Senior Administration

Rabbi Dr. Sokol has spent over 30 years in the fields of psychology and education, both secular and Jewish. In addition to dual-ordination as a rabbi and cantor, he is a licensed psychologist and board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist with a high degree of expertise in child development and learning. He has his BA summa cum laude from Brandeis University, MA and PhD from Johns Hopkins University and MSM from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

Rabbi Dr. Sokol is the recipient of many academic and professional awards, including graduate fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the Wexner Foundation, the Young Psychologist Award from the American Psychological Association, a Fulbright Young Scientist Award, and the prestigious Benjamin Shevach Award for outstanding Jewish educational leadership.

Ofra has been part of the Schechter LI Family since the early 1980’s. Ofra completed her studies at the Beersheva Teaching College and the Ben Gurion University of the Negev and began her journey as a Jewish Educator. After many years of teaching Judaic Studies and Hebrew at Schechter, Ofra became the middle school assistant principal for grades 6-8, then the upper school assistant principal for grades 6-12, before becoming Principal in 2014. Ofra received the Janus Korczak Educators Award and was honored at the 2011 Schechter LI Gala. Ofra practices what she preaches and all of her children have received their education at Schechter LI.

Elizabeth joined the Schechter LI Family in 2021 as the Director of Admissions and Community Outreach. Not only did she bring with her over ten years of experience as a real estate attorney, but she also has an extensive background as an independent fund-raising consultant for Jewish nonprofit agencies. Elizabeth loved her involvement in Jewish Day school growing up, and as a current Schechter mom, passes this on to her children. In her free time, Elizabeth loves working out and is an avid runner, always ready to spring into action for a good cause and to share joy.

I’ve been a staff member at the Schechter School of Long Island for the past 22 years and absolutely love it here. I started working at SSLI full time the Monday following my college graduation with a B.S. in Business Administration, and SSLI quickly became my home away from home. As the Business Director, I handle financial matters such as tuition, aid, grants, and I am the lead professional contact for many of our school’s vendors.

Outside of Schechter, I’m a mom to a 13-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son. My days away from SSLI are mostly filled with spending time with my children whether it’s heading to after-school activities, the beach, or visiting family.  If I’m not spending time with my kids, you can find me testing new recipes and diving into a novel a few minutes at a time.

Lori has been a familiar face at SSLI for over 15 years, is a long-time member of the SSLI community, and is the proud parent, along with her husband Steve, of two SSLI alumnae. She has served on numerous SSLI committees and has been an active parent volunteer for various Schechter programs and events since 2006. Lori is also widely known in the broader Long Island Jewish community. She developed an expansive network of contacts during her tenure at the Sid Jacobson JCC where she served as Operations Coordinator for the Center For Israel and, among other responsibilities, coordinated the Shinshinim (Israeli emissary) program for Long Island and Queens. Lori is also a former litigation attorney, who practiced law for more than 12 years at a mid-size private Manhattan law firm. She enjoys hosting family and friends for Friday night Shabbat dinners and other gatherings in her home, cooking creative new recipes, reading, and practicing yoga in her personal time.

Courtney graduated from Long Island University in 2008 with a dual degree in health and physical education. She continued on to receive her master’s in elementary education. While in college, Courtney was introduced to Schechter at their Glen Cove campus where she coached the girl’s middle school and varsity softball teams. In 2015, she accepted a position as a middle school Physical Education teacher. Over her years at Schechter, she has developed a new health curriculum for 7th and 10th-grade students. She has a devotion to coaching and in 2016 and 2018, Courtney was named, “Softball Coach of the Year”. She was appointed Director of Athletics in 2019 and continues her efforts to expand the athletic program.

For Chana, it all began in high school when a friend asked her to help out at an event for young adults with special needs.  That was it.  She had found her academic, professional, and personal path and went on to pursue her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Special Education.

Chana comes to Solomon Schechter with over a decade of varied experiences that include working with a wide age range of students in a variety of settings.  She has taught and supervised staff in public and Jewish day schools, Camp Ramah’s Tikvah Program, as well as social groups for individuals with special needs.  She has worked privately with students providing them with extra academic and other support.  She has collaborated with families to design and prepare her students and their families for a meaningful and attainable bar/bat mitzvah.  Chana has also designed and launched inclusion programs in large Hebrew schools that ultimately influenced the way their congregations adopted a synagogue-wide approach to inclusion.

I am Art Mandel and am one of the college counselors. I have been a college counselor for over 30 years and have traveled from coast to coast, and from Canada to our southern border visiting over 350 colleges and universities, meeting with admissions officers and students. I have also been the Director of Guidance for the Roslyn School Districts where I built and directed the counseling program from K-12. I hold three advanced degrees and attend a variety of conferences to ensure that Schechter is a state–of–the–art school. My greatest joy is working with students to find the right college fit where they realize their dreams and will thrive as they prepare for their future.

Jonathan’s career as a school educator formally began in 2017, but he has been passionate about creating intentional, inclusive communities since he was a teenager. Jonathan, or “Joho”, grew up in Sharon, MA where he became active in USY at the local, regional and international levels. He worked as a counselor and Rosh Edah at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, was a participant in the Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel, and graduated from Binghamton University in 2016. Jonathan taught Middle School Jewish Studies at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago, IL from 2017 until 2021, and became a member of Mishpachat Schechter Long Island last year as a Jewish Studies teacher in the Lower and Upper Schools. As Director of Student Life, Jonathan is beyond excited to use the lessons he learned along the way to help each Schechter Lion realize their potential as a member of the pride. Outside of work, Jonathan loves to cook, listen to music, and root on his New England Patriots with his wife Sarah and daughter Aviva.

Coming soon…