Eden Allswang Bruner
Head of School
Ms. Bruner brings to CCJDS a love of children and a passion for empowering them by challenging and supporting them in equal measure. She believes that students can excel in a rigorous academic program and also become mensches, caring people, when we treat them with respect and kindness, engage them thoughtfully and actively, and encourage them to try new things, collaborate with others, and aim for growth, not perfection. Eden is deeply committed to supporting our extraordinary teachers and staff, partnering with parents and guardians, and engaging our extended families and community members in the life of the school. During her 14 years at CCJDS, Ms. Bruner has served as our Director of Development, our Assistant Principal for Operations and Advancement, our Interim Head of School (during a Head of School sabbatical from July-December, 2023) and most recently our K-8 Principal. She graduated from the Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI), a two-year cohort fellowship for new and aspiring heads of Jewish day schools. Prior to joining CCJDS, Ms. Bruner had a career in public service, community leadership, marketing, and fundraising. Here in the Bay Area, she was the Director of Development and Marketing at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. Ms. Bruner has also worked as a diplomat with the United States Department of State in Washington D.C. and the former Soviet Union. She holds an MA in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and a BA in Soviet and Russian Studies from Harvard University. Joined CCJDS in 2011.
Mirit Grembek
Director of Jewish Life
Ms. Grembek serves as our Director of Jewish Life, providing leadership for our K-8th grade Jewish experience and education, including Jewish studies and Israel education and the spiritual life of the school. She leads our Hebrew and Judaics team, and she coordinates our schoolwide SHIR HaLev service learning program. Ms. Grembek also teaches seventh and eighth grade Judaics and is the lead chaperone for our 8th grade Israel trip. Ms. Grembek connects her teaching through social justice, restorative justice, and exploration with her students on how we can make a difference in this world through Tikkun Olam (Social Action/Social Justice). She moved to the United States from Israel in 2004 and started to teach Hebrew and Jewish Studies at CCJDS in 2005. Ms. Grembek has an MBA from Ono Academic College in Israel. Joined in 2005.
Lauren Weisbaum
Assistant Principal for Lower School
Mrs. Weisbaum is honored to serve CCJDS as Assistant Principal of Lower School and co-lead General Studies Kindergarten Teacher. She brings over 20 years of experience and is passionate about supporting and enriching our vibrant community. Prior to joining our school, Mrs. Weisbaum taught in a variety of grade levels within Deerfield public schools, Chicago public schools, and the El Paso Independent School District. She served as a middle school literacy coach at Horace Mann Academy in Chicago, and has worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas, El Paso in the College of Education. She earned her BA from University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and her MEd in Reading Education from the University of Texas. Joined CCJDS in 2018.
Danielle Garrison
Assistant Principal for Middle School / Math Specialist
Ms. Garrison has worked in middle school education for 25 years. She worked at CCJDS from 2007-2015 as a math teacher, Math Director, and Director of Operations, and went on to have enriching administrative and teaching experiences at larger schools, most recently teaching mathematics for six years at De La Salle High School in Concord. She returned to CCJDS in 2023 to provide math leadership, teach our eighth grade Geometry class, supervise the Algebra program, and coach lower school teachers in developing assessments and curricula. In the fall of 2023 she assumed the role of Assistant Principal for Middle School, excited to harness the talents of our dynamic Middle School team to strengthen our program in all areas – from the core academics to the enrichment and social opportunities for our students. She also continues to teach math – this year in 7th and 8th grade – support other teachers as our Math Specialist. Ms. Garrison holds a BA in Business Administration with concentrations in Accounting and Finance from the University at Buffalo, as well as an MA in Education from the University of San Francisco.
Sharone Wiezel
Director of Middle School Student Life / 5th-8th Hebrew Curriculum Coordinator
Director of Middle School Student Life, Ms. Wiezel also teaches eighth grade Hebrew and oversees our 5th-8th Grade Hebrew program. Born and raised in San Francisco to an Israeli family, Ms. Wiezel grew up speaking Hebrew at home and attended the Hebrew Academy. She moved to Israel after high school graduation and joined the Israeli Defense Forces, serving in the paratroopers. After teaching English as a Second Language for nine years in Israel, Ms. Wiezel enjoys bringing Hebrew and Israel to life for our students here in the Bay Area. She has a BA in Education, specializing in ESL, from Seminar Kibbutzim in Tel Aviv. Joined CCJDS in 2009.
