As Orthodox Union Managing Director, Maury is responsible for overseeing all institutional advancement, marketing and communications, and political advocacy functions of the OU. These responsibilities include overseeing an international fundraising campaign of $40 million dollars annually, a marketing and communications operation for over 20 departments, and a national advocacy operation that advocates for over $350 million dollars in annual aid to community institutions.

As Founder of the Teach Coalition, Maury Litwack has grown the organization from a single staffer to a multi-state network responsible for billions of dollars in new state funding to non-public schools. Today Teach is hundreds of schools strong and counts a national core of over 1,000 politically active lay leaders and thousands of engaged parent and student activists to deliver their message to elected officials and candidates both at the statehouse and back home. His work has helped move long stalled legislation in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, California and Maryland to benefit children and schools in those states. It has also meant a historic series of firsts: the first-ever funding for security guards in non-public schools, the first ever STEM teacher grant for non-public schools in the nation, and the first-time summer camps were named eligible for security grant, and the first ever Kosher and Halal pilot program for all.

A sought-after expert in lobbying strategy, educational policy, and nonprofit fundraising, Litwack is a go-to source for journalists. Litwack has been regularly named to City and State Magazine and Insider NJ’s annual list of the most influential people in NJ & NY politics. Litwack has presented in more than 25 cities and keynoted national conferences. He has also published numerous articles on fundraising, political strategy, and educational policy including as a regular contributor to Mishpacha magazine. Maury’s thoughts on politics can be heard weekly in the Power Politics Podcast, a Mishpacha magazine production.

Prior to joining the Orthodox Union, Litwack served on the intergovernmental affairs staff for Miami-Dade County, the sixth largest county in the nation. He also served as a legislative advisor in the United States Congress, specializing in foreign affairs and education policy. As a volunteer, Maury has chaired the Development Committees of two schools and one synagogue with collective budgets of $22 million dollars and in 2020 was named Alumnus of the Year for the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.

Marissa Moskowitz is the Annual Fund Director at Teach Coalition, where she oversees donor cultivation and stewardship programs, multichannel campaigns, and donor communications.

Previously, Marissa worked as Development Coordinator at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where she led grant and proposal processes, supported lay leader programs, and developed fundraising campaigns.

Marissa received a BA in art history from Columbia University, and an MA in corporate communications from Baruch College. She lives in Tenafly with her husband and their two children.

Danny Aqua is an impassioned advocate for educational opportunities for children, parents and schools. As Field Director at Teach Florida, Danny built a grassroots initiative that engaged parents in the legislative process. In addition to trips to Tallahassee, petition signings and traditional advocacy, Danny has been an integral part in Teach Florida’s get-out-the-vote program that has resulted in doubling and sometimes tripling voter turnout in the Jewish day school community over multiple elections.

Danny’s work at Teach Florida enables him to use skills from his two prior careers – law and teaching. Prior to working at Teach Florida, Danny practiced real estate law as an Associate at Blank Rome, LLP and then taught both in elementary and middle schools.

Danny received his Bachelor Degree in Political Science from Baruch College magna cum laude, his Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School Order of the Coif and his Masters Degree in Education from Azrieli Graduate School of Education.

Arielle Frankston-Morris serves as Executive Director of Teach PA. Born and raised in PA’s capital city, Harrisburg, Arielle graduated from Yeshiva University’s Stern College with a B.A. in English Literature and received her M.S.W. from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. As a licensed social worker, Arielle has worked with individuals, groups, and communities in a variety of settings to identify challenges and achieve goals. Arielle spent time learning about community organizing in a New York City Councilmember’s office and has gained valuable community engagement experience in her active volunteer work. In 2021, Arielle was named in City and State’s Power 100 List in Pennsylvania.

As Teach NJ’s executive director, Katz oversees Teach NJ’s annual campaign, community engagement and mobilization efforts across the state. She joined Teach NJ from the Englewood Health Foundation where, as a major gifts officer, she managed a portfolio of major donors and cultivated philanthropic partnerships between donors, physicians, and Englewood Health. Prior to her time at Englewood Health, Katz worked at The New Jewish Home in Manhattan as associate director of capital campaigns.

