About Camp

Our Team

EKC's Passionate and Devoted Staff

Our staff includes social workers, teachers, graduate students and JCC professionals. Counselors and specialists from across the United States and around the world are chosen for their special skills and sensitivity to the needs of children.

We have a 3:1 camper-to-staff ratio; all staff are certified by the American Red Cross in CPR and first aid. Most staff members are from Pittsburgh, Ohio, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Florida; 10 to 20 staff members are from London and Manchester, England, and 8-12 of our staff are shlichim from Israel; 75% of our staff were once campers at EKC.

We are committed to providing your child with the best counselors and specialists possible. To do this, we create a team atmosphere at camp, where each staff member is trained to understand that camp is bigger than any one person. The staff selection process is competitive, requiring references, an in depth interview and background check.

Our staff range from students entering 12th grade (Junior Staff) to college graduates and older. Each staff member participates in a 6-day training at the beginning of the summer. We offer multiple on-going training sessions throughout the summer that include professional guest speakers who can recharge and re-direct our staff.

Each program area of camp is led by a well-trained specialist. Many of our specialists are employed in their specialty area, as professional Jewish educators, artists, sports coaches, or actors. Each of our pool and lake staff is an American Red Cross certified lifeguard and has participated in a rigorous water safety training program at camp. Our ropes course staff are also appropriately trained and certified.

Meet our team

Aaron Cantor

EKC Director

Aaron brings a unique blend of almost 20 years of professional camping experience, with time spent as the Camp Director at both YMCA Camp Chingachgook and JCC Rochester’s Camp Seneca Lake, before joining the JCC in Pittsburgh’s Emma Kaufmann Camp as Director in 2018. Aaron’s knowledge of our Jewish camping partners extends to the JCCA, Foundation for Jewish Camp, and JCamp180. Additionally, Aaron has immersed himself in the camping field serving in leadership roles with the New York State Camp Directors’ Association and the American Camp Association.

Aaron is a proud camp dad and both his daughters are EKC campers, who love Camp just as much! Aaron enjoys anything and everything baseball related, spending time with friends and family, and perfecting his hair braiding skills (he’ll gladly accept any hair braiding challenge).

Aaron’s passion for Camping comes directly from his most impactful experience as a Jewish teen – when we attended Jewish overnight camp for the first time. This single summer has led to a career and Jewish journey unlike any other. Without a doubt, Aaron leads a Jewish life, today, because of Jewish Camp and he looks forward to creating the environment for other Jewish children to have the life-defining experience he did.

Email: acantor@jccpgh.org
Phone: (412) 339-5412

Jamie Ridgeway

Assistant Camp Director

Jamie Ridgeway is a proud Pittsburgh native and lifelong member of the JCC community. Formerly known as Jamie Scott, she has been deeply immersed in JCC programs, starting with the Clubhouse Afterschool program and extending to J&R Day Camp. Jamie’s spent 17 unforgettable summers at Emma Kaufmann Camp, where she evolved from a camper to a counselor and eventually became a Unit Head.

A graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies. More recently, she earned her Master’s in Camp Administration and Leadership from Gratz College, further enhancing her expertise in the field. Post-college, Jamie embarked on an adventure as a member of the Royal Caribbean International Youth Staff. Her role involved interacting with children from diverse backgrounds, planning and leading ship-wide activities.

In 2018, Jamie returned to the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, assuming the role of director of the Clubhouse Afterschool program and Children, Youth, and Family programming. She also took the helm as the program director at J&R Day Camp and Specialty Camp director. Building on her commitment to the JCC, Jamie later served as the Assistant Director of Staff Engagement for JCC Day Camps. Here, she dedicated herself to enhancing the year-round staff experience and optimizing the summer camp environment. Her efforts included a strategic action plan that successfully boosted staff recruitment and retention.

Jamie is delighted to rejoin the Emma Kaufmann Camp team, where she aspires to make a positive impact on the Camp experience for campers, staff members, and families alike. Jamie lives in Oakland with her husband Ben and their dog Jet.

Email: jridgeway@jccpgh.org
Phone: (412) 697-3520

Sarah Nutter

Director of Administration, Business, & Operations

Sarah Nutter is EKC’s Director of Administration, Business, and Operations and is working towards her sixth summer at Emma Kaufmann Camp. Sarah has been a staff member at the JCC in Pittsburgh for over 5 years and in this role, she has manages camper registration and payment, parent communication, licensing and accreditation processes, supervision of EKC Specialty Area’s and all day-to-day operations in the camp office.

When at camp and not in the office working diligently with our parents and staff, you can find Sarah down on Cheat Lake driving boats, hanging with our highly trained lifeguards at the pool or around camp walking her beloved dogs, Nova and Togo.

Sarah is a graduate of Westminster College where she earned her Bachelor in Science in Business Administration. Sarah looks forward to another successful summer at EKC!

Email: snutter@jccpgh.org
Phone: (412) 697-3550

Laura Hart

Senior Program Director

Laura is EKC’s Senior Program Director, her first summer at camp was in 2022 as a Kineret Unit Head. She is from Central Florida and is still getting used to PA’s chilly weather, but thankfully Cheat Lake is just as great as the beach! Laura is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in Stage Management. One of her favorite parts about Camp is seeing staff and campers explore their creative side with Maccabi Color War performances, the Camp Play, and Shabbat Concert. She can’t wait to collaborate with staff to create memorable experiences for our campers with fresh, inclusive programming this summer!

Email: lhart@jccpgh.org
Phone: (412) 697-3513

Jake Lipman

Director of Growth and Strategy

Jake Lipman serves as EKC’s Director of Growth and Strategy. This is his first summer as part of the EKC full time team and 16^th summer at EKC.

Originally from South Florida, Jake’s passion for EKC and Pittsburgh led him to make Pennsylvania his home, now residing in Shadyside. A graduate of Ohio University, Jake holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Public Administration. Further enhancing his academic achievements, he earned a Master’s Degree in Hospitality Management and Development from Florida International University. Drawing from a diverse early career in hospitality, Jake honed his skills at hotels such as the Four Seasons and Hilton Garden Inn. His aim is to seamlessly integrate his wealth of hospitality expertise into the EKC experience.

In Pittsburgh, you’ll often find Jake coaching the JCC Sailfish swim team or walking his dog, Duke. Jake’s formative years at camp were spent at the pool, where he eventually became the pool supervisor and and spent two summers as the Teen Unit Head. Currently, Jake’s role at Camp, focuses on growth initiatives for the Teen campers, SITs, and Junior staff, in addition to overseeing the camp rental program. During his down time at Camp, you’ll find Jake jumping off the diving boards or driving boats on Cheat Lake.

Email: jlipman@jccpgh.org
Phone: (412) 339-5403

Staff Application

Employment at EKC

Interested in working at Emma Kaufmann Camp?

Click on the link to apply!

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