Meet Our Team

In 2001, Nancy Ludin’s oldest son chose to do his community service with the Jewish Pavilion. She drove him weekly to Savannah Court to deliver challahs to the residents, and once a month she and her sons worked as servers at their Shabbat dinners. The entire family developed a wonderful rapport with the residents and thoroughly enjoyed their Sabbath meals with the elderly.

Nancy Ludin has been the CEO of the Jewish Pavilion since 2008. With her background in Jewish communal service and social work, the job was a perfect fit for her personality and skills. Nancy has a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees as well as certifications in fundraising and nonprofit management. During her tenure, the agency has expanded, and thousands of seniors have enhanced their connection to the Jewish community. Nancy Ludin moved to Orlando in 2000 to direct the Jewish Federation Campaign. She has served as director of education at a synagogue, marketing director of a school and summer camp, and fundraising director for a Jewish school and synagogue.

Alex was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. At a very young age, she immigrated to Israel with her family, where she resided on the kibbutz. Alex knew very little about Jewish culture, values, and religion as a whole. While living in Israel, she embraced the opportunity to learn Hebrew and the core values of Judaism. Now, Alex is very active in the Jewish community and excited about being a part of the Jewish Pavilion organization.

Alex’s background is in finance, primarily consumer banking, investments, and insurance. She has always cared about her customer’s financial tomorrows. Alex brings her passion and 25+ years in the business world to the Jewish Pavilion. Now she can share her considerable talents in helping seniors stay connected to their Jewish heritage. (Ask her about her Challah recipe!) Alex resides in Orange County with her husband, has two daughters and three precious grandchildren.

Susan Bernstein came to volunteer for the Jewish Pavilion upon her arrival to Orlando in 2014. Monthly Shabbat visits with the Temple Israel Hebrew School students at Brookdale Island Lake enabled Susan to experience firsthand the importance of reaching out to our Jewish senior population. When her mother relocated to a Brookdale community in 2015, she decided to officially join the team of volunteers who provide Shabbat and holiday programs throughout the area. The joy and meaningful engagement that she witnessed while her mother and friends celebrated each week made her decision to accept the position of Jewish Pavilion program director in 2018 an extremely easy one.

Throughout her career as public school music instructor or Judaic studies educator and school director, Susan always made time to volunteer in the various communities she lived in across the country, serving on the chevrah kadisha, tutoring teens and visiting seniors in their independent or assisted living residences. Susan brings her musical skills as song leader and Judaic background to her weekly programs that include 12 facilities in the Longwood, Lake Mary and Sanford communities.

Susan loves to teach and to continue learning from her students and those she comes in contact with. Her love for travel has brought her to Guatemala, where she visits each year in support of the Mayan women artisans in expanding their Fair Trade markets in the States.

Lauren Sharfstein graduated with her BA from UCF.  She held a position at Kinneret Apartments as Activity Director where her love for the Jewish senior community began. When that position was closed, she joined the Board of Trustees (KCOA) for several years to continue to serve this community. After starting her family she taught preschool at the Roth JCC Early Childhood Learning Center where she continued work within the Jewish community.

Lauren joined the Jewish Pavilion team as Program Director in 2022. She brings her knowledge of Judaism, her respect and appreciation for the elder community and her love for people to multiple communities in Altamonte Springs and the surrounding areas

Judy Appleton has recently re-joined the Jewish Pavilion staff (previously 2010-2019). She continues to bring the blessings of Judaism to elders where they live. She happily shares her culture and religion with all, and her programs and services are filled with love, joy, and deep meaning.
A true Florida native, Judy grew up in Central Florida before she moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Family Consumer Sciences with an emphasis in Sociology and Education. Her many years of community service, temple involvement, and experience as an educator gives her a strong background for her role as a Jewish Pavilion Program Director.

Judy speaks proudly and lovingly of her two beautiful daughters and two Grandsons. As a breast cancer survivor, she speaks publicly to educate others on the importance of early detection of cancers. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, travel, live music/entertainment, and supporting the arts. Judy’s personal motto is “Making a difference in the lives of others.”

Dale Danuff grew up in Bethesda, MD.  She moved to Florida to attend FSU, where she met her husband, Ed, at Hillel.  Dale graduated from FSU with a BA in Psychology and an MA in Counseling. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and practiced in her field until her first daughter, Jennifer, was born.

Dale and Ed moved to Orlando in 1998. She taught Hebrew school during college and once again when she moved to Orlando. Dale volunteered at the Roth JCC and the Seminole County schools her children attended. After her second daughter Shayna began kindergarten, she became a substitute teacher and continues to substitute for grade levels K-12 in the local schools.      

Dale has kept herself busy over the years, volunteering at The Jewish Pavilion, her synagogue, and other non-profits. She continues to volunteer at many of the Jewish Pavilion events. Dale remembers her daughters helping her deliver challahs to the residents on Friday afternoons, and playing her guitar and bringing her dog to visit.

Dale looks forward to her new role as Administrative Assistant with The Jewish Pavilion. In her free time she loves swimming, tennis, traveling and, most importantly, spending time with her family and friends

Alan Byrd founded Alan Byrd & Associates in 2009. Since its inception, Alan Byrd & Associates has worked with dozens of clients to help develop and grow their brand through public relations, marketing, public affairs and business development.

For over a decade, Alan Byrd worked for Orlando Business Journal and covered tourism, transportation and sports business. Later, he worked as their Director of Marketing.  Alan oversaw the newspaper’s events and its growth in circulation.

Since leaving reporting, Alan Byrd has been in a leadership position on more than a dozen community boards. One of his most significant accomplishments is his fundraising for charities. He has also written several award-winning books and excels at public speaking.

Alan married Orange County School Board member Melissa Byrd in 1998 and the two of them have two daughters.  During his free time, Alan enjoys fishing and hunting and plays guitar and sings with several local groups and solo.