Ilana Ressler and Jared Dinkes are the extremely proud parents of Jack (WDS ’25), Anabelle (WDS ’28), and Eliora (WDS ’32). They live in New Rochelle and are members of the Young Israel of New Rochelle. Their journey to Westchester Day School began, at least in part, thanks to the Ducky Bus—which may not have been the most conventional way to choose a school but turned out to be a very good one. They have loved WDS ever since and have come to cherish its close-knit community, incredible teachers, and rich Jewish environment.
 
Professionally, Jared is an attorney at Finn Dixon & Herling LLP, where he is Co-Chair of the Corporate Department and focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions. Ilana is a reproductive endocrinologist and Partner at Illume Fertility, where she helps individuals and families on their journeys to parenthood.

Jared has served on the WDS Board of Trustees since 2019 and recently completed his tenure as President of the Board. During his time on the Board, he has served on the Executive Committee and Finance Committee, as a member of the Head of School Coaching and Evaluation Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Development Committee. In other words, once Jared decided to get involved at WDS, he apparently took the assignment rather seriously. Outside of WDS, he previously served on the Board of Directors of Hillel at Binghamton.
 
Ilana has been equally committed to the WDS community. She currently serves as Vice President – Middle School of the WDS PTO and has served as a parent class liaison for more years than she can recall—which is probably the clearest sign that she has been doing it for a very long time. Beyond WDS, Ilana founded the Westchester branch of Sharsheret’s Pies for Prevention Thanksgiving Program, bringing members of the community together in support of an important cause while overloading their home double oven.

For Jared and Ilana, what has always made WDS special is that it is much more than a school. It is a community in which their children have been known, supported, challenged, and loved; a place where outstanding secular and Judaic education is paired with deep Jewish values and connection. They are enormously grateful to the teachers, administrators, staff, fellow parents, and friends who have made WDS such an important part of their family’s lives. What began with a bus has become one of the most meaningful communities their family has ever been fortunate enough to call home.