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About Yeshivah Prep

About Yeshivah Prep

Every child is exceptional.

Every child is exceptional.

Here, students are known, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Our mission.

At Yeshivah Prep, our mission is to nurture every child’s strengths, and support their learning differences. By fostering self-awareness and confidence, we empower our students to thrive.

Our vision.

  • At Yeshivah Prep we are committed to knowing every child, and creating a learning pathway for each of them.
  • Our students experience the warm embrace of Sephardic values, Torah, and community customs.
  • We enable our students to acquire the skills and strategies that help them grow throughout their learning journey.

Message from the head of school.

I’ve always been inspired by the possibilities that learning creates, for adults and children alike, and this happens when people are willing to take risks, to change, to grow.

So why are some people open to change, to seeing things differently? The legendary Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, “Talent sets the floor, [and] character sets the ceiling.” It is character, more than anything else, that determines how much someone can learn and grow, and I love to support and then see what people of character are able to accomplish.

Leading a school and community as mission driven as Yeshivah Prep is an exceptional privilege. Helping each student see their own unique passion, vision, and talents is the gift this school and community aim towards, and I’m so grateful that Hashem has blessed me with the opportunity to help our students on this path.

Rabbi Dr. Rafi Cashman

Our story.

Yeshivah Prep High School was created to ensure that students with language based learning differences could become the best version of themselves, fully accessing and developing all their talents, while giving them the opportunity to academically and socially participate in the Yeshivah of Flatbush experience. 

This year we moved into our new campus, designed with our students and their learning in mind. We now occupy a beautiful and renovated space across the street from the Yeshivah of Flatbush, allowing our students to seamlessly move between the two environments. To get a sense of the space and how students engage with it, please come for a visit… or you can watch this short student-led tour.

Message from the Rosh Yeshiva.

I believe that Yeshivah Prep is on the cutting edge of education in both Judaic and Secular studies. The staff provides the top level of professionalism.

As a community, we value education. We invest in our children – we want to give them the very best education they can have. Yet, I see so many parents who, for whatever reason, continue to keep their child in expensive schools that don’t meet the needs of the child. Successful education isn’t about making everyone conform to a pre-conceived, mainstream standard. Successful education is the one that works for the child.

What we do at Yeshivah Prep is give each child the opportunity to be the best they can be. We see children blossom and thrive once they are given what they need to succeed. After more than 25 years, we can point to so many of our students who are now active, successful, and thriving personally and professionally. They are blessings to our community.

Moses had a speech impediment. That did not stop him from being one of the greatest leaders in world history. Who knows who the next great leader will be? We give every child what they need to play every role in the community that they are intended to be.

Rabbi Eli Mansour

Meet our educators.

Leadership Team

At Yeshivah Prep, our leadership team brings together spiritual vision, academic excellence, and compassionate care. From guiding the school’s educational mission to supporting each child’s wellbeing and growth, this dedicated group of educators and administrators works in harmony to nurture every student.

Rabbi Eli Mansour

Rosh Yeshivah

Rabbi Dr. Rafi Cashman

Head of School

Rabbi Sion Setton

Principal

Mrs. Rebecca Odessey

Director of Education

Rabbi Dimitry Ekshtut

Grade Dean

Mr. Jesse Idy

Grade Dean

Ms. Marlene Antebi

Grade Dean

Mrs. Sally Ashkenazi

Grade Dean

Ms. Mariana Gorodetsky

Director of Learning and Teaching; DOE

Mrs. Raquel Ashkenazie

Lead Social Worker

Frequently asked questions

What population does YP serve?

YP serves students with language learning disabilities and ADHD who can also integrate into the Yeshivah of Flatbush program. 

While the upper limit is 15, classes mostly have between 9-12 students.

YP has a unique leadership structure. We are led by a principal who oversees day-to-day activities, and a Director of Education, given our unique learning needs. The rest of our team are teacher-leaders, with each leader overseeing a grade of students. This means tremendous attention to each student and cohort and their needs, and the awareness of these needs at the leadership level. This allows YP to be exceptionally responsive and creative in its educational program. 

YP has a formal relationship with YOF that allows all students to participate in tefillah, co- and extracurricular programs, school assemblies and Seminars, and lunch. In 9th and 10th grade our students integrate into phys-ed, art and Safe, and in 11th and 12th they have access to APs and electives at YOF. 

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Meet Our Educators

Rabbi Eli Mansour

Rosh Yeshiva

Yeshivah Prep is honoured to have Rabbi Eli Mansour as our Rosh Yeshivah and religious guide. Rabbi Mansour is well known throughout the community as a giant in Torah and leadership. He is currently the head Rabbi of The Edmond J Safra Synagogue in Brooklyn, New York, where he continues to spread Torah and provide inspiration. During the summer months, he serves as the Rabbi officiating at the Ohel Yaakob (Lawrence Avenue) Synagogue in Deal, New Jersey. He is also the Judaic Studies Principal at Magen David Yeshivah.

