Karen grew up in northern New Jersey and attended Jewish day school through eighth grade, instilling in her the value of a Jewish education. During high school, she spent several summers in Israel, which cemented her love for the country and its people, and she has returned to Israel many times since.
Karen and Noah met at Johns Hopkins. It won’t surprise anyone who knows her that Karen studied political science in college. She also worked in the Senate and the Department of Agriculture while living in Baltimore. After graduation, Karen worked for several consulting firms as a research analyst.
Since Karen first set foot in her kids’ nursery school, she has been a parent volunteer and never looked back. She became more and more involved over the years at Schechter Westchester/Leffell School and has served as PTO Co-President, a Trustee (chairing the development committee and the governance committee), and ultimately as Board President from 2022-2024. She always has loved being in school, knowing the wonderful people who make it run, and having the opportunity to meet so many parents. When Karen is not volunteering for The Leffell School or other organizations, she enjoys sports (go Yankees!), music, and crossword puzzles.
Noah grew up in Baltimore, where he played high school sports and excelled at all things computer related. At Johns Hopkins, he majored in economics and applied math and became an actuary. Shortly after graduating, he had an opportunity to work on Wall Street as an analyst and moved to New York. Noah continues to work in finance as a portfolio manager at a hedge fund in Connecticut.
One of Noah’s favorite things is golf, which has been central in his involvement at Schechter/Leffell. He was a co-chair of the M. Mac Schwebel z”l Golf & Tennis Classic committee for many years and continues to attend the annual event. He has been an amazing supporter of Karen in her many activities at school, graciously attending countless events at her side. When Noah is not on the golf course, he loves to play poker, talk about poker, read about poker, and dissect every hand he plays. He also is a terrific cook and loves a great glass of wine.
Karen and Noah have lived in Westchester for more than 25 years. They have three daughters: Adina, who is an epidemiologist; Maya, an apartment leasing agent; and Ari, who graduated from The Leffell School in 2023 and is now a sophomore at Barnard College.
Being part of the Schechter/Leffell School kehilah has been a special honor for the Estrins — it has been the source of so many incredible friendships and innumerable memories, with many more to come. Noah and Karen are humbled to be recognized by this wonderful community, which has been central to their family for over 20 years.
