ilana ruskay-kidd

Ilana Ruskay-Kidd is the Director of The Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School at the JCC in Manhattan.  She has been working at the JCC since 2001 and has been the Director of the school since 2006.  Ilana was born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and now lives there with her husband and three children, Gabriella (12), Emma (10) and Daniel (6).

Ilana received her BA from Harvard University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Bank Street College. After being inspired and trained at Central Park East in Harlem, she became a co-founding teacher at the Ella Baker School, an alternative public school in Manhattan. She then went on to work as an Early Childhood Curriculum Consultant for the Children's Aid Society where she developed curricula with directors and teachers in day care, Head Start and private nursery school programs throughout the city.

At The JCC in Manhattan, Ilana began as Director of Young Families and then became Senior Director of Family Life, supervising programs serving families and children ages newborn-eighteen years old.

Ilana says, “I feel grateful to have the opportunity to work with such a gifted group of teachers and professionals and to work so closely with parents and children during this important time in children and families lives. I get the chance to experience the beauty and meaning of Jewish living in my daily life and I get to have my office filled with the smell of challah baking in the oven and beautiful music each and every Friday morning! I feel that my work is fostering a community where children, parents and staff are seen as created in the divine image, worthy of love and respect, valued for their unique contributions to our larger world.”

Return to top

felicia gordon

Felicia Gordon is the Associate Director of The Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School. This will be her sixth year at the JCC.

Although born in Manhattan, Felicia grew up in Holmdel, New Jersey. Holmdel is a small town in Central New Jersey best known for summer concerts at the PNC Banks Art Center (formally known as the Garden State Arts Center).  Felicia currently lives on Upper East Side and has been an “east-sider” for almost 14 years.

Felicia has a BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maryland.  She received a Master’s Degree in Education from Fordham University. 

Prior to becoming an administrator, she taught Pre-K at the Rodeph Sholom Day School in NYC. She spent 2 years there before “moving” east to work at a small nursery school called The Rhinelander Nursery School.  She taught there for a year before becoming their Director of Admissions, a position that was created for her. Eventually she became the Director of the nursery school before moving back west to the JCC.

Felicia does not have children of her own, but has 3 amazing nephews whom she adores. Benjamin is 5.5 years of age, Lucas is 3.5 years old, and Spencer is 17 months old. Benjamin is a graduate of our 2's Program.

Felicia is thrilled to be a part of the Saul and Carole Nursery School for another year. She is moved each day by watching the teachers teach, the children learn, and the amazing nursery families be a driving part of such an inspiring community.

Return to top

tara ekelman

Tara Ekelman is the School Administrator for The Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School at The JCC in Manhattan. She has been working at the JCC since 2000 and has been part of the team since the JCC opened its doors for the very first time back in September of 2001. This will be her eleventh year at the JCC.

Tara was born, raised and currently lives on Long Island. She is a graduate of SUNY Geneseo with a BA in Sociology and Spanish.

She says, “Our school is truly a magical place. I feel honored and privileged to work with our amazing staff and partner with our families each day. I have seen our school community grow through the years into what it is today – warm, inclusive and dynamic!”

Return to top

darren michel

Darren Michel lives in Manhattan but grew up on Long Island. He is from the home of the Internal Revenue Service, Holtsville. Darren studied finance at New York University with the hopes of becoming the next great Wall Street wiz. Less than a year after graduating he realized that finance was not for him. He took a job with an after school sports program on the East Side. Almost immediately, he knew that working with children was his true calling.

Darren has been with the JCC since January 2002. He has been a coach in the Athletics Department as well as the Nursery School. His current position at the JCC is Senior Director of Athletics. Darren grew up the youngest of seven children in a home where sports played a big role. His favorite sport is lacrosse though his best sport is tennis. He also enjoys playing hockey and golf. He is single and when asked if he has any children usually answers, "Yes, about 10,000."  This September marks his 20th year coaching children.

Return to top

jean schreiber

Jean Schreiber is an Early Childhood Educational Consultant.  She earned her MS in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street. She designs and presents workshops for parents and teachers and serves as a consultant to a wide variety of early childhood and elementary school programs.

Jean has developed and directed Early Childhood programs and Parenting Centers for over two decades. She began her teaching career at the Horace Mann School for Nursery Years in New York City. Jean has served as the Director of Temple Beth El Nursery School and Parenting Center in Closter, New Jersey, the Director of Early Childhood Programs at The Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, New Jersey, and the Early Childhood Specialist in the Admissions Department at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City.

