Crisis Response

Jamie Simon (she/her) is the Chief Program Officer at Foundation for Jewish Camp. In this role, Jamie oversees programs, strategy, and innovation. Prior to joining FJC, Jamie was the Chief Executive Officer of Tawonga Jewish Community Corporation, also known as Camp Tawonga. Jamie is an experienced leader and trainer in crisis and incident response.

Rabbi Avi Orlow (he/him) joined the Foundation for Jewish Camp in 2008. Prior to that, Avi was the Campus Rabbi and Assistant Director of the St. Louis Hillel at Washington University and has held numerous positions as rabbi, educator, and youth leader. He spent 17 years as a camper and then educator at Ramah Camps in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and YUSSR camps in the Former Soviet Union. Avi has a B.A. in Religious Studies from Columbia University. He was ordained in the charter class at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, the open Orthodox rabbinical school.

Additional members of FJC’s team may be assigned to assist you during a crisis. Read more about our full-time staff here. 

David Berkman (he/him) is an experienced and enthusiastic executive with a proven track record in non-profit, risk, and crisis management. David’s passion for enhancing society and helping individuals is a driving force behind his dynamic leadership and problem-solving skills. 

David spent 25 years honing his expertise in leadership development, youth development, risk management, and camping at the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). He held various senior positions, including Associate Director of Camping and Israel Programs and the inaugural director of URJ Camp Kalsman. Notably, David played a critical role as the health, safety, and security expert for URJ programs, managing the URJ’s major events and their COVID-19 response and ensuring successful program openings for the 2021 season. 

After leaving the URJ, David founded Berkman and Brown LLC, assisting clients across the United States with their needs. His depth of experience, approachability, and calm in crises have made him an effective interim executive director, executive mentor, and incident commander. David is also recognized as an engaging and powerful group facilitator and trainer, known for his ability to inspire and educate diverse audiences. 

A Colorado native who grew up in Texas, David holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in management from the University of Denver. A former firefighter and EMT, David enjoys spending his free time exploring the Pacific Northwest with his wife, two children, and labrador retriever. 

Jonah Canner (he/him) is an ambassador from the world we have not yet built. He believes in people, community, and the sacred obligation we have to make positive change in the world around us. Jonah’s primary areas of focus include racial equity, restorative justice, experiential education, and working through conflict. He has worked as a classroom teacher, a summer camp director, and a consultant offering mentoring, training, and support for individuals and organizations. Jonah has a Masters in Education from the New School University and is currently on the faculty of the Avodah institute for Social Change, the Institute for Democratic Education in America, and the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Cornerstone Fellowship. He is also the incoming Education Fellow in the Religion and Public Life program at the Harvard Divinity School. In his free time, Jonah is writing a collection of memoir essays that explore questions of grief, identity, ancestry, and place. Jonah was born in New York City, raised in New Jersey, and currently lives between New York, California, and New Mexico. 

Susie Charendoff (she/her) brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial vision, operational experience and strategic communication, along with a passion for the power of Jewish camping. She has over 25 years experience growing startups and transforming mature businesses as a change management leader with companies in the US and Canada. She spent nearly 2 decades helping to build Antheus Capital which she joined as a startup. She worked in nearly every part of the company leading initiatives in strategy, operations, marketing and human resources before ultimately heading investor relations. She is known for her ability to build relationships and culture.

Susie took a hiatus from the corporate scene and spent five summers working at Camp Ramah Nyack, initially on the ropes course,ֶ and then joining the leadership team as Program Director. In 2022 she worked at Camp Ramah Darom as a Yoetzet where she was responsible for camper care and staff development for the oldest campers giving her a fresh perspective into the challenges facing camps over the last few years.

Most recently, Susie successfully served as interim director at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires during a leadership transition where she helped position the camp for a successful 2022 season.

A proud Canadian, Susie holds a Bachelors of Commerce in organizational development from McGill University and an MBA from the University of Toronto. She has served on a number of not-for-profit boards including the Ramah Nyack Advisory Committee where she headed their HR Committee, as well as serving on the Parent Liaison Committee at SAR High School. She loves to hike, dance, travel and all outdoor activities.

Ari Geller (he/him) brings more than two decades of experience in counseling clients on achieving their goals through strategic communications. He employs a wide range of strategies, leveraging his expertise in crisis communications and messaging development. Ari has worked extensively with universities, campus Jewish organizations, and other institutions, guiding them through challenging moments. 

