Staff

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Staff

Alyssa Schwager, Youth & Family Educator & Community Organizer

Alyssa is a certified teacher and has over 10 years of experience working with Jewish children in informal (camp, youth group, religious school) and formal (day school) settings. Alyssa is in her final year of study for an MA in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She already holds an MA in Gifted Education from the University of Connecticut and a BS in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland. Alyssa also spent a year learning at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

Alyssa holds overall responsibility for all of Rimonim: A Family Learning Comunity at FTJC and all our age cohorts, from newborns through teenagers. She is the primary programming staffer for our younger groups (Zera'im, Nitzanim, and Shorashim), and will continue for a second year to serve as Nitzanim tefillah leader on Shabbat mornings. FTJC's Youth Adviser & B'nei Mitzvah Coordinator is the primary programmer for the older children (Anafim and Teens.).

Feel free to reach out to Alyssa by e-mail, alyssa.schwager@ftjc.org

Dani Kogan, Youth Advisor & B'nei Mitzvah Coordinator

Dani recently moved to Washington Heights and is excited to be part of the FTJC community. Her role includes learning with and hanging out with our middle schoolers and high schoolers as part of Rimonim: A Family Learning Community at FTJC. She also supports families through the b'nei mitzvah process.

Outside of shul, Dani is studying at the JTS Davidson School of Education toward a Master's degree in Jewish Education and Master's in Biblical Studies. She graduated in 2017 from Columbia University and JTS's List College, where she ran Koach, the Conservative student group and minyan at Columbia-Barnard Hillel. Her experience includes serving as a divisional officer in USY youth group, leading junior congregation services, teaching Hebrew School, serving as a b'nei mitzvah tutor, camp counselor, and more.