Andrea Hess
Senior Administrator / Fourth Grade General Studies Teacher
Ms. Hess brings 28 years of teaching, curriculum, and administration experience to CCJDS. She has taught in classrooms ranging from pre-K through sixth grade in public and independent schools across the country. In the Bay Area, she taught lower elementary grades and chaired the professional development committee and social and emotional learning committee for 10 years at Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito and Bentley School in Oakland. In 2017-18, Ms. Hess was the Assistant Head of School, then Interim Head of School at Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito. Ms. Hess also served as a literacy consultant, instructional coach, student teacher supervisor, and mentor teacher for BATTI (Bay Area Teacher Training Institute). Ms. Hess founded Balanced Literacy Consulting in 2010 to help schools implement literacy curriculum effectively and thoughtfully. Ms. Hess holds a BA in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University, and a Masters in Curriculum and Teaching with a focus on literacy from Teachers College, Columbia University. Joined in CCJDS 2021.
Dean Goldfein
Head of School, Emeritus
As founding Head of School at CCJDS, Mr. Goldfein earned widespread respect from colleagues, students, and parents. He possesses extensive experience in curriculum development, faculty hiring and evaluation, student assessment, fundraising and working with parent groups and governing boards as well as an extraordinary passion and commitment to education of Jewish youth. Mr. Goldfein served as a Board Member of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and chaired several accreditation teams for independent schools throughout the state. Prior to starting CCJDS, he served as Dean of Students and history teacher at Sacred Heart Preparatory and taught English at Brandeis Hillel Day School. MEd Administration, SFSU; MA, University of Virginia; BA History, UC Berkeley. Joined CCJDS in 2000 as the first Head of School.
Gal Adam Spinrad
Director of Development
CCJDS Development Director Gal Adam Spinrad has many years of experience in both Jewish and other non-profit and philanthropic organizations. Before her recent move back to her native Bay Area, she developed and ran school programs for a community organization in Alexandria, Virginia, partnering with the school district to improve student access to supportive resources. Prior to that position, Gal had numerous leadership and consulting roles in event planning, fundraising, and program administration, including serving as Associate Director of the Cincinnati JCRC, coordinating fundraising activities for Jewish Family and Children’s Services (San Francisco) and the SF Jewish Film Festival, and many others. Gal was born in Israel and also lived in France before moving to Northern California at age seven. She graduated from UCLA, where she studied History and wrote her honors thesis as a family history project about the Lodz Ghetto. Joined CCJDS in 2025.
Dorit Hetz-Crane
Director of Admissions
Ms. Dorit Hetz-Crane is the CCJDS Admissions Director. She previously worked at The Shlenker Jewish Day School in Houston, Texas for almost 10 years where she served as Director of Integrated Jewish Learning. After her move to the East Bay three years ago, she worked as the Director of Education at Congregation B’nai Tikvah in Walnut Creek. Ms. Hetz-Crane moved to the US from Israel as a teenager and has a BS in Management and Marketing from the University of Houston. Ms. Hetz-Crane is creative, detail oriented, and a team player. She loves spending time with her family, traveling, and cross stitching. Joined CCJDS in 2022.
Gal Morris
Office Manager
Ms. Morris brings tremendous care, organization, attention, and manages the Front Office. Born in Israel and raised in the US since age 10 by Israeli parents, she is bilingual. She is also known for her tremendous organizational skills and attention to detail, and as a CCJDS graduate! CCJDS Class of 2009.
Sarah Corbett
Office Manager
Sarah joins us after working for a decade in Human Resources. She is delighted to be returning to the world of education and working with children. Earlier in her career Sarah ran before – and after – school programs for elementary school students. Sarah has a BS in Nutrition Science from the University of California, Davis. She lives in Oakland with her husband and two sons. In her free time Sarah enjoys spending time with her family and working on a multitude of creative pursuits such as painting, writing, and photography. Joined CCJDS in 2024.
Arad Levin
Information Technology Manager
Arad Levin has worked in roles involving technical troubleshooting since he was a Middle School student at Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito! Arad received his B.S (with Honors) in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He will be part-time in his role at CCJDS while continuing to work in IT and Data Protection roles at Vela Global Venture Partners. Arad will help students and staff get and stay connected and will strengthen our communications through his expertise in a variety of digital tools. Joined CCJDS in 2024.
Mike Brent
Business Office Support
Mr. Brent came to CCJDS in 2003 as a parent and active volunteer, serving as Co-President of the CCJDS Parents’ Association for five years. His twin daughters attended CCJDS from kindergarten through eighth grade. Mike has a BA in Economics from UC Santa Cruz, an MA in Economics from UC Davis, and has taught at the University of the Pacific, University of Phoenix, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and with the Contra Costa Community College District at Los Medanos and Diablo Valley Colleges. When not working, he enjoys travel, live music and SF Giants baseball. Joined CCJDS in 2012.
Jeanie Goldeen Conneran
Librarian
Ms. Conneran has been involved with CCJDS since its inception in 2001. Her daughter, Mara, was a third grader that first year. Ms. Conneran began creating our library by purchasing books for the school; today, there are almost 12,000 books in the collection. Ms. Conneran, a fully credentialed teacher, has a MA in Children’s Literature and completed the Reading Specialist program at California State University at Hayward. She has been successfully teaching reading for more than 30 years.