The figure who had the most significant impact on the Rabbi’s development was Rabbi Baruch ben Haim A”H, our venerated community leader. Rabbi Ben Haim imparted to the young Eli the glory of our heritage as well as our community’s commitment to Torah. The Hacham also became the Rabbi’s address for Halachic questions and spiritual guidance.   

After graduating from Shaare Torah, Rabbi Mansour studied at Jeursalem’s Mercaz Hatorah, and then in the Bet Medrash Gavoha in Lakewood, New Jersey.

After marrying his wife, he moved back to Brooklyn where he was offered the position of Rabbi at the Ahi  Ezer Torah Center. His outstanding scholarship, clarity of presentation, magnetic personality and ability to relate to people of all levels of observance combined to make him an exceptional teacher and leader, who could show Jews from all backgrounds the joy and fulfilment that can be achieved through a Torah lifestyle. The popularity of his lectures has spread far and wide. Recordings have been distributed throughout the world, and he is among the Torah world’s most sought after speakers, throughout the United States and in communities around the globe.

Meet Our Educators

Rabbi Dr. Rafi Cashman

Head of School

  • rcashman@yeshivahprep.org
  • 718.714.7400 Ext. 257

Rabbi Dr. Rafi Cashman loves being part of the Yeshivah Prep community. He is the Head of School of both the elementary and high school, and feels privileged to lead. Before coming to Yeshivah Prep he was the Head of School at Netivot HaTorah Day School in Toronto, and a mentor in the Day School Leadership Training Institute, where he was also an alumni. He holds a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Toronto, a Masters of Education from Yeshiva University and a PhD in Education from OISE at the University of Toronto, where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar.  Rabbi Cashman received Semicha in Toronto. He’s most proud of his four children, and exceptionally grateful to his wife for everything. You can follow what he reads at raficashman.com. 

Meet Our Educators

Rabbi Sion Setton

Principal

  • rabbisetton@yeshivahprep.org
  • 347.462.1807 Ext. 408

Rabbi Sion Setton is a community educator and the principal of Yeshivah Prep High School. In this role, he leads a dedicated team of educators who support a diverse student body through personalized learning, Torah-centered values, and social-emotional development. He also serves as a Rabbi at Congregation Magen David of Manhattan.

Rabbi Setton is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Education at Yeshiva University, where his research explores the relationship between ADHD and spirituality in adolescent students. He is a Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Scholar and a Wexner Fellowship recipient, deeply committed to integrating Torah wisdom with contemporary ethical and educational challenges.

He previously served as an educator and Director of Educational Technology at Barkai Yeshivah and as an affiliate chaplain at New York University. A passionate advocate for both innovation and tradition in Jewish life, he is also a founding member of the Downtown Manhattan Rabbinical Network and the founder of TorahCentral.com, a platform for connecting educators and learners globally.

Rabbi Setton received rabbinic and Sephardic ordination from Yeshiva University and Rabbi Eliyahu Benhaim. He also holds a B.A. in Psychology from Yeshiva University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Brooklyn College. The Jewish Week recognized him as one of New York’s “36 under 36” Jewish leaders and changemakers.

He lives in New York City with his wife, Dr. Mijal Bitton, a scholar and community builder, and their two children.

Meet Our Educators

Mrs. Rebecca Odessey

Director of Education

  • rodessey@yeshivahprep.org
  • 347.462.1807 Ext.

Rebecca Odessey is an accomplished educational leader with over 20 years in roles including district administrator, instructional consultant, and curriculum author. As the Director of Education, Rebecca works alongside staff and families to set all students up for meaningful post-secondary pathways. She serves the school community with a shared commitment to “Chanoch l’na’ar al pi darko”—a promise that each child and staff member can learn in their own way and succeed. She holds a personal and professional connection to Yeshivah Prep’s mission both as an educator and as a parent of a recent graduate with an IEP. 

Throughout her career, Rebecca has led transformative initiatives in both public and private education settings. She played a key role in the national rollout of the Common Core State Standards, representing NYC Public Schools at national conferences and supporting implementation across the country’s largest school system. She also co-led a nationally recognized inclusive co-teaching model in collaboration with NYU’s Metro Center, hosting visiting educators from across the globe.

Rebecca holds an Ed.M. in Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, along with certifications in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and School District/Building Leadership. Outside of school, you can find Rebecca making art, growing plants, and enjoying the human and animal members of her family.