HONOREES
Marilyn and Bruce Steinthal knew from the very early years of their life together that Conservative Judaism was where they belonged. They were committed to making it the foundation of their family’s future. Whether in their temporary home in Pittsburgh where they were members of Tree of Life Synagogue, or in suburban Washington, D.C., they were always active participants in synagogue life. Marilyn even taught Sunday school at Agudas Achim in Alexandria.
When they moved to New Jersey, the Steinthals began “shul shopping” and ultimately found their spiritual home at Temple Emanu-El where their boys, Russell and Eric, established their Jewish identities. Russell entered the Temple Emanu-el Hebrew school and Eric attended the JCC nursery school.
Marilyn made an early and lasting commitment to Temple Emanu-El, one that culminated years later in her becoming President of the congregation—with Bruce proudly serving as “First Gentleman.”
Their connection to Camp Ramah began when they decided to send Russell and Eric to Ramah Nyack where both boys thrived. When Eric became old enough for Ramah Berkshires, he begged to go even though he didn’t know anyone there. Marilyn and Bruce sent both boys to Ramah Berkshires. It was there that they each formed lifelong friendships.
Russell initially attended only the first session, unsure if sleepaway camp was for him, and returned to Ramah Nyack for the balance of that summer. But the following year, both boys became full-summer campers. Russell returned as a counselor while attending Columbia University, where he completed both his undergraduate and law degrees. Marilyn proudly recalls that he was a summa cum laude Ivy League graduate who was still a camp counselor!
Eric was inspired by his Ramah experience and early in his sophomore year of high school, he asked Marilyn and Bruce to send him to Jewish day school. After thoughtful discussions, Marilyn and Bruce supported his decision and transferred him from public school to the Solomon Schechter High School in West Orange (now Golda Och Academy) where he excelled both academically and athletically for the last three years of high school.
Today, Marilyn and Bruce remain deeply committed to giving back to the institutions that shaped their family’s Jewish journey. Ramah Berkshires continues to hold a special place in their hearts. Their sons’ experiences at Camp profoundly influenced their lives, and Marilyn and Bruce hope their grandchildren will one day love Ramah Berkshires just as much as their father and Uncle Eric did.
Faye Dittelman
Faye’s connection to Ramah Berkshires dates back to the 1970s and has been a meaningful part of her family’s story for nearly five decades.
Faye grew up in a Conservative Jewish home in Paterson and Clifton, New Jersey. Her father, Jack Altshuler, was active in their synagogue, and her family was part of a strong Jewish community that shaped her values. Faye married Stephen Dittelman and they settled in Ossining, New York, where the extended Dittelman family had lived for over 50 years. Together they raised their three boys, Jeffrey, David, and Michael, as active members of Congregation Sons of Israel in Briarcliff Manor, a synagogue founded in part by the Dittelman family.
As an educator, Faye taught in several schools from the 1970s through the 1990s, including SAR Academy and then the Ossining Public Schools. Jewish learning, Shabbat dinners, and synagogue life were central to their home.
In 1977, Steve and Faye brought their sons to visit Camp Ramah in the Berkshires (on Visiting Day, of course!); it was an obvious choice. The following year, Jeffrey and David enrolled and spent several summers as campers as well as serving on Sports Staff into the mid-80s, further strengthening their family’s bond with Ramah.
Sadly, Jeffrey (Gesher '82) passed away in 1989 at the age of 23. Recognizing the importance of Ramah, a scholarship in his memory was created at Congregation Sons of Israel, for those who wish to attend Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, ensuring other children could share in the same experience that meant so much to their family.
Today, more than 50 years later, Faye remains active in the Ossining and Briarcliff Jewish community alongside her husband, David Perelman, through activism, programming and philanthropy. Faye has continued to advocate for Ramah Berkshires, recruiting campers and staff, encouraging others to spend their summers there, and supporting Camp financially. Many of Camp’s sports facilities have been built or refurbished thanks to the Dittelman family’s commitment to Ramah Berkshires.
