Dr. Ira Gelman
MALVERN — Dr. Ira Gelman, Ph.D assumed the position of Religious School Director of Education at Beth Chaim Reform Congregation on June 1, 2015. Dr. Gelman takes over from Rabbi Aileen Hollander, who served as the congregation’s rabbi 2002 – 2014 and retired from serving as the Director of Education in June, 2015.
Dr. Gelman grew up in the Bronx, NYC and graduated from Temple University in 1983 with a BS in secondary education specializing in teaching history. As a teenager, he was fascinated with the history of the Jewish people and modern day Israel and was motivated to experience living in Israel. After graduating from Temple in 1983 he spent the next three years living in Israel first teaching English to high school students in Kiryat Shimona, then lived on Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael also as a teacher, then as a lone soldier while serving in the Israeli army.
Dr. Gelman has taught a spectrum of courses at the Jewish Community High School of Gratz College for 29 years ranging from beginning Hebrew, understanding bibical text, Jewish morals and values, history of Israel, family psychology, Israel advocacy, as well as education and Middle Eastern courses for college credit. Dr. Gelman studied at Yad Vashem one summer with Yad Vashem scholars developing a greater understanding of the history of the Shoah (the Holocaust), along with educational rationale in teaching students of different ages about the Shoah. He also led a high school tour for six weeks to Israel in the past. Dr. Gelman helped pilot Moving Traditions “The Brotherhood;” a program developed to help Jewish-American male teens connect with their Jewish heritage. In addition, he taught in various religious schools in Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties over the past 29 years.”
Dr. Gelman has been teaching psychology & AP psychology for the past 28 years at Perkiomen Valley HS. He has a MA in “psychoeducational processes” from Temple and a Ph.D. in “human sexuality studies” from Widener University which he finished in 2014. The title of his doctoral dissertation was “The impact of gender on how Jewish-American adolescents experience their identity as a minority in the US.” Dr. Gelman hopes to share the results of his research with the community
In addition, he is an instructor at Montgomery County Community College teaching courses on self-defense and human sexuality. In his free time, Dr. Gelman enjoys Tae-Kwon Do and kayaking.
Dr. Gelman has two sons aged 24 and 20 and two daughters aged 23 and 14. His 24 year old son is an accountant while his 20 year old son is proudly serving in the US Marines. His 23 year old daughter co-owns a gym and specializes in training high school and college athletes in Downingtown, PA, while his 14 year old daughter will be a sophomore at Oley Valley HS this coming fall. He lives on 14 acres of woods in Oley, PA with a rescue cat and two rescue pit-bulls.
When asked about his thoughts on Beth Chaim, Dr. Gelman replied that he has been impressed and energized by the great people and religious school staff he has met at Beth Chaim and he looks forward to not only helping to strengthen and enhance an amazing religious school, but to becoming a member of our fantastic community!
The public is welcome as the congregation formally introduces Dr. Ira Gelman to our community on Friday, August 28th for Shabbat services and fun-filled ice cream social at 7 pm.
