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    About Teach New York

    All children deserve access to a secure and quality general education funded by the state. This state funding will help alleviate the out-of-pocket costs of parents facing the burden of paying tuition and taxes. By voting, mobilizing a network of hundreds of schools, engaging with elected officials, and mobilizing students, parents, and community members to speak up in Albany, Teach NYS is able to fight for fair government funding for our Jewish day schools and yeshivot.

    This model has led to expanded funding for special services, classroom technology, kosher meals, UPK programs, and more vital services. In addition to these vital programs, Teach NYS has successfully championed groundbreaking new initiatives, including the adoption of the first program in the country to fund general studies STEM teachers in nonpublic schools and new security programs in New York city and state nonpublic schools to ensure the safety of students and staff.

    Teach NYS advocacy has led to close to $200 million in annual funding to our community with a goal of $1.3 billion in annual local and state support of nonpublic school students by 2030.

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    GET INVOLVED & INSPIRED TODAY WITH TEACH NEW YORK

    Take Action Now!
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    Teach NYS Newsletter
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    Member Schools
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    Board Members
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    Board Members

    • Sam Sutton, Co-Chair & Founder
    • Cal Nathan, Co-Chair
    • Ira Balsam
    • Howard Balter
    • Moishe Bane
    • Jack Bendheim, Founder
    • Jack Cayre
    • Elliot Gibber
    • Ronny Hersh
    • Lance Hirt
    • Barry Lovell
    • Daniel Lowy
    • Chuck Mamiye
    • Adam Tantleff
    • Joshua Trump
    Leadership Circle
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    Leadership Circle

    • Robert and Michelle Zellner
    • Jeffrey and Susan Meyers
    • Michael Beyda
    • Abe and Barbara Chehebar
    • Daniel Sultan
    • Harold and Lori Dweck
    • Soly Bawabeh
    • Steven and Adrienne Shalom
    • Lee Cohen
    • Maurice Ades
    • Steven Novick
    • Jonathan and Jenny Katz
    • Mark and Sherry Fessel
    • Marc and Ronnie Schlussel
    • Lee Cohen
    • Joseph Gad
    • Aaron and Pamela Lauchheimer
    • Ariel Schachter
    • Aaron and Yael Zelig
    • Yehuda and Anne Neuberger
    • Raymond and Elizabeth Gindi
    • Louis and Marian Franco
    • Henry Guindi
    • Morris Cohen
    • Hymie and Michelle Cohen
    • Marshall and Jean Mizrahi
    • Isaac Chehebar
    • Morris and Frieda Cohen
    • Charles Mizrahi
    • Morris Sabbagh
    • David and Diana Safier
    • Louis Shamie
    • Sol Fallas
    • Ikey Levy
    • Joseph Oved
    • Michael Swieca
    • Gerald and Eileen Lieberman
    • David Azar
    • Harry Tawil
    • Jack and Marjorie Gindi
    • Yeshiva Ohavei Torah
    • Jack and Regine Ashkenazie
    • Richard and Leora Linhart
    • Moshe and Devora Smith
    • Hillel Yeshiva
    • Jack Kassin
    • Elliot and Laurie Sutton
    • Mark Adjmi
    • Jack and Marjorie Gindi
    • Sam and Nancy Sutton
    • Joshua and Elizabeth Trump
    • Marvin and Roz Samuels
    • Jerry and Esther Williams
    • Jack and Regine Ashkenazie
    • Ralph Harary Foundation
    • David Haddad
      Michael and Michelle Nachmani
    • Michael Haddad
      Jaret Feldman
    • Fred and Pauline Harari
    • Marshall and Jean Mizrahi
    • Sol Betesh
    • Ralph S Gindi Family
    • Foundation
      Joey Gabbay
    • Abraham Sultan
      Jeffrey and Debbi Gindi
    • Calvin and Janine Nathan
    • Michael Shamah
    • Saul Tawil
    • Gabriel and Beth Nechamkin
    • Harry and Alison Adjmi
    • Haim and Barbara Dabah
    • Joseph Shamie
      Sion Betesh
    • Salomon Harari
    • Haddad Family
    • Morris and Rachel Tabush
    • Isaac Gindi
    • Jack Kassin
    • Natalio and Anne Fridman
    • Raymond Chalme
    • Haim and Barbara Dabah
    • Norman Jemal
    • David and Nancy Oved
    • Victor and Alice Tawil
    • Norman Jemal
    • Franco Bros/Dreamwear Fund
    • Mark Adjmi
    • Joseph and Ester Jerome
    • Lance and Rivkie Hirt
    • Mark Chraime
    • Eddie Sitt
    • Kiddesigns, Inc.
    • Mark and Joanne Bane
    • Isaac Ash
    • Jack and Giti Bendheim
    • Jack Haddad
    • Raanan and Nicole Agus
    • Albert Laboz
    • James and Amy Haber
    • Adam Tantleff
    • Daniel Lowy
    • Michael and Lisa Leffell
    • David and Becky Zwillinger
    • Mark and Barbara Silber
    • Alan and Helene Shamah
    • Charles and Allegra Mamiye
    • Jack Cayre
    • Parthenon Sportswear Ltd
    • Eisenreich Family Foundation
    • Neil and Sherry Cohen

    Our Team

    Dan Mitzner

    COO & Director of Government Affairs, Teach Coalition

    Sydney Altfield

    Executive Director, Teach NYS

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    Sydney Altfield

    Executive Director, Teach NYS

    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.
    Yosef Kanofsky

    Director of Government Programs, Teach Coalition

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    Yosef Kanofsky

    Director of Government Programs, Teach Coalition

    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

    Event Manager, Teach Coalition

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    Ariana Dalezman

    Event Manager, Teach Coalition

    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

    Associate Director of Government Programs, Teach Coalition

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    Adam Katz

    Associate Director of Government Programs, Teach Coalition

    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

    Government Programs Specialist, Teach NYS

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    Rebekah Rybstein

    Government Programs Specialist, Teach NYS

    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.
    Leah Grossman

    Director of Mandated Services, Teach NYS

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    Leah Grossman

    Director of Mandated Services, Teach NYS

    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

    Government Funding Specialist, Teach NYS

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    Pessy Katz

    Government Funding Specialist, Teach NYS

    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.
    Chanan Maister

    Mandated Services Project Manager, Teach NYS

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    Chanan Maister

    Mandated Services Project Manager, Teach NYS

    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.
    Ronit Mershon

    STEM Associate, Teach Coalition

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    Ronit Mershon

    STEM Associate, Teach Coalition

    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.
    Dvorah Waldman

    Mandated Services Claims Analyst, Teach NYS

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    Dvorah Waldman

    Mandated Services Claims Analyst, Teach NYS

    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.
    Davida Fried

    Regional Field Director, Teach NYS (Westchester, Riverdale, and Manhattan)

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    Davida Fried

    Regional Field Director, Teach NYS (Westchester, Riverdale, and Manhattan)

    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.