Lisa Samick has been working in Jewish Education for more than 20 years – initially focusing on informal High School programming, before returning to her original love of Early Childhood.  She has her BA in Early Childhood Education from George Washington University and has completed all of her coursework for her PhD in Education and Jewish Studies at NYU, focusing on Jewish Early Childhood Education.  Before starting as the Director of Early Childhood and Family Engagement at Temple Israel of the City of New York, she worked as the Director at the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue and as the Education Coordinator at Park Avenue Synagogue.  She lives in NYC with her 9-year old daughter, Jenna – a very proud graduate of the ECLC at Temple Israel.

Ellen holds a Joint Master’s degree in Jewish Education and Jewish Communal Service from Hebrew Union College. Since receiving her Master’s degree, family and early childhood education have been the focus of her work. From 2003-2008, she was an educator at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, CA. There she ran a weekly family education program and Hebrew school. From 2008-2010, she served as the Assistant Director at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center preschool and completed her coursework in early childhood education. She has been in her current position as the Early Childhood Director of Temple Sinai in Oakland since 2010. Her passion for Jewish early childhood education is based on the belief that the core mission of this work is to support children in their growth through play and to inspire families to embark on Jewish journeys. When not at work, she spends as much time outside as possible whether, it is yoga, bike riding, running or hiking. 

Amy Damast is the Director of the Early Childhood Education & Family Engagement at Temple Sinai in Summit, NJ. She joined the Temple Sinai staff in 2012 to design their new early childhood program and to expand offerings for local families with young children. 

Amy has been involved in ECE-RJ for 12 years and credits her participation in the URJ's Pursuing Excellence in Your Early Childhood Program Community of Practice with preparing her to assume the roles of ECE-RJ's VP of Communications, Membership and Administration/Organizational Growth. 

She earned a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in Developmental Psychology from New York University; her dissertation research focused on toddler play development and parent-child play interactions. 

Amy and her husband, Craig, live in Springfield, NJ with their adorable puppy, Charley. Their sons, Devin and Joshua, live and work in NYC.

Leslie Scheck, M.A.R.E., is the Director of Early Childhood Education at Temple Solel in Cardiff by the Sea, California, and is passionate about Jewish Early Childhood Education. Her career spans over 20 years as a preschool teacher, summer camp counselor, summer camp director, youth advisor, religious school teacher, song leader, elementary school teacher, and ECC Director.  Leslie is currently in her 15th school year as a Director of Early Childhood Education and has had the privilege of leading three different schools in Arizona and California.
 
Leslie earned her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood and an ESL endorsement.  She was part of Cohort 2 of the EMA Program at HUC, earning her Master's in Jewish Educational Leadership.
 
Leslie has been involved with ECE-RJ since 2011 and has volunteered over the years - working on conferences, the Israel trip, the scholarship committee, the membership committee, fundraising, and now - Marketing and Communications!
 
Leslie lives in San Diego and enjoys spending time on its miles of beautiful sandy beaches.  

Pam Ranta began her Early Childhood Education journey as a preschool and religious school teacher during her early college years.  After five years in the field and wanting to explore other ventures, she entered the business world. Eleven years and two children later, having earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Child Development, armed with business classes and management experience, and realizing her passion for Early Childhood, Pam re-entered Jewish Early Childhood Education as the Director at a Conservative Synagogue in Encino, California.  Now with over thirty years as an ECE Director, Pam’s professional experience has grown to include Director of Early Childhood Education in Conservative, Reform and Jewish Community Center Programs; Past president of the Association for Early Childhood Educators in Los Angeles;  JECELI (Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute) mentor in Cohort 2; mentor to students pursing a Master Degree at California State University, Northridge in the Consultants program; and NAEYC Validator.  Her most current position was the Director of Early Childhood Education at Temple Beth Sholom in Tustin, California. 

Didi grew up in California before venturing out to explore different parts of the world. She first moved to Israel to pursue her university education, and later relocated to England with her husband, who was pursuing his own studies. In England, Didi found herself working as a paraprofessional in a middle school, where she dedicated her time to helping children access the curriculum and succeed academically.

When Didi and her husband arrived in Bloomington, they found themselves amidst a small community that was in the process of establishing a preschool. Being known for her experience with and fondness for children, Didi was approached to join the school. Recognizing the community's need and her own passion for early childhood education, she accepted the position and simultaneously enrolled in a master's program in early childhood education. Since August 2001, Didi has been the dedicated Director of Gan Shalom Preschool in Bloomington, Indiana.

