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Rabbi Yosef Albo was born in Israel, and after living in the Dominican Republic for five years, his family made their way to Brooklyn, NY, where he began his eclectic formal Jewish education as a student of various Yeshivot, including Ateret Torah, Chaim Berlin, Ohr Sameach (Jerusalem), Ner Israel Baltimore and Yeshiva University.
Concurrent with his Smicha studies at Yeshiva University, Rabbi Albo pursued a Masters Degree in Jewish Philosophy, thus continuing in the footsteps of his forefather Rabbi Yosef Albo, the famous medieval Jewish philosopher and author of Sefer Ha’ikarim. He also holds a BA in English Literature from Yeshiva University..
Rabbi Albo joins JLA as the Director of Jewish Life in which capacity he will be responsible for overseeing Jewish programming, special events, and our August in Israel Program. He will also be overseeing our daily Sephardic minyan. Rabbi Albo comes to JLA with eighteen years of experience in education, most recently as a highly regarded Judaics Teacher and the Director of Sephardi Programming at the Ramaz Upper School in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where he built curriculum for honors level classes in Talmud, Tanach, Halacha, and Jewish Philosophy. Devoted to Jewish communal life, he held Rabbinic positions at the Hampton Synagogue, Manhattan Jewish Experience, and Riverdale Jewish Center.
Rabbi Albo is also an accomplished artist, illustrator, painter, photographer, composer, and musician. The Albo Band, which he founded and leads, will soon be releasing its third album entitled “Poor Man’s Prayer.” The conversation between Torah and Art is an integral component of everything he does and we look forward to Rabbi Albo inspiring our students and infusing our campus life with his unique set of remarkable talents and skills.
Ms. Frances Alexander will also be joining JLA from Ransom Everglades School where she taught 7th-10th grade English for six years and also served as the faculty advisor to TedX Ransom Everglades School. Prior to Ransom, she taught 10th grade English as well as two elective courses that she designed at Friends School of Baltimore. Ms. Alexander began her teaching career as a Teach for America corps member in
Washington, DC public and charter schools. She has also taught English at Lyc e Boissy D’Anglas in France.
An accomplished musician and dancer with fluency in three languages, Frances holds a BA from Northwestern University in Middle Eastern Languages and Civilizations and Anthropology, and an MA in English Language and Literature from Vermont’s prestigious Middlebury College. Widely seen as a rising star in South Florida’s Independent School landscape, Ms. Alexander is currently enrolled in the School
Management and Leadership Program at Harvard University.
Daphna Bar Yosef
B.S., M.S.
Hebrew Teacher
Mrs. Daphna Bar Yosef is excited to join JLA as an Instructor of Hebrew. Daphna grew up in Israel and served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as a Tank Instructor. She attended Tel Aviv University, studying Tanach, before continuing to earn both her BS and MS from NYU in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. After concluding her studies in 2021, she moved to Miami with her husband and daughter.
Daphna brings over ten years of experience in the teaching and learning world, ranging from teaching in a Jewish Day School to serving as a Division Head and Sports Director in an Israeli summer camp.
As a practicing Speech and Language Pathologist, Daphna has a deep understanding of language development and is excited to teach her students how to incorporate Hebrew into their everyday lives and build exceptional communication skills. During her spare time she enjoys running, biking, and swimming and is also looking forward to cheering loudly at JLA’s sports games “קדימה JLA!”
Alexa Castillo
B.S., M.S.
Executive Assistant to the Head of School
Originally from South Bend, Indiana, RC Ganser has enjoyed over 27 years in education, 18 of them at Gulliver Preparatory as an administrator, teacher, and coach. At Gulliver, RC helped run the most competitive high school sports program, not only in Dade county, but in the entire state of Florida. RC brings 30 years of experience to JLA as an award-winning coach for numerous male and female sports including volleyball, baseball, softball, basketball, and water polo. With a B.S.in Education / English from Indiana University South Bend, RC has taught middle school and high school English classes including Honors and Advanced Placement courses. Additionally, RC has served in many facets of education including Activities Director, Admissions, Strategic Planning, Student Advisory, Homework Research, and Faculty Council.
