Honorees | Camp Ramah in the Berkshires Gala 2024

HONOREES

ARIELLE GLASER, ELI AVERY GROSSMAN, JOSH GRABEL WOHL

EILEEN & JERRY LIEBERMAN

Eileen and Jerry are proud parents and grandparents of campers who have all enjoyed the rich experiences of Ramah, both at the day camp in Nyack and at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires.

Their introduction to Camp was in 1985, when they sent their daughter, Andrea, to Ramah Berkshires. “Our Rabbi just gave us no choice,” they said. Before they knew it, Jerry was asked to be on the Board and, as a Board member, he and Eileen had the opportunity to spend a summer weekend at Camp. After witnessing the ruach (spirit) on Friday night, Eileen and Jerry were hooked. Jerry has often said that in his next life he wants to come back as one of his children—so he can be a camper at Ramah!

Eileen and Jerry’s son Jason has cerebral palsy. When exploring camps, they were informed that, although Ramah had a Tikvah program for campers with special needs, the program was not appropriate for Jason. At the time, there were no inclusion programs at Camp, but in their hearts, they knew Ramah was the right environment for their son. Undeterred, and with clergy support, Jason was finally accepted at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires.

Years later, Jason was asked to be on a panel for people with disabilities. Each panelist was asked, “What was your best and worst experience as a person with a disability?” At the time, Jason was in his 20s and had many great and some disappointing experiences in his life. His parents were surprised to hear his answer: “Ramah and Ramah.”

Jason explained that Ramah allowed him to be the Jew he wanted to be, but Ramah did not allow him to go on the Israel Seminar trip with his fellow campers and counselors.

This was an A-HA! moment for Eileen; she knew she had to get more involved to enable children with special needs to go on Seminar. As a result, Eileen joined the Board of Ramah New England and served as a liaison to their Tikvah program, the first such program in the Ramah camping movement. Working with both Ramah New England and the National Ramah Commission, Eileen was able to expand the inclusion program there as well as build a platform for the Seminar program in Israel for campers with special needs.

Through her work on the Board, Eileen had the opportunity to meet numerous Tikvah campers and realized that this was an extraordinary program. It allowed campers with special needs to be included in the regular camp experience without focusing on their differences. The Tikvah campers now had an opportunity to interact with the rest of camp in meaningful ways. Eileen’s next goal was to initiate a Tikvah program in the Berkshires.

Following the enthusiastic response from senior staff, in 2019, a Capital Campaign for construction was inaugurated and the Liebermans pledged to underwrite the Tikvah Program at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires.

Eileen and Jerry are "excited to be honored by Ramah Berkshires this year and thrilled to be working with Elisheva Layman-Salant and Rabbi Eytan Kenter to make our dream of Tikvah to Ramah Berkshires a reality.”

SUSIE & JOEL BERMAN

The Bermans’ Berkshires story begins in 1958, when Susie attended Ramah – then located in Connecticut. Their legacy spans three generations and continues to this day; to say Ramah has played an important role in their lives would be a tremendous understatement. The Bermans are fiercely devoted to the cause of Jewish learning, sustaining the Ramah magic, and providing future generations of Ramahniks with a transformative experience.

Susie’s parents (Martha and William Verstandig, z”l) were Holocaust survivors and staunch Zionists. Sending their children – Susie and her brother, Steve – to Ramah was only natural and at the suggestion of their rabbi, Ben-Zion Bokser, z”l. Susie later worked on Ramah staff, as did Joel (in 1963). They were joined on staff by their dear friend (Rabbi) Moshe “Micky” Shur – who, in typical Ramah fashion, also was Steve’s counselor. Steve continued as a Ramah camper until Camp opened at its Wingdale location in 1964 – then led by Rabbi Jerry Abrams, z”l.

Fast-forward to 1983, when the Bermans began sending their children to CRB. From 1983 to 1996, the Bermans’ children – Ari (Gesher ’90), Mark (Gesher ’92), and Michelle (Gesher ’93) – attended Ramah Berkshires, served as Chug captains, and worked on staff. Mark earned a place on the chadar ochel “Shidduch wall” by marrying Rachel Gordon (Gesher ’94).

In fact, from 1983 to the present, there have been only a few summers without a Berman or Verstandig at CRB. Adam Verstandig (Gesher ’97), Michael (Gesher ’02) and Lauren (Gesher ’05) kept the flame alive until the Berman grandkids arrived in 2012 (and continue to attend Camp to this day). Michael and Lauren even married fellow Ramahniks (Ilana Kassel and Ian Cutler). Ari and Becky’s kids are all Ramah lifers: Eli (of ill-fated – the summer of Covid – Gesher ‘20) served on staff in 2022, Danielle was in Gesher ‘23, and Leah will be back for Shorashim in 2024. Ranit and Aviva Berman attended Camp for several summers – joined by Rachel Berman, who served on staff. Michelle’s husband, John Shallat, worked as a Marp (infirmary) doctor and they were joined by their children Zachary, Sean, and Jordan.

