Alexander Alperin Art Staff
Alex Alperin is the coolest person you will ever meet! He is from the city of Chicago and goes to school at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. In his free time, Alex enjoys knitting, listening to audiobooks, and eating ice cream. This will be his second summer on staff, but his first summer working at the day camp.

Jonathan Anderson Lifeguard/Swim Instructor
Yoni Anderson is a 17 year old rising senior at Evanston Township High School, where he is in varsity crew. This will be his third summer working as a lifeguard at Ramah Day Camp. He has been a swimmer for much of his life and can’t wait to meet all the new and returning campers during swim lessons and free swim.

Aaron Anisfeld Sport
Aaron was a camper at Ramah Day Camp for seven summers. He is a student at the University of Alabama and is studying applied mathematics.

Ella Anisfeld Rosh Eidah

Zach Appel Camper Care Staff
Zach is from Chicago. He is a special education teacher. This is his first year on staff at Ramah Day Camp.

Lynne Arons Rosh Bishul (Outdoor Cooking)

Oren Axelrod Group Counselor
Oren just finished his freshman year at University of Denver. He is majoring in Digital Art. He spent his summers visiting family in Israel where he attended day camp. He grew up in Northbrook and was an assistant teacher at Northshore Congregation Israel. He is semi-fluent in Hebrew.

Claire Baim Volunteer

Ryan Baim Volunteer

Yonni Baruch Rosh Etgar (Challenge Course)
Yonni is from the Chicago area but lives in the suburbs in Northbrook now. He’s currently going to Indiana University-Indy with a major in computer science and web development. He has been here at Ramah for 12 years, being a camper for eight and a staff member for four. He will be teaching rock climbing and archery at camp.

Joseph Berkeley Group Counselor
Joseph has lived in Glencoe his whole life, and currently attends New Trier High School. This is his first summer with Ramah, and he is super excited to step into this community!

Chantal Blaustein Rosh Omanut (Arts and Crafts)
Chantal Blaustein is happy to reclaim her role as Rosh Omanut. She lives in Deerfield and is the mother of three children. Throughout the year, Chantal teaches art at various organizations and community programs. She is also a mosaic artist and the artist behind Broken Beauties Mosaics and Art Studio where she shares her passion for hands-on art and creativity with both children and adults.

Jordan Blaustein Facilities Assistant
Jordan recently graduated from Deerfield High School and will attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study engineering. He spent nine years at Ramah as a camper and is excited to return for his first summer on staff!

Carter Brusso Group Counselor

Adi Buium Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor

Valerie Burda Rosh Eidah

Victoria Burda Lifeguard/Swim Instructor
An upcoming junior in college, Victoria is attending Northern Michigan University where she is studying sport science and athletic training. She is also a collegiate swimmer for her college. She was a camper at Ramah from 1st grade to 8th grade. This is her seventh summer as a lifeguard.

Elan Chesis Group Counselor
Elan has spent 13 years at Ramah Day Camp (10 years as a camper, three as a staff member). Elan is excited to share his love for camp with his campers and other staff members. This summer, Elan can be found all over camp, laughing, playing games, and enjoying being at camp.

Eliya Cohen Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor

Omer Cohen Group Counselor
Omer is from Israel and is a sophomore at Lane Tech. He enjoys playing sports such as basketball and soccer and his favorite movie is Good Will Hunting.

Elijah Cooper Group Counselor
It is Elijah’s ninth summer at Ramah, and first summer as staff. He is so excited to be back at camp!!

Lily Dalezman Group Counselor
Lily is returning to Ramah for her sixth year, this will be her second year on staff. She will be going into her senior year of high school in the fall. Her dream for the future is to become a therapist/social worker and help kids and teenagers. Ramah has a special place in her heart and she loves being able to connect with the kids and share her love of Ramah and Judaism with them.

