About Makom Community

Beverly is a driven builder of communal Jewish learning spaces. They believe that people can make endless meaning from exploring Jewish wisdom and bringing it into our lives in creative ways. Makom Community invites kids and grownups into learning experiences that do just that. Beverly received a B.A. in Jewish Studies from the University of Maryland then received an M.S.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania in Jewish Education. Beverly was a fellow at Yeshivat Hadar, received the Covenant Foundation Pomegranate Prize, was a Shalom Hartman Created Equal Fellow, and is a graduate of the Mandel Foundation Executive Leadership Program. After running congregational schools in Maryland and New Jersey, working at Barrack Hebrew Academy, and leading Makom Community, they have developed over 100 curricula for learners of all ages. Beverly is excited to introduce Makom’s pedagogy, Jewish Placemaking, to communities around the country and see how that supports each community in growing to live up to their values.

Terri is a passionate and strategic relationship builder who works in the intersection of Jewish education and development. Terri has spent her career strengthening the Jewish community in Philadelphia at Temple Beth Zion – Beth Israel, the Hillel at Temple University, and at the Jewish Theological Seminary in the Mid-Atlantic region. Her background is in Jewish Education and she completed her Masters in Jewish Education from the Davidson School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, with a concentration in Israel Education. Terri had been serving on the board of Makom Community for three years prior to joining the professional leadership team. Terri  is inspired by Makom’s thoughtful pedagogy, quality of educators, and impact Makom has on its students their families, and fellow educational leaders across the nation. When Terri is not working, you can find her on the frisbee field with her husband Jake, enjoying all the food and activities Philadelphia has to offer, and enjoying time with the trees in the Poconos.

Gaby is a musical and energetic Jewish educator who grew up in Central New Jersey. She studied psychology and linguistics at NYU and spent many happy summers at Habonim Dror summer camps. Gaby completed her M.Ed. from Widener in Education. She loves dancing, baking intricate desserts, and making the world a more colorful place. She’s excited to learn, sing, create, and giggle with our amazing students every day of the week! She’s also energized to help bring Makom Community’s pedagogy to the wider community of Jewish educators through our Makom Making programming. Gaby was a Matan Institute Fellow in Cohort 10 where she learned deeply about how to engage all our learners at Makom Community.

Micah (they/them) strives to embrace kindness, empathy, and vulnerability in all that they do. As a 2021 graduate, they earned a B.S. in Education from Temple University. Micah’s experience in Jewish spiritual leadership and songleading as well as their time spent at summer camps has paved their way as a Jewish educator and community-member, teaching the values of positive Jewish community, deep interpersonal connections, and embracing diversity. Outside of Makom, you can find Micah learning new crafts, playing music, exploring nature, or riding as many roller coasters as they can!

Liora (they/she) is thrilled to continue their work at Makom Community in the Anafim (5th-7th grade) kvutzah. Hailing from the Midwest, they graduated magna cum laude with a degree in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021 and have bounced around Philly since graduation. They’ve taught in a variety of Jewish Education settings including virtual classes and Sunday school and received their TEFL Certificate from Maximo Nivel in Costa Rica. In the classroom, she is passionate about exploring the potential of student-centered pedagogy. She also values tikkun olam (repairing the world) and using it as a framework to inspire global citizenship in her learners. And as communications manager, Liora aims to be accessible, engaging, and informative. She loves creating in all it’s forms and prioritizes making space for creativity in the classroom. In her free time, Liora can be found working on their novel, collaging, or practicing divination.

Sara (“Sah-ra”) wears many hats. She is Makom’s bookkeeper, coordinates Beverly’s calendar and supports development and operations, helping keep the Makom ship in shape as we grow. Our former Makom @ Home educator, Sara continues to work with Makom kiddos to offer 1:1 support over Zoom. Sara mostly grew up in Philadelphia, studied Linguistics at Brown University, and now lives in Washington, DC. When she’s not sitting in front of her computer, Sara can often be found singing, tending her balcony garden, or taking walks in her neighborhood (wearing a hat, of course).

Zoe is a passionate and energetic Jewish educator and community builder. Originally from Orlando, Florida, she is a recent graduate of Swarthmore College, where she studied education, psychology, and environmental studies. She also completed her student teaching practicum in December working with first and second grade students at the Miquon School in Philadelphia, and is awaiting PA state certification in PreK-6th grades. 

Though trained as a traditional educator, Zoe’s passion lies at the intersection of informal education and Jewish community building, fostered by four joyful summers working at Eden Village West, a quirky Jewish farm camp based in California. Both in the classroom and outside of it, she is committed to a practice of teaching and learning that makes room for exploration and wonder, centers relationships, and is rooted in a deep care for the people and places surrounding us. She deeply believes that joy, connection, silliness, and adventure (sprinkled with mud and glitter) are integral parts of work that can change the world, and is excited to delve further into that work at Makom this spring and beyond. 

Outside of work, Zoe enjoys making bread, singing joyfully (and usually off-key), playing bananagrams, nature poetry, and swimming long distances for fun.

Tali (she/her) is a compassionate educator and researcher whose goal is to support children’s self-advocacy. She feels grateful to have been surrounded by Jewish community and wisdom her whole life, which shaped who she is today. Tali received a BA in Psychology at Muhlenberg College, and her Master’s in Education at Lehigh University, her master’s thesis focusing on ways to strengthen girls’ voices in Pre-K-12 schools. Nurturing safe spaces using patience and collaboration; Tali has created joyful camp experiences with kids at various Jewish camps and has worked with children across ages and abilities. Outside of Makom, you can find her walking, saying hello to every dog she sees on said walks, finding new vegetarian foods and desserts to try, and listening to music.