Serena Lax Memory: Warren Wilansky as Puppa Smurf
Jared Lang's Camp History and Return in 2000
It is with both enthusiasm
and sentimental nostalgia that I announce to
the world today my someday retirement from that summer
home-away-from-home we know as Camp B'nai Brith. Fifteen summers ago, I
began my CBB journey as a cockeyed dreamer; a camper in Bunk 6 Chalutzim
2nd month. That was when Beersheva (whose name had changed later from
Chalutzim) consisted of SIX tipi bunks made out of wood no thicker
than boards. It was a great time. It was
a time when campers respected their staff no matter how little attention
was paid to them. I remember my staff well, Bones and Jesus (pronounced
hey-zeus). There was also Aubrey Safran as staff 2 bunks over. I made
new friends and acquaintances that summer; one of them was a red haired
freckled kid named Mark.
The summers progressed. I passed two of my best summers as a Pioneer and
SIT under a couple of the greatest unit heads who ever graced CBB with
their presence, Mr. Tony Flanz and Mr. Mike Elman. I learned a lot
from these guys and I took many of their teachings with me when I
returned for
my first year as staff working for Mark Stein in Beersheva. It was a
great time... a time when campers were actually a priority on JCs'
lists. It was
truly an honour working in the unit where my CBB experience began... a
little unit formerly known as Chalutzim.
The next summer, 1990, I came back as a head waiter, I was finally given
an opportunity to put my services at work ...but that is all we'll talk
about
that summer.....Ironically I believe that was the first summer that a
certain someone actually came to CBB, someone who Adam Goodman believes
their name today is synonymous with Beersheva, Eric Iankelevic. That was
quite a summer, but like I said, we won't really talk much about that
summer.
The next summer (1991) was everything 1990 wasn't. That summer, it
wasn't Beersheva's staff who shone. Such talents as Scott Winston
and Jason Rootenberg weren't even born yet. I enjoyed working with one of the
finest staffs assembled in one unit (Pioneers). My campers can attest to
that
fact. I also began to be rewarded for my hard work. Second month, I
became theme day captain but lost. Oh the Red MacDonald's team with sweet sweet
Adina Ullman. It was hard having an opposition captain in the same Unit,
but
Neesa Harroche never brought theme day back to the unit. By the end of
the
summer, I was rumoured to be a shoe-in for staff of the year. Of course, in
hindsight I probably deserved it, but I realize now that I don't think the
award was offered back then.
In 1993, I abandoned my home. Although working for Warren Wilansky
was indeed a pleasure and living with Warren Kleiner a challenge (one I
loved), my stints as Pioneer staff were among my favourite summers. Warren
Wilansky worked to bring back the magic that Pioneers hasn't seen since the
Elman/Flanz era. However, at 22 years old, I had to try my hand at
other things.
In 1998, circumstances dictated my return to Camp B'nai Brith.
It was my
turn. The job I had been groomed for was finally mine, and MoJo's
took CBB by storm. Although I was running the canteen, I was brutally left
off the Machanayim Trip. Israel would have been a blast where I would have
become extremely good friends with one Corey Szwarcok (that's probably
spelt wrong--sorry man) and really really really good friends with Lori
Alter,
who ran Kinneret. The only thing that would have come close to the fun
we would have had in the Holy Land was the summer that would have awaited us upon
our return. In 1998, I was blessed with lazy staff.
However, it was a summer I will not soon forget.
In 1999, we didn't have any staff but we made the best of it. I
walk away knowing that last summer I did everything possible
to make sure everyone who ate at MoJo's enjoyed their dining experience. Sure
the
caterers were more Ritalin-dependant than the year before, but hey,
we
made the best of it.
This brings me to the present. It is the big announcement everyone
has
been waiting for. On behalf of Mo and myself I am very happy to
announce that MoJo's will be back and better than ever. The fries will be
frenchier, and the dogs will be hotter. Gentlemen keep your eyes on your
girlfriends, cause Mo and Jo will be roaming the grounds at CBB once again.
I would like to take a moment to thank my associate who was in my
tent in
Pioneers 1987, and in my bunk in SIT's in 1988, and with me in the
now
ashes and rubble in the ground doghouse in 1989 Mr. Mark Kolofsky.
