Footsteps

As these campers roam the 77 acres of Camp Nebagamon this summer, they’ll be following in ancestral footsteps:

Jude Alderman (Tulsa) – father Jeff Alderman

Zander Aronoff (Englewood, CO) – father Joel Aronoff

Athens Aschaffenburg (Dallas) – father Darren Aschaffenburg

Alexander Averbuch (Atlanta) – father Greg Averbuch

Darren & Zach Bell (Denver) – grandfather Fred Joseph

Maxwell Block (Pepper Pike, OH) – father Brian Block

Mattias Braude (St. Paul) – father Peter Braude

Daniel Brick (Kansas City) – father David Brick

Aaron & Max Brine (Boulder, CO) – grandfather Jon Colman

Ace & Addison Burvall (San Diego) – mother Amber Burvall

Judah Callen (Kensington, CA) – father David Callen

Jack Chait (East Hampton, NY) – father Daniel Chait

Asher Corndorf (Minneapolis) – father Eric Corndorf

Josh Desenberg (Arlington, VA) – father Jon Desenberg

Nate Feldman (Chevy Chase, MD) – father Dan Feldman

Ari Foxman (Dallas) – father Brad Foxman

Evan Friedman (Chicago) – grandfather Bud Friedman

Max & Will Goldfarb (Bellaire, TX) – father David Goldfarb

Charlie Goshko (Washington, D.C.) – father Matt Goshko

Benjamin Green (Northbrook, IL) – father Howard Green

Henry Harris (Chicago, IL) — father John Harris, grandfather King Harris

Ari Held (Silver Spring, MD) – father Larry Held

Eli Hoffman (Lexington, KY) – father Mark Hoffman

Reuben Katz (Bellaire, TX) – father Ben Katz

Simon Kessler (Washington, D.C.) – father Eric Kessler

Stanley & Stafford Klein (Northbrook, IL) – father Spencer Klein

Chase Kornblet (Glenview, IL) – father Ben Kornblet

Max Kotin (Chicago) – father Josh Kotin

Forrest William Kramer (Midland, MI) – father John Kramer, grandfather Eric Kramer

Benjamin Laytin (Chicago) – father Dan Laytin, grandfather Bill Laytin

David Levick (Chicago) – father Michael Levick

Edge Levine (New Orleans) – grandfather Arthur Pulitzer

Benjamin and Ethan Mack (Washington, D.C.) – father Andy Mack, grandfather Alan Mack

Ryan Mack (Bedford Hills, NY) – father Ken Mack, grandfather Alan Mack

Avi Maidenberg (Oakland, CA) – father Daniel Maidenberg, grandfather Mike Maidenberg

Ezra Maidenberg (Oakland, CA) – father Joe Maidenberg, grandfather Mike Maidenberg

Holden May (Germantown, TN) – father Jonathan May

Sam Montag (Atlanta) – father John Montag

Bokai Portis (Evanston, IL) – father Charlie Portis

Zach Riven (Dallas) – father Jay Riven, grandfather Steve Riven

Jacob Rolfe (Highland Park, IL) – father Jim Rolfe, grandfather Mike Rolfe

Graham Rontal (Portland, OR) – father Andrew Rontal

Jonah Rontal (Huntington Woods, MI) – father Matt Rontal

Myles Rontal (Birmingham, MI) – father Dan Rontal

Sebastian Rorsted (Pöcking, Germany) – father Kasper Rorsted, grandfather Bendt Rorsted

Micah Rosenbloom (Nashville) – father Trent Rosenbloom

Sidney & Lazer Rosenbloom (Brooklyn, NY) — father Brice Rosenbloom

Nate Rothman (Los Angeles) – father Jacob Rothman

Zachary & Kai Ruwitch (Shanghai, China) – father John Ruwitch, grandfather Joe Ruwitch

Walt Schiffer (Denver) – father Elliot Schiffer

Danny Schottenstein (Tiburon, CA) – father Jeff Schottenstein

Sam Schwartz (Minneapolis) – grandfather Jon Harris

Griffin & Dylan Scissors (St. Louis) – father Irl Scissors

Logan Segal (Edina, MN) – father Mark Segal

Brett Sholiton (San Antonio, TX) – father Mike Sholiton

Matan and Sagiv Siegel (Stamford, CT) – father Michael Siegel

Finn Simon (Devner) – grandfather Kenneth Simon

Evan Smith (Menlo Park, CA) – grandfather Frank Seinsheimer

Benji & Jacob Solomon (New York City) – father Josh Solomon

Seth Starhill (Arlington, MA) – father Jon Star, grandfather Frank Star

Nathan Strauss (Albany, OR) – father Joseph Strauss

Eli Terman (Chicago) – grandfather Tom Philipsborn

Asher & Tanner Toback (Chicago) – mother Keri Rosenbloom

Jonah Tone – (Cabin John, MD) – grandfather Joel M. Salon, great grandfather Joel W. Salon.

Jake Wallenstein (Issaquah, WA) – father Chet Wallenstein, grandparents Roger & Judy Wallenstein

Murray Wieseneck (Iowa City, IA) – father David Wieseneck

Dax Winegarden (Ann Arbor, MI) – father Jay Winegarden, mother Lisa Markman

Charlie Zeeck (Oklahoma City) – father Andy Zeeck

My Rec Hall Favorites

For me, the Rec Hall represents the heart of camp, a place where so much of the best of Nebagamon is bolstered. Traditions and memories are maintained. Creativity and humor are encouraged. Achievements are celebrated. Friendships are strengthened. The camp community is fortified.

Much like the brimming plates of food that the KPs retrieve from the kitchen, the Rec Hall brims with inspiring scenes and moments and memories. So picking my favorite aspects of the Rec Hall experience… particularly after it was all made more vivid because Covid precautions meant that the summer of 2021 was the Summer Without a Rec Hall… well, that’s a tough task.

It could be the sea of smiling faces that I get to witness every morning, every midday, and every evening—the playful interaction among friends as cabins coalesce around the table. All in one place, I get to watch counselors and campers in action, albeit the chew-and-chatter variety. And rare is the unsmiling face, particularly around dessert time.

