ABOUT
Our Mission
BaMidbar’s mission is to ensure that Jewish youth and young adults have the confidence, skills, and community support to navigate life’s challenges and thrive in the face of adversity.
OUR VISION
BaMidbar envisions a Jewish community that actively supports its members in cultivating mental health and wellness.
We achieve our mission and vision through a three-pronged approach. We focus on community education, professional development, and adventure-based therapy.
Shlemut
שלמות
Recognizing the multi-dimensional nature of whole-health wellness.
Simcha
שמחה
Finding joyful Jewish meaning in every aspect of our lives.
Tzmicha Ishit
צמיחה אישית
Accepting and pursuing the challenges of personal transformation.
Kehilla
קהילה
Cultivating the power of an inclusive and supportive community.
Jory Hanselman Mayschak (she/her)
Chief Executive Officer
Jory Hanselman Mayschak is the Founder and CEO of BaMidbar. Jory started her career in the world of Jewish camping, when she joined the Ramah in the Rockies team during its inaugural season. Since then, Jory has worked in a variety of wilderness therapy and experiential education programs. In 2016, Jory returned to Ramah in the Rockies to develop and launch BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy, the nation’s first Jewish wilderness therapy program. In 2021, Jory led BaMidbar through its transition from a fiscally sponsored entity to an independent 501(c)3. Jory has dedicated her career to empowering and inspiring youth, and is thrilled to work in an environment where her three greatest passions – experiential learning, mental health and wellness, and Jewish tradition – intersect. Jory has a Bachelors of Science from Tufts University, a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership from University of Colorado, and a Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Stanford University. She is also a Wexner Field Fellow.
Jory sets the strategic vision for BaMidbar and oversees board development, strategic program development, and fundraising and development efforts. Contact Jory if you’d like to learn more about our work, further our impact, or explore new partnerships with BaMidbar.
Hayden Lilien (she/her)
Chief Operations Officer
Prior to joining BaMidbar, Hayden was the VP of Finance and Operations at Techbridge Girls and before that she was the Director of Finance and Administration at the National Center for Youth Law. Hayden is passionate about conflict resolution, creating healing spaces, dancing, and spending quality time in nature and with her family. Hayden has a B.S. in Finance from University of Florida, a J.D./M.B.A. from Stetson University College of Law and two Mediation Certifications from Northern California Mediation Center and The Center for Understanding in Conflict.
Hayden manages all business systems at BaMidbar with a particular focus on increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. Contact Hayden if you have questions about BaMidbar’s financial management, human resources, and business operations.
Emily Heeren (she/her)
Program Director
Emily has worked with youth and young adults both in and outside of the formal classroom for over eight years. With a foundation in experiential learning, Emily has applied her skills in high school special education, higher education, Jewish education, outdoor education, and mental health settings. Emily has a masters degree in Curriculum and Teaching with a concentration in Special Education from Boston University.
Emily develops and manages BaMidbar’s program portfolio and plays a key role in facilitating Education programs. Contact Emily if you have questions about BaMidbar’s Prevention and Education programs, would like to offer mental health and wellness training at your workplace or in your community, or would like to learn more about the BaMidbar approach and philosophy.
Nick Magle-Haberek (he/him)
Clinical Director
Nick has worked in the field of wilderness therapy and experiential education for the past twenty years. He earned masters degrees in both Social Work and Outdoor Education at the University of New Hampshire, and is also on the leadership committee for the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group. Nick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist.
Nick oversees BaMidbar’s Treatment programming and manages our summer wilderness therapy program. He is also one of our lead Education program facilitators. Contact Nick if you have questions about our clinical approach and philosophy.
Adam Karp (he/him)
Wellness programs manager
Adam graduated from Antioch University with a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in Spring 2021. Prior to pursuing his master’s degree, Adam worked in the fields of wilderness therapy and Jewish experiential education. Adam has also taught English as a Second Language in South Korea and French in Burlington, Vermont. He loves exploring the ways in which our hearts and minds align with Jewish history and philosophy. Most recently, that has involved working as a Field Therapist for BaMidbar, designing curriculum for Moving Traditions, and teaching high school students in Jewish educational settings. Adam enjoys hiking, traveling, languages, tinkering on the harmonica, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Adam is BaMidbar’s project lead with curriculum development and facilitation of the first Wellness Cohort of the Peer Leadership Fellowship; a program offered in partnership with the Jewish Teen Initiative at Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. Contact Adam if you have questions about this program.
