Mrs. Adina Metchik

Wellness Director, School Social Worker
ametchik@tdshouston.org

Mrs. Gila Barnett

3rd Grade Judaic Teacher
gbarnett@tdshouston.org

Morah Yaffa BarYam

Hebrew Language Teacher
ybaryam@tdshouston.org

Morah Yaffa has been teaching Hebrew and early childhood for over 30 years. She has been a teacher at Torah Day School since 1992, and taught Hebrew at Beth Israel's Religious School for 10 years, which she greatly enjoyed.

Yaffa completed her teaching certification from the Shine School of Education, a division of Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv, for early childhood education and Hebrew as a Second Language.

Yaffa and her husband Kobi enjoy traveling, especially to Israel to visit family, and spending time with their daughters and grandchildren in Houston.

She greatly values her friendships, and makes time to meet with friends regularly.

Mrs. Menuchi Cagen

2nd Grade Judaic Teacher
mcagen@tdshouston.org

Rabbi Shmuly Ceitlin

Middle School Boys Judaic Teacher / Pre Mesivta Program
sceitlin@tdshouston.org

Born in Toronto Canada, graduate of the Chabad Yeshiva system, moved to Houston in the end of 2020 as a Chabad emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Mrs. Mindy Ceitlin

Middle School Judaic Teacher / Tzivos Hashem Coordinator
mceitlin@tdshouston.org

Mrs. Eta Cotlar

Middle School Chassidus Teacher
ecotlar@tdshouston.org

Mrs. Connie Dotan

2nd Grade Secular Teacher
cdotan@tdshouston.org

Morah Marissa Finkelman

Kindergarten Teacher
mfinkelman@tdshouston.org 

Mrs. Rivka Fishman

Middle School Judaic Teacher
rfishman@tdshouston.org

Rivka Fishman has been a teacher at TDS for over 20 years. She is currently our Special Programming Coordinator and our 4th and 5th grade judaic teacher. She is a recipient of the Irving L. Samuels Outstanding Teacher Award for Judaic Studies and of the Grinspoon – Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Rivka is the author of the children’s book “Sara the Bucket Filler,” which helps children learn to be kinder and stay happier. She gives workshops on bullyproofing for parent, camp and school groups worldwide.

Rabbi Shmuly Gniwisch

5th and 6th Grade Boys Teacher
sgniwisch@tdshouston.org

Mrs. Elisa Goldstein

1st Grade Judaic Teacher
egoldstein@tdshouston.org

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Elisa Goldstein received her Teaching Certification from Bnos Yisrael Seminary in Yerushalayim, Israel and graduated with a BA degree in Psychology.

Elisa has been a teacher in Torah Day School since she moved to Houston in 1998. She has taught various Judaic subjects to middle school and has been the Kita Aleph teacher for over 12 years.

She, together with her husband and family, are Chabad Shluchim to Houston and run the Chabad CHAI Learning Center of West Houston which serves the West Houston Jewish Community with Services, Adult Education, Hebrew School and Holiday Programs. Her involvement in the community includes the founding of Friendship Circle, directing the annual Friendship Walk and directing Camp Gan Israel for the past 11 summers.

Elisa is married to Rabbi Dovid Goldstein and has 5 children Sima, Avrami, Chaya, and Zalmi (all TDS Alumni), and Rozie, a student at TDS.

Mrs. Kathryn Howell

6th Grade English and History Teacher

Kathryn Howell is originally from Houston, Texas. She received a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in both English and psychology. She also minored in education and earned her Texas teaching certificate while at UT. Mrs. Howell then earned her M.A. in English literature from the University of Houston. She has over 15 years of teaching experience including middle school, high school, and college. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and reading.

Mrs. Sherilyn Jones

Middle School English and History Teacher
sjones@tdshouston.org

Mrs. Jones was born in North Louisiana, and moved to Texas when she was four. She grew up in Lake Jackson, near the Gulf of Mexico, until 8th grade when she moved to Houston. She graduated from University of Houston with a Bachelors in English and is certified to teach both English and History. She has taught Middle school and High School English and History in both Atlanta Georgia and Houston, TX. She stumbled into TDS looking for a part time teaching position in 1992, and that turned out to be where she has spent most of her adult life.

Mrs. Jones says "I am starting my 31st year at TDS, teaching English and history, my college major and minor at the University of Houston.  I have loved the relationships I have made with families during these years, and it's amazing to now be teaching the children of former students.  TDS has blessed and enriched my life greatly." She has three sons and two grandchildren that all live in Texas.

Ms. Esther Lax

Middle School Girls Judaic Teacher
elax@tdshouston.org

Rabbi Zally Lazarus

Middle School Judaic Teacher
zlazarus@tdshouston.org

Mrs. Debra Novosad

Middle School Math Teacher
dnovosad@tdshouston.org

Mrs. Debra Novosad, a native of San Antonio, received her education at Baylor University. She has advanced the study of mathematics as a middle and high school math teacher, a math department chairman, a testing coordinator, and a math helping teacher who instructs other teachers. She has written district-wide assessments and curriculum. She comes to us from Fort Bend ISD, where she taught for 18 years. She was hired by TDS just one week after "retiring." Although Mrs. Novosad has seen many changes during her career, the one thing that has never changed is her love for helping students and teachers.

Mrs. Rita Ramsay

Middle School Science Teacher
rramsay@tdshouston.org

Mrs. Judy Reid

5th Grade Secular Teacher

he comes to us with over 30 years of teaching experience, from public and private school settings including both special needs and gifted programs. She has trained at Neuhaus Education Center to teach students with reading challenges. Her model lesson was a quilting lesson incorporating geometry and critical thinking.

Ms. Paige Smith

4th Grade Secular Studies

Paige graduated from the University of Houston's Honors College with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in May of 2022. Currently, she is attending the University of Houston Clear Lake and earning a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

“I am so excited to be able to continue working with students and watch them grow over the course of this year”.