Staff
Meet JCP’s Staff
Darren Levine, Executive Director
JCP’s Founding Executive Director, Darren Levine is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz, holds ordination from Hebrew Union College and has a doctorate in pastoral psychology with certification from the Post-Graduate Center for Mental Health in NYC. Darren has worked with several communities in his career first on the West Coast and now in New York and has done international relief work in Israel and Africa. Darren and his wife Julia, President of The Little Pim Co., live in Lower Manhattan with their boys, Emmett and Adrian.
Read some of Darren’s recent articles: Jewish Community Project for CCAR Journal, Withdrawl Empowers Community for Sh’ma Magazine, and UJA Innovators in honor of John Ruskay.
Sharon Shorofsky Mack,Director of Education and Early Childhood & Associate Director, JCP
Sharon Shorofsky Mack graduated from Barnard College and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was the Founding Director of the Brotherhood Synagogue Nursery School in Manhattan. Sharon has worked in the field of education since 1989. Sharon’s background also includes preschool teaching as well as admissions work in preschools, elementary schools and higher education. Sharon and her husband Alex have three children and live in Manhattan.
Alex Kogan, Business and Finance Manager
Alex has a background in not-for-profit administration in the Jewish community. He graduated with a BA in Psychology and Economics from Hunter College. Among his many interests are travel, foreign languages, history, music, and writing.
Marcia Marks Thaler, Assistant Director, Preschool
Marcia is a life-time Manhattanite and experienced early childhood educator. Marcia received her BA from University College, NYU and did her various graduate work at institutions throughout the city. Marcia was formerly the Admissions Director at the 92nd Street Y Nursery School for over 20 years. Marcia is the mother of Karen and Lawrence and grandmother of Henry and Charlie. Her spare time favorites – grandsons, gardening and golf.
Sarah Beraha, Assistant Director, Hebrew School Project
Sarah Beraha is returning to JCP (formerly our Program Director) having spent this last year in Jerusalem. She grew up in Washington D.C. and earned a degree in Political Science at Kenyon College in the cornfields of Ohio. She has background in publishing and in her free time she enjoys biking around Brooklyn, reading, and baking. Sarah will be coordinating JCP Community-wide holiday and Shabbat programs, teaching in the Kesher program, and managing all Jewish Life classes and events at JCP.
Wendy Gelsanliter, Associate Director, JCP Early Childhood Center
Wendy graduated from Hamilton College and earned her M.S. from Bank Street College of Education. With over twenty years of experience working with young children, Wendy’s most current positions include Director of the Park Slope Child Care Collective and Assistant Director of Beginnings Nursery School in Manhattan. Music is another passion of Wendy’s. As a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, she has produced three CD’s for children and their families.
Shari Pick, Education Coordinator
Shari is joining our administrative team after four years as the head teacher in the JCP ECC’s Rainbow Room. She has a Masters in Education from Bank Street College. In addition, Shari has been working as our camp supervisor. This year Shari will be working with students and parents in the Hebrew School Project as well as the Early Childhood Center.
Rabbi Hannah Greenstein, Part-Time Rabbi
Upon graduating from University of Pennsylvania, Rabbi Hannah moved to New York, and started her work with unaffiliated and interfaith families at the Jewish Outreach Institute. In 2003, she began her rabbinical and education studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary, receiving ordination and a Masters in Education. After school, Rabbi Hannah worked for the Reconstructionist movement. Rabbi Hannah currently lives in Mamaroneck Westchester, with her husband, Rabbi Moishe Steigmann, her two children, Matan and Yael, and her two guinea pigs, Brewer and Emeril.
Staci Myer-Klein, Administrative Assistant, Early Childhood Center
Staci is a recent graduate of New York University with a double major in Jewish History and Civilization and Psychology. She is a native of Philadelphia who now resides on the Upper West Side. Staci was employed by the Jewish National Fund for two years and has taught Hebrew School. Staci enjoys travel, “trekking” through New York City, reading, and entertaining her friends.
Karen Raphaeli, Administrative Assistant, Early Childhood Center
Karen hails from Brooklyn, New York. She is a native Hebrew speaker; both her parents work in Hebrew Education. She attended college at SUNY Binghamton, and is currently getting her M.A. in theater from Hunter College. She comes to us after working at Yeshiva Flatbush as a librarian and drama teacher. In her spare time Karen enjoys directing theater and making pottery.
Beata Jarosz, Administrative Assistant
has received her BA from Hunter Beata has received her BA from Hunter College in 2008, where she majored in English. Before coming to JCP, she had spent the last two years managing a fitness club in Battery Park City, as well as working in the New York office of Hebrew University. In her free time she enjoys running, travel, photography, and hanging out with her friends.
Lucy Schiffman, Welcome Desk Manager and Communications Coordinator Lucy, a Massachusetts native, comes to us after working with Lucy, a Massachusetts native, comes to us after working with teens at the Duke University Talent Identification Program this summer. A graduate of Trinity College in CT, Lucy has worked for a Segway company in Colorado, and has taught English in Ecuador. Lucy enjoys biking in the park, backpacking through foreign countries, and cooking.
Danny Dignazio, Facilities Manager
Danny has been with JCP from its very first days on White Street as our inaguaral security guard. Danny was the Assistant Scout Master of Troup 304 in Harrison, NJ. He is the Past President of the Harrison Chapter Lions Club International. Danny grew up in New Jersey and has been a lifelong follower of classic rock. Click here to meet Danny and Brian on YouTube.
Brian Mieles, Facilities Manager
Brian joins the JCP Team after having spent the past four years as Facilities Manager at Tribeca Hebrew, where students fondly referred to him as “The Popcorn Man”. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Brian is a die-hard Mets fan. He also is interested in graphic arts and has taken illustration classes at TCI. Click here to meet Danny and Brian on YouTube.