Employee Directory

“I simply could not escape the gravitational pull of music and have spent my life pursuing this art as a vocalist and trumpet player.”

"As a history teacher, I am able to guide students to understand and learn from the patterns of history.  No other job provides this opportunity to explore the past and impact the future on a daily basis!"

Ms. Batley earned her M.A. in Education and California teaching credential at Claremont Graduate University, and her  B.A. in History and Government at Claremont McKenna College. She is most proud of her M.S. in International History from the London School of Economics and Political. Prior to arriving at TVT, Mrs. Batley spent several years teaching International Baccalaureate European History, Asian Studies and World History at various International Schools. As a reader for the College Board, Mrs. Batley graded AP European History short-answer and document-based exam questions. She currently enjoys being the teacher advisor for TVT's Model United Nations club.

In her spare time, Ms. Batley enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and going to the beach.

"Mathematics is its own beautiful language! My passion for math impels me to make other people love it, connect with it, and understand its uses."

Mrs. Berkowitz holds a B.A. in mathematics from Michigan State University and a M.A. in Education from Grand Canyon University. Before moving to Orange County, she taught at Milken Community High School and Windward School in Los Angeles. She also helped write and edit, “The Monstrously Fun Fraction Book” in 2003, which is structured around a series of lab activities designed to familiarize elementary and middle school students with fraction terms, fraction concepts, and operations with fractions. She has been teaching math at TVT since 2009.

In her free time, Mrs. Berkowitz enjoys doing adventurous activities like scuba diving, hiking and rollerblading with her husband, son and daughter.

"Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - John Maxwell

Mr. Bogdanovic has his B.A. from U.C.S.D in Quantitative Economics and Decision Sciences. He received his teaching credential and conducted further graduate work through Vanguard University. Before coming to TVT, Mr. Bogdanovic taught in Capistrano Unified School District and Tustin Unified School District.

When not solving math problems in his spare time, Mr. Bogdanovic can be found playing golf or surfing.

“I am passionate about using current events and trends from Israel’s culture to enhance the language concepts I teach my students, providing them with the opportunity to transfer their classroom education into everyday usage of the Hebrew language.”

Mrs. Bracha earned a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Teaching Certificate of Education from the Talpiot College in Tel-Aviv, and a Certificate for Advanced Hebrew Teaching and Mentoring from the Hebrew College in Boston. From 1992 to 2000, Mrs. Bracha worked in schools throughout Israel. In 2000, Mrs. Bracha, along with her family, moved to the United States. Since starting to teach at TVT in 2006, Mrs. Bracha has had the opportunity to serve in several different roles including TVT’s Neta Coordinator and Upper School Hebrew Department Chair, along with teaching Hebrew for various grades and levels.

"I believe in the power of a scientific worldview to unleash creativity and improve the human condition. I love guiding students to ask and answer their questions and appreciate science as more than just a collection of facts."

" Educate the child according to his way: even as he grows old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

"Being in a learning environment excites me. I love listening to the students' questions and their answers, and when they connect old to new information, they make my day. Most often, they teach me as much as I teach them. The thinking atmosphere on the way to solve a question is my favorite".

Mrs. Geshvindman has a M.A. in Education Management from Ben Gurion University, and a B.A. as well as a teaching certificate from Haifa University in Israel. Mrs. Geshvindman started teaching in Israel in 1999. Since coming to the United States in 2004, she served as a teacher, NETA Coordinator, and Hebrew Department Chair in JCHS of the bay in San Francisco, until joining TVT at 2009.

In her free time, Mrs. Geshvindman enjoys reading, crossword puzzle solving, being outdoor and spending time with her family.

Mr. Krause has a B.S. in Animal Physiology & Neuroscience from UCSD and an M.A. in education. He has taught math and science in middle and high schools for over 17 years. He is passionate about bringing the content to life and showing real-world applications.

Mr. Krause is an instrument-rated private pilot and certified scuba diver. He has two young daughters and enjoys spending his free time playing with them and watching them grow.

“The power of our tradition draws students of all ages into active, thoughtful learning experiences. Making the connection between what was, what is and what can be is what motivates my rabbinate and guides my teaching.”

Ms. Lee got her MFA from Cal State University Fullerton and her BFA from the University of Nevada Reno. She has been an art educator for over six years. She has been teaching drawing courses at CSUF for three years as a part-time lecturer. She was also the Assistant Director at the after school art institution, US Arts and Design, where she helped create and oversee the portfolio prep program. This is Ms. Lee's second year at TVT. She teaches a range of art classes to upper and middle school students, including Studio Art, AP Art, and Digital Photography. In her free time, Ms. Lee enjoys working on her own creative projects which range from drawing to sculpture to photography. She also enjoys spending time with friends/family, watching films, and more recently, gardening.

