Solly Kane
Executive Director
Solly (he/him/his) is a former OSRUI camper, counselor, unit head, and assistant director, and became OSRUI’s 10th director in 2017. In 2022, he became OSRUI’s Executive Director.
Solly believes that summer camp is the place where Judaism comes alive, friendships are made for life, and young people have a supportive environment in which to grow. Solly leads our professional staff team, lay leadership, and synagogue partners to continue the magic that has existed in Oconomowoc since 1952.
Prior to rejoining the OSRUI team, Solly worked as a management consultant advising companies on business strategy. He previously worked for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) in Washington D.C. at the Religious Action Center (RAC), and in New York City leading the planning and implementation of the URJ’s largest programs for adults and youth.
A native Midwesterner, Solly has a BA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business and is a Wexner Foundation Field Fellow. In addition to being OSRUI’s Executive Director, Solly is one of the Executive Directors of the URJ camping system where he provides strategic leadership to the URJ’s other camps across North America.
During the summer, Solly can frequently be found cheering on our campers and staff, playing basketball with a group of kids, or helping to lead a campfire song session with his guitar. When he is not in Oconomowoc, Solly lives in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago with his wife, Briana, who is the Senior Director of Organizational Development for the Foundation for Jewish Camp.
Reach out to Solly to connect, share feedback about camp, and to be a part of sustaining OSRUI for the future.
Beth rodin
Director
Beth’s (she/her/hers) Jewish journey and love for camp started right here in Oconomowoc as a toddler. A long-time camper, staff member, unit head and faculty member at both OSRUI and the URJ Kutz Camp, she has spent more than 30 summers in the URJ camping system!
Throughout her career in camping and NFTY (The Reform Jewish Youth Movement), Beth has always been energized by the opportunity to be a Jewish educator and coach of people. As NFTY’s North American Managing Director, Beth worked with a network of teens, clergy, and professionals across North America to lead over 120 weekend events annually for thousands of young people. Beth also has extensive background as an experiential educator and outdoor adventure facilitator having led youth camping trips across Wisconsin, California, and in Israel. Beth believes that the grounds of OSRUI are a 250-acre living laboratory where campers and staff get to create and practice living the Jewish lives they wish to build.
Beth is a proud alum of another great Wisconsin institution – University of Wisconsin in Madison and holds a Masters in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus College in Chicago. When not in Oconomowoc, Beth lives in Skokie with her husband Sam, and their sons Charlie, Joey, and Micah.
Reach out to Beth about summer programs and staffing, year-round opportunities to connect with camp, general camp questions, and to swap stories about where you were when you watched the Chicago Cubs win the 2016 World Series.
Lani Hart
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Lani Hart (she/her/hers) spent her childhood at OSRUI as a long-time camper and staff member. She is excited to share her passion and love for camp with new and potential donors. Lani believes that OSRUI is a gift that keeps on giving and her summers at camp inspired her to work and be involved in the Jewish community.
Lani brings nearly 15 years of nonprofit experience in philanthropy, strategy, and leadership development to her role. Most recently, she was a Senior Associate Consultant for Evolve Giving Group. Previously, Lani worked for the Jewish Federation system in the areas of campaign and talent development in New York and Washington, DC. Lani holds an M.P.A. in nonprofit management and a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives in Glenview with her husband, Jonathan and their sons, Jake and Ben.
Reach out to Lani with questions about donations and alumni relations.
Dylan Singer
Senior assistant Director
Dylan (he/him/his) has been spending his summers boating on Lac La Belle and climbing Etgar since he was a young camper in 2004. One of his favorite parts of camp is seeing campers learn and grow each summer. After graduating from the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities with degrees in Business and Marketing Education, Jewish Studies, and Hebrew, Dylan worked in Bloomington, Indiana, as a Springboard Innovation Fellow at Indiana University Hillel. Joining the year round staff in 2018, Dylan has loved getting the chance to work for a place that has impacted him and so many other Reform Jews so profoundly. Plus, continuing to spend summers racing down waterslides and riding horses isn’t bad either.
