Ellie Kastel

Ellie Kastel has been an active part of the Boro Park YM-YWHA team for over 30 years. A graduate of Brooklyn College and the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, she began her career as a Program Assistant with the East Flatbush Rugby YM-YWHA in 1975 and has been the Executive Director of the Boro Park YM-YWHA since 2008.

With her civic mindedness and professionalism, Ms. Kastel has proved she is a diligent and steadfast woman, known throughout her community for her spirit of unity and cooperation. During her time at the Boro Park YM-YWHA, she has been involved with the development of programs that have met the unique needs and interests of the community. The Department for the Aging-funded Senior Center, Summer Day Camp, The Girls Sunday Program, the Boys Friday and Sunday afternoon programs and the Adult Activities were all designed to provide a wide range of social, cultural education and creative needs. 

Unwavering in her commitment to help members of her community, Ms. Kastel is actively involved in the YM-YWHA’s program for Holocaust Survivors, Club Nissim, which began in 2001. With funding from UJA/Federation of New York and the Claims Conference, Club Nissim has been a model program, both in the community and across the country, for service to the Holocaust Survivors, providing social adult services and activities that enable all those enrolled to remain active and vibrant members of the community. In addition, Club Nissim has published three volumes of memoirs of the survivors. Together with her hard working staff, Ms. Kastel has been able to create a full service community center. 

While vigilantly seeing to the needs of others, Ms. Kastel also serves as a field instructor for several schools of social work and has participated in community task forces in the area of Hospice Care and Social Work services in the community. She is married to Dr. Nathan Kahn, a retired professor of accounting, and has three children and several grandchildren.