Leadership Team

Lori Zeligman,  Director

Lori has a long history with Young Judaea and Camp Judaea as a camper, staffer, and Assistant Director (2009-2011 & 2018-2021).

Lori has a BA in Judaic Studies from the American Jewish University, a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education from Siegal College of Case Western University, and a certificate in HR management from the University of Georgia. While in college, Lori studied abroad in Israel at Ben-Gurion University and discovered her love to travel all over the world.

After leaving CJ in 2011, Lori worked at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta as the Director of Camp Isidore Alterman. Then she worked in corporate as a Human Resources Generalist at BrandBank. Being extremely passionate about Informal Jewish experiences, Lori returned to Camp Judaea in 2018. 

Lori is originally from Augusta, GA but currently resides in Atlanta where she was recently awarded 2022 Top 40 under 40 by The Atlanta Jewish Times. Lori is currently taking the Associate Visitor Course with the American Camp Association in hopes of helping other camps in their accreditation process. 

Lori met her husband, Michael, at Camp Judaea and they love sharing the CJ experience with their children, Molly and Bram. Lori’s favorite activity at camp is Rikkud and you can find her every Saturday night, at Havdallah, dancing on the basketball court with the campers and staff!

Joseph Zeuner,  Director of Program and Strategy

Joseph Zeuner grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, and has been very involved in Camp Judaea as a camper, counselor, photographer, Rosh Operations, and most recently as Rosh Machane. Over the past few years, Joseph has led the development and implementation of our new teen leadership programs: the Gesher Counselor Cohort and the Atid Leadership Seminar.

Joseph has a BA in Sustainability and Commerce and a minor in Computer Science from New York University. He participated in the Kivunim gap year program where he lived in Israel for a year and studied global Jewry. While at NYU Joseph served as the President of Hillel and worked as an intern at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life. He received the Betty Weissman Scholarship for Jewish Student Leadership and the Bronfman Center Exemplar of Excellence Award for his work in the Jewish community. He worked in e-commerce operations after graduating from NYU and is now working at Camp Judaea full-time. Joseph is currently a participant in the M²: Institute for Experiential Jewish Education Atlanta Educator Cohort.

Joseph’s background in operations and Jewish experiences brings a unique perspective to the Camp Judaea team. In his current role, Joseph works strategically to innovate and improve across the organization and serves as the Rosh Machane leading the summer program and Merakzim (unit head) team.

Joseph is passionate about experiential Judaism, pluralism, and all things tech. He loves to spend time outdoors and is so excited to spend this upcoming summer in Hendersonville with our camp community.

Ilana Schlam, Assistant Director

Ilana grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana and was very involved in Young Judaea in her teen years, both in year round programming and summer camping. She then attended college the University of Georgia and during her time there, was both a Young Judaea year round advisor and staff member at Camp Judaea in the summers. After graduation, Ilana was the Childrens Programming Director and Day Camps Assistant Director at the Metairie JCC in Louisiana. When Katrina hit, Ilana decided to make a transition and started working professionally with Camp Judaea. From 2006-2009 Ilana served as CJ’s assistant director, and so for Ilana, this is a return home.

When deciding to start her family, Ilana took a year-round role closer to home and for the last twelve years, she has worked at Atlanta’s Marcus Jewish Community Center as the Director of Day Camps at Shirley Blumenthal Park and then the Director of Theme Camps at Zaban Park. These programs host over 1700 campers a summer across the board which is a massive and impressive operation. In addition, Ilana has spoken at the Tri State camping conference which is one of the largest camping conferences in the world twice now about effectively running Theme Camps. In short, Ilana has been a camping professional for over 20 years and brings additional depth and complementary experience and skills to our staff. 

Ilana is married to Greg Schlam, also a long-time CJ camper and staff member and a former professional staff member at CJ as well. Greg and Ilana have two children, Payton — who spent her first summer at CJ this year — and her younger brother Hunter who is so excited to start his CJ journey. 

Tamar Sternfeld, Camper Experience Director

Tamar Sternfeld is no stranger to Jewish camp. Whether growing up as a camper at Camp Livingston or during her summers spent working at Camp Livingston, Camp Tamarack, or with BBYO at Camp Perlman, Jewish camp has always been a part of her life. After finishing graduate school, she ran Camp JCC at the Shaw JCC in Akron, Ohio and Camp Baker at the Charleston JCC before going to work for BBYO.

