 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Teacher Bio's |
Karen Walsh
Karen Walsh is the Education Director of the FJCC Hebrew School. Ms. Walsh became the
FJCC Hebrew School Director in 1998 after teaching third through seventh graders for more
than 10 years. She has also served on the Nursery School Executive Board and as Nursery
School Director. Ms. Walsh also serves on the Advisory Committee for the Institute of
Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Raritan Valley Community College and conducts
Holocaust Education programs for students and teachers in the Central New Jersey area.
She continues to coordinate a teen volunteer community service learning project, now in its
fourth year, with students in the Flemington area.
Ms. Walsh earned a Master of Arts in Jewish Christian Studies from Seton Hall and a
Bachelor of Arts in English for Douglass College. Karen can be contacted for any additional
information at kwalsh@flemingtonjcc.org
Lois Gross
Lois Gross has been a teacher at the FJCC for over 10 years. Previously, she taught the
Gan (Kindergarten) class and now teaches Bet (2nd Grade) and Dalet (4th Grade Jewish
History).
Since joining the FJCC 15 years ago, she has been an active member of the congregation,
serving the Nursery School Board as President and Vice President. She has held many
positions on the Sisterhood Board, such as Oneg Shabbat Coordinator, Treasurer, Kitchen
Committee, and now as the Community Service Chairperson. She leads monthly Junior
Congregation for the younger grades and coordinates all High Holiday programming.
Lois is a graduate of Hunter College, where she majored in sociology and psychology.
She currently works at Reading-Fleming Middle School as an academic assistant, helping
developmentally challenged students. She loves working with all children and finds her work
very rewarding. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family, playing with her dog,
walking, traveling, listening to folk music, and reading fiction or poetry books.
Mona Shapiro
Mona Shapiro, current fourth grade Hebrew teacher and Youth Chorus Director, is a graduate
of The New England Conservatory in applied voice and holds a Master's degree from the
School of Human Development at George Washington in Counseling.
Mona first came to the FJCC when she and her young family moved to Flemington in 1979.
She soon became involved with the Nursery School and was a member of its Executive
board. In the early 1980s, Mona volunteered as a music teacher for the FJCC Hebrew
School. Each class rotated through the music room, learning Hebrew songs. The entire
Hebrew School sang at one of its only graduation ceremonies.
A few years later, she became a substitute Hebrew teacher, and then a permanent remedial
Hebrew teacher. She took a break from school when her third daughter was born.
Mona returned to the FJCC when Rabbi Jaffe became its spiritual leader. After her oldest
child became a Bat Mitzvah, Mona became a Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor with eight students a
week. In 1996, she became the teacher for the fourth and fifth grade Hebrew classes. Over
the years, she has prepared a number of youth and adult choruses for the Yom Hashoah
observance.
In 2002, Mona became the director of the FJCC Youth Chorus. The chorus meets once a
week to learn a wide variety of Hebrew songs, including melodies from the Liturgy, Hebrew
folk songs, holiday and contemporary songs.
When Mrs. Shapiro is not at Hebrew School, she is the practice manager of her husband's
medical office. She is a member of the Princeton Pro Musica, a semi-professional chorus,
and has performed in Princeton, Carnegie Hall, Westfield, Trenton, England, and the Czech
Republic. She has been a soloist and professional singer.