Our Staff

Leadership Team

Lauren Life, Lead Administrator

Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rhode Island with a concentration in child development.  She holds a CT teaching certification for Kindergarten-sixth grade.  She has a long history as an education advocate.  Lauren served six years on the board of education in Suffield, CT, gaining a unique perspective in policy and governance.  She was the president of the Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools during a rebirth period. During her tenure, the organization began a successful fundraising effort which is still thriving. Lauren worked in the Enfield Public School system for six years as a substitute teacher, taking on numerous long term assignments while teachers were on maternity leave.  She joined the Heritage Academy staff in 2010 as a fourth grade general studies teacher.  During the 2011-2012 school year, Lauren worked as both a teacher and administrator and currently is the lead administrator, dedicating her time this year solely to administration.

Karen Auerbach

Karen Auerbach has been teaching in the Longmeadow area for 12 years.  After majoring in Elementary Education at Farleigh Dickinson University, she graduated from Quinnipiac University.  She began her career in  Connecticut public school system. After taking a few years off from the education field to have a family and  pursue other interest, Karen found she missed teaching. While living in Woodstock, Connecticut, she returned to teaching at the Woodstock Elementary School. After moving to Longmeadow, Karen taught reading at the Center School and Special Education at Wolf Swamp.  Karen also is an after school reading tutor.  Passionate about teaching, she loves to see students master new skills.

Tali Edry 

Tali Edry was born in Rehovot, Israel.  She graduated Talpiot in Tel Aviv with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Art. She taught in Israel as an Art teacher and she turned her school into an art school. Tali has taught K-8 Judaic Studies as well as well as art in Israel and in the Diaspora. Tali has taught at Heritage Academy for fifteen years. Tali is married to Yehuda Edry and is the proud mother of five Heritage Academy students and alumni.  In 2002, Tali received the Harold Grinspoon Award in Excellence in Jewish Education.

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Judaic Studies Faculty

Michal Boudreau

Tali Edry

 Please read her profile above in the Leadership Team section.

Yehuda Edry

Yehuda Edry was born in Be’er Sheva, Israel.  He graduated from Yeshivat Bnei Akiva in Be’er Sheva in 1982.  Yehuda continued his studies at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh and finished his army service in Tzahal- IDF as a medic in an engineering combat unit. He attended Moreshet Yakov College for Jewish Education and school Rabbi.  Yehuda worked in Israel as an Elementary and Middle School Rabbi and as a Judaic Studies High School Teacher.  He has been teaching at Heritage Academy since 1997, is married to fellow Heritage Academy Teacher, Tali Edry and the father of five Heritage students, either current or alumni.  Yehuda is currently the Youth Director at Congregation B’Nai Torah.   Yehuda received the Harold Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.

Neta Ra’anan-Lerner

 Neta was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and moved to the U.S. as a teenager. She graduated from Goucher College with a major in French and a minor in Russian in 2011. During her studies, she tutored students at her college and local synagogues in Hebrew. She worked as a teaching assistant in Goucher’s Russian department, and created educational programs for college students as Israel Chair for the Hillel Student Board. This is her first year teaching at Heritage, and she is looking forward to creating a rewarding, joint learning experience this year with the students.

Daniel Weinreb

Daniel Weinreb was born in Boston, Massachusetts.  He received his undergraduate degree in Comparative Religion from Princeton University, an MBA from the UC Davis, a certificate in Jewish Studies from Pardes Institute, Jerusalem and an MJEd from Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts. Daniel lives in Leeds, Massachusetts.  Please visit our Middle School Judaics wiki.

General Studies Faculty

Karen Auerbach

Karen Auerbach has been teaching in theLongmeadowarea for the past 12 years.  Karen is passionate about teaching and loves to see the students’ expressions when they master new skills.  Prior to coming to Heritage Academy, Karen taught reading at Center School and Special Education at Wolf Swamp in Longmeadow, MA.  Karen attended Farleigh Dickinson Universitywhere she majored in Elementary education and graduated fromQuinnipiacUniversity.  After graduation she began her career in theHamden,CT.public school system. After taking a few years off from the education field to pursue other interest and have a family Karen found she missed teaching. While living in Woodstock, Ct. she pursued her teaching career once again and taught at Woodstock Elementary School for a few years before moving to Longmeadow. Karen also tutors students after school in reading.

