Andrea Miksch, Pre-Kindergarten
Hi! I am Andrea Miksch. I’m originally from Plano, Texas, and most of my (very large!) family, 56 members and counting, still live in the Dallas area. I graduated from the University of Kansas with a BFA in Painting, where I also met my husband, Matt. After college, we moved to Los Angeles to chase big dreams. I am a makeup artist, and Matt is a film director. But it did not take long to realize that LA was not quite the right fit, and we made our way back to Kansas to start a new chapter. Now, we are raising our two boys, Warner, who is in 3rd grade, and Meyer, who is in kindergarten, and loving this season of life. I am passionate about painting, crafting and baking, and I have had the opportunity to explore a variety of careers, including banking and transportation, mortgages, hairstyling and teaching. I am thrilled to combine my passion for art, Judaism and education in the classroom this year. Thank you for welcoming me into your community. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your children’s learning journey. It is going to be a wonderful year!
Rhonda Karol, Kindergarten
Rhonda is so pleased to share time with B’nai Jehudah’s religious school! She and her husband, Rabbi Larry, retired in June 2020 and ultimately returned to Kansas City. Rhonda has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Elementary Education from Clark University in Worcester, MA, and a Master of Arts in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. She has taught religious school for 40 years, directed early childhood education centers, worked with a reading grant and taught early childhood education at two community colleges and at Washburn University in Topeka. She and Rabbi Larry’s son, Adam, live with his wife, Rabbi Juli, and their two children in Manhattan, NY. Rhonda believes our world and our Jewish communities need hearts and souls nourished by caring teachers and community members. She believes children are the best material from which a responsible adult can be made, and she is honored to be able to contribute to B’nai Jehudah!
Paula Suroff, 1st Grade
Paula Suroff has taught 1st grade at B’nai Jehudah for over 12 years. She holds a degree in Music Education from Indiana University and a Master of Education from Washington University. Paula taught elementary music (K-6), preschool, subbed in various grades and has even been a camp counselor. Her personal passion is singing. She has sung at the Muny Opera in St. Louis, Bells of Indiana, various choirs, Jewish folk groups, a klezmer band and independently at weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, nursing homes and community theaters. She was the cultural arts director at the Kansas City Jewish Community Center and the creative assistant to the president of US TOY/ Constructive Playthings for 18 years. Mrs. Suroff is the wife of Victor Suroff, mother of David Suroff and Julie Spiegel and grandmother to Daniel Spiegel.
Robbye Timmerman, 1st Grade
Shalom Chaverim, I am so glad to introduce myself to you! My first experience with preschool was in my hometown in St. Louis as an assistant with three-year-olds. Moving to Overland Park took me to the CDC with different age groups varying from twelve months to four-year-olds over a two-year period. My love of Judaism led me to teaching in religious and Hebrew school, ages kindergarten through high school, over a 20ish-year time span. Nearest and dearest to me is teaching in a Jewish environment! In my leisure, I spend time with my family, yay! My son and daughter-in-law are in town. My grandchildren are five, one and four years old. They are the loves of my life, as are my mom and dad! My daughter is a rabbi, currently in Chicago, and this pack is complete when she is home for a visit. I am an avid reader, enjoy exercising and all kinds of music. I am so excited to be a part of this team!
Paula Fremerman, 2nd Grade
Paula Fremerman was born and raised here in the Kansas City area. She has been a member of Beth Shalom and Beth Torah. She is a new member of B’nai Jehudah. Currently, she lives and works as a nanny in Overland Park, KS, while also serving as a substitute teacher and/or paraeducator for the Blue Valley School District. She enjoys working in Special Education. Paula owned her own Home Daycare, has worked as a nanny, and recently returned from a year of working in Special Education at a school in the Chicago area, where she taught pre-K in Sunday School. Paula is the mother of three grown children and a grandmother to her three grandchildren, all of whom live in Chicago. She enjoys visiting her grandchildren often and reconnecting with many of her lifelong friends here and as she travels. Paula is excited to be at B’nai Jehudah and to join the faculty. She will be teaching 2nd Grade this year and looks forward to a fun and exciting year teaching about Torah, Avodah and g’milut chasadim.
Noah Gibbs, 3rd Grade
A chef and culinary educator of 20 years, Noah has been a member of B’nai Jehudah with his Fiancé (soon to be wife) Meg since 2024. In that time, he has loved being part of the brotherhood, serving as an associate teacher with the 5th grade, and is super excited to take his teaching skills and love of Judaism to the 3rd graders this year!
Ariel Silverman, 4th Grade
Ariel Silverman has been a part of the Kansas City Jewish community her whole life. She grew up at Beth Shalom, and now she is so excited to be working with students at B’nai Jehudah. She taught 7th-grade English for four years in Kansas City, KS, before switching to her current position as an academic advisor at the University of Kansas. She got married just over three years ago to Sam Benson, and their son Levi was born at the end of last year. They also have two black cats, Stellaluna and Freya. She is looking forward to a great school year!
