Our Camp Ramah - Fall 2022 Newsletter

Our Camp Ramah

The Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Magazine

FALL 2022

A JOYFUL OASIS!

Inside we spotlight the joy of kids being kids at their favorite place on earth

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the first edition of the new Machanenu Ramah – Our Camp – The Camp Ramah in Wisconsin magazine. We’re excited for you to read this reimagined, interactive update designed to bring you even more news about camp. We’ve taken advantage of the opportunity provided by our 75th anniversary to celebrate in all sorts of ways, including this expanded testimonial to everything that’s great about Ramah! Even current campers are excited about our milestone birthday. “I’m so happy that Camp Ramah has been here for 75 years — otherwise I wouldn’t have this amazing experience!” That glowing endorsement is what a 9-year-old camper said at our campwide birthday party this summer. We felt that happiness too when we visited camp. In this third summer impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was inspiring to be back at camp — on the Kikar! — with hundreds of kids having the time of their lives, supported by our phenomenal staff. Ramah is an oasis of joy, a gift that we can’t take for granted. A place where young people make connections to each other, to nature, and to their Jewish identities that will last a lifetime.

And the Ramah experience is more affordable thanks to donors like you. You may not know that Camp Ramah in Wisconsin currently charges $1,800 less than the true cost of the 8-week experience and, on average, we hold our tuition more than 15% below that of our competitor Midwest camps, as well as the rest of the Ramah camps across North America. Our fees are set to make the cost of the Ramah experience as affordable as possible for as many families as possible. This means that every camper receives a subsidy to attend! We ask our families who can afford the full cost of camp to join the community of supporters and make an annual gift to camp. And we ask our alumni and friends of Ramah to give generously to strengthen the amazing camp experience and provide over $350,000 in additional need-based scholarship annually.

As we embrace the joyful present and look to the future, your strong financial support is tremendously important to continue the visionary work of Ramah’s founders. Join us in this important effort to make the magic of Ramah accessible to every family in our community by making a gift to the annual or scholarship fund or by making a legacy commitment. Please support Ramah today using the enclosed envelope, scanning the QR code to the right, or online at ramahwisconsin.com/donate.

Todah Rabbah!

Marc Sacks Board President President-Elect

David Kushnir

New mailing address? Please send updates to info@ramahwisconsin.com Check out alumni.ramahwisconsin.com for an alumni directory, update form, new baby onesie form and more. Questions about material in this magazine? Contact Linda Hoffenberg, Director of Institutional Advancement at LHoffenberg@ramahwisconsin.com or 312-690-8325.

Marc Grey (Nivo ’93) From Machon Point to Tehran 24 Howard Goller (Nivo ’70) From the Ramah Stage to the World’s Front Pages 25

Legacy Story

Steven Schoenberger (Nivo ’96) Traveling Through Time .................26 Picture Your Best Summer Memories

by Talia Derman, Director, Ramah Day Camp

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE

SUMMER!

Campers and staff celebrated all summer long

We embraced time-honored traditions and started a few new ones. We welcomed campers and staff from the Midwest and both coasts and from our partner communities in Israel and Berlin. We celebrated the return of our European kitchen staff and got to know two counselors who came to us from the Jewish community of Uruguay!

We celebrated Ramah’s 75th season with a huge carnival birthday party on a Friday afternoon in July. Hundreds of campers and staff were bouncing on inflatables, playing in huge piles of foam, eating cotton candy and popcorn, and tossing Frisbees — all to the beat of Israeli pop music. Two hours later, those same happy campers were dressed for Shabbat, seated on benches with their best friends, singing the opening melodies of Kabbalat Shabbat prayers as the sun set over Lake Buckatabon.

At both Ramah Day Camp and Camp Ramah in Wisconsin our phenomenal staff supported the mental, emotional, social and spiritual health of the camp community in caring and creative ways. We promoted a culture of kindness and rewarded campers and staff for mensch-like behavior. Camp was a fun, safe and (mostly) mask-free place where kids could be kids.

From Jacob Cytryn, Executive Director

In the midst of the pandemic, one of the phrases that entered our lexicon was “new normal.” It is, for me at least, a grating phrase that reminded us, every few weeks or months, that we were still in it and that, however far ahead we could see into the future, what was to come was not going to look like those bygone “before times.”

It’s late June, 2022, an unseasonably warm night. The Zimriyah song fest has just ended and the energy of six hundred campers and staff is still hovering over the trampled grass in front of our Mercaz Tarbut (Arts and Outdoor Performance Center). It strikes me: this feels normal. Not “new normal;” just normal. That was the 2022 summer in a nutshell: normal, and extraordinary. Normalcy is getting back to focusing on camp, and not on COVID. It’s relying on our amazing medical staff to handle the ups and downs of public health during a crazy summer that, yes, included a slow trickle of COVID cases — just about 60 — throughout the season. Normalcy is investing in exciting new activities for our campers, revitalized hadrachah (staff training), and a new staff gym (!) and daily coffee bar (!) to help our staff do their best. Normalcy is days off for staff and overnight trips for campers. Normalcy is Atzmayim (vocational program) participants working in Eagle River.

For 75 years Camp Ramah in Wisconsin has made the

extraordinary feel normal; that is what we do each and every summer. And 2022 is no different, for our return to normal is a return to extraordinary. Before camp began we printed out one picture from each of our 75 summers and hung them in one of our dining halls. Those pictures tell a story, of dynamism and stasis. The dynamism is the shift from year-to-year, from black-to-white, from one generation of buildings to the next, from eras of fashion that have not aged well to … other eras of fashion that have not aged well. In a magnificent testimony to Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, the story of stasis is the one much more compelling and magical. It is the story of the same acreage on the shore of Lake Buckatabon, and the children, teens and adults who, from decade to decade, experience transformative summers. It is Camp Ramah in Wisconsin’s story of Jewish friends and Jewish living. Of all that Ramah summers can offer. For us, it is normal. And it is extraordinary.

Alum Mark Harris (Nivo 1969) with photos of our 75 summers. Mark provided valuable waterfront leadership in the mid-70s and again in 2021-22.

From David Kushnir, Board President

Nothing compares to an in-person camp visit surrounded by smiling children amongst the natural beauty of our sites. The anticipation builds on the drive to the overnight camp watching the outside landscape go from city, to farm, to forest. At the day camp, the transition is much quicker walking through the gate and immediately discovering a hidden playground next to tall trees and refreshing pools. We are transformed when entering our camps as we leave everyday life behind and enter a magical, peaceful and joyful community.

When touring camp this summer, I was particularly interested in our most recent investments. At the day camp, I saw the low ropes course in action as our youngest campers went through the obstacles with determination and delight. At the overnight camp, I witnessed our mountain bikes roll out for the first time. The campers were so excited to explore the Northwoods trails. I then turned to the waterfront and saw our speed boat and pontoon boat pulling tubes of campers along and heard their shrieks of glee. I had a chance to review the plans for the new sports courts and playground and can’t wait to see those in use next summer.

During my visits, I observed the dedication, creativity and tireless efforts of our summer staff. Working at camp can be incredibly rewarding, with the opportunity to build foundational skills in any career path. It can also be very challenging to maintain the type of energy and patience that is needed all summer long. Yet what I saw were young leaders building inclusive cabins, infusing Hebrew into sports activities, working one-on-one to improve a camper’s skills, and so much more. It was clear to me that our camp community is strengthened by staff of all ages collaborating and supporting each other.

One hallmark of our organization is the thoughtful and deliberate approach we take in making any type of change, including at the Board level. I am excited that,

beginning in October of 2023, Marc Sacks will become the next President of the Board of Directors. Marc has been an enthusiastic and committed Board member for many years, leading fundraising efforts, reinvigorating Family Camp and bringing great insight from the Jewish camping world. You can usually find Marc at tefillot (prayer) or shira (song sessions) singing along with the campers. I look forward to working closely with Marc over this next year and making sure he has a smooth transition into the role.

It is always a special privilege to be able to spend a Shabbat at camp. Welcoming Shabbat by the lake is a signature camp moment. Last summer, a camp-wide Havdalah at our newly dedicated Mercaz Tarbut arts center was an equally beautiful scene. It made me think of the prayer we say Shabbat morning blessing our community and blessing those who “provide lamps for light and wine for Kiddush and Havdalah.” That blessing was meant for all of you — our ambassadors, supporters, friends and our larger Ramah community — who help make our camps such incredible places for growth, learning and fun.

David Kushnir (Nivo ’88), right with Director of Operations Scott Topal at Havdalah

EVERY DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING AMAZING —

As we celebrated our 75th season this summer we also pivoted towards the future. With an eye towards innovation, our senior team created a new arc of camper experiences featuring activities and special highlights that vary from year to year, and an increased level of independence as campers get older. A variety of sessions of varying lengths were added and the daily schedule was redesigned to offer campers more choice and flexibility. Campers chose waterfront and tefillah (prayer) electives and participated in intensive workshops in art and sports based on their interest. Day trips, overnight camping trips, canoe trips and tours around Wisconsin were a big hit.

Campers and staff loved the new pontoon boat and speedboat, and every cabin loved tubing on the lake! The new obstacle course was a great combination of fun and fitness for all ages, and the trail biking program was a new way to experience the Northwoods with age-appropriate challenges. At Ramah Day Camp, campers loved the new ropes challenge course and the garden-to-table experience.

