Faculty

MEET THE FAMILY

Executive Board

Mrs. B. Kopelman, Principal

Born and raised in New York, Mrs. Kopelman attended Bais Yaakov high school and seminary, later obtaining a B.A. in Education and History. Trained as a computer programmer, she worked at the IBM Research Laboratory in Zurich. She has extensive experience at the high school and seminary levels, having taught many years in the U.S. and Eretz Yisrael. Mrs. Kopelman has been the principal of Bais Yaakov Machon Chen since its inception.

Mrs. V. Sternbuch,
Board President

Mrs. Sternbuch, originally from America, is a Zurich mother, who, with a firm belief that a teenage daughter belongs at home, founded Bais Yaakov Machon Chen with its goal of educational excellence. Her dedication, continued active interest and unparalleled support ensure the growth and development of BYMC.

Mrs. G. Krakauer,
Board Member

Mrs. Krakauer is a proud Zurich native and mother. Considering it a privilege to have a Bais Yaakov in Zurich, she founded BY Machon Chen. She consistently surmounts all obstacles to ensure its continuity and success. Her exuberance and dedication are legendary, having a ripple effect on the entire staff.

Mrs. R. Sternbuch,
Board Member, Assistant Principal 

Mrs. Sternbuch grew up in Zurich and studied at the Michlalah Jerusalem College for Women for four years, qualifying as a high-school teacher. She has been teaching at BY Machon Chen since its inception, and has been its assistant principal since 2015, responsible for secular studies.

Administration

Mrs. L. Mresse, Accountancy

Mrs. Mresse grew up in Switzerland and is the proud mother and grandmother of Machon Chen graduates. She has been BY Machon Chen’s faithful bookkeeper since its founding.

Mrs. N. Miller, Secretary

Mrs. Miller was born in Zurich and studied Special Education in Israel. She lived and taught for four years in South Africa before returning to Switzerland. She founded the Jewish Montessori kindergarten in Zurich and has guided other Jewish kindergartens in the region. Mrs. Miller has been secretary at BY Machon Chen since 2010.

Mrs. H. Porgesz, Secretary

Mrs. Porgesz is Swiss born and bred. She attended Bais Yaakov Machon Chen in its early years and studied at Beth Jacob Seminary in Manchester. She has been secretary at BY Machon Chen for the past fourteen years.

Mrs. L. Reifer, Secretary

Mrs. Reifer grew up in Zurich and attended Bais Yaakov Machon Chen, before continuing her studies at BYA Seminary in Eretz Yisrael. She returned to Zurich after living for eight years in Israel and is delighted to be working as secretary in her alma mater.

Miss K. Rosner, Secretary

Miss Rosner is a proud BY Machon Chen graduate and is happy to have returned to the school as secretary, after attending BSS Seminary in Manchester and teaching at the local Zurich cheder.

Teaching and Support Staff

Mrs. S. Adler, Jewish History, Pirkei Avos

Mrs. Adler was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium, where she graduated with a teaching diploma. After marrying, she settled in Switzerland, and is deeply grateful for the opportunity to teach at Bais Yaakov Machon Chen.

Mrs. E. Beck, German and Office Skills

Mrs. Beck, an Austrian native, studied language, teaching, and translation in Zurich and has taught in a number of business schools. She has been at Machon Chen for five years.

Mr. R. Brüderli, Finance Skills

Mr. Brüderli, a Swiss native, is a graduate business economist with the SVEB certificate. He has been teaching finance and business administration subjects for over twenty years. He works as a technical course leader for Accounting Clerk VSK and as an examination expert at KV Switzerland. He joined Machon Chen in 2019.

Mr. C. Cordenons, Project Management, Process Management, Marketing

Mr. Cordenons, a Swiss native, is federally certified at the professional HFP level and is an FA instructor. He has taught business subjects for over thirty years in numerous business schools, joining Machon Chen in 2019 as part of the HWD VSK team.

Mrs. G. Diamant, Hebrew

Mrs. Diamant, a Basel resident, was born in Switzerland and lived in Israel for many years, where she qualified as a language teacher. She taught in the Basel Jewish day school and joined Machon Chen in 2020 as a Hebrew language teacher.

Mrs. Sch. Direnfeld, Holocaust – Trials and Triumph

Mrs. Direnfeld was raised in Zurich and graduated from Beth Jacob Manchester Seminary. She has been teaching at the boys’ elementary school for over fifteen years and joined BY Machon Chen in 2017.