Over the years, Didi's role expanded to encompass additional responsibilities within the synagogue. In 2010, she took on the supplementary school and family engagement, allowing her to make a broader impact within the community. Almost immediately upon joining her new role, Didi became a member of ECE-RJ (Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism) and even served on the board from 2007 to 2013, holding various positions. Throughout her journey, Didi has relied on the support and camaraderie of her colleagues, who have been instrumental in helping her navigate challenges and overcome imposter syndrome.

Didi's personal life revolves around her family. She resides in Bloomington with her husband, Dov-Ber, their loyal 18-year-old dog named Jessie, and their beloved 9-year-old cat named Tabby. Their children have embarked on their own paths, with one living in Colorado and the other in Tel Aviv. Didi's dedication to education and her warm connection with children have made her an invaluable figure in the lives of those she serves, leaving a lasting impact on the community she calls home.

Jamah Maman is the Director of Early Childhood Learning & Engagement at Temple Sinai Atlanta. She is a Georgia Certified Teacher with an undergraduate background in sociology from North Georgia College and State University and a Masters of Arts in Teaching Early Childhood Education from Brenau University and has over 12 years of experience working in early childhood. Her journey at Temple Sinai Preschool began first as a mom (and teacher!) to daughters Noa and Ella and grew into overseeing both the preschool and programming for all of Temple Sinai's young families. In addition to her two daughters, she and her husband, Shlome, stay busy with their two dogs, Eva and Meggie.

Zoë Miller is the Executive Director of cdc@cbi, a child development center and preschool at Congregation Beth Israel in Austin, Texas. She lives with her husband and their energetic and inquisitive, four-year old, named Ezra. 
 
Zoë grew up in Los Angeles and has many years of experience in Jewish Education, starting as a preschool teacher in both Los Angeles and New York City. She earned her BA at The New School University and her graduate degree from the University of Minnesota. She holds an Early Childhood Teaching Certification from UCLA and a National Director Credential from McCormick University. After moving to Austin in 2014, Zoë acted as Managing Director for the satellite location of Shalom Austin’s Early Childhood Program and then served as the Curriculum Director from 2016-2017. During this time, Zoë was awarded a Fellowship through the Sheva Center Leadership Institute for Early Childhood Professionals, providing her the opportunity to travel, explore, and study with a variety of Early Childhood programs across North America and Israel. 
 
She is excited to be pursuing a second graduate degree in Innovative Early Childhood Education, with a strong emphasis on the Reggio Emilia approach at the University of Denver in collaboration with the Boulder Journey School. Zoë strongly believes that early childhood educators and families are collaborative partners, working together to create a community where everyone can grow, make mistakes, laugh, learn, and thrive—because one child, one family, one educator at a time, can make a memorable and life-long impact on the road to repairing the world.

Fern Katz has been an educator for over 35 years with an extensive background in early childhood education and special education as both a teacher and an administrator.  Prior to becoming Chicago Sinai Congregation’s Director of Early Childhood Education in 2012, Fern was the early childhood education coordinator at the Governors State University’s Family Development Center working with Preschool For All and Early Head Start and as an adjunct instructor for the University; and as an early childhood director for JCC Chicago. She has also taught children with special needs as well as religious school in Illinois and New Jersey. Fern’s article “Trust and Separation: God, Abraham, and Early Childhood Educators” was published in the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education journal. Fern has a B.S.Ed from Northern Illinois University and an M.Ed from University of Illinois-Chicago, as well as an M.A. in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Fern currently serves as ECE-RJ's First Vice President, just ending her term as Vice President of Conference and Biennial.  Fern has a son and daughter and lives in Flossmoor, IL with her husband Manny.

Mihaela Schwartz is the Director of Early Childhood Education for the School for Early Childhood Education at Main Line Reform Temple, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

Having earned her masters in teaching (museum education, general and special education for elementary grades) and educational leadership from Bank Street College of Education (NYC), she devoted more than thirty years to working in education with young children and families. In her teaching and leadership roles, she developed a passion for supporting early childhood environments where all children could learn and thrive. As an educator, Mihaela has promoted and implemented in her classrooms the benefits of early intervention and its long-lasting impact on the life of young children.

