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. He 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. 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 Sector Executive 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.

Headshot of Rabbi Jessie Wainer

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.

Subie Banaszynski, MSW

Subie Banaszynski is originally from the suburbs of Chicago and knows 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 social work, Subie always had a hand in Jewish youth and education. She is a member of Congregation Shaare Emeth and in the 90’s and early ‘00s she developed and oversaw their middle and high school educational programs. Recently, 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 at many of the URJ camps. Serving on the URJ CAA Camp Council for several years has been an honor and privilege for Subie. Currently, Subie is consulting with Jewish organizations and spending a great deal of time with her husband, children and five grandchildren.

Judy BeCker

Judy Becker grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, but her home away from home was URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI). After many years at GUCI, first as a camper, then as an Avodahnik, and finally as a counselor, Judy ventured south to URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Mississippi, where she worked as a counselor and, later, a unit head. It was at GUCI that Judy found her confidence, her voice, and her connection to Judaism; it was at Jacobs that Judy learned the joy of working to give these gifts to other Jewish children.

 

Judy earned her B.A. in English at Duke University and her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. After working in law for well over a decade, first in private practice and then at the U.S. Department of Education (where she also dabbled in K-12 education policy), Judy joined the research team at Marshfield & Associates, where she puts her analytical skills to work in the investment world. Today, Judy is thrilled to bring the skills she’s honed over her many years working in law, policy, and finance to help advance a cause she loves – Jewish summer camp.

 

CAA holds a special place in Judy’s heart, in no small part because it’s where her daughter found a loving community and an inspiring creative writing instructor, but also because Judy believes the arts connect us to our humanity. Judy was a devoted theater kid and, more recently, has channeled her love of the arts into writing. Judy created and wrote a fiction podcast that will be released on Audible in 2022.

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).

Deborah’s professional career has taken her from serving as a driver across the state of Louisiana for a gubernatorial candidate to the C-Suite of a national insurance company. Her experience in the realms of politics, communications, and business gives her a unique perspective to share with businesses and national boards.

Sternberg recently launched the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge, an after-school program that transforms high school students into confident entrepreneurs. Engaging the Louisiana Economic Development, LSU College of Business, and Baton Rouge Area Chamber, she established a committee of local entrepreneurs and community leaders who share her vision: a culture of innovation throughout Greater Baton Rouge, starting with high school students.

Deborah is married and the proud mother of two boys, both CAA campers!