Mrs. Sara Taib has over 30 years of experience in the field of education both in the classroom and in leadership roles. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Judaic Studies from Stern College for Women and her Master's in Special Education from Hunter College. She began her career as a teacher at the Sinai School in Livingston, New Jersey, and was subsequently elevated to the role of Director. At Sinai, she developed a passion for creating Judaic Studies curricula to meet the needs of struggling students and training teachers in best practice methodologies. Most recently, Mrs. Taib served as the Director of Student Support Services at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls in Hewlett, NY, where she worked closely with students, parents, teachers, administrators and outside professionals in helping students with varied academic needs succeed within the school. In 2009, Mrs. Taib was a recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.

sara.taib@talacademy.org

Mrs. Ruchi Osofsky received her bachelor's degree in communication disorders from Queens College and holds a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Hofstra University, as well as a master's degree in School and District Leadership from Touro College. With over 15 years of experience as a language pathologist in NYC public schools, she has been dedicated to helping students reach their fullest potential. In addition to working as a language pathologist, she has served as a special education liaison for the school district, working to bridge communication between families, schools, and educators.

ruchi.osofsky@talacademy.org

Mrs. Brocha Kresch received her Bachelor's degree from Thomas Edison State University and her Master's from Adelphi University. Mrs. Kresch has developed curricula and educational materials for Hebrew reading, and has provided training to Hebrew Reading professionals in many schools. She has lectured at Torah U’mesorah and Yachad/COJDS. Mrs. Kresch was an Associate Professor at Touro Graduate School and most recently served as the Hebrew supervisor at the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, where she trained and supervised support staff using her Hebrew Reading Program in remedial teaching and evaluation.

brocha.kresch@talacademy.org

Dr. Soifer is a language pathologist with over 45 years of experience in clinical and private practice, as well as university teaching. For its highly respected and valued 25-year tenure, Dr. Soifer was the founder and director of The Soifer Center for Learning and Child Development, which was the first multidisciplinary private diagnostic and remedial setting established in Westchester County. Dr. Soifer continues to provide educational consultation and advocacy services to families on behalf of their children, in coordination with other professionals and schools. As a parent educator, teacher trainer, and staff developer, she specializes in the role of language in the development of children's learning, literacy, behavior, and social-emotional development. Classroom Language Dynamics ©️, the teacher training program Dr. Soifer designed, is used in a variety of school settings to empower teachers and invigorate learners of all kinds. A frequent presenter at local, national and international conferences, Dr. Soifer focuses on guiding all educational professionals to answer the essential question, “Who is this child?” She is also the author of a chapter entitled, The Development of Oral Language and its Relationship to Literacy for a textbook published in September 1999 by Brookes, Multisensory Structured Language Teaching: Theory and Practice, now published in a 4th edition, as well as a contributor to local publications. A respected educator, Dr. Soifer is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Eagle Hill School in Greenwich, CT, and the Gateway School of New York, in New York City. Additionally, she is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and faculty member in the Early Intervention Training Institute (EITI), both at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

lydia.soifer@talacademy.org

Mrs. Sara Gitlin received both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Touro College. She began her career working in public school special education, private schools, and clinical settings in New Jersey before joining the faculty at TAL Academy.

As Director of Language Services, Mrs. Gitlin works closely with teachers to integrate language into every aspect of classroom instruction, ensuring that all students have access to learning. Having received extensive training under Dr. Lydia Soifer, she has helped implement TAL Academy's language-based educational model by coaching teachers, developing curriculum, and providing ongoing staff development and professional training.

saralagitlin@gmail.com

Rabbi Aryeh Dachs studied in Yeshiva Zichron Aryeh in Bayswater, NY and received Semicha from Rabbi Moshe Heinemann in Baltimore. He has been involved in building exciting and important Jewish initiatives for the past decade. He founded Yeshiva Ohr Meir, the YLX summer program, and the newly launched Kumah Project. More recently, Rabbi Dachs worked at TR Capital in Rockville Center as a sourcing analyst and as a business consultant for Cove Hill Consulting. Rabbi Dachs is the current Rabbi of Congregation Ohr Torah in North Woodmere.

aryeh.dachs@talacademy.org