Annual Tzedakah Report - Camp Ramah

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PAGE 4 Continued from page 3 The Miller family name went up on our second Gazebo where children learn to dance and sing the songs of our people. Bruce Whizin helped us complete the front entrance to our camp with a beautiful rose garden and grass for children to play — Rebbe Nachman taught that every blade of grass sings the song of God. The Farber family helped us renovate our baseball field where kids HAVE FUN and learn kavod through good sportsmanship. The Familian-Smalley family helped us complete a renovation of our pool (including new bathrooms) so kids can fulfill the Talmudic requirement to learn to swim (if you don’t believe me, look in Kiddushin 29a). To help the neediest among us come to camp, scholarship funds were greatly enhanced through significant gifts by and in honor of Shari and Michael Weiner; by the Kaplan family’s very generous addition to increase the Sybil and Mannon Kaplan Scholarship Endowment Fund; by the Goodglick family’s generous additions to the Grandparents3 Scholarship Endowment Fund; and by Fred Siegel’s generous additions to the Lana Berke Silverman Scholarship Endowment Fund. Manny Kaplan’s tzedakah in 2005 also made it possible to invite Natan Sharansky as the scholar-in-residence for the January, 2006 Ramah Learning Weekend. Ruth Ziegler and the Barnhard, Beren, Jacoby, Matoff and Platt families continued their very generous support of the Tikvah Program by adding to the endowment. Karen Gamoran enabled young adults with special needs to participate in the Ezra vocational program, inspiring all of us to see God’s image in everyone. A grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles made possible a spiritual retreat weekend at camp for families with children who have special needs. And Murray and Mildred Cohen continued their marvelous tradition of setting an example for and encouraging others to give generously and frequently to the Tikvah Program. Continuing disbursements from the estate of Martin F. Witkin through his charitable trust permit the camp to fund facility and program enhancements— tzedakah that endures. The Spitzer family sponsored Ikar grants, inspiring staff to take their programming to the next creative level, including projects such as the Ezra store, and a mural created by the Machon edot from sessions 1 and 2. Leon Janks and his Israel Committee raised thousands of dollars so that a record number of kids (71!) from our camp could go on Ramah Israel Seminar, fulfilling the mitzvah to visit and support Israel, with nobody left behind for financial reasons. Again—these are really just a few of the mitzvot made possible by the generosity of these families and so many, many more—including your family. We are truly blessed—all the very generous gifts we received are simply too numerous to list in this letter, but are included in the donors listings beginning on Page 10. Please forgive us for and alert us of any omissions. Your support of Camp Ramah in 2005 is truly appreciated, and I hope that together we will continue to make mitzvot possible in 2006 and beyond, to benefit our campers for the next 50 years. B’virkat Shalom, Rabbi Daniel Greyber Irene Levine, Natan Sharansky, Howard Levine
HONORING SHARI AND MICHAEL WEINER It was our great pleasure and privilege to honor Shari and Michael Weiner on December 1 st for their outstanding leadership, accomplishments and contributions to the community. The generous support of the Weiners, their family and friends contributed to a most successful evening, raising over $500,000 to benefit the Ramah Scholarship Endowment Fund. Reflections from Weiner Family Members: “Camp gave me the tools to be the Jewish person I am today, from learning how to lay tefillin and lead services, to the value of community and life-long friendships.” “This is what is so special about Camp Ramah – it allows us to have already unique experiences while integrating Judaism and Israel within each event.” “…My journey at Ramah has motivated me to continue with Jewish activities throughout the year. My love for Israel has grown since my first year at camp…” “My experience has shaped me as a person and has instilled in me my love for Judaism, Israel, and the importance of family and friends.” “As result of this evening…the rest of the Camp Ramah story is yet to be told – there are children who don’t even know it yet, there are parents who will be able to send their children to camp for this life altering experience.” “Ramah is a wonderful place, a place that creates a family within the Jewish community and friends for a lifetime.” Photos (©Henry Gold, Encino, CA), clockwise from upper right: 1) Alana, Michael, Shari and Samantha Weiner; 2) Judy Finkelstein-Taff, Avi Taff, Alana Weiner, Samantha Weiner, Josh Taff; 3) Shari Weiner, Carly Ackerman; 4) Rabbi Daniel Greyber, Shari and Michael Weiner, Jay Reisbaum; 5) Dinner co-chairs Cheri Warner, Sheila Leibovic, Sylvie Deutsch; 6) Sinai Temple; 7) Michael and Shari Weiner Letters from Ramah PAGE 5
Page 1 and 2: Annual Tzedakah Report Camp Ramah i
Page 3 and 4: OUR MISSION Camp Ramah in Californi
Page 5: LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Page 9 and 10: DEDICATED FACILITIES AT CAMP RAMAH
Page 11 and 12: DR. DAVID BRAUN’S GIFT ENSURES A
Page 13 and 14: Debi and Elie Benaron Brenda and Je
Page 15 and 16: Nora and Michael Infante Jay Jackso
Page 17 and 18: Reservoir Development of the only b
Page 19 and 20: Camp Ramah in California YEAR-ROUND

Annual Tzedakah Report - Camp Ramah

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