Our Education Director

Mike Wikes, Education Director

Mike is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Davidson School, with a Masters in Jewish Education, and of Boston University, with a BFA in Drama. Before joining West End Synagogue, he spent nine years at Congregation Beth Emeth in Herndon, Virginia, where he served in a number of roles, including teacher, family educator, youth director and program director. He produced a wide range of very popular interactive family learning programs with a special focus on parent-child encounters (mifgash). This experience is already yielding outstanding results in the form of our WES Shabbat family services and learning programs.

In addition to his work in Jewish education and programming and an earlier career in business, Mike is also a professional actor. He is a member of Actor's Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild, with credits in theater, TV and film. He was in the pilot episode of Law and Order and played an attorney in the film Reversal of Fortune. On stage, he co-starred in Old Business at the Public Theater and in the Long Wharf Theater production of Self Defense at the Joyce Theater.

He also sits on the board of the Jewish Institute for Youth and Family, based in Reston, VA, where he helped develop curricula for two courses in their ‘Becoming a Mensch’ Series.

Mike is the father of two adult children, David, 30, and Marissa, 26, and for 32 years has been married to Wendy, an RN at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Mike is always eager to speak with our current and prospective JFLL families and WES members at large. To make an appointment, or to express your ideas and suggestions about our unique brand of Jewish education, email mwikes [at] westendsynagogue [dot] org.