Then again, I really love the action in the form of the back-and-forth from the tables to the kitchen counter. Often, I think to myself how some parents would marvel at seeing the efforts of their 11-year-old son as he brings black a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches or fills a water pitcher or scrapes the plates and carries the stack back to the kitchen. It is a parade of responsible young men.

And those responsible young men get to have a glimpse of the hard work put forth by the members of the kitchen staff. So it is particularly heartening when I see a Logger pick up a plate of food and offer a thanks and a smile. Some parents would probably marvel at that, too.

But I also love the post-meal experience in the form of announcements. I’m always amazed at how a possibly shy young man can stand in front of 200-plus peers and ooze confidence and imagination. It’s not easy to do that. And it’s certainly not easy to find an unexpected or exciting way to tell the camp family about another offer of tie-dying or field hockey or push ball. Events like Cruiser Days and Wannado and A.K. Agikamik can be especially fun fodder for such creativity. Madison Avenue could probably learn a few things once in a while from teenagers trying to inspire their younger peers.

Of course, there is also the combination of creativity and tradition in the form of the big trip plaques that decorate the walls of the Rec Hall… as well as the ceiling of the LJ porch these days. Somehow, every wilderness crew comes up with a way of memorializing a seminal moment in their young lives in a new and quirky way. This might mean something like “Let The Wild Rumpus Begin” (Quetico, 2011)… or it might be a 1983 Long Trip memorial that consists of a long plaque, the word “TRIP,” and simply: “We Paddle, We Eat, We Sleep.” Sometimes you convey more with less.

And there are also the names engraved on the various other plaques and trophies. They are celebrations of accomplishment, whether it’s an O-Cup or Aus Cup or Horse-n-Goggle Tournament. But they are also reminders of what we at Nebagamon prioritize: effort. Awards like the Broken Racquet and the Broken Kickboard are about kids who may struggle to succeed, but who shine in their determination. So I love those, too.

I also love the events that take place in the Rec Hall. Sometimes, on rainy days, this means a Sunday Service or Council Fire or a visit from A.K. But always (at least pre-Covid) this has meant GTCs. And for decades, this has been the place where the camp family’s talents and courage converge. Over the years, we’ve all seen the musicians and magicians and jugglers and joke-tellers and on and on and on. And I have yet to see a reaction from the camp family that wasn’t appreciative and encouraging, particularly when the youngest campers take the stage. That puts the goodness in Good Time Charlie.

But if I’m being honest, it may be that my favorite Rec Hall scenes are those not-infrequent moments of spontaneity and raucousness. Maybe Axeman 2 erupts in a silly song about taco salad. Or campers and counselors suddenly form a conga line. Or a row of Lumberjacks at the back of the GTC audience swing their shirts and scream their lungs out—“Fire! Fire! Fire!”—while singing “One Dark Night.”

Impulsive exuberance in the Rec Hall. It nourishes the soul. And I eat that stuff up.

Sermonettes

by Brad Herzog

The following has been updated from a Keylog story from 2010. But of course, sermonettes are eternal…

It is a small, metal note card file that appears to date from the Truman Administration. Rusting and slightly warped from the years, it is an eminently unassuming container. But open it, and it is like an antidote to Pandora’s box, releasing wit and wisdom, exhortation and epiphany, life lessons and clever turns of phrase. As the fading letters on the top of the box tell us, these are SERMONETTES – part, as Jessie Stein Diamond well puts it, of the “transmission of values… built into so many rituals at camp.” And as Nebagamon traditions go, few are as entrenched as this pithy pre-meal practice.

Yet it is also a box full of mystery, its origins largely lost in the Nebagahaze over the decades. Joe Hirschhorn once recalled that when he started at camp in 1940 sermonettes were usually given by Muggs Lorber himself. Now, of course, an ever-changing parade of campers reminds their peers that “nothing is harder on your laurels than resting on them” or that “the largest room in the world is the room for improvement” or that “the size of a man is not found by measuring his feet, but by measuring his footsteps.”

Where do the sermonettes come from? Considering the diversity of the note cards themselves – white cards, yellow cards, pink cards, most typed, some written, from a vast spectrum of sources – the genesis of each is a tale of its own. Back in the day, it wasn’t unusual for staff or older campers to offer Muggs sayings that they found meaningful. Roger Wallenstein used to lift clever adages from his datebook and type them onto note cards using an old IBM Selectric. Steph Hanson has come across quotable quotations while surfing the Internet. As a teenager, Jane Stein Kerr stumbled upon a catalog of inspirational posters – “the kind,” she says, “that now make me groan but to an adolescent seemed profound.” She added a handful of them to the box, including a well-known classic concerning lemons and lemonade.

That particular note card is well-worn, missing a chunk, clearly a favorite among the mini-sermonizers. In fact, a trip through that sermonette box offers hints at preferences and quirks. Some oft-repeated cards are wrinkled and stained. Others appear crisp and new – not-yet-noticed bits of wisdom. On a few occasions, the same sermonette can be found on two different cards, as if discovered by two different generations. Often, the cards have been revised in an attempt to be non-gender specific – “man” and “him” having been changed to “person” and “them.”

Often, too, the sermonette sources are given credit on the cards themselves. Packed tightly into that box are a collection of writers (Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry David Thoreau, Elie Wiesel), philosophers (Nietzsche, Voltaire, Spinoza), presidents (Lincoln, Wilson, Eisenhower, Carter) and various icons (Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart). That 11-year-old relating words of wisdom to his peers just may be quoting Somerset Maugham or Margaret Mead or Oliver Wendell Holmes.

More interesting than the expected sources – the likes of Shakespeare and Einstein and Churchill – are the more obscure ones that have inhabited that metal container over the years. British Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell? Mid-20th century romance novelist Faith Baldwin? Celebrity columnist Lloyd Shearer? The list ranges from Reverend R. Inman to Rabbi Morris Adler to agnostic icon Robert Ingersoll to Yiddish humorist Leo Rosten.

