Religious School Staff
Learn more about our Religious School
ERIN DAVID - DIRECTOR
A beloved member of our Beit Haverim community, Erin David has been deeply involved in the life of our synagogue for over 25 years. Her journey with Beit Haverim began as a young child, progressing through our Religious School, culminating in her Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation. She has generously given back to our community as a Religious School aide, teacher of our young children, Hebrew tutor, and lay leader of our Shabbat services. Her dedication to education is further evidenced by her Master of Education and her years as a Head Start teacher.
With a profound connection to Beit Haverim and a strong educational background, Erin brings a unique perspective and a wealth of experience to this role. She brings a sense of community and shared purpose within our religious school and the wider congregation. To contact Erin, email BHschooldirector@gmail.com.
RABBI SHANEE MICHAELSON - TEACHER
Rabbi Shanee Michaelson is an alumna of the University of California San Diego and the University of San Francisco School of Law. While working as an attorney, she earned an MFA in creative writing at the University of Southern California, where she wrote her original screenplay, Persian-American Queen.
Rabbi Shanee credits her year of learning at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem as the beginning of her unexpected journey to the rabbinate. She returned to Southern California, settled in LA's Pico-Robertson neighborhood, and began teaching both secular and religious subjects, including as an educator in LA Unified schools. After five years as a student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University, she earned smicha (ordination as a rabbi) in May 2023. She began her rabbinate in Las Vegas where she was the assistant rabbi and religious school director at a Conservative synagogue. She moved to Oregon to join her husband, Chaim. At Beit Haverim, Rabbi Shanee teaches pre-b’nai mitzvah studies and core adult education classes.
Rabbi Shanee brings to her work a deep love of tradition, spiritual curiosity, and radical welcome. She especially cherishes working with people who are new to Judaism, those returning after time away, and anyone drawn to a more spacious, questioning kind of faith.
DANA GOLD - TEACHER
Dana Gold teaches the 3rd–5th grade students at Beit Haverim and finds great joy in learning alongside his students. A longtime member of the Jewish community, Dana participates in synagogue life by attending services, singing in the choir, and sounding the shofar at High Holiday services.
Dana grew up in Portland as part of Temple Beth Israel's Reform congregation. As an adult living in Seattle, he taught religious school for five years at a Reform congregation, sometimes serving as sign language interpreter for his Deaf daughter at religious school and services. After returning to Portland, Dana earned a Master's degree in Special Education- Deaf/Hard of Hearing from Lewis & Clark College. He went on to serve Deaf and Hard of Hearding students, including many with multiple disabilities, for 21 years in the Hillsboro and Beaverton school districts.
In the classroom, Dana focuses on making Jewish learning meaningful and engaging. His curriculum emphasizes Torah, prayer, Tzedakah, Jewish holidays, life-cycle events, Hebrew, Jewish music, Israel, and global Jewish traditions. He incorporates creative, hands-on activities such as art projects, imaginative role-play, mock trials of Torah stories, and theatrical re-creations.
Dana is honored to be part of the Beit Haverim community and looks forward to continuing to teach, inspire, and connect with his students and their families.