Never forget that you never worked for Yaron Bohbot in 1997. Never
forget that you know that Eric went out with your ex girlfriend before you
did.
You are Mo from MoJo's, continuing a legacy of canteen boy's stemming
as far back as Jamie Goren and Mark Weitzman and Rob Lurie. Now it's your
3rd
turn. So long as you remember that head of the Canteen will never
win
supervisor of the year, you'll do ok.
To everyone who aided me in my journey, I thank you. For those of
you who feel I'm too old for camp, I'm not. If two terms are enough for the
U.S. president, fine but they're not enough for Mo and Jo from
MoJo's. To Adam Goodman's staff (the two I know who one day will run Beersheva --
you know who you are--Jonah Tozman and Mike Bendahan) work your hardest and
remember that no matter what happens, it is the campers who truly count. And
also remember that you, like me and Mo, are members of a dynasty. To
everyone else from other units, from the office to the farm to the infirmary
to Sr. Beach and elsewhere... Please come eat at MoJo's. I hope to see you all at MoJo's.
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Adam Goodman's Retirement from
CBB
It is with both enthusiasm and
sentimental nostalgia that I announce to the world today my forced
retirement from that summer home-away-from-home we know as Camp B'nai
Brith. Nine summers ago, I began my CBB journey as a cockeyed dreamer; a
camper in Bunk 1 Beersheva 2nd month. That was when Beersheva (whose name
had changed the year earlier from Chalutzim) consisted of eight or nine
tipi bunks made out of wood no thicker than boards. It was a great time.
It was a time when campers respected their staff no matter how little
attention was paid to them. I remember my staff well, Mike Shulman and
Jesus. There was also Eric Iankelevic as staff 2 bunks over. I made new
friends and acquaintances that summer; one of them was a bunkmate named
Justin Uditsky.
The summers
progressed. I passed two of my best summers as a Pioneer and SIT under the
greatest unit head who ever graced CBB with his presence, Mr. Warren
Wilansky. I learned a lot from Warren and I took many of his teachings
with me when I returned for my first year as staff working for Mike
Shulman in Bonim. It was a great time... a time when campers were actually
a priority on JCs' lists. Even though it was truly an honour working for
my old councellor, my heart lay in the unit where my CBB experience
began... a little unit named Beersheva.
The next
summer, 1995, my first year SC, I was finally given an opportunity to put
my services at work in that unit. I worked for a supervisor whose name
today is synonymous with Beersheva, Eric Iankelevic. That was quite a
summer, when egos were formed and Eric made his last talented performance
as head of that infamous unit. Every trick of the Beersheva trade I
learnt, I learnt from him. Today, I, like another of my predecessors Yaron
Bohbot, still maintain that it is and will always be Eric's unit. It is
something I hope my successor will not soon forget.
Eric's replacement the next summer (1996) was
everything Eric wasn't. That summer, it was Beersheva's staff who
shone. Along with such talents as Scott Winston and Jason Rootenberg, I
enjoyed working with one of the finest staffs assembled in one unit. My
campers can attest to that fact. I also began to be rewarded for my hard
work. First month, I became theme day captain and won. Oh the White
Country team with old Jody Scinto. It was hard having an opposition
captain in the bunk, but Justin Uditsky never brought theme day back to
the bunk. By the end of the summer, I was rumored to be a shoe-in for
staff of the year. Of course, in hindsight I probably deserved it, but I
realize now as I did then that no one who works in Beersheva will ever win
such a prestigious award. I lost out to Errol Tennenbaum.
In 1997, I abandoned my home.
Although working for Cory Freed was indeed a pleasure and working with
Rachel Rasminsky a challenge (one I loved), my stint as SIT staff was not
among my favourite summers. The raw stupidity of the Israel trip made the
magic of that unit less palpable than during the Wilansky era. A simple
return to the 3-day Ottawa trip would do wonders for the camp and the SIT
program and recapture a fraction of the fun I experienced when I was a
SIT. That summer, Beersheva was left in the most capable hands possible...
a real change from the year before, Yaron Bohbot. Like me, Bobo learned
from the master and a great dynasty was once again in the seat of power in
Beersheva rec hall.
