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Our People

We're committed to the values of professionalism, lifelong learning & nurturing community

Senior Administration

Headshot of Head of School Eric Petersiel
Eric Petersiel

Head of School

Headshot of Michael Bien, Director of Development.
Michael Bien

Director of Development

Headshot of Director of Operations Claire Flotner.
Claire Dalby

Director of Operations

Headshot of Principal Adina Lubek.
Adina Lubek

Principal

Janice Prazoff

Director of Admissions

A headshot of Tali Schwartz
Tali Schwartz

Director of Communications

Academic Administration

Headshot of Danielle Applebaum, Dean of Student Academics.
Danielle Applebaum

Dean of Student Services

Headshot of Sheryl Faith, Dean of Academic Development & IB Coordinator
Sheryl Faith

Dean of Academic Development & IB Coordinator

Andrew Howard

VICE PRINCIPAL, upper school

Headshot of Rabbi Noam Katz, Dean of Jewish Living
Rabbi Noam Katz

Dean of Jewish Living

Jenna Sobel

VICE PRINCIPAL, Lower school

Headshot of Ayelet Bercovich, Senior Development Officer
Ayelet Bercovich

Senior Development Officer

Headshot of Graeme Casson
Graeme Casson

IT Manager

Emma Cohen

Registered Social Worker

Headshot of Sandra Cohn
Sandra Cohn

Finance Administrator

Headshot of Cheryl Greenburg
Cheryl Greenberg

Operations Administrator

Headshot of Melanie Kohn
Melanie Kohn

Operations Assistant

Lauren Meisels

Registered Social Worker

Jayme Ozier

Registered Social Worker

Headshot of Kim Pasternak
Kim Pasternak

Administrative Assistant

Headshot of Kenny Sanmugathan
Kenny Sanmugathan

Facilities & Custodial Care

Janis Seftel

Communications Specialist

Leanne Slattery

Admission Coordinator

Dayna White

Manager of Student Academics

Ricki Wortzman

Faculty Coach

Headshot of Daniel Abramson, Director of the Tikkun Project.
Daniel Abramson

Director of Tikkun Project

Headshot of Jenna Adler Gordon
Jenna Adler-Gordon

PYP Teacher & Technology Integration Specialist

Jillian Altman

PYP Teacher

Headshot of Risa Amar
Risa Amar

PYP Teacher

Marni Appel

PYP Teacher

Headshot of Jenna Arenson
Jenna Arenson

PYP Teacher

Lawrence Axmith

PYP & MYP Teacher

Headshot of Magi Binjamini
Magi Binyamini

MYP Teacher

Headshot of Nicole Black
Nicole Black

Student Services

Headshot of Lisa Bonen.
Lisa Bonen

PYP Teacher

Headshot of Lindsay Budd
Lindsay Budd

MYP Teacher

Rochelle Chester

School Librarian

Headshot of Karen Cohen
Karen Cohen

PYP Hebrew & Judaics Teacher

Sharon Cohen

MYP Teacher

Ilana Cyna

MYP Teacher & MYP Advisor

Sam Fruitman

PYP Teacher

Suzanna Elster

PYP Hebrew & Judaics Teacher

Roni Fishman

PYP Hebrew & Judaics Teacher

Headshot of Ashley Gordon, PYP Teacher
Ashley Gordon

PYP Teacher

Kayla Goren

Music instructor

Amy Green

PYP Teacher

Bonnie Gremont

PYP Teacher

Erin Hafner

Student Services

Headshot of Margaux Janks
Margaux Janks

PYP Teacher

Michelle Kaplan

MYP Teacher

Avital Katz

PYP Hebrew & Judaics Teacher

Kathy Klar

Preschool Assistant

Shelley Klugman

PYP Teacher

Kim Kozloff

PYP Teacher

Danielle Lapedus

PYP Teacher

Headshot of Melissa Levin
Melissa Levin

Student Services

Alexa Lewis

PYP Teacher

Eva MacCharles

MYP French Teacher

Headshot of Leah Mamalider
Leah Mamalider

PYP Hebrew & Judaics Teacher

David Martosh
David Martosh

MYP Teacher

Michelle Masters

PYP Teacher

Moshe Micha

Hebrew Teacher

Leanda Miller

PYP Teacher

Souad Mrabit

PYP Teacher

Headshot of David Nepon, Physical Education
David Nepon

MYP Teacher

Cindy Opler

MYP Teacher

Headshot of Carolyn Polster, Student Services.
Carolyn Polster

Student Services

Headshot of Lisa Richler, the Little Leos head teacher.
Lisa Richler

Little Leos Head Teacher

Alexandra Robins

MYP Teacher

Katie Roche

PYP Teacher

Joanne Roitman

MYP Teacher

Irith Rosen

MYP Teacher & Hebrew Coordinator

Ashleigh Rosenthal

PYP Teacher

Joanna Sadowski

PYP/MYP Teacher

Headshot of Karen Salom
Karen Salom

Preschool Assistant

Jordana Silver

Preschool Assistant

Randi Solomon

Technology Integration Specialist & PYP Advisor