Rabbi S. Dzialoszynski, Chumash

Rabbi Dzialoszynski grew up in Switzerland and attended the Luzern yeshivah, as well as other yeshivos and kollelim in Eretz Yisrael. He later returned to Switzerland, and is a prominent member and experienced teacher in the Basel community. He has been part of the BY Machon Chen staff since 2007.

Mrs. S. Eiger, Extracurricular (G.O.) Coordinator

Mrs. Eiger was educated in Switzerland and attended the Aix-les-Bains seminary, followed by a year at BJJ Seminary in Yerushalayim. She has over twenty years of experience in classroom teaching , including mentorship and leadership positions. Mrs. Eiger speaks six languages: German, French, English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Italian. She has been head of the extracurricular department at BY Machon Chen for fifteen years.

Mrs. R. Elefant, German

Mrs. Elefant, a Swiss native, is a graduate of Gateshead Seminary. She has been active for many years in the N’shei Agudas Achim Zurich. She gives private German language lessons at Machon Chen.

Mrs. S. Fein, Extracurricular (G.O.) Assistant

Mrs. Fein grew up in Antwerp, Belgium, and studied at Gateshead Seminary. She lived in Yerushalayim as a newlywed and subsequently moved to Zurich in 2009. She thrives on creativity and is grateful for the opportunity to work in the extracurricular department at BY Machon Chen.

Mrs. T. Fischer, English

Mrs. Fischer, a native of Antwerp, graduated from Gateshead Seminary and has been teaching at Machon Chen since its inception. She has a master’s degree in Education, English Literature, and Linguistics from the University of Zurich.

Mrs. R. Fishman, Shemiras Halashon

Mrs. Fishman graduated from Bais Yaakov Machon Chen and attended BSS Seminary in Manchester before returning to Zurich to teach at the JSZ girls school and BY Machon Chen since 2018.

Mrs. K. Fux, German

Mrs. Fux, a German native, graduated with a degree in Germanistics, Pedagogy, and Psychology. She has been teaching for over thirty years, specializing in Business German and Correspondence. She is on the VSH  Board of Directors in the German department and joined Machon Chen in 2018.

Mrs. R.L. Glass, English

Mrs. Glass was raised in Boro Park, New York, and studied in seminary in Basel, Luzern, and London. She began her teaching career at the age of seventeen, and has been teaching ever since. She specializes She in English as a Second Language and preparing her students for the Cambridge English Language exams. She joined Machon Chen in 2015.

Mrs. S. Goldenberg, Hashkafah

Born and educated in Chicago, Mrs. Goldenberg studied at BJJ Seminary, Yerushalayim. She has lived in New York, Yerushalayim, and Zurich. She is the grateful mother and grandmother of a large, beautiful family. She joined the BY Machon Chen Kodesh staff in 2017.

Mrs. Ch. Grunwald, Extracurricular (G.O.) Assistant

Mrs. Grunwald grew up in London, attended BSS Manchester Seminary, and has been living in Switzerland for seventeen years. She has added her creativity and social competence to the BY Machon Chen G.O. team since 2013.

Rabbi A.Y. Katz, Tefillah, Halachah

Rabbi Katz, an American-Israeli, has decades of experience teaching Kodesh subjects to both boys and girls. He learned in the Ponevezh Yeshivah and then in kollel for twenty years. Later, he began delivering shiurim in Israel and Switzerland. He has been a member of the BY Machon Chen staff for over fifteen years.

Mrs. S. Kenig, Psychology

Mrs. Kenig,  a native Israeli, studied Holistic Psychotherapy at the Shai Institute, a college for complementary medicine, recognized by Bar Ilan University in Israel, and practices Holistic Psychotherapy, Diagnostic Counseling, and Emotional Therapy in Switzerland. She joined BY Machon Chen in 2020.

Mrs. D. Killer, Hebrew

Mrs. Killer, an Israeli native, trained as a machine designer and worked at KWC in Aargau. She taught Modern Hebrew at the Migros Klubschule for ten years and has taught at Machon Chen since 2000. During her years of teaching at the JSZ Zurich, she developed and authored a series of three Hebrew language text- and workbooks.

Mrs. Sh. Klausner, Pedagogy

Mrs. Klausner, a Swiss native, attended Bais Chaya Mushka Seminary in Montreal, Canada, which is recognized by McGill University. She trained as a Reflex Integration therapist and as a CVS trainer. She has been teaching Jewish children in Montreal, Basel, and Zurich for over twenty years. She joined the Machon Chen staff in 2019.

