Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps: Past Events

Past Events

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Past Events

Mitzvah and Leadership Alums
Return to Camp

Reunions took place at Gindling Hilltop Camp and Camp Hess Kramer when alums came back to Malibu for Mitzvah and Leadership events last summer.

Over forty Mitzvah alums returned to GHC in June to reconnect, shout their cheers and enjoy an evening barbecue and activities with campers, counselors and staff.

More than 200 Leadership alums returned to CHK in July to sing their Leadership songs and meet the 2008 Leadership campers. Prior to the rousing song session, Leadership alums from 1978, 1983 and 1988 celebrated their 20, 25 and 30 year reunions with dinner on the patio outside Gildred Hall. Many thanks to Aimee Slutske Sessar ’88, Jeffrey Lippman ’83 and Brian Dressler ’78 for putting together these reunion barbecues – over 80 alums attended and reconnected!

Melissa's Vista Renovations Completed

Once known as Machon Park, the site was recently renamed “Melissa’s Vista” in memory of Melissa Marantz Nealy, who was a camper and staff member at GHC in the 1990’s. Upon completion of the renovations in June, the Marantz family celebrated Melissa’s memory with dinner at the site and spoke to campers about Melissa. Due to the high temperatures the beginning of the summer, Shabbat morning services were held in Melissa’s Vista, which prompted the 2008 Mitzvah campers to build a bimah/stage at one end of the site so the camp community could use the space for services and activities. With the addition of benches, the space now is being used for programs and activities, serves as an additional chapel space and an inspiration point looking out to the Pacific Ocean.

Campership Donors Honored With Dedication of Donor Wall at CHK

Families who have endowed camperships for Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps were honored when the Endowed Campership Donor Wall was dedicated in July at Camp Hess Kramer. Listing the 25 endowed camperships that have been established for the camps, the event recognized and acknowledged those who have committed to funding camperships for future generations of campers at Gindling Hilltop Camp and Camp Hess Kramer. Following the dedication and dinner, donors joined campers from both camps at the Dan Nichols concert in the CHK amphitheatre.

Alumni Celebrate Shabbat at Camp

Over 200 alumni and their families returned to camp this past summer to celebrate Shabbat. Beginning with Shabbat services in the chapel, followed by a traditional Shabbat dinner, song session and Israeli dancing, alumni from all decades once again experienced camp Shabbat as they remembered it.

Legendary Song Leaders and Hagigah Legends Honored

Joyous cries of recognition, warm hugs and more than a few tears were shared as almost 200 alumni and friends returned to Camp Hess Kramer to honor seventeen Legendary Song Leaders and Hagigah Legends on October 19th. The event included a video montage of camp photos, dedication of new plaques listing the honorees, a brief service in the camp’s new Sukkah, dinner in the dining hall and a memorable song session in Baruh led by honorees Paul Roberts, Wendy Becker, Liz Biderman Gertz and Gary Kohn. Additional honorees Harvey Bartnof, Barbara Lauterbach, Brad Lebowsky, Ken Bachrach, Bruce Dresser, Chuck Feldman and Rick Wisotsky participated in leading songs as well. The families of three honorees who are no longer with us, Mitch Dresser Jon Greenwald and Gary Siener attended; unfortunately, honorees Dan Alberstone, Tina Borschow and Gary Kates were unable to attend.

Many thanks to Legends Event committee chairs Judi Walley and Angie Belinkoff, committee members Paul Roberts, Diana Tash and Rhonda Gillman, our emcee Kevin Belinkoff, Jay Brooks and his audio/visual team, and to our honorees for bringing the songs of summer back to camp for all to enjoy yet again.

