Hello! My name is Allison Tankel, and I am proud to be be a part of the Congregation Ohr Shalom community as  Director of the Early Childhood Program, now entering my eleventh year.

 I currently live in Warren with my husband and have three sons. Josh, (Hook'em Horns) a pediatric resident at Rutgers Dental School, Matt, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin ( ON WISCONSIN), and Ben, a Senior at the University of Michigan ( GO BLUE). 

Sometimes as children, we dream and hope to grow up to be a particular profession. For me, my dreams aspired to reality. At a ripe old age of eleven I began my career working as a babysitter and then a summer camp counselor. After graduating college, my original plan was to go into advertising, but my heart pulled me right back to developing youth. I returned to the classroom to get my Masters in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and later my Teacher of the Handicapped Certificate.

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I began my teaching career as a Kindergarten teacher working in New York. Once I began raising my three boys as a stay at home mom I continued to teach religious school and early intervention. I spent many summers as a Division Head in the youngest division at a local day camp.

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 In my spare time I  enjoy exercising (love my Peloton)  reading, reality TV especially my housewives, traveling and cooking! I have also taken up a new sport; Pickleball! Your children are "our" children and I look forward to watching them grow, smile, laugh, and learn. Nothing is better than a hug or high-five from a happy student! I love receiving tons of them!

Hi!  I am Amy Weinstock. I love being part of the Congregation Ohr Shalom Family and wearing the many hats I have as Assistant Director of the ELC, Summer Fun Director, Purim Carnival organizer, and Tot Shabbat Coordinator. 
 
Believe it or not, I started my professional life in pharmaceutical marketing and realized after a few years that I should be doing what I love: working with children. I returned to graduate school and received my master’s degree from Bank Street College of Education, where I learned that Early Childhood Education was my calling and that the Jewish sector was where I was meant to be.
 
I have taught 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, Mommy and Me, Tot Shabbat, and Kindergarten Enrichment. I have simultaneously taught at a religious school and served as an assistant to the director of a preschool. I was also Assistant Director at Gesher Summer Camp for 11 years, until it closed. 
 
I live in Randolph with my husband, Eric, and our Havanese, Gracie. My daughter, Beryn (25), holds an MSW and LSW and works as a Social Worker in Philadelphia. My family means the world to me! In my spare time, I serve as the Immediate Past President of my synagogue and remain heavily involved. I love spending time with my family and friends, traveling, watching movies, binge-watching TV shows, reading, and crafting.  
 
By doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others.  I am fortunate to do so every day.  I look forward to inspiring your children and seeing their excitement as they learn something for the first time.

Hi, I’m Miss Naomi and am excited to teach Seedlings for the sixth year! What I love most about working with this age group is seeing their independence bloom. What I also love is the wonderful, supportive parent and teacher community at ELC. In addition to teaching kids, I write for kids. I’m pursuing publishing Kidlit with my literary agent, and publish regularly in a local magazine. I taught Art Appreciation and After School Enrichment art and craft classes at the Wyoming School in Millburn for many years. My husband Sam and I have triplets and a younger daughter who have grown and flown, a dog named Penny Lane, and a cat named Midnight. When I’m not teaching or writing, I create ceramics, bake and knit. I can’t wait to get to know all of your children.

Shalom! My name is Emmy Atlas and I am excited to be returning for my 6 th
year as a teacher in the ELC. In addition to teaching a 5-day twos class, I
am delighted to continue in my role as the PreK Judaics specialist for the
ELC.
I live in Livingston with my husband Harry and my adorable, mischievous
cat Roo. I have two grown children, Noah and Elana, and a son-in-law
Zach, all who live in NYC.
I adore children of all ages and have been working in Jewish education for
many years.  In addition to teaching in the ELC, I taught Hebrew and
Judaic Studies for 10 years in the JLC here at COS/SJCC and continue to
teach Hebrew reading at a synagogue in Livingston.  I also spent 10
summers as a 1st and 2 nd grade unit head at a local Jewish day camp, 4
years as the Jewish Family Concierge for Montclair through the Jewish
Federation of Greater MetroWest, and 4 years as the Director of Youth and
Community Programs here at COS/SJCC.  I feel a strong connection to the
land of Israel, Jewish rituals and tradition and enjoy sharing these with my
students through stories, songs and crafts.
I love working here at the synagogue where I also served on the Board of
Trustees and continue to be an active member of the congregation. 
The ELC is truly my happy place, and I can’t wait to meet my newest class
of delicious, little seedlings!

Hi, my name is Nina Cymbol a.k.a. Miss Nina.  I am a native New Yorker who moved to Berkeley Heights in the last few years, so I guess that officially makes me a "Jersey Girl". My husband Brad and I are proud parents to two kids (Ian and Lilah), two dogs (Daisy and Harley) and one guinea pig (named Enrique). 