Indeed, humor is a sermonette staple. Sometimes it comes in the form of accidental irony. For instance, Ben Franklin is credited with saying, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” However, on the note card it is spelled “Frenklin.” So much for knowledge. Usually, the comedy is intentional, often begging for a rim shot (“If someone is talking behind your back, then you’re probably heading in the right direction.”) Roger Wallenstein once contributed a line from Groucho Marx: “These are my principles, and if you don’t like them, I have others.” But to his chagrin, it remained largely unread. “I hope the card remains in the metal box,” he says.

But it may not, and that fluidity is another fascinating aspect of the sermonette box. While some join the club, others are edited for space. The Steins recall one autumn vacation in the 1960s when a drive to Chicago with relatives became a laugh-a-mile riot as they sorted through the box, separating the keepers from the rejects, some of which were staff or camper pranks. One of the discarded: “Boys are more in need of models than words.”

Still, some peculiarities remain. Like this one: “Never insult an alligator until after you have crossed the river.” And this one: “Any time you think you have influence, try ordering around someone else’s dog.”

Yes, some sermonettes can be an acquired taste. But Sally Stein has a decent explanation. “One man’s pithy saying,” she says, “is another’s puzzlement.”

Be seated.

Rec Hall Scenes

The Rec Hall is a dining hall much in the way that the Waterfront is merely a little beach. SO MUCH MORE happens there. While the meals have been a longtime communal experience at camp, so have GTCs and movie nights and rainy day activities and (back in the day) political conventions. Here is a gallery of 30 photos covering nearly 90 years, proving the point:

Small Hall Treasures

We all know the iconic Rec Hall features – the second- and third-generation names that are quickly filling up one wall, the “WIN OR LOSE BE A GOOD SPORT” sign, the mounted deer head above the fireplace, the 1964 “Survival Big Trip” poncho… But there are somewhat hidden treasures amid the hodgepodge of history at the heart of camp, too. Here are a bunch of them, described in the captions below the photos:

The “WIN OR LOSE” sign is familiar, but did you know there’s a cabin and date written on it? “Swamper 6, 1941.” So the “Win or Lose” sign arrived just before the U.S. entered WW II.
Dozens of campers and staff served in that war. Muggs and Janet Lorber collected and framed photos of nearly 40 of them.
Roger Wallenstein’s face is depicted on the Paul Bunyan Day mural on the Lumberjack porch. He’s skating around a frying pan.
Orange paint dots are on the floor, marking where Swamper and Logger tables are centered.
Can’t find an overflow spot in the Rec Hall? You might find a few extra tables in the rafters.
Cabin photos — from 1929 — are part of a framed homage to Nebagamon’s first summer.
Resting beneath the Deacon Seat is a small, self-explanatory box — “JUDY’S SOAP BOX.”
In 1978, 20-year staff member Bob Blackbourn gave Nardie and Sally Stein an unexpected gift, now hanging in the Rec Hall.

Thanks for the Pines Book

Want an inspiring way to experience CN year-round? Leave it on your coffee table. There are still copies of THANKS FOR THE PINES: A Celebration of Camp Nebagamon available here. Hundreds of photos, dozens of essays, countless memories. Open it any time you’re feeling wistful.

Camp Family News

Keep us posted! You can send life updates to Louis Levin in the Camp Nebagamon office (louis@campnebagamon.com) or directly to Keylog editor Brad Herzog (brad@bradherzog.com).

Joe Kirkish (Houghton, MI 52-58), now 96 years old, was the camp photographer (both officially and unofficially) for many years. He has published a 330-page memoir, Long Exposure. It is available online from various outlets, where it is described as “a lively and probing self-portrait by Joe Kirkish, a living legend of Michigan’s Copper Country.” Here’s a snippet from Joe’s Amazon.com bio: “Besides teaching from 1956 to 1988 in the Humanities Department at Michigan Technological University, Kirkish also founded WGGL (the FM campus station that became one of the charter NPR stations). For over sixty years, he has been a columnist for Houghton’s Daily Mining Gazette… Kirkish’s career as a photographer also spans many decades. Beginning in his teens, he did freelance work, first for the Gazette and eventually for college and daily newspapers throughout the region. In addition, he developed the photography program at Camp Nebagamon (Wisconsin), which houses a collection of his work shot there from 1952 to 1967.”

Joe Kirkish

Hugh Broder (Detroit/NYC 66-69, 74-75, 16-19) and Jeremy Kotin (Chicago/NYC 94-96) teamed up to produce the film He Went That Way about a remarkable road trip in which a serial killer and man who trained a famous chimp wind up together on a road trip. Believe it or not, it’s based on a true story. They are hoping to release the film (starring Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinto) early next year… Matt Hoffman (Glencoe/Highland Park, IL 73-78, 80) picked up a statuette at the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards last December. He won for editing “Sweet Home Chicago,” a music video that raised a good sum of money for the Arts For Illinois Relief Fund. The video featured performers ranging from Julia Louis Dreyfus and Jim Belushi to George Wendt and the Joffrey Ballet. Matt also was nominated for the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s “Celebrating Sir Andrew Davis: From Mozart to Stravinsky.”

Larry Held (Houston/Armenia 74-78, 83-92, 14-17) is currently heading USAID’s Armenia Integrity Project, a five-year project intended to reduce opportunities for corruption and reinforce public demand for improved governance and accountability in Armenia. Before that, he spent nearly four years in Ukraine, and he sent in a sad update regarding the tragedy there and experiences of his wife Sara and son Ari: “Yes, the situation in Ukraine has been devastating all around. Mostly Sara and I are feeling helpless sitting here in Armenia and wishing we could help folks in Ukraine more. Fortunately, my former staff there is safe and sound but a couple had harrowing experiences getting out of Kyiv. One in particular was trapped in a basement in Bucha for 10 days. One of Ari’s basketball teammates had his apartment complex destroyed but he and his family survived. No words.”