OR SEVERAL SOMETHINGS!

There were innovations in the schedule of our ten Atzmayim vocational participants too. This wonderful group of high-school graduates worked in the local community, or in the camp kitchen and office, learning independent living skills with the support of our staff and job coaches. After work, they enjoyed all that camp has to offer. They bonded with their Nivonim friends and Yedidim (staff) buddies and planned activities for days off, Shabbat, and evenings. A highlight was Shavua Atzmayim, a week filled with improv comedy, a lip-sync battle, a pontoon boat ride, a cooking club, a Northwoods nature experience and a day at the ropes course!

Woven through the very fabric of the camp day was Tarbut Yisrael (Israeli culture). Israeli music was the soundtrack to the camp day, broadcast by campers from WRMH, the camp radio station. On the baseball field, the umpire called balls and strikes in Hebrew. In the mitbachon teaching kitchen, campers made shakshuka, a spicy Israeli omelet. They learned a song for their performance of Frozen, gaining a new level of comfort with the Hebrew language. All day, every day, our 50 amazing Israeli staff members at Ramah Wisconsin and eight Israeli staff at Ramah Day Camp connected with campers and fellow staff members from the waterfront to the ropes course, as counselors and educators. They made every day Yom Yisrael (Israel Day) by sharing their personal stories and helping our camp community connect to Israel and the people who live there.

INVESTING IN ATHLETICS

by Sam Caplan, Chief Development Officer

At Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, we strive for excellence in everything we do, and in each activity and program area of camp. Our land sports are no exception, from inter-eidah rivalry games to the unmatched excitement of Yom Sport competitions. Each season we acquire new training and teaching tools to help our campers learn and play sports at new levels. This past season a number of new rebounder, batting, and L-Screen nets were incorporated into our softball and baseball programs. Israeli staff member Daniel Malka, the 2022 Rosh Sport and professional basketball coach, worked tirelessly to ensure his sports staff, like award-winning high school and now college Division III varsity athletes Elior Rose and Zach Rosen, had the tools and training they needed to work with our campers at the highest levels. But even with the best staff and top-notch equipment, we still need to push further.

When the current courts were expanded and resurfaced from rough pebbled concrete nearly 25 years ago, it was a game changer then for campers and staff. Over the last two decades the surfacing materials on the market have gotten significantly better, multi-layered and softer, and can more easily sustain the brutal winters of the Wisconsin Northwoods. The courts are at the very heart of camp, some would say on near equal footing with the Kikar, with maximum campers and staff foot traffic playing and crossing from one side to the other.

In June of 2023 we are thrilled to open our new Sports Campus. Beyond the long-needed additional coat of paint the courts could use, we view all opportunities like this one as chances to upgrade our facility so as to provide a better experience for our campers. The brand-new courts will be safe and easy to traverse through and around without disturbing any of the game play. The new state-of-the-art design of four basketball courts includes a Championship Court complete with bleachers and electronic scoreboard, and a junior court for our youngest campers with adjustable hoop heights. Additionally, the project features five tennis courts with playable lines for pickleball.

In designing this new campus, we partnered with Home Court Advantage, owned by Nivonim 1997 alumna, Lindsey Lauter, and her husband, Nate Parsons. Nate reflects, “I’ve done thousands of athletic courts for summer camps, schools, country clubs — you name it. Ramah Wisconsin is going to have one of the premier athletic facilities in the country. Super excited to be part of this transformation!” We’ve also added in lots of spectator seating and group gathering space throughout the campus so everyone can feel a part of the action whether on or off the court. Integral to this broader central Sports Campus concept will be a climbing playscape, and we are thrilled to be partnering with GRG, a firm out of Milwaukee recognized as best-in-class in building these amazing spaces for kids to grow and have fun. The sports campus renovation is supported in part by a Yashar Initiative grant, generously funded by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and coordinated by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Through this grant and the incredible support of our community we are proud to build a sports campus with a real focus on accessibility and inclusion. Please click on the QR codes or visit ramahwisconsin. com/sports-courts-campaign for details on the project including construction updates and naming opportunities still available.

“This was my fourth year at camp and my friends and family in Israel often ask me, ‘Why do you keep going back?’ I explain that Camp Ramah feels like a safe zone, a comfortable place where I feel connected to the campers and can help them improve their sports skills and learn life skills. And it’s very rewarding when I hear kids say that the courts are their favorite place in camp.”

Daniel Malka, Rosh Sport

Donor Recognition

* indicates Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Va’ad committee member

** indicates my.ramahwisconsin.com peer-to-peer fundraising campaign

◊ indicates Legacy Society member

Shomrei Ramah

$180,000 and above

2021 Alumni Impact Campaign (Nivo 1994-2014)**

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Director’s Circle $100,000 and above

Foundation for Jewish Camp and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

Estate of Michal and Uzi Halevy ◊ Matthew Zell Family Foundation

President’s Circle $50,000 and above

Dr. Rebecca and Daniel* Blumenthal Crown Family Harold Grinspoon Foundation Nina and Arnie* Harris ◊ Lorie Chaiten and Harold Hirshman Susan and Marc* Sacks ◊ State of Wisconsin Covid Relief

Rosh Eidah

$25,000 and above

Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation Ann and Mike Hofkin Jack & Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund Chaviva and Ralph (z”l) Jacobson ◊ Elyse* Rabinowitz and Jim Porter ◊ Dr. Margaret and Alan* Silberman ◊ Lisa and Adam Vales

Rosh Anaf

$18,000 and above

Julie Strauss and Joel* Brown ◊ Carol* Weintraub Fogel and Ron Fogel

Dr. Sara* and Jon Hoffenberg ◊ Cyndi and Jamie Rosenthal

Northwoods

$10,000 and above

Anonymous (1)

Dr. Edward Azoff

Dr. Wendy and Dr. Howard Bach ◊ Mary and Alan Becker Karen and Ethan Budin Dr. Arthur Elstein ◊ Beverly Fink

Estate of Mimi and Ronald Grossman ◊ Linda and Michael Hoffenberg ◊ Tamar Green and Ben* Hofkin ◊

Alison and Isaac Judd Kaplan Family Foundation Neera* and Michael Kaufman ◊ Dr. Lena and David* Kushnir ◊ Naomi and Jason* Litwack Wilfred J. Minkus Charitable Trust Stacy Palestrant and Tomer* Rothschild Robin Newberger and Steven Sacks Tamar Newberger* and Andrew Schapiro Nancy and Michael Schoenberger Carol Ann* and Michael Schwartz ◊ Jodie and Mark* Silberman ◊ Silverman Family Foundation Miriam and Morton Steinberg ◊ Arnee and Walter Winshall Suzanne and Adam Zimbler

Agam

$5,000 and above

Anonymous (1)

October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022

Bet Am

$3,600 and above

Anonymous (1)

Rachel and Dr. Andrew Abeles Elizabeth* Lippow and Keith Alperin Yehuda* and Ellen Cohen

The Drazen Family in memory of Rabbi Paul S. Drazen Karen* and David Ebroon ◊ Lisa and Todd* Fishbein ◊ Sheila and Larry Gerber Brooke and Isaac Glassman Barry Goldberg Ashlyn* and Daniel Gorlin Kathryn and Scott Happ Dr. Laurie and Andrew Hochberg Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Marlene Kaplan Sarah and Michael Kashani Stephanie* and Dr. Kurt Kavanaugh ◊

Laura Beth Landy Deborah Rivel and David Levenfeld Gigi Cohen and Michael Levin JoEllen and Robert Lidov Susan and Bob Mednick Liat* and Ron Meisler Harvey L. Miller Family Foundation Ellen and Micah Nathan Sharon and Leon Oberlander Ayala* and John Podhoretz Resnick Family Helaine and Howard Resnick Harriet and Joseph Resnick ◊ Rachel and Ron Cooper Faye and Leonard Ribnick Family Philanthropic Fund Robyn* and Benjamin Schein Emily and Adam* Steinberg ◊ Cheryl and Steven Topal Deborah and Adam Winick Idyth and Jay Zimbler

Dr. Phyllis Gorin and Rabbi Morris Allen ◊ David T. Brown

Joseph M. Levine Foundation

Meredith and Benjamin Lewis Leslie and Michael Litwack ◊ Elisa Rotman and Rabbi Aaron Melman

Charlotte (z”l) and Michael Newberger

Tess Glassman-Kaufman and Josh Sacks Wedding Fundraiser**

Erica* and Rabbi Michael Schwab Fran and Jonathan* Sherman ◊ The Giving Block Meredith and Andrew* Weprin

Northern Lights

$2,500 and above

Madeleine and David Arnow Bobbi and Robert Aronson

Cassie Berman Bat Mitzvah Fundraiser** Daniel Cohen Rabbi Eric and Amy Cytryn ◊ Barb and Andy Fishman ◊ Sarina and Robert Gerson Andrew Glick

Nami* and David Goldenberg ◊

Maya Feldman and Jonah Harris* Daniel Hofkin

Sara Eisen and Matthew Levine Barbara and Jonathan Minkus Robin and Jonathan Parritz ◊

