Camp Kee Tov

Zach Landres-Schnur, Director
Total Kee Tov summers: 22

Zach has been part of the Camp Kee Tov family for over 20 years. He began his “career” as a Habonim camper in 1989 and hasn’t left since! Zach enters his second year as Director and is eager to make this the best summer yet!

Kee Tov is in Zach’s blood. Over 10 family members (siblings, parents, cousins, uncles and aunts) have all been CKT staff members. Some have called the Schnur family the Kennedys of Kee Tov. (Not really).

Prior to working at Kee Tov full time, Zach was a sportswriter at a major newspaper and has worked at numerous schools. He avidly roots for the San Francisco Giants and the Washington Huskies (his alma mater) in any sporting event, even though they constantly break his heart.

Zach takes pride in pouring fuzzy milk, loves Capture the Flag and is really itching to learn how to make one of those really intricate friendship bracelets.

Contact him anytime at zach@bethelberkeley.org or at 510-848-2372.

Stephanie Pollick, Administrator
Total Kee Tov summers: 17

Stephanie has grown up at Camp Kee Tov, from a Habonim camper in 1990 to the Giborim Program Director in 2007.

After graduating from Clark University with a Bachelor’s in Sociology, she moved to Argentina where she taught English and thought she could stay away from Kee Tov, but she quickly discovered that it’s impossible to stay away because she loves it so much!

She is very excited to back at Kee Tov, watching the magic happen from a new angle in the office. While disappointed she won’t be seeing smiling kids all day, she loves nothing more than phone calls, emails and spreadsheets. Seriously.

Stephanie is super excited to see the other side of Kee Tov and is eager to assist you in helping to make Kee Tov the happiest place on Earth. (Disneyland ain’t got nothin’ on us!)

Contact her anytime at campkeetov@bethelberkeley.org or at 510-848-2372.

Jamie Costello, Supply and Training Specialist
Total Kee Tov summers: 14

Jamie Costello spent the first 14 years of his life in Berkeley. Well, actually, El Cerrito. But close enough. Only after he started working at Camp Kee Tov in the bygone era known as the “Nineteen Nineties” did his life come fully to fruition. After 12 years in the field, he joined the administrative staff in 2010. Jamie returns for his 14th summer as the man who wears many hats – coordinating supplies, training the staff, answering your phone calls and blogging, all while saving the world!

Jamie has previously worked as a counselor in Chaverim, Rishonim, Mapilim, and Chalutzim; and was Program Director of Mapilim and Chaverim. He loves performing in Kumsitz and coming up with the most creative programming possible.

In the Kee Tov off-season, Jamie is a speech and language specialist in the Albany Unified School District. He holds a B.S. in Education from the University of Virginia and an M.S. in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Washington.

Judith Joy, Rishonim Program Director
Total Kee Tov summers: 14

After many restless summers and needing to fill a major void, Judith finally enrolled in a session at Camp Kee Tov…and hasn’t left since!

Offering her a home away from home, Judith has grown up in the arms of Kee Tov and has made long lasting friendships (and she’s got the friendship bracelets to prove it!)

Judith was a camper at Kee Tov for seven years and this will be her seventh on staff. Working in Rishonim for all but one year as a counselor, Judith can’t get enough of it! With each year somehow topping the last, this year she hopes to bring the imagination and magic to a whole new level!

When she’s not dressed up for Super Hero Day, Judith attends college at UCLA and will graduate this year with a Bachelor’s in World Arts and Cultures and Public Health.

Alex Mog, Habonim Program Director
Total Kee Tov summers: 19

Alex first joined the Kee Tov community at the ripe old age of five, as a young Rishonimer. The next 10 summers of his life were spent as a happy camper, missing only the occasional session when his parents “suggested” he try something else. Alex joined the staff after finishing Gesher, and this marks his ninth summer on staff, and third straight as the Habonim Program Director.

Alex is eagerly awaiting Habonim’s triumphant return to the Gillespie site in Tilden this summer, where he plans on playing countless games of Mississippi, having the most ruach-filled song sessions ever and bringing Habonim to levels of greatness never before experienced!

Alex graduated from UCLA in June, 2010 with a degree in Political Science and is currently working at a housing law clinic in San Francisco. Alex will begin Law School in the fall, so he is committed to making this summer the greatest of all time; he even plans on finally learning how to make a friendship bracelet!