Reach out to Dylan with questions about the summer staff application, camp programming, general questions or to talk about your favorite restaurant in Chicago.
Lina Wallace
Assistant Director, Wellness
Lina Wallace (she/her/hers) spent almost every summer from the ages of 2 to 22 at OSRUI as a chaverim participant, long-time camper, staff member and unit head. As an undergraduate studying Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, she spent many weekends at camp working as a Resident Director. Lina’s professional background includes Jewish professional roles, human resources consulting, and leading client success management. Lina was excited to come back to her favorite summer home in 2021 to serve as the OSRUI Health Center Administrator. Lina, her husband, Adam, and their children, Sivan, Eitan, and Penina, live in the north suburbs of Milwaukee, perfectly located in between their family in Chicago and Kiltie’s. Lina is a proud camper parent and is thrilled to help families create successful experiences in OSRUI.
Reach out to Lina with questions about getting ready for camp, resources on how to make this summer successful for your family, or to talk about anything challah related.
Ben Schillmoeller
Assistant Director
After graduating from Indiana University Bloomington with a double BA in Theater and Telecommunications, Ben (he/him/his) moved to Los Angeles in 2014 after playing as an OSRUI camper from 2003-2005 and serving as a staff member from 2007-2014. Though he moved 2000 miles away, camp was always in his heart. In California, he quickly resumed his career in Jewish education as a Program Director at Camp JCA Shalom in Malibu, California. From there, he pursued a Master’s in Education at American Jewish University and taught Judaic Studies at Briskin Elementary School at Temple Israel of Hollywood, while also dabbling in Religious Schools, teen programming, and Israel education. Camp, however, still lived in his soul.
In all of his engagement with education in different institutions, Ben is regularly fascinated by how play, games, and social activities enhance development and learning. That’s probably why he can’t stay away from camp: it’s an environment focused on play, creativity, and experience. Ben loves camp and is so excited to help foster such a community and experience for the ever-growing OSRUI family. Everyone is part of our camp story from camper to staff member to parent. Together, and only together, will we feel the summer magic!
Please reach out to Ben for questions about camp’s activities and experiences, registration, communications and marketing, to tell YOUR camp story, or if you need a player for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
allisa horwitz
business Manager, midwest hub
Allisa (she/her/hers) has had a long-time connection with OSRUI. From participating in her temple retreats to being a camper to attending and then staffing NFTY Kallot (retreats), each time she pulls through the gates of OSRUI she feels like she is at home.
In joining the full-time staff at OSRUI, Allisa is bringing with her 25 years of camping and administrative experience from the JCC of Chicago. Allisa and her husband Kevin, have been the co-Youth Group Directors of the Jew Crew at Congregation Or Shalom for the past 14 years. Allisa with Kevin, their two girls, Baylee and Piper, and two cats Kylo and Stormy live in Vernon Hills, IL. Other than OSRUI, her family’s favorite places to visit are Disney World and Disneyland.
Reach out to Allisa with any Accounting, Bookkeeping & Financial questions or if you are looking for advice in planning a Disney Vacation!
Emma Kaplan
Retreat Center Manager
Emma is the Retreat Center Manager at OSRUI where she has the privilege of combining her talent for event planning with her passion for summer camp. Over the last few years, Emma has helped grow and expand the OSRUI Retreat Center to be a premier destination for Jewish and non-Jewish events, serving over 40 groups and 2,500 people annually. Under Emma’s leadership the OSRUI Retreat Center has served groups ranging from an intimate 10 people up to 300 people and from one night youth group events to weekend long wedding gatherings. Emma spent 13 summers at OSRUI as a camper and staff member before she joined the professional team in 2021. In 2022, Emma was selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of national fellowship program focused on growing and professionalizing the field of Jewish retreats in North America. Prior to joining the team, Emma worked in the event production and venue management field at a handful of other organizations for five years.
Reach out to Emma for any retreat, wedding, or event questions. Or to swap your favorite recipes!