Dr. Susan Feigenbaum and Dr. Jay Pepose Barb and Michael Zaransky

Buckatabon

$1,800 and above

Anonymous (4)

Shira and Mike Altman

Mark Altschul*

Lynnsie Balk Kantor ◊

Laura Elkayam* and Rabbi Ezra Balser

Sarah and Samuel Caplan ◊

Patricia Caplan

Lili Chester

Sheri and Neil Cooper Gary Cortes ◊

Phyllis and Rabbi Barry Cytron ◊

Tamar and Jacob Cytryn ◊

Esther Goldberg-Davis and Rabbi Alexander Davis

Dr. Deborah and Rabbi Charles Dobrusin ◊

Judy Groner and Ronald Eisenberg

Steve and Sheri Greenbaum

Sheri Rosen and Jeremie Kass

Meredith and Dr. Eric Kirshenbaum

Ally and Jordan* Kirshenbaum

Shary and Dr. Marc Levitt ◊

Dr. Herbert Lippitz

Jane Lippow

Shira and Jonathan Oberlander

Vicki and Gary Phillips

Keren and Rabbi Simcha Prombaum

Lori and Dr. Richard Rabinowitz

Randee and Robert Romanoff

Paulie and Rabbi Carnie Rose

Arona and George Sarfatty ◊

Louise and Steven* Schoenberger ◊

Dr. Sarah* and Andrew Shulkind

Elizabeth Silver-Schack and Prof. Larry Silver

Karyn and William Silverstein

Libby and Adam Smoler

Karen Raviv and Parrish Snyder

Sarah Ungerman and Zachary Spellman

Shira Steinberg ◊

Naomi and Eric Sugar

Tammy and Michael Sugar

Elise and Dr. Marc Swatez

Karen B. Weiss ◊

Michele and Ira Weiss

Kikar

$1,000 and above

Anne Opila and Todd Abraham

Angela and Larry Adler

Sarah Gold and Avi* Allen

Sally Appelbaum

Leore Avidar

Talia and Dr. Adam Baruch ◊ Chava Alpert and Michael Bloom

Karen and Marshall* Brill ◊ Haley Schaffer and Marty Chester

Marta Steele and Stuart Cohen Rebecca and Corey Derdiger

Talia and Ari* Derman ◊ Dr. Nehama Dresner

Michelle and Jordan Edelman

Terri and Solomon Eisenberg Delores Eliason

Julie Hirsch and Ron Feldman

Nancy and Maury Fertig FMH Foundation

Rabbi Betsy and Scott Forester Howard Frankenthal

Denise and Stephen Freedman Dr. Betsy Gidwitz Madeline Gimbel

Dr. Leslie and Bernie Goldblatt ◊

Shaina Hinton and Jonathan Green

Jodi and Adam Gruber

Yonina Eisenberg Havivi and Nadav Havivi

Judy and Dr. Mark Hoffman

Sharon Liebhaber and Rabbi Alan Iser

Dr. Hanna Bloomfield and Dr. Robert Karasov

Marilyn Karasov

Ariel Goodman and Isaac Katz

Debra Glassman and Bob Kaufman

Karen and Michael Kesner

Amy Elfenbaum and Scott Kramer

Dr. Cindy Reich and Rabbi Harold Kravitz

Samuel Lachterman Dr. Susan Goldsmith and Ira Lichtenstein Bonnie and Dr. Lee Malmed Debbie Kaplan and Michael Mnookin Sheri Katz and Joel Mullin Leslie and Dr. William Nelson Roberta and Bruce Nemer Barbara and Donald* Newman ◊ Sheila and Hy Paisner Margie and Jim Pines

Rachel Goldberg and Bryan Quigley Mary Ann and Joel Rich ◊

Dr. Adrienne and Adam Rosenthal

Jennifer Pehr and Jonathan Ross ◊ Rose and David Ross Aviva and David Rubin Rachel and Alan Russo Elana and Seth Schrank Judah Schvimer Samuel and Stephen Schwartz-Fenwick Kim and Greg Shapps Roberta and Dr. Hillel Skoff Nori and Rob Spiro Dr. Robin Judd and Dr. Kenny Steinman Rachel Katz and Geoff Storchan Roberta and Leonard Tenner Sarah and Scott Topal ◊ Adina Allen and Rabbi Josh Warshawsky ◊ Miranda and Ben Weisbuch Robin and Dr. Clifford Wolf Mimi Sager Yoskowitz and Marc Yoskowitz

Rachel Adelman and Gary Zaidenweber Lisa Schuman and Jonathan Zimbler

Friends

$180 and above

Anonymous (4) Mary Abel

Howard and Juliana Abrams

Sarah Abrams Sally and Michael Abrams ◊ Cantor Nancy Abramson

Fran Alpert

AmazonSmile Foundation Susan and Joseph Ament

Jennifer and Corey Anders

Meredith Grossman Anders and Darren Anders

Anshe Emet Synagogue Jean and Laurence Appel

Lisa and Micah Arbisser

Tammy and Rabbi Noah Arnow Naomi Hoffman and Dr. Loren Bach

Barbara Bach Hillel Baldwin

Dana and David Ben-Dov Karen and Dr. David Benson

Alison and Josh Berdass Cheryl and Rabbi Ken Berger Jean Best ◊

Robert and Deborah Billow

Fredda and Rabbi Mark Bisman Chantal and Ron Blaustein

Judy and Leon Bloomfield

Stephie and Dr. Andrew Blum Anne Bonowitz

Marci and Dr. Martin Boyer Leah and Jori Brajer

Stephanie Brill

Carrie and Adam Broms

Shirley and Jared Bryan Marcel Buchsbaum

Tova and Daniel Bukingolts Jean and Dr. Robert Bundt

Jeffrey and Meagan Buren Carol and Scott Burg Joan and Peter Cabell

Donor Recognition

* indicates Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Va’ad committee member

** indicates my.ramahwisconsin.com peer-to-peer fundraising campaign

◊ indicates Legacy Society member

Paula Lifchez Cantor and Dr. Jeffrey Cantor

Jane and Dennis Carlton

Ilana Cohen

Yaffa Cohen-Appelbaum

Susan and Kenneth Cohn

Aaron Cohn

Rabbi Deena Cowans

Babette Levy Daskin and Mark Daskin

Mara Davis

Nina and Walter Deitch

Shosh Korrub and Dr. Daniel Derman ◊

Dr. Becky Levine and Dr. Benjamin Derman

Dr. Carol and Dr. Gordon Derman Deb Deutsch

Debra and Dr. David Dobkin ◊

Samantha and Shai Dobrusin

Katherine and Matthew Doscher

Jaclyn Millner and Gregory Duhl

Hillary and Brian Dunn

Debbi and Dr. Aaron Dworin

Dr. Jane and Dr. Drore Eisen

Rebecca Barak and Yuval Eisenberg

Dan Eisenberg

Dena and Gary Elovitz

Jeni and David* Elyashar ◊

Marilyn Ernsteen

Marcie and Richard Eskin

Jessica Ettinger

Leora Goldblatt and Dan Falkin

Natalie Blitt and Rabbi Josh Feigelson

Judy and Steven Feinberg

Krayna and Rabbi Charles Feinberg

Dr. Sandy Sheinin and Dr. Alexander Feller

Nan and Dr. Marc Fine

Jessica and Rabbi Jeremy Fine ◊ Ellie and Marc Fineman

Teresa Brickman Finer and Dr. Paul Finer

Yael and Phillip Frankel

Alice and Dr. David Friedgood

Judith and Dr. Allon Friedman

Jacqueline Wolff Friedman and Michael Friedman

Rachel Fruchtman

Jen and Yossi Garr

Charlotte Gelfand ◊

Shoshana and Andrew Geller

Benjamin Gellman-Chomsky

Beth and Gordon Gendler

Talya and Joshua Gepner Steven Gershone

Marlene and Herb Gerson

Sheila and Vern Gideon

Michelle Gilats

Heidi and Howard Gilbert

Scott Gilman

Nancy and Sheldon Gilman

David and Jodi Gimbel

Tihela Feit and Josh Gleicher Havi Goldscher

Elana* and Neil Goldsmith

Shira Goldstein

Sharon and Eric Goodman Shoshana and Matt Gordon

Jon and Erin Gordon

Hannah Gordon

Rani Halpern and Joel Green

Robert Greenberg

Marcia Schoenfeld and Fred Greenstein

Renee and Mark Greenstein Karen and Steven Grey

Lauren Grossman

Janet and Maynard Grossman

Sherry Brettschneider and Steven Gruber

Seth Gruen

Orlee Tatarka and Yehuda Gruenberg

Natalie and Brian Gurin

Solomon Gutstein

Alan Halachmi

Paula and Dr. Aaron Hamvas

October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022

Maxine and Jacob Handelman

Paula Harris

Mark Harris*◊ Steve and Barbara Helfgot Billie and Simon Hellerstein Marcia and Paul Herman Ariana Hershon Leeatt Rothschild and Micky Hervitz Dana Hirt

Anna Grossberg and Jacob Hodes Barbara and Dr. Robert Hoffman Sophie and Matt Homonoff

