Our Team
OUR TEAM
Meet the people behind BaMidbar.
HANNAH HOROWITZ — Clinician and Educator, Colorado (she/her)
RABBI BATYA ELANA ELLINOY — Rabbi-in-Residence
SAM LANGSTEIN — Clinician & Educator (he/him)
GABRIELA LUPATKIN — Clinical Director (she/her)
ADAM KARP — Massachusetts Clinical Fellow & Educator (he/him)
EMILY HEEREN — Chief Programs Officer (she/her)
BRETT HAUSLER — Director of Business Operations (he/him)
LIORA BERNSTEIN — California Clinical Fellow & Educator (she/her)
JAMIE BORNSTEIN — Chief Advancement Officer (he/him)
JORY HANSELMAN MAYSCHAK — Chief Executive Officer & Founder (she/her)
Liora Bernstein (she/her)
CA Clinical
Fellow & Educator
Liora attributes her passion for Jewish experiential education and mental health and wellness to her many years at URJ Eisner Camp as a camper, counselor, and Unit Head. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Communication from George Washington University, she was one of four inaugural members of the first cohort of FJC Fellows at Foundation for Jewish Camp in New York, NY.
In her two years at FJC, Liora worked as a Leadership Development Fellow on different mental health initiatives and counselor programs. Liora graduated with a dual master’s degree from Hebrew Union College’s Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management and University of Southern California’s School of Social Work in Spring 2023. Liora is excited to join the BaMidbar team to continue to work in the intersection of Judaism, mental health, and experiential education, while helping future and current leaders in the community become better advocates and educators themselves.
Jamie Bornstein (he/him)
CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER
Jamie Bornstein comes to BaMidbar following a 13-year tenure at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, where he held the positions of Assistant Director, Senior Director, and Director of Marketing and Communications.
He is also a Pardes Year Program alumnus. Prior to Pardes, he was a Senior Development Officer at Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Jewish Federation of Boston. Jamie has a B.A. from Skidmore College, including a year at Hebrew University, and an MBA from Boston University. He was named a Wexner Graduate Fellow in 2005.
Jamie is an outspoken advocate for destigmatizing mental and behavioral health challenges, especially in the Jewish community, and is excited to continue doing so in a professional capacity at BaMidbar.
Originally from New Hampshire, Jamie lives in Sharon, MA with his wife and three children and enjoys playing electric guitar, writing, and gardening.
Kit Colorado (she/her)
Admin & Communications Coordinator
Kit Colorado is a free spirit who has built a career rooted in Jewish values and service. Always working in the non-profit sector; she moved into the Jewish communal profession in 2012 when she became the executive director of Congregation Bonai Shalom in Boulder, CO.
Then, during the pandemic pivoted into working with other Jewish non-profits such as Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa, Habonim Dror Camp Tavor, and Adamah (formerly Hazon). She’s a mother to a very cute chihuahua and two human children. She is a lover of music, yoga, hiking, nature, and books.
Jory Hanselman Mayschak (she/her)
Chief Executive Officer
Jory Hanselman Mayschak is the Founder and CEO of BaMidbar. Jory started her career in the world of Jewish camping, when she joined the Ramah in the Rockies team during its inaugural season.
Since then, Jory has worked in a variety of wilderness therapy and experiential education programs. In 2016, Jory returned to Ramah in the Rockies to develop and launch BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy, the nation’s first Jewish wilderness therapy program. In 2021, Jory led BaMidbar through its transition from a fiscally sponsored entity to an independent 501(c)3. Jory has dedicated her career to empowering and inspiring youth, and is thrilled to work in an environment where her three greatest passions – experiential learning, mental health and wellness, and Jewish tradition – intersect. Jory has a Bachelors of Science from Tufts University, a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership from University of Colorado, and a Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Stanford University. She is also a Wexner Field Fellow.
Jory sets the strategic vision for BaMidbar and oversees board development, strategic program development, and fundraising and development efforts. Contact Jory if you’d like to learn more about our work, further our impact, or explore new partnerships with BaMidbar.
Brett Hausler (he/him)
director of business operations
Originally from Vermont, Brett has been working and volunteering in the nonprofit and public sectors his entire life. He launched his career at URJ Crane Lake Camp as its first home-grown Assistant Director. Most recently, he served as Director of Operations at a synagogue in Greater Boston.
