Nike is an American-Israeli educator with over two decades of experience in Jewish education. In October 2023, after the horrific terrorist attacks in Israel, Nike demonstrated her leadership by founding the online school Shaagat Arieh and mobilizing volunteer teachers from around the world to ensure educational continuity for Israeli youth. She remarked: “In times of crisis, education becomes a powerful tool for resilience and hope. While it is crucial for kids to continue to learn, it’s just as important that they have a sense of community and togetherness.”
While somewhat new to the Marks JCH, it feels like many of her experiences have led Nike straight to our welcoming front doors. Her educational philosophy was profoundly shaped by her participation, at age 11, in Immigranti, a communal theater project uniting teens from the former Soviet Union and the United States, much like the teens she’ll engage at Marks JCH camp, afterschool, and year-round programs. Her professional collaboration with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation included interviewing Holocaust survivors for the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation, an experience that will inform her work with our treasured Holocaust survivors. When Nike was awarded a Cornerstone Fellowship from the Foundation for Jewish Camp, and when she served as Artistic Director in the Division of Informal Education at the Board of Jewish Education, she specialized in bringing Judaism to life through the arts — expertise she will bring to the Marks JCH’s vibrant arts programs. Nike earned a Bachelor’s degree from Tel Aviv University and a Master’s in Jewish Studies. She is a graduate of UJA-Federation’s Muehlstein Fellowship for Jewish professionals.
How will Nike create new pathways for Jewish education, celebration, and connection?
- Educational and cultural offerings: Hebrew classes for youth and seniors, speaker series on Jewish topics, arts and culture programs that bring depth and meaning to the Jewish experience, and much more
- Consistent, monthly communal Shabbat programs and dinners
- Jewish holiday celebrations that are infused with joy and connection
- Touchstone Jewish experiences at our summer camps that are immersive, expressive, and fun!
- Volunteer programs for teens and young adults that renew their commitment to Jewish values
- Immersive Israel cultural experiences in Brooklyn, and trips to Israel that are customized and curated for our client population