Ellen Geller Kamaras
“I am privileged in helping build the school I always dreamed of – a place where academic excellence, joyful Judaism, creativity, and meaningful relationships all exist together. What means the most to me is hearing a child tell her parents they can’t wait to go back to school tomorrow. That’s the culture we’re trying to build.” – Rachel
Please meet Rachel Harari, a warm and passionate Jewish educator who serves as Head of School at The Stanley I. Chera SAM School. Founded by Rabbi Elie Abadie as Sephardic Academy of Manhattan, the school remains deeply rooted in Sephardic tradition while welcoming a diverse community of Sephardic and Ashkenazi families.
Origins
Rachel, born to Joyce Hanan Salame Frommer and Robert Salame, a”h, is the youngest of eight, with five older sisters and two brothers. Both of her parents are first-generation Americans of Sephardic descent. Her father had an all-American upbringing, while her mother was raised in Brooklyn’s Syrian Jewish community.
Rachel’s older siblings were born in Florida, where her father’s businesses were based. Although the family had built a good life there, Joyce longed to return to Brooklyn and its close-knit Jewish community. When her oldest daughter was eighteen, she convinced her husband to make the move. Rachel was the only Salame child born in Brooklyn.
Because most of her siblings were already married, Rachel sometimes felt like an only child and grew up alongside nieces her own age. “Being part of such a large family, I was on the quieter side, absorbing everything, but I also learned the importance of speaking up and having my voice heard.”
Rachel attended Yeshivah of Flatbush from kindergarten through twelfth grade. She then enrolled in New York University for a bachelor’s degree in English education. She attended Brooklyn College for her master’s degree in special education, and then earned her PhD from Columbia University in Educational Leadership.
At NYU, Rachel participated in an honors program that included a research trip to Ireland. During her senior year, she began working with Dr. Rose Vukovic, who was studying math disabilities in young children. Rachel proposed exploring math anxiety, and together they published three studies, with Rachel named as the first author. Recognizing her talent for research, Dr. Vukovic encouraged Rachel to pursue a PhD, and later served on her dissertation committee.
Enter Albert
Rachel met her naseeb, Albert Harari, at a mutual friend’s engagement party. The bride-to-be was also named Rachel and married a Harary! The two couples still occasionally receive one another’s messages. Albert is president of G & A Services, a company that manages back-office operations for wholesale businesses.
Rachel and Albert settled in Brooklyn and have five children. David, 16, and Shelley, 14, are students at the Yeshiva of Flatbush High School, while Bobby, 11, and Joy, 6, are at The SAM School. The baby, Lila Rose, is three months old and has not yet embarked on her studies.
Rachel’s Core and Her Mentors
Rachel’s family and friends describe her as curious, determined, compassionate, and optimistic – someone who sees possibilities where others see obstacles. That outlook shapes her passion for Jewish and Sephardic education. “Children remember how school made them feel. Academic excellence and joyful Judaism aren’t opposites – they belong together. When children feel known, challenged, and loved, extraordinary learning follows.”
Rachel is also especially interested in our community’s young women. She advocates the “having it all” model, where our young women do not have to choose between building a beautiful family and pursuing meaningful professional goals. They can do both.
“I was fortunate to marry young, have children young, and continue my education and career. I’ve learned that with a supportive family, community, and a lot of hard work, those dreams don’t have to compete with one another.”
Rachel recognizes that her mother has been an extraordinary role model in every sense of the word. When Rachel was eight, her father’s business burned down, prompting her mother to return to college in her fifties after raising eight children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education and became a fourth-grade teacher, often trying out projects on Rachel before bringing them into her classroom. “Watching my mom begin a new career in her fifties and genuinely enjoy it taught me how capable women are – and how quickly life can change.”
Rachel also gives credit to her professional mentors, Dr. Rose Vukovic, Sabrina Maleh, Ilissa Cappell, Nicole Nash, and her colleagues at the Prizmah Day School Leadership Training Institute.
Career Path – Why Teaching?
Even as a student, Rachel loved teaching others. She helped her nieces and nephews with schoolwork and often learned with friends by explaining the material to them. Watching her mother become a creative and beloved fourth-grade teacher further showed Rachel the lasting impact an educator could have. “People would stop us in the street and tell us about the difference she [her mom] had made in their children’s lives.” Education felt like a natural calling.
After graduating from NYU, Rachel began teaching English at Magen David Yeshivah High School. Her first class of teenagers, not much younger than she was, felt intimidating. But she learned to combine strong classroom management with meaningful relationships. Within a few years, she became English Department Chair and built a strong team.
In 2016, Rachel received the Covenant Foundation’s Pomegranate Prize, designed to recognize emerging leaders (with less than 10 years of experience) in the field of Jewish education, awarding a $15,000 prize to encourage them in their pursuits. This introduced her to the broader world of Jewish education. Through the experience, she connected with inspiring educators, participated in transformative professional development, and felt seen and valued for her work.
After ten years at Magen David, Rachel began pursuing her PhD in Educational Leadership and she moved to Yeshivah of Flatbush to teach middle school English. After completing her PhD, Rachel learned that The SAM School was looking to grow and immediately felt that it was the right match. She joined SAM in 2023 as Co-Head of Elementary School and became Head of School in 2025.
Roses and Thorns
Rachel considers her family her greatest personal achievement. “Each of my children is unique, and nothing brings me more joy than watching them grow into kind, thoughtful people.” Rachel is equally proud of her marriage. Albert believed in her from the beginning, even when she doubted herself, and his encouragement has been one of the greatest gifts of her life.
Professionally, Rachel is proud that she persisted in pursuing her dream of becoming an educational leader. Some doors closed, and opportunities did not come as easily as she had expected, even after earning her PhD. Ultimately, those disappointments led her to SAM and the opportunity to help build the school she had always envisioned.
Together with Rosh Yeshivah Rabbi Shlomo Farhi, SAM’s leadership team, and its faculty, Rachel has helped create distinctive experiences that include individual piano lessons beginning in kindergarten, public speaking through acting, innovative STEM programming, and social-emotional learning woven throughout the curriculum. At the heart of it all is a learning environment in which every child feels known, loved, challenged, and excited to come to school. Looking ahead, Rachel hopes to see The SAM School continue growing through high school.
Parenting and Balance
Rachel shares a close relationship with her children, and they talk about anything and everything. At the same time, she believes strongly in boundaries, routines, and discipline. While always supporting her children, Rachel encourages responsibility and independence. Her teenagers, for example, schedule their own appointments, and although she is available when her children need help, she does not do their homework with them.
Her children are also among her greatest supporters. “They’ve watched me work hard, celebrate successes, navigate disappointments, and continue growing. I hope they’ve learned that meaningful work, resilience, and family can all exist together.”
How Rachel Does It All
Rachel is quick to clarify that she doesn’t do it all: “We do it all. I have an incredible husband, family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and people who step in to help. Community makes everything possible. Some days my family needs more of me, and other days my school does. What matters to me is that, over time, both know they are deeply loved and prioritized.”
Relaxation
Rachel recharges by reading, writing, taking a long bath, or enjoying dinner and meaningful conversation with family and friends.
Community
Rachel serves on the board of The SAFE Foundation, where she helps provide parents with tools to raise children who can cope with anxiety and pressure.
Connect with Rachel at Rachel@Harari.biz.Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach. Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching. She can be contacted at ellen.kamaras@gmail.com.