Board Meeting at Palmer: Report from Board President Belinda Krifcher Lehman

Palmer Board President Belinda Krifcher Lehman reports:

“This past Sunday, 22 board members gathered for our yearly in-camp meeting.  Ten board members had a head start, and were here for the Shabbat immediately prior. In addition to enjoying Shabbat with their families and one another, we also had the opportunity to hear from Rotem Ad-Epsztein, Roth Agam and Rosh Mishlachat, about her own Ramah experiences and the experiences of our current Israeli staff members.  Ed Pletman, our Director of Finance and Operations, also provided an insider’s look at the new Chadar Ochel and kitchen. On Sunday, David Offit, our Director of Programming, gave a d’var Torah to kick off the meeting. For some of us, this was the first time seeing the new chadar ochel (dining room) which we all worked so hard on from the finance, development, design, and site perspectives. Ed also reprised his Chadar Ochel tour after the meeting.  Although he was not able to be present, we welcomed a new board member to our board this year – Michael Goldfarb.  Michael was in Nivonim 2003; he lives in Baltimore, and chairs our Young Alumni Committee.  We said goodbye and thank you to two outgoing board members – Mark Snowise and Bucky Jacobson – and will honor them with a commemorative brick in the Horshah (grove) in appreciation for their service. During the meeting, we covered topics such as camp finances, the Annual Campaign and our financial aid process. Rabbi Gelb provided a thorough update on the summer. He reported on the strong program this summer, and discussed new directions for camp program in the future. I feel really privileged to work with such an amazing group of committed and thoughtful board members who really love Ramah New England.”