Previously, Ari served as managing partner at West End Strategy Team until January 2024. In this role, he oversaw the firm’s client service teams and directed the implementation of strategies to advance WEST’s clients’ agendas. 

Ari’s experience spans government, the nonprofit sector, and the private sector. He has helped position elected officials, NGOs, companies, and institutions to meet challenges and create opportunities. 

Ari graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a degree in Political Science and Communication Arts. 

Dr. David McCarty-Caplan (he/him) is a social researcher, educator, writer, and advocate with over 10 years of experience conducting research projects related to identity development, organizational support of underserved populations, and pursuit of social justice. David currently is the Director of Research and Evaluation for Jewtina y Co., an organization dedicated to exploring the intersections of Latin and Jewish culture and identities. He holds a PhD in social work, and served as Associate Professor of Social Work at California State University, Northridge from 2015-2022, where he focused on anti-oppressive and equity-informed pedagogy and research.  David also works as a consultant, focusing on equity, justice, and inclusion efforts in both Jewish and secular communities and organizations. He additionally consults with organizations, families, and individuals exploring adoption-related issues around identity development, and race/racism. A Latino adopted Jew himself, the combination of David’s lived experience as a transracial adoptee and professional skill-set as a researcher and educator provide unique and valuable expertise that inform his wide variety of projects and contributions. 

Rabbi Deborah Newbrun (she/her) was the Director of Camp Tawonga for 24 years. Her career as a Jewish leader (particularly in Jewish environmental education) spans more than 35 years, including 4 years as Hazon’s Bay Area Director and serving on the founding boards of Wilderness Torah and Bay COJEL (Coalition for Jews and the Environment).  

Deborah is a nationally recognized Jewish educator and is a recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award. Her groundbreaking work as co-author of Spirit In Nature: Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail paved the way for the early curriculum of the Teva Learning Center. Deborah is also the co-founder and director of SVARA’s Queer Talmud Camp. Currently, Deborah is the founder and Executive Director of Divorce and Discovery New Visions for Jewish Healing whose animating purpose is to create a sea change in how the contemporary Jewish community responds to Divorce. 

Shalom Orzach (he/him) is a senior educator and consultant for the iCenter and serves on faculty for the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Prior, he served as the AVI CHAI Project Director and Director of Education in the Shlichut and Israel Fellows unit for the Jewish Agency. In this role, he trained thousands of summer camp shlichim and ran a variety of seminars in Israel and North America for North American staff and camp directors. Through the FJC Hiddur Program he coached Executive Directors and their boards as they implemented their strategic plans. He has also served as a consultant for the Jim Joseph Foundation and the Jewish Peoplehood Committee. 

Stefan Teodosic (he/him) is the founder and principal of Maverick Soul Consulting  – www.mavericksoulconsulting.com.   He has worked for over 25 years building teams, designing visions, creating/implementing strategies, managing change, and coaching.  Prior to starting Maverick Soul, he spent almost 2 decades in the Jewish camp space, most recently as the Executive Director of Beber Camp, Perlman Camp and the Perlman Retreat Center.  He also worked in strategic planning at American Express and has deep experience in consulting, executive coaching, and training/facilitating groups of professional and lay leaders.  Stefan has worked with numerous organizations across a variety of sectors in the Jewish community including overnight/day camps, federations, foundations, day schools, Hillels, social service agencies and more.  He has served on several boards including Moishe House, Council for Jewish Elderly in Chicago, and Tamarack Camps.   He is also a professor of management, supervision, and applied Jewish wisdom for leaders at Spertus and The Zelikow School at HUC respectively.  Stefan believes in building deep trust, creating powerful spaces for leaders to be vulnerable and then partnering to create sustainable, high impact results for his clients. 

Walter Synalovski (he/him) served as a Camp Director in nonprofit and for-profit camping for 28 years. Walter was a camper at Camp Judaea, NC and then became the Director of Camp Judaea from 1993-1995. He then ran Cedar Lake Camp in PA from 1996-2009, and Camp Mah-Kee-Nac in MA from 2010-2017.  Walter returned home, as the Director of Camp Judaea, from 2017-2021. 

Since 2021, Walter has coached and mentored new Camp Directors on the operations, facilities, fundraising, management, and ACA Accreditation of camp. He also helps camps recruit culinary staff and nurses.