Dr. Jeanne Horowitz and Matthew Huff Abby Grad and Yoni Israelson Margaret and Stanley Jaffy Jonathan and Heidi Jonas Lizzie and Micah* Kafitz Lindsay and Zachary Kafitz Pearl and Joel Kagan Lina Garcia and Zachary Kagin Allie Rakos and Jeff Kahn Hugo and Lis Kahn Jody and Herschel Kahn Orlee and Jeffrey Kahn ◊

Kaiser Fdn Health Plan of the NW Community Dr. Michele and Dr. Nelson Kanter Faye Kroshinsky and Bennett Kaplan

Cheryl Reicin and Allan Kaplan Rabbi Amanda Russell and David Katz

Sinar and Dr. Allen Katz

Alexander Katz

Leah Oko and Carl Katz Pam and Dr. Ronald Kaufman Dr. Robert Kavitt Fay and Dr. Mitchell Kaye Emer O’Connor-Keller and Michael Keller Tom Kilborn Dr. Dalia and Brian Kirschbaum

Steve Kleckner

Dr. Michael Klein

Joseph and Dale Klein

Amy and Gary Knopf

Elie Kobrin

Briana and Gabriel Kopin ◊

Lisa Krain

Dr. Eliezer Krumbein

Barry Krumstok

Judy and Marshall Kupchan

Bryna and Rabbi Vernon Kurtz

Sara and Richard Kushnir

Heather Grulkowski and Elizabeth Lamin

Geoff Rice and Daniel Lange

Jeff Lasky

Rivka and Philippe Lavie

Jean and Rabbi Alan Lettofsky Dr. Elizabeth Edlavitch-Levin and William Levin

Sandra and Lawrence Levin

Sherry and Brad Levin

Melissa Levin Dana Levin Samuel Levin Sarah Levin Jacob Levine Stephen Levine

Dr. Arielle and Dr. Victor Levitan Erica and Zachary Lindon Debbie and Gary Lindon Andrew and Allison Lipsman

Judge Michal and Hazzan Leon Lissek

Jessica and Matthew Litwack

Sara and Steven Loevy

Ariella Rotenberg and Tyler Logigian

Arielle Kaufman and Ohad Ludomirsky

Lisa Lukich

Elisa and Steven Lupovitch

Brian Lyss

Fred Manaster Shoshana Mann

Julie Rabinowitz and Gary Marx ◊

Dani Marx

Donald Masler

Hedva and Dr. Moshe Matalon

Shari Cohen and Robert Mayer

Scott Mayer

Michele and Seth Meisler

Michael Melinger

Heather Melnick

Catherine Beard and Joshua Meyer

Lillian and Andrew Meyers

Terri and Gary Michaels

Gretchen and David Miller

Ilyssa and Rabbi David Minkus

Alison and Alan Molotsky

Joan Katz and Bruce Mosbacher

Zivya and Elan Mosbacher

Diane Lowenthal and Bradley Moskowitz

Dr. Beth and Ronn Nadis

Marissa Oberlander

Sandy Starkman and Larry Pachter ◊

Avram Pachter

Tamar Rubin and Adam Parker ◊

Ellen Sue and Dr. Jon Parker

Deena Pascal

Karen and Dr. Alan Peaceman

Kate and Zachary Pellish

Rachel Zivic and Rabbi Micah Peltz

Lynn and Dr. Louis Philipson

Benjamin Philipson ◊

Erica and Donnie Phillips

Marcie and Brad Pickard

Rachel Pickus

Lisa and Rabbi Jeff Pivo

Hannah and Brian Pogrund

Hannah and Marshall Pollack

Adi and Alex Prombaum

Rachael Gray-Raff and Elliot Raff

Yari and Kevin Rahmanim

Anne-Monique and Edward Rapoport

Marilyn Green and Dave Rebnord

Melinda and Ben Resnick

Tamar and Joel Ribnick

Kristen Ricchetti-Masterson

Ellen Riker

Rachel and Seva Rodnyansky

Norma Rosen

Ann Lesley and Scott Rosen ◊

Sandi and Dan Rosenbaum

Alexandra and Jeremy Rosenberg Holly and Michael Rosenberg

Dr. Elaine Hantman and Dr. Paul Rosenthal

Max Rotenberg

Lisa and Matthew Rothenberg Dr. Leelach Rothschild

Jill Korey and Jonathan Rozenfeld

Kimberly and Dr. Ari Rubenfeld

Aviva Rubenfeld

Robin and Rabbi Steven Rubenstein ◊

Rachel Fleischer Rubin and Dr. Avi Rubin

Karen and Russ Rubin Rochelle and Earl Rubinoff

Arlene Tilchen-Rubinoff

Adam Rudolph Sivan and Matthew Rudolph

Rebecca and Rabbi David Russo

Michael Sackett ◊

Tess Glassman-Kaufman and Joshua Sacks

Steven Sacks

Danielle and Jay Sandler

Pamela and Cary Schack

Hannah Minkus and Joe Schaedler

Aliza and Benjamin Scheier Jessica and Eli Scher

Tirza Schmelzer-Covel and Albert Schmelzer

Lynn and Skip Schrayer

Marci Dickman and Ralph Schwartz

Margalit and Nathaniel Segal

Lauren and Marty Segelbaum Adam Seidenberg

Laurie and Mitchell Serber

Madeline Shaffer and Jerry Shifrin Rebekah and Ilan Shalit

Jeremy Shanas Amy Reynolds and Benjamin Shapiro Hagit and Dr. Joshua Sherman Sarah and Jeremy Sherman Amanda and Benjamin Shyman

Aly Sider

Dr. Siatta Dunbar and Dr. Risa Siegel Tamara Frankel and Rabbi Zachary Silver Gayle Silver

Samantha* Kopin Silverman and Yoni Silverman Rachelle Simon

Heidi and Matthew Simons Dr. Cheryl and Larry Sklar Sharon and Rabbi Hillel Skolnik Dr. Renee and Michael Slade

Faith Roessel and Matthew Slater Rabbi Robert Slosberg Dr. Jeremy Slosberg

Susan Agate and Michael Slutsky Stephanie and Michael Smerling Tamara and Adam Smith Talia Smolkin Devora and Shimron Snyder-Shefer Ronnie Jo Sokol

Joel Sprayregen

Danny Stamos

Melanie and Dan Steindler

Lauren Gans and Jeffrey Stern Mayer Stiebel ◊

Jodi and Bryan Sugar Shaina and Brad Sugar Nora Strick and Daniel Sussman Reuven and Alison Szleifer

Shelly Phillips and Dr. Ted Tapper Becca and Samuel Tatel Marianne and Stuart Taussig Elana and Jason Tennenbaum Matt Tepperman

Robyn and Cantor Ben Tisser

Mark Topal

Andrew Topal

Kari Chester and Noah Trueger

Lauren Rosenthal Turon

Margaret and Steven Ungar

Korah Erbacher and Nathan Unterman

Elizabeth and Ira Ury

Joan and Dr. Joseph Vander Walde Marci and Dr. Joel Vandersluis

Amit Vider

Phyllis Waldmann ◊

Glenn Warshaw

Leigh and David Waterman

Hollis and David Wein

Lisa and Michael Weiner

Joan and Jerome Weinstein

Leslie and Sheldon Weinstein

Neal Weisenberg

Roni* and Steven Weiss

Patty and Matthew Weiss

Danielle and Dan Weiss

Dr. Mary and Dr. Louis White

Barbara Gressel and Gary Wigoda

Gail and Dr. Robert Wilensky

Betty Winer

Carly Winick

Wisetack Growth Team

David Witten

Mariel Gold and Aaron Wolf

Radyne and Dr. Steven Wolf

Robin and Mark Wolff

Lois and Alan Yaffe

Lisa Cohen and Rabbi Jeremy Yoskowitz

Rachel and Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz Sara and Boris Zuk

Donor Recognition

* indicates Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Va’ad committee member

** indicates my.ramahwisconsin.com peer-to-peer fundraising campaign

◊ indicates Legacy Society member

Ramahniks

Gifts up to $180

Anonymous (2)

Ron and Bette Abeles

Mrs. Dalia Abrams

Fran Abramson

Irving Abramson

Adina and Adam Aft

William Agress ◊

Debbie Aizenberg

Shelli Aderman and Narda E. Alcorn

Rob Allen

Leora Allen

Debra Allen

Max Alper

Lynn and Alfred Altschul

Miranda and Steve* Altschul

Rachel Billow and Benoit Angulo

Mark Appelbaum

Athens Lion Club

Nehama Babin

Nomi and Dr. Ronald Ban

Neil and Carla Banoff

Jenna Banoff

Devorah Lissek and Dr. Josh Barash

Sharon Barcus

Marlene and Barry Barth

Orly Bednarsh

Hanna Esther Begoun

Susan and Stewart Behn

Dr. Jordon Beller

Arnold Bender

Rabbi Rebecca and Rabbi Joshua Ben-Gideon Elizabeth and Barry Bennett

Robert Berger ◊

Sonia Berk

Jim Berk

Sydney Berkman

Zach Berkman

Seth Berkman

Becky and Shie Berkman

Thomas and Lois Berkson

Marsha Berman

Pola and Eric Berman

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann and Henry Bernstein

Roberta and Charles Bernstein

Rita and Mitchell Berzin

Olivia Besikof

Rena Beyer

Russel Bilsky

Deena Fox-Birnbaum and Andrew Birnbaum

John Bivens

Samuel Blivaiss

Maxine and Victor Bloom

Theodore Bloom

Congegation B’nai Amoona Sisterhood

Beverly Bochenek

Corine and William Bockenek

Bradley Bonham Abraham Bonowitz

Mindy and Armand Botbol

Sharon Boyd

Rabbi Elli Cohn and Oliver Braunschweig Eileen Leiderman and Ben Brener

Sara and Richard Brener Celina and Hy Brettschneider

Becky and Stuart Brodsky Ilisa and Michael Brown ◊

Joan Brunwasser

Steven Bryan

Elizabeth Holtzman and David Bubis◊

Becca and Rabbi Jonathan Bubis

Daphne Budin

Adam Budin

Rabbi Gita Karasov and Daniel Buonaiuto

Eileen Burbela

Joni and Alexander Burgess

Leah Burnham

Scott Burstein

Karen Burton

Julie Cameron

October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022

Irene and Brian Caminer

Nanci and Ben Caplan

Marie Cavaleri

Barbara Charlip Amy and Joshua Charlson

Linda Charney

Lorraine and Jordan Cherrick Michelle Chizever Mynetta and Adrian Christie Sarah Chroman

