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Biography of Debbie Greenblatt

Debbie Greenblatt has been involved in teaching and counseling Jewish women for over twenty-five years. She speaks on practical applications of Jewish thought, personal relationships and textual based education. Besides being a founder of the Women’s Division of Gateways, she lectures often for the Jewish Renaissance Center and gives classes in the metropolitan area as well as across the country. For over twenty years, her weekly class in the works of Rabbi Dessler has served as an anchor in her own life, and has changed the lives of many of those who have attended. She is an insightful and powerful speaker who touches the minds and hearts of all those who attend her classes. Debbie is the mother of nine children and lives in Lawrence, NY.

Scheudule of Events
Please see presenter bios below

 9:45 - 10:15: Registration and Refreshments

Presenter Biographies:

Devorah Avrukin has lived and worked the silicon valley for the past 8 years. Originally from the East Coast, Devorah has worked and volunteered for many Jewish organizations in the bay area. When she isn't chasing around her toddler, she devotes her time to writing and volunteering.  

Bethany Strulowitz is now in her 7th year as Rebbetzin of Congregation Adath Israel in San Francisco. In that capacity, she teaches women's classes, advises and leads children's programs, and works at the community Mikvah. Bethany also teaches Middle School Judaic Studies at Oakland Hebrew Day School. Bethany has been involved in both formal and informal educational programs for adolescents and adults in Israel, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and America for almost fifteen years. She earned her Masters in Jewish Education from Azrieli Graduate School for Jewish Education and double BAs in Psychology and Judaic Studies from Stern College of Yeshiva University. She also became certified in kallah-teaching and pre-marital counseling from the National Council of Young Israel. Bethany and her husband, Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz, are the proud parents of three girls and one boy who all love having guests for Shabbat.

Aviva Lieberman is originally from New York. This past summer she moved to Palo Alto with her husband, a teacher in South Peninsula Hebrew Day School, and her children, where she is pleased to be serving as the dormitory mother for Meira Academy students.

Jamie Westby, culinary specialist at Whole Foods Market Stevens Creek is a certified chef by the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Program through the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco as well as a self proclaimed food geek!  Spending nearly half of her life working in professional kitchens, Jamie has had the opportunity to work with many world renowned chefs and cook in various influential restaurants all over California and Hawaii.  Encouraged by the happiness that food brings to people, Jamie strives to find new ingredients and develop recipes based on peoples’ specific tastes and dietary restrictions.  Focusing on the chemistry of food, she is able to understand the reasoning of why food reacts the way it does which helps her in developing new and innovative recipes. Passionate about eating local and seasonal ingredients, she personally sets out to teach and encourage the culinary skills needed to ditch the processed foods and head back to the gourmet basics!    

Alice Hancock, Stevens Creek Healthy Eating Specialist, is a certified holistic nutrition consultant from Santa Cruz, CA.  She has worked in international education and nutritional counseling, including one on one wellness coaching and nutrition education.  With personal experience in weight loss, she believes in a balanced and realistic approach to both diet and lifestyle – eating healthy should be easy, sustainable, delicious & enjoyable!  She is passionate about eating fresh, unprocessed and nutrient rich foods, and hopes to empower people to reconnect with their food, body, and kitchen in order to achieve optimal wellness.

Penina Noy is a Jewish educator who has relocated with her family from Israel to the Bay area about a year ago. Penina is currently the interim principal of Meira Academy- A new, girls-only, innovative Jewish high school in Palo Alto.

Natalie Korthamar is a certified Zumba fitness instructor and is excited for the opportunity to teach a Zumba fitness class for the JSN women's seminar.  Natalie enjoys the Zumba fitness program because it is open to all fitness levels and no prior dance experience is necessary.  She is committed to helping others achieve their fitness goals through positive, fun, and encouraging fitness instruction.  Her fitness philosophy is that anybody, at any age, from any starting point, can embrace an active lifestyle. 

Randa Marder coaches individuals and organizations to realize their purpose and vision. Becoming a Certified Professional Performance and Relationship Coach was a culmination of skills which Randa acquired leading Jewish organizations, teaching and facilitating workshops and seminars and motivating and planning programs for and with hundreds of people throughout her career. Known for her engaging smile and compassionate ways, Randa will make you feel right at home on your own ‘board.’

Sarah Felsen was born in San Francisco and spent her early childhood years in Berkeley. She has an M.A. from Columbia University in Learning Disabilities. She is a founding member of the JSN, and teaches 1st and 8th grade at the South Peninsula Hebrew Day School as well as weekly parenting classes.

Masha Nepomniashchy is a graduate of New York University - Stern School of Business (class of '07) and has a B.S. in Finance and International Business. She is currently working as a valuation consultant at PwC in the San Francisco office and has been with the firm for 5 years with a brief sabbatical in Jerusalem, Israel. When Masha is not working she enjoys taking hip hop dance classes, being involved in the Bay Area Jewish Community, traveling, visting her family in her hometown of Houston, Texas, and reading fiction, non-fiction, and Judaic literature. 

Laura Marder studied in Israel before receiving her Masters in Social Work from the Hunter College School of Social Work. She directed and taught at BENA, a Jewish women's learning program in the Atlanta Scholars Kollel. She is a family therapist, but devotes much of her time to teaching and learning with women of all ages and backgrounds.

Yonit Shemtob holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from UCLA,  and a dual JD/ MBA from University of Southern California.  She is was a business/legal consultant, for Wells Fargo and is now Risk and Compliance consultant for wellsfargo.com.