A former 2-sport college athlete in baseball and basketball, RC maintains a passion for being both a participant and spectator in many sports. Daughters Leilani, 25, and Kalei, 19, the loves of his life, are out on their own pursuing their respective educations and careers. Beyond the school setting, RC loves cooking, doing crossword puzzles, and writing poetry.
A native of Brazil, Yamit Linde spent her formative teenage years in Israel and arrived in Miami as a junior in high school. During her time in Israel, Yamit learned firsthand how vital and enriching Jewish education can be. Having lived in different countries and cities throughout her life, she appreciates and cherishes South Florida’s unique diversity.
Yamit holds a BA in International Relations and an MBA with a concentration in marketing from Florida International University, and is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Hebrew.
Over the course of her 14 year career as a marketing and communications executive, Yamit has held leadership positions in industry leading brands like Grey Goose, Dove, and Panerai. Prior to joining JLA, Yamit owned her own consulting agency, where she was responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies for clients in the fashion, luxury, food, and hospitality industries.
During her free time, Yamit enjoys traveling and going to the beach with her husband Steven, and two young children, Levi and Lennon.
BS, Central Connecticut State University
Previously at AIPAC
Laura Gill
B.A., M.A
English Teacher
Ms. Laura Gill is a teacher, writer, and editor with over a decade of experience teaching and working with young adults. For seven years, she taught English at The Field School in Washington, D.C. There, she was also an advisor, co-founder of the Peer Tutoring Center and mentor for the literary magazine. During her time at The Field School, she completed an MFA at Bennington Writing Seminars, where she focused on creative nonfiction. Ms. Gill also holds a BA in English from Skidmore College. For the past four years, she has worked in the English Department at Palmer Trinity School where she taught World Literature, English Foundations, and Creative Writing while building curriculum across all grade levels. Laura’s teaching philosophy emphasizes interdisciplinary synthesis between films, books, podcasts, essays, and visual art, helping students recognize the links between different styles of communication and their value.
Aside from her work in schools, Laura has worked with teenagers in youth development organizations ranging from a summer camp on a farm to a nonprofit in D.C. advocating for youth’s rights. She brings with her a love of language and a great enthusiasm for the written word and is excited by the opportunity to build a community of writers and leaders among the JLA students. In her free time, Laura loves to visit museums, read, write, spend time with family, take photographs, explore, and cook.
Registrar
Darcy Hildebidle
B.A., M.A.
Art Teacher
Darcy Hildebidle has over 20 years of experience in gifted education, art exhibition and arts program development in community and school settings. Her vast experience, combined with a B.A. in Art History, Studio Art, and French from the University of Michigan and an M.S. Interdisciplinary Arts Education from Nova Southeastern University, provides her with extraordinary tools to support our students as they connect to their passions through creative discourse and develop their own artistic voice. Ms. Hildebidle’s art students have earned portfolio-based scholarships to top art schools throughout the country, including Otis School of Art & Design, Ringling School of Art & Design, and Savannah College of Art and Design.
Ms. Hildebidle joins us from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, where she developed the curricula and taught courses in 3D Art and Design, Creative Photography, and AP Art History. . Previously she was the Head of the Fine Arts Department at The Sagemont Upper School in West Broward where she taught AP Studio Art as well as courses on Drawing, Painting, and Digital Arts. Ms. Hildebidle lives in her dream home—a Mid Century fixer-upper—with her husband and two incredible kids who inspire her daily.
Jackeline Melendez
B.A., M.A.
Spanish Teacher
Born in Maracaibo and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Ms. Miss Jackeline Meléndez has over 20 years of experience in education as an instructor of Spanish, English, and German as a Second Language.
Ms. Meléndez served as the Director of the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation in St. Kitts and Nevis where she was responsible for planning, implementing, and overseeing the instruction of Spanish for students ranging from elementary school to adulthood. For the past 18 years, she has served as a professor at the School of Modern Languages at Universidad Central De Venezuela, most recently as the English Department Chair.