Emily Schnitzer, Giborim Program Director
Total Kee Tov summers: 16

Emily came to Camp Kee Tov as a young Giborimer after many long years of wandering in the Bay Area desert. She spent the next seven summers exclusively at Kee Tov and couldn’t bear to leave when her camper career ended. She happily joined the Kee Tov staff in 2003 and has worked ever since! This is her second straight summer as Giborim Program Director. Although newfound research indicates an allergy to goldfish, she cannot wait to frolic around Laurel with Mighty Giborim.

Emily graduated from UC San Diego in December, studying Biology and Education Studies. While taking a breather from formal education before she heads back to school to get her Teaching Credential and Master’s in Education, Emily is a nanny extraordinaire and a volunteer in a first grade classroom at Beach Elementary School. Emily dreams about days filled with ruach, chugim, and song sessions with Eric Schoen while eagerly waiting for the summer to begin!

Allie Liepman, Mapilim Program Director
Total Kee Tov summers: 18

Allie began her life at Kee Tov in Rishonim. Kee Tov was where Allie made some of her best friends and the 10 summers she spent as a camper created some of her best memories. Eager to continue as a part of the Kee Tov family, Allie joined the staff in 2004 as a CIT. In her eight years on staff Allie has worked in both Giborim and Mapilim, including the Rosh position in Mapilim during the 2009 summer.

This year Allie is attempting to have Mapilim regain the unofficial title of BPAC (Best Program At Camp)! She is ready to bring a new level of creativity to Map, which paired with her love of tradition should lead to an epic summer!

While not preparing to coordinate a Map Show worthy of an Oscar, Allie is a senior at the University of Oregon majoring in Family and Human Services. After graduation she plans to end hunger and poverty and save the world! (If that doesn’t work out, she’ll attempt to become a Marriage and Family Therapist).

Lauren Halperin, Chalutzim Program Director
Total Kee Tov summers: 16

Lauren began her relationship with Camp Kee Tov at the age of six and knew she had found something long-lasting, exclaiming “We can never break-up! It makes me too happy!”

Since attending as a camper, Lauren has worked in Habonim, Giborim, and Mapilim over the past seven years and is absolutely thrilled to begin the adventure that is Chalutzim.

When she is not ripe with ruach over the summer months, Lauren attends UCLA and will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology this coming June.

In her spare time, Lauren works as a teacher’s aide in a Kindergarten classroom and is on the committee of a mentoring program designated to helping under-served youth in the greater Los Angeles community. After she graduates, she plans on getting her Master’s degree in Education and pursuing her passion of teaching.

Misha Yerlick, Gesher Program Director
Total Kee Tov summers: 18

Misha has been at Camp Kee Tov so long he bleeds fuzzy milk and plans on naming his first two children “Ruach” and “Have you got that.” Misha, the son of an Israeli caterer and Beth El Hebrew School Teacher, grew up participating in every Jewish activity/camp one could think of, but nothing ever did it quite like The Tov.

In his eight summers on staff, Misha has worked in four programs and this year will be building some bridges as Gesher Program Director.

After spending five long years in the frigid wasteland some call Philadelphia, Misha will graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Ruach (and a minor in Kumsitz). So prepare yourselves, Gesh campers, for a summer that you’ll never forget as you finally cross the bridge into adulthood.

Julia Liepman, Chaverim Program Director
Total Kee Tov summers: 20

Julia Liepman will be returning to Chaverim for her second straight summer! She continues to come back to work in Chaverim because it is a special time of day. Only the best counselors can keep the fun going after campers have already had eight hours of ruach! She knows this is an amazing program because it is the only time throughout the day that our campers can spend time with other Rish, Hab, Gib, Map, Chal and Gesh campers all in the same program!

This past school year Julia was only referred to as Ms. Liepman by her class of 4th and 5th graders in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Julia dreamed of being a teacher since she was finger painting at Beth El Nursery School. Julia looks forward to a change of scenery after being in a classroom for a year. When asked how Julia will make the change from school to camp, Julia said, “I will try not to give homework during Chaverim or grade campers on their kumsitz.”

Julia looks forward to seeing all of you in June, which can’t come soon enough!