As this Lion's Roar goes to press, I'm excitedly preparing to board my Continental Airlines flight to Israel in a few days.

Every year we work to find the most qualified and caring staff for CYJ-Texas. First we look for former CYJ campers and staff members who are familiar with our unique camp culture and have proven themselves to have impeccable character, good judgment and wonderful personalities. Then, using the same criteria, we ensure a strong Zionist influence by hiring a contingent of Israeli shlichim (emissaries) with the help of the Israeli Government. The Jewish Agency places approximately 2,000 young Israeli adults with American summer camps. They carry out all of the background checks and initial interviews (as extensive as the in-depth assessments carried out by CYJ for all of our other staff members) and then present us with a selection of candidates that meet our stringent CYJ-Texas requirements. This gives me the opportunity to travel to Israel each winter to personally interview these candidates and, through consultation with our own Shlicha Ossy, select several of them for summer employment.

While in Israel, I also get to meet with and recruit Year Course participants into the CYJ tsevet (staff) &, of course, I love to carry out a favorite CYJ-Texas tradition: The annual Alumni in Israel dinner. Every former staff member (including Israelis, Year Courser's, Olim, etc.) is invited to a festive reunion where we relive the best camp memories (and enjoy some incredible Israeli cuisine!).

On that note, I'm going to return to my suitcase and make sure that I've packed a belt that can expand a notch or too... Enjoy the updates below!

B'Shalom,
Frank Silberlicht, Camp Director

PS-While our Israeli Mishlachat (delegration) provides a special addition to the camp environment, let's not forget that CYJ is lucky to have a diverse staff from all over the world. Of course there's always the influential Mex-lachat (our contingent from Mexico), and we've also had staff members come from as far as Canada, Sweden, South Africa, and even New York!

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Young Judaea has more than 55 years of experience as one of the world's leaders in sending Jewish youth to Israel. Through our Year Course & Summer Programs, hundreds of chanichim have safely traveled to Israel and enjoyed experiences that enriched their lives.

While YJ has offered several summer program options in the past, we have now added a track called "Nofim." Nofim is a shorter, more intensive YJ Israel summer program that will be offered beginning this year. The three-week program designed for young people who have a shorter period of time to spend in Israel will offer complete immersion in Israeli society and culture. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the Middle East by meeting Israeli youth, delving into the culture and exploring the sights. In addition, they will also be able to enjoy the outdoors by taking scenic hikes or going on kayaking excursions.

Also, due to the great popularity of Young Judaea summer programs, a program is being offered for the first time in five years that incorporates a once-in-a-lifetime experience of arriving in Israel by boat, recreating the journey of the ma’apilim, the thousands of immigrants that came to the land of Israel following the Holocaust.

The Ma’apilim program begins in Italy, where participants explore the rich history of Italian Jewry through a three-day stay in historic Rome. Participants then sail the Mediterranean on the ship, Exodus, playing games, attending workshops, socializing, relaxing, and even meeting a survivor from the original historic voyage. The program concludes with a dramatic landing in the port of Haifa followed by a comprehensive five-week program in Israel.

As further incentive to travel to Israel this summer with Young Judaea, participants can even earn college credits. By special arrangement with the Jewish Community High School, a division of Gratz College of Philadelphia, students entering their junior or senior year in Fall 2006 are eligible to receive three college credits.

For more information about Hadassah-sponsored Young Judaea programs in Israel, call the YJ Office (713-723-8354) or the national Israel Programs desk (800-725-0612).

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Yes, we literally received a 1ft x 2 ft check from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston for the amount of $3,693!

More than two dozen agencies and Houston-area counties were awarded nearly $2.2 million in Hurricane Disaster Relief Grants on January 9 at a ceremony at the Harris County Commissioner’s Court in Downtown Houston. This marked the single largest distribution of funds into the general community in the Jewish Federation’s 70-year history!

Of the $2.2 million, more than $521,000 was awarded to Jewish communal agencies and $1,650,000 was awarded to the general community (non-Jewish affiliated organizations).

When news of Hurricane Rita’s path hitting the Houston area came, millions of people fled their homes in search of a safer location. They had watched as Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area and were not about to take a chance with Rita. CYJ immediately went into action and made last minute arrangements to open Camp for some 200 expected refugees. Only about 45 people actually made it through the bumper-to-bumper traffic to Camp, but those 45 people were more thankful than anyone could imagine!

It was like an oasis in the Hill Country. The weather was nice, the pool was open, and for a few days, people could actually enjoy themselves... far away from their Hurricane troubles. The CYJ Retreat and Conference Center opened it’s “arms” and gates to the community without even a second thought. In return for many organizations’ selfless acts of giving, the Jewish Federation surprised many of them with twenty-eight “GIANT” checks for their heroism. Camp Young Judaea, Inc. was proud to be a part of this campaign.

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Participants in the TOL Winter Convention, January 13-15, 2006

Slight fear haunted the Mazkirut (regional board) before the Winter Bogrim (8th-12th grade) Convention of 2006. Originally scheduled to take place in December, it was postponed to the weekend of Friday, January 13th. Fortunately, this January thirteenth through fifteenth turned out to be one of the best Bogrim conventions I have ever taken part in.

