Meet Our Learning Leaders
Rabbi Nancy Wechsler-Azen is a graduate of UCLA and ordained by the
Hebrew
Union
College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 1990. This year her teaching will focus on Jewish parenting, Spiritual Ethics (Mussar), coaching B’nai Mitzvah, and creating programs to support all Congregation Beth Shalom members, from tots to elders.
Rabbi David Wechsler-Azen is a graduate of
Princeton
University and ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1986. He loves delving into Jewish texts and drawing parallels to contemporary phenomena, such as making connections between kabbalah and baseball, or Harry Potter and the binding of Isaac.
Carry Cohn is
Sacramento's finest! Born in
Germany, she spent her teen years pioneering the
land of
Israel. She is the Hebrew teacher of more Sacramento B'nai Mitzvah than we can number. We are delighted to have Carry on our staff inspiring our students of all ages.
Alan Hirsch has been teaching Modern Jewish Intellectual History at Beth Shalom for the past two years. His background includes current membership at Beth Shalom, CPA, neighborhood organizing and serving as a charter boat captain in the Virgin Islands.
Michal Kohane is the director of the Jewish Federation of Sacramento. Michal has taught Israeli dance to all ages within our community. Her love of dance and Israeli music adds joy wherever she goes. We are honored to the Federation will visit Beth Shalom once a month to spread the happiness of Israeli dance.
Lisa Bertaccini has spent the last five years deepening her spiritual identity and enhancing her Jewish Meditation practice. She has studied with seasoned Jewish meditation practitioners, including Rabbi Steven Fisdel, Rabbi Tirzah Firestone and others. Lisa is a LCSW and is Chief of Child and Family Mental Health for
Sacramento
County. She also teaches Introduction to Human Services at
American
River
College.