MAY 12 • 2022 | 33

A

t the heart of 
Tamarack Camps’ 
mission is the belief 
that every child should have 
the opportunity to experience 
Jewish summer camp, regardless 
of financial ability. The agen-
cy’s annual event, Send a Kid 
to Tamarack, raises funds for 
financial scholarship assistance 
and helps subsidize all camper 
fees in an effort to keep pro-
grams affordable and accessible 
for all families in our commu-
nity. 
Tamarack Camps is thrilled 
to honor community leaders, 
Sue and Alan J. Kaufman, and 
distinguished camp alumna, 
Rachel Grey Ellis, at this year’s 
event at 6:30 p.m. on May 
25 at Temple Israel in West 
Bloomfield. 
Sue and Alan Kaufman have 
generously invested in the lives 
of many individuals and fam-
ilies in our community. The 
Kaufmans have made an indeli-
ble impact on Tamarack Camps 
by supporting camper scholar-
ships, in building the Sue and 
Alan J. Kaufman and Family 
Staff Lodge and by serving as lay 
leaders in a variety of roles. 
Sue and Alan’s support and 

engagement extend far beyond 
Tamarack. Since 2012, their 
partnership with the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit and Tamarack Camps 
has powered the Sue & Alan 
Kaufman & Family Teen 
Mission to Israel, a testament 
of their commitment to foster-
ing meaningful connections 
between Metro Detroit and 
Israel. 
Among his stewardship of 
numerous Michigan organi-
zations, Alan is the imme-
diate past president of the 
United Jewish Foundation 
of Metropolitan Detroit and 
a board member of Adat 
Shalom Synagogue, Jewish 
Community Center, Detroit 
Zoological Society and Business 
Leaders for Michigan. Sue 
is the immediate past presi-
dent and previous campaign 
chair of Federation’s Women’s 
Philanthropy, and she is a board 
member of Hebrew Free Loan. 
Distinguished alumna, 
Rachel Grey Ellis, developed a 
love for camp at a young age 
when her parents, Ruth (z”l) 
and Jim Grey, initiated the first 
Family Camp program. Rachel 

was a teen service staff member, 
counselor and tripper — and in 
each of these roles, Rachel pos-
itively impacted those around 
her. Rachel served on the 
Tamarack Board of Directors for 
over a decade and has helped 
strengthen alumni outreach 
efforts. She has shaped the 
Jewish identities of thousands of 
teens through her professional 
work at BBYO, and she contin-
ues to lead in our community as 
the recently appointed executive 
director at Temple Beth El in 
Bloomfield Township.
 “We have the pleasure of 
honoring Sue and Alan J. 
Kaufman and Rachel Grey 
Ellis — positive forces in Jewish 
Detroit and integral links of 
our Tamarack circle,
” said 
Lee Trepeck, CEO, Tamarack 
Camps. “They exemplify the 
theme of this year’s event, l’dor 
v’dor (from generation to gen-
eration), which also highlights 
the 120th anniversary of our 
agency’s founding by the Fresh 
Air Society. In partnership with 
this community, we renew our 
commitment to providing a 
nurturing place for future lead-
ers to learn, explore and grow 
Jewishly for the next 120 years 
— and beyond!” 
The event includes a strolling 
outdoor reception with enter-
tainment followed by a seated 
indoor program. Join Tamarack 
Camps in celebrating their hon-
orees, while supporting the lives 
of countless children and teens 
for generations to come. For 
tickets or donation information, 
visit https://tamarackcamps.
com/giving/send-a-kid-to-tam-
arack/sk2t-event/ or contact 
Tamarack Camps at (248) 952-
9105 or sk2t@tamarackcamps.
com. 

Tamarack’s annual event will honor Sue and Alan J. 
Kaufman and Rachel Grey Ellis on May 25.

Sending Kids to 
Camp for 120 Years 

TAMARACK STAFF

Rachel 
Grey 
Ellis

Alan J. and 
Sue Kaufman

The Levin Center at Wayne Law 
will now be known as the Carl 
Levin Center for Oversight and 
Democracy, the Center announced 
April 28. 
“We have been talking inter-
nally about the need to include in 
our name elements that describe 
our mission and work,” said Jim 
Townsend, the Center’s director, in 
a letter. “It has been nine months 
since the passing of our founder 
and namesake, Sen. Carl Levin. 
It seemed like a good time to 
announce our new name, which 
we hope speaks to his legacy and 
the impact and aspirations of the 
Center’s work.”
Eugene Driker, the chair of the 
Center’s Advisory Board, said in a 
letter, “Naming an organization can 
be challenging and complicated, so 
the Center engaged many people 
in our decision-making process, 
including the Levin family, the 
Levin Center Advisory Board, its 
Faculty Advisory Committee and 
others. 
“We want to thank everyone who 
helped us. Their perspectives on the 
meaning of Sen. Levin’s work, the 
example he set and the goals of the 
Center were invaluable to us,” he 
added. 
The Levin Center’s revised name 
and new promotional video aim 
to communicate the link between 
legislative oversight and the civic 
values and norms that uphold our 
democracy. “By championing the 
values and techniques of bipar-
tisan legislative fact-finding, the 
Levin Center for Oversight and 
Democracy is building a pathway 
of trust and civic respect among 
lawmakers in Washington and 
across the United States,” Townsend 
said. “We are working every day to 
enable lawmakers and the public 
to separate fact from fiction and 
strengthen institutions at the core of 
our democracy.” 
The Levin Center remains part 
of its host institution, Wayne State 
University Law School. 

Levin Center 
Announces New Name 