Tamar holds a bachelors degree in Religious Studies, masters degrees in Jewish Communal Service and Social Work and a bachelors degree in nursing and has spent summers at Camp Judaea as both Camp Social Worker and as a part of our nursing team.

Though she grew up as a BBYOer, her family’s Young Judaea roots run deep. Tamar’s husband, Scott, attended Camp Young Judaea Midwest and was an active Young Judean in the Chicagoland Area and they have been a part of the CJ family since 2014. Their children, Hadassah, David, and Noam have been attending CJ ever since! We are so excited to have Hadassah as a part of our Tzevet (staff) this summer!

In addition to her love of Jewish camp, Tamar has a love of all things tie dye, music, and cheering on her alma mater, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini!

Tamar looks forward to getting to know all of the campers and their families!

Gayle Kaplan, Camp Administrator

Gayle Kaplan, our Camp Administrator, works full-time for Camp Judaea. During the academic year, she runs the office in Atlanta and then moves to camp in Hendersonville, NC for the summer season. Gayle joined us with many years of experience, both as a camp-mom and as our camp administrator. Organized, thorough, and personable, Gayle is a leader in her field. Her sunny disposition is well-known among campers, counselors, staff, and parents.

Gayle lives in Marietta, GA with her husband, Seth, and her two children. Originally from South Florida, she has been a part of the southern Jewish community her whole life. Gayle is eager to answer your questions and help each camp family get the most from their summers at Camp Judaea.

Jeremy Serkin, Development Officer

Jeremy was born and raised in Florida and maintains a lifelong connection with Israel and Jewish programming. He attended Jewish summer camps and the Alexander Muss High School in Israel — and also previously served as a summer camp counselor.

Jeremy came to Camp Judaea after 10 years in higher education, where he guided communications, institutional campaigns and strategic projects at the University of Virginia and UNC School of the Arts. He previously worked in the high-tech sector, and his Jewish professional experience includes managing campaign communications and donor stewardship for the Anti-Defamation League in New York City.

While at ADL, Jeremy led a summer Taglit-Birthright Israel trip. He also competed for the United States in the 17th & 18th World Maccabiah Games in Israel. And as a college intern with the Ziv Tzedakah Fund in Jerusalem, Jeremy helped introduce USY Pilgrimage participants to Danny Siegel’s famous mitzvah heroes.

Jeremy earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Florida. He lives in Winston-Salem with his wife Maria and two daughters, and is active in its quintessentially small southern Jewish community. He has served on the board of governors at Temple Emanuel in Winston-Salem and the Winston Under-40 Advisory Board. He is a recipient of the Winston Under-40 Leadership Award and is an Ambassador for Greater Winston-Salem, Inc.

Jeremy is eager to build meaningful relationships with CJ alumni, families and friends throughout the Carolinas, the South and beyond.

 

Camp Judaea, Inc.
Board of Directors

  • Mindy Opper, Chair (North Caldwell, NJ)
  • Civia Gerber, First Vice Chair (Atlanta, GA)
  • Daniel Cook, Vice Chair (Maplewood, NJ)
  • Elisheva Funk, Vice Chair (Dunwoody, GA)
  • Marion Aronheim (Lake Worth, FL)
  • David Berlin (Boston, MA)
  • Tracy Cohn (Birmingham, AL)
  • Danny Frastai (Cooper City, FL)
  • Kathy Hess (Montgomery, AL)
  • Dorrie Kahn (Davie, FL)
  • Charlie Kauss (Atlanta, GA)
  • Ari Kurtz (Atlanta, GA)
  • Herbie Loebl (Hollywood, FL)
  • Daniel Malino (Atlanta, GA)
  • Robin Mendelson (Davie, FL)
  • Jason Parker (Marietta, GA)
  • Amanda Shames Pollack (Miami, FL)
  • Pip Spandorfer (Atlanta, GA)
  • Aaron Strasser (Greensboro, NC)
  • Hal Ungar (Metairie, LA)
  • Lori Zeligman, Camp Director (Ex Officio)

CJ Property, Inc. Board of Directors

  • Rachel Wein, President (St. Petersburg, FL)
  • Mindy Opper, Chair (North Caldwell, NJ)
  • Michele Burger (Miami Beach, FL)
  • Farlen Halikman, CPA Treasurer (Casselberry, FL)
  • Robert Steinberg (Charleston, SC)
  • Diane Taub (Atlanta, GA)