Julie Macht, Chair

Fundraising Consultant When I stepped off the bus 40 years ago, I could never have imagined how Camp Gilboa would shape my sense of self, my friendships, my commitment to the underdog and social justice and my deep abiding appreciation of the power of camp on shaping Jewish identity. Whether it was advocating for underpresented people as an attorney, or for students and teacher rights as a leader in the PTA, or as a parent, guiding my children to voice their opinions and act on their convictions, I feel the influence of my camp days in everything I do. I love working with young leaders and do so in both my professional and lay life.

Mark Howorth

CEO, SDI Media

Previous Lay Leadership:

Vice President at Congregation Tikvat Jacob

The best parenting decision my wife and I ever made was to send our two son’s to Camp Gilboa 14 years ago. Watching them grow into young adults and seeing how their Gilboa experience has shaped them into who they are today has been one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. Both sons stayed involved on Tzevet (staff) and one was even Rosh Machaneh (head of camp). Along the way, I felt the need to participate as well and joined the Board six years ago, and spent the last two years as President. In my Board time, I have been proud to help Gilboa grow in all directions: more chanichimot (campers), more donations, more programs during the year, improved camp experience during the summer, a new basketball court and even paying off the loan on our amazing 44 acre site in Big Bear. As a business person, it has also been a great growth experience for me to participate in an organization which is truly “youth led” with a totally different decision making process, hierarchy and culture from what I experience in the corporate world.

Norm Kane, Treasurer

I worked for the Northrop Grumman Corporation for 29 years primarily in Financial related positions. Prior to that I was with Security Pacific Bank for seven years in the trust department. I have a Bachelor's degree from UCLA and a Masters of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount and a Certificate in Accounting. I first went to Gilboa in 1962 and served as Merakez Eizor while in college. I have served as the chair of the camp corporation as well as being on the boards of the Institute of Jewish Education, the Labor Zionist Alliance, Ameinu, and the Habonim Dror Foundation. I consider myself to be a life long Labor Zionist and my work with Gilboa an expression of that comitment.

Michal Lemberger, Secretary

Writer/Editor/Teacher When my older daughter was 9-years old, she chose Camp Gilboa after reading the mission statement. The kid was onto something. At Camp Gilboa, our family has found a community guided by the values we hold dear: equality, respect for others, and collective responsibility. Gilboa is a special place that engages those values through fun, immersive experiences at the beautiful Big Bear setting, where campers will grow to be future leaders, at Gilboa and then in the wider world. I’m delighted to support that work as a member of the board.

Liz Raider

Previous Lay Leadership:

David Beenhouwer

Bio Coming Soon!

Mathis Chazanov

Journalist (retired)

Evan Goldin

Medical Researcher - West LA VA

Sarah Breiner

I first went to camp Gilboa in 2001 when we were in the Tehachapi mountains. Since then, I served many roles at Gilboa; from Ken madricha to Melavah to Rosh Machaneh in 2013. I have a deep love for this community and its power to support young people to become kind, progressive, and influential voices wherever they go. I first found a love for working with kids as a madricha at Gilboa. Today, I am a school psychologist supporting students with disabilities, mental health issues, providing literacy intervention, and supporting school-wide systems. As a board member, I love getting to support the community from a different angle and getting to be a part of the continued amazing growth of the Gilboa community.

Rachael Sevilla

Bio Coming Soon!

Laurie Earp

I only dreamt that my children could grow up in as inspiring a setting as my summers at then-UAHC Camp Swig. I found my place in the Kibbutz sessions of camp, as a CIT, staff member, and counselor –developing a stronger sense and passion for social justice, activism, along with a commitment to social democracy, that shaped who I became and to what I have devoted my life and career. When my children found their way to Camp Gilboa, my dream came true. I love who they have become and how they have been encouraged to develop programs for others that nurture the individual within a strongly Jewish, Social Justice, and Fun setting. I am honored to be a part of this community and hope to help it grow further.

Tyson Roberts

Lecturer in Political Science and International Relations, USC When I first watched the website video about Camp Gilboa, it reminded me of my summer on a kibbutz as a college student, and I was immediately eager to send my children and jealous that I hadn't attended this camp when I was a child. My kids enjoyed the Gilboa kens in Los Angeles and once they attended summer camp in Big Bear they were hooked. Serving on the board lets me be involved in one of my kids favorite, most meaningful activities.

Sarah Benor, Vice President

I'm a Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics at Hebrew Union College and the University of Southern California. Other boards I've served on include Pressman Academy and the Association for Jewish Studies. I fell in love with Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa in 2014 when I was researching camps for my book Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps. My daughter Dalia started attending Gilboa as a camper the following summer, and eventually I agreed to join the board. Our whole family loves Gilboa's orientation toward social justice, critical thinking, Jewish peoplehood, and youth leadership. For progressive Jews in California, Gilboa is the place to be!

Naomi Cohen

Bio Coming Soon!

Maya Paz

Bio Coming Soon!

