Andrea Miksch, Pre-Kindergarten
Hi, I’m Andrea Miksch. I am from Plano, Texas. Most of my 56 family members still live in the Dallas area. I graduated from KU with a BFA and an emphasis in painting. I met the love of my life, Matt while at KU. After college we moved to LA to pursue our dreams of being a makeup artist and director for the big screens. We both quickly realized that LA was not our scene and moved back to Kansas. In Kansas we were able to start a family. We have two boys, Warner in 2nd grade and Meyer in Pre-K. I love painting, crafting and baking. I have worked in many different fields, banking, transportation, mortgages, makeup artist, hair stylist and teaching. I am so excited to share my passions of Art, Judaism and teaching with your children. This is going to be a great year and I am thankful to you all for allowing me to be a part of your children’s education.
Abby Reeves, Pre-Kindergarten
My name is Abby Reeves and I am a senior at Blue Valley High School. In school, I am the captain of the cross-country team and editor of the yearbook. Next year, I plan to study psychology and child development in college. I have twin older brothers and an adorable puppy named Luca. I love to read, eat ice cream, and spend time with my family. I am a fourth-generation member of the Temple, and this will be my fourth year in the Pre-K class at Yalla! I can’t wait to get to know this year’s class.
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 BA 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 2 community colleges and at Washburn University in Topeka. She and Rabbi Larry’s son, Adam, lives 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!
Robbye Timmerman, Kindergarten
Shalom chaverim (friends)! I look forward to meeting you all soon! 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 span. Nearest and dearest to me is teaching in a Jewish environment! In my leisure, I am with my family, yay! My son, daughter in law and I are in town. My grandchildren are fourth, kindergarten and three years old. They are delicious loves of my life as are 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 Suroff, 1st Grade
Paula Suroff has taught first grade at B’nai Jehudah for the past 11 years. Mrs. Suroff has been married to Victor Suroff for 58 years. They have two children, David Suroff and Julie Spiegel. Mrs. Suroff’s grandson, Daniel Spiegel, has been a Madrichol in her first-grade class for 5 years. Mrs. Suroff has a degree in Music Education from Indiana University and a master’s in education from Washington University. She taught elementary music (K-6) preschool, subbed in various grades, and has 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 theater. 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.
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 to B’nai Jehudah. Currently she lives and works as a nanny in Overland Park, KS, along with being a substitute teacher and/or para for the Blue Valley School District. She enjoys working in Special Education. Paula owned her own Home Daycare, has been working as a nanny and just returned from working last year in Special Ed at a school in the Chicago area, where she taught Pre-K in Sunday School. Paula is the mother to three grown children and a grandmother to her three grandchildren, who all 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 looking forward to a fun and exciting year teaching about Torah, avodah and g’milut chasadim!
Julie Schlachter, 2nd Grade Assistant Teacher
Julie has been a part of the Jewish Community in KC her whole life. A member of B’nai Jehudah since age four, she’s excited to be a part of the amazing team of Yalla Jewish educators. A graduate of Indiana University, Julie lives in Prairie Village with her dog Emma, her cat Cranberry, and her two foster fail kitties, Grizz and Schmoople. Julie has been a preschool teacher, worked in radio, and managed socials for a local concert venue. Since her radio work, her favorite season has become Chiefs season (and winter- bring on the snow). She enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering with local animal rescues, art projects, watching Marvel movies, and traveling. Julie is excited for her second full year as teacher at Yalla with so many awesome 2nd graders!
Amanda Hogan, 3rd Grade
Mrs. Hogan was born and raised in Northern Virginia. During the 2019-20 school year, Amanda got involved with B’nai Jehudah teaching 4th grade. When the pandemic hit, she and her husband moved back to the east coast. This summer her family moved back to Olathe and are excited to settle in Kansas and return to the Temple community. During the week, Amanda teaches 10th grade Physical Science. She is a huge Chiefs fan, thanks to her husband. When not spending time with her baby girl, she enjoys trying out new coffee shops and restaurants or reading a good mystery novel. Amanda is very excited to be part of the community and is looking forward to spending Sundays with the 3rd grade class!
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 new position as an Academic Advisor at the University of Kansas. She got married just over a year ago to Sam Benson, and has two black cats, Stellaluna and Freya. She is looking forward to a great school year!
Thomas Birdeno, 4th Grade Assistant Teacher
Thomas Birdeno is a substitute teacher for Shawnee Mission School District. Previously, he taught at public schools in Hutchinson, KS, as a paraprofessional, World History teacher, and substitute teacher as well as a Screenwriting instructor at Hutchinson Community College. At the University of Kansas, Thomas majored in English – Creative Writing and minored in Theatre. During college, he volunteered at the local Chabad. He enjoys making short comedies and has won several film awards locally and internationally. He dabbles in watercolor painting and makes greeting cards as a hobby. He moved to Overland Park to be closer to friends, his mishpocha, a growing film industry in KC, and to be surrounded by a thriving Jewish community.
