DIRECTOR & TEACHER

Mrs. Fraidy Brook a native of Detroit Michigan, always loved teaching. At the young age of 12, she formed a backyard camp for neighborhood preschoolers, and her heart remained with that age group ever since!

She decided to attend Beth Chana Teachers College in Tzfat Israel, which offered an accelerated program focusing on early childhood education. Upon graduating, she moved to Anchorage, Alaska on a Chabad internship program, and was given her first opportunity to teach in a preschool classroom, and observe world class teachers.

After moving to Brooklyn, she gained experience as a Pre-K teacher at Park Slope Chai Tots Preschool, and more importantly she met & married Rabbi Levi. They were both passionate about creating community, and making Judaism accessible and joyful, even in areas with no formal Jewish infrastructure.

While on the search for the perfect place, they moved briefly to Northern California, and Fraidy immediately opened the Gan Yeladim drop-in childcare program.

Now, Rabbi Levi & Fraidy have been in Waukesha for nearly 10 years.

While building a beautiful community out west, Fraidy taught in Milwaukee at the Reggio Inspired, NAYCE Accredited, Jewish Beginnings Preschool, building on her experience, undertaking leadership roles among staff members, and increasing her love for early childhood education.

She wanted to offer a similar early childhood program for Jewish families in Waukesha County. 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.

Fraidy’s favorite thing is seeing a child’s face light up with confidence and joy when helping a friend. She is always expanding her knowledge of early childhood education, through continuing education courses and through hands on-experience with her 8 children!

TEACHER

Danielle McDonald is the 3's teacher at Torah Tots. She hails from the Chicago suburbs but has lived in the Milwaukee area since 2011. She is the mom of two daughters, with a husband and a dog.

Danielle has known she was destined to be a teacher since she was a small child. Her summers were spent playing "school," and she started tutoring in 8th grade. Her babysitting schedule was always full, and she couldn't wait to be a summer camp counselor each year. She studied elementary education at Eastern Illinois University and curriculum and instruction at Dominican University.

She began fulfilling her dream of being an elementary school teacher in both public and private schools in Chicago for many years before moving to Milwaukee. Her teaching adventures then brought her to Camp Gan Israel and Bader Hillel Academy. She had the opportunity to work with kids from preschool through eighth grade in a variety of academic and social settings.

Danielle's switch to wanting to work in early childhood is partly thanks to the wonderful experiences she had with her own children as students at Jewish Beginnings Preschool. She adored how loving the morahs were and how special her girls felt being part of that community. The Reggio Emilia approach to learning allowed her children to explore the world around them and sparked their natural curiosity. Danielle is excited to be able to share that type of special experience with other families.

ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR

Diane McGeen serves as the administrative assistant for Torah Tots Preschool. With 15 grandchildren of her own, she has a love of children and learning. Although she's not in the classroom, she can't help but make regular visits to get to know our students personally!

Diane has been married to her husband Mark for 43 years. They raised 5 children and are now enjoying the next generation. She works in real estate sales and has owned her own company since 1991. She also has plenty of experience working with nonprofit companies. She was the executive director of Habitat for Humanity for many years and has served on several nonprofit boards. She is passionate about the community and believes our kids are the key to our future!

She also has educational credentials including undergraduate studies in Music and Theology; an MBA and advanced degrees in both Religious Studies and Theology.

As her Real Estate career winds down, we are fortunate to have her using her talents in the area she is most passionate about children, faith, learning, and building a better community.