2016 village directors

Peter Blair (Memphis/Charlotte 86-90, 92-98, 01) has been named President and CEO of the Lynnwood Foundation in Charlotte, NC. The foundation maintains and preserves The Duke Mansion (a national historic site in Charlotte) and operates The Lee Institute, which focuses on building collaborative community leadership… Nebagamon associate director Adam Fornear (Duluth, MN 92-94, 96-97, 01, 04-22) was named Member of the Month for January by the Lake Nebagamon Volunteer Fire Department… Rob Wile (Chicago/Miami 97-01, 03-05) is a business news reporter for NBC Digital… Sam Prince (St. Louis ’02-’07,’12,’15) is the Regional Admissions Counselor for his Alma Mater, Bard College. Traveling to high schools that are west of the Mississippi River… Travis Timm (Austin, TX 12) is a firefighter in his hometown… Jonah Docter-Loeb (D.C. 11-17, 19-21) was awarded a $5,000 prize for his start up, Reveal, as part of a Carleton College Start Up Fellowship competition… Arthur William Brook Young (Isle of Skye, Scotland 15-16, 19) has started a new folk band, called Carnan, with a friend…. Heidi Serwer (Chicago, family camp) has released a new record called Palm Tree on the Drywall. It’s available for digital download on Bandcamp and iTunes, or you can check it out here!

Our productive alumni:

Andy Cohen (St. Louis, New York City 78-83) — Lucy

Andrew Schram (Boston 94-99) and Yuan Zhang — Eli

Tucker Slosburg (Kansas City/Seattle 93-99, 02-11) and Krista Slosburg — Adira

Barry Dan (New York 95-01) and Jackie Iger — Miles

Derek Iger (Culver City, CA 98-03) and Alix Henick — Olive

Joel Saslawsky (Memphis 02-08, 10-12) and Stephanie Saslawsky — Sophie

Joey Notowich (Memphis 02-08, 10, 12) and Rachel Notowich — Hannah

Jaime Hensel (Atlanta/Minneapolis 05-09, 11-13, 17) — Aubrey

Eli Fromm (Kansas City/Greece 06-10, 12-19) and Sophia Gatzionis (New Haven, CT/Greece 19) — Niko

We are sad to report the following deaths:

Ralph Cohen (St. Louis/Kansas City, MO 34-39, 41-42)

Mort Sosland (Kansas City, MO 39)

David Blumberg (Chicago 37-40)

Larry Cartwright (Bay City Michigan/Washington D.C. 62-79)

Jay Glickman (Highland Park, IL/Los Angeles 80-82)

Sally Lorber Stein and Larry Cartwright

Family Camp Photo

2021 family campers… Front row: Joey Apter, Steve Apter, Andy Mack, Marilyn Gordon, Brian Adler, Chuck Adler, Hugh Broder, Jon Colman, Hank Carne, Bud Herzog, Bill Hensel, Jaime Hensel, Jaye Hensel. Second row: Adam Kaplan, Katie Neusteter, Mark Carman, Mike Singer, Brian Kramer, Allen Bennett, Eli Striker, Bob Striker, Keri Rosenbloom, Aimee Knutson, Bud Friedman, Adam Bezark, John Bezark, Steph Hanson. Third row: Alex Gordon, Matt Goshko, Brad Baumgarten, Jim Koretz, Mark Caro, David Serwer, Ben Serwer, Jeff Cohen, Jon Star, Brad Herzog, Peter Braude, Dana Gustafson, Jean Gustafson, Ken Kanter, Tony Blumberg, Bruce Rogen, Jon Rogen

Thank You, Donors

The Camp Nebagamon Charities website www.cncharities.org is dedicated to both the Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund (CNSF) and Camperships For Nebagamon (CFN). Learn about different donation options, read about each charity, and more.

New Level of Alumni Support for Nebagamon-Affiliated Charities

Nebagamon’s alumni community has stepped up support for our affiliated charities in recent years in meaningful ways. In addition to generous direct support for both Camperships for Nebagamon and the Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund, alumni have increasingly encouraged donations to one or both funds as memorials and to honor happy occasions. Camp Nebagamon Charities also instituted a virtual keylog program, a means of giving while thanking someone special (you can donate and fill out a message here). Contributions are split evenly between Nebagamon’s two affiliated charities. You will receive two separate emails confirming your contribution to each fund. If you’d like to give a unique donation to CFN or CNSF of if you’d like to give a gift in honor or memory of someone, please use the CFN-specific and CNSF-specific donation pages.

CNSF helps hundreds of children and teens who experience poverty and disability attend non-profit summer camps that specialize in meeting their needs. Recipient camps (located near communities where Nebagamon campers live) offer expert therapeutic and adaptive recreation and a nurturing environment for kids who have been exposed to adversity and trauma. Children are among peers and role models for success at these camps as they enjoy friendship, adventure and personal growth — opening new possibilities for a more positive future.

CNSF was founded in 1947 by Muggs and Janet Lorber, Nebagamon’s founding directors, and administered for 50+ years by Nebagamon’s former directors, Nardie and Sally Lorber Stein. Check out our Instagram and Facebook page to learn more!

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The following individuals, foundations, and corporations supported CNSF from November 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022:

Jerry Abeles, Kahn-Abeles Foundation

Kathy and Rick Abeles     

Scott Abramson     

Steve Addison     

The AK Guys

Mary Allen     

Hayley and Max Alpert     

American Express Foundation (Matching Gift)     

Anonymous Donor    

Pam and Tom Arenberg     

Steve Arenberg     

Susan Arenberg     

Art and Marian Auer     

Andrew and Elizabeth Baer     

Camilla and Frank Baer     

Deb and Joe Badt     

Nancy and Richard Baer     

Kathy and Stuart Barnett     

Bob and Linda Barrows     

Charlie Barrows     

Jim and June Baumoel     

Herb Behrstock     

Rick Bendix, Jr.     

Allen Bennett     

Patricia Bentley     

Babs and Bob Benton     

Ronald Berk     

Howard and Rhoda Bernstein     

Rita Bernstein     

Peter Bloch Family     

Michael Blonsky     

Adam Bloom     

Lisa and Paul Blumberg     

Jim Blumenfeld and Chris Cooney     

Carolyn and Rodney Borwick     

Elizabeth and John Breyer Jr.     