An accomplished translator, Ms. Meléndez translated and synchronized documentary scripts for the Discovery Channel and Nickelodeon from English into Spanish. She holds a BA in Translation from English and German into Spanish, and an MA in English as a Foreign Language from Universidad Central de Venezuela.
Ms. Meléndez also worked as a private tutor from 2007 to 2016 for students who attended the Herzl-Bialik Jewish School in Caracas, and looks forward to joining a Jewish Day School in an official capacity. In her spare time, Ms.Meléndez enjoys reading, going to the beach, walking, hiking, spending time in nature, and going to museums with her nieces and nephew.
Dr. Ochatt joins us from Ransom Everglades School where she has taught AP Biology, Honors and Forensic Chemistry, and Anatomy and Physiology.
Claudia holds a PhD in Biological Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires, an MBA from the University of Miami, and a Masters of Education in Leadership from the University of West Florida. She conducted her postdoctoral work on cell and molecular biology at The Rockefeller University, and post-graduate research at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, and at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratories.
Dr. Ochatt served as the MD/PhD Program Coordinator at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine before leaving to become the STEM Chair at MAST Academy. In 2011, Claudia was the recipient of Beckman Coulter’s Science Educator of the Year Award and in 2021 she was named Florida’s Biology Teacher of the Year by the National Association of Biology Teachers.
BS, University of the West Indies
MBA, Nova Southeastern University
Previously at Katz Hillel Day School
As an educator, community leader, and rabbi, Rabbi Yechiel Shaffer has spent over 15 years building communities, creating schools, and advocating for the vulnerable, in a diverse array of community, education and lay positions. A native of London, England, Rabbi Shaffer joins JLA as our Campus Rabbi, building the JLA community and caring for the spiritual wellbeing of each student, while also leading our Service Entrepreneurship Program.
Rabbi Shaffer received a BS in Sociology, an MA in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University, and Rabbinic Ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. Upon completion of his Rabbinic studies, Rabbi Shaffer was one of three graduates recognized as a creative and driven leader and was awarded a two year fellowship featuring extensive training and mentorship in entrepreneurship and community leadership.
Since then, Rabbi Shaffer has been a Rabbinic leader of three synagogues, most recently in Baltimore, Maryland, and has served the Jewish community in a variety of capacities: fundraising for Jewish education and infrastructure, being an active board member of a Maryland anti-abuse agency, and by being a passionate voice for integrity and humility in the Jewish community. Rabbi Shaffer has a reputation as a warm, caring pastoral leader, who is driven by excellence and empathy for his students and congregants.
When not serving as a community Rabbi, Rabbi Shaffer can be found teaching in local schools, working to support Bar and Bat Mitzvah students in their preparations, recording podcasts that lower the barrier of entry to engage with meaningful Torah content, and creating dynamic multimedia courses that bring ancient wisdom to life.
Rabbi Shaffer is a dedicated father and husband, and whenever he can, enjoys fishing and trying new methods of cooking. He is thrilled to be part of the JLA community and is looking forward to serving as the Campus Rabbi.
A native of Mexico City, Mexico, Vanessa is passionate about the future of Jewish education and believes that in today’s classrooms sit tomorrow’s innovators and decision makers.
Vanessa brings over 15 years of experience in Jewish Day Schools in South Florida and beyond. During her five year tenure as Director of Admissions at Brauser Maimonides Academy, she led the implementation of innovative recruitment strategies leading to historically high enrollment figures. In her most recent position at Lehrman Community Day School, she designed and implemented a continuous enrollment system that has been used as a model for other Jewish Day Schools in the United States and Canada.
Vanessa believes that choosing a school is one of the most important decisions parents make and applies a professional and approachable philosophy, understanding the magnitude of this decision and the impact it has on each student individually.
Vanessa holds a B.S. in Political Science from ITAM (Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology) in Mexico City, and has also lived in Israel where she attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Mechina. A fluent English, Spanish, and Hebrew speaker, Vanessa is an alumna of Prizmah’s Atidenu Program and of the JTS’ Day School Leadership Training Institute, and she is often invited to speak at Independent Schools and Jewish Day School Conferences across the country.
BA, Nova Southeastern University
Previously at Katz Hillel Day School