Also during the 1980s, Susie served on the Ramah Berkshires Board. She and Joel served as senior lay leaders on the Board of the Brandeis School (a Conservative day school in Long Island) where Ari, Mark, and Michelle attended.

Since 2008, the Bermans have been blessed to host the annual Ramah Golf & Pool Outing at Salem Golf Club. It is a highlight of the year and Joel looks forward to seeing his family out on the course at each event. Among other joys associated with the Golf Outing, Susie and Joel love seeing Ramahniks of all ages spending a fun day together and reconnecting in support of their beloved Camp Ramah.

Joel is an attorney and runs his own law practice. Susie volunteers as a docent/educator at The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center on Long Island. Susie is involved in the Law Enforcement and Society program, which in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, educates police cadets and students about the Holocaust.

ARIELLE GLASER

Arielle Glaser (Gesher '06) has always felt a deep connection to the values of mitzvoth, a love for the land and people of Israel, and a commitment to tikkun olam, which are integral to the spirit of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires.

After seven summers as a camper and four summers on staff, Arielle has taken on her many roles at Camp with all the ruach and passion of a Yom Sport General. From counselor to hip-hop teacher, guest relations to sports staff, Arielle is so dedicated to Ramah Berkshires that she even got her archery certification when an instructor was needed. Her camp friends found that hilarious, but that's who she is—ready to help, and always with a smile.

Arielle's been a member of the Ramah Berkshires Alumni Association Hanhallah for almost ten years, inspiring others to continue fostering their love for Camp. She joined the Yom Give Back, networking, and Labor Day committees, and went on to co-chair Labor Day Weekend programming from 2017-2022. As the current Community Engagement Co-chair, a legacy donor, and the proud sponsor of the Glasenglitter RBA team, Arielle supports Ramah Berkshires in any way that she can.

Arielle was thrilled to share the Labor Day experience with her husband Jordan (aka, Herzog), and nothing brings Arielle more joy than knowing her daughter, Heartly Gemma, will be a part of it all as she grows up (Gesher '39!). If you think you've seen an impressive visiting day lunch spread, just wait until Arielle crests the hill onto the B-side softball field with her bags in tow for Heartly's first summer. Arielle is so grateful her parents decided to send her to Ramah Berkshires and is elated to be honored by Camp this year.

ELI AVERY GROSSMAN

Eli Avery Grossman (Gesher ’06) is the former Commissioner of the Ramah Basketball Association (RBA), a NYC-based league for alumni and spouses from all Ramah camps. With the help of his co-commissioners over the years (Ori Foger, Scott Scheff, Elan Kane, and co-honoree Josh Wohl), RBA has grown to ten teams (80 players total) and now benefits from corporate sponsorships, including from many Ramahnik-run companies. RBA continues to be a central part of his life in NYC, although he admits that his pull-up jumpshot in transition is not what it used to be.

Eli’s Ramah story started as a three-year-old at Ramah Nyack, where he spent eight summers, followed by 10 summers at Berkshires (six as a camper and four on staff). He and his sister Zoe are second generation Ramahniks—their parents Adina and Harman both went to Ramah Berkshires (although they would not meet until years later)—and have always considered Wingdale their second home.

Eli lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife Brenne and daughter Sage (Gesher ’38). One of his family’s greatest joys is hosting Shabbat dinners with his Ramah friends. Eli went to the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School before spending a year in Israel on Nativ. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. Prior to law school, he participated in Teach for America in Paterson, NJ. He is currently an attorney in New York City, focusing on complex commercial litigation and pro bono work in education rights.

JOSH GRABEL WOHL

Josh first attended Ramah Berkshires as part of Cochavim ‘99, and now, nearly 25 years later, not a day goes by that Camp doesn’t play an important role. Josh spent all eight summers as a camper, finishing as a member of Gesher ‘06. He also attended Seminar and returned to Camp for four summers as a counselor and S’gan Rosh Sport. Josh’s favorite places to spend time at Camp were the Stadium Courts and the Agam.

The end of spending entire summers at camp was only the beginning of Josh’s involvement with the Ramah Berkshires community. He spends winters now competing for Ramah Basketball Association Championships and served as Co-Commissioner of the RBA for two years. He spends summers and the preceding months helping to chair the Annual Ramah Berkshires Golf and Pool Outing, and of course, attending Labor Day Alumni Weekend at Camp, where Josh was lucky enough to meet his wife, Deborah Leffell (Gesher ‘11), in 2018.

After participating in the Nativ gap year program in Israel, Josh attended the University of Maryland and now lives in Brooklyn and works at an insurance technology startup. He is tremendously grateful to CRB for introducing him to so many lifelong friends who all have a meaningful and deep impact on his life.