“I teach with passion. I love bringing the material to life and engage students actively. My best classes are those in which it feels like the students and I are having an open discussion about Psychology concepts, so I strive for that atmosphere in my class. My job as a teacher is to be a designer of the learning environment. The rest will follow.“

Ms. Harel-Marian holds an M.A. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds a M.Sc. in Behavioral and Management Sciences from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Before moving to Irvine, she taught Psychology at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida for three years. In addition to her teaching experience, Ms. Harel-Marian brings with her a wealth of relevant practical experience. She served in the Human Resources Branch, Division of Behavioral Sciences, in the Israel Defense Forces. She also held multiple positions in executive search companies. Ms. Harel-Marian is Israeli born and raised. She moved to the United States with her family in 2007.

She loves hiking, reading books and music.

"I like to help students see literature's density and complexity as exciting rather than intimidating. The parts of the text that make us say 'what the heck is going on here?' are the ones we should be diving into, not running away from."

Dr. McNellis received her Ph.D. in English in 2011 from the University of California, Irvine, where she specialized in critical theory and 20th century American poetry. She received a B.A. from Cornell University in 2004, where she was enrolled in the College Scholar honors program and pursued an interdisciplinary course of study focusing on literature, religious studies, and philosophy. Before TVT, she taught at UCI, Orange Coast College, Irvine Valley College, and in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth program. She is the author of The Blank Caught Fire (Horse Less Press, 2013) and Impossible Loves (Rock Paper Tiger Press, 2011).

In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, cooking, and soundly defeating her enemies at pub trivia.

My aspirations: To model commitment and openness. To cultivate text skills, thoughtful values, and self-expression in students. To help the next generation find their roots and wings.

While studying for his Ph.D. in rabbinic literature, Dr. Moss founded and directed The Cincinnati Klezmer Project, a wedding and bar-mitzvah band featuring Yiddish music. Upon graduation, he taught in the religion department of Wright State University and the rabbinical school of Hebrew Union College. He lived on campus for 16 years as Residential Faculty at American Hebrew Academy, a Jewish boarding school in North Carolina. He taught core courses in Tanakh and Talmud. (“The Talmud is exercise equipment for a critical mind.”) He also taught popular elective courses in World Religions, Jewish Music and Hasidism.

He inspired by the high energy of the student body and the school’s commitment to fostering diversity and character.

Dr. Moss and his wife Gina live in Irvine have two grown sons. In his spare time, Dr. Moss is still exploring and getting his bearings on all southern California has to offer! He likes to listen to music, practice piano, and write.

“Mature historical knowing teaches us to…go beyond our own image, to go beyond our brief life,
and to go beyond the fleeting moment in human history into which we have been born.” ~Sam
Wineburg.

Dr. Sardo believes that studying history is valuable not only because it helps us understand where
we’ve come from, but also because it requires that we see the world from perspectives beyond our
own. Dr. Sardo completed a B.A. in government and philosophy from The College of William and
Mary in Virginia, before earning a M.A. and Ph.D. in political science at Northwestern University,
where he wrote a dissertation on political responsibility in the history of political thought. He
previously taught at Occidental College, UC Irvine, and Northwestern’s Center for Talent
Development, and has published scholarly articles and book chapters on the history of political
philosophy, responsibility, and global justice.

Outside of the classroom, Dr. Sardo spends his time reading, hiking and visiting the beach with his
wife and daughter, playing tabletop miniatures games, and cheering for the Buffalo Sabres.

“Music is a team sport. We all succeed together!”

Inspired by the book “The Courage to Teach” by Parker J. Palmer, Dr. Vidor believes that ‘teaching is a call of the heart.’

Dr. Vidor joined the TVT Hebrew department after completing her doctoral dissertation at the University of Phoenix. She holds an M.A. in Education and a B. A. in Hebrew letters from the Jewish American University, as well as a B.A. in Biblical studies and Literature from Haifa University. Dr. Vidor served as a teacher at the Weizmann Day School in Pasadena, and a teaching assistant at the Jewish American University. She was the Director of Education for eight years at Congregation B’nai Israel, in Tustin and was the Assistant Director of Educational Resource Center at the American Jewish University, where she led workshops and presentations to students and faculty. Dr. Vidor is a member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL). She was a member of the TVT Admissions committee and the Faculty Professional Growth Plan committee. In her years at TVT, Dr. Vidor acted as advisor and chaperone trips to Catalina and Monterey.

In her free time, Dr. Vidor enjoys traveling with her husband and granddaughters, reading and exercising.