Talia Daniel Group Counselor
Talia is from Deerfield, Illinois. This will be Talia’s third summer working at Ramah Day Camp as a counselor. Talia is currently a student at Illinois State University, pursuing Elementary Education. She will be a rising sophomore this upcoming fall. Talia is very excited for another summer at Ramah Day Camp. This summer, Talia can be found talking to fellow counselor friends, hyping her campers up at activities, and making sure all campers are having a good time!

Lindsey Deshur Group Counselor
Lindsey goes to Rochelle Zell Jewish High School, and is sooo excited for this summer! This will be her first year at Ramah, but she knows the ins and outs of camp, as she was a camper and counselor at another camp. Lindsey is ready to meet her campers!!!

Talia Dobrin Group Counselor

Jonah Dolinsky STEM Specialist

Bethany Dragon Group Counselor
Bethany is from Buffalo Grove and just completed her freshman year at Grand Valley State University where she is pursuing a degree in Sociology and a minor in Gender Studies. This is her second summer on staff and she is so excited to be back at camp and get to know all the campers!

Lia Effio Group Counselor

Emma Einhorn Group Counselor
Emma is a brand new staff member at Camp Ramah, bringing fresh energy, enthusiasm, and a genuine love for working with kids. She’s excited to build connections, create meaningful memories, and be part of a supportive camp community. As she begins this new journey, Emma is ready to learn, grow, and make a positive impact on everyone she meets.

Yaron Eisenstein Group Counselor
This is Yaron’s second summer at camp. He’s currently a student at Lane Tech High School. He is really excited to start camp.

Simon Etlin Group Counselor
Simon is from Chicago. He attends Lane Tech High School and is a rising Senior. This is his third summer as a counselor at Ramah.

Elly Field Group Counselor

Marlee Fradin Camper Care Staff

Wendy Frank Office Administrator

Simeon Friedman Inclusion Counselor
Simeon is from Vernon Hills, Illinois and currently attends the University of Kansas as a psychology major. This will be his fourth summer at Ramah and he couldn’t be more excited! Let’s have a great summer.

Laura Frisch Specialist
Laura Frisch is an omanut (art) specialist, she has relished in the joy of teaching Judaic art for over 35 years. She has an art and elementary education degree from National Louis University as well as a certificate in Jewish Art Education from Spertus Institute. This is Laura’s fifth year as a muralist at Ramah Day Camp, facilitating the creation of camper favorites such as the painted fences, benches, wall art and more. On Fridays she enjoys volunteering with the Ramah challah crew teaching creative braiding techniques.

Ilana Geist Rosh Tarbut Israel (Israeli Culture)
Ilana is from Raanana, Israel. Ilana spent the year as the supervisor of the Raanana branch of NOAM. This is her second summer working at camp.

Elior Ginsberg Group Counselor
He attends Ida Crown Jewish Academy. He lives in Highland Park. He has been a camper for two years at Ramah Day and two years at Ramah Wisconsin. This is going to be his first year on staff.

Talia Gluck Inclusion Staff

Gracie Goldstein Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

Amanda Gorell Camper Care Staff

Kevin Gorell Rosh Nagarut (Woodworking)
This is Kevin’s first summer at camp. He has worked in special education at the high school level for 15 years.

Gabe Graupe Group Counselor
Gabe Graupe is a 17 year old junior at Stevenson High School and has lived in Buffalo Grove, Illinois all his life. This is his first year at Ramah in general (as staff or camper) and he is excited to see what camp Ramah is like! His interests include volleyball, reading and drawing. He is also a member of National Honor Society and volunteers as a peer tutor in Stevenson high school’s peer tutoring program.

Nadav Graupe Teva (Nature)
Nadav Graupe has been a camper here and at Ramah Wisconsin for ten years. He was a counselor at Wisconsin in 2022, then a lifeguard here for the past three years. This summer, he is our Nature Director. He is currently finishing an associate’s in horticulture from the College of Lake County.

