CAA Leadership
Year-Round Staff
Jay Rapoport, RJE
Director
Jay is so excited to be leading the URJ 6 Points Creative Arts Academy team after several decades in Jewish camping! Jay has previously served as the Director of Lifelong Learning at Temple Sholom of Chicago since 2014, and prior to that as the Youth Educator at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City and as Camp Director at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Virginia. He earned his master’s degree in Religious Education (MARE) from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York City and a B.A. in Elementary Education and Music from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
In 2019 Jay earned the Reform Jewish Educator (RJE) title, reflecting his academic and professional accomplishments. In 2020 he was the recipient of the Yad B’Yad Award from the ARJE recognizing innovative programming and curricula. In 2022 he released his latest album of “Ruach Rock” Jewish music, “Attitude of Gratitude.”
Jay has served as the President of the Chicago Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ChARJE), as well as a faculty member at URJ Camp OSRUI and the Hava Nashira Jewish Music Conference. He is a frequent presenter and performer at URJ Biennial and other conferences.
Jay is a pianist, vocalist and composer of original Jewish music, and is a Featured Artist on Jewish Rock Radio (JRR) and JKids Radio, and a member of JRR Chicago Sings. Jay and his wife Rachel live in Lakeview with their two children, Ruthie and Emet.
Samantha Eichert
Senior Assistant Director
Samantha received a BA from the University of Hartford in Judaic Studies and Sociology with a minor in History and earned her master’s degree in Religious Education (MARE) from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). Samantha has also completed the Union for Reform Judaism’s Youth Professional 101 Program.
After graduating from college, Samantha served in several different roles among the New Jersey Jewish communities. Samantha’s recent leadership roles include the Director of Youth Engagement, the Temple Administrator, Assistant Director of Youth Learning and Engagement. Serving first as faculty virtually in 2020, and at CAA in 2021, Samantha fell in love with this community and joined the full-time CAA team in April 2022.
Subie Banaszynski:
Year-round Social Worker (part-time)
Subie Banaszynski is originally from the suburbs of Chicago and experienced the power of Jewish camp having grown up at URJ Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) camp.
She received her BA from Lakeland University (WI) and moved to St. Louis where she earned a Masters in Social Work from Washington University. During a long career in youth and family social work, Subie maintained a deep connection to Jewish education, youth and camping. She has served the Jewish community as a leader, board member, staff director, consultant and educator. Prior to her work at the Creative Arts Academy, Subie was the Director of Education and Engagement at Temple Emanuel in St. Louis. Subie worked for the URJ and NFTY in the youth department for seven years and thoroughly enjoyed being the North American Director of NFTY. She has been and continues to be a teacher, trainer, mentor and advocate for teens, young adults and their parents and has served as faculty and staff at many of the URJ camps. Subie’s history with CAA started in its inaugural year, 2018, as faculty, Camp Council member and has continued as a consultant and staff. In 2022 Subie became year-round staff as the Director of Community Care and is now the Year-round Social Worker. CAA is her passion, as is her large family, 5 grandchildren and her St. Louis community.
Lisa Rodney
6 Points Business Manager
Lisa is the 6 Points Business Manager for all three 6 Points Specialty camps located on the East Coast: 6 Points Sports, 6 Points Creative Arts, and 6 Points Sci-Tech! During the summer Lisa is housed out of 6 Points Sports Academy, but helps all three camps year-round!
Lisa’s involvement with the 6 Points Camps began as a Camp Parent when her daughter fell in love with 6 Points Sports Academy a few years ago. The moment a position became available which matched her over 30 years of business, accounting, and management experience, Lisa jumped on it. She is excited to bring her love for and connection with Judaism and children together with her work.
Lisa’s professional career in management began with Flight Service at American Airlines, then on to Office Manager of a Pilates studio, Controller of an Architectural firm and most recently she wore a wide variety of hats at a three-person accounting firm. She is actively involved with the local Jewish Community through three congregations as well as the JCC.
Lisa is originally from Rochester, NY, and has lived in Israel, Greece, Chicago, NYC, and Philadelphia. She currently resides outside of Raleigh, NC with her husband, mother, adult stepson, son, 14 and daughter, 12, two cats, and her chocolate Lab, Lucy. Her passions include learning about other cultures, travel, reading, and hiking. She volunteers regularly and currently serves as the Treasurer for her children’s middle school PTA.
Shaina Sugar
Director of Development
When Shaina first learned about 6 Points Sci-Tech, she immediately knew it would be the perfect summer fit for her son and was the first to enroll for Summer 2022! She is thrilled to also send another son to 6 Points Sports Academy. The focus on a particular specialty within the context of a Jewish summer camp drew Shaina in and when the Director of Development position became available, she jumped at the opportunity to be involved in this vibrant camp community.
Shaina is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin but has lived in the Chicagoland area for much of her life. She spent a year in Israel studying and volunteering and then attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She currently lives in Evanston IL with her husband and 3 boys. For the past 10 years, she has worked on the Development Team for a Midwest summer camp. Shaina is thrilled to bring her knowledge and experience to all three 6 Points Specialty camps.
