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After starting her teaching career in Israel, Yoti Yarhi found that her homeland was naturally built into the curriculum at Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Monmouth County.

“All the Judaic studies teachers are Israeli, so it’s ingrained,” she said.

Formerly the coordinator of Judaic studies, Yarhi rose to head of school at the beginning of this academic year for Solomon Schechter’s Marlboro school, which has more than 200 students from nursery to 8th grade coming from 25 different towns. She had been serving as acting head of school since March.

Born in the southern town of Omer, Yarhi studied at Ben-Gurion University and Levinsky College of Education before teaching math and history for grades 7-12 in Israel and chairing a math department there. Then, for the last eight years, she taught Judaic studies at Solomon Schechter.

In Israel, Yarhi was also an education department head at a school in a low-income community, mentoring a staff that provided extra help and tutoring for needy students.

During tough economic times in America, Solomon Schechter schools must carry on their tradition and keep community members focused on the importance of Jewish education, Yarhi said.

“We have to make sure that the Jewish education will be a high priority on their [list of] priorities,” she said.

Students are taught to love Israel at Solomon Schechter through methods like dedicating 15 minutes of tefillah (prayers) to Israel each week. For example, students saw a video about Israeli soldier and Hamas hostage Gilad Shalit this month, Yarhi said. Solomon Schechter’s 8th grade students go on a graduation trip to Israel, she said.

Solomon Schechter is also incorporating technology into the classroom with initiatives like Study Island, a new Web-based program for grades 4-8 which allows students to study at their own pace for New Jersey standardized tests in math, reading, language arts, and science, through sessions that are automatically recorded for teacher and administrator review.

Yarhi said Solomon Schechter students are also in tune with environmental issues from Science and Judaic programs for Tu b’Shevat, the Jewish new year for trees, and knowledge about recycling that nursery through 6th grade students receive from older students who have gone off to summer camp. To lead by example, Solomon Schechter is researching the possibility of installing solar panels, Yarhi said.

“We are trying to evolve into a ‘green’ school,” Yarhi said.

Looking down the road, Yarhi said she dreams of establishing a Solomon Schechter high school in central New Jersey. With her daughter in 8th grade and exploring her high school options, it would be nice to have a more local option than the nearest already existing Solomon Schechter high school, which is in West Orange, she said.

But at least for now, Yarhi’s task will be maintaining high standards at a Solomon Schechter day school. She replaced former Head of School Chaya Friedmann, who held the role for 20 years.

“She created a wonderful life in school for us, so it was easy to continue from that point,” Yarhi said.