Year Round Team
Simone Lindenbaum Ziv
Camp Director simone@edenvillagecamp.org
Simone (she/her) has been part of Eden Village’s leadership team since 2012. She is responsible for all Eden Village programming while simultaneously supervising all counselors and specialists who transform her ideas into action. During the past decade, Simone has visioned, developed and grown Eden Village’s one-of-a-kind programming to include innovative, age-appropriate opportunities unique to the community.
Simone led the teams that oversaw the creation and expansion of the flagship Food and Farm Road Trip, Pizza Trip, Farming Apprenticeship, farm-to-table curriculum, herbalism programming, scheita opportunity, Home(in)stead program – and the list goes on.
In short, if a camper did something cool at Eden Village, Simone created it. Her warmth, humor, creativity and fearless wisdom in the field of Jewish camping are a blessing to Eden Village, and she is the backbone upon which the camp runs.
After graduating from McGill University, Simone worked for a sustainability non-profit in the Philadelphia area. Simone grew up in camp and community, spending 13 years learning and educating with Habonim Dror, after which she worked in synagogues, community centers and after-school programs to facilitate creative Jewish experiential learning. Her spiritual and environmental practice was further shaped through living in a community at Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland, participating in the ADAMAH farming fellowship, and working as a Jewish environmental educator with the TEVA Learning Alliance.
Simone is the mother of two awesome toddlers. She loves crafting and singing and playing with her family and community.
Andrew (he/him) has led Eden Village’s operations, visioning, and strategy since our first summer. He has helped shape almost every aspect of our organization, including as the lead architect of our sustainability and food initiatives.
He brings a wealth of camp, non-profit, operational, and start-up experience, including helping launch the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda, co-founding a technology start-up, and consulting for several new businesses and non-profits. He graduated from the University of California Berkeley.
Andrew Gurwitz Ziv
Managing Director andrew@edenvillagecamp.org
Johanna Press
Assistant Director johanna@edenvillagecamp.org
Johanna (she/her) oves to help young people harness the tools of Jewish tradition to craft meaningful lives, foster deep community, and change the world. She studied Environmental Science and Jewish Studies at Yale University, the Pardes Institute, and Yeshivat Hadar. While teaching Talmud at Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, her students introduced her to Eden Village Camp and she never looked back!
Since her first summer in 2018, Johanna has loved working on camp programming, recruitment and community partnerships, communications, and camper care – while getting to sing and dance every day, snack on farm-fresh produce, and grow life-long friendships. Originally from Philadelphia, she lives with her husband and daughter in Austin, Texas.
Aliza (she/her) has been playing, growing, and building community at Eden Village since 2011. After four seasons as a summer staff member (with a long vacation in the middle), she joined the full-time leadership team in 2018. Aliza has supported the growth of Eden Village’s teen trips and programs, oversees summer staff hiring, and loves guiding the process of campers growing into inspiring summer staff members.
Aliza has a background in the non-profit environmental field, farm-based education, and building Jewish community. In the summer, when she’s not overseeing the daily running of the camp’s program, you can find Aliza milking the goats, making jam from the abundance of our fruit orchard, playing in the art room, or taking a hike deep in the forest of the Hudson Valley (aka our backyard!).
Aliza Heeren
Assistant Director aliza@edenvillagecamp.org
Chat with a Director
Amanda Playford
Registrar & Office Manager (she/her)
amanda@edenvillagecamp.org
Josh Jacobs
Director of Camper Magic (he/him)
josh@edenvillagecamp.org
Ornah Rosenberg
Director of Parent Engagement (she/her)
ornah@edenvillagecamp.org
Rabbi Pesach Stadlin
Director of Life Sustainability & Spirituality (he/him)
pesach@edenvillagecamp.org
Mick Harrington
Caretaker (he/him)
mick@edenvillagecamp.org
Lisa stein
Program Coordinator (she/her)
lisa@edenvillagecamp.org
Schedule a Call
Lin Silver
Operations Coordinator (he/him)
lin@edenvillagecamp.org
Shelley Sloan, RN
Head Nurse (she/her)
healthcenter@edenvillagecamp.org
Bobby Bauer
Facilities Manager (he/him)
bobby@edenvillagecamp.org
Zoe Page
Camper Care Coordinator, LCSW (she/her)
zoe@edenvillagecamp.org
Tom Hidas
Executive Chef (he/him)
tom@edenvillagecamp.org
Board of Directors
- Lauren Wysmuller (Chair)
- Amy Forseter
- Richard Shuster
- Peter Takiff
- Robert Levitan
- AJ Reisman
- Moshe Cohen
Lauren Wysmuller
Chairperson
amy forseter
Richard Shuster
Peter Takiff
Julia Stalder
Robert Levitan
AJ Reisman
Mel Comerchero
Moshe cohen
work at camp!
At Eden Village, our staff provide campers with an incredibly supportive experience. Our low camper to staff ratio ensures that your camper’s health, safety, and emotional well-being are cared for at all times. Our staff are professionals who are dedicated to the camper’s experience throughout all moments of the day. Staff are chosen for their experience, maturity, enthusiasm, and commitment to campers’ growth.
Being a staff member at Eden Village is hard work, and is one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences you’ll ever have. Our staff community is strong, supportive, kind, creative, and fun. We seek enthusiastic and mission-aligned staff members to work from mid-June to the beginning of August.