Faculty Bios

Josh Morrel – Lead Teacher  Josh Morrel grew up in Morton Grove and graduated from Stevenson High School. In 2006, he graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. During that time, he spent two summers working at Tamarak Day Camp and also spent a year during that time teaching Sunday school for second graders at the Sinai Jewish Congregation in Champaign, Illinois. Since, he has taught Social Studies, English and Hebrew at the Fasman Yeshiva High School, Niles North High School and currently, at Glenbrook North High School. Moreover, he spent a year teaching Hebrew reading, writing and prayer at an interfaith Church and Synagogue in downtown Chicago. He is a huge Chicago White Sox and Bulls fan and enjoys reading and writing during his spare time.

Josh has been working as a teacher at the Ezra Habonim since the fall of 2014. Currently, he is also the Department Head of World Languages at Glenbrook North High School.

Michael Rosenberg (Confirmation) Michael Rosenberg has been teaching at EHNTJC since it was just NTJC.  He has taught here in upper grade level classes and parent classes for over 25 years.  He delivers a shiur every year on Yom Kippur.

Michael teaches Confirmation Class (8^th through 10^th graders) on Tuesday evenings.

This is a two generational class in which parents and their post-bar/bat mitzvah children learn and engage in lively discussions on Jewish issues as well as how our heritage provides guidance in the world we live in. His wife and his sons are alums of the class.

This is in addition to his teaching at Arie Crown Hebrew Day School Monday through Friday, Hanna Sacks Bais Ya’akov High School Monday through Thursday and his teaching at another religious school on Sundays.  He is “retired”.  Actually he is retired from practicing law and is now a full time teacher, as he wanted to do something really rewarding.

Michelle Mantel (K-2)  Michelle Mantel is a passionate educator. She is a pre-K teacher at the Board of Jewish Education (BJE) Early Childhood Centers. Ms. Mantel is also the founder of Early Tikkun Olam Adventures, a program that actively teaches young children Tikkun Olam through social justice and volunteer experience. Ms. Mantel is a graduate of Illinois State University. She is a Chicago Teachers Project fellow through the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago's Community Foundation for Jewish Education (CFJE).

Ms. Mantel grew up and currently lives in Skokie. She became a Bat Mitzvah at the Niles Township Jewish Congregation, where she attended religious school. Ms. Mantel is our K-2 teacher and also works with our older students on Tuesday..

Miriam Davidson chants/teaches Torah, Haftorah and serves as a cantorial leader, leading adult and family services at EHNTJC and in the greater Jewish community. Externally, she serves as an educational programs administrator and b’nei mitzvah tutor for kids and adults. While Miriam has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Master’s degree in Computer Science, all is not serious. As a game developer and arts/drama-lover, she often incorporates individualized, interactive games and story-telling into the religious school curriculum. She has taught religious school at four Chicago-area synagogues. Miriam recently became a State of Illinois certified bilingual Hebrew teacher and is thrilled to be teaching Hebrew and Judaica to third through seventh graders at EHNTJC.