20 | SEPTEMBER 19 • 2019 

Jews in the D

Staff Reduction
Tamarack Camps makes up defi
 cit
by eliminating nine positions.

S

hortly after Labor Day, 
Tamarack Camps enacted 
a workforce reduction in 
response to an approximate 
$250,000 budget deficit, accord-
ing to a formal statement from 
the organization. 
The reduction resulted in 
seven full-time and two part-
time positions being eliminat-
ed. Responsibilities have been 
reassigned among existing team 
members, the statement said, 
with sufficient resources to suc-
cessfully cover all programs.
Gone from the Tamarack 
“team” page on the agency’
s web-
site are photos and information 
about those who are part of the 
workforce reduction, some who 
had held high-level positions. 
CEO Steve Engel 
has led the team 
since 2010.
In its statement, 
Tamarack attribut-
ed the financial 
deficit to short-
falls in anticipat-
ed camper tuition and off-season 
rental income. More than 1,000 
youth participated in Tamarack 
summer programs, consistent 
with past years.
Tamarack Camps, established 
nearly 120 years ago as the Fresh 
Air Society, operates Camp Maas 
in Ortonville with 1,100 acres of 
woods, private lakes, nature trails 
and the Farber Farm. It also runs 
teen travel trips and outpost pro-
grams, family camps and year-
round programming, manages 
the Jewish Community Center 
day camp, hosts Israeli campers 
each summer, takes its own teen 
mission to Israel every other year, 
runs a special needs camper pro-
gram and more. 
The organization has a nation-
al reputation among Jewish 
camps. And, over its long histo-

ry, the camp has a strong legacy 
of campers spanning generations 
of Jewish Detroiters. 
Tamarack Camps has a $9.1 
million operating budget. As an 
agency of the Jewish Federation 
of Metropolitan Detroit, it 
receives an annual allocation 
from the Campaign/Challenge 
Fund. Amounts fluctuate from 
year to year, as with other 
agencies, because of donor des-
ignations as well as agency and 
community needs. 
In fiscal year 2017-2018, 
Tamarack Camps received 
$493,242. In 2018-2019, the 
amount was $632,662 (up sig-
nificantly because of real estate 
needs); and $617,211 for 2019-
2020, with money allocated for 
its Israel mission. 
“As our community under-
stands, workforce reductions are 
sometimes necessary to ensure 
that an organization remains sus-
tainable, efficient and high-per-
forming,” the statement said. 
“We are certain that these actions 
will allow the agency to contin-
ue to provide the high-quality 
programming, services and rich 
informal Jewish education that 
our community has come to 
expect. We have undertaken this 
effort as a steward of community 
dollars, taking into consideration 
our best projections of commu-
nity demographics, philanthropy 
and needs.”
A statement from Federation 
supported Tamarack’
s decision to 
reduce its workforce. 
“Understanding that staff 
reductions are difficult deci-
sions to make,” the Federation 
statement said, “we support 
Tamarack’
s commitment to 
maintaining fiscal responsibil-
ity and to ensuring the ongo-
ing strength and vitality of the 
organization.” 

KERI GUTEN COHEN STORY DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

Steve Engel

 
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