Ze’ev Dragon

Ze’ev Dragon has been working at Heritage Academy for the past two years.  Ze’ev served in the Israel Army for three years as a Boot Camp Instructor.  He came to the United States 25 years ago.  He opened his own retail business 20 years ago.  Ze’ev learned computer technology five years ago and began his own computer support business.  Two of his three children currently attend Heritage.

Nora Gorenstein

Nora Gorenstein has received a Bachelor of Arts in English and Education from Simmons College in Boston, and a Master of Arts in English from Brandeis University. She is passionate about books, reading, and writing, and also serves as the Conservative Youth Educator at Temple Beth El in Springfield, Mass.

Julia Habecker-Green

Julia Habecker-Green has taught at Heritage Academy since 2011.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Genetics at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  She also fulfilled the University’s requirements for an undergraduate degree in Education, but Cornell does not allow double majors.  Julia went on to earn a Master of Science in Human Genetics from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where she attended the Genetic Counseling Program.  Julia’s first job was at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.  She worked as a Genetic Counselor for ten years.  Julia also held a position as a Genetic Counselor at Genzyme Genetics Laboratory in Westborough, MA.  While working  at Genzyme, Julia pursued and attained certification to teach General Science in Massachusetts.  This led to a job teaching Middle School Science at Heritage Academy.  She is happy to have a depth of experience in science and the medical field to share with her students.

Chris Heath

A master teacher, this is Chris Heath’s seventh year at Heritage Academy in Middle School Social Studies.   Chris was born in Baltimore, Maryland to Greek immigrant parents and speaks Greek fluently.  She received a Bachelor of Science in Education and History from Towson State College in 1966.  Before coming to Heritage Academy, Chris taught at a variety of schools in Burlington,Vermont, Bangor, Maine, and Enfield, Connecticut, primarily at the Middle School level.  Chris is looking forward to another successful year with a great staff and most of all an excellent group of students.

Christine Korytko

Christine Korytko holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Cambridge College and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with a minor in Music from Central Connecticut State University.  She has taught at Heritage Academy for six years.  She loves teaching and especially loves teaching the children at our school.  Christine resides in Springfield, MA with her husband and her dog, Bailey.  Her interests include spending time with family, singing, boating, running, writing, and reading.

Aileen Kramer 

Aileen Kramer has been a teacher at Heritage Academy for the past 24 years.  Aileen graduated from Long Island University.  She began her teaching career in Rhode Island where she taught 2^nd grade for three years.  After taking time to raise her family, Aileen returned to teaching at Heritage in 1989 and has taken on many roles.  She began at Heritage as a long-term substitute teacher and has taught grades two through five, as well as being school Librarian for a few years.  She has recently left the classroom and now works with students in resource/enrichment and acts as a mentor for new teachers.  She and her husband, Cliff, reside in Longmeadow, MA.

In 2002, Aileen was the recipient of the Harold Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education, as well as the recipient of the National Grinspoon-Steinhart Award for Excellence in Education.

Donna Lorenzo

Donna Lorenzo received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Fairfield University.  She received her Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from Central Connecticut State University.  She taught at Sage Park Junior High in Windsor, CT. and Avon Middle School in Avon, CT until she left teaching to start a family.  She returned to teaching in 1998 when she joined the faculty of the Hebrew High School of New England.  The next year she combined her position at HHNE with one at the Solomon Schechter Day School.  Since 2007 she has been sharing her teaching duties between HHNE and Heritage Academy.  Donna has taught a variety of courses, including 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, and Statistics.   She has also taught an SAT Prep class and has been the ninth grade advisor at HHNE.  Donna resides in Bloomfield, Connecticut with her three sons, Nicholas, Justin, and Michael.

