Rabbi Jay Perlman
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Rabbi Jay Perlman is a Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom. Since his arrival in Needham in the summer of 2003, Rabbi Perlman has been dedicated to nurturing a warm, vibrant, spiritually meaningful community. He is proud to share in this sacred service with many outstanding clergy, professional, and lay leaders.
Rabbi Perlman is active in both the Needham and the Greater Boston Jewish community. He is an active member of the Needham Clergy Association, including having recently served as president. He currently serves on the New England Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League. He frequently dedicates two weeks during summer to serve on the faculty at the Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp Eisner. Rabbi Perlman has served as a rabbinic mentor for both the Hebrew College Rabbinic Program and the rabbinical school at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He is a regular teacher for the URJ’s “Taste of Judaism” and “Introduction to Judaism” programs and is a member of the Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention.
Before coming to the Boston area, Rabbi Perlman served at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis, MO. While there, he was awarded UJA Federation’s Rabbinic Award for outstanding community leadership. Rabbi Perlman was active in the development of innovative worship experiences, creative youth programming, and in working with the St. Louis Jewish deaf community. In addition, Rabbi Perlman was the founding Rabbinic Director of the Fleischer Jewish Healing Center of St. Louis.
Rabbi Perlman was ordained from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1996. While at HUC, he was the recipient of a number of academic awards, including his selection as a Steinhardt Scholar for his work in informal education.
Rabbi Perlman is originally from the Boston area. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Brandeis University, where he received his B.A. in both History and Near East and Judaic Studies. Rabbi Perlman has participated in numerous study opportunities in Israel, including programs at the Hartman Institute, the Conservative Yeshiva, the Pardes Institute, Hebrew University, and through the World Zionist Organization.
Rabbi Perlman has a passion for teaching, learning, building bridges, and sharing the beauty of our Jewish tradition. He joyfully shares his life with his wife, Emily, and their children Liana and Jonah.
K-12 Learning At Temple Beth Shalom
Leadership and Administration
Sara Berk
Director of K-12 Learning and Inclusion
Pronouns: She/Her
All children can succeed when they are provided with the right tools and support, which is why I love working at Temple Beth Shalom! TBS is a place where curriculum and support are provided in a way that allows each child to be successful.
As the Director of K-12 Learning and Inclusion, I collaborate with Jewish Learning Guides (JLGs) and families to ensure that all children can successfully access the curriculum. I provide training for the K-12 faculty in order to support each child and teen in the Mayim and Etzim learning programs.
Prior to joining the team at TBS in 2013, I worked as a special educator in MA and NYC. I am a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and have a Masters Degree in Special Education. In January 2021, I founded Sara's Joyful Baking, which allows me to combine my love of teaching with baking.
Liron Riess
Director of Mayim Tamid
Pronouns: She/Her
After years of teaching a variety of ages at TBS, I embraced the opportunity to pioneer the Mayim Tamid Program in 2016. Influenced by my early experiences growing up on a kibbutz in Israel, my goal for Mayim Tamid is to create a “Jewish home away from home:” a program that allows children to attend TBS multiple days a week, engage in deep Jewish learning, and enjoy additional recreational activities to support their health, growth, and emotional connection to Judaism and to our temple. An important value of Mayim Tamid is deep connection with parents and the rest of the family, so that we serve as a bridge between home and TBS. Another core value is each child’s comfort and sense of belonging, which I work with educators to cultivate. I live in Foxboro with my husband, and I am a mother of three grown children. I feel very fortunate to be a part of the TBS community and to keep developing an after school program that answers the needs of our families.
Julia Zinn
Associate Director of K-12 Engagement
Pronouns: She/Her
As an educator, I do my best to get to know each child and allow them to learn and grow in their own way. I believe in meeting children where they are and giving them the tools and support that they need to thrive. I am constantly impressed by the creativity and curiosity children share when presented with the proper environment and something to sparks their interest. I am incredibly passionate about Judaism, and it brings me immense joy to share that with my students and see them excited about being Jewish.
I first started working at TBS in November 2016, and am so thrilled to be able to continue my journey here. I grew up with a family of Jewish professionals in Worcester, MA and have a degree in Psychology and minors in Judaic Studies and Theater from the University of Delaware and a Masters Degree in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College. I have spent the past 10 years working in Synagogues and Jewish Camps, focusing on Jewish Life, Education and General Programming. I currently live in Chestnut Hill with my dog, Madeline, and enjoy crafting, cooking, and spending time with my family and friends.
