Camp Guide

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From left: Rafibi
Jason Miller, Jason

Charnas, CaOy
Leipsitz and Rachel

Rusktp.

They're Back

Four Tamarack
alumni have
returned to their
old stomping
grounds.

Stephanie Steinberg

T2T Staff Writer

T

his is the greatest place on Earth."
That was the response from
four adults when asked to
describe Tamarack Camps in Ortonville.
Jason Charnas, 31, of West Bloomfield;
Rachel Ruskin, 31, of Birmingham; Carly
Leipsitz, 27, of Farmington Hills; and
Rabbi Jason Miller, 32, of Farmington Hills
once roamed Camp Maas as campers and
counselors. They journeyed on canoe trips,
navigated ropes courses and trekked on
hikes through the wilderness.
After a few years of absence, all four
have returned as Jewish professionals and
were roaming camp again last summer
— this time zipping around in golf carts
as they performed their daily jobs.

•

JASON CHARNAS
From 2001-2005, Charnas worked as the
Jason Charnas was a true Tamarack
assistant director of Camp Lakeland and
kid. He worked two summers as staff in
the youth services coordinator at the JCC
Brighton and eight in Ortonville as a teen
in Buffalo, N.Y, He returned to Detroit to
service staffer, tripper, Camp Kennedy
coordinate Federation's 2006 Teen Mission
staff member and ropes supervisor.
to Israel.
Charnas also interned as Tamarack's assis-
"Every experience helps with what's
tant director in 2001.
coming next:' Charnas said. "Teen Misson
"I did everything here he said.
helped with working with kids, talking
Yet it was the Western and Alaska trips
to parents and looking at what parents
he went on as a camper
that got Charnas hooked on
HOW HAS TAMARACK CHANGED
Tamarack.
SINCE YOU WERE A CAMPER?
"My favorite camp mem-
"In some ways'it's the exact same camp. The faces
ory is watching the sunset
change,
but the people are the same. The goals
on Lake Superior on the last
and
programs
are the same. My perspective has
night of my Alaska trip;'
changed
from
when
I was 16 and a TSS [teen ser-
Charnas said.
vice staff]."
He said the experiences
and the friends he made on
those trips are the reason he is working at want to see in terms of updates with their
Tamarack today.
campers:'
In October 2007, Charnas was appoint-
Charnas said planning a trip to Israel
ed the director of teen and family pro-
taught him how to plan for long-distance
grams. His job entails doing what he loves: trips such as the Western and Alaska.
coordinating the Western and Alaska
Charnas' twin brother, Craig, has worked
trips, Camp Kennedy, Agree Outpost, the
at Tamarack every summer since he was a
Bubbie/Zadie program and family camps
teen service staffer (TSS) in 1994.
as well as interviewing staff and supervis-
"Even when I staffed Teen Mission, I
ing directors.
would tell Craig how jealous I was he was
"I manage to keep busy:' Charnas joked.
working here. Being away makes you real-

.

ize how spectacular Tamarack Jason
Charnas said.
But the real reason he returned?
"My love for Tamarack and camp in
general;' he said. "Spending a summer
here is equal to spending a summer in
Israel. You can wear shorts, T-shirts and
flip-flops every day. What's better than
that?"

RACHEL RUSKIN

Seeing the smiles on kids' faces while
they have a good time at camp is Rachel
Ruskin's favorite part about her job.
Ruskin was a camper at Brighton in
the early 1980s. For the next 15 years,
she went on to be a camper, counselor,
supervisor and assistant director at Young
Judaea, the oldest Zionist youth movement
in the United States.
Ruskin also traveled the country in 2002
as the director of Israel Scouts' Friendship
Caravan and Israel Delegation. As director,
Ruskin led a caravan of 17 Israelis who
sang and danced at JCCs across the coun-
try, performing shows with educational
messages about Israel.
In November 2005, Ruskin was named
assistant director of Camp Maas. She

Camp Guide on page C2

December 11. 2008 Cl