In 1998, it was my turn. The
job I had been groomed for was finally mine. Not only was I head of Beersheva, but I was also sent on Machanayim. I would like to take a
moment to thank Frank Weinstein for allowing me the rare opportunity to
participate on Machanayim the year after he had sent me to Israel as SIT
staff. Israel was a blast where I became extremely good friends with one
Corey Szwarcok (that's probably spelt wrong--sorry man) and Lori Alter, my
partner-in-crime that summer who ran Kinneret. The only thing that could
come close to fun we had in the Holy Land was the summer that awaited us
upon our return. In 1998, I was blessed with a talented staff (Jon
Rosenberg, Jason Gotlieb, Adam Kertesz, Steve Fournier and the rest of the
gang) and campers (this year they're yours Corey) whose behaviour could
not have been more angelic. It was a summer, I will not soon forget.
The last summer of the millennium
was also my last. In 1999, the staff were ok and campers less so, but we
made the best of it. I walk away knowing that this last summer I did
everything possible to make sure everyone who slept in my unit enjoyed
themselves. Sure the campers were more Ritalin-dependant than the year
before, but hey, we made the best of it.
This brings me to the present.
I would like to take a moment to congratulate my successor. An associate
who was in bunk my first summer and in 1996, Mr. Justin Uditsky. Your
selection is a good one... so long as you never forget your roots, you
will do well. Never forget that you worked for Yaron Bohbot in 1997. Never
forget that you know how Eric would have done things. You are the fourth
in a line of old schoolers beginning with Eric, then Bobo, then me. Now
it's your turn. So long as you remember that UH Beersheva will never win
supervisor of the year, you'll do ok.
To everyone who aided me in my
journey, I thank you. For those of you who feel I'm leaving you too soon,
I'm not. If two terms are enough for the U.S. president, they're enough
for UH Beersheva. To my staff (the two I know who one day will run
Beersheva -- you know who you are) (Ed.'s note: Jon Rosenberg ran
Beersheva in 2001, however, Phil Pinsky only ran Bonim) work your hardest and remember that no
matter what happens, it is the campers who truly count. And also remember
that you, like me and Justin, are members of a dynasty. To everyone else
from other units, from the office to the farm to the infirmary to Sr.
Beach and elsewhere... I'm sure you all have a good idea of what I think
of you so let us depart on that note. I hope to see you all in Ste. Agathe
and Governor's Day (by the time I can donate, I'm sure a few of you relics
will be left!). Godbless.
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Lorne
Rabinovitch: Six UH's Experiment in S.I.T.'s
1992
was a experiment for Frank.
He decided that instead of a UH and staff he would take six
supervisors (Rabinovitch, Harve Benitah, Allan Weiss, Andrea Glisserman,
Adina Gross) from years past and have them run the unit.
We lost one supervisor in Pre
camp
Bryant
Caplan and the rest was history.
The experiment did not work and the UH’s were not happy at all
that summer. We all had different styles of supervising. The
campers were not affected at all.
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Jarred Peletz Memory: When Corey Szwarcok wasn't UH of Pioneers
I remember a time when Corey wasn't head of pioneers. John Reynolds was
head of it and I think the camp driver Bill was head of it as well to my
knowledge.
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Jared Lang Memory: When Corey Szwarcok wasn't UH of Pioneers
Does anyone remember when Tony
Flanz was head of Pioneers? That was an awesome summer!
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Yakov Galperin Memory: When
Corey Szwarcok wasn't UH of Pioneers
Jared, Tony
Flanz...head of
pioneers in 1986??? Good old days....
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Andrew Brandes Memory: When
Corey Szwarcok wasn't UH of Pioneers
Once there was a day when Warren
Wilansky was head of Pioneers and a
few years later Yakov Galperin was a J.C. in computers
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Yakov Galperin Memory2: When
Corey Szwarcok wasn't UH of Pioneers
Actually,
first Yakov was a J.C. in computers,
and a few years later Warren Wilansky was head of Pioneers.
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Warren Wilansky Memory:
When Corey Szwarcok wasn't UH of Pioneers
And there still are people named
Warren Wilansky lurking around this list...too bad I know a grand total of 5
people on the list....so, well, most people wouldn’t remember when I was
Head of anything...
