After 14 years of leadership, Sid Jacobson JCC announced today that executive director David Black will retire, effective at the end of business on Friday, October 31.
Black will be succeeded by Michael Schlank on November 3, a respected nonprofit executive with a distinguished career in Jewish communal service, education and public policy.
“I have never worked with a more responsive, generous or caring community in my fifty years of nonprofit community work. Every day has been a gift,” said Black in a press release.
Since assuming the role of executive director in 2011, Black has transformed Sid Jacobson JCC into a premier hub for Jewish life, wellness and community on Long Island. His tenure has been marked by cornerstone achievements that have expanded the JCC’s reach, strengthened its cultural presence and deepened its impact on individuals and families across the greater New York City metropolitan area.
“David’s humanity and deep love of Jewish life shaped our community center from a local gathering place into a true powerhouse organization,” said Stuart Tauber, the senior vice president, UJA-Federation of New York. “Under his leadership, the Center grew into a hub that not only enriched Jewish life on Long Island, but also touched the very best of our community’s spiritual, cultural, and social offerings.”
Black’s Accomplishments
Among his many accomplishments, Black spearheaded the creation of Long Island’s only center for Israel, now partnering with more than 40 organizations and welcoming over 5,000 attendees annually to Israelfest, Long Island’s largest celebration of Israel.
He founded the Center for Community Engagement, which addresses food insecurity for more than 70 local families through the J’s Nikki Schwartz Memorial Community Needs Bank, and mobilizes over 15,000 hours of volunteer service each year.
Under Black’s direction, Sid Jacobson JCC’s Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center expanded into a full-time service center, providing life-changing support at no cost to thousands of individuals touched by cancer and their loved ones. The J’s Gayle Berg Center for Resilience was established to help Long Islanders manage the stresses of modern life, offering resources that reflect a forward-thinking approach to mental health and well-being.
Black also inspired the formation of the Long Island Jewish Coalition, the inaugural Long Island Jewish Conference and the Beresheet Festival, each fostering unity and Jewish identity across the region.
“I’m leaving content in the knowledge that my successor is a gifted, talented professional with a large heart,” Black said. “My legacy will not live on in any center I brought to life. Rather, I hope it will be in carrying forward and uplifting the proud tradition of our local Jewish community by sustaining a value-driven center that welcomes all cultures.”
The Next Executive Director
Following an extensive search, Sid Jacobson JCC’s Board of Directors named Schlank as Black’s successor. A Long Island native, Schlank recently served as CEO of NJY Camps, the largest residential Jewish summer camp organization in North America.
“It’s with great pride we welcome Michael to our JCC family. With the full faith of our Board of Directors and staff, we are excited by the possibilities this new chapter offers us and our community,” said Nancy Waldbaum, board president of Sid Jacobson JCC.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Michael as the new Executive Director of Sid Jacobson JCC. His deep ties to Long Island, combined with his proven ability as a bridge builder, make him the ideal candidate,” Tauber added. “He personally cherishes the Jewish values that guide our Center’s activities and will ensure they remain at the heart of everything we do.”
Arriving at NJY Camps in 2020, Schlank successfully guided that agency through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while introducing nationally recognized innovations that gained widespread attention from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, The Jewish Standard, and The Jewish Link.
“It’s truly the honor of a lifetime to return to Long Island, the place where I was born and raised, to lead an organization as special as Sid Jacobson JCC,” said Schlank. “This community is already renowned for its embrace of joyous Judaism, its passionate love for Israel and its enduring commitment to the broader community. SJJCC is a place where Jewish values are not just taught but lived, and shared with all who walk through our doors.”
Further Background
Additionally, Schlank’s leadership journey includes more than a decade in senior roles at Oasis Children’s Services, where he ascended to the title of EVP in 2013. In 2019, he was selected as an OnBoard Legacy Heritage Fellow at NYU Wagner School of Public Policy, further honing his skills as a nonprofit leader.
Over the years, Schlank has acted as a policy advisor, political aide, press advisor, and fundraiser at the local, national and international levels. Complementing his professional background, Schlank has held positions on the Security Committee, Board of Trustees, Executive Committee and as president of his synagogue, along with the Board of Hofstra Hillel. He’s a member of the AIPAC Long Island Council.
Schlank received his MS.Ed. from Long Island University and an Advanced Certificate in Educational Leadership from Stony Brook University after completing his undergraduate studies at the University at Albany, and an MA from Hofstra University.
“With his vision and leadership, my colleagues and I are confident the healthy relationship between Sid Jacobson JCC and the UJA will grow even stronger in the years ahead,” said Tauber.
Schlank said while we’re living through times of unprecedented change both globally and within the Jewish community, the JCC stands as a crucial point of stability and connection in this rapid flux, where the familiar can “sometimes feel like it’s slipping away.”
With this transition, Sid Jacobson JCC celebrates the extraordinary impact of David Black’s 14-year tenure and welcomes Michael Schlank, whose experience and vision will guide the agency forward.
