JUNE 30 • 2022 | 51
of advancement, Trepeck
Harris oversees all of the
development, fundraising and
advancement of the Tamarack
mission for the lay leadership
side. She works closely with the
camps’ internal chief advance-
ment officer to plan, develop
and guide lay leadership.
Creating meaningful experi-
ences for children and teens is
important to Trepeck Harris,
who is a mother herself. “Kids
spend so much time in school
and they learn math, science
and reading,” she explains.
“But sometimes what’s lacking
are the true life skills that kids
learn at camp.”
Camp, she says, is a play-
ground where kids learn
teambuilding, dependence,
problem-solving, connection,
community, friendship, confi-
dence and leadership, among
other important life skills.
Just last year, Trepeck Harris
worked with Geoff Kretchmer,
president of Tamarack Camps,
to spearhead an effort focus-
ing on tzedakah. Called
CAMPaign for Change, it
teaches 8-year-olds the value of
giving back and what it means
to “take care of their own.”
Through the project, camp-
ers made tzedakah boxes and
collected change from family,
friends, neighbors and com-
munity to learn why charity
matters.
EXPANDING COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
Through her volunteer work
with Tamarack Camps,
Trepeck Harris has connected
with other Jewish organiza-
tions in the area as well. After
being introduced to Hebrew
Free Loan, she’s joining the
board this year to add to her
work with Tamarack Camps.
“It’s really exciting and ful-
filling,” she says of the new
opportunity. “It allows me to
learn about entrepreneurial
aspects, business, law and all
of the things that Hebrew Free
Loan does.”
In addition, Trepeck Harris
and her husband are joining
the Wolf Fellows Israel Mission
this October. “We are also
super excited for that,” she
adds.
Yet before the mission takes
place, Trepeck Harris is send-
ing her 8-year-old son, Ethan,
to Tamarack Camps for the
very first time.
“This is the first time that
I’ve experienced Tamarack as a
parent,” she explains. “Up until
this point, it’s been on the vol-
unteer side.”
Experiencing Tamarack
Camps as a parent, however,
is something Trepeck Harris is
looking forward to.
“I’m excited for the experi-
ences that he’s going to have,”
she says of Ethan, who will
be attending the camp for a
10-day session.
“I think he’s going to come
back a new person, just totally
independent and confident
and more understanding of
tradition,” she says of the expe-
rience at Tamarack Camps.
“He’s a lot of the fulfillment
and the inspiration that I get
from being a part of it.”
Julie
Trepeck
Harris
COURTESY OF JULIE TREPECK HARRIS
Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation.
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