Lissie Levitt
Staff Engagement Coordinator, 6 Points Specialty Camps
Lissie is incredibly excited to be a part of 6 Points Specialty Camps as the Staff Engagement Coordinator. When she was 8 years old, Lissie spent her first summer at camp and immediately fell in love. She has spent every summer at sleepaway camp ever since. Her love for camp evolved simultaneously with her love for Judaism, and she is the alum of several URJ programs such as NFTY-SAR, URJ Kutz Camp, and NFTY Heller High. Lissie attended the George Washington University, where she earned a degree in political science with a minor in Judaic studies. During her time at GWU, she served as a Leadership and Development intern at the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C. and held leadership positions for various student organizations. Lissie is from Atlanta, GA and currently resides there. In her free time, you can find her cheering on the Atlanta Braves, finding the best gluten-free snacks, or volunteering with the local animal shelter.
Lindsey Fleishman
Marketing Manager, 6 Points Specialty Camps
Lindsey has been a part of the 6 Points community since 2016. She was a camper, CIT, counselor, and CIT Director at 6 Points Sports. Camp is her happy place and one of the reasons she chose to work in the Jewish space as a career. She is also a NFTY-MAR alum and a true advocate of the importance of Jewish youth spaces. Lindsey received her B.S. in Communications from East Carolina University as a member of the Brinkley-Lane Scholars Program and the Honors College. She will also receive her Masters in Strategic Communication in 2024. Lindsey has gained a love for marketing through her work with 6 Points, BBYO, and the Honors College at ECU, allowing her to be creative in youthful environments. While she has lived in Greenville, North Carolina, for the past few years for school, she is originally from Raleigh, making North Carolina her home. Outside of camp, she loves to travel and will always be willing to tell you about her favorite place on earth, Dublin, Ireland. On any given day, she can also be found at a coffee shop trying to find the best latte.
Rachel B. Handloff
6 Points Executive Director
Born and raised in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Rachel has been attending summer camp since she was eight years old. She served as a counselor and senior staff member for 15 summers at Camp Tanuga in Northern Michigan. In the summer of 2013, Rachel was the CIT coordinator and Unit Head at 6 Points Sports Academy. Since 2013, she has spent summers at 6 Points Sports as a Camper Care provider and Director of Jewish Life. For the past thirty years, she has been in the Washington, DC area where she has worked with students in Elementary through High School as a Youth Director, Guidance Counselor, and most recently as the Lower School Principal at Berman Hebrew Academy. Rachel has a BS in Sociology and Judaic Studies from The University of Michigan and a M.S. in Counseling from The Johns Hopkins University. She currently lives in Rockville, MD with her husband Rich. She has two adult daughters, Hannah and Sophie.
Rachel joined the 6 Points Team in the role of Executive Director for Specialty Camps in February 2023. Camp is Rachel’s happy place and she is thrilled to be able to spend time over the summer at each specialty camp.
Jo-Ellen Unger
Founding Director
Jo-Ellen Unger is the founding Director of the URJ 6 Points Creative Arts Academy. Throughout her education and career, Jo-Ellen straddled the worlds of Jewish Education and the Arts. Music was a part of her life from a very young age, as she performed in a variety of concerts in multiple venues. She developed her skills in voice, theatre and dance at the Performing and Visual Arts Center (now New World School of the Arts) in Miami, Florida, the Fine Arts program at Florida State University and the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York City. She held positions in camping and youth and served as a formal and informal education director in Florida and Maryland, both in the congregational world and Hillel. She is a graduate of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, where she earned a Master of Arts in Religious Education. She had the privilege of serving as the 2019 Zeldin Alumni Scholar-in-Residence for the School of Education at HUC-JIR and was named as a 2020 Distinguished Educator by the Association of Reform Jewish Educators.
CAA Camp Council
Jeffrey Kagan
Chair
Jeffrey Kagan has spent most of his life around camps or teens, or both. He served 20 years as a high school TYG advisor at congregations in Oak Park, IL, and Bloomfield, NJ, and has been honored with NFTY life memberships in the Chicago Area Region and at the North American level. Arriving at the CAA Council in 2020—serving as Vice Chair for two years, and Chair for two-plus more—he had also served as the Vice Chair of the URJ Kutz Camp Council for six years, and three more as its Chair, working closely with camp leadership, alumni and the broader community; he also taught more than 10 summers at the Kutz Camp, plus various sessions at NFTY Conventions and URJ Biennials. In March 2024, he was elected to his first term on the URJ’s North American Board. Beyond the Jewish world, he served on the Board of Directors of the River North Chicago Dance Company for 11 years, and two more years on its Alumni Board. Begrudgingly, he does spend some time outside the camp world, serving as Chief of Staff of the Asset Management practice at KPMG, as well as serving on the Board of Trustees and as HR Committee Chair at Temple Emanu-El of Westfield. Jeffrey lives in Westfield, NJ, with his wife, Amy (whom he met at camp), and their two campers, Sophie and Noah.Rachel joined the 6 Points Team in the role of Executive Director for Specialty Camps in February 2023. Camp is Rachel’s happy place and she is thrilled to be able to spend time over the summer at each specialty camp.