Rabbi Padorr, 4th 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, Shared Vision Coordinator at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. She served as a Resident Chaplain for two years at Research Medical Center, and 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, ma’asim tovim – a life of good deeds, and teaching, the joy and love of Torah.
Henri Gaeddert, 5th Grade
Henri grew up in South-Central Kansas and has been part of the Kansas City Jewish community for seven 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 Jewish nonprofit professional, has previously enjoyed tutoring in Hebrew, and has a passion for planning and facilitating Jewish educational opportunities. This will be her first 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 regularly volunteers with the Jewish Federation and the Rabbinical Association and is a member of Kehilath Israel Synagogue. Henri hopes to integrate Jewish texts with hands-on activities, crafts, role-playing, and active discussions in the curriculum. She deeply values the trust parents place in her to help shape their child’s Jewish education and is committed to ensuring that each student feels supported and inspired in their learning. Henri is excited to share Sundays with the amazing 5th graders at Yalla! She looks forward to learning and growing together.
David Chase, 5th Grade
David M. Chase is an accomplished music educator, conductor, and performer with over 20 years of experience. He holds a Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of Central Missouri and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from the University of Kansas, with certifications to teach music in California, Missouri, and Kansas. David has led music programs at high schools, colleges, and youth orchestras, consistently fostering student growth and musical excellence. His extensive performance experience includes playing at Carnegie Hall, the Kauffman Center, and the Folly Theater, as well as performing nationally with various orchestras. A dedicated advocate for Jewish music and culture, David served as a Principal member of the Kinnor Philharmonic and actively participates in Jewish community life. He is also building his Biblical Hebrew literacy through studies at the American Jewish University (AJU), enriching his teaching with cultural depth. David’s holistic approach inspires students to explore their musical talents while deepening their connection to their cultural heritage, making him a dynamic and impactful educator.
Alex Meiners, 5th Grade Assistant Teacher
Mr. Alex is from Prairie Village, Kansas and is a new member of B’nai Jehudah as well as a new addition to the Yalla! team. He is studying Secondary Education at Johnson County Community College and is entering his second year of college. Afterward, he plans to attend the University of Kansas to finish his degree. This will be his first year teaching at Yalla as an assistant teacher, helping the Yalla students with their studies this year. In his free time, Alex enjoys reading, going out into nature, studying Judaism and Jewish history, spending time with his dog Coco, and traveling around the world. Currently, he has traveled to Canada, Italy, Germany, France, Ukraine, and Romania; with hopes of traveling with Birthright in the coming year to visit Israel. Alex is excited to help students and teachers this year to create an amazing educational experience and support the local Jewish community. He hopes to help create a welcoming and educational environment for everyone at Yalla where everyone can grow and learn together.
Rabbi Karol, 4th Grade Hebrew
Rabbi Larry Karol was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. His family was active for many years at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, where he became a Bar Mitzvah and was later Confirmed and where he was active in the Temple Youth Group.
Rabbi Karol was ordained as a rabbi at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1981. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from HUC-JIR in 2006. He served at Temple Israel in Dayton, Ohio (assistant rabbi in 1981-1984); Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka, Kansas (1984-2006); Temple Israel of Dover, New Hampshire (2006-2011); and Temple Beth-El in Las Cruces, New Mexico (2011-2020). During his congregational rabbinate, Rabbi Karol focused on Jewish education, innovative worship, interreligious and multicultural programs, and Jewish musical creativity. He has written often for the local press, including a monthly column for a weekly newspaper in Las Cruces. He released three albums of original Jewish music in 2003, 2005 and 2014. Since his retirement in 2020, Rabbi Larry has enjoyed new opportunities to sing/play guitar during worship and to teach Hebrew and Judaism to the next generation!
Rabbi Kleinman, 6th Grade
Rabbi Monica Kleinman is a reform rabbi and Jewish educator with over two decades’ 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 sixth graders and setting them up for success as they continue on their Jewish journey.
Rabbi Steigman, 6th Grade Hebrew
Rabbi Linda Steigman is a native of Chicago. 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. Rabbi Steigman moved to the Kansas City area in 2008 to be closer to her children. For the past nine years she has served, on a part-time basis, Temple Adath Joseph, in St. Joseph, MO. Rabbi Steigman is also a trained hospital and hospice chaplain, and is currently working in a joint Jewish Family Service – Synagogue program which aids congregational rabbis in providing pastoral care to their congregants. Although she does enjoy tutoring children, she especially loves teaching about Judaism to adults. Rabbi Steigman is also available for weddings, funerals, and other life-cycle events.