So, well, hi there to all of you....
To clarify....I was head of Pioneers for TWO years...1991 / 1992....
But I can also remember when in 1986 I was IN pioneers, and the Head of it
was Mike Elman....
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Andrew Brandes Memory: When the
Units were Different
There
also once was a time at CBB when no Chaverim was there, Beersheva was
Chalutzim, Bonim and Kinneret had triangle bunks and Chalutzim and Yarkon
had these little dome bunks that slept like 4 or 5.
Chaverim was day camp and everyday at lunch flagpole we all had to
sit in the scorching sun until daycamp finally went into their dining hall
which is now the weight room. There
is also the story of Vatikim which used to be all trailers or the old out
house on the ropes course that used to be a unit, but that’s another 2
stories for another time.
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Lynzee
Rothenberg
Memory: What Ever Happened To Hiking and Tripping?
I remember those days, when Reynolds was Hiking and
Tripping staff (what ever happened to Hiking and Tripping?) and Tara Kaufman
was a Daphna staff and Andrew Brandes was in Kinneret... The bathrooms had
fountains outside....When I was in Daphna there were 18 girls in the unit.
Now there are 18 girls in a bunk...And I am not even that old. Yes, it was a
great place to grow up.
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Adam Gordon Memory: Computers in Frank's House
I
remember all that. I also remember when computers were a bunch of
Apple's in Frank's house at the time, and when a regular activity would be
going down to the creek. I remember when Yakov Galperin and Yakov
Shapiro were counsellors in Tzofiim. I even remember days when their were
no golf carts, gese the camp has changed.
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Jared Lang Memory: John
Reynolds In Bonim, Tara Kaufman in Kinneret
I remember when John Reynolds was a Bonim camper throwing stones
through windows (because that's what all Bonim campers do) and Tara Kaufman
was a Kinneret camper involved in camper staff relations with some notable
CBB staff alumni (It was a time when the 80's were becoming the 90's, and
things like that were commonplace----just ask Mo from MoJo's). Good Times.
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Serena Lax Memory: Yarkon and
Kinneret Girls Sitting Around the Fountain
Yes... the good old days where tether ball was something everyone
wanted to play. If you were COOL! On senior side then you hung out at the
tennis courts. And well! it was a time when we had the best THEME DAY
BREAKS for example when Mark F. drove the camp van around throwing those
ugly looking balls out the windows. Ahh! the GOOD OLD DAYS... And yes!
Lynzee I can remember the times where we had fountain in Yarkon and
Kinneret it was kind of a ritual for the gals to sit around shave their
legs and gossip about who like who and who is going out with who.
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Andrew Brandes Memory: Tzofiim and BoBo Playing his Trumpet
Mitch Wolanski the AUH of
Tzofiim? Wasn’t he like 4 foot 2 and
tried
too hard?
The days of Warren Kleiner as a J.C. in Tzofiim bunk 5? Or the
waterfront shacks being no bigger than the tennis shack? Perhaps the camp
recycled.
Or when the gym was brand new and the nets were in good shape? And
yes I have to agree the theme day breaks were awesome back then not like
the ones now where they seem like a big commercial (no offense just not a
fan).
And the old round water fountains where wed all shave, do our laundry or
just quickly brush our teeth before flagpole.
It's good one part of camp has stayed the same: The damned PA system
still cant hear a thing. But the one thing that is missing is BoBo
playing the trumpet on it on theme day.
And finally who will ever forget the "MAISLIN" driving around
camp. It
was so beat up. G-d bless that thing.
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Veronica Klein Memory: When S.I.T's went to
T.O. and Theme Day
Hey Warren, I remember when you were my UH of SIT's in 93 that
was the best summer ever. That was when SIT's went to Ottawa, not
Toronto, not Israel, and we loved serving! (times have changed).
I also remember the best theme day break ever, first month summer of
'89. It was a super heroes theme day. All of camp was on the beach, a
plane was flying overhead, and then landed on the lake, out came Wonder
woman and Superman from the plane, Batman drove up in a black
Porsche, and Spiderman was on the roof of the old dog house. Blue
Spiderman team won! (my team) and the culmination was held in senior
dining hall.