Ralph Cincinatus

Sandra Clonch

Lisa Goldberg and Mike Cohen Michelle and Dan Cohen Maxine Cohen

Angela and Tal Cohen

Rabbi Burton Cohen ◊

Ellen Glick and Dean Conterato

Stephanie Cooper

Shelby Cooper

Linda Crabtree

Sarrae Crane

Carson Crow

Julie Dann Schneider

Sonya Davis Tamar and Ben Davis Robin Davis

Pierre Demers Sheila and Stewart Derechin

Barbara Dickstein

Anita Dinerstein

Alison Dreifuss

Caroline Dreifuss

Allie Hurwich and Brett Dresner

Ira Dubin

Jason Dubner

Rami Eilian

Meg Boland and Myron Einisman

Pearl Orenstein and Larry Eisen Sander Eizen

Daniel Elekman

Judy and Isaac Elkayam

Susan and Jonas Ellenberg

Fran and David Elovitz

Marlene and Larry Engelhart

Corinne and William Engelhart

Francine and David Ephraim

Judy and Les Erdle

Dolores and Al Erlebacher

Shari and Ahiad Erlich

Shani Abramowitz and Joseph Eskin

Robin and Jeff Estrin

Linda and Dr. David Estrin

Sarah Feinberg

Jane Feinberg-Kaplan

Laurel and Arthur Feldman

Sharon Felix Ethel C. Fenig

Sharon and Barry Finkelstein

Roberta Fischer

Michael Fishman

Libby and Hershey Fitleberg

Anne Flaherty

Terri Foreman

Laura Brock and Zeke Fraint

Wendy and Benjamin Frank

Sonya Frazin

Harriet and William Freedman

Laura and Rabbi Alex Freedman

Aaron Freeman

Diana and David Freeman

Bonnie and Sheldon Freidenreich

Giora and Wendi Fried

Doris Friedman

Audrey and Jerry Friedman

Pamela and Moshe Friedman

Kathleen and James Fuller

Jan Gaines

Robin and Stephen Garfinkel

Asher Gavzy

David Gershuny

Karen and Abe Gerstein

Anita Ghiloni

Darcy and David Gilbert Burke

Limor and Seth Gildenblatt

Kelly Gill

Sharon and Walter Gillett

Eliana Glanzberg-Krainin

Randi Glass

Maurine and George Glasser

Anna Glassman-Kaufman

Herb and Penney Glazer

Michael Glickman

Leanne Glickman

Sharon and Dr. Harris Goldenberg

Lesley and Matt Goldenberg

Rachel and Yaron Goldfarb

Shira and Daniel Goldman

Deborah Goldman

Debbie J. Goldman

Jacob Goldstein Ellen and Larry Goldstein

Joseph Goodman

Dr. Michael Goodman

Marlene and Samuel Gordon ◊

Mindy and Jeffrey Gordon ◊

Sari Grad

Shira Dickstein and Elan Green

Aviva and Dr. Philip Greenland

Dr. Ranna Rozenfeld and Shane Greenstein

Tali and Graham Griffin

Mark Gross

Darla and Dr. George Grossberg

Lois and Bernie Grossman

Rebekah and Josh Grossman

Molly Gruesner

Sandy Rosen and Todd Guberman

Helene and Mark Gussin

Judy Gussin

Connie and Marc Guthrie

Kim and Peleg Halpern

Leila and Neil Handelman

Melissa Korenblat-Hanin and Yoram Hanin

Michelle Hardwick

Ann and Skip Harsy

Carol and Gary Hart

Stewart Heir

Bernard Herman

Barbara Herman

Julie and Jonathan Hersch

Joan and Rabbi Zvi Hersch

Cheryl Siegelman and Dr. Netanel Herscovitch

Eunice and Bruce Hershman

Olivia and Sean Herstein ◊

Barbara Barenholtz and Milton Hieken

Alan Hobscheid

Janet and Dr. Jonathan Hodes

Aleksandra Treyger and Ilan Hoffenberg

Lauren and Noam Hoffenberg

Leslie Hoffenberg

Alieza Schvimer and David Hoffman

Alysa Hoffman

Melissa and Kenneth Hoffman

Melanie Hoffman

Eleanor and Dr. Alan Hoffmann

Amy Hohulin

Noreen and Don Hone

Elena Silberman and Steven Horak

Max Horowitz

Tobi Cooper and Rabbi Daniel Horwitz

Rabbi Abe Schachter-Gampel and Rabbi Sarit Horwitz

Debbie and Simon Igielnik Rickiee and Bernie Itovitch

Sheri Joel Gostomelsky

Dana Sussman Johnson and James Johnson

Lois and Mark Just Freda and Peter Justiz

Charles Kahalnik ◊

Gerry Kaplan

Lauren and Scott Kaplan

Phyllis and Sidney Kaplan

Micah Karasov

Lydia and Asher Karoll

Ariel Katz

Cindy and Dr. Michael Katzoff

Melanie and Howard Kaufman

Matthew Kavanaugh Constance and Kenneth Keck Kehillat Shalom Jewish Congregation

Elana Elstein and Jeffrey Keisler

Betsy Kestenbaum Gilda Kirstein

Carla Klausner

Sydelle Klein Teresa and Robert Klocker

Christine Knisely Jack and Caron Knopoff Mara and Mike Kogan

Betty Kohn

Stacy and Paul Kotelov Dr. Jeremy Kraff Lori and Rabbi Ben Kramer Karen and Andrew Kramer-Lee Dr. Yael Smiley and Gabriel Kravitz Jessica and Aaron Kroll Judi Kuhr

Jon and Kelly Kutas Alex Kahn and Jared Kwait Suzanne and Mark Lampert Laura and Paul Lapping Jan and David Lasky Patricia Law Susan Lazar David Leibman Sandye Lerner Susan and Thomas Lester Joanne Levine Andrea Levitan Adrienne Liberman Shera and Michael Libraty Shirley Lieb

Rabbi Laura Metzger and David Lipp Bonnie Lipton Abby Liss Laeh Litin

Avrom Litin

Fred and Rachel Litwin

Rachel and Rabbi Asher Lopatin Yael Malka-Loren and Daniel Loren Jessica Lubetsky

Brendan Lyss

John Magoulas

Suzanne and Howard Malmon

Rosalie and Dr. Rick Malter

Julie and Eric Marder

Jacob Margolies

Beth Margolis

Mary and Greg Margulies Judy and Steven Matthews

Brian Mayer

Dr. Rachel and Taylor McDowell

Allison Kamen and Michael McElwee

Kate and John McGuckin Burns

Karen Kaufman and Kevin McMullin

Jan Meyer

Jonah Meyerhoff

Lisa and Leon Meyers

Rebecca and Michael Miller

Yaela and Moshe Miller

Stuart Miller

Nancy Miller

Irene Miller

Adam Mirowitz

Susan and Bruce Mitchell

Barry Mnookin

Hillorie Morrison

Rebecca Linfield and Leon Moskatel

Lauren Schneider and Larry Moss

Rena and Roberto Munster

Linda and Bob Nemer

Kashmir Kustanowitz and Etan Newman

Elisabeth Newman

Martin and Dianne Newman

Dr. Robyn and Dr. Mark Newstadt

Monica and Peter Norlander

Elaine and Jeffrey Oberlander

Amy and Elliot Offenbach

Zoe Stern and Rabbi Avi Olitzky Rachel Olshin

Rabbi Benjamin Goldberg and Dr. Daniel Olson

Daniel Orbach

Nadine Orloff

Barrie and Steven Orloff ◊

Donor Recognition

* indicates Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Va’ad committee member

