Meet Our Education Director

Lori Rubin has been the Educational Director at Or Hadash since 2000. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood. Jewish Education has always been a part of her world. Lori has taught in Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist congregational schools in the Bux-Mont area for over 20 years. As the educational director at Or Hadash, she has created programming that encompasses the whole family including Shabbat morning family experiences, High Holiday family programming, and family youth events.

Lori feels strongly that programming for the entire family is important. “In our busy world,” she explains, “we need to create opportunities for our families to share sacred time.” Throughout the school year, Lori builds in these opportunities both inside and outside the synagogue walls for families to come together as a community to learn and play. In addition to hosting family youth events, Or Hadash is a founding member of No’ar Hadash, the Reconstructionist youth movement which at our congregation includes programming for students in grades 3-12 on a social level outside of class time.

In the summer, Lori takes her skills to camp. She has worked in several local day camps in supervisory roles. Currently she serves as the Rosh Hinuh, Director of Education for Camp JRF, the overnight camp of the Reconstructionist movement.

Connecting Or Hadash to the movement as a whole has been one of Lori’s roles as well.

She spearheaded an effort to connect Reconstructionist Educational Directors from around the country. In the summer of 2003, Or Hadash hosted a retreat for education directors. At that time, the 25 education directors decided to form an organization that was formally introduced at the JRF Biennial in Portland, Oregon in November, 2004. Lori currently serves as the JRF liaison of RENA (Reconstructionist Educators of North America.)

Lori enjoys leading services, visiting classrooms and creating opportunities which students see as fun. “Our religious school should be a place where kids can learn together in a way that is meaningful to them”, Lori says. Along with her husband Jon, Lori is a parent in our school as well. Her children Alex, Abby, and Hilary enjoy being an integral part of the Or Hadash community. If you have any questions regarding our religious school, please contact Lori Rubin at the synagogue office, 215-283-0276 ext. 6 or email: school@orhadash.com.