Currently, she is the Parent Support and Educational Coordinator at the Nursery School, as well as an instructor in the "Continuing Professional Studies" program at Bank Street.

Jean presents workshops at many annual meetings including the National Association of Education for Young Children (NAEYC), the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Teachers of Independent Schools in New York City, and the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York. Jean is scheduled to be a Featured Speaker (“Bullies Are Created, Not Born:  How to Develop a Safe and Caring Classroom Community”) at the NAEYC conference in November 2009.

Return to top

linda sierra

Linda Sierra has served as the Administrative Receptionist for the past 5 years. Linda joined the Nursery Staff after working on the 8th floor as a receptionist.

Linda is the mother of a fabulous 7 year old girl, Jaslynn, who is a former Nursery School student. Jasylnn is currently enrolled in the second grade program at Ethical Culture.

Linda enjoys cooking, learning about nutrition, book stores, and listening to music. Linda says, I am fortunate to work at a place where I am part of a community of smart, caring, and fun people.

Return to top

lorraine yamin

Lorraine Yamin is the Learning Specialist at the Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School at The JCC in Manhattan. She visits all of the classrooms regularly and can be heard telling the children that she is a "pop in" teacher that likes to learn about the way children play and learn.

She has been a part of the JCC community since 2003 when she worked as a SEIT teacher for an unforgettable, distinctively enchanting child.

Lorraine grew up in New Jersey and graduated with a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University in 1990. She began working with preschoolers who had a range of special needs in a variety of settings, including group homes, hospitals and therapeutic nursery schools. She went on to get a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Bank Street and she is currently completing an MSW at Hunter School of Social Work. She says she is “continually inspired by the myriad of ways that children express themselves, by the challenge and the honor of partnering with families on behalf of their children, and by the effervescent joy here at The JCC Nursery School.”

Return to top

meg carlough

Meg has been practicing yoga for the past 10 years. It was a near fatal accident that brought Meg to Yoga. While the asana (posture/pose) practice helped her to rebuild physical strength, it was the beauty of Yoga's dharma (right action) and self exploration that helped her mind and heart heal. She fell in love with the union of breath and body, the balance and stillness as well as the chance to get quiet and connect to her True Self better. The discovery of Kirtan (call and response mantra) opened her heart with its graceful resonance. The sacred Sanskrit words combined with her lifelong love of music and singing felt like being welcomed home. It continually reminds her that we are all individual parts of a much larger whole.

Meg tries to challenge the body while also offering an opportunity to investigate the more subtle layers beneath the surface. She feels beyond privileged to be able to share something that so profoundly changed her life and finds daily gratitude for the chance to be living and learning this practice.

Return to top

paul wolf

Paul Wolf is the Music Specialist for the nursery school.  This is Paul's 10th year as a Jewish Music Specialist and his 3rd year at the JCC.

Despite his many travels (teaching in Israel, Los Angeles and Las Vegas), Paul is a Chicagoan through and through.  Paul has a deep love of the White Sox that cannot be altered?he does not plan on becoming a Mets or Yankees fan anytime soon.

As a musician, Paul writes his own music and performs somewhat regularly around town. However, his real passion is teaching children of all ages where Judaism can be enjoyed and expressed through singing.  Growing up, Paul was privileged to have wonderful music teachers inspire him to learn guitar and a wide range of Jewish Holiday, Prayer, and just plain fun songs on the guitar to continue to teach generations to come.

Paul found himself in New York City a little over two years ago after reconnecting with the woman who would soon become his wife.  He and Lisa now are happily married and living not too far from the JCC.

Paul says, "If I can teach young children songs that they will remember and connect to later in life as Jews, then I have done my job!"

Return to top

jacqueline marks

Jacqueline Marks is the Associate Director of Educational Program Development at The JCC in Manhattan. She earned her BA from Columbia University and a Master’s Degree from Bank Street College in Early Childhood General and Special Education.

Jacqueline has been a classroom teacher, working with children ages 3-5, for the past 10 years. She specializes in co-constructing curriculum with children and documenting their process. Currently, Jacqueline works with all programs, departments, teachers and children ages 0-18 at the JCC. Jacqueline says, “I am continuously inspired by the children that I work with. They fill my days with questions, joy and exuberance. I feel incredibly lucky to be working at a school where all of its members—parents, teachers, administrators and children—come together to create a thoughtful and caring community.”

Return to top