** indicates my.ramahwisconsin.com peer-to-peer fundraising campaign

◊ indicates Legacy Society member

Randy and Bob Orlove

Dr. Sharon Packer

Parfitt and Associates, LLC

Rhonda Parker

Josh Pearce

Danielle* and Jonathan Pearl

Christina and Joe Pennington

Timothy Pfaff

Aaron Pickard

Jane Pickus

Dorothy and Norman Pink

Marla and Al Plotnik

Robyn and Manny Plotsker

Elana and Joshua Pomeranz

Joseph Portnoe

Bobbi and Larry Potashnick

Dr. Kenneth and Dr. Gloria Price

Laurie and Neal Price

Isaac Pure

Missy Rabinowitz

Rebecca Radnor

Susie and Tommy Reichman

Angela Reiser

Jan Ricchetti

Judy and Lyon Rich

Jordana Roat

Carol Robinson

Brenda and Steve Rodier

Erica Rogina

Aaron Rose

Nancy and Rabbi James Rosen

Marissa Schiff and Dr. Jonathan Rosenberg

Lital Casper Rosenberg and Ari Rosenberg

Kiki Rosenberg

Carl Rosenberg

David Rosenberg

Diane Rosenfeld

Sadie Rosenthal

Carlos Rotenberg

Marina Arutyunyan and Gabriel Roth

Tammy and Joel L. Rubin

Gabriel Rubin

Marilyn and Dr. Gary Rubin

Amanda Rubin

Janet Rubin

Jackie Rubinoff

Deanna and Dr. Perry Rudich

Lorra Rudman

Iris Rudnick

Jacob Rudolph Bernice Russo

Felice and Robert Sachs

Sarah and Jack Salita

Judith Salzman

Susan and Rabbi Neil Sandler

Michael Sarris

Diane and Albert Sasson

Tanya and Bryan Scagnol

Nancy and Rabbi Craig Scheff

Deborah and Randy Schepis

Shelli and Howard Schnider

Jamie Cooper and Mark Schnitzer

Robbie Schreiber

Elyse Schulman

Estherbeth Buchbinder and Jeffrey Schvimer

Sharon and Richard Schwab

Natan and Hannah Schwalb Miriam Aronin and David Schwartz

Raphael Schwartz

David Schwartz

Steve and Sharon Schwartz

Renee Locketz Segal and David Segal

Miryam Seid

Lindsay Seidenberg

Beth and Alan Sender

Laurie Serber

Ros Shaanan

Sheila Shafer

Chiragi and Vishal Shah

Sara Abadi and David Shalkow

Dr. Mira Hart and Jacob Shapiro

Gloria Shapiro

Johanna Shapiro

Sharon Shapiro

Michael Sharp

Geri Shaw

Ruth Shayne

Jed Shein

October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022

Kerry Honan and Paul Sherman

Laura Baruch Sherman and Charlie Sherman

Dr. Shelley Sherman Estelle and James Sherman

Steven Sherwyn and Audrey Cohen Sherwyn

Naomi Shisler

Stuart Shlossman

Carol and Norman Shubert Ilene Siegel

Eileen Siegel Kahana

Rose Silva Rachel Silva

Rebecca Silverman

Philip Silverman

Samantha Silverman

Claire Sufrin and Michael Simon

Karyn Simon

Judy and Hanan Singer

Lenore and Rabbi Mel Sirner

Aaron Sklar

Eleanor and Louis Skydell Ricca Slone

Avi Smoler

Rachel and Jonathan Snitzer Jody and Todd Sobol Yedida Soloff

David Soloff

Emily and Rabbi David Soloff ◊

Harry Solomon

Bonnie and Peter Solti

Joanne Kalnitz and Marshall Sorkin

Sam Sosland

Max Sosland

Rachel and Howard Spiro

Jeffrey and Susan Spitz

Gloria and Sanford Spitzer Arlene and Rich Steele

Julie and Michael Steinberg

Carly Steinberg

Judith and Neil Steinberg

Jesse Steinman

Lauren and Kyle Stone

Marcia and Robert Stone

Adina Rubin and Ricky Straka

Rabbi Sam Strauss

Deborah and Harvey Strauss

Danielle Parker and Jake Strich

Rebecca and Zach Strobehn

Donna and Mark Stypczynski

Irene and Barry Sufrin

Judy and Sam Sugar

Dr. Roxanne and Rabbi Eddie Sukol

Judith Hellerstein and Phillip Swagel

Grace Swart

Rabbi Sheldon Switkin (z”l) and Dr. Linda Switkin

Richard Swoiskin

Roxanne Kelber and Michael Tabak

Karin Klein and Joel Teibloom

Emma Eisemann and Eli Temkin

Barbara and Harvey Temkin Dr. Donald Temple

Naomi Teperow

Bonnie Katz and Carl Tishler

Jill and Scott Tomar

Amy Topel

Tracy, Carson and Dustin Truesdell

Joel Ushkow

Rebecca Vandersluis

Mark and Rosalie Villano

Alicia Vinocur

Erika Vogel

Vicky Vossen

Etti Wagner

Debra and William Walker

Everett Ward Dr. Robert Warshawsky

Miriam Mosbacher and Nathan Wasserman

Every effort was made to correctly list donor names. If your gift was omitted or listed incorrectly, please contact Linda Hoffenberg (info on page 3).

Maxima and Rabbi Burton Wax

David Weber

Ari Weber

Shoshana Weinberger

Ethan Weiner

Andrea and Frank Weinstein

Rita and Josh Weintraub

Amy and Dan Weiss

Joan and Anschel Weiss

Paula Weitzman

Esther and Joel Weltman

Jonathan Werlin

Arielle Werner

Cynthia Wessinger

Judith Wexler

Abigail Russo and Adam Wheeler

Marilyn Wind

Debra Winter

Bob Wise

Jordan Wolff

Dori and Phil Wolgel

Judy and Rabbi Carl Wolkin

David and Norma Woolfson

Brenda Wulfstat

Ina and Dr. Joseph Young

Rosanne Zaidenweber

Sara and Sam Zameck

Rachel Zeman

Yael and Dror Zetouni

Jean and Dan Ziemba

Rabbi Elka Abrahamson and Rabbi Martin Zinkow

Miriam and David Ziskind

Michael Zoosman

Corporate Matching Gifts

ADP

Aon PLC AstraZeneca Becton-Dickinson

CBRE ebay Google Grainger Hillspire LLC LinkedIn LKQ Corporation Magid Glove and Safety News Corp. Nuveen Pfizer C.H. Robinson The Boeing Company Thrivent Transunion UBS UMB Bank Yelp In Kind Jordon Beller

Ann Flaherty Magid Glove and Safety Salesforce

Of Blessed Memory

We remember with gratitude the generosity of these donors who made legacy gifts in recent years. They will forever be remembered as devoted Ramah supporters who helped provide an outstanding camp experience for generations of young Jews.

Allen Agron

Betty Benson

David Berger

Rose Choffnes

Mimi and Ron Grossman Micki and Uzi Halevy

Manuel Feldman

Stanford Goldberg

Evelyn Harris

Rabbi Myer Kripke

Gertrude Lederman

Wally Lelewski

George Levine

Edward Marks

Roselind and Sheldon Rabinowitz

Vivian Rice

Arthur Salkin Leslie Schwartzman

Nivonim 2022 campers plant a tree in honor of the legacy they leave behind and to recognize Ramah Wisconsin Legacy Society members.

RAMAH CONNECT

Ramah Connect is your gateway to vintage camp photos and memories. It’s also great for professional networking across the vast Ramah Wisconsin alumni base and for reconnecting with old friends through the alumni directory. Join today to stay connected at ramahconnect.com or by downloading the Ramah Connect app.

Here’s an update from around the Ramah community. Mazal Tov!

BIRTHS

Sarah and Scott Topal (Director of Operations) – Simon Judah

Yael Brunwasser (Nivo 1996) and Dan Mazouk – Noa Zoe

Laura and Zeke Fraint (Nivo 1998) –Lila Shai

Devora Snyder (Nivo 1998) and Shimron Shefer – Dean Benjamin Yaela (Garr) (Nivo 1999) and Moshe Miller – Matan Amy and Joe Caplan (Nivo 2000) –Asher Meyer

Naomi (Fox) (Nivo 2000) and Brett Taylor – Zoey Frances Jodi and Avram Fraint (Nivo 2000) –Naya May

Rabbi Ezra Balser and Laura Elkayam (both Nivo 2001) – baby girl

Alyson Sularz and Elliot Danko (Nivo 2001) – Logan Emmet Marci Fiedler Kramer (Nivo 2000) and Nathan Kramer – Ella Sofia Sarah Peaceman (Nivo 2001) and Hal Dworkin – Jonah Dov

Tamar Green (Nivo 2002) and Ben Hofkin (Nivo 2000) –liyahu (Elijah) Nachshon Baer Naomi Konikoff (Nivo 2002) and Craig Byer – Eliana Adina Rubin (Nivo 2002) and Ricky Straka – Lior Anne Lisa (Banoff) (Nivo 2003) and Matthew Rothenberg – Ariel Meir Jillian Diamond and Gabi Gliksberg (Nivo 2003) – Eli Matan

Sarah Gold (Nivo 2003) and Avi Allen (Nivo 2002) – Carmi Gold

Alexa Ehrlich (Nivo 2004) and Jordan Kelman – Arlo Shai

Hannah and Bruce Ratain (Nivo 2005) –Isaac Lee

Risa Hurwich (Nivo 2006) and Michael Kopinsky – Benjamin Meyer

Ariella Rotenberg (Nivo 2006) and Tyler Logigian – Noah Mason Elli Smerling (Nivo 2006) and Andy Sevi –Emanuel Avram

