OUR TEAM
“It takes a big heart to shape little minds.”
We have a staff of passionate, dedicated educators who ares committed to excellence and genuinely cares for each child. We thoughtfully hire our educators and consider the diverse experiences and personalities of each individual as we create teaching teams.
Mushky Glitsenstein
Executive Director
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mushky spent close to every weekend and summer since high school as a counselor in camps and running children’s programs. In 2018, Mushky and her husband, Moishie, moved to Michigan to open Chabad of Royal Oak with the intention of creating a warm and non-judgemental space to explore Judaism in the Royal Oak area. Since its inception and through Mushky’s vision, Chabad of Royal Oak has flourished. Through creative programming and events for young families, opportunities to support those in need in the greater community, and lasting meaningful relationships have been formed through Chabad of Royal Oak. Mushky created many creative programs and events for families with young children, which were attended by hundreds.
The many preschool requests coupled with Mushky’s strong desire to open a full-time early childhood education center bore “Lamplighters Preschool”. She envisioned a place that would instill in its children the knowledge of their inherent value. She envisioned a preschool that is more like a family, a giant hug. She wanted to create a community where parents support each other and celebrate.
Mushky’s favorite thing is seeing a child’s face light up when they are helping a friend. She is always expanding her knowledge of early childhood education and is constantly observing and making visits to the library to understand these amazing people we call children.
Rochel Greenberg
Director of education
Rochel was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she first developed her passion for working with children. During middle and high school, she dedicated her Saturdays to running a children’s group, preparing activities and curriculum with the goal of providing a fun and educational experience for the kids.
After relocating to Michigan, Rochel began volunteering with the Friendship Circle, further honing her skills and commitment to early childhood education. Her school vacations and summers were spent homeschooling for relatives in California and the Virgin Islands, where she eventually spent a year running a mixed-age preschool program. This experience solidified her love for nurturing young minds and connecting them to their environment.
Rochel is known for her remarkable ability to make children feel relaxed and safe. Parents often seek opportunities for their children to spend more time with her, recognizing the special connection she fosters. Her passion for connecting children to nature and observing their natural curiosity has been a cornerstone of her approach.
For the past few years, Rochel has been a cherished teacher at Lamplighters. In the 2024-2025 school year, she will step into the role of Director of Education. Rochel brings a unique talent and intuition for understanding children and their behaviors, blending professionalism with a gentle, nurturing approach. She has spent the last three years researching modern and traditional educational approaches, with a focus on emergent curriculum and behaviors as communication. Currently, she is delving into young toddlers and attachment theory, further advancing her expertise in early childhood education.
Chaya Pinson
School Administrator
Chaya is thrilled to step into her new role as School Administrator at Lamplighters. With a rich background in preschool education across Alaska, Connecticut, and at Lamplighters, Chaya deeply appreciates the importance of fostering strong connections with each child and family. She loves being surrounded by children and is passionate about creating an environment where they can thrive. Chaya finds great joy in watching young minds grow and explore.
Outside of her professional role, Chaya enjoys cooking, music, and spending time in nature, as well as with friends. Her lifelong passion for working with children extends beyond the classroom, with many summers spent directing various camps across the country.
Rivkah Duato
Lapid Teacher
Rivkah is a dedicated preschool teacher with three years of experience nurturing young minds. She has a remarkable gift for turning everyday moments into meaningful learning experiences, all while keeping things fun and engaging. Known for her endless patience and creativity, Rivkah creates a warm, supportive environment where each child feels encouraged to grow and explore.
Outside of the classroom, Rivkah enjoys playing instruments as a hobby, which reflects her love for creativity. We love and appreciate Rivkah for the passion and heart she brings to early childhood education!
Abby Kotsias
Lapid Teacher
Abby is a passionate educator and mother of three energetic boys: Zeke (6), Judah (3), and Naftali (2). Her home is filled with the joyful noise of kids playing and running around, reflecting her love for lively, nurturing environments.
With extensive experience in early childhood education, Abby has worked as a nanny, babysitter, and teacher, including roles at Farber Hebrew Day School and Kindergarten Hebrew School. She also taught English in Israel, enriching her understanding of diverse cultures.
Holding a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Wayne State University, Abby finds joy in watching toddlers’ personalities develop. In her free time, she enjoys family moments, hiking, and traveling.
Lauren Bennett
Shalhevet Teacher
Lauren, a beloved Lamplighters teacher, graduated from Wayne State University with a BA in communication sciences and disorders. She originally planned to pursue a career in speech therapy, but found her passion in early childhood education after spending five years in various preschool settings.
She has been working with pre-K students since 2016 as a counselor and director at Huntington Woods Fruit Camp. In addition, she was a teacher for two years at the Huntington Woods Pre-K program.
Lauren brings her background in speech and language into the classroom by nurturing students’ communication development and providing frequent opportunities for speech and language growth. She strives to create a joyful classroom environment that encourages learning through curiosity.
In her spare time, Lauren loves to read, sing, and take photographs of nature.
Rochel Shemtov
Shalhevet Teacher
Rochel is a dedicated and caring individual with a lifelong passion for working with children. As a long-time volunteer with the Friendship Circle, she has made a meaningful impact on the lives of many. Rochel has extensive experience in both overnight and day camps, where she has spent several summers creating fun and nurturing environments for kids. Her love for caring for children began at a young age and continues to this day. Rochel also devotes much of her time to caring for her many nieces and nephews, playing an active role in their lives. Outside of the classroom, Rochel enjoys cooking delicious food, hanging out with friends, and going for drives.
