 Louis Bordman, Senior Director
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Louis has been a leader in the field of Jewish Education and Jewish camping for over 25 years. Over the last 15 years, his vision and direction inspired the URJ Eisner Camp’s renaissance. He guided the redevelopment of Eisner’s facilities and program and the addition and renovation of virtually every building in camp, including The Freelander Dining Hall, the Tilles Family Fine and Performing Arts Program and Facility, The Mallah Family Athletic Program and Facility as well as The Heller-Wexler Family Retreat Series. During his tenure, Eisner has become one of the most respected camps in the country boasting camper return rate of over 90% and home-grown staff return rate over 85%.
In 2006, Louis was among a select few camp director’s chosen nationally to participate in the Foundation for Jewish Camps’ inaugural Executive Leadership Institute. His professionalism, vision and passion continue to drive Eisner Camp to be considered one of the premiere Jewish educational and experiential programs and facilities in the North America.
Staff development has long been a hallmark of Louis’s work with camp. His direction prompted the growth of numerous year-round staff development seminars. These programs now represent Louis’s “ladder of success” model among the staff. From the “machon program” for entering seniors in High School, to the “Olim Fellowship” for High School Seniors through their Freshman year in College, to the “Cornerstone and Achva Fellowships” for returning 2nd-4th years returning American and Israeli staff, Eisner staff members have developed a true partnership and level of commitment unsurpassed in camping.
During the summer, Louis is happiest when teaching a camper to ride a bicycle for the first time, playing basketball or splashing in the pool with campers and staff. Some days you will even see him don his almost famous Maccabiah Man costume where he is painted and dressed in the four team colors of Maccabiah. Louis says, “My role as a father to my kids, Ashley, Dalya and Jacob continue to inspire my views and approach in taking care of the next generation of Jewish Adults”.
 James Gelsey, Associate Director
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James’s lifelong involvement in Reform Jewish camping began in the late 1970s at URJ Camp Coleman. Since those days, his trajectory has taken him to various leadership and management positions in camping, education, and youth work on the congregational, regional and national levels. His background also includes several years in theater as well as thirteen years writing children’s books. James’s daughters first attended Eisner in 2007, following in the footsteps of their mother, who spent her summers at Eisner at the same time James was at Coleman. James joined the Eisner summer staff in 2008 to help plan the camp’s amazing 50th Anniversary Celebration. He spent the next few summers as Program Director and then Summer Administrator before joining the year-round team. James loves to cook, roots for the New York Giants, laughs along with The Muppets and Calvin & Hobbes, enjoys a good Jimmy Buffett tune and the occasional Broadway show. The Gelsey family lives in Bergen County, New Jersey and belongs to Temple Beth El of Northern Valley where James serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and Chairperson of the Education Committee.
 Laura Gurvis, Senior Assistant Director
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Laura began working at Eisner in 2000 as our Camp Mom. Since then, she has been our Parent Liaison, Camper Care Director, and now is a full time Assistant Director. She has served as the Jewish Educator at both the URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS, and the URJ Joseph and Betty Harlam Camp in Kunkletown, PA. She has held various positions in the Jewish community such as Educator at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York, NY, and as the Director of the Children’s Department at the YM-YWHA of Washington Township, NJ.
Laura runs our “satellite” office in Newton, MA, working closely with our Boston-area congregations. Laura lives in Newton, MA with her husband, and four children – all of whom attend camp each summer.
Marissa Frankel, Assistant Director
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Marissa comes to Eisner with a lifetime of camp-related experience.
Her love of camping began at age two, when she first attended day camp and she has been counting down the days ‘till the first day of camp each year since then. Marissa earned a BA in Sociology and Judaic Studies from SUNY Albany and an MS in Elementary Education and Special Education from Touro College. After college, Marissa lived in Israel for one year doing community service, hiking, learning, and staffing Birthright Israel trips with Livnot U'Lehibanot (“To Build & To Be Built” – an educational and volunteer organization in Israel). For five years, Marissa taught Elementary Special Education as well as Religious School.
Marissa came to Eisner in 2010 for as a Unit Head and fell in love with the incredicble experience that Eisner gives to campers and staff. Marissa also works on Camp Chazak, Eisner and Crane Lake's new program for children with special needs.
Marissa is counting down the days to Summer 2012.
 Corey Cutler, Director of Development
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Following a successful 15-year career in public relations and investor relations, Corey returns to URJ Camping as the Director of Development for Eisner and Crane Lake Camps.Corey is responsible for fundraising efforts that will help Camp meet its aspirations. Prior to joining the organization full time, Corey was a member of the Camp Commission. Corey has been actively involved in non-profit management and fundraising, mostly for a 9/11-related charity, World Cares Center, Inc. Corey successfully helped World Cares Center raise nearly $2 million.
Corey holds a Bachelors Degree from the State University of New York at Albany. He enjoys traveling, bike riding, swimming, the New York Mets and music of all types. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his daughter, who is now an Eisner camper too! A member of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, Corey resides in Short Hills, NJ at present.
 Abram Koester, Office Manager
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Abram started as a camper at Eisner in 1997 and has grown up at camp, moving from K’tanim (the youngest unit in camp), to spending the last four years on Eisner’s Senior Staff working with the Outdoor Education Program. He is extremely excited to join the full time staff, and to learn about the work that goes into making summers at Eisner so successful. Abram graduated from Cornell University’s Dyson School in 2011 with a Bachelors in Science in Applied Economics and Management concentrating in Strategy and Applied Economics. In addition to spending his summers working at camp, Abram spent the last year working for Camp Leaders and Smaller Earth working with over 100 camps across the country helping to bring international exchange participants to camp. Abram now happily resides in New York.
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