Having traveled and spent extended time in Israel, I have always felt a strong connection to my Hebrew roots. I have been teaching in preschool for almost 20 years and especially love focus on Jewish studies. Being a frustrated artist, it is my passion to elevate children's imaginations and help develop their creativity bones. Preschool is a great place to be fun and silly and believe me, I can get very silly.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to work with your little ones! I'm looking forward to a wonderful school year.

Hi, my name is Liz Nichter, and I am thrilled to be joining the Summit JCC ELC family.

 I live in Livingston, NJ with my husband Larry and my oldest son Willy, while my younger son Matthew lives and works in Sonoma, California.

I was privileged to be a stay-at-home mom for 20+ years watching my boys grow up.  During this time, I was very involved in the PTA as well as the PPEC in the Livingston district.

Although I graduated with an Undergraduate Business degree, I have been around children of all ages my whole adult life. I come from a very large family with many nieces and nephews and have watched them all grow up.

I love cooking, walking, ballet barre and spending time with family and friends.

I am so excited to start this new chapter of my life and can’t wait to meet you all!

Hi, my name is Shara Schild and I am excited to play with your children and help them to develop and learn.

I was born and raised in Livingston but then I went South and graduated from Tulane University and received my Masters in Social Work degree in Miami, Florida.

I have worked many years with Jewish organizations from counseling to teaching to volunteering in addition to my extensive years in sales and talent management.

I have three grown children, a wonderful husband who I met in college and I am a proud grandma of a two year old who gives me lots of extra practice for your children.

In my spare time, I love to walk and hike outdoors, listen to music and spend as much time as possible with my family.

Hi, I’m Hannah. This is going to be my fifth  year at the ELC. I’m excited for another school year with the Doodlebugs and Seedlings classes. My favorite part about teaching is seeing children grow and develop as individuals. I recently obtained my Child Development Associate certification. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Ed and Disability Studies at William Paterson University. In my free time, I enjoy coffee on a lazy Sunday and exploring new places with friends. I look forward to a great school year!

Hi!  My name is Jennifer Tamres and I am so thrilled to be teaching the  
3s at the Summit JCC.  I have spent a lifetime surrounding myself with children, and can’t wait to make your children part of our JCC family.   
I am from California and met my husband, David while I was getting my Masters in Social Work at Columbia University. We moved from New York City to Randolph in 2000, to raise our three beautiful children. Brandon graduated from the University of Maryland and works as a scout for the New Orleans Saints. Hailey graduated from the University of Michigan and is working in Chicago. Jason is a senior at Michigan State University. We have a 5 pound Morkie and a 165 pound Saint Bernard.    
I began working with children at twelve years old as a babysitter and haven’t stopped working with kids since.  I spent summers working as a counselor at a sleep away camp, I worked with disadvantaged youth in Manhattan, and was a therapist for deaf students. 
I also taught Hebrew school and worked as a substitute teacher in the Randolph elementary schools. Regardless of title or position, the common thread is I love to work with children.  
In my free time I love to spend time with my husband (empty nesters), travel, watch reality tv, try new restaurants and exercise.  I can’t wait to get to know your children and make this one of the best years ever!

Hi! My name is Miss Randi and I am so excited to be back at the ELC! I previously worked at the ELC from 2019-2023, before beginning graduate school, and have been working full-time as a nanny to four kids since then. The last few years I have been pursuing a Masters of Social Work degree from Syracuse University and will finally complete that this December! I also have my bachelors degree from SU in Human Development and Family Science (specifically Early Child Development). During my earlier time at the ELC, I taught in the Sprouts and absolutely loved helping each child learn, grow, and flourish each school year. I am so grateful to be able to return this year, as the ELC is a very special place to me and is a place I look forward to coming to each day. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, spending time with my family, going to the beach, and trying new coffee shops with friends. I look forward to getting each of your little one’s and can’t wait to watch them grow!

My passion has been working with children and I’m thrilled to be starting my seventh year at the JCC. My husband Ken and I live in Livingston and have two wonderful children. Sam, who graduated in 2020 from Miami University Farmer School of Business and has been with BDO since. He is currently an auditing accountant/CPA. Louis graduated from Brandeis in 22 with degrees in Chemistry and Biology. He is currently in Graduate school at the University of North Carolina studying Bio Medical Health Informatics. 

In my free time, I love cooking, baking, watching reality tv, exercising, traveling, sports and watching movies. I worked in advertising and public relations at the St. Louis Jewish Light Newspaper.  I always love chatting about my hometown of St. Louis. Feel free anytime to ask me about it, specifically the Cardinals and the Blues.  For eight summers I worked at B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp while my kids attended. Besides working in the main office, 

I ran the canteen as well as the visiting day scholarship auction. 

