Our Full Time Camp Leadership
Simon Wolle, Camp Director
Simon is excited to be returning for his 10th summer as the Camp Director at Camp Northland-B’nai Brith. Simon has acted in many capacities in the world of Jewish overnight camping. He has been a Camp Director and a Board member at other camps including Camp Gesher and Camp Shomria. He has also led and participated in numerous youth Israel tours and Shabbatonim, and enjoyed his time as a Faculty member at Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto (CHAT), having served as Dean of Students and a member of the teaching faculty for almost 15 years. Simon also recently served as a volunteer board member at the Toronto Heschel School, chairing the Health, Safety and Security areas, and sits on other community building committees. Most recently Simon was a member of the Ontario Camps Association provincial Covid-19 task force for overnight camps, and he remains a dedicated member of the Ontario Camps Association Standards Review Committee and Camp Accreditation Committee. Simon is also an alumnus of Camp Northland having started as a six year old in Section I Cabin 1! Simon has an exemplary reputation in our community and brings unique and diverse experience to the role of Camp Director. Simon is a trained lawyer in the area of risk mitigation, Emergency Medical Responder, and Advanced Emergency Care Instructor. He has owned and operated a health and safety training company and has extensive business and legal experience. He is a skilled professional, a dynamic Jewish educator, proud husband to Stacia (also a key member of the camp team) and proud dad of four(ish) children (Shayne, Spencer and Seth - and his dog Splash). You can reach Simon at [email protected] or call the office at 905-881-0018 ext. 305. 
Rob Abbs, Maintenance Director
Rob recently celebrated 40 summers at Camp Northland. He has been the heart and soul of keeping the facility safe and magical each year for us to enjoy. He works extremely hard managing the site and facility through out the entire year. Rob is extremely skilled and talented and provides the Camp NBB community a safe environment to enjoy. 
Leore Zecharia, Assistant Director - Programs and Year Round Engagement
(Maternity Leave as of September 2024) As a lifelong camper, Leore is excited to be back at Camp Northland! She started her NBB journey in 2004 as a Unit 1 camper and spent fifteen summers on Moose Lake. Leore's favourite activity at Camp is Arts and Crafts, where she spent four years as staff and two years as Head of A&C. Leore has a Masters in Museum Studies and Jewish Studies, and a certificate in fundraising management, with a focus on community engagement, development and programs. While her love for Jewish community engagement started at Camp, Leore began her career at Hillel Ontario, and most recently at Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. She is ready to bring all her experiences and knowledge in community and program building back to Camp Northland, and give the next generation of Camp Northland campers the same experiences she had. You can reach Leore at leore@campnbb.com 
Rachel Chitiz, Development Director
Starting in Unit 1, Rachel spent seven incredible summers at Camp Northland as both a camper and staff member. Her fondest childhood memories are those spent up in Haliburton at NBB where she learned so much and formed lifelong friendships. With camp holding a special place in her heart, she is very excited to be rejoining the team as Development Director! In this role, Rachel will be focused on strengthening the donor experience and advancing fundraising capabilities to ensure camp and camper life thrives for years to come. Rachel has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and spent the early part of her career in the corporate world, where she worked in marketing and brand management for large food companies. After some time, and a 6-month backpacking trip in New Zealand, Southeast Asia and Israel, she made the decision to pivot her career into something more meaningful and rewarding. When she returned home, she transitioned into the charitable sector where she worked in donor marketing for an international development non-profit organization for six years. During this time, Rachel and her husband, Mitch, started their family and have two amazing children – Madison and Kacey. Rachel feels that now, more than ever, it is important to give back to her community and help ensure that Camp Northland continues to be a place where every child receives an amazing Jewish camp experience. You can best reach Rachel at [email protected]. 
