The Governing Body

I have two children in the school and joined the Governing Body in 2024. After completing my degree at Oxford University and a PhD at The University of Manchester, I worked as a research scientist at the National Physical Laboratory and then at Imperial College. I am currently a Chemistry teacher at Haberdashers’ Boys’ School and hope to use my experience in education to support the school, with a particular focus on Curriculum.

Both my sons attended and have now graduated from Hasmonean Primary. I run my own plumbing & heating company. I’m passionate about helping to modernise and improve all the school. Since becoming a governor, I have been involved in many of the building projects trying to enhance the school building and security systems. I am committed to do all that I can do to engage with the parent body and work with the governors and head teacher to enhance our children’s school experience.

I have two children in the school and became a governor in 2024. After starting my career in finance, I worked for a decade in business journalism before moving into public relations and communications. I will draw on my professional expertise to work with the school’s senior leadership on bringing to life the strategic vision of the school and providing the best academic and personal foundation for every pupil of the school.

I joined the governing body in September 2024, and have two sons at the school and one who moved on to high school in 2024. My professional experience is from Big 4 firms in London and Tel Aviv and the finance teams of multinational companies. My focus as a governor is to work with the school and other stakeholders to ensure resources are in place to provide excellent kodesh and chol education. I am a UK Chartered Accountant and hold a Finance MBA and an Economics BA.

As a past pupil of the school I was delighted to be asked to become a local authority governor in 2022. I have been a Councillor for the Hendon Ward and currently am Deputy Chair Political of the Finchley & Golders Green Conservatives. On a personal level I have a particular interest in sports and wellbeing and and look forward to assisting and supporting the school in any way I can.

I have been senior Rabbi at Hendon United Synagogue (Raleigh Close) since February 1999. My wife Judy and I both have a strong connection with the Hasmonean ‘family’, having respectively been pupils, during the 1970s, at what were then the Boys and Girls Grammar Schools (Judy also spent time as a pupil at our very own Primary School). I was honoured to be invited to join the School as Principal in 2003, having had much previous involvement with various communal projects and educational institutions, especially during my years in Manchester. I value the opportunity my role affords me to relate meaningfully to children and staff at a level appropriate to each of them. I am frequently on-site for meetings or class visits or to address an assembly. I attend Governing Body meetings in an ‘observer’ capacity and also thereby contribute to the strategic and practical development of our School.

I studied Law at LSE and qualified as a Solicitor. Subsequently I obtained a Masters degree in Law from UCL. After having my three children I took up a post as Administrator and Admissions Officer at North West London Jewish Day School. In July 2024 I retired from North West after 24 years. I was a member of the Leadership Team for all that time and line manager for all the Admin staff. I have served as a Foundation Governor at North West for many years and I continue to fulfil that role. I also sit, in a voluntary capacity, as a panel member on Admission Appeal Panels for both Brent and Barnet Local Authority schools and for Jewish schools.

Both of my children have now moved on after many happy years at Hasmonean Primary. I am a lawyer working at HMRC with a particular interest in trusts and tax and developing/mentoring colleagues to progress their careers. My wife was also co-chair of the PTA. I hope to use my professional knowledge and experience as a manager and someone who enjoys working as part of a team to help the school in any way that I can.

I was educated at Hasmonean High School and being the son of a Holocaust survivor who was brought to England after the war by Rabbi Dr Solomon Schonfeld, I was honoured and privileged to become a Trustee of the Jewish Secondary School Movement in March 2014. The purpose of the JSSM is to primarily oversee and govern ethos issues and ensure these are in line with guidelines and vision laid down by Dr Schonfeld. It was therefore a natural progression to join the Hasmonean Primary governing body to oversee ethos and general governance matters. In my spare time, I head a family business which specialises in the export of FMCG to the African continent.

I have worked in primary schools for almost 28 years and have been a Headteacher for the last 15 years. I have a Masters degree in education, am a qualified Headteacher, an Ashdown Fellow, a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and I am also an Ofsted inspector. My wife is a primary school Kodesh teacher and my 3 children were all pupils at the school, as was I, as a pupil in the late 1970s and early 1980s, under the formidable Headships of Mr Cohen and Mrs Ungar. With all that history behind me with HPS, with my passion for education and my family’s hakoras hatov to the school, I am delighted to continue my connection with the school as a foundation governor, offering my educational experience and leadership experience to support the school, the Headteacher and governing body.