Molly Fidlow
NFTY Midwest Mentor
Molly Fidlow (she/her/hers) began her camp journey in 2011 as a Tzofim camper. From 2011-2022, she spent time as a camper and staff member at OSRUI. In high school, Molly was both a participant and leader in NFTY-CAR. She fell in love with the Jewish community NFTY brought her, and has made Judaism a big part of her life since then. Her favorite NFTY memory is planning NFTY convention in 2017.
This past May, Molly graduated from Loyola Chicago with a B.A. in Political Science. She is very excited to see where her new post-grad life takes her. During her time at Loyola, Molly worked on both Loyola and Metro Chicago Hillel leadership teams, with her last year being spent as the President of Loyola Hillel. In addition, she worked for 3 years as the Israel Education Intern under the Jewish United Fund.
When not working with the Jewish community, Molly enjoys reading, theatre, cooking, and playing the French Horn. She is super excited to be joining the NFTY/Camp teams and cannot wait to keep building up the community she loves so much.
Mollie Flink
Community Care Manager
Mollie (she/her/hers) has always loved Jewish summer camp. It was her own transformative experience over 10 summers at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin that inspired her to become a social worker. Mollie joined the OSRUI Camp Care Team in 2022 and felt an immediate connection and deep care for the OSRUI community. She loves that every single person at camp, regardless of age, background, or role, has the freedom to be their genuine authentic selves, and is inspired to continue cultivating that environment, build resilience, and support OSRUI families, campers, and staff year-round.
Mollie is a licensed clinical social worker with a master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago. She did her undergraduate studies at the Joint Program between Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Mollie has worked in a variety of settings, including integrated behavioral health, community mental health, Hillel, and in partial hospitalizations and intensive outpatient programs. She loves spending time in nature and making delicious treats to share. She lives in Chicago with her partner, Steven — an OSRUI alum — and their two children, Ilan and Tal.
Ilana Nadel
Administrator & Development Associate
Ilana (she/her/hers) first experienced the URJ Camp magic in the summer of 1992. She then spent 18 of the following 19 summers as a combination of camper, summer staff member, and year-round staff member at URJ Camp GUCI. She credits her summers at camp to fostering a love of Judaism and community as well as a strong Jewish identity.
Ilana received her BA and AA degrees from the University of Cincinnati and her MA in Camp Administration & Leadership from Touro University Nevada (she is now an adjunct professor for the same program at Gratz College). Ilana is a published author of a children’s safety book and curriculum, and her second book will be published this spring (2022).
Ilana and her husband Neil live in Cincinnati with their two children Cole & Sarit (and their two dogs CJ & Toby). In her spare time she enjoys being outside, playing board games, and spending time with friends & family.
Ilana’s favorite camp programs are Israeli Dancing and Havdalah!
Board of Governors
Josh Ackerman
Joel Bayer
David Brot
Marla Kell Brown
Aaron Cohn
Richard Courtheoux
Robert Cutler
Seth Erlich
Tori Franklin
Deanne Friedman
Jeff Friedman
Tracy Friend
Mark Gershon
Ken Heinrich
Joanna Lewis
Michael Lorge
Lenore Mass
Josh Milberg
Jordan Nerenberg
Micah Riskin
Neal Sabin
Susan Schomer
Jeremy Seaver
Joe Seigle
Scott Seiler
Steven Silverman
Emily Snow
Roy Splansky
Steve Wolf
Ex Officio
Reva Felder
Lori Sagarin
Honorary Board Members
Joel Africk
Clive Kamins
Judith Kamins
Howard Kaplan
Joan Pines
Emily Berman Crane
Chair
Rabbinic, Educator, cantorial committee
Brian Avner, RJE
Rabbi David Locketz
Rabbi Phyllis Sommer, RJE
Rabbi Michael Weinberg
Rabbi Max Weiss
Rabbi Simcha Bob
Rabbi Richard Prass
Rabbi Rachel Heaps
Rabbi Jody Cook
Vanessa Ehrlich, RJE
Cantor Jennifer Frost
Rabbi Ari Margolis
Kathy Schwartz, RJE
Laura Perpinyal, RJE
Lori Sagarin, RJE
Chair