Ferris, Winona, Madonna and John Hughes…Welcome to the ’80s at Herzl
March 16, 2012 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts, Letters from Alumni, Letters from Parents, What I Learned from Camp.
Eric, Randi & Claudia (Sohn) Richman
By: Eric Lachter
Hi everyone, my name is Eric Lachter and I am a Herzl alumnus. I was a camper at Herzl from 1980-1986. In ’87 I was an Ozo (Go Ozrim!), ’88 a counselor, ’89 the Tripper and ’91 I worked on maintenance staff. I am 42 years old, I have dark curly hair (ok its half gray), and I met my wife, Randi Bernstein at Herzl (she’s still hot 25 years later).
Currently I live far, far away from the shores of Devils Lake, in a place called Mill Valley, which is just north of San Francisco across a red bridge. I like the west coast a lot for many reasons. In spite of my geographic distance, however, Herzl remains close to my heart. My girls, Sonia (11) and Liza (8), currently attend camp. They are huge fans and are continuing our tradition of loving Herzl. We all miss the Midwest – we especially miss our family, close friends and Shabbat dinner at Tzivia and Joel Leviton’s.
Joel Richman, Barry Golob, Tony Shink, Eric & Jon Adelman
I guess the reason that I send my kids 1500 miles away to camp, is that Herzl is the best place I have ever spent time, and the place that I met the best people in my life. Some of my pals growing up at Herzl were (and still are) Barry Golob, Louis Dachis, Tommy Hoffman, Jon Adelman, Tony Shink, Joel Richman, EJ Clyman, Rich Fogel, Tony Weinstine and so many others. Oh, and Claudia (Sohn) Richman, who was and is Randi’s pal. I’m pretty sure I owe her for putting in a good word for me with Randi. Perhaps those names ring some bells. Take a look at the photos. It was the late ’80s, and we had Alcapulco Joe, Polo and other blousey awful fashions. Oh, and sorry about the hair. That wasn’t our fault either. It was the fault of John Hughes and Madonna and Winona Ryder.
Herzl Shabbat...Sponsored by John Hughes (If you don't know who he was...look him up and then watch all his movies)
I think I’m going to keep this short and let you bask in the glow of the photos. But, here are a few things that come to mind about camp. The first is that what I loved about Herzl, was that it gave me confidence. I learned to stand on my own two feet, be a leader and make friends. And, a lot of those friends, especially Randi, are and were better than me. Herzl made me better. Any of you who know Randi, or my friends, know what I’m saying. These folks are priceless. They are my platoon. I would do anything for them. They complete me.
Barry Golob, Eric & Louie Dachis
Oh, and by the way, thanks to my parents, Lou and Muriel Lachter, for spending the dough to send me. It was a life experience that was well worth the investment. But paying for camp was a big deal then and it’s a big deal now.
Here is my last thought…What I like about Herzl, is that it is the one place I have been in my life that is a personality-ocracy instead of a money-ocracy. At Herzl, for everyone the food is the same and the beds are the same and the air is the same. The songs are the same and the services are the same. It’s all equal. It’s like a modern day American kibbutz. It is the place where I could be the most Eric-esque version of myself. The place where my Ericness could shine.
If you see my kids or my wife or my folks or my in-laws, Jack and Gail Bernstein, at the bus, tell em hi. It really makes me happy to know my girls go to Herzl and that they love it as much as I did.
Is that Duran Duranl? Nope, just Tzrif 16. Best hair? Joel Leviton (3rd from L, back) or Jeff Rosenberg (4th from L, front).
And know that those summers in the late 1980’s at Herzl were the best time of my life (oh, and I have it pretty good now if you’re concerned). I’m glad my kids know your kids. Keep your sons away from my daughters.
Eric & Tommy Hoffman
Shabbat Shalom.
With Ruach,
Eric
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NEWSFLASH: Herzl Alumn Sends Son to Camp!
January 28, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Parents.
By Anna Simon
Ok, I realize that there is nothing new and exciting about Herzl Camp alumni sending their children to camp for the first time. This has been going on for years. For more on this topic, read Andy Halper’s blog entry about a girl named Sue (Waldman) Roether [Editor's Note: Or stay tuned for a special guest entry this Sunday...]. I guess it was just a really big moment for me when I registered Z for Taste of Herzl this year. I actually got choked up when I hit the send button. It was such a weird feeling. I wasn’t sad that he was going to be gone for an entire week because I knew I could deal with that. I wasn’t scared about sending him someplace new because we have spent the last two summers at Herzl Family Camp. I was just so overwhelmed with emotion knowing that he will be able to experience something that had such a deep, meaningful and lifelong impact on me. Even though he won’t find my name etched on a wall anywhere, hopefully, he’ll feel my ruach and spirit within camp.
