Our Team

Orna Sonnenschein

Director

Orna began teaching Hebrew school in 1992 after returning home from a year in Israel, and she has been involved in Jewish education ever since. After receiving her master’s in NEJS at Brandeis University she worked as an assistant principal with Rabbi Cheri Koller-Fox in Cambridge. She then became the Education Director at Temple Beth Am in Framingham where she worked for 10 years. Since then, Orna has worked as the director of education at a Reconstructionist congregation in West Roxbury and as the Director of Elementary Education at Temple Israel in Boston. 

Orna was hired as the school director for Congregation Or Atid, of Wayland, in 2018. The following year, Temple Beth Sholom of Framingham merged their Hebrew School with Or Atid’s—and that’s how the Jewish Learning Collaborative of Metrowest was born! 

“We are proud to be a pluralistic school that welcomes any child (and family) that is curious about and wants to explore their Judaism,” shares Orna. “We are committed to the well-being of children and their parents.”

Orna’s dedication to designing meaningful yet fun experiences in the classroom and encouraging social and emotional growth—while nurturing the development of self and identity is at the core of all she does.

Anne Crystal

Teacher, Gr. 6 (Shevet Atid) & Gr. 7

Anne Crystal is a graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in education and a minor in social science. Her passion for Judaica led her to teach at various synagogues in the MetroWest area. She studied Hebrew at Hebrew College, Brookline. When she began her career, she taught reading, Jewish holidays, Torah, and historical events and then attended “Facing History” classes at Hebrew College. That program led her to teach about the Holocaust in a way that engages students in an age-appropriate manner. When not teaching, she leads a book club at Congregation B’nai Torah. Always an avid reader, she feels fortunate to be able to share her love for literature with amazing adults. She is also a proud grandmother of five grandchildren and recently had the naches of attending her grandson’s Bar Mitzvah. Her adopted Labrador Retriever, Sadie, is keeping her busy!

Caron Warren

Teacher, Gr. 4/5 (Shevet Torah)

When she’s not teaching at the JLCMW, Caron works at the Ephraim Curtis Middle School in Sudbury as an ABA tutor in Special Education, where she help students navigate the general ed classroom and gives them extra help and encouragement. She has two grown children who also both live in the Boston area. Caron has lived in Massachusetts since 1993 and came by way of Illinois, Connecticut, and California. She is originally from what was once a very rural area in Southern California and did not receive Hebrew instruction—as the closest temple was an hour away. During Covid and in-home school instruction, JLCMW Director Orna Sonnenschein taught her how to read Hebrew!

Adam Rifkin

Teacher, Gr. 4/5 (Shevet Torah)

Adam Rifkin is a recent graduate of Brandeis University, having studied both Psychology and Music. As a lifelong member of TBS, he is happy to be continuing his work at the JLCMW! He also helps to plan Culturefest events with TBS. Outside of this, he works as a paraprofessional at Wellesley Middle School.

Hannah Solby

Teacher, Gr. 2/3 (Shevet Shalom)

Hannah Solby teaches Grade 2/3. She is a graduate student at Tufts, studying Child Studies and Human Development, with a particular focus in early childhood development and intervention. She is committed to creating a classroom that is both inclusive and welcoming, while creating spaces for every child to succeed and be their authentic self—as they explore Jewish values and faith.

Carol Vinci

Teacher, Pre-K/K/Gr. 1 (Shevet Bayit)

Carol Vinci has been teaching school for over 40 years and Hebrew School for over 25 years. She has taught Hebrew School grades pre-K to 6, mostly at Congregation B’Nai Torah. She is also a special education teacher for the town of Framingham. She attended and received her Bat Mitzvah from Temple Beth Sholom in Framingham.

“I have successfully (well relatively speaking) raised three wonderful children and just love giving back now,” shared Carol. “I want to give our students a solid foundation of learning—and a love of learning (while having fun!) that they can carry with them all through their life, just like I have! On top of that, I hope to give them a love of Judaism to have for the rest of their lives.”