Ronen Graupe Group Counselor

Dina Greenberg Director 

Benjamin Groner Office Support Staff
Benji Groner is 15 and from Chicago. He currently attends Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. He has attended camp before and is excited to be working his first year on staff helping around the office.

Sara Hailu Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor

Rachel Haims Program Coordinator
Rachel grew up in Los Angeles, California, and attended Tulane University, where she studied psychology and early childhood education. She recently earned her Master of Education from Brandeis University. Rachel is currently a first grade teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School. She is excited for her first summer at Camp Ramah!

Madeline Hamilton Group Counselor
Maddy Hamilton is from Highland Park, Illinois, and is excited to be a camp counselor this summer! She attends Highland Park High School and will be a sophomore this upcoming school year. Maddy loves all kinds of sports, especially tennis, and has spent nearly seven years at camp, including sleepaway camp. She is excited to help create a fun, energetic, and memorable summer for all of her campers!

Maxine Handelman Rosh Hinuch (Education)
Max is excited to be back at Ramah Day Camp as the Rosh Hinuch (Head of Education) for her second summer. Max brings the wisdom of many years of working with families and kids to make Jewish life happen all over Chicagoland to her work at Ramah. She is looking forward to filling this summer with lots of stories, delicious challah, and lots of bubbles.

Samuel Haykinson Group Counselor

Ariela Haymberg Rosh Sha’ar (Hebrew Immersion)

Emmitt Hechtman Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

Hila Hutturer Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor
Originally from Israel, this staff member brings a unique background in arts education, youth mentorship, and medical care as a former EMT. This summer marks her exciting first year on the camp staff in Chicago, where she looks forward to ensuring a safe and unforgettable season for the campers.

Anna Jury Inclusion Staff

Max Jury Shira/Tefilah (Songleading/Prayers)
Max Jury is an incoming senior at Evanston Township High School, a songleader, a pray-er, and a musician. This will be his 13th summer at Ramah, and he is beyond excited to make new memories and have so much fun at camp.

Shayna Kamm Group Counselor
Shayna is so excited to start her second year on staff at Ramah Day Camp! She is a rising senior at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School and lives in Buffalo Grove, IL. She has been a madricha at two different synagogues for 5 years and she also is a regular babysitter! Shayna is looking forward to an incredible summer and can’t wait to meet all the campers and make lifelong connections and memories!

Reuben Karp Group Counselor
Reuben is from Oak Park, Illinois where he will be a sophomore next year at Oak Park River Forest High School. He plays Euphonium in the band and also plays Bassoon with the Chicago Symphony Youth Orchestra. He plans to major in Music and Jewish Studies.

Jack Kempler Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

Noah Kempler Group Counselor
Noah Kempler is 17, and grew up in Northbrook. This is his first job as a junior in high school, and he attends Glenbrook North.

Sammy Kirby Group Counselor
Sammy Kirby was born in, and has lived in Skokie, Illinois for all his life. He is going into his senior year at Niles North High School and has been a camper at Ramah for nine years as a camper and as a counselor.

Jeremy Kohn Group Counselor
Jeremy Kohn is from River Forest, IL. He is a rising senior at Wolcott College Prep in downtown Chicago. This is his first summer joining the staff at Ramah. He is excited for the upcoming summer. He wishes to pursue engineering when he goes to college.

Sophia Kurzman Rosh Eidah
Sophia is so excited for her second summer on staff at the day camp! She just graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in elementary education and will be a first grade teacher in Deerfield for the upcoming school year.

Samantha Lerner Rosh Eidah

Sophie Levin Group Counselor
Sophie is a rising junior at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in Deerfield. She lives in Skokie and goes to Skokie Valley for shul. Sophie works in her youth groups there weekly on Shabbat. She has been babysitting since 5th grade, and has a pre-school aged sister who she cares for a lot. This will be her second summer on staff and she looks forward to having an amazing summer with everyone!

