Meet Our Staff

Jon Shapiro – Camp Director
Jon is the consummate Camp Director - warm, caring, fun and experienced. He brings with him an extensive understanding of Jewish overnight camping, with over twenty summers under his belt. His knowledge of camp program and operations are enhanced by his prior experiences as a counselor, unit head and Assistant Director. Jon joined the Capital Camps ‘family’ in 2005 having held the position of Senior Assistant Director of the Union for Reform Judaism's Crane Lake Camp in West Stockbridge, MA. Jon was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, NY with a degree in Community & Human Services. Jon is married to Katy, who herself is a talented camp professional.
You can contact Jon via e-mail at: jon@capitalcamps.org

Julie Finkelstein – Assistant Camp Director
Julie joins the Capital Camps team from her work at Maryland Hillel (go Terps!). There she helped organize and execute opportunities for college students to engage in meaningful Jewish experiences.  Before her time in College Park, Julie was at Hillel’s international offices facilitating Israel programming for Jewish college students around the world.  Originally from Philadelphia, she graduated from the University of Maryland in 2005 with a degree in Anthropology and a minor in Jewish Studies. Julie is a life-long “camp person” spending her childhood summers at Camp Timber Tops in Pennsylvania and then the last decade as a camper, counselor, unit leader and educator at Camp Tel Yehudah. She also spent a year volunteering in Israel on Young Judaea’s Year Course, and a semester in Italy studying art and art history. More recent adventures have taken Julie to Uruguay, the Gulf Coast, Scotland and Ukraine!
You can contact Julie via e-mail at: julie@capitalcamps.org

Penny Hartzman - Registrar
Penny joined the Capital Camps family in the summer of 2001 and became a year-round member that fall. Penny holds a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Maryland. She lives in Rockville with her children, David and Deanna. You can contact Penny via e-mail at: penny@capitalcamps.org