Vered Solomon

Preschool Assistant

Latoya Sousa

Preschool Assistant

Julia Starr

MYP Teacher

Lauren Sversky

PYP Teacher

Headshot of Alina Tabak
Alina Tabak

MYP Teacher

Headshot of Tovah Tabacznik
Tovah Tabacznik

Student Services

Gene Teeger

MYP Teacher

Headshot of Miriam Toste
Miriam Toste

PYP Teacher

Naomi Vidal

MYP Teacher

Ilana Walderman

Preschool Advisor

Hannah Walsh

PYP Teacher

Mika Weiner

PYP Teacher

Leah Witz

PYP Teacher

A headshot of Joey Yancovitch.
Joey Yancovitch

Preschool Assistant

Headshot of Shari Zacks
Shari Zacks

Student Services

Headshot of Sara Zatzman
Sara Zatzman

PYP Teacher

Message from Board President

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

I have been a member of the LBDS board since 2017, serving most recently as the Vice President and Treasurer. It has been a pleasure working with the talented professionals on the board and the school’s staff. Together we have a shared passion for bringing out the best in LBDS’s students and supporting them to be the leaders of tomorrow.

The past two school years were a significant challenge for our community. I couldn’t be more proud of how our board and staff came together to deliver a safe school environment. It is this dedication and resiliency that has always defined Leo Baeck. I look forward to welcoming our students back to a more typical LBDS experience that includes Jewish traditions with family, carnivals, athletics, and other extra-curricular activities.

Last year we launched our new Mission and Vision, which serves as our north star. This year we also shared our new strategic plan, which will guide our growth and development over the next five years.

On a personal note, my wife Samantha and I are strong advocates of the school, with three children that are current or graduated students of Leo Baeck. You can find more information about my background below.

I look forward to representing Leo Baeck in the coming year and welcome any questions or comments you may have. I can be reached at president@leobaeck.ca

Sincerely,
Mitchell Glickman
President, Board of Directors

Mitch Glickman
Mitch Glickman

Co-President
Shayna Galante headshot
Shayna Galante

Co-President
Headshot of Rabbi Bielfeld
Rabbi Arthur Bielfeld

Honourary Chair
Headshot of Robbie Bossin
Robbie Bossin

Vice President
Headshot of David Poster
David Poster

Treasurer
Michelle Gordon

Secretary
Jeff Bernstein
Headshot of Marc Bissell
Marc Bissell
Headshot of Leanne Campbell
Leanne Campbell
Sheldon Diamond
Headshot of Erez Eizenman
Erez Eizenman
Headshot of Joshua Freeman
Joshua Freeman
Rebecca Jerusalim smiling and looking directly at camera.
Dr. Rebecca Slan Jerusalim
Headshot of Greg Joffe
Greg Joffe
Headshot of Cheryl Silver Posner
Cheryl Posner
Eric Riz portrait photo.
Eric Riz
Pekka Sinervo Headshot
Pekka Sinervo
Message from Board President

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

I have been a member of the LBDS board since 2017, serving most recently as the Vice President and Treasurer. It has been a pleasure working with the talented professionals on the board and the school’s staff. Together we have a shared passion for bringing out the best in LBDS’s students and supporting them to be the leaders of tomorrow.

The past two school years were a significant challenge for our community. I couldn’t be more proud of how our board and staff came together to deliver a safe school environment. It is this dedication and resiliency that has always defined Leo Baeck. I look forward to welcoming our students back to a more typical LBDS experience that includes Jewish traditions with family, carnivals, athletics, and other extra-curricular activities.

Last year we launched our new Mission and Vision, which serves as our north star. This year we also shared our new strategic plan, which will guide our growth and development over the next five years.

On a personal note, my wife Samantha and I are strong advocates of the school, with three children that are current or graduated students of Leo Baeck. You can find more information about my background below.