A third-generation New Jersey resident and Jewish day school alumna, Katz holds an MBA from Brandeis University in nonprofit management as well as a master’s degree in Jewish professional leadership. She lives in Teaneck with her husband Ezra and their three children.

Sydney Altfield serves as Executive Director of Teach NYS. She previously held the role of Grassroots Engagement Director. Prior to Teach NYS, Sydney was a Development Fellow at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Sydney graduated from the University of Central Florida with a B.A. in Event Management and a minor in Leadership Studies. During her time at UCF, she served as Student Body Vice President where she presided over the largest number of constituents in the nation. As a product of a Jewish day school in Miami, Florida, Sydney is passionate about Teach Coalition’s mission and the future success of our schools.

As the Director of Government Programs for Teach Coalition, Yosef oversees all government program work that Teach does on behalf of its member school network and beyond. Yosef’s team is responsible for ensuring that yeshivas and day schools access tens of millions of government dollars and services yearly. Yosef has worked in nonpublic school education and policy since 2009 and joined Teach in 2014. Previously, he founded and ran a cutting-edge youth program and center for chassidic teens in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.  

Yosef was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, received his BA from Columbia University and an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Brooklyn College. He lives in Crown Heights with his wife and their six children.  

Ariana Dalezman serves as Teach Coalition’s Event Manager. Prior to joining the Teach Coalition team, Ariana served as the Director of Operations and Events at one of Bergen County’s largest orthodox synagogues. Ariana is a life-long resident of Bergen County, and currently resides in Teaneck, NJ with her husband and three children. Ariana graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Communication, when she is not planning events, Ariana enjoys traveling with her family and baking.

Adam Katz serves as the Associate Director of Government Programs for Teach Coalition. Working with schools throughout the country, he helps them navigate government programs and ensure they take maximum advantage of all available funding sources.

Adam brings a wide range of skills and experience to the organization. He has worked at the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center Think Tank for Urban and Regional Policy as well as the US Navy, started his own real estate advisory firm, served on the board of directors of a nonprofit, and is an author. Adam earned a master’s degree in Public Policy from Northeastern University and a bachelors degree in Economics from University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Adam lives in Passaic with his wife and three children.

Rebekah Rybstein serves as a Government Programs and Security Grant Specialist for Teach Coalition.

She graduated from Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a concentration in Business Law and Real Estate. Previously, Rebekah was involved in numerous advocacy efforts between elected officials, civic groups, and not-for-profit organizations throughout Southeastern Brooklyn.

Mrs. Leah Grossman directs the Mandated Services Reimbursement team for Teach NYS.

Mrs. Grossman has a background in math and upwards of two decades of experience working with schools to maximize their reimbursement for NY mandates through the Mandated Services and CAP programs . She lives in Lakewood, NJ with her family.

Pessy Katz serves as a Government Funding Specialist for Teach NYS.

Prior to joining the Teach Coalition team, Pessy served as co-director of admissions at The Shefa School in NYC. In addition to running the admissions process and marketing, Pessy was the administrative lead on applying for government funds for the Shefa School. She is excited to bring that experience to her work now with Teach Coalition.

Pessy served as an OU Institute of Public Affairs congressional intern on Capitol Hill. She received a BA in Political Science at Lander College for women. She attended NYU where she was a Lisa Ellen Goldberg Fellow and ran a multi-faith graduate student group and graduated with a Masters in Public Administration and an MA in Hebrew and Judaic Studies. Pessy currently lives in Jerusalem with her family.

Before joining Teach Coalition, Tzvi worked as a Space Manager for the US Social Security Administration, where he managed interior planning and construction for the SSA headquarters in Woodlawn, MD. He then worked as a Quantity Surveyor on public and private construction projects throughout Israel before joining Teach Coalition as a Data Analyst for its newly formed Office of Jewish Education Policy and Research.

As Data Analyst, Tzvi’s work focuses on research and analysis of a broad range of critical data such as school enrollment, tuition, and government funding awards. This information gives us a deep understanding of prevailing trends in day schools and where best to focus our efforts on advocating for Jewish day schools.

Tzvi received his Bachelors Degree in Architecture from The City College of New York, and his Masters Degree in Construction Management from Florida International University. A native New Yorker and then resident of Baltimore, he currently resides in Pardes Hanna, Israel with his wife and their three children.