Molly Orr

Molly Orr is an experienced 5th grade teacher.  Molly is passionate about reading and writing and loves teaching the fifth grade social studies curriculum.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York and a Master of Science in Teaching from Pace University in Pleasantville, New York.  Prior to moving back to Massachusetts, Molly taught Language Arts and Social Studies to fifth grade at the Ridge Street School in Rye Brook, New York.  This fall will mark Molly’s third year at Heritage Academy.  Additionally, Molly tutors children from 4th-8th grade, specializing in organizational and study skills.

Peter Prewandowski

Among Heritage faculty, Peter has taught on the most continents.   He spent five years teaching at a Quaker school in New Jersey, several years at an international school in Bulgaria, and eight years teaching in Tanzania.  In Tanzania, he also where he served as a missionary with the Episcopal Church.   Peter discovers every students  talent, and should have opportunities is enthusiastic about encouraging them to perform to  helps develop a child’s full potential.

Peter has also spent a number of years doing camp work, and has a love of nature as well as a commitment to share God’s creation with his students.

 Chelsea Seabury

Chelsea Seabury is in her third year of teaching First Grade at Heritage Academy.  Prior to Heritage, Chelsea served as a long term elementary school substitute and student taught kindergarten and Third Grade  in her hometown of Suffield, Connecticut. She has a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hartford and a Connecticut Licensure.  Chelsea loves working with children, reading, baking sweet treats, walking her Golden Retriever, acting, and spending time with her family and friends.

Kim Starkman

 Kim is very excited to be back at Heritage Academy for her second year.   She has a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from Tufts University and a Master’s of Science in Speech Pathology from Emerson College.  Prior to working at Heritage Academy, Kim lived outside Detroit and in Nashville where she worked with school-aged children in a speech pathology clinic and in an Early Intervention setting.   She is the very proud parent of two Heritage students.  When she is not working or running after her three young boys, she enjoys reading and spending time with family at Cape Cod.  Stop by the speech room anytime.  She loves visitors!

Cathy Szubelick

Cathy Szubelick holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Cambridge College and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Social Work.  She holds a teaching certification for pre-kindergarten through Third Grade.  She taught kindergarten for seven years in the Springfield Public Schools before taking time off to have a family.  She lives in Longmeadow with her husband and three children.

Support Staff

Drew Guertin

Drew was born in Chicopee, MA, where he attended a private school.  He graduated Chicopee Comp Vocational High School in 1972.  Drew worked in Chicopee at a small machine shop and while there, he met Ann Bielanski.  They married in 1977 and started to raise a family.  Drew has a son, Greg, and a daughter, Danielle.  Drew is also the proud grandfather of two grandchildren, Lily and Niko.  Before working at Heritage Academy, he worked at Hamilton Standard for 16 years.  Drew has been at Heritage Academy for 16 years.

Mary Mazza

 Mary Mazza earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting at Western New England College in Springfield, MA. She is a full-time employee at the Jewish Federation of Western Mass, devoting 10-12 hours a week at Heritage Academy.

Tara Ostrosky

Tara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a concentration in Electronic Media and Film from Worcester State University.  Before coming to Heritage Academy, Tara spent 10 years working in print media, advertising, and marketing.  In her spare time Tara enjoys working as a freelance Floral Designer, spending time with her friends and family, taking walks with her husband Jay and dog Winston, shopping, and spending time at the Cape.

Stephen Phillips

Food Services

Cheryl Blonder

Cheryl Blonder is responsible daily for providing our students with a healthy lunch. Cheryl received her BA in Interior Design and Culinary Arts from UMass, Amherst. In addition, she is certified in Allergy Awareness and by the Vaad Kashrut. She taught first grade in New London, Connecticut and has been the Food Director at Heritage Academy since 1994. Cheryl also runs a private kosher catering business for the local community and, during the summers, in beautiful Aspen Colorado.

Paula Petlock

Paula has been at Heritage Academy for about 22 years.  She received her Associate Degree from STCC in Early Childhood Education. Paula enjoys substitute teaching in the school and working in the kitchen part-time with Cheryl Blonder.  She has three children, one of which is an alum of Heritage Academy.