Who We Are
CEO, Rabbi Joanna Samuels
Our Leadership & Team: Building Community Together
The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan is supported by a dedicated leadership team and staff committed to its mission. The Board of Directors provides strategic guidance, ensuring the organization remains strong and aligned with its values. The executive team oversees daily operations, focusing on community engagement, wellness, education, and cultural programs. The broader staff includes professionals across various departments, working to create meaningful experiences for members and the community. Together, they foster an inclusive and dynamic environment that supports learning, growth, and connection.
Staff
- Executive Staff
- The Gottesman Center For Jewish Living
- The David H. Sonabend Center For Israel
- Development
- Finance
- Human Resources
- JCC Harlem
- The Lambert Center For Arts + Ideas
- The Carole Zabar Center for Film
- The Davidson Fishberg Center For Health + Wellness
- The Joseph Stern Center For Social Responsibility
- Membership
- The Jack and Shirley Silver Center for Diverse Abilities
- The Bert and Sandra Wasserman Center for Family Life
- The Wechsler Center for Modern Aging
- The Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School
- Board of Directors
Executive Staff
Melissa Donovan, Chief Operating Officer, Health + Wellness
Todd Elkins, Chief Health and Wellness Officer
Liz Freirich, Chief Development Officer
Deborah Kadetsky, Chief Engagement Officer
Courteney Kovacs, Vice President of Human Resources
Jacqueline Marks, Chief Children and Families Officer
Julia Nelson, Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer
Rabbi Joanna Samuels, Chief Executive Officer
Elyssa Tannenbaum, Executive Assistant and Board Liaison
The Gottesman Center For Jewish Living
Rabbi Yael Rapport, Director
The David H. Sonabend Center For Israel
Udi Urman, Director
Development
Alicia Gordon, Deputy Chief Development Officer
Finance
Anna Zennakis, Senior Financial Controller
Human Resources
Courteney Kovacs, Vice President of Human Resources
JCC Harlem
Naomi Sage, Executive Director
Rabbi Mira Rivera, Rabbi-in-Residence
The Lambert Center For Arts + Ideas
Udi Urman, Director
The Carole Zabar Center for Film
Isaac Zablocki, Senior Director, Film Programs and Israel Film Center
The Davidson Fishberg Center For Health + Wellness
Amy Blumenthal, Director of Personal Services
Caitlin Boker, Director, Children’s Aquatics Programs (Infants + Young Children, Adaptive)
Jessica Gumora, Group Exercise + Fitness Desk Director
Caroline Kohles, Senior Program Director, Health + Wellness
Elana Pici, Director, Children’s Aquatics Programs (School Age, Adaptive, Private Swim)
Carolina Stapleton, Senior Director, Aquatics
The Joseph Stern Center For Social Responsibility
Sheryl Parker, Director
Membership
Alex Clavijo, Membership Director
Zuri Robert, Assistant Director, Membership
The Jack and Shirley Silver Center for Diverse Abilities
Caitlin McInerney, Director
The Bert and Sandra Wasserman Center for Family Life
Rachel Alter, Director of School Age Programs
Alyssa Blackman, JCC Day Camp + Athletics Director
Yael Kahn Pinto, Director
Naomi Skop Richter, Senior Director, Teen + Young Adult Mental Health Initiative
Jessica Spiegel, Director, Camp Settoga
Shereef Taylor, Director of Youth Coaching
The Wechsler Center for Modern Aging
Rabbi Brian Fink, Director of Engage@Wechsler
Susan Lechter, Director
The Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School
Shari Pick Taishoff, Director, Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School
Erica Held, Director of Admissions, Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School
Alex Reynolds, Associate Director
Adam Metzger, Pedagogista
Board of Directors
Scott Romanoff, Chair
Lisa Messinger, Vice Chair
Sara Wechter, Vice Chair
Seth Berkowitz, Treasurer
Marina Lewin, Secretary
Jeff Feig, Chair Emeritus
| Amy Abrams | Lisa Kiell |
| Andy Appelbaum | Shelly Kivell |
| Tracey Appelbaum | Sheila Lambert |
| Andy Arno | Samantha Levine |
| Marni Aronson | Anita Liss |
| Kim Bendheim | Violet Livshiz |
| Shana Block | Marti Meyerson |
| Steve Cohen | Stan Parker |
| Jennifer Deppe-Parker | Jane Pollock |
| Nicole Drapkin | Dmitri Potishko |
| Eileen Epstein | Heidi Rieger |
| Gary Gelman | Irv Rosenthal |
| Katja Goldman | Ilana Ruskay-Kidd |
| Meredith Grossman | Susanna Schankler |
| Josh Haber | Shirley Silver |
| Claudia Hammerman | Kim Spodek |
| Harold Handler | Lilian Stern |
| Kirk Iwanowski | Craig Waldman |
| Talia Kaden | Yaron Werber |