I look forward to representing Leo Baeck in the coming year and welcome any questions or comments you may have. I can be reached at president@leobaeck.ca

Sincerely,
Mitchell Glickman
President, Board of Directors

Mitch Glickman

Our Board Of Directors

Mitch Glickman

President
Headshot of Rabbi Bielfeld
Rabbi Arthur Bielfeld

Honourary Chair
Headshot of Cheryl Silver Posner
Cheryl Posner

Vice President

Headshot of David Poster
David Poster

Treasurer

Michelle Gordon

Secretary

Headshot of Marc Bissell
Marc Bissell
Headshot of Robbie Bossin
Robbie Bossin
Headshot of Leanne Campbell
Leanne Campbell
Headshot of Erez Eizenman
Erez Eizenman
Headshot of Joshua Freeman
Joshua Freeman
Shayna Galante headshot
Shayna Galante
Rebecca Jerusalim smiling and looking directly at camera.
Dr. Rebecca Slan Jerusalim
Headshot of Greg Joffe
Greg Joffe
Eric Riz portrait photo.
Eric Riz
Headshot of Pekka Sinervo
Pekka Sinervo

Have a question about attending Leo Baeck?

Admission Information

Mitch Glickman

Mitchell Glickman is the Chief Financial Officer at Banyan Software, a business that acquires and grows enterprise software businesses that cater to niche vertical markets. He was previously the Vice President of Corporate Development at Livingston International, where he led a team responsible for strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and major corporate initiatives. 

Earlier in his career, he held positions in strategy, financial planning and analysis, investment banking, and private equity. Mitch’s private sector work has typically involved partnering with senior executives and board members to drive strategic value. His non-profit experience includes Out of the Cold, UJA’s Bay Street Cabinet, and various leadership roles at Chicago Cares, a Chicago-based community volunteer organization. 

He has served on the Leo Baeck Board for five years and became President in 2022. Mitch earned an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.A. from the University of Western Ontario. 

Mitch and his wife Samantha have three children, all of whom are current or graduated students of Leo Baeck.

Shayna Galante

Shayna Galante is Senior Counsel for CANNEX Financial Exchanges Limited. Prior to this role, she worked at Dentons Canada LLP for over 13 years as a lawyer in the litigation department and then moved to the firm’s internal risk management department where she worked as part of a global team advising lawyers and staff on a variety of risk, conflicts and compliance issues. Shayna obtained her B. Comm from the University of Alberta and her J.D. from the University of Toronto and is called to the Bar in both Alberta (2007) and Ontario (2013). 

She successfully co-chaired the Leo Baeck Parents’ Association for three years and has enjoyed many years volunteering in the school and community. 

Shayna and her husband, Sean, attended Jewish day school in Alberta, where they grew up, and are proud to have their three children at Leo Baeck.

Rabbi Bielfeld

Rabbi Bielfeld retired in June 2001 after serving as the spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El for 33 years. During his long history with the Congregation, Rabbi Bielfeld was an inspiration and the catalyst for innovative programming and social action endeavours. 

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Rabbi Bielfeld graduated Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1964. 

Rabbi Bielfeld is the founding Rabbi and serves as the Honorary Chairperson of the Board of Directors of The Leo Baeck Day School, and has an extensive background in working with Jewish organizations focused on social justice initiatives to address hunger and poverty, among many others. Through his leadership and generous donation to the Tikkun Fund, The Leo Baeck Day School has established the Tikkun Project, which seeks to integrate Jewish values with social justice learning. 

On July 1, 2012 Rabbi Bielfeld was awarded the Order of Canada for his contributions to Toronto’s Jewish community and his social justice work.

Robbie Bossin

Robbie Bossin leads the Finance and IT functions at Riverside Natural Foods, a fast-growing Canadian manufacturer of healthy snacks, including the MadeGood, GoodTo Go and Cookie Pal brands. Robbie received his BA in economics from York University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator.

Robbie is a strong supporter and fundraiser for the Parkinson Society of Canada, particularly as a participant and fundraiser in the Pedaling for Parkinson’s bike ride in memory of his dad, Larry. Robbie is passionate about sports and enjoys staying active with his kids through baseball, biking, skating and football.

Robbie and his wife Rebecca are the proud parents of two Leo Baeck students.

David Poster

David Poster is a strategic finance executive with over 17 years of experience, currently working as an independent contractor in the wealth and asset management industry. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice-President of Finance at CI Financial, one of the largest asset and wealth management companies in Canada. He also served as CFO of its subsidiary, CI Global Asset Management, a leading provider of investment fund products. 

His expertise includes work in strategic planning and budgeting, mergers and acquisitions, capital allocation, and financial reporting. David holds a B.Sc. from McGill University, as well as J.D. and MBA degrees from the University of Toronto and is a CFA Charterholder. His prior experience on Boards of Directors includes WealthBar Financial Services, an automated investment advisor; Marret Asset Management, a fixed income portfolio manager; and various registered investment advisors in the United States, including Surevest Private Wealth, Congress Wealth Management and The Cabana Group. 

