Danielle Salem-Kassin

Danielle Salem-Kassin has had the pleasure of being the Religious School Director for the past 8 years. She attended Sinai Akiba Academy Day School, where she met her husband in the 4th grade. She was also confirmed at Sinai Temple. Sometime later, she returned and taught at Sinai Akiba Academy and Sinai Temple Religious School. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Comparative Religions from the University of California Riverside. She holds a double Masters Degree in Education Administration and Hebrew Letters from the University of Judaism. Danielle has visited Israel many times and has led teenage groups on tours throughout the country. Her pledge is to make the Sinai Temple Religious School the best on the Westside, offering the highest level of Jewish Education through dynamic, challenging, and interactive programs.

Anat Gerber (SiHi Coordinator)

Shalom SiHi!
My name is Anat Gerber and I am so delighted to be joining the team as your SiHi Coordinator! I am originally from Tel Aviv, Israel.  My first personal exposure to Jewish Education was working at summer camps as a young adult. It was there that I first learned how much I really enjoyed working with children, and sharing my love of our Jewish tradition and my passion for Israel. On moving to the states, I worked as a Religious School teacher for a number of years and also at Sinai Akiba Academy last year. I was fortunate to work with an amazing group of talented students as we put on a professional production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This was an experience that will always stay in my heart. My other passion is for the arts, from painting to writing, acting, directing, dancing, singing, and anything related to art, nature, animals, and spirituality. I am very excited to meet all of you and look forward to a productive, fun and creative year together at SiHi!

Rabbi Nicole Guzik

Rabbi Nicole Guzik is excited to return to Sinai Temple where she served as the rabbinic intern for the last four years. At Sinai Temple, Rabbi Guzik had the pleasure of working under Rabbis Wolpe, Hirsch, Schuldenfrei, and Sela. She created Hazon He-ATID, the Friday Night Live prayer book, as well as Mahzor He-ATID, the ATID High Holy Day prayer book. Rabbi Guzik looks forward to growing and developing the Sinai Temple Israel Center, ATID, Torah in the Round, and Sisterhood communities. In addition, Rabbi Guzik has taught many SiHi classes, including our "girls class". Rabbi Guzik graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles, attaining a B.A. in Near Middle Eastern Studies and Languages. At UCLA, she served as the UCLA Hillel President. After graduation, Rabbi Guzik participated in the Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellowship at Indiana University, a program that strengthens Jewish identity on the college campus. Ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary, Rabbi Guzik co-founded the lecture series: Visions of the Jewish Future. Rabbi Guzik was the recipient of awards in liturgy, philosophy, and Jewish codes and served as a research assistant for Rabbi Neil Gillman. Her other professional opportunities include an admissions internship at the JTS rabbinical school and rabbinic internships at The George Washington Hillel and Heritage Pointe.She is married to Rabbi Erez Sherman, assistant Rabbi at Shomrei Torah Synagogue. Rabbi Guzik is thrilled to rejoin her Sinai Temple community!

Rabbi Jason Fruithandler is excited to join the Sinai Temple community. Rabbi Fruithandler has just finished two years at congregation Bnai Jeshurun where he served as, Teen Coordinator, Graduate Intern, and Rabbinic Fellow. There he helped implement a mishpacha program combining adult education and family education with the already standing Hebrew School Curriculum. He also sent 46 teens on service learning trips in New Orleans and Santo Domingo.  He is proud to have been the Student Rabbi of Congregation Ahavath Israel in Kingston, New York.  Rabbi Fruithandler looks forward as well, to being a part of the STARS, ATID, and USY communities.

Rabbi Fruithandler graduated from the Joint Program between the Jewish Theological Seminary’s List College and Columbia University.  He received a B.A. In Talmud and Rabbinics and a second B.A. in Sociology.  Rabbi Fruithandler completed his M.A. in Jewish Education at JTS’s Davdison School of Education and recently finished his ordination at the JTS’s rabbinical school.  He is proud to have been a part of the first cohort of cross-denominational Schusterman Rabbinic Fellows.  As part of the fellowship Rabbi Fruithandler focused on the intricacies of non-profit work, reaching out to Jews on the periphery, and re-envisioning synagogues for the next generation.

