Lenny Silberman was a camper at Emma Farm in 1965-66 and became the EKC Program Director in 1982.  Lenny then served as the EKC Director from 1987 to 1993.

Some of his favorite memories include: WE ARE FAMILY, Building Jewish Community, Tradition, Israel, Shabbat, LOVE, Fun, and making new friends, GREAT times, GREAT memories.

In Lenny’s words:

I have so many memories and stories that it’s incredibly difficult to think about a favorite one (or even two).  I think about the thousands of staff who worked with me at camp to make camp so incredibly special for the campers. I think about the Israeli staff who came to camp those early years and the impact they made. I can talk about the many new programs we developed, from the lake to the ropes course, to the athletic fields to the arts and craft programs. I could talk about the expansion of the dining hall, the Playhouse, new cabins, the office, etc. I can talk about the amazing camp chairpeople or the many volunteers on our committees, who helped make camp someplace special. Should I talk about all the staff at the Pittsburgh JCC who supported me through the years and all the resources they produced so we could do as much as possible at camp? I can talk about the memories of my mom and dad, when I sold my Roberto Clemente game-used baseball bat to pay for and donate the first-ever Torah to EKC. I can talk about how having my dog, Oliver, with me and how he helped so many homesick campers feel like they were at home taking care of their dog.

I can talk about the amazing color war programs and unique themes the staff came up with. Then again, there was nothing like the first day, and dealing with not only all the happy campers, but those who were homesick; and then again, the closing night, in tears of joy and happiness. How about the spirit in the dining hall and all the songs. Shabbat and Shabbat concerts were some of my favorite moments.  I could talk about the staff softball games, basketball games, exciting programs, evening activities, staff snacks, everything that make camp so special. I can talk about recruiting staff from different college campuses. Those that were connected to Pittsburgh and those that weren’t also made camp someplace special. How about recruiting all the out-of-state campers. I was so fortunate to travel throughout Ohio, recruiting hundreds of families into the EKC family.

You can see the list is long and everything was a great memory. I still think about many of those things today with great pride, knowing that my team and I (I define team very broadly) made camp a “happy place” for so many.

So many of my friends today — many of whom have become my extended family – and the path I took in my career, are because of Emma Kaufmann Camp. And this is why I believe it’s important to give back to the camp that gave so many of us not just amazing experiences and memories, but also a lifelong community. I hope you will join me in supporting EKC (see Ways to Give below).

At the end of the day, from Generation to Generation, “WE ARE FAMILY”…all good, all very good, all great “44”

About Lenny:

I am the Founder and CEO of Lost Tribe. Lost Tribe bonds teens to Jewish peers and identity by building safe Jewish spaces online and growing audiences around positive Jewish and Israel social media content.

In today’s world, it is more important than ever to provide our youth with a safe and inclusive space to connect and explore their Jewish identity. Lost Tribe is doing just that by creating a vibrant online community that resonates with Jewish teens.

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