Mrs. B. Kopelman (Principal), Hashkafah

Born and raised in New York, Mrs. Kopelman attended Bais Yaakov high school and seminary, later obtaining a B.A. in Education and History. Trained as a computer programmer, she worked at the IBM Research Laboratory in Zurich. She has extensive experience at the high school and seminary levels, having taught many years in the U.S. and Eretz Yisrael. Mrs. Kopelman has been the principal of Bais Yaakov Machon Chen since its inception.

Mrs. A. Kornfein, Rosh Chodesh Program

Mrs. Kornfein, a Basel native, graduated from Bais Yaakov Machon Chen before attending Bnos Chava Seminary in Yerushalayim. She taught basic and advanced computers at Machon Chen for thirteen years. She has been very involved in many extracurricular activities and is currently responsible for the Rosh Chodesh program.

Mrs. L. Kostelits, Hebrew

Mrs. Kostelits grew up in Israel and attended Bais Yaakov Seminary. She taught for thirty years in high schools in Israel and Brazil. She has been teaching Modern Hebrew at Machon Chen for seven years.

Mrs. H. Krakauer, צ.ה.ר. (Penimi), Chovos Halevavos, Kesuvim

Mrs. Krakauer was born and raised in New York and attended Bais Yaakov D’Gur and Bais Yaakov Teachers Seminary in Boro Park. She later obtained a B.A. in Special Education and worked as a P’tach special education co-teacher. She moved to Switzerland in 2002 and has been a member of the BY Machon Chen team since then.

Mrs. M. Leiner, Business Skills (Macroeconomics)

Mrs. Leiner grew up in Zurich and attended Bais Yaakov Machon Chen. Upon graduating, she studied at BSS Seminary in Manchester, returning to teach business studies at Machon Chen. She trained as a Feuerstein specialist and is currently studying Pedagogy and Didactics at the University of Education in Zurich (PHZH). She graduated Excelsior College with a B.A. in Liberal Arts.

Mrs. S. Levy, Megillah

Mrs. Levy grew up in Yerushalayim and Switzerland. She lived in Eretz Yisrael for twelve years after her marriage and moved to Zurich in 2016. She has been teaching at BY Machon Chen for the past four years. She is also a remedial teacher at the Etz Chaim Special Education school in Zürich.

Mrs. R.L. Lichtenstein, Mathematics, Algebra

Originally from Manchester, England, Mrs. Lichtenstein has been living in Zurich for fifteen years. She graduated from the Open University with a B.S. in Computers and Math Sciences. She is talented in music, art, and dance. She has been teaching at Machon Chen since 2007.

Mrs. D. Ollech, Graphics

Mrs. Ollech grew up in Antwerp. During her school years she discovered her love for photography and photo editing. In 2011 she moved to Switzerland, and started teaching at Machon Chen in 2018.

Mrs. A. Perlman, Hebrew

Mrs. Perlman, a native Israeli, studied at the Machon Bais Yaakov Lemorot Seminary in Yerushalayim, where she received her teacher’s certification.
She taught Hebrew and Mathematics in Israel for sixteen years before moving to Zurich. She has been a member of the Machon Chen team for the past twelve years.

Miss Ch. Rappaport, Computers

Miss Rappaport grew up in Zurich and attended BY Machon Chen before learning in Chemdas Seminary in Eretz Yisrael. Now she is delighted to be back at Machon Chen, a place where she gained so much, teaching computers.

Rabbi M. Rappoport, Tehillim

Rabbi Rappoport, an American native, is a musmach of Rav Gedaliah Schorr zt”l and a graduate of the Joseph Shapiro Educational Institute of Torah Umesorah. He has taught for more than forty years in the JSZ and Yeshivah Ketanah of Zurich, as well as at BY Machon Chen since its founding. He gives a Tehillim shiur regularly for the women in Zurich, and is a sought-after public speaker.

Miss L. Rosenberg, Computers

Miss Rosenberg grew up in Zurich and is a BY Machon Chen graduate. She attended Bnos Sarah Seminary in Eretz Yisrael and is delighted to be teaching at her alma mater since 2020.

Mrs. Ch. Rosenfeld, Parshas Hashavua

Mrs. Rosenfeld is a mother and grandmother hailing from Brooklyn, NY, and has been a Chabad Shlucha in Zurich since 1991. She has been teaching Parshah since BY Machon Chen opened.

Miss Sch. Rosner, BYMC Lunch

Miss Rosner, a Zurich native, is a BY Machon Chen graduate, who later attended BSS Seminary in Manchester. She runs the once-weekly lunch program, in which students take turns preparing a hot lunch for fellow students.

