Some enchanted summer ... Many a marriage has started with an encounter at camp by Sarah Singer Saks. After his new sweetheart University of Maryland’s Hillel, Saks David, then 15, spent the summer at Special to WJW would put her bunk to bed and he now serves as rabbi of Bet Camp Tavor, the Habonim-spon- would finish his kitchen duties, in the District and asso- sored camp in Three Rivers, Mich. orget camp memories of they’d stroll off campus to Rhonda’s, ciate rabbi at Columbia Jewish “We absolutely weren’t friends,” Fsongfests, summertime Shabbat a dairy bar nestled on a small Congregation. Loretta Saks is direc- Donna Neumark explains. Nor did and Israeli dancing around the beach, where they spent hours talk- tor of field education at the National they become friends when they campfire. University City, Md., resi- ing together. Catholic School of Social Service. “graduated” from campers to coun- dent Bob Saks remembers Camp The two married about two weeks Cupid must have been busy at selors. They were too different. Ramah as a place “where Cupid after Saks finished seminary stud- Camp Ramah when Donna “I was the responsible one,” she first found [him].” It was at Ramah in ies. After years as director of the Neumark, then 14, and her husband says. “He conducted raids. We New England that Saks met his absolutely weren’t attracted to each wife, then Loretta Vitale. For many other.” counselors (and campers) at Jewish Jewish camp couldn’t bring these camps, campfires ignite more than two together, but Israel could. While Jewish spirit. They spark marriages they were in Israel attending the as well. yearlong Habonim Workshop, “we Though Saks was a student at the were sitting next to each other milk- Jewish Theological Seminary, he ing cows and I started flirting,” spent summers in the kitchen, a Neumark says. “The rest is history.” more lucrative position than coun- The “rest” was spending the bal- selor or teacher. It was just the right ance of the year in Israel, a post- place to meet a girl who craved Israel summer together as Tavor crumb cake. Saks remembers Vitale counselors, and trips between as one of a gaggle of campers who Milwaukee (her home) and Chicago came knocking at the kitchen door (his) during the off seasons. foraging for leftovers. They chatted The couple married shortly after together, but nothing more. she graduated from college with Fast-forward two summers when nearly 40 to 50 people from their Vitale returned to camp as a coun- Habonim network at the wedding. selor of 13-year-old girls after After a stint in Rockville, among spending a summer as a counselor other places, the Neumarks settled in training at a different Ramah facil- in San Francisco where he works as ity. The couple remembered each So many romances have began at the Ramah camp in the Poconos that the camp an economics professor at other from the “crumb cake days.” has a gazebo zugot, a couples gazebo, filling with plaques commemorating the University of California, Irvine, and “This time there was a different marriages of couples who have met at the mountain retreat. she as a geriatric care manager. Photos courtesy of the Seltzer family tone [to the relationship],” explains It was 1991 when Lauren Gross laid eyes on Noah Gallagher. It was love at first sight. Or what passes for love when you’re 11 years old at Camp Midwest. “I had the biggest crush on him,” says Gross. “He was the cutest boy at camp. All the little girls had crush- more than a banquet hall es on him.” But Gross knew she flew way below the radar of this “older man.” And, at 14, Gallagher was too busy with friends his own age to notice her. She finally registered on his radar when they attended Tel Yehudah, the senior leadership camp in 1997, but the difference between his sta- tus as a counselor and hers as a camper was a great divide. By the time they met again in 2005 at a conference for the Union Whether it's for 25 or 250 of your for , the age differ- closest friends, Adas Israel ece didn’t matter. Congregation's beautiful facility “He was working for the Zionist will provide the perfect branch of the Reform Jewish move- atmosphere for your simcha. ment and I was working in Jewish genetic diseases,” Gross says. Choose from our panel of Both had come to conference to Kosher caterers: staff booths. On the day before the The Artful Party conference started, Gross spotted Dahan of Washington Gallagher talking on his cell phone. Lucks Caterers The sight of him brought back the Signature Catering sweet memories of innocent crush- Windows Catering es. When Gallagher made it over to her booth, their reunion led to lunch. 2850 Quebec St, NW, Washington, DC 20008 “It took some time to realize that Cleveland Park Metro | www.adasisrael.org he was flirting with me,” says Gross, For a tour of our facility call Henry Silberman 202.362.4433 x144 See ENCHANTED SUMMER, next page

B14 August 28, 2008 • Wonderful Weddings Stacy, in yellow, and Matthew, in blue at the center of the photo, at the dedication of their plaque in the gazebo zugot, couples gazebo, marking another Ramah mar- riage. ENCHANTED SUMMER Berkshires has a shidduchim wall filled with the names of couples who from previous page met there. The Ramah in Wisconsin who still viewed Gallagher with the maintains a B’shert Fund, and the heart of an 11-year-old. Yet, what Ramah in the Poconos has a gaze- had seemed like an impossible leap bo zugot, a couples gazebo, rapidly in age and status had shrunk to a filling with plaques commemorating small step now that she was 25 and couples who met at this mountain he was 28. retreat. The relationship that began at the One more plaque was added to betty adler photography conference continued through grad- the gazebo this summer when uate school and the couple plans to Boston-based Stacy and Matthew marry in January. Their bridal party Seltzer celebrated their Ramah mar- “Specializing in beautiful photos and happy clients!” contains plenty of camp contacts. riage. The couple met when they “I met lots of people at camp,” were 18-year-olds. says Gross, “but I can’t believe that She had graduated from camper to one of those people would be counselor and was working as a jun- someone I married.” ior counselor assigned to a bunk of Mitchell Cohen can. As director of rising eighth-graders. He was spend- the National Ramah Commission, ing his second summer as a senior he had always heard stories of cou- counselor for rising seventh-grade ples who met at camp. In 2005, he boys. They remember meeting at directed staff to codify these stories staff week after Shabbat dinner. and the Ramah Marriage Web site Though the couple spent the sum- was born. mer making morning runs, coordi- It provided real evidence that nating days off, and simply hanging “camp is a great place to meet and out, they made a decision to limit fall in love,” says Nancy Scheff, their relationship to the camp sea- communications director for the son. They decided that they’d return National Ramah Commission. to their respective colleges unen- Couples who’ve met through the cumbered. Ramah movement can “register” Three weeks later, they found their marriages and post their sto- themselves on the phone every ries. The searchable database is evening and knew this was more organized by camper name or by than a summer romance. The cou- camp. ple was married in August 2007 with • Bar/Bat Mitzvah • Weddings • Celebrations “We have about 300 couples reg- about 20 Ramahniks as witnesses. istered on the site, but we believe When Scheff surfs the site, “I see there are hundreds more people in the common themes of spiritual a Ramah marriage,” says Scheff. growth and finding common values. Phone: 240.899.2945 Three camps go beyond the virtu- It’s what makes Ramah so special,” al to celebrate Ramah marriages. she says. The dining room at Ramah in the JDate watch out. www.bettyadler.com

Wonderful Weddings Washington Jewish Week • August 28, 2008 B15