A few words
About Us
OUR STORY
Shalom Education Center is a place where families that wish to see their children learn not only Russian but also some Jewish culture can come together. Shalom Center - a place for families with Russian-Speaking Jewish background to become a community!
Our center opened in 2003. In the past 20 years its doors have welcomed several generations of students.
Our students learn Hebrew and Russian and tackle problems in math and logic; they learn about Jewish customs and traditions and sample Jewish food; they hear classical music and sing Jewish songs; they draw and paint and learn art history.
All classes are in Russian. We aim to find an individual approach to every student. This includes using English to help those children who are less than fluent in Russian.
As they grow and mature, our students begin to help organize school events and help their teachers, gaining leadership and organizational skills in our Teen leadership program.
Our classes
- Russian Language,
- Math,
- Hebrew,
- Creative reading,
- Music,
- Art,
- Theatre,
- Knitting club,
- B’nai Mitzvah program,
- Teen leadership program.
Shalom Education center
Our team
Our team
Shalom Education center
Most of our teachers work with us for decades
Ella
Kagan, PhD
Founder
In 1982 KGB came to search Ella’s apartment. During the same year her family applied for immigration, but the permission was denied and her family became ‘refuseniks’.
Ella was a very active participant of refuseniks movement and their rights to immigrate. Her family was under KGB control until 1987, only then the family was allowed to leave the USSR.
In the United States Ella was working for several Jewish Institutions focused on resettlement of refugees from the countries of the former Soviet Union. She was involved in the process of newcomers adjustment for a new life. Ella has a lot of experience working with children helping them to overcome the problems of adaptation.
In 2003 Ella founded Shalom Education Center, a Sunday School for Russian-speaking Jewish children.
‘We built Shalom as a place where children could feel at ease, where they could learn and spend time with family friends, cook borscht and forshmak, celebrate Jewish holidays and New Year’s Eve, hear classical music and dance high-energy Jewish dances. Our students learn Hebrew and Russian, math and logic. The most rewarding thing for me is to see the achievements of our children, who have gained not only learning but also an understanding and awareness of their roots’.
Natalia was born in Moscow and holds bachelor degrees in philology and RSL. She graduated from Moscow State University and worked as a brand manager and marketing specialist for years (Russian broadcast channel NTV, Mosfilm, Esquire magazine and Discovery Communications, etc). In 2013 she moved to California and returned to RSL. Natalia is a part of Shalom team from 2019. She has many interests: baking sourdough bread, painting and doll making.
Natalia Nesterova
Director
Zina Segal
program director
Zina was born in St. Petersburg and holds MA in Leadership in Jewish Education. She loves learning and creating educational frameworks, where adults, children and families can find something new, explore their own identities, views and values.
At Shalom school she manages the Teens Leadership program, Community Shabbats Dinners, Community Holiday Celebrations and Special projects (Babushka’s recipes book was one of them).
She’s always happy to chat, recommend books and resources.
Tatiana is a heritage Russian speaker studying Political Science and French and Russian translation at American University. She has experience working as a translator, administrator at the French Cultural Center, and has been teaching Russian, French, and math for several years as a tutor.
Tatiana Bienvenu
Finance director
Maria
Сhernov
Russian Language and creative reading teacher
Svetlana Senkovskaya
Russian language and creative reading teacher
Vera Kastrel
Professional Russian Language and Literature instructor
Vera is a professional Russian Language and Literature instructor who graduated from Russian State University of Humanities with a PhD in Russian Literature (Moscow, 2012). She has 14 years of experience working in some of the most renowned schools of Russia and Montenegro (Gymnasium 1514, Lyceum 239, Adriatic College Budva). Vera designed numerous offline and online courses as well as educational trips and events for students. Her teaching strategy is to relentlessly generate new ideas to make learning fun and effective. In her free time, Vera enjoys reading, singing in choir, dancing, traveling, going to theaters and art galleries, and laughing with her family and friends.
Natalia Nesterova
Russian language teacher
Natalia Grishina
Math teacher
Natalia received a master’s degree in Physics from Kazan State University, then went to a graduate school at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She loves teaching Math to all ages and especially likes to solve problems from Math olympiads. Natalia has been one of the local organizers of the Math Kangaroo competitions since 2012. Her other passions are teaching to code with Scratch and build lego robots. Natalia has so many favorite activities and hobbies – from reading children’s book (she was reading to kids via zoom almost every day for several months during the pandemic), playing board games (and search for new ones) and crafting (sewing, polymer clay, knitting and crochet to name a few) to baking sourdough bread, studying new languages via duolingo and learning to play ukulele.
