Mercaz -- Who?
Rabbi Ricki Lobel
Rabbi Lobel has been involved in education for almost her entire life, beginning as a candy striper in elementary school, volunteering in the hospital school for children with traumatic brain injury and those needing long-term post-operative stays. She spent decades as a special education teacher, first in Michigan after her graduation from Michigan State University, and then the bulk of her teaching career in Sacramento. She also spent those same decades engaged in Jewish education, sometimes in the congregational school classroom in three local congregations, sometimes as a B’nai Mitzvah tutor, sometimes teaching adult education (including in the Melton program), and always as a learner. Her years of learning brought her proudly to the rabbinate, a position that has allowed her to become even more involved in teaching and in creating meaningful life cycle events in and out of the Sacramento area.
This is Rabbi Lobel’s third position as a Director of Education and Youth. She has seen how the congregational school has changed and evolved, as well as how it has stayed consistent with its roots.
Rabbi Lobel loves to spend her free time with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, as well as reading, knitting, and crocheting,. As a transplanted Brooklyn girl, she spends much of the year having her heart broken by the Mets, the Giants and Jets, and the Knicks. She will always wait ‘til next year.
Morah Mary has her degree in Early Childhood Education. Shas been teaching PreK and Transitional Kindergarten for close to twenty five years. She first taught at Foster City preschool and then accepted the position of Preschool Coordinator with the City of Mountain View Recreation Division, overseeing all of the Early Childhood Education programming for the city as well as Elementary Summer Camp programming for over twenty years. Morah Mary received the Distinguished Professional award from the California Parks and Recreation Society in 2016 for her work in ECE Programming. She retired from the city in 2021.
Morah Mary started teaching at Shalom School In December of 2023. Parallel to her teaching in the program at Shalom School, she has continued her own Jewish education in order to be able to bring more knowledge and skills into her work with children, as well as to enrich her own connection to Judaism and Jewish education.
Morah Mary is currently working as a Hebrew/Judaic Specialist at Shalom School during the week, while she continues teaching our youngest students at Mercaz on Sunday mornings.. She combines her ECE background and Jewish knowledge together in both programs
In her free time Morah Mary enjoys spending time with her family, reading, antiquing, and taking road trips.
Morah Jessica was born and raised in the Sacramento valley. She is new to Mercaz and Mosaic Law Congregation, but not new to Jewish education. Morah Jessica teaches at Shalom School, and is a Hebrew and Judaic specialist in the preschool there. Her love of Judaism began in early adulthood when she began exploring her genealogy. Morah Jessica is passionate about both her Jewish heritage and teaching. She began to pursue her career in education in 2018, starting out in the field of behavioral therapies and social emotional education.
Morah Jessica is a single mom with two children, aged 8 and 12. Her son attends Shalom School, and her daughter attends junior high.
In her free time she enjoys exploring new places with her family, trying new recipes, and occasionally competing in the Scottish Highland Games. She believes it is an honor and a privilege to serve the families in our community and looks forward to doing so.
Morah Miri was born and raised in Israel. From the age of five, she knew she was destined to be a teacher (just ask her dolls!). Her dream came to fruition when she was chosen to serve as a soldier teacher in the IDF, helping new immigrant students learn Hebrew and integrate into Israeli culture.
Morah Miri attended Bible Studies, Psychology, and Literature at Haifa University, and then became a middle and high school teacher. Not long after, she met the love of her life, Ariel, who was visiting from Sacramento. She joined him, and has worked ever since to instill Judaism in the hearts of students, making a difference within the Jewish kids in the diaspora.
Morah Miri went on to graduate from Hebrew Union College with an MA in Jewish leadership and education. She has taught at both Shalom School and Mosaic Law, her second home.
Morah Miri has twin boys, Adam, and Daniel, now in college, and a daughter, Sophia, a sophomore. Every day, she wakes up joyful and satisfied at having the privilege to do what she loves. teaching new generations about our Jewish heritage and traditions. In her free time, she loves to cook, read, and spend time with family and friends.
Morah Samantha and her family have been a part of the Mercaz and Mosaic Law community since 2016. Both of her daughters are enrolled in Mercaz, and she and her family are looking forward to a Bat Mitzvah in May.
Morah Samantha has worked with our CVHEN staff to provide age-appropriate and relatable instruction on the Holocaust, and brings her unique perspective to her instruction about Israel. She enjoys bringing in multi-modal and multi-media instruction to enrich her presentation of holiday and Torah study, as well as Jewish ethics and values. Unique to her upper grade class, Morah Samantha helps her students understand the structure and the meaning of our prayers while also helping them to gain Hebrew prayer fluency.
In addition to teaching at Mercaz, Morah Samantha served as chair of the Education committee for 2 years. In that position, she was able to represent the interests and input of both teachers and parents.
After completing a Masters in Middle East Studies in Israel, Morah Samantha made Aliyah in 2010. She later returned to the Sacramento area to raise her family. She works in Marketing for a global executive search and consulting firm. In what free time she has, she shuttles kids to soccer practice, coaches and does CrossFit, and tries to keep her house organized, kids fed, and animals cared for - whew!
Rabbi Herman received a Masters in History, Hebrew and Jewish Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his Rabbinic Ordination with a Masters in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Herman is delighted to continue in his role teaching 7th grade at Mercaz. His goal is to instill in teens pride in their Judaism. He also enjoys helping to prepare them for their B’nai Mitzvah through starting them on their Divrei Torah and having them think of important questions that arise in becoming a Jewish adult. Most recently Rabbi Herman also taught Yahadut (Judaica) at Camp Ramah Ojai during Summer 2024.
In his free time, Rabbi Herman enjoys running, biking and hiking. He ran in the past two California International Marathons. He also enjoys playing with his golden doodle puppy, Honey.
Cantor Rachels joined the Mosaic Law community in July 2023 and is delighted to have the opportunity to work with, and learn from, the Congregation's younger members. He seeks to enhance Mosaic Law's Mercaz program by illuminating and sharing with students the richness of their Jewish cultural heritage, particularly through tefillah ("prayer") and shirah ("singing"). A native of New York, Cantor Rachels has experience teaching people of all ages in a variety of educational settings. He has been, among other things, a ski instructor and a live-in nanny, as well as a writing and music theory tutor. In addition, prior to coming to Sacramento, he helped direct an amateur synagogue choir and taught adults how to chant Torah. Cantor Rachels received his cantorial ordination and Master of Sacred Music degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City.
In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with his wife and their four-year-old daughter.
Menahel Ian Lobel’s drive to support Mosaic Law teen education largely comes from being a graduate of the program himself, from Bar Mitzvah through Confirmation through graduation. He has had experience teaching and developing curricula for teens in Yachad, our Sacramento Community High School, and in our Midraha program when it was combined with Beth Shalom, where he was also Administrator. When he was teaching, Ian’s classes took fun and original approaches to discussions about Jewish ethics and values, bringing ancient texts into modern relatable thought, and the influence of Jews in American culture. Whether developing curricula, teaching, or being an administrator, Ian’s focus has been on helping teens learn about themselves and strengthen their Jewish identity, as well as have fun in discovering the relevance of Jewish thought in their lives.
Menahel Ian is excited to have the opportunity to reinvigorate the Mosaic Law Midrasha in a way that brings to today’s teens the experiences he had in these same halls and classrooms: to explore, challenge, and find their place in Jewish thought; to use discussion and debate to help forge their own Jewish identities; and to feel a part of a larger Jewish community, starting with their peers but extending and expanding outward.
