Student-Centered Religious Learning and Literacy Lab (SCRoLL Lab)

Ziva R. Hassenfeld is the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Assistant Professor in Jewish Education at Brandeis University. She studies reading comprehension from a sociocultural perspective, focusing on how children develop interpretations of the Hebrew Bible as a case of student reading development. She uses a variety of qualitative methods including ethnographic observation, stimulated recall interviewing and think-aloud interviewing. In her work on literacy she has also studied multimodal literacies, specifically the connection between computer programming and literacy in early childhood. Her courses at Brandeis include Reading (and Talking Back) to Educational Research;  Teacher Research: Principles, Methods, and Design; and Teacher Research: Analysis and Publication. She has previously taught The Centrality of Literacies in Teaching and Learning, a required course for all teacher candidates in the Stanford Teacher Education Program.

Ayden Kligfeld (she/her) is a junior majoring in psychology and education studies. She works at the Lemberg Children’s Center as a teacher’s assistant, is involved with Brandeis Masorti, and works at a local synagogue’s Hebrew school. Ayden is passionate about the structure of language and child development, and is excited to utilize this in the SCRoLL lab. She is particularly interested in language acquisition and how it contributes to students’ understanding of the biblical text.

Talia Sherman (she/her) is a senior working at SCRoLL lab this year. She is majoring in comparative literature and linguistics, and especially enjoys studies related to language acquisition. When not working on academics, she is the music director for Up The Octave, a Brandeis a cappella group.

Kenny Sicat is a third-year student studying biology, H.S.S.P., and Hispanic studies. As a new member of the SCRoLL Lab, he is very excited to use his interests in world language and cultures and contribute to the SCRoLL Lab’s research. On campus, he serves as the co-president of the Southeast Asia Club, a Bridge to Wellness peer health educator, a volunteer coordinator and instructor in the Language Empowering Action Project, the World Languages and Cultures Fellow, and a community advisor.

Sheindl Spitzer-Tilchin is a second year Hornstein graduate student getting her masters in Jewish professional leadership through their BA/MA program. On campus, Sheindl is a GDR for GSAS and a student fundraiser through the Brandeis Phonathon Program. Additionally, Sheindl has worked closely with the National Ramah Movement and served as a division head for Ramah Rockies this past summer. As someone who is interested in Jewish professional leadership and grew up in a Conservative Jewish household, she strongly believes in improving and transforming Jewish education. She is honored to be a part of this amazing team and to be working alongside other passionate Brandeis students.

Ayla Wrubel is a senior majoring in linguistics and sociology. Ayla is hoping to pursue a career in speech-language pathology and is particularly interested in language acquisition and disorders of language. Outside of Brandeis, Ayla teaches kindergarten religious school at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, MA. This is her first year as a research assistant with SCRoLL lab and she is excited to take on this new role. Outside of the lab, she enjoys exploring new cities, cooking, and finding her next great read.

Harry Xiao is a senior majoring in psychology and economics with a minor in women's, genders, and sexuality studies. He is also a research assistant at the Social Motivation and Interaction (SIM) Lab in the psychology department. Outside of school, he also works as a teaching assistant at the Lemberg Children's Center. He is particularly interested in social-emotional development and resilience in adolescents and their links to academic outcomes.