Michael Dittelman
Ramah Berkshires has been a constant in Michael’s life since 1986, when he joined A-Side for the second session in bunk A-9. Michael’s older brothers, Jeffrey and David, were already on Sports Staff, and from the moment Michael arrived, he knew Camp would always be home, where he was affectionately known as “Little Dittel.” Michael spent summers at Ramah Berkshires through Gesher ’90, then on Ramah Seminar in Israel, and later returned to serve on staff from 1992 to 1996. As head boys’ basketball coach from 1993 to 1995, Michael led the Ramah Berkshires teams to victories over Ramah New England (Palmer)—some of his favorite memories.
Through Michael’s years associated with Ramah, he has gained a greater appreciation for supporting formal Jewish education and contributing to a Jewish community. Living in White Plains, NY for the past 20 years, Michael has been active at the Temple Israel Center, serving on the Board of Directors and contributing to various committees. With a nod to the Dittelman boys’ roles on sports staff at Camp, Michael has served as the de facto “Commissioner” of both the adult and youth basketball programs at Temple Israel Center for several years.
Like his older brothers, Michael considers his Ramah friends to be his closest, valuing the friendships and the bonds created during summers in Wingdale. His Ramah connection has continued through leadership in the Ramah Basketball Association, helping launch the annual Ramah Golf Outing, and organizing special programs and “celebrity guest” experiences to enhance life at Camp.
Recognizing the impact and value of both a formal and informal Jewish education, Michael and his wife Michelle chose to send their three children, Spencer, Jamie, and Brandon to the Leffell School (formerly the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester), as well as Ramah Nyack, Rockies, Ramah Sports Academy, and Ramah Berkshires.
From his brothers’ first summers in 1978 to Brandon’s Gesher summer in 2025, Ramah Berkshires has been part of Michael’s family for nearly 50 years, and to this day, remains an integral part of their lives.
I grew up in North Jersey, where my family attended Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell, NJ on a regular basis. CAI was a thriving young Jewish community with most of the regular shul attendee families sending their children to Jewish day school. As a public school kid in this community, I sometimes felt caught between two worlds, deeply connected to my Jewish roots yet navigating a different path than most of my synagogue peers.
Everything changed when I started at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. Camp became the perfect thread weaving together my public school identity with a more religious and knowledgeable Jewish self. Ramah gave me something I hadn't realized I was searching for: a community where Judaism was intertwined with everyday life, a means to engage with Judaism on my own terms, and a framework that welcomed wrestling with God.
This opportunity for intellectual engagement proved invaluable throughout my life. During college, I majored in religious studies and explored the opportunities and challenges facing Conservative Judaism. My connection to Judaism ebbed and flowed during this time, as did my relationships with the Jewish community and Israel. These weren't crises of faith but the natural questioning of someone secure enough to explore. Camp had instilled a Jewish backbone, a Jewish DNA that remained ever-present and loving even when I questioned, dug in deep and disagreed. It was like having a marriage counselor for my relationship with Judaism—a safe space to work through doubts, ask hard questions, and emerge more dynamic, more in sync, and ultimately more connected. I find myself today saying, “Wow, I wish I could have a Shabbat sivuv to discuss this”.
Ramah instilled in me a sense of Jewish identity and community that gave me the confidence to question, the freedom to drift, and the foundation to return. Camp also gave me my closest friends—the people I turn to when questions about identity, Judaism, and parenthood arise—and most precious of all, my husband, Robby, and our daughter, Eden.
Now, serving as Ramah Berkshires Alumni Association President, I see my story reflected through countless others and I see the opportunity to continue to build on that. In a world where so much is polarizing and polarized, my goal is for the alumni community to be a network to turn to for dialogue and connection– to continue to provide the essence of what Ramah offers its campers: a durable, flexible framework for Jewish life.
I hope to give my daughter what Camp gave me—roots deep enough to provide security and opportunities great enough to allow exploration.
Currently, I'm thrilled to call Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and Kane Street Synagogue my home—and to spend time building community there.