Rikkel Shemtov
Neirot Teacher
Rikkel Shemtov is excited to join the team at Lamplighters Preschool, bringing with her two years of dedicated experience in early childhood education. Rikkel has developed a deep passion for nurturing young minds and has honed the skills necessary to create a supportive and stimulating environment that encourages growth, curiosity, and joy.
With a focus on building strong, individualized relationships with each child, Rikkel is committed to providing love, support, and attention tailored to each student's unique needs. She firmly believes in the importance of making every child feel seen, heard, and valued. Rikkel’s goal is to establish a safe, engaging, and enjoyable space where children can explore, learn, and thrive.
Outside the classroom, Rikkel enjoys spending time with friends and family. Rikkel looks forward to contributing to the educational journey of each child at Lamplighters Preschool and is eager to collaborate with the team to ensure a successful and enriching year.
Averi Kuberacki
Neirot Teacher
Averi has always enjoyed working with children, which led her to pursue a job in the childcare setting her senior year of highschool. Since then, Averi’s passion for working with children has continued to grow, leading her to attend the University of Michigan Dearborn to earn a degree in Early Childhood Education. This career path has given her the experience of assistant teaching and eventually becoming a lead teacher in the preschool setting. Averi enjoys the concept of a hands-on learning environment because it gives children the opportunities to test their curiosities. One of her favorite parts of teaching is watching her students’ faces light up when they learn or discover something new!
Outside of the classroom, Averi is also a dance instructor. After taking classes throughout her childhood, she wanted to spread that love and knowledge of dance to others. Averi tries to bring these large motor concepts into the classroom to get both childrens’ minds and bodies moving.
In her free time, Averi likes to spend time with her family, friends and bunny, Cocoa. She has a love for reading, animals, music and also enjoys attending concerts, comic cons and art fairs.
Draizy Whitt
NeShama Teacher
Draizy is thrilled to join the Lamplighters Preschool team! With a robust background in directing afterschool programs and leading summer camps, she brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Her time supporting a family through their homeschooling journey further honed her skills and deepened her passion for working with young learners. Draizy’s enthusiasm for teaching and commitment to nurturing children drive her excitement to make a meaningful impact in this new opportunity. With her humble and gentle approach, Draizy creates a supportive environment where children feel free to express their unique talents and personalities.
Draizy loves to read, embark on road trips, and cherish moments with family.
Fisher Shim
Neshama teacher
Fisher Shim has lived and taught in Detroit and the Metro Detroit Area since 2016. After graduating with an Associates in Arts in 2014 with goals for Elementary Education, Fisher spent a year serving in the mountains of Tegucigalpa, Honduras with at-risk youth, and came back enthusiastic to work in Early Childhood Education and provide opportunities for students to thrive and grow as early as possible. She worked as a lead Preschool Teacher in Canton, then stayed with Pathways of Promise Preschool in Detroit for nearly 6 years, where she taught ages 3-5 in a low-income community and earned her Child Development Associates in 2020.
Fisher was homeschooled all through high-school and brings many of the ideas and themes she was taught into her own philosophy as a teacher. The ideas that students should be in and learn from nature, to follow the interests of the child and to create and explore art as much as possible, to be connected with families and community, were all just how her mother taught. Fisher saw the positive difference between her education and the traditional school system, and was inspired to bring those themes into the classroom in order to create an environment where students could really blossom and flourish.
Outside of the classroom, Fisher enjoys tending to her houseplants, creating traditional and digital art, and building her skills as a home cook. She is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, training regularly and is an instructor for the children’s self defense and BJJ at Mash Gym in Redford. She lives in Detroit with her husband and cat. Together they take walks in the neighborhood and enjoy trying new restaurants and eating good food.
Esti Shmotkin
Teacher
Esti grew up in a family and environment centered around education. She has spent all of her summers in various overnight and day camps across the country, as well working for individual families as a part-time nanny. She has also been a familiar face in Lamplighters over the years, subbing and leading children’s events.
She is passionate about the importance of the early years in a child’s life and the way that they shape them forever, making her presence in the classroom intentional and thought-out. Classroom community is an important one for her and something she works hard to create in whatever setting she’s in. Esti feels strongly about building connections with the kids and getting to know them on a deeper level as an individual. She enjoys learning and expanding her knowledge on early childhood and observing the way it plays out in the children.
Fun fact about Esti - she’s an identical twin! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and hanging out in nature.
Kristina Kalanzi
cook
Kristina, or Titi, as she is fondly referred to by the children, is a proud mother of five and loving grandmother. Originating from Uganda, she made her way to the states about 25 years ago, where she worked as a beloved nanny for 15 years, until she took a break to devote a few years to helping her daughter and spending time with her grandkids.
In 2021, we were lucky enough to have Titi join our Lamplighters team, where she shares her delicious cooking with us. All of her lunches are cooked to perfection, packed with nutritious ingredients, filled with flavor and infused with her signature warmth and attention to detail. She puts her whole heart and soul into each dish and you can taste her love for the children with every bite.
Kristina is especially famous for her fluffy basmati rice that no one can quite replicate. Some of our Lamplighters’ favorites include, falafel, tuna patties and chicken soup.