Rabbi Jessie Wainer
Vice Chair
Rabbi Wainer is the Associate Rabbi at Congregation Etz Chaim. She previously served as the Associate Rabbi and Director of Congregational Learning for Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation in Reston, VA. Rabbi Wainer was ordained from the Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in 2016. While there, she also earned as Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters in 2015, as well as a Master of Arts in Education Administration from Xavier University in 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies, with Honors, as well as minors in Hebrew and Psychology from Indiana University – Bloomington. Rabbi Wainer currently serves as the head of faculty for the URJ’s 6-Points Creative Arts Academy where she is a founding faculty member. She also previously served on the CCAR’s Taskforce on Women’s Experience in the Rabbinate.
Deborah Sternberg
Founding & Immediate Past Chair
Deborah Sternberg grew up in Baton Rouge, LA. Her religious values and leadership skills were shaped through her heavy involvement in the reform movement. An active member of her youth group, she volunteered for multiple summers at Camp Dream Street in Mississippi working with physically challenged youth. She attended Henry S. Jacobs Camp and Kutz Camp, and participated in multiple NFTY national programs. Deborah served as temple youth group president, NFTY Southern (SoFTY) president, and NFTY president. Having moved back to Baton Rouge with her family, Deborah became active in her home synagogue, Congregation B’nai Israel. She served on the board for over 10 years, including as temple president. She is a former member of the URJ national board and the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism (CSA).
Lesly Gregory
Bio
Lesly Gregory has been a camp kid since she was 10. Starting out as a camper at Greene Family Camp in Texas, Lesly went on to be a counselor and unit head during her time at GFC. With camp in her blood, it’s no wonder her kids are also camp alums. Her oldest has attended Camp Coleman in Georgia and CAA, while her youngest spent one summer at GFC and is heading to Camp Coleman for Quest Jr camp next. Lesly is an active member of the Jewish community, currently serving as the VP of Education at Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell, GA. For her day job, Lesly is a freelance content writer, working with clients across a variety of industries. She crafts blog posts, web pages, white papers and even writes for her local paper. An avid reader, Lesly calls Marietta, GA home and lives happily with her family and four cats. A love of Jewish life and a passion for communications brought Lesly to the CAA Camp Council and she’s thrilled to be a part of yet another camp community and to connect with families across the country.
David Loewy
Bio
David Loewy is a theater artist, educator, and nonprofit consultant based in New York City. He was honored to be CAA’s inaugural Artistic Director for its first two summers, and he believes very strongly in the power of the arts, camp, and experiential Jewish education. Born and raised in Texas, David spent 22 summers of his life at the URJ Greene Family Camp in various capacities, including two summers as the Spielberg Fellow in Jewish Theater Arts Education. He’s been creating Jewish-text-based theater works for over 25 years, particularly as a founding company member of the Jewish ritual theater company Storahtelling. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin’s Plan II Honors Program and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from NYU. He spends most of his time these days helping NYC cultural organizations build new spaces for themselves. He is thrilled to be serving on the Camp Council for CAA.
Subie Banaszynski, MSW
Bio
Subie Banaszynski is originally from the suburbs of Chicago and experienced the power of Jewish camp having grown up at URJ Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) camp.
She received her BA from Lakeland University (WI) and moved to St. Louis where she earned a Masters in Social Work from Washington University. During a long career in youth and family social work, Subie maintained a deep connection to Jewish education, youth and camping. She has served the Jewish community as a leader, board member, staff director, consultant and educator. Prior to her work at the Creative Arts Academy, Subie was the Director of Education and Engagement at Temple Emanuel in St. Louis. Subie worked for the URJ and NFTY in the youth department for seven years and thoroughly enjoyed being the North American Director of NFTY. She has been and continues to be a teacher, trainer, mentor and advocate for teens, young adults and their parents and has served as faculty and staff at many of the URJ camps. Subie’s history with CAA started in its inaugural year, 2018, as faculty, Camp Council member and has continued as a consultant and staff. In 2022 Subie became year-round staff as the Director of Community Care and is now the Year-round Social Worker. CAA is her passion, as is her large family, 5 grandchildren and her St. Louis community.
Gail Ravnitzky Silberglied
Bio
Gail Ravnitzky Silberglied is one of the many parents who wishes there was a CAA camp back when she was growing up…Now a mom of three teenagers—all of whom have attended URJ Six Points camps (two at the sports academy and one at creative arts academy)—Gail is proud to serve on CAA’s Camp Council. Gail grew up attending Temple Israel of Northern Westchester (NY) and currently attends B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, Maryland, where she co-chairs the sisterhood social action committee. Gail is also active in her childrens’ school PTAs and at the county level to advocate for reduced screen time and purposeful use of technology in the classroom. During the pandemic, Gail chaired the Virtual Leaning Committee for the Montgomery County Council of PTAs. Professionally, Gail has worked on Capitol Hill, as a lobbyist, and as a nonprofit executive before founding Speak Up Advocacy to help nonprofits maximize their effectiveness in reaching and influencing public officials. She currently is senior director of government relations and advocacy for the National Association of Workforce Boards.