Hannah Levsky Group Counselor
Hannah is from Palatine, Illinois. This will be Hannah’s third summer working at Ramah Day Camp. Hannah is currently a student at Illinois Wesleyan University, pursuing Psychology. Hannah is looking forward to another summer of fun and making memories with her campers.

Jamie Loewenthal Rosh Shira/Tefilah (Songleading/Prayers)
Jamie is a student at Highland Park High School who loves music and Jewish summer camp. Summer 2026 will be his third year as a staff member at Ramah Day Camp. Jamie looks forward to lots of Shira (song) and camp fun in Kayitz 2026!

Esther Manasherov Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor
Eti is 20 years old and comes from Holon, Israel. She just finished her army service as a commander in the psychotechnical unit (responsible for all of the first stages of recruitment to the IDF). In high school, she majored in Biology and Theater. As part of her theater studies, she got to lead some creative activities for young children. Additionally, she volunteered as a tutor and facilitated various activities for children with special needs. In her free time, she loves dancing and playing sports, and she is so excited to have an amazing summer in camp!

Kim Mann Nurse
Kim Mann BSN, RN is from Long Grove, Illinois. She attended Nursing School and earned a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and passed State Exams in 1979. Her career spanned over 4 decades in healthcare: from ER (adult and pediatrics) to Urgent Care, Travel Health/Vaccines,  Occupational Health in clinics and factories. Additionally Kim has worked Health Fairs for Hospital Systems. Part of her career was a frontline worker during the Covid Pandemic – in a clinic designated for patients with active Covid symptoms and urgent care needs. Presently Kim is working as a consultant and Home Health RN Assessor for Elderly patients. Over the years Kim has been a Camp RN at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, Henry Horner in Illinois, Camp Beber in Wisconsin. Additionally Kim has been a National Ski Patrol member administering first aid on the slopes. For over two decades Kim has been a volunteer Mountain Ski Guide for Wounded Warriors, Special Olympics, special needs athletes and the visually impaired.

Ella Marks Inclusion Staff

Kara Marks Camper Care Staff
She is originally from Ohio and now lives in Chicago with her husband, Rich, and her teenage son Jordan. She holds a masters degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas and  worked as a school social worker in Palatine for more years than she can count. Currently she is retired.  he is in her fourth year as staff at Ramah. Prior to Ramah she has always been a camp counselor, director of an inner city camp or an art director at a camp, but never a camper.

Molly Markshtien Rosh Breicha (Pool)
This is Molly’s ninth year on staff as the pool director. Molly loves coming to camp and teaching campers how to swim and dancing on the kikar. During the year, Molly is a kindergarten teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School and leads a science club. She holds a bachelor’s of science in chemistry and is the camps certified pool operator, lifeguard instructor, CPR/First Aid instructor, and water safety instructor.

Yotam Marom Group Counselor

Maya Matsa Group Counselor
Maya is from Evanston, Illinois and attends Evanston Township High School. This is Maya’s first summer at Ramah Day Camp and she cannot wait to have a great time!

Orelya Meital Group Counselor
Orelya is a rising sophomore at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. She attended Ramah in the Rockies for multiple years, she has lots of experience with children and she is really looking forward to getting to know your kids this summer.

Brandon Morgan Senior Group Counselor
Brandon could not be more excited about returning to Ramah for his twenty-fourth summer at the day camp. He originally joined the staff as a 1st grade counselor following his Freshman year at Northwestern University, and he has since had the privilege of working with every age group at the camp from 1st and above. After graduating Northwestern with degrees in math and economics, Brandon spent over a decade and a half as a data analyst for a family-owned dental supply company in Buffalo Grove, until that company was sold, eventually leading to a mutual parting of ways. Since then, Brandon has enjoyed spending time with friends and family, reading, watching TV, road-tripping all over this great country, and playing all sorts of sports and games, which is undoubtedly why summer has always been his favorite season of the year. A self-described “camp kid, through and through” since age 3, Brandon cannot wait to spend another eight weeks laughing, learning, playing, and making memories with an incredible bunch of Ramah campers, as well as continuing to try to look for fun and creative ways to inject a little bit of “special” into each and every kid’s Ramah summer!