Before coming to Main Line Reform Temple, Mihaela served as an early childhood school director in three schools in New York City and Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. In her current work at ECE Main Line Reform Temple, she continues her efforts to model and create a collaborative school environment for staff and families by supporting educators’ growth leading and promoting the impact of coaching and high-quality professional development for her team. Her interest in improving the quality of early childhood Jewish programs through research-based approaches is rooted in her doctorate work on progressive practices around curriculum and instruction that place the young child at the center of any educational enterprise. 

To enhance her leadership and entrepreneurial skills, she has been part of national and regional professional associations for early childhood educators and school administrators.

Mihaela is honored to start as one of the Vice Presidents of Learning for ECE- RJ and looks forward to serving early childhood educators and contributing to our tomorrow in Jewish early childhood education.

Tricia Ginis is the Executive Director of Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Arizona State University with a focus on child development and family studies. Tricia’s role as Executive Director involves working closely with the Board of ECE-RJ planning and implementing professional development opportunities, webinars, and conferences. She provides guidance to congregations who are going through the placement process and focuses her time on advocacy in the areas of compensation and benefits for early childhood professionals in collaboration with related organizations to bring together like-minded individuals to move the needle on fair and equitable compensation, and retention in early childhood education. Tricia is also a Mentor for American Jewish University where she works directly with masters-level students providing guidance and insight as they pursue an advanced degree in Jewish Early Childhood Education.

Nicki Federman is the owner of Sensible Ledgers, LLC, a virtual bookkeeping and financial consultation services company. I work with small to medium sized businesses to establish sound bookkeeping systems and practices enabling them to reach their financial goals. I provide full charge bookkeeping services including accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, bank reconciliations, sales tax preparation, inventory control, general ledger maintenance, financial statement preparation and presentation, budgeting and more. I have an extensive bookkeeping background working with various types of businesses, but my passion is working with non-profit organizations like ECE-RJ and helping them to achieve their organization's missions.

Rachel Margolis, RJE, is a Senior Program Manager with the URJ, focusing her work on building networks to bring innovation, and improving the relationship between educators and their lay leaders. She has worked with multiple networks across the congregational education spectrum, including the Chicago Early Engagement Leadership Initiative (CEELI), including managing the SPARKS learning sessions for the 2^nd career teachers cohort. Rachel also helped with the PEECE project, including teaching the congregational coaches.

Rachel is a graduate of Cornell University and has a joint masters in Jewish Education and Jewish Non-Profit Management from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. After serving as the Director of Education for University Synagogue in Los Angeles, Rachel helped write curriculum and re-envisioned youth involvement and teen learning for family schools, Religious Schools, synagogue day camps and retreats at synagogues and community programs around the country.

When not working with synagogue communities, Rachel sat on the Temple Beth Or Preschool Board (Raleigh, NC),and has served as the chair of the HUC-JIR Alumni Leadership Council and been a member of the HUC-JIR Board of Governors. Rachel is the wife of Rabbi Ari Margolis, of Congregation Or Shalom in Vernon Hills, IL, has three daughters, Laila, Adaya and Eliora, and a sweet puppy Kenobi.  

Elaine Gaidemak, RJE has been an educator for her entire life.  Beginning as a first grade teacher in a rural Ohio, she went on to teach second and third grades in New Jersey and for the Department of the Army in Vicenza, Italy.  She began her career in Jewish Early Childhood Education when her son was three years old.  She taught two, three and four year olds at the JCC (then called the “Y”) in West Orange, NJ,  and helped found a UAHC sponsored Jewish Parenting Center at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange, NJ where she went on to found and become the first Director of their preschool.  While the Religious School Director at Temple B’nai Or in Morristown, NJ, Elaine earned the title of Reform Jewish Educator. Her final professional experience was as Director of the prestigious early childhood program at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ.  Elaine, a founding member of ECE-RJ, was a leading force in the creation of the By-Laws.  As the first Vice President of Administration she created the database and most of the procedures presently in use by ECE-RJ.  As the organization grew, she was hired as the first Executive Administrator, a position she held until March of 2016 when the position was eliminated.  Currently Elaine is a member of the Advisory Board.  She has an adult son and a grandson who is the joy of her life.