Hugh Broder     

Dale Brodsky     

Matt Brody     

Nyda and Phil Budig     

Jeff Burnstine     

Jeffrey and Susan Callen     

Mark Caro and Mary Dixon     

Larry Cartwright (In Memory)     

Leway Chen and Marilyn Ling     

Jessica Cheng     

Bob and Stacie Chukerman     

Ellen and Scott Chukerman     

Reid Chukerman

Andy Cohen

Carol Bayersdorfer Cohen and Ed Cohen 

Evelyn and Louis Cohen     

Jeff Cohen and I. Autumn Le Greenberg     

Mitch Cohen and Stephanie Tomasky     

Bonnie and Mike Cole     

Jeff Colman and Ellen Nissenbaum     

Zack Colman Family     

Buddy and Marilyn Cooper     

Jim and Suzy Cornbleet     

Stuart Cowles     

Neal and Sally Cukerbaum     

Charles Dan     

Jennifer Daskal     

Gene Dattel and Licia Hahn     

Becky and Raven Deerwater     

Michelle and Stan DeGroote     

Dan DeHovitz Family     

Elissa DeLuccy     

Michael Deutsch      

Bill and Leann Dexter     

Jessie and Scott Diamond

Lou and Marilyn Diamond     

David Dreifus and Jennifer Sosensky     

Jed Dreifus     

Jon Dreifus     

Bill Dubinsky and Elizabeth Moss     

Ellen and Henry Dubinsky     

William Eastman and Cynthia Garnholtz     

Sarah Eberhard     

Steve Ehrlich     

Bob Elisberg     

Peter Fechheimer and Jeannette McNeil     

Kelli Cohen Fein, M.D. and Martin Fein     

Jim Feldman and Christine Taylor     

Nancy Fendrich     

Amarinder Bindra and Amy Foxman     

Amarinder Bindra and Amy Foxman Wedding (In Honor)     

Brad Foxman     

Judy and Ron Foxman     

Marjorie and Terry Franc     

Cindy and Steve Frank     

Roxanne Frank     

Janet Freed     

Bill and Laura Freeman     

Dan Freund      

Marilyn Freund      

Barbara and Richard Fried     

David and Debbie Friedman     

Jodi and Matt Friedman     

William Friedman     

Greg and Osnat Gafni-Pappas     

Faith Haber Galbraith     

Betsy and Spencer Garland     

Alan Geismer, Jr.     

Ben and Logan Gerber     

Diane and Toby Gerber     

Aliza and Jim Gerstein     

David and Ellen Gibbs     

Ricky Gitt     

Bob and Susan Glasspiegel     

Brian Goldberg     

Lindsay and Michael Goldberg     

Bill and Susan Goldenberg      

Chad and Debbie Goldenberg     

Stephen Goldfarb     

Elaine and Mike Goldman     

Thomas Goldman     

Abby and Michael Goldstein Family     

Joanie and Mark Goldstein     

Jonathan Goldstein     

Jack Goodman     

Marty Gradman     

Jim and Martha Gray     

Josh Gray     

Roger Greenbaum     

Greene Family Foundation

Scott Greenwald     

Debbie and Paul Guggenheim     

Bill and Cheryl Guthman     

Alan and Julie Halpern     

Howard and Wendy Handler     

Jon and Judith Harris     

Ted Harris     

John Hart     

Paula Hassinger     

Sara Feinstein and Larry Held     

Barnett and Shirley Helzberg, Jr. Foundation     

Bill and Jaye Hensel     

Jaime Hensel     

Alice and Joe Herz     

Barbara Herz     

Bob and Karen Herz     

Amy and Brad Herzog

Bud and Hazel Herzog     

Dana, Oliver and Quincy Hirt     

Jennifer Hodges     

Ellyn and Matt Hoffman     

Joanne and Richard Hoffman     

Mitch and Sara Hoffman     

Douglas and Hallie Hohner     

Cathy Ann Kaufman Iger and Mark Iger     

Dan Jackson     

Ted Jadwin     

Craig and Shari Jankowsky     

Jan Jankowsky     

Anne and Fred Joseph III     

Ed Juda     

Caryn and Harlan Kahn           

Ken Kanter     

Stephanie Hanson and Adam Kaplan     

Laura Dembo and Andy Kaplan     

Cheryl Bondy Kaplan and Mark Kaplan     

Jean and Steve Kaplan     

Michael Kaplan     

Jami and Nick Kasle     

Jennifer Gilbert-Kaufmann and Robert Kaufmann     

Dmitri and Irene Kaznachey     

Euan and Jane Kerr     

Wendy Bloom and Arthur Kessler     

Micki Klearman     

Aimee Kleiman     

Heide and Jim Klein     

Klein Family Foundation (Steve and Yael Klein)     

Jay Kolbrener

Bud Kolbrener II     

Lauri and Ron Koretz     

Rick and Stephanie Koretz     

Alan Korn and Claudia Simons     

Kerry Kornfeld and Andrea Wilson, M.D.     

Andrea and Brian Kramer     

Eric Kramer and Sara Jill Rubel     

Danielle Brinker and John Kramer     

Janet Koestring and John Kupper     

Laura Lai     

Emily and Michael Laskin     

Joe Laskin

Dan Laytin

Nancy Laytin     

Michael Lefko     

Rose Lenehan     

Bob and Cissy Lenobel     

Syd Lerner Family     

Jill and John Levi     

Jeff Levinson     

Lia Grigg and Dan Levis     

Joshua Levy     

Hoagie Lippman     

Steve Loeb     

Tom Loeb     

M.J. Lowe     

Richard Lowenthal     

Leslie and Paul Lux     

Ken and Laura Mack     

Kitty and Mike Maidenberg     

Jorie and Robby Malk     

Nancy Marcus     

Dru Margolin     

Margot and Patrick Materer     

Todd Maurer     

Jack and Lynn May     

Nancy Brown, M.D. and Andrew May     

Matt and Norah Meadows     

Medtronics (Matching Gifts)

Beth and Mike Melton     

David and Deborah Mendelson     

Mike Mendelsohn     

Julia Gittleman, Ph.D. and Tom Mendelsohn     

Misa Galazzi and David Michel     

Malcolm and Paula Milsten     

Zach Mollengarden     

Erika and John Montag     

Jamie and Leah Myers     

Kristin Ahlberg and Phil Myers     

Bill Nefsky     

Bob and Mary Nefsky     

Brian Neil     

Rick Cohn and Ben Neuman     

Lee Anne Hartley and Tom Nevers     

Robert Oppenheimer     

Brenda and Sandy Passer     

PepsiCo (Matching Gifts)

