מתיבתא ד'פילאדעלפיא רבתי
Inspired Torah
Ambitious Education
Refined Character
Administration
Rabbi Avraham Steinberg
Rosh Mesivta
Rabbi Avraham Steinberg is the founding Rosh Mesivta of the Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia. Since 2004, he has served as the Rabbi of the Young Israel of the Main Line. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Ohab Zedek on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Throughout his rabbinic career, he has been active in education, teaching at Manhattan Day School, Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia, the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, and Kosloff Torah Academy High School for Girls. Among the subjects he has taught are Halacha, Chumash, Navi, Advanced Gemora, Homiletics, and Jewish Thought.
Rabbi Steinberg is the author of several seforim and articles in rabbinic and lay journals. A talmid of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah for eight years, he has Semicha from that institution, as well as from the Machon LeTorah Ulehoraah; he was also granted Yadin-Yadin ordination.
In addition to serving as Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Steinberg gives a Gemora and Tanach shiur at the Mesivta.
Rabbi Steinberg, his wife, Dini, and their children live in Merion Station, PA.
Marie Occhiogrosso
Principal of Secular Studies
College Guidance Counselor
Marie Occhiogrosso graduated magna cum laude from Duquesne University with undergraduate degrees in English Literature and English Education. She has a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Marygrove College and College Admissions Counseling from UCLA, and earned a grad certificate in Leadership from Cornell University's School of Business. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership, as she values life-long learning.
Ms. Occhiogrosso began her career in education teaching a college-level writing course for Duquesne University. She then taught 9th-12th grade English at Harriton High School in Lower Merion, and IB, HL and SL students abroad in Vienna, Austria. Ms. Occhiogrosso prides herself on creating meaningful learning experiences for students of all abilities, and she has been trained in co-teaching for students with special needs, AP, and International Baccalaureate.
Ms. Occhiogrosso has worked in standardized test prep since 2004, and has supported students in improving their SAT and ACT scores. She started a private practice on the Main Line guiding students through all aspects of the college admissions process before taking over Mesivta's College Guidance program in 2017. She is honored and excited to oversee Mesivta's secular programming as Principal.
The Mesivta High School is excited to employ Ms. Marti Berk as its Director of Operations. Marti brings with her 25 years of experience and expertise in the areas of community engagement, program and event management, public relations, and business operations. Marti has served the Jewish community in leadership roles such as Director of Creative Services at the JCC of Greater Philadelphia as well as the Director of Community Engagement at the Kaiserman JCC. Marti holds a BA in Graphic Art and Communications from Cedar Crest College.
Marti Berk
Director of Operations
Jessica Erlbaum
Staff Coordinator &
Communications Assistant
The Mesivta is pleased to welcome Jessica Erlbaum as our Staff Coordinator and Communications Assistant. Jessica’s educational background includes a BA in Religion and Women’s Studies from Colgate University and an MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from New York University with a certification in Non-Profit Management. She continued her education in Jewish Studies spending a year and a half at Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya College for Women in Jerusalem.
Her professional background includes technical recruiting, fundraising for the United Jewish Appeal, Organizational/Change Consultant for Burson-Marsteller, and Director of Marketing for JESNA (Jewish Education Service of North America). She also serves as an Associate Director for The Chevra, a social and educational organization for Jewish young professionals in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Jessica’s community involvements have included serving on the Caskey Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia Executive Board of Directors and The Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia Founding Member and Member of the Executive Board of Directors. She currently serves on the Emily’s Entourage Board of Directors. Other pastimes include matchmaking, one-on-one Jewish learning, Shabbos hosting, antiquing, spending time with her family and driving carpool!
Jessica, her husband, Jon, and their family live in Lower Merion.
Rabbi Gershon Schwartz
Dean of Students
Rabbi Gershon Schwartz joined the staff of the Mesivta in 2017 as Dean of Students. Rabbi Schwartz graduated from Touro College with a B.A. in Managerial Accounting, and received his semicha from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, shlita, of Yerushalayim. Rabbi Schwartz has taught at Yeshivat Reishit in Beit Shemesh, Israel; Yeshivat Derech Hatorah in Brooklyn, NY; Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (MTA) in NY; and Yeshivat Noam in Paramus, NJ. Rabbi Schwartz also worked for several years with youth in camps, including Camp Shoresh this past summer as a rebbe and Head Sports Counselor. For six years, he worked extensively on special programming and activities for Camp Avraham Chaim Heller and NCSY Kollel. He also coached basketball and softball for four years at MTA and at the Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy/Jewish Educational Center (JEC).
Rabbi Schwartz and his family live in Merion Station.
Mrs. Ronit Snitman
Director of Marketing
& Communications
Ronit Snitman joined the Mesivta in 2018 as Director of Marketing and Communications. Ronit has extensive professional and volunteer experience in event planning and oversight, and is fluent in several languages.
Ronit grew up in Switzerland and, following a year of study in seminary in Israel, Ronit attended Bar Ilan University where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Communications. In 2007, after working for a number of years with Israeli companies, Ronit moved with her family to Lower Merion and, since her arrival, she has been an active volunteer for many local institutions. In 2015 Ronit launched Flower Tales, a local floral design and event planning business.
Ronit, her husband Shaun, and their family live in Bala Cynwyd.
Mrs. Leah Weitz
Business Manager
The Mesivta is very pleased to welcome Mrs. Leah Weitz as our Business Manager. Leah has extensive professional experience as an accountant in both Jewish and secular environments. Her ambitious and highly meticulous nature have helped Leah to rise in her field. Specifically, she professionalized the business side of the three Jewish agencies she worked for in Ohio, bringing these agencies to higher levels of business acumen and productivity.
Leah moved with her family to Lower Merion from Columbus, Ohio. Her husband, Rabbi Zecharia Weitz, is the Assistant Principal of Judaic Studies at Caskey Torah Academy. We are very pleased to have the entire Weitz family in our community.
Warm and friendly as well as ever-ready to share her talent for the betterment of community, Leah is already excitedly working together with the professional team at the Mesivta.