Adina Allen (Nivo 2007 & Former Asst Director) and Rabbi Josh Warshawsky (Nivo 2006) – Jona Liba

Rabbi Elli Braunschweig Cohn (Nivo 2007) and Oliver Braunschweig – Adira Bina

Madi (Shaffer) (Nivo 2007) and Jerry Shifrin – Levi Rhodes

Elisabeth (Green) (Nivo 2007) and Ben Newman – William Hayes Alex (Kahn) (Nivo 2007) and Jared Kwait – Ella Doni and Romi Arlow

Mollie and Matthew Levin (Nivo 2008) –Alana Leigh and Zoe Emunah Alex (Zimmern) (Nivo 2009) and Jeremy Rosenberg – Gavriel Tzvi

Stephanie and David Hurwich (Nivo 2010) – Danielle Kathleen

WEDDINGS

Caryn Peretz (Nivo 1995) and Jeff Ray Annie Berger and Jacob Millner (Nivo 2000)

Jeff Kahn (Nivo 2004) and Allie Rakos Michael Chippy Klein (Nivo 2006) and Carly Nashban

Brendan Lyss (Nivo 2006) and Gabi Bronstein

Danielle Parker (Nivo 2007) and Jake Strich

Jessica Gimbel (Nivo 2008) and Elan Kapadia

Elana Horowitz (Nivo 2008) and Dan Soler

Julie Ann Orenstein (Nivo 2008) and Laura Martorana

Leora Sherman (Nivo 2008) and Gavin Ross

Chelsea Smith and Nick Bruscato (Nivo 2008)

Tess Glassman-Kaufman (Nivo 2009) and Josh Sacks (Tzevet Shira & Rosh Shira 2010-2012)

Maddy Gimbel (Nivo 2009) and Roni Rubenstein

Jonah Harris (Nivo 2009) and Maya Feldman

Kerry Honan (Nivo 2010) and Paul Sherman (Nivo 2011)

ENGAGEMENTS

Joey Portnoe (Nivo 2007) and Meytal Chernoff

Nadav Karasov (Nivo 2007) and Betül Özyılmaz

Becca Rich (Nivo 2008) and Mitch Connolly

Shelby Cooper (Nivo 2009) and Michael Fishman (Nivo 2010)

Emily Schwartz (Nivo 2009) and Benjy Forester (Nivo 2010)

Avinoam Kahn (Nivo 2010) and Giuditta Moscato

Nathan Weiss (Nivo 2010) and Rebecca Hill

Miranda Smerling (Nivo 2011) and Jason Gaines

Avidan Halivni (Nivo 2012) and Yaffa Fogel

Dana Levin (Nivo 2012) and Aaron Zell (Nivo 2011)

Rachel Small (Nivo 2012) and David Tramonte

Alex Harris (Nivo 2013) and Adina Arnet

Dalya Kahn (Nivo 2013) and Yoav Alush Aben

Alan Imar (Nivo 2018) and Sophia Fineberg (Staff 2020s)

IN THE NEWS – CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Ben Cosgrove (Nivo 1983) on the launch of Leviathan Productions together with author Josh Foer, focusing on Jewish content and storytelling.

Shirah Shiloach (Nivo 1988) on the publication of her new book Grave Intervention

Dalia (Bach) Kirschbaum (Nivo 1998) on being promoted to Director of the Earth Science Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Becky Barak (Nivo 1998) on being named a recipient of the Walder Foundation Biota Award for leaders in biodiversity science.

Matan Korrub (Nivo 1998) in his new position as Crypto Product Compliance Lead at Robinhood.

Aliza (Slosberg) Weinstock (Nivo 1999) on becoming the Day School Professional Development Manager at the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey.

Aaron Langer (Nivo 1990) on being featured in the Daily Mail for the success of his accessories brand Arms of Eve.

David Schach (Nivo 1993) in his new position as Salesforce Architect at SpotOn.

Seth Freiden (Nivo 1994) on opening up a new Pump It Up franchise in Overland Park, KS.

Adam Margolis (Nivo 1996) in his new position as Virtual Event Producer at the American Bar Association.

Josh Gleicher (Nivo 2002 on being named the Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Secondary School Teacher of the Year.

Bruce Ratain (Nivo 2005) in his new position as partner at Kirkland and Ellis.

Leora Goldblatt (Nivo 2007) in her new position as Director of Membership Growth and Operations at the Leadership Now Project.

Zach Rosen (Nivo 2020) on being featured in the Daily Herald for his basketball career.

Our Sincere Condolences

To the family of Rabbi Sheldon Switkin (camper in Ramah’s first summer) who passed away in October 2022.

To the family of Saul Kripke (1960’s alum) who passed away in September 2022.

To the family of Jody Myers (Nivo 1970) who passed away in October 2022.

To the family of Liel Dena Pink (Nivo 2017) who passed away in August 2022.

Please send life cycle updates and professional announcements to alumni@ramahwisconsin.com and check out alumni.ramahwisconsin.com for an alumni directory, update form, new baby onesie form and more.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

For more info scan the QR code or visit: bit.ly/ events-reunions

EVENTS

Nivo 1995-1996 – Reunion! Jeff Estrin, Jamie Billow, Jon Hoffenberg, Ashlyn (Nussbaum) Gorlin, Rabbi Josh Cohen, Beth (Kibort) Hope, Rachel Frailich, Josh Awend, Shana (Baumgarten) Jadwin, Ann Lesley (Hamvas) Rosen. Back row. Avram Berkson, Samantha (Daniels) Feinberg, Sam Caplan, Steven Schoenberger, Dana (Kan) Ferguson, Sara (Behr) Hoffenberg, Nami (Dobrusin) Goldenberg, Jorie (Prepura) Sigesmund, Scott Rosen.

December 1, 2022 – Alumni Impact Campaign Kick-off

December 20, 2022 – Ramah Community Hanukkah Candle Lighting! (virtual event)

March 26, 2023 – 75th Anniversary Celebration at Congregation Beth Shalom, Northbrook, Illinois

REUNIONS AT CAMP

Nivonim 1997 – June 15-18, 2023

Nivonim 2007 & 2008 – July 6-9, 2023

Nivonim 2002 & 2003 – July 20-23, 2023

FAMILY CAMP

August 9-13, 2023 – Experience the magic of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin together, as a family. Our 5-day all-inclusive experience is filled with sports, art, singing around the campfire and so much more! Scan the QR code for more info.

Todah Rabbah

Come to the 75th celebration and bring your friends!!

to Ramah Wisconsin participants in the 2022 Ramah Israel Bike Ride and Hiking Trip, raising funds for inclusion and vocational programs. From left: Howard and Wendy Bach, Carol and Scott Burg, Jon and Fran Sherman, Jonah Grant, Jordan BendatAppell, Daniel Olson, Arnie Harris, Steven Rubenstein, Loraine and Donald Skupsky, Noah Dropkin, Zach Dropkin.

Was your eidah reunion postponed due to the pandemic?

CELEBRATING 75 SUMMERS!

HANUKKAH!

Camper families, staff, alumni, and friends — let’s light the third candle together! Register now to receive the Zoom link for our Ramah community Hanukkah candle lighting on Tuesday, December 20, at 6:30 p.m. CST.

75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

Save Sunday, March 26, 2023, for a wonderful evening of IN PERSON Ramah fun, friends, music and celebration at Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook, Illinois. Registration opens in early 2023.

DIGITIZED ARCHIVES

In honor of our 75th anniversary, we’ve digitized camp photos, classic videos, historic documents, Memory Books, Visitors Day books with cabin listings and staff bios, and so much more. To access the archives and start your walk down memory lane, create a Ramah Connect login, then click through the “Photos” and “Resources” sections. Click the QR code or go to ramahconnect.com to access the archives on your computer or phone via Ramah Connect.

SHARE YOUR MEMORIES

Do you still have a t-shirt from your first summer at camp? Artwork you made in omanut or nagarut? A favorite camp memory? Send us your photos or record a video. We’ll incorporate submissions into our upcoming celebrations.

For more info on all of the above scan the QR code or go to bit.ly/celebrating-75-summers

Interested in helping out? Scan the QR code or complete the online form.

ALUMNI PROFILE

FROM MACHON POINT TO TEHRAN

AN INTERVIEW WITH MARC GREY, NIVO 1993

What years were you at camp?

I was a camper in 1989-93 and on staff in 1995-96.

What are your favorite camp memories?

Oh man — goofy adolescent stuff that would be impossible/ inadvisable to explain but had us in stitches — I suppose the memory is of the laughing itself... along with other impressions that blur across the summers... the bracing cold— not just Buckatabon’s water but the weather too — so many sweatshirt and jeans days … the off-key singing of a hundred kids echoing across the Beit Am walls … Good smells (campfires and bug spray), and horrible ones (the area behind the kitchen still haunts me) … the fuzzy melodrama of the last night of the summer (bus notes!) … that kind of thing.

Favorite spot in camp?

The payphone-tzurhania-office complex was cool and deserves a shout-out, but my favorite spot was probably Machon Point.

Favorite camp activity? Sailing

You’re a writer and director living in Israel. Have you mostly worked on Israeli film and TV?

