Staff
Meet the Center Staff
Pictured here are the dedicated professionals who live, learn, and love the Center way of life, every day.
We are a results-oriented staff that is committed to putting smiles on faces, filling our hallways with laughter, and making your Center experience a memorable one.
How do we do it? By offering innovative programming, thinking and planning like a customer, and ripping out the word “impossible” from our dictionaries.
Let’s work together on something great. To contact us, send an email to [email protected] or call our main number at (718) 627-4300.
Executive Staff
Joseph D. Tawil
Chief Executive Officer
Sabrina Maleh
Chief Program Officer
Sabrina Maleh has been involved with the Magen David Yeshivah organization for over 25 years, in various capacities and holding different roles such as board member, writing teacher, Director of…
read moreNorman Mandel
Associate Executive Director
Associate Executive Director Norman Mandel works to promote and enhance every aspect of the Center and has been doing so for over twenty years. Norman continually searches for innovative and…
read moreRussell Willens
Chief Financial Officer
Russell Willens is an accomplished financial executive with over 30 years of experience in the accounting and finance fields. Russell started his career as a Senior Accountant at a public…
read moreAaron Rosenfeld
Chief Operating Officer
Aaron Rosenfeld comes to us with a rich background of Jewish communal experience. Always involved with Jewish activities from his youth growing up in the Deal, New Jersey area and…
read moreProgram Staff
Harry Chazanoff
Director of Youth & Family Services / Director of Day Camp
Director of Youth & Family Services and Director of Day Camp Harry runs all of the Center’s Youth Sports programs and events during the year. He supervises programs for as…
read moreCarol Dery
Director of Group Fitness
Carol Dery is deeply familiar with the group fitness industry in New York City. She is a veteran of the trade and has spent much of her career serving as…
read moreLillian Ebani
Managing Director of Youth & Family Services
Lilian always wanted to teach. “I want every child to experience as many new things as they can, in a safe and nurturing environment,” says Lilian, the Center’s Assistant Program…
read moreHannah Elmekies
Admin Associate & Young Adult Coordinator
Hannah Elmekies, a graduate of Baruch College with a degree in Marketing Management, found her career trajectory redirected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A transformative trip to Israel post-October 7th ignited…
read moreDavid Jolovitz
Director of Health & Wellness
David has been the Director of Health and Wellness for the Center since 2014, extending a health-and-fitness industry career that has included strength coaching, personal training and fitness management. Before…
read moreInbal Khabieh
Director of Education, Admissions, & Teacher Development
Inbal Khabieh has been with Early Childhood Special Education for over 10 years. Holding a Bachelor’s in Political Science Inbal pursued a career in Journalism but found her passion…
read moreTemmi Laifer
Special Events Director
Lisette Lalo
Director of Student Services and Program Operations
“I want to make a difference in children’s lives, help them succeed and reach their full potential.” Lisette’s dedication to her work as Director of Early Childhood Education is evident…
read moreAimee Mishaan
Director of Community Services
Before coming to the Senior Adult Department Aimee was the Director of Early Childhood Administration. “My passion for children is endless and to see them every day and watch them…
read moreAshley Rosen
Director of Senior Center
Growing up, Ashley’s grandparents were very much a part of her daily life, even until their last days at the ages of 94 and 95 years old. In fact, she…
read moreLauren Sakkal
Youth Services Admin
Lauren has been part of our Center family for quite a while now, and her love for our family stems from the love she has for her own family. “As…
read moreGaby Shimoonov
Assistant Director of Health and Wellness
Gaby serves as the Assistant Director of Health and Wellness at the Sephardic Community Center. Gaby first started working in the Center in 2015 managing the health spa. A year…
read moreKathy Shabot
Director of Arts & Culture
Kathy arrived at the Center in 2010 from a career in event planning and logistics for the hospitality industry. Those skills help her troubleshoot problems before they arise at the…
read moreJulie Sherr
Director of Women’s Culture Club
Julie started out working at the Center quite a while ago – in the Early Childhood Dept as a supervisor for 20 years. But after taking a few years off,…
read moreDr. Samuel Torjman Thomas
Director of Musical Arts
Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas is the Director of Musical Arts for the Sephardic Community Center. He oversees all music programming for Encore and for Encore Outreach. In addition to his…
read moreConstantine Voytenko
Director of Aquatics
“Every student excels in the pool at their own pace, and I love being a part of their progress.” Constantine has spent his career teaching children how to swim –…
read moreAdministrative Staff
Rita Agarunova
Accounts Payable
After several years of hospital corporate accounting and handling different corporate responsibilities, Rita Agarunova joined our Center family. “From the start at joining the Center, I felt like I was…
read moreElina Fried
Controller
As Controller, Lina handles payroll, accounts payable and receivable, and human resources, vital services that support the Center’s work in the lives of our community. She works directly with the…
read moreMary Halabani
Marketing Manager
Mary is a dedicated Marketing Manager with a talent for crafting effective social media strategies. With an extensive portfolio in content creation and a proven track record of developing compelling…
read moreLilian Hasbani
Reception Desk Coordinator; Group Fitness Support Staff
Lilian’s always loved being around people. Before working as a receptionist in the building, Lilian was a morah for an Early Childhood program. “I’ve always enjoyed serving people in this…
read moreJanice Mizrahi
Graphic Designer
“I love being able to see my work posted for tons of people to see. It gives me a sense of joy when others see what I create and appreciate…
read moreYaffa Nachmani
Registrar
Yaffa has been the Center’s Registrar since 1997, occupying a crucial administrative role that keeps the records straight for our hundreds of programs and thousands of members. She’s not afraid to try new approaches…
read moreCarmen Sabbagh
Accounts Receivable
Carmen takes pride in selling the Center – its programs, trips, and even raffle tickets. “When our community comes together at the Center for an event, it makes me happy,”…
read moreMilia Shacalo
Membership Associate
Milia has worked at the Center FOR THIRTY YEARS, and before that was professional administrative support for an interesting variety of employers, from freight forwarders to financial services. “I have always…
read moreGreta Schwartz
Graphic Arts & Marketing Director
From an early age, Greta knew she wanted a career in the creative arts. So, she focused on her two favorite subjects while at Syracuse University — Graphic Design and Basket Weaving.…
read moreGentian Vata
Facilities Director
Gentian Vata finds immense fulfillment in his role as Facilities Director, largely due to the support and collaboration of his colleagues. With over a decade of experience managing residential and…
read more