David and his wife, Rebecca Cooper, are proud parents of two Leo Baeck students.

Michelle Gordon

Michelle Gordon is a privacy lawyer and consultant who specializes in the health care, education, and technology sectors. Prior to starting her own practice, Michelle worked in the Risk Advisory practice at Deloitte LLP and at a boutique privacy consulting firm. She has a passion for children’s privacy and for finding practical solutions that balance a complex legislative environment with the digital age. She recently completed a term as a legal member on the Research Ethics Board at a Toronto hospital.

Michelle has served on the Leo Baeck Board for five years, including on the Governance and Strategy Committees, and is currently the Secretary of the Board. Michelle received her Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa, and Master of Laws from the University of Toronto. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2006.

Michelle and her husband, Josh Koziebrocki, are graduates of Toronto Jewish day schools and CHAT, and are proud to send their three sons to Leo Baeck.

Jeff Bernstein

Jeff Bernstein is a third-generation insurance-focused estate planner, and the owner and managing partner of Seligman Insurance. He educates his clients and their professional advisors about philanthropic and insurance-based financial planning strategies.

Jeff earned a Masters degree in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School at Carleton University, with past professional experience encompassing collaborating on international human rights cases for a high-profile Canadian senator, guiding a team of engineers to build and ship software, and keeping the streets of East Africa and Southeast Asia safe from fake medicines (for real). Jeff has held board and committee leadership roles with Autism Ontario, UJA, and has fundraised for Baycrest and causes spanning mental wellbeing to social inclusion. An avid runner and outdoors enthusiast, Jeff and his wife, Dani, attended CHAT, and are proud to send their three children to Leo Baeck.

Marc Bissell

Marc Bissell is the President of Castleton Financial Ltd., a privately-held mortgage finance company. Marc was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2001 and practiced corporate and commercial law with Minden Gross LLP until 2005. 

Marc earned a B.A. (English) from Western University and an LL.B. from McGill University. Since 2014, Marc has served as Honorary Consul General for the Republic of Austria. Marc is a member of the National Advisory Board of S.O.S. Children’s Villages Canada and of the Board of Governors of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies. 

Marc has sat on the Leo Baeck Board since 2019 and is the current Chair of the Development Committee. Marc is married to Morli Shemesh and they are parents to two Leo Baeck students.

Leanne Campbell

Leanne Campbell’s passion is helping organizations realize their potential to create impactful social change. Leanne has focused her career on building and implementing growth strategies within the nonprofit, charitable and social impact sectors. 

Leanne is currently Associate Director of Social Impact at LIFT Impact Partners, a national non-profit supporting social purpose organizations to enhance their operations, accountability and measurement practices, so they can deliver lasting impact in Canada. For more than a decade, Leanne held various roles in fundraising and community engagement at UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, most notably, spearheading the development and implementation of a model for engaging the next generation in philanthropy and community leadership. Leanne holds a Master of Social Work degree and a Certificate in Jewish Communal Service from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York, as well as a Diploma in Social Service Administration from the University of Toronto. 

As a proud Leo Baeck Alum, Leanne has been a member of the Leo Baeck Development and Strategy Committees. Leanne and her husband, Kenny, have one daughter.

Sheldon Diamond

Sheldon Diamond is a retired educator with over 38 years of experience as a teacher, elementary school principal and curriculum consultant with the Toronto District School Board. He completed his Masters degree at the University of Western Ontario, and also worked as a history high school teacher in London, Ontario. He was a consultant on two history textbooks used across Canadian schools and spent a brief time as an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Education at York University. After retiring from the Toronto Board, Sheldon worked for 6 years as the General Studies Principal at Associated Hebrew Schools (Danilack Campus). He was also hired to assist a Toronto Jewish High School to redefine their General Studies program. Sheldon and his wife Carol have three grandchildren at Leo Baeck and were members of Temple Har Zion in Thornhill for almost 30 years. He is an active member of the Grandparent Committee at Leo Baeck and a supporter of Jewish education and Reform Judaism.

Erez Eizenman

Erez Eizenman is a Senior Partner with McKinsey & Company and the Managing Partner of McKinsey’s office in Toronto.  Erez has extensive experience serving financial, public sector, high tech, and telecom institutions with a focus on digitization, agile, technology transformation, and technology enablement to drive efficiency and effectiveness in enterprise environments. He also leads McKinsey’s global citizen experience service line.

Erez is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where he obtained an Engineering degree, and the Rotman School of Management in Toronto, where he finished first in his MBA class.