Hilltop Heartbeat Rededication - October 2007

More than 270 campers, staff and alumni gathered together last October for the rededication of the Dining Hall Pavilion at Gindling Hilltop Camp. A day filled with music, reminiscing and the rekindling of old friendships, it was the culmination of a two-year effort to raise funds to rebuild what fire had destroyed two years before. But the building itself, comprising the Rubin Family Dining Hall, the Marcia Israel Staff Lounge, the Moadon and the kitchen, was the star of the day. Slightly expanded, the Rubin Family Dining Hall looked as we all remembered it, only better. After a wonderful lunch catered by Executive Chef and Associate Director for Guest Services, John Bard, everyone moved to the Amphitheatre where a multigenerational song session took place. Alumni song-leaders Wendy Becker, Liz Gertz, David Kohn and Paul Roberts were joined by Gary Kates, one of the original Hilltop Pioneer song-leaders. Together they led everyone through songs from the '60s, '70s and '80s, including songs created through Hilltop’s Haggigah songwriting program. The best part, though, was the energetic reaction of the current campers and staff who made the music come alive, as they danced, clapped and sang along to songs that bridged the generations.

After a rousing song session, everyone headed into the Rubin Family Dining Hall for the dedication ceremony, hosted by Susan Adler Jannol, chair of the event committee and an original Hilltop Senior Pioneer. Steve Breuer regaled everyone with stories of the proposal he wrote to carry out the vision of Rabbi Alfred Wolf to build another camp on the hill above Camp Hess Kramer. Dan Wolf continued with stories of the early days of Hilltop and his father’s vision. Jeff Rubin, who gave the lead gift to name the Rubin Family Dining Hall, spoke of his love for camp and his belief in its value to future generations. The ceremony concluded with participants gathering to hang Mezuzot on each of the 12 doors of the Moadon and Rubin Family Dining Hall. The celebration not only marked the rededication of the Dining Hall Pavilion, but also a very significant moment in Camp history. This was the first major fundraising effort the Camps have undertaken since building the Steve Breuer Conference Center in 1989. Because of the generosity of our donors, more than $431,000 was raised to help complete the Dining Hall Pavilion, bringing Hilltop’s central structure and community center back to its original glory. Just as the song session on the day of the event, our donors were multigenerational; current campers, staff, alumni, members of Temples from all over the city, state and country. As we look toward the future of Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps we can see it will be filled with the smiling faces of young and old who have been touched by the magic that is camp. We can hear their voices rise in song and know that the Camps will be supported by our generous alumni ensuring its future for generations to come. The day was a celebration indeed.

Pioneers and Legends Event - October 2006

It’s amazing how a community can stay together year after year. In October '06, our camps welcomed back more than 130 of our alumni to camp to share memories, reconnect with old friends, and benefit the Rabbi Alfred Wolf Scholarship Fund. The highlight of the evening was honoring our camp pioneers and legends and installing them on our new Wall of Fame. Steve Breuer spoke of the creation of the Camps and the pioneers who made it all possible. Steve Sauer followed with tales of our camp legends, whose legacies still remain part of camp. The evening brought us closer to our camps’ rich history while building for the future. Those honored were:

• J. Robert Arkush
• DeWald M. Baum
• Anson I. Dreisen
• Jose L. Gildred
• Albert M. Gindling

• Sam Hamerman
• Tobias Kotzin
• Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin
• Joan and Harry Mier
• George Piness

• Mort Pullman
• Edward Robbins
• Louis Winer
• Rabbi Alfred Wolf
• Nadine Bendit Breuer
• Steve Breuer

• Charles “Chuck” Feldman
• Rabbi Harvey J. Fields
• Rabbi Don Goor
• Nili Kosmal
• Richard Makoff

• Steve Makoff
• Tom Redler
• Gerrie Schusterman
• Stuart Simmons
• Mayo Stark

Winter address: 3663 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90010 Phone: 213 388-2401 Fax: 213 388-2595

Summer address: 11495 E Pacific Coast Highway Malibu, CA 90265

CHK Phone: 310 457-7861 CHK Fax: 310 457-4614 GHC Phone: 310 457-9617 GHC Fax: 310 457-4928

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