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 to help 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!

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, Assistant 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 Judea 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!

 

Danny Tuchman, Director of Operations and Jewish Life

Danny started his Camp Judaea journey in 1978 and has been a camper, madrich, and merakez at camp. He has worked in Education for 17 years as a Teacher and High School Principal at the North Broward Preparatory School and the Posnack School in South Florida. Danny also served as a member of CJ’s Board of Directors and Executive Board for many years. He was CJ’s Director of Education during the summers of 2018 and 2019 and is thrilled to now come back “home” as a full time member of camp’s year-round professional staff.

Danny earned a BA in Politics and Middle Eastern Studies from Princeton University and a JD from Georgetown University. He also has an EdS degree in Educational Leadership from Walden University. In addition, Danny is a graduate of the Certificate in Jewish Leadership Program offered jointly by Northwestern University and the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership.

He is married to his CJ sweetheart, Gila (Chesnoff), and has three children Coby, Adina and Liora, who each have rich CJ histories of their own. Danny believes strongly in Camp Judaea’s mission of providing campers and staff a rich Jewish and Zionist summer experience that will inspire them to be future leaders of the Jewish global community.

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.

Robert Durmire, Caretaker

 

Camp Judaea, Inc.
Board of Directors

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

CJ Property, Inc. Board of Directors

Our Camp Judaea Property Board of Directors, comprised of builders, architects and attorneys ensures that our spectacular property and facilities continue to offer a high quality environment for our camp experiences. These Camp Judaea leaders and ambassadors are constantly envisioning new and renovated facilities as well as ensuring that sufficient resources are available to bring them to realization.

• Mindy Opper, Chair (North Caldwell, NJ)
• Rachel Wein, President (St. Petersburg, FL)
• Robert Steinberg (Charleston, SC)
• Diane Taub (Aventura, FL)
• Farlen Halikman, CPA Treasurer (Casselberry, FL)
• Lisa Synalovski (Plantation, FL)