David and Rachel Perlman     

Jan and Joe Plas     

Jim Platt and Deborah Snyder     

Jennifer Pritzker, IL ARNG (Ret)     

Arthur and Henry Pulitzer     

Lisa Pulitzer     

David and Kim Reich     

Steve Reichert     

Gloria and Lionel Reiman      

Leon Jacobson and Lissy Reiman     

Renee Reiner     

Frank and Joan Revson     

Joshua Berman and Lillian Ringel     

Jay and Jennifer Riven     

Hana Ruzicka Rivkin and Steven Rivkin     

Larry and Michele Rivkin     

Don Robertson     

Janet and Lee Rodgers     

Cindy and Jon Rogen     

Anthony and Marya Rose      

Jim and Sherri Rosen     

Kathy and Skip Rosenblatt     

Ellie and Trent Rosenbloom     

Carol and Roger Rosenthal     

Marc Rubenson     

Trish Russell     

Chris and Frank Sachs     

Karen and Ken Saland     

Mike Samuels     

Jon and Sue Scharff     

Karen Schiff     

Bennett and Shelley Schmidt     

Helen and William Schneider     

Fred and Pat Schonwald, Jr.     

Lynn and Max Schrayer     

Carol and Jeff Schulman     

Andrew Schwarz     

Monique and Robert Schweich     

Arlene Semel     

Colleen Carroll and Mitch Semel     

Joe and Sara Shacter     

Jodi and Tom Shapira     

Susie Ansehl and Rand Shapiro     

Jackie Mack and Ted Silberstein     

Bob and Natalie Silverman     

Linda and Ron Sklar     

Daniel and Rey Skora     

Bill and Judy Sloan     

Grace Slosburg     

Krista Nelson and Tucker Slosburg     

Geula and Josh Solomon     

Nancy Chasen and Don Spero     

Frank and Mindy Star     

Irene and Norton Starr     

Elena Stein     

Nardie and Sally Stein     

Perrin and Ted Stein     

Corky and Rick Steiner Family Foundation     

David Stern and Mary Elizabeth Calhoon Stern      

Bob Striker and Patrice Tetta     

Philip and Rebecca Susser     

Theo Tannahill     

TAWANI Foundation

Alan and Jo Anne Travis     

Madge Treeger     

Donald Ullmann     

Jackie and Steve Waldman     

Judy and Roger Wallenstein     

Esther Starrels and John Wasserman     

Catherine Weber     

Harriet and Paul Weinberg     

Michael Weinberg II     

Cathy and Craig Weiss     

Adam and Deborah Winick     

Lee Wurtzburger     

Emily and Jason Yale     

David Zalk     

Cory Zigler     

John Zuraw     

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Camperships for Nebagamon (CFN) was established in 1995 to enable children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to have a camping experience. Over the years, the CFN endowment fund has provided camperships for boys to attend Nebagamon and girls to attend Camp WeHaKee. Campers receiving camperships help to diversify their camp communities by virtue of their racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic status. In addition, CFN continues the tradition of support to sons and grandsons of Nebagamon alumni who demonstrate financial need.

Over the past decade, more than 500 Camperships have been given out to more than 250 boys and girls attending Nebagamon and WeHaKee. Over $2 million has gone to support the cost of tuition and related expenses for these boys and girls.

The following individuals, foundation, and corporations supported CFN from November 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022:

Keith Abeles and Amy Levin     

Kathy and Rick Abeles    

Cecelia and Mickey Abramson    

Scott Abramson    

Steve Addison    

Chuck and Ruth Adler    

The AK Guys    

Richard Allman    

Hayley and Max Alpert    

Amazon Smile Foundation    

Pam and Tom Arenberg    

Jeanne and Michael Aronoff    

David and Lisa Aronson    

Art and Marian Auer    

Deb and Joe Badt    

Andrew and Elizabeth Baer    

Nancy and Richard Baer    

David and Karen Balser    

Drew and Jenna Barnett    

Kathy and Stuart Barnett    

Bob and Linda Barrows    

Charlie Barrows    

Brad Baumgarten and Deborah Ernest    

Jim and June Baumoel    

Lynn and Robert Behrendt    

Herb Behrstock    

Rick Bendix, Jr.    

Allen Bennett    

Babs and Bob Benton    

Peter and Sarah Beren    

Bert and Joan Berkley    

Bob Best and Linda Tate    

Adam Bloom    

Alison and Andy Bloom    

Bob Bloom and Alison Kamine    

Lisa and Paul Blumberg    

Susan and Tony Blumberg    

Jim Blumenfeld and Chris Cooney    

Ronald Borod    

Adam and Julie Braude    

Elizabeth and John Breyer, Jr.    

Hugh Broder    

Dale Brodsky    

Barbara and Jim Bronner    

Ann and Ken Brown    

Jean and Mark Burnstine    

Jeff Burnstine         

Mark Caro and Mary Dixon

Larry Cartwright  (In Memory)

Bob and Stacie Chukerman    

Ellen and Scott Chukerman    

Carol Bayersdorfer Cohen and Ed Cohen    

Jeff Cohen and I. Autumn Le Greenberg    

Lisa and Sherman Cohen    

Bonnie and Mike Cole    

Kevin Cole    

Jeff Colman and Ellen Nissenbaum    

Jon and Suzi Colman    

Mary Connelly    

Joe Crownhart    

Jennifer Daskal    

Jerry Dattel    

Jane Davis    

Becky and Raven Deerwater    

Michelle and Stan DeGroote    

Elissa DeLuccy    

Michael Deutsch    

Bill and Leann Dexter    

Ian Diamond    

Jessie and Scott Diamond    

Steve Domsky and Deborah Pollack    

David Dreifus and Jennifer Sosensky    

Bill Dubinsky and Elizabeth Moss    

Bob Dubinsky and Sara Rubenstein    

Steve Ehrlich    

Deborah and Joe Eppstein    

Fred Fechheimer    

Dan Feldman and Gayle Weiswasser    

Jim Feldman and Christine Taylor    

Mary and Richard Fisher    

Brad Foxman    

Dan and Julie Frank    

Michael and Molly Frank    

Adam Frapart    

Bill and Laura Freeman    

Bill Friedman and Marissa Jones    

Jane and Sam Friedman    

Jodi and Matt Friedman    

Lisa and Steve Friedman    

Greg and Osnat Gafni-Pappas    

Judy Garfinkel    

Betsy and Spencer Garland    

Alan Geismer, Jr.    