Yes, and lots of commercials. Also a really fun web series called Drekula about a depressed overweight vampire that aired on KAN (like Israel’s BBC). It’s also since been posted on Vimeo with English subtitles so that people outside Israel can see it: https:// vimeo.com/channels/drekula

What was it like to work on a big-budget AppleTV production like Tehran? Fun, exciting, challenging.

There was a crazy time crunch + Covid restrictions, so it was intense, but high-pressure improvisational conditions are the norm for Israeli productions, which is anxietyinducing, but also has its own charm — informal, nonhierarchical, you find yourself in some amazing situations. Not to mention writing scenes for Glenn Close.

Why do you think shows with Israel themes have been in such high demand the last 5 years?

I think it started 10+ years ago with Israeli shows like In Treatment and Hatufim (Homeland) that were remade for American TV and shined a spotlight on Israeli creators, who kept making good programs, which opened the door for more creators, etc... and as this trend continued, it dovetailed with a new willingness (at least for Americans) to watch international TV shows in their original language/version (which would have been unthinkable in the pre-streaming era), which also drove audiences to appreciate the kinds of local specific stories that can’t really be remade, so that when a new generation of shows like Shtisel and Fauda came out, they were able to sell and find international audiences based on their appeal as good TV and

not necessarily because of any preexisting interest in Israel or Israeli themes. But of course there is that interest — Israel has a long history of captivating people’s imaginations.

How does your camp experience inform your writing and creativity in general?

This connects to another memory — Yishun. Do they still do this? A staff member puts the cabin to sleep, usually by telling them a story. Typically, one of the cabin’s counselors would do this, but we’d also have guest Yishuns (other staff members, some of whom were in high demand because they were good storytellers). I loved me a good Yishun — I still remember the best of them.

If you could have one more day as a camper at camp, what would you do? Swim to the island.

Any advice for our younger alumni who are just starting out?

Don’t be in too big of a rush to figure things out.

Marc Grey is a screenwriter and director known for Tehran (2020), Dreckula (2019) and East River (2008). He lives with his wife in Tel Aviv.

FROM THE RAMAH STAGE TO THE WORLD’S FRONT PAGES

by Howard Goller, Nivo 1970

As a Ramah camper, I never saw my acting in Hebrew plays as a career strategy.

In my first year, at age 11, I had one line. I don’t remember the play’s name, but raising an imaginary fruit to my lips, I shouted in Hebrew: “Tasty as sugar, fresh from the orchard.”

Over the years, I had more demanding roles – the father in Mary Poppins; Fagin in Oliver!; the title role in The Little Prince. Our directors, Zicky Bonder and Moshe Rothblum, expected us to say our lines with feeling, which meant to understand every word. They were musicals, and the songs, when others joined in, made memorization easier and deepened the joy.

Although I loved theater, journalism was my passion. Growing up outside Kansas City, I published a neighborhood paper. With my immersion in Hebrew, I was unwittingly charting the path of a foreign correspondent.

The subject came up during a recent Zoom session with Ramah alumni who are dear to me. Linda Hoffenberg, director of institutional advancement at Ramah in Wisconsin, later asked if I would write about how Ramah shaped my 40-plus years as a journalist.

I had excellent Hebrew teachers at Congregation Beth Shalom

in Kansas City. At Ramah, my understanding grew. I had many lines to learn.

I visited Israel several times — the first with Ramah at 17 — but saw my future in the United States. I had great reporting jobs in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Life changed when I married Shosh, another Midwesterner. After honeymooning in Israel, infused with a sense of adventure, Shosh and I traded Midwest comfort for Middle East intensity.

In 1984 we began a year-long sabbatical in Israel, starting with a daily Hebrew study program known as an Ulpan in Arad, southern Israel. Encouraged by a friend, the editor of the Hebrew daily Maariv, I wrote a biweekly column with the help of my Ulpan teacher about our experiences in Israel.

We moved to Tel Aviv. While Shosh worked as a printer, I reported part-time for a global news agency. When our sabbatical

ended, we were lucky to have jobs. I went fulltime as a Reuters correspondent covering war and peace from the Arab-Israeli frontline.

(At the time Ethan Bronner was a Reuters correspondent, and we worked together briefly. As it happens Ethan, who went on to have a distinguished career at the New York Times and Bloomberg, played the Artful Dodger to my Fagin in Oliver! and remains a close friend.)

We moved to Jerusalem in 1988 and while Shosh and I reared three amazing children, I reported on two intifadas, Saddam’s Scud missile attacks and the Arafat-Rabin White House handshake.

For 18 years I had the thrill of working with colleagues, including Israelis and Palestinians, together seeking to unravel the complexities of the conflict for readers around the world.

New opportunities have since taken me elsewhere, but Jerusalem will always be a standout, made possible in part because of my early encounters with Hebrew at Camp Ramah.

Journalist Howard Goller, a former Ramah camper and junior counselor, works for Reuters and lives in Brooklyn with his wife Shosh.

Interviewing Shimon Peres

Howard (right) and Ethan Bronner in the Bogrim 1968 production of Oliver!

LEGACY TRAVELING THROUGH TIME

by Steven Schoenberger, Nivo 1996

The magic of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin is time travel. The place, its magical ability, allows you in the blink of an eye, to jump back weeks, months, years, and decades, or to glimpse into the future for yourself and your family.

My Ramah past could begin with my first summer as a camper, in 1994, or could go all the way back more than 50 years, to the late 60’s when my mom was a camper and met my dad there. Another Ramah past of mine begins in 1999, when I met my wife, Louise (Nivo ‘97), during staff week as Machon counselors. Fast forward to present day, and we are sending our eldest off as part of Nivo ‘23. Louise and I hope that having all four of our kids at camp this upcoming summer will foreshadow our future and give us a taste of life as empty nesters!

After recently returning home from my 25th Nivo reunion, I reflected on the impact the Ramah experience has had on my life. In the mid-90’s I never could have imagined that the same group of people I danced with on the kikar and sang with in the Beit Am would be those whom I danced with at their weddings and sang with at the b’nai mitzvah of their children. The friends I visited in college and continue to travel with on vacations are the same friends I bunked with on the Givah and paddled down a river with on camping trips.

Today, we don’t only experience camp through the eyes of our children, Micah, Laila, Rina, and Shira, but we also have nostalgia for our own days at Ramah and can be wistful for our kids’ futures as well. Camp is already a place that they cherish, a summer home where they are forging the same lifelong friendships and creating the same memories that we did.

The time-travel lens makes Louise and I appreciate the importance of helping to strengthen Ramah’s future. We want to make sure that camp continues to grow and thrive. We want camp to help provide the experiences and memories to others that we had the chance to experience ourselves. One way we have done this is by committing to being part of Ramah’s Legacy Society. It was around our 13th Nivo reunions that Louise and I first documented this commitment. A few years back I reaffirmed this goal and accepted the role of co-chair of the Legacy Society for camp. I continue to share my camp story with others to encourage them to consider making a legacy pledge and helping to secure camp’s future.

Everytime I visit camp, I personally am reminded of over six-decades of my family’s bond with camp.

From my grandparents, to my parents, to Louise and me, to our children. Our personal, familial, philanthropic, and communal commitment has been maintained, and we hope through our own planning we can continue this virtuous cycle well for decades to come.

Whether your connection to camp began decades ago, or is just emerging today, please scan the code on this page to access information about the Ramah Wisconsin Legacy Society.

Please join us and over 150 other Ramahniks who have completed a Declaration of Intent and help ensure that the camp experience we loved is available for future generations.

Steven and Louise and family at camp.

From Talia Derman, Director

Close your eyes and picture your best summer memories: cannonballing into the swimming pool, running as fast as you can through freshly cut grass, the warmth of the sun on your face as you play, the smells of sunscreen and campfires. Now infuse those with Jewish values and a love of Israel and you’ve got what so many campers experienced this summer!

GROWTH

The swimming pool and our etgar (low ropes) course are the places with the most skill growth over the summer, and we also saw campers maturing emotionally — branching out to form new friendships, trying new foods in our garden to gina/mitbach (garden/cooking) activity, working as a team and showing good sportsmanship in our sports program.

CONNECTIONS

What makes Ramah special is that even with 275 campers this past summer (our largest enrollment ever!), our counselors and specialists create a caring community where everyone knows each other and looks out for one another.

INCLUSION

We are proud to be a welcoming community that prioritizes inclusion in everything that we do. We offer our non-binary campers alternative changing options to our boys/girls locker rooms. We ensure campers with food allergies are given comparable alternative food options. We partner with Keshet to ensure campers of all abilities can participate in camp. And we have a dedicated Camper Care Site Director who focuses on inclusion to ensure all our campers have a positive, fun experience. Inclusion is intentional and infused in our programming.

JOY

Campers cheer for their eidah on Yom Olympics, roast marshmallows for s’mores during their overnighter, pass the deep end test at the pool, show off their artwork, and chase their counselors around as they play tag giggling with glee. There were tons of smiles and laughing throughout the most joyful eight weeks of the year at the most special place. This uplifting happiness energizes our staff during the summer and inspires us as we prepare for the next AMAZING summer of joy!

Finally, without each one of our campers and their families, the summer would not have been the same or as memorable. We are busy planning for kayitz (summer) 2023 and look forward to creating many more unforgettable memories with our campers!