RE: Gesher Porch Dedication

[Julie Berger]

Hi gang,

Just over two weeks ago, a group of our edah members, former staff members, the Schloss and Levin families, and current camp staff gathered on the newly renovated Gesher porch up at camp to dedicate it in memory of Mike and Andy. It was a touching ceremony filled with stories about them, how much camp meant to them and their families, and how much they meant to our camp family.

Just wanted to send along some pictures of the day:  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ot56hvc6cn54iya/AAD3lcSdnTm9tLIyqWHaRZGza?dl=0

We also spent some time with the current Gesher - Gesher 2015 - sharing with them what camp was like all those years ago, hearing about what camp is like for them now, and discussing how to possibly survive leaving camp after Gesher summer.  When I asked them if they could tell the difference now that the porch had been partially rebuilt and they had new flooring in their bunks, they said it was actually hugely nicer and they were very appreciative.

Really amazing to see this all come together.

Happy summer everyone!

Julie

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From: jul...@hotmail.com
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Subject: Gesher Porch Dedication
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 18:51:19 -0500

Hi everyone!

I am writing with some exciting updates on where we stand with the Gesher Fund.  When the question of how to allocate the money was last posed to the group, we entered the summer with a clear majority in favor of using some of the funds to renovate the Gesher porch. 

With this information in mind, Joel, Bruce, and Missy strongly agreed that it best met camp's needs to use $12,000 to fund the Gesher bunk project, and endow the remaining $20,000 as principle for a scholarship fund, the interest of which will serve as scholarship in perpetuity.  As of this writing, the renovation is almost complete!  Pictures of the work are attached.

Missy has been in touch with both the Levin and Schloss families, and they are incredibly touched by all of our efforts.  They have also given their blessing for the Gesher porch to be dedicated in Andy and Mike's names, with a plaque. 

Joel and Missy would love for our edah to come up to camp for an official dedication ceremony.  They are hoping to do this the first Sunday of camp - Sunday, June 28.  (Visiting Day was not feasible because of the craziness of the day.)  Please mark your calendars!  Both the Schloss and Levin families have approved the date and are planning to be in attendance.  This is the Sunday after the first Shabbat of the summer, so there would be no other guests in camp, if folks did want to go up for Shabbat.  Joel and Missy would like to also plan an activity for us to do something with the current Gesher - Gesher 2015.

This will be an incredible way to celebrate our 15th Gesher anniversary!  I know making the trek up to camp on a random Sunday can be challenging, but hopefully many of us will be able to be there to mark this special moment together.

Thanks to all - we should feel incredibly proud that our work since 2007 has paid off so amazingly.

Much love,
Julie

   

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From: jul...@hotmail.com
To: geshe...@googlegroups.com; josh...@gmail.com
CC: gold...@gmail.com; lisagf...@gmail.com; aaron....@gmail.com; abber...@gmail.com; abbeym...@gmail.com; adweinb...@gmail.com; alisa...@gmail.com; andi.g...@gmail.com; aviva...@gmail.com; b.a.be...@gmail.com; berlin...@gmail.com; dahlia...@gmail.com; dale.va...@gmail.com; dan.e...@gmail.com; daniell...@gmail.com; dara....@gmail.com; dav...@gmail.com; dtr...@gmail.com; es2...@gmail.com; skol...@shu.edu; skol...@gw.edu; eth...@gmail.com; ericac...@gmail.com; gabe....@gmail.com; gfa...@gmail.com; iddo...@gmail.com; jadl...@gmail.com; jland...@verizon.net; judith...@gmail.com; louisc...@gmail.com; madelin...@gmail.com; mre...@mail.med.upenn.edu; miriam...@gmail.com; naama....@gmail.com; naamah...@gmail.com; noahc...@gmail.com; rachel...@yahoo.com; rick...@gmail.com; sara.sc...@gmail.com; sari.d.g...@gmail.com; sab...@gmail.com; stefani...@gmail.com; rebeccas...@gmail.com; marta...@gmail.com
Subject: RE: [Gesher Fund] Re: Gesher Fund Update - Decisions!
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2014 10:38:43 -0400

Hi everyone,

Again, thank you to everyone for the input and dialogue.  Here is where we stand right now: 9 have voted to use our funds exclusively for scholarship, and 14 have voted to allocate some of the funds to the Gesher porch renovation.

I reached out to the camp office, to share with them some of the questions and concerns that have come up during this conversation.  The main thing that came across from Joel and Missy (the new development director) is that scholarship will of course always be important and needed, but the most immediate needs at this moment are physical.  Happily, scholarship funding is at an all-time high, and all campers who needed scholarship this summer received it.  However, there are no funds for physical improvements, so Joel and Missy saw this moment as an opportunity for us to address both camp's immediate and future needs. 

As Slobodien suggested, using the money for anything but scholarship would be a one-time occurrence; once the rest is endowed, it can never be used for anything but principal for the scholarship fund.  In addition, after surveying the needs, they feel that the renovation could be done for $10,000, thereby giving us a $20,000 scholarship endowment to start.

Below is a letter Joel and Missy asked me to pass on to the group, written before Shabbat.  After reading, please feel free to share with me or the group if you have additional thoughts or insights.

Julie
___________________________
Dear Gesher 2000:

What a long, strange trip this has been for Gesher 2000. You are an amazing edah who has been able to take the loss of two young friends and turn it into a lasting tribute to their memories. You have raised nearly $30,000 which is no small feat. But up until this point, the funds have not been allocated. Now is the time to decide how that $30,000 will be used as you approach the 15^th anniversary of your Gesher year at Camp Ramah in the Poconos.

 

So, what does Camp Ramah need and how can Gesher 2000 make the most impact on Camp with the money raised in memory of Mike Levin and Andy Schloss? In the 2008 letter that you sent out to begin the fund, you wrote, “In honor of Mike and Andy’s love for Camp Ramah, we hope we can count on your help to instill their love in a new generation of children.”

 

With the goal of instilling the love of a new generation of children in mind, camp needs two things right now:

1.       Scholarships to continue to enable any Jewish child who wants to go to Camp Ramah in the Poconos, Ramah Day Camp or Tikvah Family Camp to attend.

2.       New flooring in the Gesher bunks and on the Gesher porch to complete the capital improvement project that began last year replacing flooring and roofs of each camper bunk.

 

Our suggestion would be to create the Gesher 2000 Endowment Fund using  $20,000 of the money raised. The principal of this endowment would not be touched and would be added to whenever a donation to the Gesher 2000 fund is made. The yearly interest from the fund would be used to provide a scholarship for a camper in need and a letter would go to the Levin and Schloss families connecting them with the camper each year.

 

In addition, the $10,000 raised by the Gesher 2000 Fund would be used to help complete our capital improvement by replacing the flooring in all of the Gesher tzrifim and the mirpeset (it looks exactly the same as it did way back in 2000 when you all hung out there), and possibly furnishing the Gesher porch as well. A plaque would be hung memorializing Andy and Mike for all future Gesher edot. This would be completed by summer 2015 and would be a wonderful opportunity for your edah to come up to Camp for the mirpeset dedication and plaque unveiling.

 

 

Shabbat Shalom,

Joel and Missy

[Stacy Seltzer]

​This is really amazing.  Julie- thanks so much for emailing and sharing this with everyone.  Wish I could have been there.  Thinking about all of you and sending so much love!  Stacy

​

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Stacy B. Seltzer
stacys...@gmail.com
610.737.5897

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[Naamah Harris]

😄thanks for sending julie!! I heard it was a beautiful ceremony!

Sent from my iPhone

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