OZ's Adult Education Instructors Winter/Spring 2012

Rabbi Joshua Chasan has served as spiritual leader of Ohavi Zedek Synagogue since 1991.  He is an American historian by previous training, and worked as director of a private organization serving older people in Connecticut.  He is married to Kathy Chasan and is the father of Cavan, Zev, and Ari. 

Rabbi Jan Salzman received her rabbinic education and ordination in January 2010, through Aleph, the rabbinic seminary of Jewish Renewal. She has also studied at Hebrew College, Spertus College, and Dartmouth College. For 30 years, she has served the Jewish community through High Holiday services, a Rosh Chodesh group, private tutoring, educational experiences, spiritual direction counseling, and a passionate commitment to re-engaging the affiliated and unaffiliated Jew. Jan is ordained as a Mashpia Ruchanit/Spiritual Director. She was awarded a Masters degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois, a BA from Beloit College, and has been a certified organic farmer; she has run a number of businesses. She is married, with two grown (amazing) sons, and has lived in the central Vermont area since 1978.

Judith Chalmer, M.F.A, is currently Executive Director of VSA Vermont, a statewide non-profit devoted to arts and disability.  Prior to that she taught creative writing for 12 years at Vermont College and has been active in community-based arts programming at OZ and elsewhere. 

Robert Mayer earned his Ph.D. In history from the University of Georgia and his Masters in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. In addition to academia, he’s worked in the defense and publishing industries, and has written and presented on a wide variety of topics from military history to popular culture. He currently teaches at Champlain College in Burlington, VT.

Susan V. Weiss, Ed.M., author and writing instructor, understands the importance of giving people the opportunity to tell their stories.  In addition to teaching adult literacy and expository and creative writing, she has initiated community-outreach writing projects for offenders, refugees, and homeless people. Susan has a Bachelor's degree in English from Tufts University and a Master's degree in Education from Boston University.