Camp Moshava Ba'ir NJ - Staff

Updated: 4/3/2010

Our Machane takes great pride in the quality and dedication of our staff. We are hiring for multiple positions for summer 2010. Follow the link below to apply online:

Online Staff Application Summer 2012

Download a Reference Form

Meet Our Staff:

Director Rabbi Menachem Hecht is a Bnei Akiva veteran and an experienced formal and informal educator. A former Rosh Moshava at Camp Stone in Sugar Grove, PA, he has also headed the Julian Krinsky Yesh Shabbat program in Philadelphia. Prior to working for Bnei Akiva, Menachem coordinated Israel programming and taught Gemara, Chumash and Nach at the Frisch school. Menachem studied for Semicha at YU and is a PhD candidate at NYU in Education and Jewish Studies. He is looking forward to summer 2011!

Administrator Chavie Hagler comes to Moshava Ba'ir with over 20 years of camping experience. Chavie was the Program Director of Camp Mesorah for 18 summers, and also worked as a Division Head, Educational Staff and Photographer in Camp Mesorah and Camp Morasha. Chavie is married to Rabbi Chaim Hagler and is the proud mother of 5 children. She lives in Bergenfield, NJ.

Rosh Moshava Ari Klein is a psychology graduate student who has over a decade of experience in camping and informal education. He was a Madrich and Rosh Edah at Moshava Indian Orchard and Mach Hach Baaretz, and worked in BANY's Shevatim department. Most recently, Ari was a head counselor at Yachad’s Israel travel program, Yad b’Yad. Ari loves playing and watching football, trivia and puzzles, and marshmallows, and he currently resides in Teaneck with his wife Arly. He is counting down the days until camp!

Early Childhood Director Susan Newman has been an early childhood teacher for over 10 years, and has taught nursery, pre-k, and kindergarten. At Yeshivat Noam since its inception, she now serves as the Hebrew Coordinator for the Early Childhood. She truly enjoys working with young children and sharing in their excitement at everything they do, and she is excited to be a part of Moshava Ba’ir and to introduce children to the wonderful world of Bnei Akiva.

Rosh Bereicha (Aquatics Director) Ahrona Indyk Amar brings more than 16 years of experience of teaching swimming to swimmers at all levels, as well as years of camp administrative experience. Most recently, Ahrona was the Aquatics Director at the Neil Klatskin Day Camp at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly, New Jersey. Ahrona is passionate about teaching swimming and teaching others how to teach effectively and keep swimming fun! Ahrona has held numerous professional and lay leadership positions in area of informal and formal Jewish educational programming and leadership development. Ahrona is the proud mother of four young children, Reina, Hannah, Rebecca and Asher - all of whom will be joining her at Moshava Ba’ir’s second summer season!

Rosh Melechet Yad (Arts and Crafts Director) Pam Simchi is an arts and crafts specialist who has been running Jewish day camp art departments for over eight years. Pam is a a fine artist who works in realistic watercolor and other media, and she paints Judaic themes as well as portraits, florals and landscapes. Pam is also a alligrapher who works in Hebrew as well as English. She has worked as a corporate art director, freelance art director, copywriter and graphic artist. Additionally, Pam is fluent in Hebrew and has been involved in chinuch in Hebrew schools, Yeshivot and Jewish community centers. Pamela Simchi is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts.

Rosh Chinuch (Education Director) Sarah Gordon has spent many of her past summers involved in informal Jewish education, having served as a Rosh Eidah and Rosh Chinuch at Camp Stone and as a Rosh Bus for Bnei Akiva's Mach Hach Ba'Aretz Program. Currently she teaches Gemara, Jewish History, Jewish Philosophy and works for the Student Activities Department at Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School. She is also pursuing a MA in Modern Jewish History at Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School. She is looking forward to developing fun and exciting programming for Moshava Ba'Ir this summer!

Music Director Randi Wartelsky has been teaching music since she was 15 years old, and has been singing and harmonizing since before she can remember. She has worked with children of all ages, from early childhood through high school, sharing her love of music as well as Jewish and Israeli culture, at various sleepaway and day camps. Randi is currently in her 12^th year of teaching music at the Ramaz School in Manhattan. She lives in Teaneck with her husband Ari, and their four children, D.J., Charlotte, Sam, and Eliana.

Rosh Edah (Division Head) Aliza Chanales is a life-long camper with years of experience as a counselor, division head, and programming staff at assorted camps in the area. During the year, she teaches middle school math and science at Yeshivat Noam and has just completed her master's degree in education from Bank Street College. Aliza believes cannot wait to share her love of sports, outdoors, games, songs, and learning with the campers and staff of Moshava Ba'ir.

Rosh Edah (Division Head)Stephanie Berger has spent many summers at Camp Moshava in Indian Orchard, Pennsylvania as a camper, counselor, and Rosh Eidah. She also spent two years as the co-director of the Bnei Akiva snif in Silver Spring, MD, and served on the Hanhalah Artzit of National Bnei Akiva. During the year, she works at Cooke Center for Learning and Development, a school for students with special needs. She has recently completed her Masters degree in Special Education at Hunter College. Stephanie is excited to be returning to Moshava Ba'ir this summer and to continue share her love of summer camp and Bnei Akiva with campers and staff alike!

Call us at 212.465.9536
Email: moshavabair@bneiakiva.org