Home > About Us > Professional Staff > Heléna Eilenberg, Education Director
Merrick Jewish Centre's Director of Education, Heléna Geberer Eilenberg, is proud to lead the exciting innovation that is taking place in our Hebrew School. Heléna joined the professional team of the Merrick Jewish Centre in July 2009 and has instituted many positive changes since her arrival. She has a great love for Judaism, children and education, and a passion to instill a love of Jewish life and learning in the Jewish community.
As a high school student, Heléna volunteered to lead children's High Holiday services at her home away from home, the Oceanside Jewish Center. Her education includes a Master's in Education. She then continued her advanced studies in Jewish education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Heléna also recently completed a two and a half year fellowship in the Leadership Institute. This is a ground-breaking joint program of study for a select cohort of Jewish educators at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Heléna also participated in the New York Board of Jewish Education Family Educator Institute and completed its family education program.
After many years teaching in Hebrew Schools, Heléna became the Director of the Youth House at Temple Israel of Great Neck. In that role, from 1994 to 2002, Heléna was the principal of the Hebrew High School and the director of all youth programming. During her tenure at the Youth House, the number of participants grew from 28 to over 100 and was deemed a great success. From 2002 to 2009 she was on the faculty of the Solomon Schechter High School of Nassau County. At Schechter, Heléna treasured teaching Jewish History, Global Studies and leading a daily minyan. She was also the coordinator of the school Tzibur program which involved the planning and implementation of dynamic school wide activities.
Heléna is married to Steven Eilenberg and has two wonderful children. She loves to sing and enjoys acting both in community theatre and professionally as the historical characters Mary Todd Lincoln and Dona Gracia de Nasi.
Contact Heléna at (516) 378-8384 or heilenberg@merrickjc.org.