Hey does anyone remember when the dog house burned down in 1990? We got
woken up at 5 in the morning to huge black clouds of smoke. That was nuts.
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Adam Goodman Memory: Where we Went Out and Great Staff Members
Indeed I also remember CBB's glory days. When camp was camp. When Ste.
Agathe nights out staff were the custom every single night. And we
didn't go to Del Popolo -- it was called Place Tevere then. Nor did we
go out to eat, we went out to party at Le Party, Richard's, and Princess.
And when we did go out to eat, Ti-Jean's wasn't some empty shack across
the road.
I also remember Warren, one of the great supervisors of CBB
history who was my unit head in Pioneers in 1992 and SITs in 1993. Jo
from Mojos fame was a mere counselor. Like Veronica, I can
recall when the SITs went to Ottawa, not Israel or Washington (and we
were happy to go there). I remember great staff like Howie Epstein, who
will never be forgotten. Great supervisors like Eric Iankelevic, who
inspired my own reign over Beersheva. The lessons he passed on to me
were in turn passed on to my own proteges, Jon Rosenberg and Phil Pivnik
(or is it Pinksy?)...
Camp is indeed only a memory... despite the new facilities, the
fandango golf carts, and all the other new amenities, nothing doing
there today could ever compare to what we -- the alums -- remember...
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Andrew Brandes Memory: Beersheva
Good old Eric
Iankelevic, the UH of Beersheva my second year there, but in now way was
there any reflection of Eric in Jon. Perhaps Phil took more to heart the
lessons from Master Adam Goodman, but the Beersheva of Rosenberg was not
like Beersheva of yore, instead of a place for young men to grow and
learn the lessons of life and sex it was ran more like the GAP.
More fashion sense in the UH and staff than in Kinneret
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Matt Zeitz
Memory: Fabio Zeppilli taking Down Justin Uditsky
I remember summer of 1998 Fabio Zeppilli taking Justin Uditsky down in
a one and one fight in Bunk 1 Beersheva. And I still have nightmares of
Big Bad Mark Ferrazzano tying Eric Maman to the foundation pillar of
Bunk 4.
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Warren Wilansky Memory:
Since 1981
Thanks everyone for sharing all
your memories with me....it makes me happy to know that I made a
difference in some of your summers, and was able to share a whole series
of events with all of you. It’s also really special to me to get
messages from people like Andrew Brandes who was about 10-11 when I was
his UH in Nossim. You sometimes forget that people would actually
remember things from that age!
I thankfully remember lots of you and have fond memories of tons of
things...
Alright...time to beat you all with things that I remember....but then
again, I started going to CBB in 1981, when I was a camper in Tzofim.....
- the gym wasn’t there, and was known as Daphna field.
- all those trailers that are / where hanging around camp? Yes,
Vatikim at one point lived in those trailers in a trailer city where the
retreat center is now.
- before it was the weight room, it was the day camp dining hall,
and before that it was the Vatikim dining hall.
- there was a time when Frank wasn’t camp director!!!
- smoking was allowed at the fire pits after all the campers were
in bed.
- Jim Aiken was head of Senior Side.
- Nothing in camp was new. In fact everything felt like it was 30
years old...and falling apart.
- there was a time when the C.I.T.’s ruled the camp, and there
were no S.I.T.’s.
- the precursor to SIT’s was AIDs...which had it’s name
changed quite quickly.
- the ropes course area was in fact where the C.I.T.’s
slept...in tents.
They were great years...probably the most defining time of my life.
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Serena Lax Memory: Warren
Wilansky as Puppa Smurf
I NEED TO REMEMBER WHY WE CALLED WARREN WILANSKY PAPPA SMURF??? Does
anyone remember?????
And I would just like to say that the JIM AIKEN days were awesome... I remember being allowed to write my name on bunk walls. My second year of Kinneret before they got rid of the old bunks myself, and a few other
old, OLD CBB'ers... Rebecca Thomas, Erin Birchovitch and Dana Weisberg
to name a few we used to sit up at night and make nick names for
everyone and write them on the bunk floor along with that YEAR GOSSIP...
OR when in Pioneers we did GADNA (NEVER AGAIN) anyways that's it...
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