Scott Genshaft    

Ben and Logan Gerber    

Laurie Bruder and Tom Gerson    

David and Ellen Gibbs    

Ricky Gitt    

Heather and Seth Gladstein    

Bob and Susan Glasspiegel    

Bill and Susan Goldenberg    

Chad and Debbie Goldenberg    

Stephen Goldfarb    

Frederick Goldsmith    

Malcolm and Mildred B. Goldsmith    

Jonathan Goldstein    

GOOGLE, Inc. (Matching Gifts)    

Janice Anderson and Tom Gram    

Jim and Martha Gray    

Josh Gray    

Greene Family Foundation     

Scott Greenwald    

Debbie and Paul Guggenheim    

Bill and Cheryl Guthman     

Jon and Judith Harris    

John Hart    

Paula Hassinger    

Mike Heldman    

Bill and Jaye Hensel    

Jaime Hensel    

Joel Hensel    

Amie and Fred Herbert    

Alice and Joe Herz    

Barbara Herz    

Bob and Karen Herz    

Jennifer Herz    

Amy and Brad Herzog    

Bud and Hazel Herzog    

Carol and Richard Hillsberg    

Jason Hirschhorn    

Marilyn and Joseph Hirschhorn    

Douglas and Hallie Hohner    

Anne Ledell-Hong and Nathaniel Hong

Maggie Horvath and Alex Stone    

Cathy Ann Kaufman Iger and Mark Iger    

Derek Iger    

Helaine and Warner Isaacs    

Dan Jackson    

Amy and Craig Jacobs    

Craig and Shari Jankowsky    

Kathy and Mike Jay    

Anne and Fred Joseph III    

Ed Juda    

Bob and Fiona Kahn    

Caryn and Harlan Kahn    

Amy and Jim Kalishman    

Diane and John Kalishman    

Nancy Kalishman    

Ken Kanter    

Daniel, Suzanne & Noah Kanter    

Steph Hanson and Adam Kaplan    

Cheryl Bondy Kaplan and Mark Kaplan    

Marjorie and Robert Kaplan    

Benjamin Katz    

Jennifer Gilbert-Kaufmann and Robert Kaufmann    

Dmitri and Irene Kaznachey    

Euan and Jane Kerr    

Klein Family Foundation (Steven and Yael Klein)    

Tom Kolbrener    

Bud Kolbrener II    

Elissa and JK Koretz    

Lauri and Ron Koretz    

Rick and Stephanie Koretz    

Kerry Kornfeld and Andrea Wilson     

Eric Kramer and Sara Jill Rubel    

Danielle Brinker and John Kramer    

Roberta De Araujo and Ron Kreisman    

Dan Laytin    

Nancy Laytin    

Eli Lehrer    

Rose Lenehan    

Bob and Cissy Lenobel    

Jeff and Suzanne Levi    

Jeff Levinson    

Lia Grigg and Dan Levis    

Hoagie Lippman    

Courtney and Eddie Loeb    

Henry Docter and Elizabeth Loeb    

Tom Loeb    

Andy Mack    

Ken and Laura Mack    

Jorie and Robby Malk    

David Manowitz    

Fred and Joyce Marcus    

Dru Margolin    

Julie and Steve Mathes    

Robert Matz and Peggy Warner    

Erin McDaid    

McKinsey & Company (Matching Gift)     

Matt and Norah Meadows    

Bill Mendelsohn and Peggy Tracy    

Don and Marji Mendelsohn    

Lauren Martini and Matthew Mendelsohn    

Mike Mendelsohn    

Julia Gittleman, Ph.D. and Tom Mendelsohn    

Audrey and Danny Meyer    

Bo and Lois Meyer    

Nancy Meyer and Marc Weiss    

Misa Galazzi and David Michel    

Zach Mollengarden    

Jean Moog    

Zach Muzik    

Spence Myer    

Kristin Ahlberg and Phil Myers    

Bill Nefsky    

Bob and Mary Nefsky    

Andy and Peggy Newman    

Gregg and Jodi Newmark    

NMSC – New Markets Support Company (Matching Gift)    

Gail and Sean O’Connor    

Robert Oppenheimer    

Betty and Tom Philipsborn    

Jim Platt and Deborah Snyder    

Joel and Renee Posener, M.D.    

Jennifer Pritzker, IL ARNG (ret)    

Marcia Kaplan, M.D. and Michael Privitera, M.D.    

