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A Grateful Community Celebrates

By: Geoff Kretchmer, Board President

At our Send a Kid to Tamarack annual fundraising event, we are fortunate to recognize a philanthropic leader or distinguished camp alum who has done extraordinary things for Tamarack and our community. I am beyond thrilled to share that we will be honoring Sue and Alan J. Kaufman at our upcoming Send a Kid event on May 25, 2022!

Sue and Alan’s dedication to this community has impacted, and continues to impact, the Jewish lives of so many kids; and, as a result, the Kaufmans are inherently shaping the future of Jewish Detroit. They have made an indelible impact on Tamarack Camps by supporting camper scholarships each year, in building the Sue & Alan J. Kaufman Family Staff Lodge, and through volunteering as members of our Community Leaders Committee. Further, because of their generosity and partnership with Tamarack Camps and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, campers can experience Israel in their teenage years through the Sue & Alan Kaufman and Family Teen Mission to Israel.

It is on behalf of a grateful community that we are honored to recognize Alan and Sue for their support of Jewish Detroit – which goes far beyond Tamarack. Alan is the immediate past president of the United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit and a board member for the Detroit Zoological Society and Business Leaders for Michigan. He is also a recent recipient of the National Eagle Scout Association’s Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. Sue is the immediate past president and former campaign chair of Women’s Philanthropy at Federation. She is also a board member for Hebrew Free Loan. In addition to their far-reaching philanthropic work, Alan is also an industry leader, serving as Chairman, President, and CEO of H.W. Kaufman Group and Burns & Wilcox.

The Kaufman’s leadership and generosity power important causes that change lives, and their passion for taking care of the community inspires all of us. As parents and grandparents, Alan and Sue exemplify l’dor v’dor, passing their values and a love for Jewish Detroit along to their children (Jodie, Jamie, Emily, Josh, Morgan, and Danny) and eight grandchildren. There is perhaps nothing more important than instilling in the next generation an understanding of community, giving back, and helping our own – truly some of the most important values for Jews and for the entire world.

We are proud to be associated with the Kaufman Family and appreciate the example they set for our campers, families, staff, and fellow supporters. From generation to generation, thank you Alan and Sue, for making our community a better place today and for the future!

P.S. Watch your inboxes and mailboxes for more information on the 2022 Send a Kid to Tamarack event. In the meantime, please save the date of May 25 and take a sneak peak of event sponsorship opportunities.