Sabrina Perez
Assistant Director of K-12 Logistics and Administration
Pronouns: She/Her
Sabrina is excited to be joining the TBS Community! As the K-12 Logistics, Communication, and Administration Coordinator she works in close partnership with our K-12 Leadership Team and K-12 faculty to bring to life our vision for excellence in learning, tying together all of the logistical details. Prior to working at TBS, she worked in a variety of roles at companies providing therapy for children with autism, from direct service to communications and fundraising, and site management.
Sabrina is a graduate of Syracuse University where she received a dual major degree in Political Science and Religion. She received her Master of Public Administration from the University of South Carolina.
Sabrina, her husband, and their two fur children, Quincy and Teddy live in Norwell and love getting to know the community. They relocated from South Carolina in 2021 and love being New Englanders. In addition to enjoying time with family, Sabrina also enjoys traveling, reading, and sewing.
Didi Poliak
Assistant Director of K-12 Inclusion
Pronouns: She/Her
I am very excited to return to TBS after a few years away in this new role! I am originally from New York, where I grew up involved in my Reform synagogue and finding my love of Judaism at Eisner Camp. After graduating from the University of Delaware, I began at TBS as a JLG. The few years I was at TBS were great and educational and I learned a lot about myself, the ways we can teach and help children, and about my own Judaism. I left TBS in 2020 to pursue my Masters degree in Social Work and am thrilled to be back in this wonderful community in this new role as the Assistant Director of K-12 Inclusion. I believe that Jewish education is so important and I am so excited to be able to provide support so that all of our learners can grow and be a part of this great community!
Sarah Damelin
Director of B. Mitzvah Journey Program
Pronouns: She/Her
Sarah has worked as an educator in the Jewish community for over 20 years. Before moving to the Boston area in 2017, Sarah taught at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester in White Plains, NY, the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County in New Milford, NJ, and The Heschel School in NY, NY. In those settings, Sarah strove to integrate Judaic and general subjects, firmly believing that when children approach learning as a whole person, their engagement and investment is more authentic and complete. As a middle and high school teacher of art, Assistant Director of Experiential Education, and Judaic and Social Studies Teacher, Sarah connects naturally with students of all ages and thrives on collaboration with educators in various fields. She consistently seeks to integrate creativity and artistic expression into learning – wanting to make Jewish learning accessible and meaningful. Sarah is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, MO, where she received a dual major degree in Fine Arts and English Literature. She received her Master of Science in Middle Childhood Museum Education from Bank Street College in New York City, and is certified in elementary education.
Sarah, her husband, and their three children live in Needham and love being a part of the TBS community. In addition to sharing precious time with family, Sarah also enjoys challah making, “challah sculpture and baking art” (she has already taught a few workshops on this at TBS!), quilting and fabric collage, and gardening.
Hannah Elbaum
Assistant Director of B. Mitzvah and Hebrew Learning
Pronouns: She/Her
Hannah Elbaum loves working with the TBS children and families through learning Hebrew and becoming B. Mitzvah! In her role, she works oversees all of Hebrew learning and works with Sarah Damelin to bridge the transition into the B. Mitzvah journey. She works directly with families and educators to provide tools and support to ensure each child feels successful and proud of their learning as they become B. Mitzvah. Additionally, Hannah is the 3rd Grade Curriculum Coach.
Hannah began working at TBS in 2019 after attending Smith College, where she studied American Studies and Museum Education. She is currently working toward at Masters of Jewish Professional Studies through the Spertus Institute in Chicago, which she expects to complete in early 2026. Hannah lives in Framingham with her husband and enjoys trying new gluten-free recipes and reading as many books as she can.
Rachel Happel
Senior Director of Learning and Engagement
Pronouns: She/Her
Rachel joined the Temple Beth Shalom team as the Director of Elementary Learning in September 2013, after having served as one of the key educational consultants in the development of the Mayim program for the three preceding years. In July of 2014, Rachel assumed the role of Director of K-12 Learning and oversees all aspects of our children's journey from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Rachel has over twenty years of experience in a variety of settings, working with children of all ages and their families to create rich, engaging, and dynamic learning experiences. Prior to joining TBS, Rachel worked for six years at Brandeis University as the Director of BIMA and Genesis, two immersive summer programs for Jewish high school students. From 2002-2007, Rachel worked at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, where she founded and directed their Havayah Program: a mixed-age, elective-based program for grades 8-12. Rachel received an MA in Jewish Communal Service and an MBA from Brandeis University, as well as a BA from Williams College. She lives in Natick with her husband and two daughters.