Gabi Cohen, Assistant Director - Programs and Year Round Engagement
Gabi is so incredibly excited and thrilled to be a part of such an amazing team! She is very passionate about camp and all its efforts in creating a lively, Jewish, and positive environment for hundreds of campers and staff. Gabi first started as a camper at NBB in 2015 and have since then been a Creative Arts specialty counsellor, CIT mentor, Creative Arts specialty head, as well as Program Director. Additionally, she has always been interested in many creative industries such as makeup, Broadway, and dance. She grew up dancing competitively which pushed her into the makeup business and she started her own freelance makeup artist business. She is extremely passionate about Israel and Judaism and value giving back to all initiatives that involve all things Israel. Gabi is also currently volunteering at DANI (Developing and Nurturing Independence) in hopes to provide a helping hand whenever need be. Gabi just graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration at Laurier University. To grow both personally and academically, she made the amazing decision to experience her last semester abroad in Lisbon, Portugal. The decisions she has made along the way have helped her become a leader whilst helping others develop their own leadership. Gabi is so excited to be using her background in business, camp, programming, and creative industries to her advantage to help be a part in making camp thrive to its fullest potential. You can reach Gabi at [email protected] or call the office at 905-881-0018. |
Adam Kertesz, Associate Director
Adam is so excited for his 6th summer as Associate Director at Camp Northland. Prior to joining Camp Northland in this role, Adam had spent over 15 years growing up and working at various Jewish overnight camps throughout North America. Adam had most recently spent almost 7 years as the Assistant Director at The Jack and Pat Kay Centre Camp operating out of the JCC. Prior to joining Centre Camp, Adam spent 7 years as co-owner of Dynamix Toronto. In this capacity, he facilitated team building and skill development workshops for kids and teens. Amazingly, he even has fond memories of coming up to Camp Northland to lead Staff Training workshops over 10 years ago! Adam and his amazing wife, Lauren, have two incredible children, Cole and Isla, and a super cute and cuddly dog named Oscar, who is also excited to be up at camp with the other camp dogs! You can reach Adam at [email protected] or call the office at 905-881-0018 ext. 303 
Denise Harris, Administrative Director
Denise has been part of the Northland family since her days as a camper, counsellor, unit head, program director and assistant director at camp. Denise joined the NBB team in 1977 to work year round to ensure the best possible experience for all of the Northland family. From the moment parents make the decision to send their child to Northland, she assists in the registration process, helping to organize and prepare them for the upcoming season. You will see Denise at camp on Visitors Day, departure and arrivals, and at many of the community events. She continues the NBB traditions while connecting with alumni and welcoming the next generation to the NBB family! You can reach Denise at [email protected] or call the office at 905-881-0018 ext. 302 
Josh Akum, Assistant Director - Logistics and Business Operations
Josh is enthusiastic about joining the full-time team. He is incredibly passionate about developing leaders within the camp community and first joined our NBB family as a camper in 2013. Josh was Head of Media and Section Head but also has experience on our Directing Team overseeing Junior Shift Units & Sections. Beyond his camp experience, Josh was heavily involved in various Jewish organizations across Toronto and Washington D.C., including Alpha Epsilon Pi, Hillel, Olami, Chabad, and the B’nai Brith Youth Organization. Josh has a Bachelor of Science in Business from Miami University and looks forward to using his Jewish leadership experience and business background to contribute meaningfully to camp! You can reach Josh at [email protected]. 
Alex MacPherson, Office Manager & Registrar
(Maternity Leave as of June 2024) Alex is a Camp Northland alumni and is very excited to be part of the NBB family. From the moment her mother enrolled her into camp, her life was forever changed. Her passion for working with children and camp experiences enables her ability to continue the Camp Northland spirit which will be passed down to future campers. Some of her fondest memories include cookouts/overnights, Northland olympics, NBB burning and friendships that have lasted over 20 years. Growing up in Thornhill, Alex maintains strong relationships with her 2 older siblings who also attended NBB. Alex graduated from Seneca College with a degree in Early Childhood Education, which she credits her love of children to the amazing students she has worked with in the past. In her spare time Alex loves to exercise, travel the world, bake homemade sweets and be a mother to her dog Bailey. Her dedication to living a healthy lifestyle allows her to turn everyday baked goods into something parents would love to feed their kids. Alex is honoured to be able to reconnect with the Northland values, while welcoming the next generation to the NBB family! You can best reach Alex at [email protected] 
Rachel Evans, Registration Director
Although Rachel is a new member of the full-time camp staff, she has been part of the Camp Northland family for years. Starting as a camper and staff member in the '80s and '90s, Camp Northland has played a pivotal role in Rachel’s life, including being the place where she met her eventual husband, Greg, and the place where her own children have spent their summers for the last ten years. With over 25 years of experience in public relations and communications, Rachel has had a diverse career with a strong focus on strategy development and brand management, while maintaining exceptional client service. Most recently Rachel was Vice President of a boutique public relations agency. Seeking a career change, Rachel was drawn to the camp's purpose and impact on building a stronger Jewish community for the future. Rachel looks forward to getting to know camp families and playing a role in an organization that means so much to her. You can reach Rachel at [email protected] or call the office at 905-881-0018. |
