General Studies
Mr. Chris Ellis
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Mr. Christopher Ellis is a native of Atlanta. He attended Auburn University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics, concentrating on Actuarial Science. He discovered that teaching was a more rewarding and fun career than working in insurance. Mr. Ellis holds certification from the state of Georgia in all content areas of secondary mathematics. He has been with Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael since 2015, having taught all different levels of mathematics.
Mr. William Ellis
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Mr.William Ellis attended both the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. He holds a BS Ed. in Secondary Social Science Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership and Supervision. He taught in the Gwinnet County school system for over 35 years; was department chair for eleven years; and served on the committee that developed the geography certification test used in the State of Georgia to certify teacher expertise in the subject of geography. Mr. Ellis began teaching at Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael in the fall of 2009 and now teaches the full range of social sciences including AP US History and AP US Government.
Dr. Richard Katz
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Dr. Richard Katz is a trained linguist, specializing in language history and how grammatical features come about. He earned his Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Georgia in 2016 and moved from Athens to Atlanta so that his wife could pursue her career in accounting. He first came to Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael in the fall of 2018 where he teaches Language Arts and English to the 9th and 12th grade. In class, he works on strengthening students' skills in close reading and argumentative writing. Outside of class, he is writing a book about the history of grammatical structures like the perfect tense. He and his wife have a two year-old son.
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Mr. Michael Weinstock
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Mr. Michael Weinstock specializes in etymology, myriad writing genres, and composition. He earned his MFA (terminal degree, PhD) in Writing from Goddard College, in conjunction with University of California, Irvine; a BA in English, and a BA in Philosophy—both earned at University of California, Irvine. He arrived to Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael in 2020 to bring the insight and analysis that English Language Arts can offer the bochurim. In the classroom, he emphasizes analytical reading, grammatical constructs, and writing: Narrative, Literary Analysis, Expository/Argumentative, and Research/Informational. Outside of the classroom, he is researching for and waxing the polish on the final draft of his second novel, Joseph the Golem.
Mr. Haoran Yang
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Haoran Yang, known more often by his nickname Mickey, was born and raised in China and moved to the United States when he was 18. He speaks both Mandarin and English. After graduating from Birmingham Southern College with a Bachelor in Mathematics, he came to Atlanta to pursue a graduate degree at UGA for Math Education. Mr. Yang enjoys basketball, and is a big Spurs fan. (He may have spent four years of college at Alabama, but says he is not really a Roll Tide fan.) Mr. Yang delights in both math and teaching, so is pleased to have come to Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael in the 2019-2020 school year as a Mathematics teacher.
Dr. Mark Yates
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Dr. Mark Yates received degrees in chemistry and biology from Atlanta Metropolitan College and Georgia State University, as well as a master’s degree in neurobiology. He recently finished his Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from Georgia State University, where he conducts research and works as an instructor of educators. Dr. Yates has been with YOY since its inception, and has taught biology, chemistry, physics and environmental science. He believes that laboratory activity is a key component of science education because the lab is where theory comes to life.