Sam vonEnde, 4th Grade Assistant Teacher/Hebrew
Sam von Ende is a lawyer, scholar and educator who returned to her native Overland Park in 2022. Sam holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from Oglethorpe University, an M.A. in Bioethics from Kansas City University and a J.D. from Indiana University. Included on “Hadassah’s 2024 list of Women Zionists you should know,” Sam speaks frequently on issues of modern antisemitism, Zionism and Israeli constitutionalism. Sam takes pride in her extensive work across the Jewish community, including as an Israel Policy Forum Bronfman Convener and board president of the American Friends of the Galilee. She has also served as an educator in Jewish spaces from Birthright Israel to Limmud. In her first year with Yalla!, Sam is looking forward to contributing to the community’s most important work: passing down traditions and wisdom from one generation to the next. Sam lives with her wife Gavi (and their cadre of animals) in Olathe, where she also coaches basketball, serves on the Johnson County Government’s DEI Coalition and tries to support as many local farmers’ markets as possible. Respectfully, and with all my best, Sam.
Rabbi Monica Kleinman, 5th Grade
Rabbi Monica Kleinman is a reform rabbi and Jewish educator with over two decades of experience in congregational religious schools in the Midwest. Over these years, she has encountered everything from “my parents were married in a church, am I Jewish?” to a drawing of the divine that looked strikingly similar to South Park’s version of Jesus. She believes that cultivating a positive Jewish identity early in life is key to lifelong Jewish engagement. She enjoys creating positive Jewish experiences that pave a path to a lifelong love of Judaism. Rabbi Kleinman is looking forward to getting to know this year’s fifth graders and setting them up for success as they continue on their Jewish journey.
Henri Gaeddert, 5th Grade
Henri grew up in the Wichita, Kansas area and has been part of the Kansas City Jewish community for eight years. She lives and works in Overland Park with her husband, Ben, her cat Golda Meowir and her dog Virginia Woof. Henri holds a bachelor’s degree in Jewish Studies and Anthropology from the University of Kansas. She works as a professional at a Jewish nonprofit, tutors in b’nei mitzvah Hebrew preparation, and has a passion for planning and facilitating Jewish programs. This will be her second year teaching at Yalla! In her free time, Henri enjoys knitting, visiting the Nelson-Atkins Museum, playing Mahjong with friends and baking challah on Fridays. Her favorite holiday is Sukkot because she loves spending time outside in the fall, and her favorite Passover recipe is homemade salmon gefilte fish. Active in the Kansas City Jewish community, Henri volunteers with the Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Services, and is a member of Kehilath Israel Synagogue. Henri looks forward to teaching 4th graders to read Hebrew this year!
Derek Greeley, 6th Grade
Hi, my name is Derek Greeley, and I am excited to be teaching our 6th-grade learners this year. I am originally from New York, and grew up at Temple Israel of Northern Westchester. I attended the College of Wooster in Ohio. There, I majored in Archaeology with a focus on First-Century Synagogue Architecture, and I met my wife, Courtney. After graduating, I became a two-time AmeriCorps Member, serving in Washington, DC and Denver. I then moved to New Jersey, where I served as director of youth engagement at Adath Emanu-El and later as director of engagement at Har Shalom. During that time, I taught Hebrew school to students in 6th-9th grade, ran youth group programming, and organized events for young professionals and new families. After moving to KC, I did what many people needing a career shift in this town seem to do, and went to work for Cerner. I currently work as a Cybersecurity Analyst at Oracle. When I am not working or spending time with my wife and two sons, I enjoy playing basketball, running obstacle course races, and gardening. I am looking forward to learning with the 6th grade and hope to see you soon! B’Shalom, Derek Greeley
Maya Matatall, 6th Grade Assistant Teacher
Maya moved to KC from Boulder, CO, to study at KU. She joined the Yalla! faculty last year as a Kindergarten teacher with Rhonda, and is excited to return to Yalla! this year to help teach our amazing 6th Grade students! In her free time, Maya enjoys cooking, volunteering at Wayside Waifs, and traveling with family and friends.
Rabbi Beryl Padorr, 6th Grade Hebrew
Rabbi Beryl Padorr currently serves as a visiting spiritual leader of United Hebrew Congregation in Joplin, Missouri. Rabbi Padorr previously served as the rabbi of Congregation Ohev Sholom and shared vision coordinator at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. She served as a resident chaplain for two years at Research Medical Center, as a chaplain at Children’s Mercy Hospital and taught a class for the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. Rabbi Padorr served as the rabbi and religious school director for Temple B’nai Hayim in the Los Angeles area, and on the Board of Rabbis of Southern California. She served as rabbi for Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Des Moines, Iowa, where she was called upon to offer prayer for the House of Representatives at the State Capitol.
Outside of the synagogue, Rabbi Padorr enjoys running, Pilates, Zumba, scuba diving, pottery and reading by the ocean. She holds a strong commitment to community, maasim tovim, a life of good deeds and teaching the joy and love of Torah.
Rabbi Linda Steigman, 6th Grade Hebrew
Rabbi Linda Steigman is a native of Chicago and has also lived in Philadelphia, New York and Jerusalem. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago, a Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Bryn Mawr College and a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters, as well as ordination, from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. After serving congregations in Fredericksburg, VA, and Wilkes-Barre, PA, Rabbi Steigman moved to the Kansas City area in 2008 to be closer to her children. Until May 2024, she served, on a part-time basis, at Temple Adath Joseph in St. Joseph, MO. Rabbi Steigman is also a trained hospital and hospice chaplain. She loves teaching at Temple B’nai Jehudah and challenging our youngsters to see the beauty in Judaism and Jewish practice, and is looking forward to another wonderful year in Yalla!