Edee Ben Ari
K-8th Grade Education Specialist / K-5th Grade Learning Support Director
Ms. Ben Ari joined our team this fall as our K-8 Education Specialist and K-5 Learning Support Director. She will provide consultation to strengthen intervention and accommodation strategies for all K-8th grade students with diagnosed learning differences. Her primary responsibility is to work closely with the Assistant Principal of Lower School to manage learning support for K-5th grade students. Ms. Ben Ari has over 25 years of professional expertise in special education working as a teacher and an administrator in a variety of educational settings. Her broad depth of experience includes both public and private schools, non-public schools (NPS), and residential settings. Her most recent position was serving as Head of School for a private school dedicated to students with dyslexia, ADHD and other neurodiverse learning profiles. Edee is passionate about ensuring that families understand their child’s learning profile, and supporting collaboration across all settings. She earned a Masters’ degree in Special Education from Dominican University of California, and holds a current Mild/Moderate Education Specialist credential earned through San Francisco State University. Joined CCJDS in 2025.
Laurie Gold
6-8th Grade Learning Support Director
As our 6th-8th Grade Learning Support Director, Ms. Gold works with teachers, students, and families to support differentiation in curriculum and teaching. She offers professional development and coaching to faculty to strengthen our ability to understand our students’ diverse learning styles and differentiate teaching to help all students thrive. For students with diagnosed learning differences, Ms. Gold facilitates a strong home-school partnership and works with teachers to develop and implement appropriate interventions and accommodations to support student success. Ms. Gold received her BA from Boston University School of Education and MA in Childhood Education from City College of New York. Joined CCJDS in 2022.
Kelsey Hammon
Speech Language Pathologist
Kelsey Hammon obtained her BA from UC Santa Cruz and her MA in Speech-Language Pathology from San Jose State University. Ms. Hammon received specialized training regarding hearing loss technologies and strategies for developing listening and spoken language as well as a total communication approach using sign language. Ms. Hammon strongly believes in collaborating with other professionals and involving families to provide an individualized and holistic approach to treatment. As a parent of two, Ms. Hammon is able to relate and better serve families and the children she works with. She is a Bay Area native who enjoys traveling, yoga, running (after her children :-p), trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.
Monica Frame, LCSW
School Counselor
Monica Frame, LCSW, received her training as a child and family clinician at Jewish Family and Children’s Services in San Francisco, where she worked as a psychotherapist and consultant for many years before migrating to school work. She believes strongly that involving all members of a school community in ongoing learning and communication is necessary in maintaining a healthy and supportive environment for students. In addition to her work in mental health, Ms. Frame is a professional singer, specializing in very new and very old classical chamber repertoire.
Aidan Lisker
School Counselor
Aidan Lisker works in collaboration with longtime CCJDS school counselor Monica Frame to provide support to our teachers and students in navigating challenges in social-emotional class dynamics and individual student emotional wellness. Ms. Lisker also continues to serve as a licensed therapist at Kaiser Walnut Creek. Ms. Lisker is a Bay Area native and Jewish Day School graduate (Brandeis San Francisco) with BA (Anthropology) and MA (Social Work) degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. Joined CCJDS in 2025.
Deborah Pellegrino
Lunch Program Director
Mrs. Pellegrino is excited to bring her passion for food to CCJDS as the Lunch Program Director. She received her AA as well as Certifications in Baking and Pastry, Culinary Arts, and Hospitality Management from Diablo Valley College. She has spent over 26 years baking and cooking in many Bay Area restaurants such as Wente Vineyards, Va De Vi, and Postino. Her love of the culinary arts also led her into the classroom teaching children’s cooking classes. Mrs. Pellegrino believes that every meal she creates should not only taste delicious but provide nourishment for both the mind and body. Joined CCJDS in 2023.
Andrew Meklin
Transportation Director
Shaqed Caduri
SHINSHINIT (Israeli Intern/Ambassador)
Shaqed Caduri is a recent high school graduate from Kokhav Yair, a small town in central Israel. She is spending the year at CCJDS as a “shinshinit” before she begins her army service. A shinshinit helps to bring Israel and Israeli culture to life for our students through fun and educational activities, and exposure to Israeli music, food, holidays, and everyday life. Shaqed will work with all CCJDS students, creating connections and memories and deepening our students’ and our community’s connection to Israel. Shaqed served as a counselor in the Tzofim (Israeli Scouts), where she led her group through activities focused on values and teamwork, while also engaging them in discussions about current events. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and hiking in nature, finding beauty in Israel’s landscapes.