David Weinstein – Executive Director
David started in Young Judaea as a camper at Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake the year it opened in 1976. He was a camper, kitchen boy, madrich and merakez at Camp Tel Yehudah as well as the former National Administrative Vice President and Education Director of Young Judaea. He attended Young Judaea Year Course 1982-83. During his 17 year “vacation” from YJ, David was a high school teacher, family educator, curriculum developer and educational consultant. He graduated from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) with a degree in Judaic Studies and Political Science and has a master’s degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also studied Jewish texts at Machon Pardes in Jerusalem. David met his wife, Amy, at Sprout Lake in 1976 and their two children, Mikaela and Kira, are now Judaeans as well. David returned as Director of Tel Yehudah in 2007 and is a graduate of the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Executive Leadership Institute as well as a recipient of the Innovator Award from the Legacy Heritage Fund.
Suzanne Margolis – Assistant Director
Suzanne began working with Young Judaea in 2019 as a Year Course Madricha and spent three years with Young Judaea Israel, eventually becoming the Tel Aviv Experience Manager. She has ten summers of experience working in the camping world, beginning as a Madricha at the Mid-Island Y JCC and most recently as Rosh Machane at Tel Yehudah. She attended Binghamton University where she graduated with a Dual Degree – one in English Literature and one in Business Administration. Upon graduating she took part in the Masa Israel Teaching Fellows (MITF) Program, volunteering teaching English in Netanya, Israel for an academic year before beginning her journey with Young Judaea.
Noah Wilker – Operations Director
Noah has spent the past 18 years participating in and working for Young Judaea. While growing up in New Jersey, he was involved in year round activities, attending both Camp Sprout Lake and Camp Tel Yehudah, and spent time in Israel on Machon in 1996 and Young Judaea Year Course (1998-1999). He attended Hofstra University and after graduating returned to Young Judaea, signing on as the Area Supervisor of the New York/Long Island regions. In 2008 Noah was hired full time by Camp Tel Yehudah as Operations Director. After years spent there as a camper and many summers working there, for him it was the perfect fit, and an opportunity to return to a place that he refers to as a “second home”. In his spare time Noah plays music around the Northeast and has recorded three albums. Playing music is a passion he also brings to camp, especially as a staple feature of our weekly Saturday night program!
Rebekah Raz – Director of Development
Rebekah is excited to be joining the Tel Yehudah family. She brings with her over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, working in fundraising, community building, and leadership development. Most recently, Rebekah was the Director of Development at the Westchester Children’s Association, a children’s advocacy organization working to change systems and policies to benefit all children living in Westchester County, NY. Before that, Rebekah was the Vice President at the United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan and Darien. While there, she created two of its most successful programs, “Chapter Two”, a program designed to engage retired women by connecting them to the mission of the organization, and “3Square”, a program that feeds hungry children at local schools on a weekly basis. Rebekah received her BA from Ithaca College and her Master’s Degree in Judaic Studies from the University of Connecticut. She is thrilled to be bringing her knowledge of fundraising and her passion for connecting philanthropists to causes that make an impact on the world around us to this new position. In her spare time, Rebekah loves to garden, cook and bake, and spend time with her family in the US and in Israel. Rebekah lives in Stamford, CT with her husband, Liran, and her three boisterous children, Annabelle, Liam, and Shailee.
Erica Cohen – Director of Teen Education
With a long history of camping and Jewish youth groups, Erica is excited to join Camp Tel Yehudah and Young Judaea as Director of Teen Education. A lifelong New Yorker, Erica was active at NYU Hillel while in undergrad (and also spent considerable time as the NYU Mascot, dancing as the Bobcat at basketball games!), and has a master’s of social work in community organizing from Hunter College School of Social Work. She spent 10 years at UJA-Federation of NY growing the Center for Youth Philanthropy and Leadership, engaging hundreds of New York City teens as change makers and philanthropists. Erica has been a Ruskay Fellow, as well as a Jewish Education Project Generation Now Fellow, and participated in the Padaia Paradigm program inSweden. Most recently, Erica was a Fellow in the Shalom Hartman Created Equal Educators Cohort. Erica has seen first hand the life-changing power of camp, and how teens can change the world, and is thrilled to be joining the Young Judaea world. Erica lives on the Upper West Side with her husband, Noah, and her three future Judaeans, Benji, Margot and Eva.