Josh Simon joined Kol Ami-Emanuel in 2013 after living for 19 years living in Peoria, Illinois. A native of Denver, Colorado, Josh attended Bradley University and stayed in Peoria after graduation to work at WEEK-TV. Josh has been a sports reporter, photographer, producer and anchor. He's had the opportunity to cover three World Series, an MLB All-Star Game, the NCAA Final Four, Sweet 16, NBA Draft and a Super Bowl. While working at the television station, he also served as the youth program director at Congregation Anshai Emeth for 17 years. Josh enjoys working every day and evenings with the [...]

Stacey Katz has been working in the Early Childhood Program since 1997.  Stacey has a B.A. in Management with a minor in Child Psychology, a B.S. in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Administration. Stacey has been an active member of the ECE-RJ the (Early Childhood Educators of the Reform Judaism) for the past 20 years and has served on the board for 2 years.  She is an active board member of JECP (Jewish Early Childhood Professionals) where she served two terms as President and two terms as Treasurer. Stacey also serves on the Jewish Federation of Broward County’s Jewish [...]

Valeria Michanie, the passionate and dedicated Director of Lifelong Learning, is a native of Cordoba, Argentina, who knew from an early age that Jewish education was her calling. Fluent in Spanish, English, and Hebrew, she honed her skills at the Shaii Agnon Institute in Argentina and the Seminar Ha Kibutzim in Israel. Valeria holds a bachelor's degree in education and an executive master's degree in Jewish education from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). With an extensive teaching background in Israel, Argentina, and Miami, Valeria joined Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El in 2016, bringing over 20 years of experience [...]

Dvir has been a member of the Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El family since 2005. A native Israeli, Dvir grew up in Holon. His knowledge of security measures began as a member of a special intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Force. Upon leaving the IDF, Dvir studied electrical engineering and completed his education in the United States, receiving his degree from the University of Miami, College of Engineering. His first position in the U.S. was with a local security firm in a special Israeli unit specializing in the safety and security of Jewish institutions, synagogues and schools. Dvir came to [...]