I know it’s going to be another great year at the ELC and in my Seedlings classroom.  As always, I’m super excited to be 

on this amazing journey with your children each and every day of the school year. 

Hello, my name is Irene Rubinshtein and I am so excited to be teaching the 3’s this year. Every day brings unexpected learning experiences and I love to see children grow socially, cognitively and emotionally. I was a pre-k teacher as well as a 4th grade religious school teacher. I am married and have four children, two boys and two girls. My oldest daughter is a graduate of Boston University and has her doctorate in Optometry. My oldest son is a graduate from Northeastern University and works as a sales associate in medical supplies. My younger daughter is a graduate from University of Maryland and is currently in Law School. My youngest son is a graduate of Boston University and is working as a software developer. I also recently became a grandmother to a baby girl. In my spare time I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with my family. I look forward to sharing my adventure with your child and hearing about all of theirs!

Hi! My name is Miss Debi and I am thrilled to be back for my third year at the Summit JCC. Three years ago I had the privilege of working one day a week in each of the grade level classes at the ELC.  That was when I realized how special the ELC is. Prior to coming to the ELC I spent the last 10 summers working with children at a sleep away camp in Upstate New York.  I enjoy the warm weather, going to the beach, reading, shopping and spending time with my family. My husband Bryan and I have four wonderful children.  I have triplet daughters (Jamie, Lauren & Emily) who are juniors in college and a son (Jake) who is a junior in High School.  I look forward watching your child grow and flourish this year.  Thank you for sharing your precious little ones with us!!!

Hello! My name is Stacy Schapiro. I am excited to begin my third year in Pre-k and my fifth year at the ELC! My formal education started at Syracuse University where I graduated with a business degree. However, my passion was always working with children so I pursued my Master's in Elementary Education from Boston University right after graduating college. From there, I began my teaching career in the Livingston Public School District where I taught first grade. After many years of teaching, I decided to step away from teaching so I can raise my three wonderful children, Sydnee(23), Jake(21) and Josh(17). As my children grew, I realized I missed my days teaching little ones and ELC seemed to be the perfect fit for me to begin my teaching journey once again!  

I have lived in Basking Ridge for the last 25 years where I have raised my three children with my husband Eric. In my free time, I enjoy walking with friends, gardening, and spending quality time with family. We also love watching sports, especially basketball! I also love to watch my own boys play in their basketball games and you can hear me cheering loudly!!   This past April, we welcomed a new puppy named Charli!  She has brought us so much joy and definitely gets all the attention! My daughter, Sydnee will be starting her teaching career this year in third grade in Millburn! I am a proud mom!

I am so excited to spend each day with your children! It is going to be another magical year in Pre-K at the ELC!

I love being a teacher.  My students are an important part of my life.  I aim to provide a warm and enriching environment for each child.  

My formal education is in Elementary Education with a concentration in Language Arts.  I am also a certified Teacher of the Handicapped.  I have attended multiple workshops in Early Childhood Education and I am trained in CPR and First Aid.

On a personal note, I am married with two grown daughters with families of their own.  As a parent, I was very involved with my children's lives and education.  I now love spending time with my six grandchildren.  I have always taken pride in being a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and teacher.

Hello - I'm Miss Rachel and this is my ninth year working with Miss Eileen and the ELC family. I'm so excited to be back in preschool...  It's such a magical place!  I love laughing, reading stories, using my imagination and working hard to learn new things.  I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places with my family.   I am married to a wonderful husband/father and we have 17 year old miracle triplets that keep us very busy, (along with 2 dogs and a dozen chickens).  I look forward to a fabulous fun and safe school year together.

Iam very excited to meet all of you and to get to know your families. I have enjoyed working with preschool-aged children for the past few years and look forward to continuing on that path at the ECC. Before teaching preschool, I have had many years of experience working with elementary school-aged children. I am also a proud mother to three children and know firsthand the value and importance of providing a nurturing environment that allows children to thrive. I look forward to meeting each of you soon and hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer break. 

Coming soon

Hello, I’m Miss Vera. This is my first year working at the ELC, but I’ve worked at the JLC for 6 years, working with grades k-2 on Sunday, and 3-6 on Wednesday, and went to this preschool when I was younger.  I’m going to college to get my Masters in Early Childhood Development and Education. I hope to be a special ed preschool teacher when I’m older.  In my free time, I love to do scrapbooking, going out into town, and exploring new places. I have four beautiful pets, 3 cats and a dog. I’m so excited to be working with the doodlebugs and seedlings, along with floating around this year, getting the chance to meet children in different classes. I’m looking forward to watching your children grow and playing with them this year!