Faculty Bais Menachem Hebrew Academy faculty is comprised of local and international teachers. Principal, Rochel Levertov Rochel Levertov has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Bais Rivkah College and 26 years of teaching experience. She is married to Rabbi Yosef Levertov, the Director of Chabad-Austin. When the Lubavitcher Rebbe asked the Levertovs to come to Austin to start a Chabad House, Rochel made a lifelong commitment to bring yiddishkeit to Jews in Austin. She began her tenure as the co-director of Chabad House Student Jewish Center. She maintained that position for 24 years, counseling Jewish youth and preparing Shabbos meals for University of Texas (UT) students, and providing services to the Austin Jewish community, including Mikve. Rochel founded BMHA in 1995 and has been Director and Principal of the school ever since.  Rochel is passionate about education, has a real connection with the parents, and is committed to each and every student at BMHA. She is always on hand to ensure that children are treated with love and respect; and conversely, that they learn to love and respect each other. She is able to engage each person in building his/her character within a framework of Jewish conduct. She is a real hands-on educator - you will often find her back in the classroom, teaching. She selects mature and knowledgeable teachers, and keeps them motivated. She knows how to tap each person’s talents. Whether you are a student, teacher, or parent, the Rebbetzin has a way of making you feel that your job is the most important one in the world. Suzanne L. Carn-Allen, First Grade Suzanne L. Carn-Allen has taught more than 15 years in both public and private schools. This is her second year teaching at BMHA. Mrs. Carn-Allen has a BS degree with a minor in math from The University of Incarnate Word.   In addition, Suzanne has her teaching certificates in Early Childhood Education, Bilingual/ESL Education and Elementary Education from The University of Texas in San Antonio. Mrs. Carn-Allen enjoys teaching at BMHA because of the small classes and the deep involvement and commitment parents have to the school.   Also, Mrs. Carn-Allen likes the flexibility offered by the administration to design her curriculum to best suit each of her students' needs. In her spare time, Mrs. Carn-Allen enjoys reading, scrap booking, working out and spending time with her family. She also conducts Math workshops and training for teachers with Harcourt School Publishers. Liora Gurvitz, Hebrew  Liora Gurvitz was born and raised in Israel. She received her teaching certificate from Key College in Be’ersheva, and taught mathematics and homeroom to elementary and middle school children in Israel for 12 years. Mrs. Gurvitz also gave seminars to other Israeli teachers on methods for teaching mathematics. In 1998, Mrs. Gurvitz moved to Austin with her husband and two daughters. In 2002, after her third daughter was born, Mrs. Gurvitz began teaching Hebrew at BMHA. She enjoys this school because of its home-like and relaxed atmosphere. “The kids are wonderful,” says Mrs. Gurvitz. “At BMHA, I have the opportunity to concentrate on teaching, which is what I love to do.” Mrs. Gurvitz’s hobbies include reading Hebrew books by Israeli authors and listening to Israeli music. Debbie Hagen-Lubars, Science Mrs. Hagen-Lubars has a BS in Metallurgical Engineering from New Mexico Tech, and an MS is Ceramic Engineering from University of Illinois.  She worked as an engineer in the semiconductor industry for 15 years.  This is Mrs. Hagen-Lubars’ third year teaching at BMHA.  She and her husband have three children, and are active in the Austin Jewish community. Mrs. Hagen-Lubars enjoys sharing her lifelong love of science and technology with students, and helping them to discover the answers to their own scientific questions. The small class sizes and inquisitive student body encourages hands-on exploration of science and inclusive class discussions that makes the teaching and learning process more interesting. Her hobbies include gardening, art, sewing, and yoga. Lauren Maples, Math  Lauren Maples teaches second through eighth grade math at BMHA.  She has been teaching and tutoring in the public and private sectors for nine years.  This is her fifth year teaching at BMHA. Mrs. Maples has a BA in Education with a minor in Spanish from Concordia University - Austin and a Master of Science in Geography from Texas State University. Mrs. Maples values being a part of the intellectual development of the future.   She feels that the small class sizes and high parental involvement make BMHA a wonderful place to work.   Mrs. Maples also owns Green Life Eco-Consulting, a green living consulting service.  In her free time, Mrs. Maples loves to go hiking with her family, read, and dance. Janie Poteet, Language Arts and Social Studies Ms. Janie Poteet received her teacher’s certificate and BS in Biology with a minor in psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio. She began her career teaching biology in high school and moved toward an alternative education setting as she gained more experience. She liked that challenge and went on to teach a variety of subjects to children of different ages with a wide range of needs.   Ms. Poteet has taught English, social studies, history, and science, and has actively taught for over 20 years. She raised her two children, Brian and Terrie while teaching full time and now has 5 grandchildren. Mrs. Poteet teaches Language Arts and Social Studies to the 2 nd through 8 th grades at BMHA. "I was looking for a nice, small school to teach in, and this is it! This is a nice place - I'm glad I found it…BMHA is a relaxed place, yet the children are learning things that are advanced compared to other schools.” When asked what she would like to accomplish at BMHA, Janie Poteet remarked, “I want to make the kids better writers, better readers, and more intelligent citizens. I enjoy helping others.” Ms. Poteet moved to Austin 14 years ago for a change of scenery, and never wants to leave. She enjoys going to plays and the wonderful restaurants here, and loves to explore the area’s lakes; but most of all, Mrs. Poteet enjoys the people she knows here. “I like that Austin is a little different, a bit eccentric.” she says.   Susan Slomowitz, Pre-K and Art Susan received her BA in Fine Arts (with Honors) from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg , South Africa.   She began teaching young children in Israel and gained breath and experience teaching Jewish Education to the largest Jewish pre-school in Austin (ECP) for nearly 2 years.   In addition, Mrs. Slomowitz was a substitute teacher (for nearly a year) in all subjects at the Austin Jewish Academy before she joined our BMHA family. Susan loves to be surrounded by children as “the child in me is very strong and I learn so much from children that is keeps me young at heart.”   Her hobbies are quilting, hiking, arts and crafts, cooking and entertaining.   Susan is married and has a 7 year old daughter.               Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Laura Wagner Laura Wagner has a BA in Religion from the University of Virginia and a Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education from North Carolina Central University. Her true passion is teaching. Mrs. Wagner taught for six years in both North Carolina and Texas and, after the birth of her first child, took a leave from the classroom and became a Curriculum Developer for several major educational publishers. This position allowed her to work from home and be close to her growing family as well as remain involved in the education field. In the fall of 2006, Mrs. Wagner returned to Texas and to the school she loved, BMHA. She has been teaching kindergarten ever since.  Teaching is a creative outlet for Mrs. Wagner, who thrives on creating and recreating materials to fit each class's needs. She is committed to the students as hope for the future, and enjoys watching them grow in mind, body, and spirit. The small class sizes, supportive administration and parents, caring teachers, and enthusiastic students at BMHA all create an ideal educational environment for learning and professional growth. Outside of school, Mrs. Wagner loves to read and write. She continues to produce educational materials for publishing companies on a freelance basis. She enjoys the challenge of triathlons as well as playing and coaching soccer. When not in school, you are most likely to find her outside, engaged in play with her three children or hiking with her two dogs.