Religious School Staff

Beth Parker (PreK/K)

Ms. Beth holds a B.S. from SDSU and has taught at Temple Beth El for over 20 years in both the ECC and Religious School. She loves watching students grow into Madrichim and graduates.

Lauren Young (1st Grade)

Lauren Young is a devoted teacher with over 20 years of experience at the elementary level. She taught in both Anaheim City School District and Newport-Mesa School District. Ms. Young earned a Bachelors of Arts Degree from USC, as well as a Master's Degree in Education Administration from Pepperdine University. Lauren is a proud parent to two grown children and a grandparent to two young granddaughters, Lylah and Sadie. Lauren is thrilled and honored to bring warmth, tradition, and a deep love for community to the classroom. She is passionate about helping students build strong Jewish identities through engaging and meaningful learning experiences. 

Jane Griffin (2nd Grade)

Jane graduated from San Diego State University as a psychology major with an emphasis in neuroscience and a communications minor. She loves working with kids and is passionate about the study of social interaction.  She hopes to one day contribute to the platform of knowledge we have on psychology. In her free time, Jane loves spending time with friends, painting, thrifting, and trying new foods. She also loves live music, especially going to conerts, festivals, and raves. Jane is happy to give back to the temple that welcomed her family and she hopes to help others strengthen their Jewish identity.

Avi Spitzer (3rd Grade)

Avi Spitzer-Tilchin earned his bachelors degree at Cal State Fullerton with a major in theater arts. He is currently pursuing his multiple subject teaching credential at Cal State Long Beach and is excited to be teaching Religious School at Temple Beth El. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, working with clients a s a personal trainer, singing, and writing music.

Kaitie Siegel (4th Grade)

Katie has taught in Jewish after school programs for over five years, working with students from Kindergarten through seventh grade. She has a strong background in trauma-informed care and Holocaust studies, and holds a Master's in Social Work from Boston University. Katie currently works full-time at Jewish Family and Children's Services of Long Beach and Orange County (JFCS). When she is not working, you can find Katie hiking with her dogs or at her local yoga studio. She has lived in several cities including Seattle, WA and Boston, MA, but grew up in Orange County, where she was a longtime member of CBI. 

Michal Elkayam (5th Grade)

Miss Michal has been a Religious School and B’nai Mitzvah tutor at Temple Beth for many years. Born in Israel, she holds a B.A. in Social Work (Haifa University) and an M.A. in Counseling (CSUF).

Amelia (Vivi) Huczneker (6th Grade)

My name is Morah Vivi. I was born in Argentina and grew up in Israel. I came to the U.S in 2001 after finishing my service in the IDF. I am a 6th grade Judaica teacher as well as a Hebrew teacher and a Hebrew tutor. I have a great passion and love for Judaism. I enjoy celebrating the Jewish holidays, learning about our past and the stories from the Torah. I always loved teaching and interacting with students in the class and enjoy seeing their enthusiasm and interest in the topic that I am teaching. My favorite Jewish holiday is Sukkot because I like the story of why we celebrate the holiday, I enjoy building and decorating the Sukkah and what the lulav represents. I live in Anaheim Hills with my husband David, my two teenage boys Adam (17) and Nathan (14) and my dog Daisy. I love reading, building puzzles and camping.

Sandy Rothberg (7th Grade)

Sandy has been a member of TBE since Congregation Eilat merged in 2010. In addition to teaching Hebrew and Religious School she is a substitute teacher and tutor in local area school districts. She is married with three grown children. Her youngest son had his Bar Mitzvah at TBE, was in the first class of the 8th grade Tzedakah Board and was active in BESTY. You are sure to see Sandy around TBE preparing weekly Shabbat meals, reading Torah in the Conservative Services, dancing in the annual women’s service, and participating in the Women’s retreat and in the Purim Shpiels. Sandy is really looking forward to a wonderful year getting to know you all!

Rabbi Kvod Weider (7th Grade)

A native of Orange County, K’vod received his BA in psychology from UC Santa Cruz in 1993 and his MA in Transpersonal Psychology (counseling) from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in 1996. He received an MA in Jewish Studies from the American Jewish University and was ordained at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2012. He is a member of both the Central Conference for American Rabbis (Reform) and the Rabbinical Assembly (Conservative) For the last 26 years, K’vod has been teaching classes, leading retreats, and counseling students in meditation, prayer, and creative forms of Jewish spirituality in the United States. He has served as the assistant director of Chochmat HaLev – a Jewish meditation center in Berkeley, program director for Sonoma County Jewish Federation, director of the B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, program director for Elat Chayyim Center of Jewish Spirituality, and trained and interned with Jewish Funds For Justice and One L.A in the area of congregation-based community organizing.  In 2001, K’vod created and implemented the first county-wide post-bnai mitzvah program in Sonoma County, and won the Etz Chayyim award for Informal Jewish education at the National Conference for Informal Jewish Education in 2005. K’vod joined Temple Beth El of South Orange County in 2011 to serve the synagogue’s vision of Progressive Judaism. In collaboration with staff and congregants, he has initiated some of TBESOC’s strongest initiatives, including the 8th Grade Tzedakah Board, Small Groups, Pathfinders, Can We Talk?! Building Relationships Through Disagreement,  and the Center for Meditation and Jewish Spirituality. He is husband to Ilana Rogel-Wieder and the father of Levi, Aiden, and Aviv.