The Sid Jacobson JCC named Lauren Chizner as the new director of Sid Jacobson JCC’s Ruth & Saul Weinberger Center for Jewish Life + Learning this month.
Chizner has been a Jewish educator for almost 30 years and continues to serve as the Religious School Director at Port Jewish Center in Port Washington and Temple Beth El of Huntington.
In her new role, Chizner is tasked with helping elevate Jewish life within the framework of the JCC.
“My main responsibility is really understanding what our constituents, our adults, our seniors, our teens, our families are looking for, and how we can be a vehicle for them for Jewish life,” Chizner said. “Everyone has different needs. Everybody has different ways of being Jewish. And this is a Jewish community center, not a synagogue, so it’s the programs, it’s in the holiday celebrations that we can provide.”
Chizner earned a joint master’s degree in Jewish education and Jewish communal service from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles.
Before her current roles, she spent six years as the director of education at Temple Beth El of Great Neck. She served as an educational consultant for SAJES (now known as The Jewish Education Project), working with congregations across Long Island.
In addition to operating out of synagogues, Chizner worked 18 summers as the Director of Jewish Life at URJ Crane Lake Camp, bringing Judaism to life for all campers and staff. She was also the liaison for all Israeli staff at camp.
Chizner has been the administrator for Project Understanding, a non-profit grassroots organization on Long Island, founded by Roger Tilles and the late Father Tom Hartman. Project Understanding has provided a vehicle for Catholic and Jewish high school students to gain a greater knowledge of their own and each other’s religion through experiences on Long Island.
In her new role at the JCC, Chizner is planning holiday celebrations and observances for community members to enjoy, she said.
“More immediately, I’m working on a commemoration for Oct. 7,” Chizner said. “As well as a Simchat Torah festival, bringing together all of the congregations in the area to remember, celebrate and observe.”
Chizner is originally from Houston, Texas. She and Rabbi Todd Chizner met during their first year of study at HUC in Jerusalem. They lived in Los Angeles for two years and have lived on Long Island since 1997. Together, they are the proud parents of Jacob, Jed and Rachel.
To learn more about the Sid Jacobson JCC, visit sjjcc.org
