Modern Philanthropy
NCJW's Women of Vision event
brings Lauren Bush Lauren.
President Michael Lippitt with his son, Max, wife, Sandy, and mother,
Marjorie Ziff
President's Award-winner, Lori
Immediate Past President Frank
Weberman with her husband, Danny
Ellias and Executive Director Steve
Engel
Passing The Torch
Tamarack annual meeting brings
new leadership, same commitment.
Gabe Neistein
Special to the Jewish News
M
ore than 100 people associ-
ated with Tamarack Camps
— incoming and outgo-
ing board members, staff, families,
alumni and future campers — gath-
ered at the Butzel Conference Center
in Ortonville for Tamarack's annual
meeting last month.
Frank Ellias, Tamarack's out-
going board president, reaffirmed
Tamarack's status as the Detroit's
Jewish "gem" because of its impact on
children's Jewish identity, the devo-
tion of its staff and lay leaders, and
the programmatic excellence that the
110-year old camp has been able to
maintain.
"Tamarack Camps continues to
have a reputation for being the pre-
miere community Jewish camp in the
country," Ellias said. "But we cannot
do what we do without the continued
support of the families whose names
are seen on our buildings and villages
as well as many anonymous donors
who make gifts from a few dollars to
hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Both Ellias and Executive Director
Steve Engel affirmed that Tamarack
remains committed to its age-old
mission of providing enriching Jewish
camping experiences to children and
families regardless of financial ability.
30
September 20 • 2012
In doing so, Tamarack has allocated
more than $1 million this year to the
50 percent of campers who were on
financial aid, more than any Jewish
camp in the world.
The annual meeting also allowed
Ellias to pass the torch to incoming
board president, Michael Lippitt.
Tamarack welcomed 12 new board
members: Marni Aaronson, Jeff
Bagdade, Michelle Bass, Ronald
Charfoos, Darren Findling, David
Goldman, Jeff Meyers, Steve
Robinson, Adina Rubenstein, Robert
Schwartz, Elizabeth Sollish and Linda
Thomas. Tamarack also welcomed
back Stacy Brodsky, Miriam Bergman,
Marc Nakisher, Abbe Sherbin,
Tyler Smith, Nancy Komer Stone,
Rabbi Simcha Tolwin and Bradley
Wasserman for their second terms.
Lippitt announced that Tamarack
made critical improvements to the
camp's facilities and programs,
including in Sheruth Village and the
Ravitz Foundation Arts Center.
Longtime board member, officer
and devoted lay leader Lori Weberman
was honored as the 2012 President's
Award winner.
Tamarack's officers are Lippitt,
president; Darren Findling, vice
president; Alan Hurvitz, vice presi-
dent; Stacy Brodsky, vice president of
development; Joe Lash, treasurer; and
Elizabeth Sollish. ❑
T
he National Council of Jewish
Women, Greater Detroit
Section (NCJW/Greater
Detroit) will welcome Lauren Bush
Lauren as its keynote speaker at the
organization's annual Women of Vision
luncheon Thursday, Oct. 4, at Temple
Beth El in Bloomfield Township.
With a focus on "Philanthropy in
the 21st Century:' she will explore the
shift from her career as a top model
to a philanthropist. Lauren is the
chief FEEDer and co-founder of FEED
Projects (www.feedprojects.com ) and
chairman of the board and co-founder
of The FEED Foundation.
In 2005, Lauren had the initial inspi-
ration to design the FEED 1 bag to help
fight the hunger and poverty she saw
firsthand while serving as an honor-
ary spokesperson for the World Food
Program (WFP) the year before. Each
bag, which provides a way for consum-
ers to give back in a tangible and mean-
ingful way, feeds one child in school for
one year through WFP.
FEED Projects LLC, established in
2007 to sell FEED bags, is a charitable
company with the mission to create
and sell products that help feed the
world. The following year, the FEED
Foundation was founded. A nonprofit
organization, it supports programs and
organizations that are effectively work-
ing to fight hunger and eliminate mal-
nutrition throughout the world.
FEED Projects has partnered with
various companies and, through the
sale of eco-friendly products, has raised
more than $6 million for the WFP's
school feeding program, which equates
to nearly 60 million meals to school
children to date.
Born in Denver, Lauren grew up in
Houston and started her career as a
fashion model, appearing on the cover
of publications such as Vogue Australia,
Glamour and Town and Country. For
her work with FEED, she was selected
as a 2009 Fortune Most Powerful
Women Entrepreneur, included on 2010
Inc's 30 Under 30 list, and received the
2010 Accessories Council Humanitarian
Award, the 2011 Stevie Award for
Best Non-Profit Executive and the
2011 Fashion Group International
Humanitarian Award.
The 2006 Princeton University grad-
uate is the niece of former President
George W. Bush and granddaughter
of former President George H. W
Bush. She recently married David
Lauren, son of fashion designer Ralph
Lauren.
Lauren Bush Lauren
"Lauren Bush Lauren has accom-
plished so much at her age, and all for
wonderful causes:' said Suzanne Lasser,
co-chair of Women of Vision. "She is
truly an inspiration for the younger
generations to help better the world
they are growing up in."
Funds raised from the event will ben-
efit the organization's many community
service programs, which each year
include providing backpacks with new
school supplies to homeless students,
donating blankets to children removed
from their homes by Protective
Services, operating a single-family
domestic abuse shelter, providing
grants and interest-free loans to college
students, and packing and delivering
thousands of Meals on Wheels.
In addition to Lauren's remarks,
Women of Vision will honor Gilda
Jacobs, president and CEO of the
Michigan League for Human Services;
Cancer Thriver's Network for Jewish
Women co-founders Michelle Passon,
Sandy Schwartz and Patti Nemer; and
the late Marsha Zucker, NCJW/Greater
Detroit community volunteer and
activist, with the Josephine S. Weiner
Community Service Award.
The award honors an individual or
organization in Metro Detroit whose
work benefits the community, serves as
an inspiration to others, and reflects the
mission statement of the organization.
Registration and boutiques open at
9:30 a.m. The program begins at 11
a.m., followed by lunch at 12:30 p.m.
The boutiques close at 3:30 p.m.
Tickets for the keynote speaker and
lunch are $100. For speaker-only tick-
ets, the cost is $45 and will be held at
the door. Student tickets start at $20
and also will be held at the door. To reg-
ister, call (248) 355-3300, ext 0 or visit
www.ncjwgds.org. The RSVP deadline
is Friday, Sept. 28.