Erez grew up in Toronto, where he attended Jewish day school. Erez and his wife, Meg, have 2 children at Leo Baeck.

Joshua Freeman

Joshua Freeman is a litigation and dispute resolution lawyer at Freeman Legal, where he is dedicated to providing a bespoke and client-centric approach to the delivery of legal services. Josh has a broad and diverse legal practice, with a focus on contract, debtor-creditor, real estate and shareholder disputes. He holds an undergraduate degree (B.A. (Hons.) in Political Science and Philosophy from Huron University, University of Western Ontario, and a law degree (LL.B.) from the Faculty of Law, Queen’s University. Josh is a proud alumnus of Leo Baeck and CHAT. 

Josh and his wife Kelly are committed to upholding the strong devotion to Jewish education and community instilled in them by their families. They have two young children at Leo Baeck and are members of Holy Blossom Temple.

Rebecca Slan Jerusalim

Rebecca Slan Jerusalim is an Organizational Psychologist and Partner at Kilberry. She serves as a senior advisor to executives, helping leaders to optimize talent. Her areas of specialty include assessments for selection and development, succession planning, executive coaching, top team effectiveness and competency modelling. She works across industries. Prior to Kilberry, Rebecca spent 11 years at Korn Ferry, most recently as a Senior Principal in the Assessment and Succession practice, leading many large scale engagements with Fortune 500 companies. She previously worked as a consultant at two small boutique firms, as well as for her own consulting practice. 

She has been a member of a Toronto Hadassah Chapter, helping to organize a yearly successful fundraising event. A licensed psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario, Rebecca earned her B.A. from McGill University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Guelph. She is published in peer-reviewed journals and business reports, and has been invited to speak at conferences. 

Rebecca and her husband, Craig, have three daughters at Leo Baeck.

Gregory Joffe

Gregory Joffe is General Counsel for Instar Asset Management, a private equity firm focused on the North American middle market. He is a recognized industry leader, receiving the Canadian General Counsel Award for Mid-Market Excellence (2019), being named on The Legal 500’s Canadian GC Powerlist (2020), and making Lexpert’s list of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40 (2021). 

Gregory holds a Master of Business Administration degree, specializing in real estate and infrastructure, from the Schulich School of Business and a Juris Doctor degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. He is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and currently serves on the board of the Israel Cancer Research Fund. Prioritizing knowledge-sharing and collaboration, Gregory serves as a sessional instructor in the Master of Real Estate and Infrastructure Program at the Schulich School of Business. 

Gregory and his wife Robin have two children at Leo Baeck and two future Leo Baeckers.

Cheryl Posner

Cheryl Posner is the General Counsel and Head of Compliance at Canon Medical Systems Canada Limited where she is responsible for all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters across Canada. Cheryl has previously worked as General Counsel at Toshiba of Canada Limited, Corporate Counsel at Wal-Mart Canada Corp. and in the Business Law Group at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP.   

Cheryl has an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto, an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, and was called to the Bar in 2002. Cheryl has sat on the Leo Baeck Board for six years. She is currently serving as Vice President of the Board and has been the Chair of the Governance Committee since 2019. 

Cheryl grew up in Toronto, where she attended Jewish day school. Cheryl and her husband, Alan, have 2 children at Leo Baeck.

Eric Riz

Eric Riz is a technology entrepreneur who founded data analytics firm VERIFIED™ as well as the founder and principal executive of eMark Consulting. He has worked with many of the world’s Fortune 500 companies in both the public and private sector focusing on driving strategy and growth. Eric’s thought leadership outlook on governance and corporate change management are welcomed globally as a recognized speaker and author. 

He advises numerous startup companies and sits on the Microsoft Cloud Advisory Board. His philanthropic work includes The Gift of Life Foundation, Futurepreneur Canada and Princess Margaret Hospital. 

Pekka Sinervo

Pekka Sinervo, C.M., FRSC is an elementary particle physicist who was involved in the 1994 discovery of the top quark at FermiLab and the 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN. He earned his Ph.D. at Stanford University in 1986 and joined the physics department at University of Toronto in 1990. He is a professor and a former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science. He was also the Rosi and Max Varon visiting professor at the Weizmann Institute from September 2008 to April 2009 and served as senior vice-president for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research from 2009 to 2015. 

Pekka and his wife Pat became members of Temple Emanu-El in 2007 and he was Temple president from 2013 to 2017. He was president of the Reform Jewish Community of Canada from 2017 to 2021 and currently serves on the Executive Board of the Union for Reform Judaism, is president of the Canadian Friends of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and is a member of the WUPJ governing body. 

He is married with two children, both having attended the Leo Baeck Day School, and has three grandchildren.

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