David Oderberg

My introduction to the Institute of Jewish Education (Gilboa's LA HQ) was as nursery school student many years ago. I attended Hebrew School there was well, eventually joining Habonim, making life-long friends and growing up in Gilboa. I went on Workshop (Habonim-Dror's gap year in Israel), studied in Israel for my college junior year, and led tours to Israel. All this was made possible by a large group of volunteers on the "Camp Committee". When my kids were of age, Gilboa was right there, teaching them the values that I had learned years before and that had shaped my life in so many ways. Now they have "graduated" from Gilboa, and I hope that someday, their children will attend. I joined the board of Gilboa and of the Institute to "pay it forward" and to make sure that we continue to inspire generations of Jewish youth to support Israel, embody Jewish values, and to "Be the change that we wish to see in the world". Alei U'vneh!

Ettie Taft

Bio Coming Soon!

Amalia Walker

I've been a madricha (counselor) at Gilboa since 2018 and since then have been working in various capacities in the eizor, currently as a Tzedek madricha. I was a grew up at Na'aleh, the Habonim Dror camp in New York, and feel so lucky to have gotten involved with Gilboa since coming to college in the LA area! I'm now a senior at Pitzer College.

Ronnie Hecht

Bio Coming Soon!

Quinn Tassin

I started going to Camp Na’aleh, Gilboa’s sister camp in New York, in 2007 and joined Gilboa tzevet in 2017. Since then, I’ve been Madatz Madrich, Chinuch, and Rosh for summer 2021. The Gilboa community is an inspiring, creative, caring one and I’m grateful to be a part of it. I graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 2020 and will begin attending law school this fall.

Dani Lainer-Vos

I am a lecturer in the department of sociology at USC. When my wife and I looked for a camp for our kids, Gilboa seemed like a perfect fit. I grew up in Israel and was active in a Labor Zionist youth movement. Gilboa seemed like the American version of that youth movement, emphasizing social justice and critical thinking. I loved that. Over time, I realized that Gilboa offers so much more. I love Gilboa's focus on youth leadership and the staff's incredible creativity. My kids, Noam and Romy, love the camp and cannot wait to go back.

Josh Goldman

I am a 44 year old Jewish Cis Male who uses He/Him/Dude/Bro/Dad Pronouns. I have lived in San Diego since 2000 and grew up near Washington D.C. and Chicago. I am Father of Ash (Born 2008) and Bayla (Born 2009) the youngest of 5 boys to Elizabeth who lives near DC and part time with me at our lovely green home nested in Ocean Beach, between the Ocean, both Bays and the Airport. I studied Automotive Engineering at University of MD, and work in Green Tech developing Electric and Hybrid Large Buses and Trucks having helped lead a few successful Ca Start-Ups over the past 20 years. In my free time I enjoy music (play guitar, piano, drums and horn), Hiking, Biking, Boating, Camping, bon-fires, video games, bar games, tech, electric vehicles, gardening and anything with water. While my brothers grew up going to Mosh, I went Tavor for 89-96; Workshop 44, MBI Aleph, Madatz ’93. One of my brothers still volunteers as Camp Doc at Mosh. I still stay very connected with my Tavor Kvutzah as well as many from Workshop including an annual guy’s trip with a dozen boys from Mosh, Gesher and Miriam. Habonim Dror plays a deep role in who I am as a Human and cherish the movement’s pillars of Zionism, and Tikun Olam. I am honored to be part of the Gilboa community and recently joining the Board. I have been volunteering for the past 5 years hosting Ken activities and inviting other families to Gilboa. Now with two children at Machaneh I have gotten to relive a bit of my childhood through my kids and love how the campus has a spirit built on the love from those who are there. Getting to live among the amazing trees, rocks, land and lake have important health effects for our children that is often missed in urban coastal and online life. I look forward to bring my leadership, technical and traditional skills to the board and help represent Gilboa values to the larger HDNA movement. -Joshua

Ben Cooley

My relationship to Habonim-Dror began in the summer of 1989 when, as a 19 year old, I joined the tzevet at Camp Moshava in rural Maryland. The lifelong friendships I made and experiences I had at Mosh continue to define me personally and professionally thirty years later. When our daughter and son were born, there was no question that the most important parenting decisions we’d make would be which communities we’d choose to raise our children in. Temple, school, and summer camp have become those pivotal institutions. I’m honored and excited to give back to Gilboa.

Noga Shlapobersky

I started going to Gilboa in 2008 (first Nitsanim ever!), and have been on tzevet since 2018. I’m a madrichah for Tzedek, Gilboa’s high school program, and have loved working with chanichimot on meaningful social justice projects this past year. I’m also involved with the national movement, and represent Gilboa's maapilimot on Tzevet Higui, which is the national steering committee that works with Mazkirut Artzit (central leadership of HDNA). I’m so excited to join the Gilboa board and contribute to the organization and community that I love so much! I’m a junior at Barnard College studying political science and human rights.