Chanan Maister joined the Teach NYS Government Maximization team in 2022 as Mandated Services Project Manager. Prior to this, he worked in the private sector for over a decade, first in e-commerce and later in fintech. He lives in metro Detroit with his wife and two children, and in his free time can be found reading the New Yorker and books about World War II.

Originally born in Chicago, Ronit grew up in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and attended YULA.

After graduating from Brandeis University, she went on to become a television producer at the CourtTV Network in New York City. These days, in addition to her role at Teach Coalition, she’s also a Staff Writer for The Jewish Link of New Jersey. as well as a substitute teacher at Yavneh Academy. She lives with her husband (Stuart) and three children in Teaneck.

Jacob joined Teach Coalition in November 2022 and serves as a security grants administrator. Jacob graduated from the University of Hartford in 2019 and then spent three years learning at Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem, Israel. In his spare time, Jacob loves to read, watch sports, participate in leadership trainings, and spending time with family and friends. Jacob loves to travel, especially to see historic sites. He loves working with people to exemplify kindness and always tries to find ways to make the world a better place.

Dvorah Waldman has an MA in speech language pathology from University of Cincinnati and ten years of experience in the education system, as well as experience with Early Intervention claims submission and problem-solving. She joins our Mandated Services team to assist schools with claims preparation and maximization.

Hadassa Levenson has built her career in education, serving as a public school teacher for almost a decade. When a coworker decided to run for school board, she helped run her (successful!) campaign, and through that was introduced to Teach PA. She is currently a part time field organizer focused on engaging and growing the Miami area activist network. As a product of Jewish day schools and a new parent, she is passionate about Teach Coalition’s mission and the future success of our schools. She recently relocated to Philadelphia, but she is looking forward to continuing her work with the Teach Coalition!

Prior to joining Teach Florida, Melissa created a shampoo company and worked as in house lawyer for Total Relief Skincare . She is actively involved in the Hollywood Jewish community and has worked for the past three summers in Camp Kfir Katan’s day camp, running programming and communications. Melissa has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women and received her J.D.  from Touro Law Center. Melissa is a native Floridian who returned to Florida after law school with her husband Josh. They have three children and live in Hollywood, Florida.

Melissa brings passion, a strong work ethic and a deep belief that every child deserves a Jewish education.  Melissa will be working to grow our advocacy program by strengthening old relationships and building new ones.

Malka Kownat-Rhodes is a long-time professional in the field of special education, with over 10 years of experience working in a large school district in Ohio. Malka graduated cum laude from Brooklyn College with a BA in Psychology, and then earned a master’s degree in Education from Notre Dame College in Ohio. Most recently, Malka worked as the Director of Student Support for The Torah Academy of Boca Raton in South Florida.  Malka has a history of successfully partnering with government agencies and school districts, and with non-profit organizations like The Jewish Federation and Jewish Family Services, to procure funding for educational initiatives. Malka’s years of experience working with families struggling with the cost of private school tuition combined with the cost of services for children with special needs, has led to her joining Teach Coalition. In her new capacity as a funding specialist, she helps families access funding for both specialized services and private school tuition.

Jonathan Rubin is the Florida Grassroots Director. Jonathan focuses on community turnout during election season, voter data, policy, and strategic initiatives. Jonathan works with elected officials and educates them on the needs of the local community.

Prior to Teach FL, Jonathan worked with the Republican Party on Presidential, Congressional, and local campaigns. Jonathan led a number of policy initiatives through the Knesset and US Congress. Jonathan has founded and consulted with numerous Non-Profits and Start-Ups. Jonathan received his BA from IDC Herzliya and his MPA from Columbia University.

Elizabeth Wolff is the Executive Administrative Assistant/Government Maximization Specialist on our Teach Florida Coalition team.  She joined the Florida team in July 2022 and is originally from Brooklyn, NY but has now lived in South Florida for over 30 years.  Elizabeth has worked in Customer Service and Education for the past 16 years and has seen the tremendous growth of the Jewish communities and Yeshivas in Florida.