Shahar Nahum Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor

Noya Naveh Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor
Noya is from Israel and lives in a kibbutz on the northern coast. She specialized in communication and international diplomacy in high school and plans to continue these studies at university. She is passionate about film and storytelling as a way to express creativity.
She has experience working with children in kindergartens, camps, and youth programs. Noya believes in engaging children through creative activities that encourage curiosity and exploration, and she can’t wait to spend the summer with the campers.”

Eli Neirick Lifeguard/Swim Instructor
Eli is a rising Senior at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, IL. He is returning for his third summer on swim staff and his 13th summer at Ramah! During the year, Eli enjoys teaching swim lessons and spending time with friends. At camp, he loves being at the pool and helping campers build confidence in the water. He is so excited for another amazing summer!

Eden Nesler Group Counselor
Eden recently graduated from Deerfield High School. She is attending the University of Cincinnati for Interior Design at the school of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP). This will be Eden’s first year at Ramah and she is excited to begin working!

Karen Nochimowski Specialist

Sarah Novak Group Counselor
This is Sarah’s fourth summer as a staff member and she is so excited for kayitz 2026! She will be attending UW Madison to study Genetics and Genomics in the fall.

Meital Osher Group Counselor
Meital will be a sophomore next year at Glenbrook North. She is involved in many of the clubs at her school, such as Kids4TheCure and Israeli Cultural Club, and sports like track. Meital speaks Hebrew and has a lot of family in Israel, and she visits them annually (when possible). She also has two younger sisters, whom she loves and learns from every day. Meital is excited to for her first year at Ramah Day Camp!

Abbey Pechter Group Counselor
Abbey is from Deerfield, Illinois. She attends UW-Madison, where she is majoring in pre-law and minoring in Jewish Studies. This is her second year at camp as a counselor!

Shay Pechter Rosh Sport
Shay is 21 and is from Deerfield, Illinois. She is a senior at the University of Iowa studying Microbiology on the Pre-med track. When she is not in class she is working at an immunology research lab. She in the past has been a camp counselor for 1st grade for a couple years at Ramah Day Camp. This year she is serving as head of sports.

Audrey Peters Transportation & Logistics Coordinator
Audrey grew up in Des Plaines, IL and attended Lake Forest College to receive her Bachelors degree. She studied Business with a concentration in accounting and a minor in communications. She has previous experience at summer camps through the Des Plaines Park District, she has also been a veterinary assistant for 3 years at a local vet clinic. This fall she will commission to be a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

Lila Presser Rosh Rikud (Dance)

Denna Pritzker Group Counselor
Denna is from Skokie, Illinois. She currently attends Illinois State University and is studying Early Childhood Education.

Jasmine Pugach Mishlachat – Group Counselor

Marie Rapoport Group Counselor
Marie is a student at Stevenson High School and is an incoming junior. Marie is a student athlete and plays field hockey and is involved in business clubs at her school.

Maya Richter Group Counselor
Maya is going into her junior year of high school at Deerfield High school and is from Deerfield, IL. This is her first year at Ramah and she is so excited to be part of the team!

Gillian Rosen Photography & Social Media Specialist

Renana Rozner Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor
Renana is from Haifa, Israel. A 19-year-old high school graduate who studied Biology, she is a talented artist and enjoys swimming. Renana is excited to bring her creative skills to Camp Ramah for her first summer on staff.

Asher Rubinson Group Counselor
Asher is from Highland Park, Illinois. He is attending Case Western Reserve University in the fall with a major in business. He graduated from Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in the spring, and he is excited for his first year on staff!

