 from LeMoyne College, she student taught at the Syracuse Hebrew Day School.
Read Full Biography Here mrsklemperer@shds.org
Melissa Klemperer
Executive Assistant
Sherrii McCombie
Nurse
Mrs. McCombie received her LPN license in 1982 after attending BOCES during her junior and senior years in high school. She worked as an LPN while attending Nursing School at St. Elizabeth's College of Nursing in Utica, NY. She graduated and obtained her Registered Nursing License in 1985. She has done many types of nursing over the past 38 years but especially loves what she does at SHDS. mrsmccombie@shds.org
Sherrii McCombie
Nurse
Kate Hinman
Music
Mrs. Hinman is excited to be part of the teaching team at SHDS. She studied Music Education at Ithaca College and then pursued a Masters Degree in Music Education at Syracuse University.
Read Full Biography Here khinman@shds.org
Kate Hinman
Music
Pamela Wells
6th Grade Cantillation
Mrs. Wells became a professional Torah reader in 2003. She is the Ba’alat Kriah at a local synagogue, and has taught Torah cantillation to approximately one hundred Bar/Bat Mitzvah students.
Read Full Biography Here prdavis1@aol.com
Pamela Wells
6th Grade Cantillation
Phyllis Zames
Kindergarten and Kita Alef Hebrew
Mrs. Zames is proud to be an SHDS graduate, parent, and teacher. She has a bachelor's degree in Communication from Cornell University, with a concentration in Near Eastern Studies. After receiving her master's degree from the Bank Street College of Education, she became certified as an elementary school teacher in New Jersey.
Read Full Biography Here mrszames@shds.org
Phyllis Zames
Kindergarten and Kita Alef Hebrew
Yvonne Fix
1st grade
Yvonne Fix earned her undergraduate degree in Art History from Syracuse University and is part-way through her Masters in Elementary Education at LeMoyne College.
Ms. Fix is completing her first year of teaching at SHDS where she previously completed her student teaching and taught as a substitute teacher.
Read Full Biography Here yfix@shds.org
Yvonne Fix
1st grade
Jackie Kassel
Resource
As far back as Mrs. Kassel can remember, she has always wanted to be a teacher. She never even thought about doing anything else. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.
Read Full Biography Here mrskassel@shds.org
Jackie Kassel
Resource
Kelly Roy
2nd and 3rd grades
kroy@shds.org
Kelly Roy
2nd and 3rd grades
Moshe Alfasi
Grades 2/3 Jewish Social Studies and 6th grade Hebrew
Mr. Alfasi is proud to be a teacher at SHDS. He has a Bachelor's degree in Communication from Sapir College in Israel, including a concentration in Sociology.
Read Full Biography Here malfasi@shds.org
Moshe Alfasi
Grades 2/3 Jewish Social Studies and 6th grade Hebrew
Rabbi Shore
Grades 2-6 Chumash/Dinim
Rabbi Evan Shore’s tenure at SHDS has covered more than thirty years including being a proud parent of three graduates of the Day School. At Yeshiva University, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in History, received ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and attended The Azrieli School of Education, specializing in Elementary Jewish Education.
Read Full Biography Here rabbishore@shds.org
Rabbi Shore
Grades 2-6 Chumash/Dinim
Susan Fix
Art
Art teacher Mrs. Susan Fix attended OCC and SUNY at Oswego. She worked at Modern Kitchens of Syracuse as a designer then become an Art Teacher at Hillbrook Detention Center in Syracuse.
Read Full Biography Here sfix@shds.org
Susan Fix
Art
Michal Downie
Grades 2-4 Hebrew
Born and raised in Israel, Mrs. Downie has been part of the Syracuse Jewish community since 1996. For more than twenty years, she has been teaching Hebrew and Jewish Studies in many of the Syracuse Jewish schools.
Read Full Biography Here mdownie@shds.org
Michal Downie
Grades 2-4 Hebrew
Allison Garza
Kindergarten
Ms. Garza teaches kindergarten, and sixth grade English Language Arts at SHDS. She received both her BS in Elementary Education and Psychology and MS in Literacy and Reading Education from SUNY at Oswego.
Read Full Biography Here agarza@shds.org
Allison Garza
Kindergarten
Stacy Seidman
4th and 5th Grades and Technology
Mrs. Seidman has had a life-long love of teaching and working with children, and is honored to be a part of the Syracuse Hebrew Day School faculty. Her time at SHDS started as PTO president and parent, then moved into the rewarding role of teacher.
Read Full Biography Here mrsseidman@shds.org
Stacy Seidman
4th and 5th Grades and Technology
Jean Smith
6th Grade
When she was eight years old, Mrs. Smith decided that teaching was for her and has never looked back. She taught her brothers, her dolls, even her cat.
Read Full Biography Here mrssmith@shds.org
Jean Smith
6th Grade
Colton Oliver
Physical Education
Mr. Oliver is a graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High School. He has a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from The College at Brockport. While at Brockport, Mr. Oliver was a member of the Men’s Varsity Lacrosse team for four years and was named captain his senior year.
Read Full Biography Here coliver@shds.org
Colton Oliver
Physical Education