Meet the WBT Religious School Team
Cathy Gordon, L.C.S.W.
Head of Religious School
It was at Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s Camp Hess Kramer in the late 1970s that Cathy began her long career in Jewish education. After receiving her B.A. from UCLA, Cathy lived in Jerusalem, where she taught school and worked with children and senior citizens in an underserved community.
After returning to the states, Cathy earned her MSW at UCLA and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She served as the Director of the Cult Clinic for Jewish Family Services in Los Angeles for several years and then started her family. Since that time, she has remained in the field of Jewish education and social work, working as a camp director, cantorial soloist, and licensed clinical social worker. She joined the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Religious School team in 2012.
Rabbi Ashley Berns-Chafetz, MJEd
Associate Director, Glazer and Resnick Campuses
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Rabbi Ashley was ordained from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2016. In addition to pursuing her rabbinic ordination, she also completed her Masters in Jewish Education and received a Masters Concentration in Israel Education through the iCenter for Israel Education. After ordination, she served as the rabbi for the Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community as well as for students at USC Hillel. Married to Eric Chafetz, they have two beautiful young daughters, Zoe and Mia.
Rabbi Ashley is passionate about creating opportunities for people to engage with the beauty and the richness of our tradition in a way that is welcoming, comforting, authentic and challenging. She believes strongly in the importance of fostering a genuine and meaningful love of Judaism in our children, which will, in turn, lead to a life-long relationship with the Jewish community.
Rabbi Julia Weisz, MJEd
Senior Teen Program Manager
Rabbi Julia Weisz was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2011 as well as earning her Masters in Jewish Education from HUC in 2009. Rabbi Julia spent thirteen years as Director of Education and rabbi at Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas.
By focusing on the values of Talmud Torah (meaningful, deep Jewish learning) and Henaynu (the imperative for communal caring), Rabbi Julia works to create safe and brave Jewish spaces for students of all ages. She loves reimagining programming and engagement efforts to keep up with the needs of the times, and designs innovative ways to sustain Jewish youth at each stage of their development, embracing multiple paths for Jewish connection.
Rabbi Julia sits on the Board of Trustees for the Association of Reform Jewish Educators and was honored with the “Distinguished Educator Award” by ARJE in 2022. She also serves as a rabbinic mentor for the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Kadi House
Principal, Resnick Family Campus
Kadi's passion for Jewish education began back at URJ Camp Kalsman, where she served in various staff roles (counselor, songleader, unit head and CIT Director) for seven years. After graduating from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2012, she spent a year teaching English in Rishon L'tziyon with MASA Israel Teaching Fellows. Kadi then made the leap to chilly Chicago where she found a home at Am Shalom in Glencoe as the Director of Youth Engagement for nearly a decade. During her time at Am Shalom, she ran all of the youth group programs, songled, tutored B'nai Mitzvah students, and designed and ran a camp-style religious school program.
Kadi has many hobbies that bring her joy! While living in Chicago, she ran the Chicago Marathon, started a tie-dye/Jewish camp inspired Etsy shop (CraftedbyKadi), founded an a capella group (Lakeshore Dynamics) and sang/toured with another (Listen Up Jewish Vocal Band). She is settling into her life in Hermosa Beach with her boyfriend and their two kitties, but is looking forward to finding creative and active outlets in her new chapter here.
Kadi believes strongly in creating a warm, nurturing environment in which students, staff and parents feel valued and supported.
Joanna Cooper
Principal, Irmas Campus
Sara Zacky
Youth Engagement Coordinator
Sara is a recent graduate from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, where she received her B.A. in Art History, B.S. in Anthropology, and most recently, her M.A. in Anthropology. While studying, Sara worked at a congregation in New Orleans where she discovered her passion for working in Jewish education, specifically with teens. This passion came as no surprise since she has always loved her work at the Wilshire Blvd. Temple Camps, where she was a life-long camper turned counselor and senior staff member.
Ilana Blitzstein
Executive Administrative Assistant
Ilana began working at University Synagogue in 2019 and moved to the Wilshire Boulevard Temple team in 2021 with the merger. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she grew up immersed in the Jewish community and has always found meaning in her career by working in congregational settings- both as an early childhood educator and in administrative work. An avid baker, Ilana looks forward to cooking for Shabbat each week as an opportunity to relax and connect with family and friends. In her free time, Ilana enjoys exercising, needlepoint, and reading.