Welcome to Arizona Jewish Academy

Rabbi Pinchas Allouche is the founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Tefillah and the founding Dean and Spiritual Leader of the Nishmat Adin High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he resides with his wife, Esther, and ten children. He is a respected rabbinic figure, a renowned lecturer, and a prominent author of many essays on the Jewish faith, mysticism, and social-criticism.  Besides his academic pedigree, Rabbi Allouche is richly-cultural, having lived in France, where he was born, South Africa and Israel. He is also fluent in English, Hebrew, French and Italian. Rabbi Allouche is a member of AIPAC's National Council, and a member of the Vaad Harabanim, the Orthodox Rabbinic Council of Arizona.  Rabbi Allouche's wise, profound, and sensitive perspective on the world and its people, on life and living, is highly regarded and sought-after by communities and individuals of all backgrounds. Rabbi Allouche is also tremendously involved in the Jewish community of Greater Phoenix, and he teaches middle-school Judaics at Pardes Jewish Day School.  Rabbi Allouche is a blogger for many online publications, including the Huffington Post and The Times of Israel. Rabbi Allouche was listed in the Jewish Daily Forward as one of America's 36 Most Inspiring Rabbis, who are "shaping 21st Century Judaism."

Michelle Crincoli has almost two decades of classroom teaching and professional writing experience. Ms. Crincoli teaches English and Language Arts and also serves as Coordinator with ASU for remote learning opportunities.  Ms. Crincoli has been the Head of the Nishmat Adin English Department for the past three years and has previously also served as Academic Principal and Learning Specialist and Support Coordinator.   Prior to working at Nishmat Adin, Ms. Crincoli spent 12 years at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles. As the English Department Chair, Michelle had redesigned the curriculum to reflect a more writing-centered approach to learning literature.  She is the student advisor for the student literary magazine. Ms. Crincoli is also a professional screenwriter and has won multiple awards for her original TV pilots and short films. In her personal time, she loves to read and spend time with her husband and her dog.

Dr. Stephen Norton is a highly qualified, certified mathematics instructor, who makes mathematics instruction come to life in a way that connects students to the material and fosters mastery.  Dr. Norton has a Bachelor's degree in sciencemath from Boston University, graduate degrees in Math and Science Teaching from Boston University and University of Massachusetts, and a doctorate degree from Minnesota.   He is certified in secondary school mathematics teaching.   He is a member of the National Council of Teachers in Mathematics, The National Science Teachers Foundation, No Child Left Behind, and the National Chess Foundation. 

"Come along with me as I show you, my classroom.  Welcome to my algebra classroom. 'Look out,' duck your head, some of my algebra students are launching balloon rockets to study the mathematical effects how variables change when the slope changes.  Over here, I have students investigating the mathematical growth of cancer cells using statistics and calculus. Be careful not to disturb the students as they look through microscopes.  On that table my geometry students have built structures using toothpicks and the postulates of geometry.  And so, it goes in my classroom...enriching hands-on math activities.  As Mark Twain wrote “Find a job you like, and you never have to work a day in your life.”  Teaching is that job for me.  I believe every child has the potential to succeed and that as educators, it is our job to help them reach their full potential.

Rabbi Tzvi is originally from Melbourne, Australia.  He mastered Talmudic training at schools in London, Los Angeles and New York and obtained his Smicha (Rabbinic Ordination) at Rabbinical College of America. He previously  served as Assistant Rabbi of Chabad of the East Valley, where he further directed their camp, the Hebrew school and CTeen programming.  Rabbi Tzvi is the previous Judaics and Hebrew Director at Desert Jewish Academy and currently directs CTeen of Phoenix.  As a teacher, he is known for being attentive to each individual while teaching jewish concepts and values in a fun, interactive way.  "I believe that in order to engage and inspire the next generation of youth, Judaism must be taught in a positive and exciting light. I enjoy using relevant contemporary concepts as a way of explaining timeless Jewish traditions."  Rabbi T, as the teens call him, loves to rap, play piano and will never say no to a game of soccer.

Rav Yisrael is 22 and grew up in Tzfat. Yisrael has rabbinic ordination and a degree in Electrical Engineering. He is pursuing further education in Jewish studies and psychology. His hobbies include swimming, playing the flute, and connecting with others. Yisrael has 12 siblings who all live in Israel. He is really excited to bring depth to AZJA's Judaic offerings.