Rabbi Fruithandler has a wife of five years Jessica Fruithandler and a beautiful baby girl Liba Shifra Fruithandler.

Cantor Marcus Feldman - A native of Los Angeles, Cantor Marcus Feldman trained in opera as a Baritone / Tenor and graduated from the University Of Southern California in 2007 with dual degrees in Vocal Performance, B.M. and Business Administration, B.S. (concentration in Real Estate Finance). While at USC, Cantor Feldman was a member of the university's top choral ensemble and sang leading roles in two of the main stage operas. Cantor Feldman began the study of hazzanut privately with Cantor Nathan Lam in 2005. While a student he served as Cantor of Sun City Jewish Services in Palm Desert, California and lead monthly Shabbat services and High Holy Day services with Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin. In 2010, as part of his cantorial studies, Cantor Feldman spent a semester in Jerusalem studying hazzanut with the renowned Cantor Naftali Herstik. Ordained at the Academy for Jewish Religion in May of 2011, Cantor Feldman holds a Masters of Jewish Sacred Music from the same institution. Cantor Feldman was appointed to be the Second Cantor of Stephen S. Wise Temple in 2011, serving alongside his mentor and long-time friend, Cantor Nathan Lam. Additionally, Cantor Feldman regularly appears as a guest cantor throughout the state of California. Cantor Feldman is both excited and honored to join Sinai Temple as its Senior Cantor. He looks forward to following in, and adding to, the long and impressive tradition of cantors and music directors at Sinai Temple. Cantor Feldman views the cantorate as a sacred vessel for the seamless transmission of Jewish musical heritage throughout the ages. He strives to honor and preserve the rich traditions of the past while also always looking forward to the new gateways of the present and future in order to best serve the Jewish community in the 21st century.

Matt Baram (SiHi Teacher)

Shalom SiHi!
I’m so excited to be Sinai Temple’s new Youth Director as well as a teacher at SiHi! Growing up in Connecticut, my teenage years were tough on me just like everybody else, but USY and Yachad (a program similar to SiHi that I attended) provided an amazing escape – a place where I really found myself as a leader, a friend and a Jew. After high school, I attended Boston University where I studied advertising, served on the Hillel board, played intramural basketball, starred in multiple theater productions and played guitar in a Jewish rock band! Meanwhile, I staffed a ton of USY conventions, dances, encampments and summer programs and taught at a Boston synagogue. In addition, I’m also a die-hard NBA fan, watch a movie almost every weekend and love nothing more than a good debate! I’m so excited to meet you all and have an amazing year together at SiHi!

Richard Weintraub (SiHi Teacher)

Teacher, Teacher's Teacher, Legal Education Consultant, Psychotherapist, Author, Police Administrator, Motivational Speaker and Communications Specialist. In addition, the only constant in my life has been being a Confirmation and Post Confirmation Jewish Educator for more than 30 years.

Chana Kracoff (SiHi Teacher)

Hey SiHi! I am thrilled to be joining this great team of leaders who are keeping the Jewish connection strong and exciting for our teens. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Beach, California, I am the eldest of 6 children. I spent Kindergarten through 12th Grade at a Hebrew Day School in Huntington Beach and when I graduated, I studied for a year in Israel. That is where I developed my strongest friendships and love for all things related to Israel. Fostering Jewish traditions has always been my top priority and I have spent many summers as a camp counselor at Jewish Day camps across the United States. I have taught as a Hebrew School teacher and had great experiences as a Jewish Youth Group Director. In my free time I love to be outdoors hiking, biking, swimming, and snowboarding in the winter. I am happiest when I am cooking, baking, or listening to live music, but I am equally satisfied with sitting and watching 45 episodes of Law and Order in a row. I am very excited to extend my knowledge of our deeply rooted tradition to you and look forward to a great year!