Dear Family and Friends of OSRUI,

As most of you know, 8 months ago Jerry Kaye, our director for the past 48 years, announced that he was stepping down as director at the end of this summer.  Since then, the leadership and friends of our OSRUI community have worked with purposefulness and passion to select the next director of our Camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  In a wonderful and collaborative partnership with the URJ leadership (particularly Paul Reichenbach and Miriam Chilton) we developed a process that had 2 steps.  First, the Community Assessment Committee (CAC) was established to consider and refine a description of the core values, core competencies, skills and experience that are crucial in the next director.  Through the work of the CAC and hundreds of others who responded to questionnaires and interviews, we unanimously decided on not only this description, but which facets were the most important.  Second, a smaller interview committee was established, made up of members of the CAC, who represented all the stakeholders of Camp, parents, former campers, alumni, clergy and current staff.

This was a momentous responsibility, upon which the interview committee labored and met extensively.  Ultimately, the interview committee chose to interview 4 wonderful and highly qualified candidates, each of whom had requisite skills, temperament and love of our Jewish world.  The decision was not easy.

As you will read in the letter from Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the President of our Reform Movement, upon our single recommendation he has chosen Solomon (Solly) Kane as the next director of Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute.  Our recommendation of Solly is made with great confidence in his leadership, love of Jewish life and Israel, commitment to the great traditions of our beloved Camp and an understanding that his role has to do with relationships and teaching as much as budgets and buildings.  Solly is in many ways a product of our Camp who has broadened his knowledge and experience in recent years to make him exceptionally qualified to serve as director.  He will be our 10th director and will work with our wonderful, current staff to remain true to their visions.

We stand at a great moment in the history of Union Institute.  It is one that takes our breath away, as we consider the past 48 summers and embrace each other as we step into the next decades of the URJ Camp that set the course and maintains the highest standards of Reform Jewish camping.  But this is not the first time we have faced a transition from a beloved, vital and creative director.  We know that it is not just about where we stand today, but in what direction we are moving.  With Solly’s leadership and love for our Camp, we are certain that we can step off together in a direction that will continue the 65-year legacy of OSRUI and the 48-summer legacy that is concluding.

Solly will join the staff on Tuesday, September 5th. We look forward to hosting meet and greet opportunities for everyone at different times and places to be announced.