GOA Faculty and Staff Engage in an Exciting Day of Learning and Collaboration at Quest Conference 2025

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, our faculty came together for a day of learning and collaboration at the Quest for Teaching Excellence Conference of 2025: Building Intentional School Communities. As part of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ Quest for Teaching Excellence Initiative, 500 educators and community members gathered from the Quest four local day schools  — Golda Och Academy, Gottesman RTW Academy, Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, and The Jewish Educational Center — as well as teachers from the Sinai School. 

The conference featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Erica Brown on creating intentional communities in schools, followed by Affinity Group sessions where teachers, administrators, and board members shared best practices. Participants also attended a variety of workshops on topics including language shifts, deep listening, AI literacy, and effective day school board leadership.

Special thanks to our faculty members — Aliza Mayer, Limor Ramer, Amanda Kagan, Samara Grossman, and Jason Langer — who led workshops and shared their expertise throughout the day. We look forward to seeing our faculty put their learning into action and continue building on the inspiration and insights from this meaningful professional development experience.

We were thrilled to honor Alexis Gruber, Ganon Judaic Studies teacher and Team Lead, with the Jerry Gottesman z”l Award for the Pursuit of Teaching Excellence. Presented at each Quest for Teaching Excellence Conference, this award recognizes one educator from each participating day school who exemplifies a commitment to personal growth, leadership within their school, and collaboration within the broader Quest community.

Morah Alexis has been an integral member of our faculty for 12 years, serving on the Admissions Committee, mentoring countless colleagues, and sharing her passion across our entire school. She has been a driving force behind key initiatives such as Responsive Classroom, SEL/RULER, and Loose Parts. Morah Alexis has an extraordinary gift for enriching the GOA experience for students, parents, faculty, and the broader community alike. At the heart of all she does is her deep commitment to teaching and nurturing each child at GOA. Mazel tov, Morah Alexis!