Kit Colorado (she/her)
Admin & Communications Coordinator
Kit Colorado is a free spirit who has built a career rooted in Jewish values and service. Always working in the non-profit sector; she moved into the Jewish communal profession in 2012 when she became the executive director of Congregation Bonai Shalom in Boulder, CO. Then, during the pandemic pivoted into working with other Jewish non-profits such as Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa, Habonim Dror Camp Tavor, and Adamah (formerly Hazon). She’s a mother to a very cute chihuahua and two human children. She is a lover of music, yoga, hiking, nature, and books.
Our Board
Rabbi Matt Shapiro, Co-Chair
Douglas Wolf, Treasurer
Teena Slatkin
Cliff Stockton
Elyssa Hammerman, Co-Chair
Alex Fader
Rabbi Anat Moskowitz
Judy Gerstenblith
We're hiring!
Director of Business Operations
Remote
The Director of Business Operations (DBO) will help BaMidbar operationalize its mission and vision and will be a leader who can help others at BaMidbar deliver measurable results. You will serve as the central address for all matters concerning BaMidbar’s financial management, operational systems, information technology, HR administration, and talent management. The DBO is an organizational leader working to develop and maintain an organization infrastructure and culture that enables a geographically dispersed workforce to efficiently and effectively achieve BaMidbar’s mission. This person will build and implement processes and systems to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of BaMidbar.
To learn more click here.
To apply click here.
LA Regional Director & Clinical Educator
Los Angeles, California
With support from the Director of Programs & Partnerships, the Regional Director provides oversight and leadership of BaMidbar’s LA-based offerings, regional growth, and will work to identify and build new programs and partnerships. First and foremost, the Regional Director is a dynamic and passionate educator providing joyful, Jewish, and experiential mental health education for young people, parents, and Jewish communal professionals. The Regional Director deepens and leverages strong, collaborative relationships with local Jewish communal organizations to increase mental health literacy, boost resilience, and strengthen understanding of how Judaism can be robustly supportive of mental health and well-being.
To learn more click here.
To apply click here.
Communications & Admin Coordinator
Remote
The Communications & Admin Coordinator supports the entire BaMidbar team through communications and development implementation, database and technological systems management, and administrative support for day-to-day operations.. They will support the implementation of BaMidbar’s marketing and outreach strategy and be involved in disseminating all of BaMidbar’s digital communications. They will also support best practice operational standards and processes, including data collection, database management, and data integrity within BaMidbar’s CRM and Electronic Health Records software.
To learn more click here.
To apply click here.
Blog
- All
- blog
- All
- blog
Abraham: The World’s First Wilderness Therapy Student
As featured in The Forward: By: Jory Hanselman On Friday night, October 27th, 2017, BaMidbar’s Director Jory Hanselman spoke at Mishkan Chicago’s services. The Forward featured a portion of Jory’s drash on Scribe, the Forward’s curated contributor network. “Why are there so many journeys in our tradition?” Jory writes, “Throughout the Torah, …
Impermanence and Meaning: A Time for Tearing Down and a Time for Building Up
By Miriam Green The festival of Sukkot is the season of the Jewish people’s greatest rejoicing. From the beginning of Elul through Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we reflect and strive for personal improvement. Then, following the Torah’s instruction to experience pure joy, we build a sukkah, a temporary …
Within Our Reach
As we prepare for the Days of Awe, the task before us is not insignificant. Nor is it easy. Yet, we are capable. And, as this week’s Torah portion tells us, we have the tools to face this. This is not beyond our reach. At this time of year, …
Spiritual Counseling Redefined
This summer, I spent a week at Beit T’Shuvah, learning best practices in the Jewish world of recovery and getting a chance to see their spiritual counseling program firsthand. In Beit T’Shuvah’s integrative treatment model, each student works with a therapist, substance abuse counselor and spiritual counselor. The three …