Faculty

Ms. Bilar-Goldfarb experienced classical education firsthand; she attended a Swiss gymnasium. She received her B.A. (summa cum laude) in Economics from Barnard College and holds a Master’s in the History of Science from Harvard, where she taught and earned the Derek Bok Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ms. Bilar-Goldfarb graduated Columbia Law School and was a practicing attorney at a Wall Street firm. Prior to joining Emet she taught at the Ramaz Middle School in Manhattan.

Dr. Nadon earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought. He taught at Kyiv-Mohyla National University, Trinity College, and for many years at Claremont McKenna College, where he was tenured and received the Wayne C. Booth Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Nadon has published with Yale University Press and University of Pennsylvania Press.

Dr. Cardinale holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Hawaii, and an MFA in fiction writing from UMass Amherst. He has published a book of short stories that explored questions of physics and philosophy, and was reviewed by The Kenyon Review. Dr. Cardinale has taught at both the high school and college levels. His composition class develops writing skills in conjunction with the ninth grade Humanities course.

Dr. Briscoe leads our Math and Physics Department.  He is a theoretical physicist with a focus on quantum and statistical mechanics.  Dr. Briscoe joins us from Iona University, where he was chair of the mathematics and physics departments. He has also successfully tutored many younger students in middle and high school. He is an expert in developing mathematical models and algorithms with a strong affinity for teaching and mentorship. Dr. Briscoe has published in peer-reviewed journals in math and physics, and has a background in cybersecurity. Prior to joining the Academy, Dr. Briscoe worked in digital forensics at Aon Plc, where he developed and applied quantitative methods to complex problems in security and data science. Dr. Briscoe earned his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Cooper Union and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the City University of New York.

Dr. Geron leads the school’s Biology Department and Science Lab. Dr. Geron was trained in Israel at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he received his Ph.D. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at NYU studying the cellular and circuit mechanisms of learning and memory formation. His academic background has afforded him a rich, interdisciplinary perspective on biology and STEM.

Ms. Cavanaugh previously taught biology at Great Hearts Academy, a classical charter school in Dallas, Texas. While teaching at Great Hearts, Ms. Cavanaugh served as the assistant coach for high school girls’ soccer, and as a lead coach for middle and high school girls’ track and field. Ms. Cavanaugh graduated from Berry College with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a minor in Chemistry. She has a deep passion for the overlap between the classical liberal arts and the modern field of STEM. She has conducted and assisted with research in the field of epistemology, with an emphasis on probabilistic reasoning. Ms. Cavanaugh led an advanced chemistry lab prep team for Berry College’s Chemistry Department and has tutored in Organic Chemistry and Cellular Biology.

Dr. Bischof leads Emet’s music appreciation and music history program focusing on music fundamentals and music in different historical periods. Dr. Bischof is a leading orchestral conductor and opera conductor, as well as concert/liturgical organist and pianist. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Modus Operandi Orchestra of New York City. Dr. Bischof has worked with legendary MET soprano Roberta Peters, as well as Klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer. He has recorded with orchestras such as the Zurich Symphony and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Dr. Bischof is a regular guest organist at the Royal Opera House. He is Chair of the Alumni Council of Manhattan School of Music, where he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts. Dr. Bischof served as a professor at Manhattan School of Music for many years, as well as at Barnard College.

Meirav Kravetz leads Hebrew language program. Ms. Kravetz is the director of Hebrew immersion programs at Tikvah. She has designed the highly regarded Hebrew language immersion program for the Havruta School in Austin, Texas. She holds an M.S. in Education from Nova Southeastern University and studied Judaic Studies at the Nishmat Center in Israel. She has mentored teachers in many schools in the U.S. and internationally. Ms. Kravetz was born and raised in Israel.

Ms. Gabay is a Hebrew educator originally from Israel. After completing her military service where she taught Hebrew language to new immigrants, Ms. Gabay earned a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from David Yellin College and taught in Israeli public schools. Additionally, she has taught non-native Hebrew speakers in Israeli middle schools and has supported them throughout the year, helping them socially integrate into Israeli schools.

Rabbi Mark Gottlieb leads  Emet’s Judaic Studies Department, focusing on Bible and Jewish Civilization. Rabbi Gottlieb served as head of school at Yeshiva University High School for Boys and principal of the Maimonides School in Brookline, MA. He has taught middle and high school students as well as at the college level. Rabbi Gottlieb received his BA from Yeshiva College, rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University, and an MA in Philosophy from the University of Chicago, where his doctoral studies focused on the moral and political thought of Alasdair MacIntyre. Rabbi Gottlieb is also chief education officer of Tikvah and founding dean of the Tikvah Scholars Program, Tikvah’s summer program for advanced high school students, located at Mt. Holyoke College.

Mr. Gottesman teaches Bible/Tanach and Jewish Civilization. He is also coach of Emet’s Debate Club.   Mr. Gottesman graduated from Yeshiva University with Bachelor’s degrees in both Political Science and Jewish Studies. He has since served as the Tikvah Fund’s Associate Director of High School Fellowship and the Dean of Students at the Tikvah Scholars Program. While at Yeshiva University, Mr. Gottesman studied under Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik as an undergraduate scholar at the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought.

Eve Pomerantz is a graduate of The Dalton School, Barnard College, and Columbia Teacher's College. Eve began her art training at age 14 in a traditional apprenticeship with renown figurative sculptor, Greg Wyatt. She has taught art at The Dalton School, Sacred Heart, and Hunter College High School, where she also became the Director of the Hunter Summer Program for the Gifted. She has completed bronze sculptures through grants and commissions, including a 3-foot sculpture inspired by Shakespeare's King Lear, now permanently installed in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Eve received training as an intern and school tour guide under Rika Burnham, then Head of Education at The Frick Collection and pioneer in the conversational method of Museum Education

Kevin Gallagher taught at the Dalton School for twenty-five years where he served as a teacher and English department chair before assuming the role of primary theater instructor/director. Mr. Gallagher has directed over twenty-five productions, spanning Shakespearean classics to modern hits. At Arc Stages, he has directed and contributed to their New Play Festival, showcasing his commitment to nurturing talent and advancing theatrical innovation. Kevin Gallagher is a graduate of The London Academy of Music and Dramatics Arts with an MA from Hunter College.  

Raz Chen is Emet’s Senior Martial Arts Coach. Mr. Chen trained under Master Gabi Noach and completed the Civilian Krav Maga instructor course at Wingate in Israel. He served as a Kfir Operations Combatant, and in counter-terrorism missions. He was a senior IDF Krav Maga instructor, having trained over 10,000 soldiers, including IDF Special Forces and U.S. Marines. He has been featured as a Krav Maga expert on CBS and the New York Times.

Yosef Friedman has trained in mixed martial arts and Krav Maga for over six years, obtaining his instructor certification under TKM, led by masters Erez Sharabi and Eliran Cohen in New York and Israel. In 2019, Yosef became a founding member of Guardian Self Defense (GSD), a non-profit organization that develops practical self-defense programs across the East Coast designed to safeguard and empower the Jewish community.