By Lauren Klein

When a close relative of Richard Kroll and Tina Martin passed away recently, they wanted to say Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead.

Unaffiliated and not well-versed in Hebrew, the Nyack couple did not know how to say the prayer.

So they turned to their 12-year-old daughter, Amelia.

"She closed her eyes, thought for a minute, and sure enough she could recite the Kaddish," says Martin. "We were so surprised. We didn't realize how much she had learned with Gary these past three years."

Amelia is one of more than 180 pre-teens that Gary Chattman and his son-in-law, Jake Luxemburg, known as the A-Plus Supertutors, have tutored for their approaching bar or bat mitzvahs.

Chattman, 56, a former public school and synagogue teacher, began tutoring b'nei mitzvah students in 1982.

Two decades later, Luxemburg, 27, a certified public accountant and honors graduated of Pace University, took on two of Chattman's pupils, creating the A-Plus Supertutors team.

"Jake's a born teacher and the business just mushroomed," says Chattman.

Although they work separately, Luxemburg and Chattman, both of Yonkers, combine their efforts, continually creating new games and methods that make Jewish and related topics interesting for students.

Between Luxemburg's "Jewish Jeopardy" and Chattman's plays recreating Bible stories, the information comes to life.

"This is the interactive education and the kids eat it up," Chattman says. "We try anything to make the material relevant."

Teaching from Yonkers to Yorktown, the tutors not only prepare students for the ceremony, they also help guide the student and their family in creating a service that fits their needs and personality.

"We customize the service for each student, making sure to incorporate the parents," says Luxemburg. "Some families are intermarried and want English translation, some want to incorporate a favorite pop song or play an instrument. This is their service and as rabbi for the day, they say what goes."

The Rosenthal family of Cortlandt Manor initially went the standard route, using a synagogue for their daughter's bat mitzvah, but sought out a more personalized experience for their younger son, Robby.

"My daughter had a traditional bat mitzvah through a synagogue, which we weren't please with," says mom, Sandi. "For my son, we wanted an alternative."

Through word of mouth, they found the Supertutors.

"It was such a positive experience," Sandi says. "Jake made Judaism real, and Robby would look forward to the sessions. The service was also very special. Robby picked prayers that were meaningful to him and as a family we decided to have translations."

Although his bar mitzvah studies are finished, Robby still visits Luxemburg weekly.

"Robby wanted to please Jake, and worked hard for him, so when I wanted a tutor to help with some of Robby's other subjects I knew exactly who to go to," says Sandi.

Besides b'nei mitzvah studies, Chattman and Luxemburg teach a variety of secular subjects, including SAT and GRE preparation.

Whether they are working patiently with special needs students or coming directly to the students' homes, Luxemburg and Chattman make every effort to accommodate the families.

"We work around their schedules," says Luxemburg.

"Gary makes a half hour trip every week to Armonk and gives my two children individualized sessions," says Nancy DiPietrantonio.

Being intermarried, DiPietrantonio appreciates that her son, Matthew, 13, and Julia, 9, learn not only about Judaism, bur Christianity as well.

"I am impressed by the fact that he gives a background in Christianity and points out the similarities, not just the differences, between the two religions," Nancy says.

For Matthew, who is preparing for his October bar mitzvah, the sessions are not only fun, they are thought provoking.

"We don't just do the serious Hebrew stuff, we joke around, and we talk about Gd and life. Gary's taught me a lot and lets me think what I want to think," Matthew explains.

The duo modestly assert that their motivation comes from the children. Their no homework policy, however, is certainly an added boost.

"We don't give books and we don't give homework. They get that in regular school," says Chattman. "Rather, we give Jewish identity to families and students who might have lost it."

Luxemburg and Chattman are working on a video and book introducing families to their methods, as well as giving families ideas on how to create a coming-of-age ceremony incorporating the family's and child's interest.

"We tutor with the hope that the children will understand themselves and their world, and continue to do for their children what their parents have done for them," says Luxemburg.

For information, call (914) 423-4804 or visit www.bninr.com/supertutor.