Meet our Staff

Penina Teitelbaum

Head of School

Prior to joining the HSBY leadership, Mrs. Penina Teitelbaum founded and led Atara Girls High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, serving as principal for eight years. Her visionary leadership transformed the school into a nationally recognized institution known for its nurturing environment, exceptional student development, and academic excellence in its dual curriculum. Mrs. Teitelbaum holds a Master’s degree from the University of North Texas and received therapist training at the Family Clinic of Neve Yerushalayim. She seamlessly integrates her dual passions for education and social work, guiding her students toward adulthood and lifelong success.

Devorah Lewis

Assistant Principal of Judaic Studies

Mrs. Lewis was Principal of Meira Academy in Palo Alto for 10 years. She proficiently led the school through three accreditation cycles and fostered a community reputation of excellence in education.

Prior to Meira Academy, Mrs. Lewis taught in Mesorah High School for Girls in Dallas, TX as well as Esther Miller Bais Yaakov in St. Louis, MO. Mrs. Lewis earned a B.A. from Maimonides College, Teacher Training through Yavneh Teacher Seminary, and has completed the prestigious Yesud Maaleh Principal Fellowship program through Torah U’mesorah.

Becca Siegel

Assistant Principal of General Studies

Mrs. Siegel was the Director of General Studies at Atara Girls High School for five years–where she taught English and Math for many years in a variety of settings.

She attended Loyola University Chicago, where she studied English Literature and Secondary Education, and earned her Masters degree from the University of Illinois Chicago in Educational Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment.

Rena Berger

Executive Director

Rena Berger is the Executive Director of Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov High School. She is responsible for directing and managing finances, operations, human resources, and administration to support HSBY’s short- and long-term strategic goals.

Mrs. Berger helped found Torah Day School of Seattle, a non-profit elementary school in Seattle and worked there as the Director of Operations for sixteen years. She has an MBA in Non Profit Management from Touro University; an MEd in Policy, Planning, and Administration in Higher Education from Boston University; and a BSc in Biology, Psychology, and History from the University of Toronto.

Chani Holland

Dean of Students

Chani Holland recently moved to Chicago from Brooklyn, NY where she was an English teacher and Dean for almost 2 decades in the NYC Department of Education.

She specializes in conflict resolution and is trained in de-escalation and Restorative Practices.

Chaya Krohn

Director of Programming

Chaya Krohn is Director of Programming. In past years, Chaya has gotten to know the students of HSBY through the Erev Shira Program, where she has served as its director since 2009.

She comes to Hanna Sacks from her previous position as Director of Job Link, a division of Chicago Chesed Fund, where for the past 11 years she assisted clients and provided support necessary to help them find meaningful careers and employment. During her 24 years in Chicago, Chaya has worked with a variety of organizations helping them to manage and organize an array of events and fundraisers. She began her work with teens as the Director of NCSY in Ottawa, Ontario.

Reva Landau

Director of Development & Communications, College and Career Guidance Counselor

Reva Landau is a graduate of Hanna Sacks (grade of 08′) and has previously worked as Director of Recruitment at Lander College for Women in NY.

She brings her extensive knowledge of the topic to the position, as well as a passion for helping young women build successful and meaningful careers.