As a former Herzl camper and staff, I hoped Z would WANT to go to Herzl. But, I was cautious about how much I suggested or pushed it. We all want our kids to enjoy the same wonderful opportunities we had when we were young. And, so often we hear about the how Jewish summer camp was one of the most profound experiences of their youth when adults are surveyed. But, you can’t force your child to want to do the same things you did as a kid. And you definitely can’t make them like those things.
That’s where Family Camp comes in. I’m grateful that we had the opportunity to attend it twice (and we’ll definitely be there again in August). Of course, from a selfish standpoint, I wanted to be in the one place in the world where I feel totally free, relaxed and safe. But, I also wanted Z to experience a little bit of the magic of Machaneh Paradise. Plus, the idea of sharing a cabin with Ann (Fiterman) Miller and her son made it even more appealing! We had other friends join us too…friends who did not attend Herzl and wanted to “taste” it before sending their own children. Family Camp was as much of an introduction to Herzl for Z and his friends as it was an opportunity for all of us to begin to let go of the reigns and let them discover camp on their own. As the kids became more comfortable in their surroundings, the parents relaxed a bit and let them run around with friends and the staff. At some point during that first summer, Z turned to me and asked if he could be a camper.
There are so many things I want to tell Z about camp, but I’m holding back. I want him to bring home his own unique and personal experiences. When that bus pulls into the parking lot in June after Taste, I will be anxiously waiting to give lots of hugs and kisses and then sit back to listen to everything that he has to say about camp. Maybe he will give me a list of what he learned at camp. More likely, he’ll share stories and sing the 2010 Ozo Song. It won’t be until much later in life that he will realize what he really learned from being at Herzl.
So, my camp friends, here are just a few things I learned from being at Camp:
- It is possible to be responsible and have ruach all at the same time as demonstrated by Danny Soshnik
- When it rains, go puddle jumping. Sometime during the mid-1980’s, during the all-camp color war, called Bikkurim, it started to pour (um, I mean Heavy Dew as it really never rains at Herzl Camp) just before the camp relay began. Staff could have just moved everyone inside to play rainy day games but they did not. Instead, they started an all-out mud-puddle-jumping extravaganza complete with shaving cream. It was the greatest day ever. I have since learned that in every bad situation or rainy day you can truly find a ray of sunshine.
- Attitude is everything and it is highly contagious
- Nothing compares to having Shabbat services outdoors
- Tan is not the same as white
- Grilled cheese together and tomato soup – what more do I need to say?
- Stepping back to understand the big picture is important
- Being with family at camp is precious, truly…especially when your brother, Jesse, is the co-director (with Beth Shapiro) of Nilakot and gives you a pair of funky, granola pants (yep, I still have mine)
- Community is crucial
- The Northview Drive Inn has the best blueberry shakes…ever
- Toran wheels are really beneficial
- Having a colleague at work as cool as Matt Lipschultz, Tommy Hoffman, Adam Chall and Marcy Simon just makes the job better
- Camp is a frame of mind
- It’s ok to laugh at yourself every once in a while
- If you are wearing a tie dye shirt you are on the tie dye team
- Spotting a bald eagle soaring in the sky is a gift from G-d
- Little things do count and should be celebrated
- Every time I read the word Bikkurim or announcements, I have to sing the songs that go with them
- Treat the earth with respect and keep it clean, even if you don’t get a t-shirt for doing it
- 12 Gates is funny even if you have no idea what they are singing about
- Never mess with Jesse Zimmerman or Ben Gray at camp…ever
- You can lose gracefully
- Flip Frisch’s voice makes me think of and feel Shabbos at camp
- Nicknames stick even after camp
- It’s not ok to jump on a table and yell loudly when there is a bat flying around in the (old) chadar, Barry Golob
- It is ok and highly encouraged to put potato chips on your sandwiches…thank you Stacy (Kaplan) Simon
- Talent shows are awesome
- Singing and dancing during breakfast is a fantastic way to get your day started
- That it is ok for Debbie Minkin or anyone else to break into song or dance at a moment’s notice
- You absolutely MUST sing the Herzl song every time you drive into camp
- Gaga is just plain fun…for everyone
- Flag songs are funny any time
- You have a lot to learn from people both older and younger then yourself
- Eating a freeze pop can make even the smallest bump or bruise feel better
- The Herzl Camp staff and Ozrim are some of the hardest working folks in the universe
- Once a camp friend, always a friend
- There is magic at Herzl
And, finally, here are a few things that Z would like to learn while at Taste this summer (in his own words):
- To canoe by myself
- To be ok with being away from my parents for a long time
- To walk around without getting pine needles in my sandals
- To make a 6-string lanyard
- Make new friends
Shabbat Shalom Everyone!