About Us

Ellen Rank is an education consultant. She served as a Senior Congregational
Education Consultant for The Jewish Education Project, has been an education director, has taught in congregational schools, day schools, and college, has presented many workshops on pedagogy, and has mentored Davidson students at the Jewish Theological Seminary since 1998. She served as a writer and associate editor of the MaToK Bible Curriculum and is the author and editor of numerous Jewish educational books published by Behrman House. Ellen has written several curricular pieces for a variety of organizations. She holds a MA in Classical Hebrew Literature from the University of Pennsylvania and a MS in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Ellen's signature strengths are: Perspective, Prudence, Honesty, Kindness, and Gratitude.

Susan Tessel- a.k.a., Susie, graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Pennsylvania (BA,MS). She has completed doctoral coursework at JTS and Teacher’s College at Columbia University. Susan is a veteran teacher who has taught in Day school, public high school and supplementary schools. Susan worked for the Board of Jewish Education (BJE) and served as Director of the Westchester Teacher’s Center for many years. She ran B'yachad , a teacher training immersive fellowship, for a decade. When the BJE became The Jewish Education Project, she became a senior consultant in Leadership and worked there until the outset of Covid. She has run national networks in God talk, Thriving and Teaching Tefilla.
Susan's signature, strengths are: Kindness, Social Intelligence, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Creativity and Love of Learning.