Welcome to
the Alonim E-Newsletter!

Dear Alonim Community,

Welcome to the new Alonim e-newsletter!  These monthly newsletters will be a way for us to disseminate information, stay connected throughout the year, and strengthen our community. For more than 50 years, Alonim's long and rich history has emphasized touching its campers and staff and teaching about Judaism through experiential education, nature and sensory experiences, and the establishment of lifelong friendships.  Dr. Shlomo Bardins vision has come a long way since then.  Today, Camp Alonim and Gan Alonim continue to provide strong Jewish educational experiences that last a lifetime.  Our outstanding staff come together each summer at our incredible facility to touch and to teach the hundreds of campers who come to Alonim each summer for the experience of a lifetime.

It is our pleasure to officially welcome Camp Alonim to the diversity of programs offered as part of the Whizin Center for Continuing Education of the American Jewish University.  As part of the Whizin Center, Alonim will have both the support and structure necessary to continue its outstanding educational program. I am thrilled that Jordanna Flores will be staying on through the spring as part of our staff to ensure continuity throughout this transition and in the search for a new Camp Director.

As we prepare for Summer 2010, I welcome your comments, whether you are a returning camper, a long-time alum, or are considering becoming a part of our amazing community.  I can be reached on my direct line at 310-440-1244.

Best,
Dr. Gady Levy 
Dean, Whizin Center
for Continuing Education
Vice President, American Jewish University

Alonim 2009 Camper Profiles

Stephen Fields (12, Sherman Oaks) Kochavim 09 (2nd session and 3rd session) Favorite Food: Beef with broccoli Favorite Activity: Bunk night Favorite daily activity: Omanut (art) 1 word to describe Alonim: Friends 1 sentence to convince friends to come to Alonim: They have the most awesome talent shows and Shabbat is totally fun.  Everyone gets really excited.

Josh Fields (12, Sherman Oaks) Kochavim 09 (2nd session) Favorite Food: Pizza and the Friday night knishes on the vegetarian cart Favorite daily activity: Israeli dancing, mountain biking, and song sessions Favorite memory: Bunk night 1 phrase to describe Alonim: Totally awesome! 1 sentence to convince friends to come to Alonim: Its a fun way to meet new friends. Everyone wants new friends, right? Oh and they have the best music staff ever!

Jessica Sass (9, Woodland Hills) Sabra 09 (2nd session) Favorite Food: Saturday morning coffee cake Favorite Activity: Bunk nights and overnights Favorite Daily activity: Free time on Terry Field with her friends 1 word to describe Alonim: Fabulous 1 sentence to convince friends to come to Alonim:  Camp Alonim is such a fantastic camp, and everyone who goes there loves it.

Staff Profile

Erica Goldman, Dance Director

Erica Goldman's connection to Alonim began with a phone call six years ago.  A phone call that Erica says changed her life.

That phone call came from Ed Gelb, then Director of Camp Alonim.  He was looking for a Dance Director for the summer - would she be interested in the job?  As Erica tells it, she almost didn't return the call. Having finished her undergraduate degree in Linguistics at Brandies University in Waltham, MA, she was living happily in Boston working for a software start-up company when Ed called.  She had always loved to dance, but initially she couldn't imagine leaving her job and her home to travel across the country for a summer job.  Apparently Ed was quite persuasive, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Erica came for the summer and fell in love with Alonim, with California, and with teaching dance. At the end of the summer she returned to Boston, packed up her life, and moved out west to teach dance full time.  She has been dancing ever since.

These days if you move quickly you can catch Erica teaching dance all over Los Angeles, at places like New Jewish Community High School in West Hills, Temple Judaea in Tarzana, on Monday nights in the city, and of course at Alonim all summer long. She has also danced with Keshet Chaim, an American-Israeli contemporary dance troupe, for the past 5 years (you can go to www.kcdancers.org for more information). When she's not dancing she is an avid reader, and is a big fan of contemporary American fiction.

What Erica loves most about dance is what she hopes each Alonim camper will take home withthem at the end of each summer.  Israeli dance is about more than just moving your feet to great music, Erica says.  The Israeli dances Erica and her staff teach each summer are the same dances that are done all over the world.  "I know that if I go to Paris and go Israeli dancing one weeknight, that when they play Tutim I'm going to be able to dance because they are the same steps no matter where you go in the world.  All countries, all languages are going to dance these dances the same.  That is an incredibly powerful connection to have and to own."  She hopes that Alonim campers and staff come to appreciate the power and energy found in Israeli dance and take that universal connection with them all year round!

Alumni Profile

Jesse Aron (CIT '99), Feature Producer for FOX Sports

When asked about the impact Alonim has had on him, Jesse said, "Camp is who I am."

Jesse grew up here in Los Angeles.  He went to Milken Community High School followed by USC's undergraduate program in Broadcast Journalism. He has a passion for sports, and seems to really love what he does.  As a Feature Producer he is responsible for all the sports news and programming that airs that is not the actual game being played.  When asked about his own favorite sport, Jesse expressed his love for USC Football, all the LA teams, and basketball and baseball.

Jesse started going to Alonim in the summer of 1990 when his mother was teaching at BCI. He was a JCIT, and CIT, and a counselor.  Of the Alonim staff he mentions as his mentors, he was particularly fond of Adam Naftalin-Kelman, when he was a JCIT advisor during his last summer on staff in 2003. Recently, Jesse had the chance to give back to Alonim, when, in 2008, he agreed to create the new promotional video for camp (click to watch.)

For Jesse, the power of Alonim was in the lifelong friendships he made as a staff member.  "It allowed me to get to know the people I'm going to hang out with for the rest of my life," Jesse said.  "80% of the people I hang out now with are from camp. It's who I am."