Judy and Paul Putzel    

Laurin and Mindy Quiat    

Jay and Jennifer Riven    

Larry and Michele Rivkin    

Cindy and Jon Rogen    

Alyne and Jim Rolfe     

Andy and Cynthia Rolfe    

Judy Rolfe    

Jim and Sherri Rosen    

Ellie and Trent Rosenbloom    

Joseph Rosenbloom III    

Roger and Teri Rudich    

Trish Russell    

Chris and Frank Sachs    

Stephen Sachs    

Gail Ifshin and Steven Salky    

Erin and Seth Salomon    

Dan and Dawn Saltzstein    

Mike Samuels    

Ruth Sang    

Kit and Ray Sawyer

James and Tiffany Scharff    

Jon and Sue Scharff    

Sue Ann Schiff    

Lee and Martha Schimberg    

Bennett and Shelley Schmidt    

Marilyn and Spike Schonthal, Jr    

Bud and Peggy Schram    

Lynn and Max Schrayer    

Carol and Jeff Schulman    

Andrew and Debbie Schwartz    

Monique and Robert Schweich    

Lee and Mark Scissors    

Joanne Grossman and John Seesel    

Adam Semel    

Colleen Carroll and Mitch Semel    

Joe and Sara Shacter    

Edward and Laurel Shapiro    

Susie Ansehl and Rand Shapiro    

David Sickle Family    

Bob and Natalie Silverman    

Irwin and Patti Silverman    

Kevin Silverman     

Stephanie and Joel Sircus    

Linda and Ron Sklar    

Grace Slosburg    

Krista Nelson and Tucker Slosburg    

Bob and Sue Smith    

Geula and Josh Solomon    

Abby Spector and Jerry Skillings    

Nancy Chasen and Bob Spero    

Frank and Mindy Star    

Elena Stein    

Nardie and Sally Stein    

Perrin and Ted Stein 

Max Steinbaum  

John Stephenson and Karin Susens    

Ann and Will Stern    

David Stern and Mary Elizabeth Calhoon Stern    

Carla and Stan Strauss    

Bob Striker and Patrice Tetta    

Laurel J. Southworth and Andrew Susser    

Debra Levis and Emanuel Tabachnik    

TAWANI Foundation     

Jim and Merryl Tisch    

Michael and Pegi Touff    

Madge Treeger    

UHG – United Health Group (Matching Gift)

Tonya Wallach    

Bill Wallenstein    

Judy and Roger Wallenstein    

Esther Starrels and John Wasserman    

David and Michelle Weber    

Harriet and Paul Weinberg    

Michael Weinberg II    

Cathy and Craig Weiss    

Melissa Werthan    

Nancy Werthan    

Samantha Karrell and David Wieseneck    

Hank and Trudi Wineman    

Adam and Deborah Winick    

Nicki Woldenberg    

Stephen Woldenberg    

James and Nancy Wolf    

Joanne and Trip Wolf    

Emily and Jason Yale    

Carol and Michael Yunker    

Tracey Zeeck    

Cory Zigler    

I Love Sundays

Sundays are special at Camp Nebagamon. It’s surely obvious to all of you who spent summers at camp—a bit like saying that DQ blizzards are refreshing. But I’ll say it again: Sundays are special. In fact, I’d argue that the whole day is refreshing.

It starts with a late wake-up, which is always nice (unless you happen to be a Swamper counselor), followed by a breakfast of cinnamon rolls or coffee cake. No complaints about that. Ever. So the camp family actually starts the day refreshed.

Then the Sunday Service, which is always a wonder to me on several levels. First, the camp family arrives in silence. I always find it remarkable that the same campers who turn the Rec Hall into a cacophony of sound can muster up the restraint to arrive quietly at the Chuck Hirsch Shrine and remain respectfully silent for the duration. Refreshing.

The Sunday choir is always a revelation, too. Over the years, it has transformed only slightly. What was a piano back in the day may now be a guitar accompaniment, or a bongo, or maybe even a saxophone. And there are at least as many campers as counselors in the choir (this may have something to do with escaping cabin cleanup duties). And the songs aren’t always traditional (Cynthia Rolfe opted for “Monster Mash” a couple of summers ago). But always, it’s comforting to hear a subsection of the camp family singing beneath the whispering pines. And always, the songs are relevant to the subject matter.

1994

That subject is chosen by the speaker, of course. And as you’ll see in the “SUNDAY MORNING” piece in this newsletter, there is no shortage of topics. But we choose the speaker, and it’s a deliberate choice. When Stephanie introduces the person and highlights their background, I am constantly reminded about how impressive our staff’s accomplishments are—both within camp and beyond it.

Then, of course, once they start speaking, I’m reminded further. Surely, alumni recall their favorite Sunday Services. I’m certain the current campers and counselors will, too. Two summers ago, when associate director Adam Fornear talked about how “There is always a way,” the notion of finding a means of solving problems via advice and imagination undoubtedly resonated with campers who might be eyeing a big trip or trying to make the archery team or navigating relationships with cabinmates. And when Jaye Hensel discussed her lifelong experiences with a physical disability, there was certainly nobody sitting under those pines who wasn’t profoundly moved. In this day and age, when it seems like civil discourse and an appreciation of wisdom can be in short supply, respectful listening is, yes, refreshing.

Larry Cartwright, 1974

Another Sunday tradition: watermelon. Always refreshing, too. And quite the tradition, as you’ll see in the photos in the “SUNDAY AFTERNOON” section of this Keylog.

1988

And then, of course, the Sunday evening activity (see “SUNDAY EVENING”)—a Council Fire. I suspect there aren’t too many alumni who didn’t participate in one way or another—either as a writer, a speaker, or a cast member. I’ve always contended that the Council Fire is the best part of each week. Through skits and monologues, humor and profundity, we get a full understanding of camp’s connections, camp’s challenges and successes and lessons, camp’s summer-specific inside jokes, camp’s magic. From the beginning (“Our camp family is now assembled”) to the end (“All Night, All Day”), Council Fires are the heart and soul of camp.

Take initiative. Challenge yourself. Support a friend. Make good choices. Have a good attitude. Be your best you. Whatever the topic, it is always another reminder—of the creativity of our staff and the amazing ways in which they are able to mix a dollop of silliness with a heavy dose of perceptiveness.

1963

They do it all in front of a comfortable crackling fire that fades as darkness descends. And then it is time to, yes, refresh that fire. The Keylog Ceremony may be my favorite moment of my favorite part of my favorite day at camp. It offers several things:

Opportunity: A camper or staff member can offer a very public thank you or homage, whether it’s toward a counselor who helped them overcome homesickness, or a friend who helped through a challenge in the Boundary Waters, or a family member struggling at home. More than a few campers simply find the words to thank Nebagamon itself.

Inspiration: I find it inspiring that anyone, whether age 8 or 68, can find the courage to stand in front of a few hundred people and emote. I suspect it stems from gratitude and a certain self-realization. But I always find it life-affirming.

Finally, a physical metaphor: All of that gratitude, that emotion, slowly but surely rebuilds the fire into a raging flame. It punctuates the Sunday with an exclamation point—just before we head back to our cabins, we warm ourselves by a fire generated completely by the kindness and consideration of the members of our family. And after all, we all aim to Keep the Fires Burning.

I love Sundays.  

2016