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 alumna of another great Wisconsin institution – the University of Wisconsin in Madison – and holds a master’s 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.

Michael (he/him/his) spent his first night at sleepaway camp at four months old and loves that he can still return to camp each summer. From childhood to young adulthood, Michael attended a sleepaway camp in the Poconos Mountains that his great-grandfather founded, proving that a passion for camp is hereditary. Michael first joined the OSRUI community as part of the Camp Care team and was immediately inspired by OSRUI’s commitment to cultivating Jewish identity, fostering social and emotional growth, and kindling lifelong friendships. Michael’s career as a social worker will allow him to approach his work in supporting supervising the operations of camp and supporting our summer staff community through a lens of relationship building. Michael’s leadership style brings the perfect mix of attention to detail, creativity, and sense of humor.

During the year, Michael lives in Chicago with his wife, Maddie, his daughter, Maya, and their dog, Pam. You can likely find him eating his way through every restaurant in the city.

Reach out to Michael about summer programs, for general camp questions, or for pop culture analysis.

Emily Rothstein

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Emily (she/her/hers) is a long time OSRUI alumna having been a camper, counselor, and Rosh Eidah! She spent her first camp summers at URJ Camp Harlam in Pennsylvania before traveling to the midwest for Gesher, Chalutzim, and many more summers on staff with the OSRUI community. In previous roles, Emily has built extensive experience in mobilizing community, increasing visibility for the mission of Jewish non-profits, and developing relationships with individuals and organizations to maximize the impact of her work. She has worked with MAZON, the iCenter for Israel Education, and Nachshon. Emily holds a dual master’s degree in Jewish Nonprofit Management from HUC-JIR and Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a degree in Community and Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In her free time, Emily enjoys being outside whenever the sun is shining, going to concerts and live theater with friends, and cheering on the Wisconsin Badgers.

Emma Kaplan

Operations & Retreat Center Director

Emma (she/her/hers) is the Operations and Retreat Center Director 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!

Lina Wallace

Senior Assistant Director

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.

William Rivlin

Assistant Director

Will (he/him/his) has been calling OSRUI home since his first summer in 2008, and has been back almost every summer since as a camper, counselor, song leader, specialist, and unit head. Since graduating from American University in 2018 with a degree in International Studies, he has worked in the fields of program development, emergency management, and Jewish education. Most recently, he served as the Music and Youth Engagement Fellow at the Cape Town Progressive Jewish Congregation in South Africa. He brings experience in logistics, strategy, and operations, and is an avid (but not very fast) runner.

Reach out to Will with any questions about working at camp, or for the guitar chords for your favorite camp songs!

Matt Shabelman

Assistant Director

Matt (he/him/his) has made OSRUI his home since his first year as a camper in 2012. Since then, he has gone onto be a long-time counselor and unit head for both Kallah and Ta’am. Matt started his work career in the entertainment and music marketing industry after graduating from Indiana University in 2022. Additionally, he has also had the privilege to work as Congregation Etz Chaim’s Youth Group Director. Matt is a specialist in marketing, public speaking, and social media, and has a healthy obsession with soccer and his Chicago sports teams.

Reach out to Matt with questions about sending your kids to camp for the first time, or to discuss the recent performance of the Chicago Fire soccer team.

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 on planning a Disney Vacation!

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.

Molly completed her undergraduate degree at Loyola Chicago in May 2022 where she graduated with a B.A. in political science. 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 for the Jewish United Fund and taught at several local synagogues.

When not working with the Jewish community, Molly enjoys reading, theatre, cooking, and playing the French horn. She is super excited to be a part of the NFTY/Camp teams and cannot wait to keep building up the community she loves so much.

Board of Governors

Rabbinic, Educator, cantorial committee

Kathy Schwartz, RJE, Ed.D.
Chair