Casey Yurow
Camp Co-Director casey@edenvillagewest.org
Casey (he/him) believes that hands-on learning, farming, nature connection and good ol’ homemade music have the power to revitalize culture and build healthy communities. Casey aims to make sure each camper has an incredible summer experience, and to support them in discovering their unique gifts to share with their community and with the world. A seasoned educator and innovator, Casey served as Farm Program Director during Eden Village Camp’s pioneer summer in 2010. He went on to serve as founding director of Camp Urban Adamah in Berkeley, and most recently was program director at the Pearlstone Center, the Jewish retreat and environmental education center near Baltimore. Casey can often be found building mandolins, hiking, gardening, cooking, and inviting friends over for spirited, song-filled Shabbat meals together with his wife, Rivka (also an Eden Village 2010 pioneer summer staff member!). Casey is thrilled to carry the seeds of Eden Village Camp westward and nurture a new vibrant camp community.
Abbey (she/her) began her summer camp journey as a very excited (and a little nervous) seven year old camper, and has been in the field of camping, adventure, and experiential education ever since! Abbey believes that summer camp has the power to create a genuine, inclusive, and joyful community for campers and staff, and that play and nature connection can be deeply spiritual and transformative. She has been in summer camp and experiential education for over 20 years, in roles ranging from wilderness trip leader to director. Over the past 15 years she directed the outdoor education and summer camp programs at NatureBridge, Walker Creek Ranch, and Camp Stevens. She has a degree from UC Berkeley in printmaking and illustration, and a California Teaching Credential focused on training outdoor educators. When not at summer camp you can find her enthusiastically crafting at dawn, camping in the desert, flower farming, paddle boarding, trail running, or in the middle of a construction project. She will almost alway invite you to play a game or delight in a dry farmed tomato!
Abbey Gordon
Camp Co-Director
abbey@edenvillagewest.org
Emma Silver
Assistant Camp Director
emma@edenvillagewest.org
Emma (she/her) is an experiential educator and lifelong camper, and believes that camp is a microcosm of the world that could be, in addition to being an essential space for campers and staff to wrestle with their Judaism, develop meaningful interpersonal and land-based connections, and be a part of a sacred community that sees each and every member as important. A graduate of Brandeis University with degrees in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Sociology, she spent ten summers as a camper, staff member, and unit head at URJ Camp Newman, and found her passion for working in Jewish communal life as a result of this experience. When not at camp, Emma can be found hosting Shabbat dinners, baking challah, practicing yoga, or singing and playing guitar.
Jesse (she/her) has always believed in the magic of a summer at camp. From the time she herself was a child at Jewish summer camp until the time she sent her own children, Jesse always felt that the experiences of camp have the ability to impact lives for years to come. Her background as a lifelong educator of kids, parents and families began in the Jewish world and then grew to encompass working with all types of families transitioning into new stages of life. In her role at camp, Jesse’s goal is to ensure a happy, safe and supported experience for every Eden Village West camper. Jesse lives in LA, where she can often be found baking, reading, hiking and spending time with her wonderful husband, two Eden Village West campers, and the spirit of her forever 5 year old.
Jesse Zilberstein
Director of Community Care
jesse@edenvillagewest.org
Sonia Brin
Farm Manager
sonia@edenvillagewest.org
Sonia (they/them) learned to be Jewish outside. Some of their earliest formative experiences were under the great oaks and peppertrees at Camp Alonim in Brandeis, CA– from praying in the woods on Shabbat to trying to their first straight-off-the-vine heirloom tomato in the camp garden, Sonia learned from an early age that there’s magic in creating Jewish community in nature and through connection to the earth. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Public Health and Food Systems, Sonia began their foray into the world of Jewish farming as an Adamah fellow at Isabella Freedman. They have spent the last five years deepening their connection to food and land, facilitating outdoor ed programming for youth, and learning what it means to be a Jewish farmer. As the Farm Manager for Eden Village West, Sonia cherishes the opportunity to bless seeds, sing to pickles, and grow lifelong memories with campers. When they’re not wearing their farm hat, Sonia is usually chasing the sunset, swimming in whatever body of water they can find, or making ritual objects in the ceramics studio.
