Stephanie Hunsaker, Preschool Director
My name is Stephanie Hunsaker, and I am the Preschool Director! I am coming to Hillel holding a Masters of Elementary Education and having taught elementary grades for the last 5 years in the Wake County Charter School System. In that time, I have seen and experienced firsthand the challenges incoming students will need to rise to, and how to best prepare younger learners to meet those challenges. My vision for the Hillel Preschool is to ensure all children have a safe and inviting learning environment that meets their individual developmental needs. A little bit about myself; I live in Fuquay-Varina with my husband Jake and outside of work we love board gaming, going on hikes around North Carolina, crafting, and I have done aerial dance in my free time for many years.
Yonit Schoolman, Assistant Director
My name is Yonit Schoolman, and I’m the Preschool Assistant Director! I have many years of experience in the preschool classroom, and have worked with both typical and differently-abled children. I started working at Hillel in 2022, and have greatly enjoyed my experience here. Your children are all a joy to work with! When not at school I enjoy spending time with my husband Brian and our two sons. We love going to hockey games, going to escape rooms, and are also huge musical theater fans!
Stephanie Fishman, Super Stars Co-Lead
Hi! My name is Stephanie Fishman and I have been an early childhood educator for 12 years. I joined the Hillel team in 2021. I co-teach the Superstar class with the fabulous Ms. Debbie. I am originally from South Florida and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Florida State University. Go Noles! My daughter graduated from Hillel in 2022 and my son is currently a Mitzvah Maven. We love the community feel here! In my free time, I love spending time with my family, reading, baking, and exploring different family friendly areas in Raleigh!
Sydney Navecky, Bagel Bouncers Co-Lead
Hello! My name is Sydney and I am one of the Bagel Bouncers teachers. I’m 22 years old. I have been working with Hillel since the summer of 2022. I started as a substitute and fell in love with the staff and families, so when they asked me to become a teacher I couldn’t say no. I am currently furthering my education at Wake Tech, which is where I received my teacher certification. I love teaching little ones and watching them grow. I have worked with kids in some capacity since I was 13. My favorite things are hanging out with my people and having a good meal. I love to travel and I am very crafty.
Debbie Sienkowski, Super Stars Co-Lead
My name is Debbie! I have always loved working with children! I am originally from Long Island, New York where I worked, (during my teenage years), as a babysitter, nanny and in day camps during the summer. After receiving a Bachelors degree in Sociology & Psychology, I went on to earn my CDA Certificate. I worked in NYC at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA, in the Center for Youth and Family for 2 years before moving to Florida. In Florida, I worked at Temple Beth El as a lead teacher for the 3 year olds until I had children of my own. I have 3 children. My youngest child is a graduate of Hillel preschool. I started working at Hillel in 2014 as a floater and eventually worked as an assistant in the Super Star class. I became a lead teacher for the Mitzvah Maven class in 2018 and am currently a co lead in the Super Star class. During my free time I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, reading, hiking and spending time with family and friends.
Cheryl Maitin, Torah Tykes Lead Teacher
Ms Cheryl is now in her 16th year teaching the 4 year olds, the Torah Tyke Tigers at Hillel Preschool. She brought both Letterland and Learning without Tears to our school. She has been teaching, loving and learning with children for 30 years. She is a graduate of State University of NY at Oneonta with a degree in Elementary Education and has her NC Early Childhood license. Hillel is not only her place of work but also part of her family. She loves keeping in touch with former students and being a part of their family, treating every child as if they were her own. Her husband Larry is a real estate Attorney at the Maitin Law Firm and also a professional magician. Together they have 2 adult Children; Arielle teaches Kindergarten for Wake county. Their son Damian works for a major Financial company near Charlotte. In Ms. Cheryl’s spare time she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read, play Mah-Jongg, paint, redo parts of her house, puzzles, workout and binge watch TV.
Ms Cheryl’s philosophy is if you have high expectations, children will work toward them. Play, kindness and social interactions are an important part of learning alongside with academic skills. When children complete her class, they are ready for the challenges of Kindergarten that lie ahead. The Torah Tykes class ends every day saying Be Kind to One another.