JCamp 180 continues to invest in our team and the field. We’re excited for you to get to know our 3 new consultants who will be taking on portfolios of camps this fall! Learn more about each of our new consultants below.
Newest Consultant – Dalia Krusner
We are thrilled to welcome consultant Dalia Krusner as the newest member of the JCamp 180 team! Dalia has over a decade of experience in Jewish camping, fundraising, and nonprofit management.
Originally from Toronto, Dalia grew up at Camp Shomria in Canada, and snuck in a few extra summers at camp as the Director of Shomria's Heart to Heart program and then as a board member. Prior to joining JCamp 180, Dalia served as the Associate Director for the New Israel Fund in New England.
Dalia’s Areas of Content Expertise
- Fundraising, including annual fundraising, major gift cultivation, and crowdfunding campaigns
- Board governance and committees
- Culture change
Q&A with Dalia
What is your home camp?
I grew up at Camp Shomria Canada in Perth, Ontario.
How many years did you spend at camp?
I spent 15 summers at camp as a camper or staff member, but I hadn't gone an entire summer without at least visiting camp until the pandemic.
What was your favorite job at camp?
My favorite job at camp was running the Chava, or camp farm. During the years I was Rosh Chava we had chickens and sheep.
What are you most excited about in your new role at JCamp 180?
I’m excited to work in partnership with the extraordinary professionals and lay leaders who are devoted to creating transformational Jewish camp experiences.
Newly Promoted to Consultant – Ari Polsky
We are also thrilled to share the news that we have promoted current program manager Ari Polsky to the consultant role at JCamp 180. Ari has contributed to our consulting practice, developing new systems, processes and analyses, propelled our day camp grant work forward, and has been a fountain of new ideas to improve and enhance JCamp 180’s offerings.
Ari provides consulting and coaching in camp communications, enrollment, and data-informed decision-making. Within JCamp 180, Ari is currently the relationship manager for many of our affiliated day camps and will also be working with overnight camps as well.
Before joining JCamp 180, Ari worked for 8 years as a communications director, first with Ramah in the Rockies and then Camp Ramah in California, and a brief stint in community care at Camp Tel Noar. During his time with the Ramah camps, Ari participated in iCenter Birthright Fellows Cohort 1, National Ramah’s Kerem cohort, and JCamp 180’s training in effective communications (JTEC). Ari presents regularly to camp professionals via webinars, articles, and at gatherings with the Association for Independent Jewish Camps (AIJC), the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Leaders Assembly, JCamp 180’s Enrollment Program, and the American Camp Association.
Ari’s Areas of Content Expertise
- Marketing & Communications
- Camp Operations to Support Strategy
- Enrollment
Q&A with Ari
What is your home camp?
I grew up as a camper, counselor, and unit head at Camp Ramah in California. I consider both Ramah California and Ramah Rockies my "home camps".
How many years did you spend at camp?
I have spent 22 summers at camp, including 8 as professional staff
What was your favorite job at camp?
Favorite job at camp: I loved my time working as a Rosh Edah [unit head] because it gave me the opportunity to both work with campers and create the camp experience, and also coach staff in their camp journey.
What are you most excited about in your new role at JCamp 180?
I am excited to work with camp leadership to help grow their skills in the business areas of camp I am most passionate about: storytelling, operations, and fundraising.
Newly Promoted to Consultant – Herschel Singer
We are also excited that Herschel Singer has transitioned full-time to JCamp 180 and been promoted to the role of JCamp 180 consultant. Herschel has been with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation for more than four years. You probably know him from his work with data and analytics, and in supporting the Enrollment program.
Herschel focuses on how organizations can leverage the transformative power of data through impactful visualizations and storytelling. Prior to becoming a consultant, Herschel was the Analytics Manager for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and worked for Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, where he helped develop comprehensive evaluation systems to measure outcomes and impact.
Herschel’s Areas of Content Expertise
- Data Visualization
- Strategic Data-Informed Decision-Making
- Systems Thinking
- Evaluation
Q&A with Herschel
What is your home camp?
Camp Yavneh
How many years did you spend at camp?
16. I was even able to live at camp this past summer! My wife Alanna was Rosh Noar (Head of Upper Camp) where she supervised the 13-16 year-old eidot (age groups).
What was your favorite job at camp?
Rosh Eidah (Unit Head)
What are you most excited about in your new role at JCamp 180?
Spending my professional time focusing on camp and getting to know so many more camp communities, professionals, and volunteers.
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Who we are: JCamp 180 is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF). JCamp 180 invests in the long-term organizational effectiveness of nonprofit Jewish camps to ensure our community’s future and connection to Judaism. We partner with professional staff, lay leadership, movements, and allied organizations to inspire a culture that promotes philanthropic support by focusing on strategic planning, governance, and fundraising, and providing matching grants, consulting services, professional development, and research. Find more at www.jcamp180.org