Yeshiva Ketana of Manhattan has been proudly serving the community for 37 years.
Its goal: to provide a quality Torah education to children on the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side, as well as in Riverdale and surrounding areas. YKOM’s pioneering preschool is ultra-modern in its methods and approach, and its facilities are cutting edge and forward thinking.
YKOM welcomes families across the religious spectrum,
providing strong kodesh and general studies education to all its students. Its high teacher-student ratio means personal attention for every student.
From your child’s first day at school, the menahel, rebbeim, and teachers have a growth mindset, focusing not just on his academic success, but also on his overall development. Together with you, he is gently and lovingly pushed toward success.
37 years old
180 students
40+ members of staff
Faculty Snapshots
Rabbi Ari Schonfeld, Menahel
Rabbi Schonfeld, master mechanech and educational visionary, joined YKOM as menahel and head of school after serving as eighth-grade rebbe and mashgiach ruchani in Passaic for almost a decade, bringing with him unsurpassed creative energy and dynamic leadership. Renowned for his groundbreaking and transformative programs, Rabbi Schonfeld’s success extends beyond the standard classroom to unparalleled extracurricular activities and annual summer camps.
More recently, Rabbi Schonfeld earned international acclaim for his initiative “Night Seder America,” an interactive Zoom learning seder for middle-school boys, which he launched at the start of Covid-19, and which drew and inspired over 5,000 boys across the globe.
We are thrilled to have Rabbi Schonfeld at the helm of YKOM.
Mr. Scott Miller, Executive Director
Scott Miller is a seasoned Jewish communal professional who has dedicated his career to serving Jewish schools and programs. Bringing his extraordinary capacity for vision, strategy, and collaboration to each endeavor, Mr. Miller has served as the Executive Director of YKOM for more than two decades, overseeing all aspects of the business side of the school, the facilities, capital campaigns, and yearly fundraising for the Yeshiva. In addition to ensuring that the lights stay on, Scott has his hand in the day-to-day details of all areas of the Yeshiva’s functioning from overseeing security and lunch programs to coordinating bussing, and serving as an ambassador to new, returning, and alumni families. In addition, Scott serves as the director of Camp Topeinu, the summer program affiliated with YKOM.
Mr. Miller's intimate knowledge of and deep care for each student, faculty member, family, and brick of the building helps maintain YKOM's excellence in every way.
Ms. Eileen Dahan, General Studies Principal
With over thirty years of experience in education, Ms. Dahan has rightfully earned a reputation as a master educator, who motivates her students and is unconditionally devoted to them. In a previous position, Ms. Dahan developed a humanities curriculum and co-authored a curriculum for Holocaust studies. At YKOM, she oversees staff, crafts and revises curricula focused on our school’s needs, and provides mentoring support for both new and experienced teachers through workshops, teacher training, and coaching. One of her key goals is to foster a learning environment that addresses each student's social, emotional, and educational needs, and instills a growth mindset in teachers and students alike.
Morah Adina Deckelbaum, Preschool Director
Morah Adina Deckelbaum, our beloved preschool director, has two master’s degrees and twenty years of experience in special and early childhood education and administration. Under her guidance, our preschool has become celebrated for its fusion of warmth, care, and academic excellence. With a reputation as an exceptional teacher trainer, Morah Adina is renowned for her ability to nurture and motivate each child with love, in the belief that learning should be child directed and absorbed through play.
Morah Adina’s preschool methodology contains elements of all progressive learning styles, as she keeps up with all the latest trends and modes of early childhood development.
