ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
Letter from Gabby & Family
By: Gabby Spear
As we head into another summer season, my family and I are celebrating some major milestones - and like always - camp is right at the heart of it all! Our eldest, Emma, will be heading off to college at the end of the summer. It's such an exciting time, full of new opportunities and adventures. While many parents are feeling anxious about their children leaving home and living on their own for the first time, I feel calm and confident, and ready to see Emma launch. She is ready! She's already experienced being away from home for extended periods of time, living with others, advocating for herself, and managing her time independently. Eisner helped prepare her for all of that!
Meanwhile, our youngest, Molly, will be Olim '25 this summer. It's going to be a season full of fun, growth, and leadership opportunities. Even though this will be her 8th summer at camp, I know this summer is guaranteed to be memorable! I have no doubt, when it's her turn to head out into the world on her own, she'll be just as prepared - ready to meet new people, live with strangers, take care of herself, and lift others up as a leader.
And there's one more milestone: I'm turning 50 this summer! I first came to Eisner in 1992 as Machon, having been there a few times before for CRaFTY events and at the encouragement of Tree Sobel! Since then, I've sent two kids to camp (some of whom had Tree's daughters as a counselor - talk about full circle moment), watched my sister get married on the dock, and for the past 4 years even my husband has made Eisner his summer home.
Every time I step foot on camp grounds, I feel a deep sense of calm, safety and love - a feeling I hope everyone can experience and carry with them, especially in these uncertain times.
As we welcome the warmth of the changing season, we hope to see many of you at our alumni events this summer and make sure we have your updated contact info so you can stay connected with our amazing alumni community.
Happy summer!
This July marks 20 years since my Olim summer, and I am still seeing my daily connections to Eisner. My husband, though not an Eisner alum, grew up in the Berkshires, and coincidentally attended a family weekend at Eisner in the mid-90s just as I did. My sister’s colleague attended Eisner 10 years after my father. My former camper, now Assistant Director, reached out to me to write this article. L’dor V’dor, from generation to generation. Regardless of the passage of time, Eisner is a living history, and I will always Keep the Hill Alive..
Summer of 1982 – ET – Phone Home and they weren’t mobile!
By: Stephen Brand
In the summer of 1982, I served as the Director of Creative Arts and Special Projects at Eisner. I was part of a team of four directors at camp that summer, each responsible for different aspects: Debby Kerdeman oversaw education, Russell Daum managed administration, Judy Grishaver handled camper wellness, and Norman Swerling was the overall director of the camp. Although our leadership style was not overly authoritarian, we were colloquially referred to as the Junta.
My primary responsibilities included working with the specialists in art, athletics, dance, song leading, theater, and other areas. Additionally, I was tasked with organizing full-camp special activities. One notable event we produced was a miniWoodstock named Eisnerstock, featuring a main stage and several smaller stages scattered around the Universal Lawn. I also consolidated all camp trips to occur on one day a week to provide the kitchen staff with a concurrent day off, a practice that continues to this day. Before the trips departed, several of us from the administration prepared breakfast, and I had the unique experience of grilling 1000 pancakes—a memorable activity in my career.
Upon learning that the film "ET" was scheduled for release, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity for the entire camp to watch the premiere at the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington. I visited the theater and discussed the plan with the manager, Al Schwartz. For those unfamiliar, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is a historic vaudeville venue, established in 1905, featuring beautiful Art Deco architecture. Together, Al and I devised and executed a plan to make this possible.
On the afternoon of the screening, we coordinated the entire camp to walk from camp to the Mahaiwe Theater to watch the premiere of "ET." Imagine 600 kids embarking on a journey to the town of Great Barrington. During the walk, Rabbi Aaron Panken (then the AV technician at camp, before his rabbinical career) dressed as ET and drove alongside the children, waving his ET hands from a worn-out blue 1970s Chevy Blazer.
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