Tamarack Camps’ 2025 Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, July 27 at Camp Maas. Below, enjoy a printed version of the remarks from our president, Dr. Danny Klein:
Over the past 12 months, I’m proud to share that, under the leadership of our professional staff and so many board members, this agency has continued to advance our mission and strengthen our camp.
This year, we’ve seen growth in camper enrollment across all summer programs, greater community engagement through our TARC offerings, improved summer staff retention and strong progress in our three-year strategic plan. Thanks to generous donors and partners, we continue to bring our master plan to life — enhancing and building new facilities, including much-needed communal spaces like The HuG, Simon’s Shelter, Rodecker Beach and the Pilcowitz Medical Staff Lodge. While we take pride in these updates, there’s still much more work ahead on our 70-plus-year-old campus.
Last fall, in the first vote of the 2024–25 board, we approved the hiring of Tastebuds Food Service as our new food vendor. The collaboration between our professional staff and lay leaders in that process has resulted in a significant upgrade to our food service and managing the a large number of special diets — something we’ve consistently heard from campers and staff throughout the summer.
Tamarack continues to thrive thanks to the most dedicated team of professional staff. Led by my partner — and our passionate and incredible chief executive officer — Lee Trepeck, we are fortunate to have a group who works tirelessly to deliver excellence. In a time of high turnover across the nonprofit sector, we’re proud to be a leader in staff retention.
As camp operating costs rise, the need for scholarships to keep Tamarack accessible has never been greater. This year, for the first time in nearly a decade, we awarded over $1 million in scholarships — more than any Jewish camp in the world. About 30% of our campers received some form of support, and all campers benefit from contributions made by generous donors, including our steadfast partner, the Jewish Federation of Detroit.
Thankfully, our Send a Kid to Tamarack campaign rose to the moment. Under the leadership of Jodi Kaufman Davis, Jeffrey Kirschner, and our incredible advancement team and board, we raised a record-breaking $1 million to answer the calling and maintain a balanced budget. Still, with rising needs projected even higher next year, we’ll continue to rely on your support.
I want to personally thank our entire board of directors and past presidents for their unwavering commitment to this agency. I also want to recognize our 2024–25 executive board: Michael Cooper, Julie Trepeck Harris, Dr. Joel Kirsch, Andrew Landau, Carly Schiff, Elizabeth Sollish, Jimmy Sugarman and Barbie Zaltz.
On a personal note, I want to thank my wife, Jessica, whose love, patience and unwavering support have made it possible for me to fully embrace this demanding role — with the countless hours, commitments, phone calls and time away from our family. I truly couldn’t do it without her. She knows how much this camp means to me, and I appreciate her sacrifice in this journey. This year is especially meaningful, with both of our children — who grew up here — now making their own impact as staff. I couldn’t be prouder of my daughter Abby, a Fishman counselor, and my son Andrew, staffing Camp Kennedy.
As we approach our 125th year since Tamarack’s founding, you’ll soon hear about ways we plan to celebrate this milestone — and sustain camp for the next 125 years and beyond. As board president, and on behalf of so many lay leaders, I want to thank our community for all you give to camp — and ask that you continue spreading the word about the power and importance of Jewish camping, as it’s needed now more than ever.