Cathy Rolland, RJE, is director of families with young children at the Union for Reform Judaism and the inaugural president of the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ). In her role, she provides support and guidance to the URJ Communities of Practices focusing on early childhood excellence and connecting families with young children.  She is the lead advisor and mentor-coach to the BUILDing Jewish ECE and the Chicago Early Engagement Leadership initiatives and oversees the URJ’s partnership with PJ Library.  Cathy was the director of Mountain Top School for Young Children at Temple Har Shalom in Warren, New Jersey, for 11 years before joining the URJ. Cathy recently earned a master’s degree in Jewish education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and a RJE title. She also earned a graduate certificate in Jewish Early Childhood Education from Gratz College. Cathy and her husband Bob are based in New Jersey, and try to visit their three sons who live in Arizona, Colorado and California as often as possible! 

Norma Cahen has been involved in Early Childhood Education since 1976.  She earned her first EC degree from the American Montessori Society in 1984 and her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education in 1996.   In 1998 she received her Master’s Degree in Pre-K/Primary with a specialization in Administration and Management.  From 1989 until 2013, Norma was the Early Childhood Director at a URJ affiliated temple early childhood center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. During that time she also taught 6^th Grade Judaic Studies.  Norma was an adjunct professor at Broward College teaching Early Childhood Literature, Creative Activities for Young Children, The Philosophy of Early Childhood and the state mandated Administration and Management Director Credential for over ten years.  Retiring in 2013, she and her husband moved to North Carolina to enjoy mountain life, but was recruited to become the Early Childhood Director at the Louisville, KY Jewish Community Center in 2015.  One of her most outstanding honors was to have been among the original, founding “mothers” of ECE-RJ.  She served as the first Vice President of Membership and subsequently became the second National President (2008-2010). Norma and her husband, Howie, have four sons, four daughter-in-laws and six grandchildren.

Coming Soon!

Sari Luck Schneider is the Immediate Past President on the ECE-RJ Board. She was previously, the President, the Executive Vice President and the Vice President of Communications on the ECE-RJ Board.

Sari was the founding director of the Temple Shaaray Tefila early childhood school in New York City; she recently retired after 20 years leading the school.  Over the last several years, Sari was also a mentor in JECELI (Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute).  Sari lives in New York City with her husband; her children and grandchildren also live in NYC.

Heidi Baker has been in the field of Early Childhood Education for the past 25 years.  She has worked in both private and public sectors, including Head Start. Her previous experiences include Director of a Jewish preschool during the inaugural year of the program, owned, operated and managed a private preschool program, and is currently Director of Education at Temple Beth Avodah in Newton, MA.    She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and her Master’s degree in Jewish Education at Hebrew College. She is a founding member and proud to be the current president of the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ).  She has two young adult children and lives in Easton, MA with her husband Todd, and her dog Charleston, and cats Allie and Alex. 

Jennie is a graduate of Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, earning a Masters of Arts in Jewish Education in May 2017. She is also a graduate of Parsons School of Design with a bachelors degree in design marketing. She attended Fairleigh Dickinson Graduate School of Education, and holds licenses in both elementary and early childhood education. She has been the Director of Early Childhood Education at Temple B'nai Or since 2005.Prior to her work in early childhood, Jennie held high level marketing, operations, and communication positions in the fashion, pharmaceutical, and advertising industries. She has served numerous positions on the ECE-RJ board including National Conference Chair, VP of Marketing, First Vice President and President. Jennie believes that early childhood education is a sacred calling, and knows that the future of  Judaism rests safely in the work of early childhood Jewish educators.

Lori earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Cincinnati. Since graduating, she has earned a Childcare Administrative Award and an Early Childhood Literacy Mentoring Award from Cuyahoga County Community College. Before becoming the Director of Early Childhood Education for The Temple - Tifereth Israel Early Learning Center, Ganon Gil, Lori worked as a preschool teacher, director of a corporate day care program, and consultant to several local childcare programs. In August of 2020 Lori and her husband David relocated to Columbus, Ohio. Where Lori is a Professional Development Specialist and a Coach for Action for Children and she serves as the Early Childhood Consultant for the Jewish Education Center in Cleveland in addition to being a Bachelors’s Degree mentor for American Jewish University.  Lori and David have two daughters Zoe, who attends Kent State University, and Sydney, who attends Ohio University and a Labradoodle, Ziggy.