Natalie O’Brien

Natalie O’Brien

Assistant Preschool Director at Robert J. Wilf Preschool and Kindergarten

Hometown: Havertown, PA
Favorite Jewish Holiday: Purim
Favorite Philly Food: Soft Pretzels

I have been working at the JCC for over 25 years! It’s definitely my home away from home! There is truly a family atmosphere here with all of our staff. We truly care about one another, our families, and our program. We work very hard behind the scenes to make this school the best we can and care deeply about the results of our efforts! My husband and I have been together since high school and we have three children. Our son and two daughters all attended preschool here at the Robert J. Wilf Preschool and Kindergarten (many years ago)! They have also worked during the summer here at Camp Kef. I don’t have much free time but if I could choose my most relaxing thing to do, it would be sitting in a chair by the water’s edge on the beach!!

What makes you most proud of your work at the JCC?

I’m proud of the connections I build with staff, families, and the children – especially my “favorites”! 😉 I go above and beyond, putting my all into everything I do. I’m an overthinker and want things to make sense. I think things through, going over issues that might arise (even if they don’t). My goal is always to make things work and make as many people happy as possible. I’m proud that I do my part to try and give our JCC families and visitors the best experience possible. Following through with things that are asked of me and listening to what people need is important to me. I’m honest and tell it like it is, staying true to who I am. I care deeply about the JCC, and I take things that happen here personally because it feels like a reflection of me. I’m proud of my ideas and suggestions that work and sometimes I can even say, “I told ya so!”

What’s one amazing thing you do at the JCC that most people might not know about? 

There are a lot of things I do every day that might go unnoticed! In the preschool when people say things like “they’ll do that”, “they’ll handle it”, “they’ll get that”, “they’ll fix it” or “they’ll straighten this up” – most of the time, that “they” is me! One thing that’s not really something amazing but something people might not know I did – this year I created our preschool wall calendar. It was my first time making a calendar and I was pretty happy with the result!

What’s something you do outside of the JCC?

Honestly, not much – I am here a lot! I do have three grown children and a husband, and I like spending time with them. I like going out to eat, watching movies and true crime documentaries, going to the ballet or a theater show. I love the beach in the summer and also go for long weekend trips down the shore with my cousins or friends even in the winter (so I should say I like cousins and friends who own beach houses) or really just being able to do nothing when I can!