Mr. G. Rossi, Personal Management

Mr. Rossi, a Swiss native, is a Human Resource Manager with postgraduate studies and a federal diploma. After many years of management work in personnel development, he specialized in education and pedagogy and is in demand as a lecturer and speaker in German-speaking Switzerland.

Miss R.L. Rothschild, German Correspondence

Miss Rothschild, a Swiss native, attended Bais Yaakov Machon Chen and Chemdas Seminary in Eretz Yisrael. She graduated with a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College. She has taught at the preschool level and joined Machon Chen in 2020.

Mrs. G. Schlamme, Computers

Mrs. Schlamme grew up in Gateshead, England, and moved to Switzerland a short while after her marriage. She has advanced certificates in Bookkeeping and Applied ICT, and an NVQ in Childcare. She has been teaching computers at Bais Yaakov Machon Chen for five years.

Miss Z. Schleider, Business Law

Miss Schleider is a proud graduate of BY Machon Chen and attended BYA Seminary in Eretz Yisrael. She has been teaching remedial studies at the Etz Chaim Special Education school in Zurich and joined the Machon Chen staff in 2020. She is working towards her B.A. degree and attends the University of Education in Zurich (PHZH).

Mrs. G. Schmassmann, Real Estate Management

Mrs. Schmassmann, a Swiss native, has an MAS FHO in Real Estate Management Valuation and is a licensed Real Estate Manager. She is a lecturer and trainer in the Real Estate field. She has been coordinating the Real Estate course at Machon Chen since 2019. 

Mrs. R. Sternbuch , Eishes Chayil, Parshas Hashavua

Mrs. Sternbuch grew up in Zurich and studied at the Michlalah Jerusalem College for Women for four years, qualifying as a high-school teacher. She has been teaching at BY Machon Chen since its inception, and has been its assistant principal since 2015, responsible for secular studies. 

Mrs. G. Taffel, Finance Skills

Mrs. Taffel, a Swiss native, is a former student of Bais Yaakov Machon Chen. She has hands-on experience in bookkeeping and accounting. It is her special privilege to have joined the staff of Machon Chen in 2020.

Mr. A. Tannis, Microeconomics

Mr. Tannis, a Greek native, is a certified Swiss Sales Manager and a Business Economist IF. He is currently working toward a B.S. in Macroeconomics at HWZ. He has taught economics at many business schools and joined the Machon Chen HWD faculty in 2019.

Mrs. H. Weisz, Haftorah, B.A. Program Coordinator

American born and educated, Mrs. Weisz received her B.A. degree in English Literature from Queens College and her teaching degree from TIW. She has lived in Zurich since her marriage, and taught for many years at the JSZ girls’ school. Mrs. Weisz has been teaching at BY Machon Chen since its inception.

Miss Sch. Wolgelernter, Abacus (Computerized Bookkeeping)

Miss Wolgelernter is a Bais Yaakov Machon Chen graduate. After a year in Chemdas Seminary, she returned to Zurich and is currently studying Advanced Bookkeeping at the VSK. She works in this field and teaches Abacus at Machon Chen.

Mrs. E. Zoladz, Accounting

Mrs. Zoladz, a Dutch native, has a master’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Zurich. She currently works for Bank Julius Baer in the Product Control department. She has taught bookkeeping at Machon Chen since 2008 and is currently teaching Advanced Accounting at the HWD level.

Rabbi Sch. Zwiebel, Hilchos Shabbos

Rabbi Zwiebel, a native of Antwerp, studied at the Gateshead Yeshivah and learned in Ponevezh in Eretz Yisrael. Upon returning to Zurich, he learned in the Zurich Kollel for several years. He taught at the Toirah Vodass boys’ school for many years and has been teaching at BY Machon Chen since 2002.

Guest Lecturers

It is a privilege for Bais Yaakov Machon Chen to have as guest lecturers:
Rebbetzin B. Levy, IRG Zurich, originally from Cleveland and Lakewood, who presents hashkafah in a heartwarming manner.
Rabbi M. Mosbacher, previously Mashgiach in Yeshivas Luzern and currently giving shiurim at the Yeshiva Lezeirim Zurich, who delivers a weekly lecture on Sefer Kuzari.

“Machon Chen is a school that demands a lot – and their goal is to bring out the best in us. The entire experience is just incomparable to anywhere else. The teachers are all amazing people and we can learn from every one of them! Programs bring us all together as one family. That’s what makes Machon Chen so special.”

E.L., BY Machon Chen graduate

“The teachers are our examples.

Devoirele W., BY Machon Chen student