As a Torah observant mother of four children (now a grandma too), all who have graduated from Yeshiva and an inaugural Step-Up parent, Elizabeth understands the value and sacrifices it takes to make sure families and schools get the support, financial assistance and student services that Teach Florida constantly provides, which also aids in instilling Torah values within our community. Elizabeth’s work supports the growth of the Teach Florida Coalition, new and current School DOE Compliance, Jewish Day School Security Guard Grants and scholarship families and schools.

Benjamin Hutt joined Teach NJ in February 2020 and serves as regional field director, leading New Jersey’s voting efforts and focusing grassroots efforts primarily on portions of Bergen County. Prior to regional field director, Benjamin served as campaign manager, successfully increasing Jewish voter turnout in general and municipal elections across Teach Coalition states. Benjamin joined the Teach team from New Jersey Yachad.

Benjamin graduated cum laude from Rutgers University in 2016 where he received his BS in Evolutionary Anthropology. Benjamin lives in Teaneck with his wife and two sons and in his free time tends to his beehives, volunteers with the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and plays tennis.

Maya Joyandeh serves as Regional Field Director, having joined Teach Coalition in July 2021. For the last 10 years, Maya has worked as a Medical Social Worker, providing counseling and services to those suffering from life-limiting illnesses in NY and NJ. Maya has a passion for serving her community, specifically recruiting and assisting new families in the Welcoming Committee, chairing the annual dinner, and serving as the Events and Programming Committee Director at her shul. Maya also kickstarted and moderates the “Neighborhood” groups on Facebook, which assists residents of Bergen County (and nearby communities) in locating household items, food and clothing for free from other families that no longer need it.

Maya received her undergraduate degree from Stern College for Women in 2006, and a Masters in Social Work at NYU. Maya lives in Teaneck with her husband and three children. In her free time, Maya enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and hiking with her family.

David Fried is thrilled to be partnering with Teach NYS as Regional Director for Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan.
She attended Yeshiva University on a full academic scholarship and graduated with her Masters of Science from Azrieli Graduate School for Jewish Education and Administration. After working as a classroom teacher at SAR Academy and Westchester Day School, Ms Fried was recruited as Director of the Camp Regesh Preschool in New Jersey in 2015. In 2017, Ms. Fried was hired as Early Childhood Director for the Stein Yeshiva Preschool. Ms Fried continued to dedicate her career to working for Jewish institutions and organizations. Ms. Fried currently resides in Westchester, NY with her husband and three children.

Ronit Tarshish is the Regional Field Director of Teach NYS for Brooklyn. Ronit has spent her entire career in education, almost all of it in Brooklyn, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Brooklyn College with a Masters in Education and an Advanced Certificate in School Psychology. She has worked as a popular teacher and school psychologist in numerous Brooklyn schools for many years, and most recently served as the General Studies Director of an Orthodox school. Ronit has loved learning since she was in elementary school and has enjoyed remaining within a learning environment while serving in her various educational roles. She is excited to bring her love of education to help schools get the funding they need through her position with Teach Coalition.

In her spare time, she enjoys drama- writing and directing Jewish plays and films for women. She creates and directs her original scripts, and they are then rented and performed or shown in schools, camps, and seminaries worldwide. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and sweet toddler, Sara Rivky.

Mackenzie Frand serves as the Director of Special Programs for Teach Coalition. Previously, Mackenzie served as the Associate Grassroots Director for Teach NYS and the Grassroots GOTV and Operations Director for Teach Coalition. She graduated cum laude from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2015 with a BA in Sociology. When not working, Mackenzie enjoys spending time with her dog.

David is the current development coordinator for Teach Coalition, having joined in November 2022. He is responsible for data gathering and reporting, streamlining administrative operations, and facilitating projects of high importance. Prior to joining Teach Coalition, David had earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry, an MBA with a concentration in Information Systems, and focused on technological transformation and compliance in the healthcare and science fields.

David currently resides in Brooklyn with his family. In his spare time, he tutors students with special needs in math, science, and history. David also provides technology support to students and families, to ensure that they can be ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges, today

Jennifer Taub serves as Executive Assistant to Daniel Mitzner, COO of Teach Coalition. She previously worked at The Ramaz Upper School as an administrative assistant. Jennifer began her career in finance working in asset management, and later transitioned into the not-for-profit sector.

Jennifer lives in the Riverdale section of the Bronx with her husband Jon, who is a diehard Jets fan!