Brett is thrilled to be returning to BaMidbar where he previously served as Director of External Relations. He is excited to be pursuing his passions and helping to build a community that actively supports its members in cultivating mental health and wellness.
Emily Heeren (she/her)
Program Director
Emily has worked with youth and young adults both in and outside of the formal classroom for over eight years. With a foundation in experiential learning, Emily has applied her skills in high school special education, higher education, Jewish education, outdoor education, and mental health settings.
Emily has a masters degree in Curriculum and Teaching with a concentration in Special Education from Boston University.
Emily develops and manages BaMidbar’s program portfolio and plays a key role in facilitating Education programs. Contact Emily if you have questions about BaMidbar’s Prevention and Education programs, would like to offer mental health and wellness training at your workplace or in your community, or would like to learn more about the BaMidbar approach and philosophy.
Adam Karp (he/him)
MA Clinical Fellow & Educator
Adam graduated from Antioch University with a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in Spring 2021. Prior to pursuing his master’s degree, Adam worked in the fields of wilderness therapy and Jewish experiential education.
Adam has also taught English as a Second Language in South Korea and French in Burlington, Vermont. He loves exploring the ways in which our hearts and minds align with Jewish history and philosophy. Most recently, that has involved working as a Field Therapist for BaMidbar, designing curriculum for Moving Traditions, and teaching high school students in Jewish educational settings. Adam enjoys hiking, traveling, languages, tinkering on the harmonica, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Adam is BaMidbar’s project lead with curriculum development and facilitation of the first Wellness Cohort of the Peer Leadership Fellowship; a program offered in partnership with the Jewish Teen Initiative at Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. Contact Adam if you have questions about this program.
Nick Magle-Haberek (he/him)
Clinical Director
Nick has worked in the field of wilderness therapy and experiential education for the past twenty years. He earned masters degrees in both Social Work and Outdoor Education at the University of New Hampshire, and is also on the leadership committee for the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group.
Nick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist.
Nick oversees BaMidbar’s Treatment programming and manages our summer wilderness therapy program. He is also one of our lead Education program facilitators. Contact Nick if you have questions about our clinical approach and philosophy.
Chili Szlafrok (he/him)
Clinical Intern
Chili is a graduate student at the University of Denver and BaMidbar’s social work intern. He comes to Bamidbar with experience as a wilderness therapy field mentor, NYC EMT, organic farmer and shepherd.
Chili is a passionate animal lover and volunteers at a therapeutic horsemanship program near his home. His love for animals and the outdoors has led him to study regenerative agriculture, animal husbandry and human animal interactions all around the world. Having been drawn to BaMidbar’s convergence of three of his core passions: adventure, mental health and Judaism, Chili is excited to be a member of BaMidbar’s clinical team. Originally from Brooklyn, NY Chili now lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains where you can find him hiking and swimming in the rivers with his pup Nala.
Our Board
Rabbi Matt Shapiro, Co-Chair
Douglas Wolf, Treasurer
Teena Slatkin
Cliff Stockton
Elyssa Hammerman, Co-Chair
Alex Fader
Rabbi Anat Moskowitz
Judy Gerstenblith
Jobs
Director of Business Operations
Remote
The Director of Business Operations (DBO) will help BaMidbar operationalize its mission and vision and will be a leader who can help others at BaMidbar deliver measurable results. You will serve as the central address for all matters concerning BaMidbar’s financial management, operational systems, information technology, HR administration, and talent management. The DBO is an organizational leader working to develop and maintain an organization infrastructure and culture that enables a geographically dispersed workforce to efficiently and effectively achieve BaMidbar’s mission. This person will build and implement processes and systems to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of BaMidbar.
We’re growing! Check back soon for career opportunities with BaMidbar.
Communications & Admin Coordinator
Remote
The Communications & Admin Coordinator supports the entire BaMidbar team through communications and development implementation, database and technological systems management, and administrative support for day-to-day operations.. They will support the implementation of BaMidbar’s marketing and outreach strategy and be involved in disseminating all of BaMidbar’s digital communications. They will also support best practice operational standards and processes, including data collection, database management, and data integrity within BaMidbar’s CRM and Electronic Health Records software.
To learn more click here.
To apply click here.