Yakov received M.S. in Mathematics in Moscow State University, and Ph.D. from the USSR Academy of Sciences Institute of High Temperature.
He has over 50 years of experience as a math teacher at high school and college levels, including the school for gifted and talented children.
He joined Shalom team in 2003.
Yakov enjoys working with kids and proud of his students when they get The USA Mathematical Olympiad awards.
Yakov Shtipelman, Ph.D.
Algebra teacher
Anna Dubinsky
B'nai mitzvah program teacher
Anna holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Foreign Service and a Master’s in Business Administration, both from Georgetown University.
She Joined Shalom in 2005 as a student volunteer in Math and Hebrew classes and continue her tenure at the school in various roles – including as a teaching assistant and substitute teacher. Anna has 15 years of experience giving private lessons in Math, Hebrew and B’nei Mitzvah.
Lucy lived in Israel for many years and joined Shalom Education Сenter in 2007.
She loves teaching children Hebrew, Jewish history, reading them Torah and telling them about Jewish holidays and traditions.’I am so proud and especially happy to see some of my students share the knowledge they obtained at our school with their parents.’
Lucy
Dubinsky
HEBREW AND B'NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM TEACHER
Robert Levy
B'nai mitzva program curator
Robert holds degree in American Studies and Philosophy. He was teaching 7th grade Hebrew and Jewish Studies at North Shore Synagogue on Long Island. When he was asked to help with the Shalom B’nai Mitzvah program he thought it would be a temporary opportunity, but never expected that he would teach over 16 classes of students! Now he is a curator of the program.
Robert brings his love of Judaism and deep respect and appreciation for its wisdom to the classes.
Gersh is a violinist. He graduated from Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and worked in The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. Gersh continued his education in Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (masters in music) and in Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University (Baroque violin performance diploma).
Gersh believes music is an indispensable part of personality development and glad to share his skills and knowledge with kids.
Gersh Chervinsky
Music teacher
Ekaterina Furtseva
art teacher
Ekaterina is focused on independent thinking, self-expression and creation.
For many years she has been studying the magic of photography, and worked for Esquire Russia for over 13 years as a photo editor and producer.
She works for Seasons of Life project as a producer, editor and a curator of the handmade creative business contest The Makers. Check her #Furezhandmade Instagram column for creating handmade pieces of art together with children. Ekaterina is a mom of 3 kids.
I’m a big fan of home coziness, simple beauty and creativity. I’m a book lover, movies and making playlists. I charge myself by gardening and seasonal décor changing. I love holidays and the spirit of preparations. I believe that creativity, beauty and love will save the World and are absolutely vital for our kids!
Anastasia studied graphic design and illustration at the School of the Museum of Fine
Arts at Tufts University, Boston, and book design at the Northwestern Institute of
Printing Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia. She also holds a doctorate in philosophy from St.
Petersburg State University. In the past, she has worked as an illustrator and designer for
publishing houses and marketing agencies. In parallel with her design work, Anastasia
has worked as a teacher throughout her entire professional life, and for the past 15 years,
she has been primarily focused on teaching visual arts to both children and adults.
Currently, she enjoys painting, illustration, mixed media sculpture, and needle-felting. A
number of her works have been exhibited in Russia, Switzerland, and the United States.
Anastasia art portfolio can be found at www.behance.net/anastasia_semash or at her
personal website www.artsemash.com
Anastasia Semash
Teacher of graphic design and illustration
Dianna Yakobson
Substitute and online teacher Russian language and Art
Dianna received a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from George Mason University in 2002. She attended NOVA College of Art, where she was focused on Graphic Design and Art Education, for her undergraduate studies.
Her favorite activities outside of school are gardening, photography, reading, painting, spending time with her friends.
‘I think being an Art teacher is the best job in the world! It is very rewarding to see my students create new things and reach new heights’.
Ekaterina Anishchenko
Substitute music and Early education teacher
Tatiana Bienvenu
Substitute music and Early education teacher
Tatiana is a heritage Russian speaker studying Political Science and French and Russian translation at American University. She has experience working as a translator, administrator at the French Cultural Center, and has been teaching Russian, French, and math for several years as a tutor.
Tatiana is a fun and interactive teacher who loves working with children.
Elena Tkacheva-Wells
Substitute teacher, Theatre teacher
Shalom Education center was founded in 2003 by
Misha Galperin, Margo Volftsun, Ella Kagan and Avi West
Our school’s programming is generously sponsored by
