Introducing Dr. Debbie Stone

Dear Hebrew Academy Family,

I am writing to share exciting news. Dr. Debbie Stone will join Hebrew Academy as the Director of High School Judaic Studies and Community Engagement in January 2021. 

Originally from London, Dr. Debbie Stone studied at Michlalah in Jerusalem, and earned a Bachelor of Art and Humanities with an emphasis in Jewish Studies and a Foundation Degree in Art and Design. Dr. Stone holds a Doctorate in Education from Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Education with her dissertation on, “Learning Preferences and Prayer Preferences in the Affective, Behavioral and Cognitive Realms.” 

Dr. Stone worked as the Associate Subject Leader for Jewish Education at JFS, a 2,000-student-strong modern-orthodox middle and high school in London. Upon relocating to New York City, she served as the Associate Director of Education for the National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), and was most recently the Program Director at the Moise Safra Center, a Jewish Community Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Dr. Stone is the co-author of the highly acclaimed Koren NCSY Siddur, which is used by our middle school students, the Koren Aviv Siddur, and the Tribe edition recently released in the United Kingdom. She speaks regularly as a Scholar in Residence in a range of communities nationally and internationally. Her specialty topics include spirituality, tefillah, educational tools, methodologies, and Biblical personalities.

Teaching Jewish Studies in the largest Jewish school in Europe, supervising the Judaic Department, and mentoring and training teachers around the world, are some of the valuable experiences that have shaped Dr. Stone’s career. Dr. Stone led international student trips in Poland, Prague, Israel, Strasbourg, Geneva, and the United States. Further, Dr. Stone developed and implemented curriculum and educational programs for NCSY. 

In this new role at Hebrew Academy, Dr. Stone will work under the leadership of Dr. Jones and Dr. Leiber, and will be teaching various Judaic classes in our high school, working with our Judaic studies teachers in curriculum design, and engaging our community with inspiring programming.

Please join me in giving Dr. Stone a warm Warrior welcome.
 

Rabbi Shaye Guttenberg
Head of School