Tela Ryback Lifeguard/Swim Instructor
From Deerfield, IL, Tela is a first year Ramah lifeguard. A recent graduate from Deerfield High School, she will be attending Clemson University this coming fall as a Computer Science major. She was a camp counselor for two years at the Deerfield Park District, and is super excited for her first year helping out at Ramah!

Tamara Schatz Senior Group Counselor/Rosh Omanut (Arts and Crafts)

Audrey Schraub Group Counselor
Audrey is from Highland Park, Illinois. She’s a Sophomore at Aurora University majoring in Political Science. She’s fluent in French and Spanish. This is her second year working as a counselor and she’s excited to be part of the team.

Shaked Sharon Mishlachat – Sha’ar Counselor

Jacob Shlain Group Counselor
Jacob is from Buffalo Grove and will be a sophomore at Stevenson High School this upcoming school year. This is his first year at Ramah!

Evan Shlau Group Counselor

Jaylen Silver Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

Matthew Silver Field Trip Coordinator
Matt is so excited for camp! He currently works at Schechter in the camp off season and attended the University of Illinois. Can’t wait to meet everyone!

Basia Silverberg Inclusion Specialist
Basia is from Los Angeles, California and grew up going to Ramah Ojai, where she was a camper for five summers and worked as a counselor for three summers. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a double major in Psychology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and a certificate in Jewish Studies. She loves living in Chicago and is so excited to spend the summer between her Master of Social Work classes at UIC at Ramah Day Camp!

Dean Singer Group Counselor
Dean is from Wilmette, Illinois. He was at the day camp for eight years and then went to the overnight camp for three years. He has been a CIT twice, once at the overnight camp and once at the day camp.

Ari Smith Group Counselor
Ari is a rising sophomore at Highland Park High School. He loved spending his summers at Ramah Day Camp from Kindergarten to 6th grade. After spending several summers at Ramah in Wisconsin, he is excited about spending his third year at Beber Camp later this summer. Ari enjoys playing trumpet and piano. As a camper, he loves playing frisbee and hanging out with his friends.

Shayni Tenenbaum Lifeguard/Swim Instructor
Shayni is from Deerfield, Illinois and is going into her sophomore year of high school. This is her first year working at Ramah. She is very exited to get to know the rest of the staff.

Akshay Tyagarajan Sport Staff

Gail Wright Camper Care Coordinator
I grew up in Glenview. My parents owned an overnight camp from the time I was 2-18 so camping is literally part of my life! I am a retired teacher for students who are deaf or hard of  hearing but continue to work in special education at Vernon Hills High School as a Teachers Assistant.

Kaylee Zaveduk Inclusion Coordinator

Maia Zeidman Art Staff/Group Counselor
This is Maia’s 12th summer on staff at Ramah Day Camp. Maia started working there after she graduated from Deerfield High School, throughout her time at Elon University (where she got a history degree with teaching licensure), and now when she’s not working during the year at Oak Park and River Forest High School as a History teacher, she enjoys her time at camp. Throughout her years at camp, Maia has worked in a lot of different positions. Camp is her home. She even met her husband and got married there!

Evelyn Zimbalist Group Counselor
Evelyn Zimbalist is a rising junior at Stevenson High School. This is Evelyn’s second year on staff at Ramah, following six years as a camper including a year as a CIT. She is excited to be back again with her summer family as a counselor.

Eitan Zuckerman Group Counselor
Eitan is a student at Glenbrook North High School and recently returned from a meaningful semester in Israel. He has a deep love for camp and has spent the past ten summers at RDC. Over the years, he was a Ramah Day Camp camper for seven summers, served as a CIT for one year, and is now in his second year as a counselor.

Leila Zuckerman Senior Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

Talia Zukerman Inclusion Counselor
Talia has lived in Northbrook her entire life and is currently an incoming senior at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. She was a camper at Ramah Day Camp for eight years before she became a counselor in 2024 and again in 2026.