With new members galore, and only four of our six "Maz" members able to attend, we had doubts about how the weekend would go, but were confident enough in each of our peulot (activities) to put forth maximum effort. The weather was optimal (except for the fire bans in Texas disallowing a campfire), and each peulah (activity) seemed to work perfectly. We gave each Boger/et (high school participant) a choice for each peulah, by having two options at each time slot. We also had one of our first auctions as part of asepha (YJ's policy-making body). We auctioned off everything from massages, to the opportunity to crack eggs on Frank’s head. Altogether, we made over $500 in one night! Afterwards, we had an amazing roller skating Saturday Night Fun activity. Although the crowd of thirty-six Bogrim'ers was relatively small, we are sure these thirty-six are enthusiastic to return, and with a very large percentage of eighth graders, the future of the TOL region looks very promising.

As a Maz, we are now preparing for our second Ofie/Tsofie convention (led by our OT programmer Naomi Gottesman), and are getting ready to plan a whole new weekend full of fun for that. The whole maz (Elan Kahalnik, Harold Fisch, Madeline Teig, Rachel Bissonet, Naomi & I) are excited to see this next convention go as well the Bogrim did. Now, with the money earned from convention, Madeline Teig (AVP) is ready to help the YJ nation, and as far as Social Action goes, Rachel Bissonet feels we are doing a great job in our region. We are all excited for the upcoming weekend of OT convention and hope to see one of the largest OT conventions yet.

PS-Houston-area Offies (third-fifth graders) are invited to participate in a citywide "Offies Only Overnight" at the Houston JCC. The fun begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4th and continues through the night until 8 a.m. on Feb. 5th. Come have a blast! Learn about Israel with fun activities that connect to your life. Bring your friends (and a sleeping bag and pillow) and spend all night having the time of your life! To register online, click here or call the office (713-723-8354) for more information. Cost is $25 for YJ Members & $35 for Non-members (Note: Anyone who attended CYJ during the summer of 2005, or paid dues since June 1, 2005 is already a member!)

Ezra Raez - an 11th grader from San Antonio, TX - is the TOL Regional Pirsum (Secretary of Communications).

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Every month we learn about events occurring throughout our region that may be of interest to the CYJ community. We hope you'll consider participating in one of the following opportunities:

Austin: Congregation Agudas Achim (CAA) of Austin is offering its members (and members of the Jewish community at large) a family-oriented trip to Israel this coming summer (18 July-30 July 2006). Convenient one-stop travel from Austin to Tel Aviv has been arranged and the inclusive price of the trip will cover breakfasts, most dinners, and taxes and tips. The trip will be led by Cantor Neil Blumofe with the recognition that one of our greatest responsibilities is to teach our children about Judaism and to build a connection to the State of Israel and her people. Complete information can be found at the site of the professional tour operator, Tlalim Tours, at www.tlalimtours.com/austincommunity. Registration and price information, as well as a link to the registration form can be found there. Please contact CAA member (and longtime friend of CYJ!) Sharon Hausman-Cohen (shausman@austin.rr.com) for more information.

Houston: This year's community-wide Houston Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) commemoration will take place on Monday evening, April 24, 2006, 7:00 p.m. at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, 4525 Beechnut. Middle and high school students are encouraged to enter the statewide art and writing contest which is being generously underwritten by the David Barg Endowment Fund and the Houston Council of Jewish Holocaust Survivors. The contest can be accessed at the Holocaust Museum Houston's website, www.hmh.org.

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Camp Young Judaea relies on donations to operate. Like every other non-profit, we are always trying to obtain more donations from more donors so that we can provide better services and better facilities to an even larger number of beneficiaries. Tikun Olam is an important part of our Jewish values, and CYJ offers several opportunities for our friends to support our mission. Among them are:

• The Camp Young Judaea Scholarship Fund which provides need-based financial assistance to ensure that all Jewish children in our region can participate in our program regardless of their family's financial situation. In addition to the general scholarship fund, donations can be directed specifically to the Frances Wasserman Memorial CYJ Scholarship Fund, the Saul Sinderbrand Memorial CYJ Scholarship Fund, or the Gregg Goldstein Memorial Camp Young Judaea Scholarship Fund.
• The Camp Counselor Fund which provides funding for staff activities designed to enrich the staff experience and is an excellent way to reward the tsevet members who have made a difference in your child's life.
• The Camp Young Judaea General Fund that allows CYJ to put together the best programming and special projects of any camp in the world.
• The Harold & Sonia Raizes Camp Endowement Fund which provides a perpetual fund for the maintenance and care of our beautiful CYJ facilities.
• The CYJ Tree Fund allows us to beautify the CYJ-Texas campus with new trees and at the same time contribute to the forestation of Israel through planting trees with the JNF.
• The Forward Together Capital Campaign, which is a multi-stage construction plan to build new first-class facilities designed to increase the quantity of campers who can attend CYJ each summer.

Camp Counselor Fund Marion & Eliot Berman-Bowytz Linda & Daniel Epner Camp Young Judaea General Fund Golda & Gilbert Baker Sarah & Denis Braham Congregation Brith Shalom Cheryl & Michael Brown Leah Chanin Combined Jewish Appeal of Corpus Christi Naomi & Eyal Enav Natalie & Maxime Fischer Rhonda & Allan Goldstein Debbie & Mark Gottesman Lauren & Jeffrey Goulston Sharon & Eddie Grosman Tobi & Daniel Horwitz Houston Jewish Community Foundation Jewish Federation of Waco Central Texas The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies of San Antonio Dave Kaminsky Amelia & Joseph Kornfeld Joseph Jean Lesser Memorial Special Gifts Fund Jeanne Magenheim Hedy & Bruce Meltzer Shira & Ron Moses Sonia & Harold Raizes Ann & David Ronn Barbara & Stephen Rose Julie & Steven Rubin Muriel Shaw Renee Stanley Levitt Joseph and Helen Swiff Memorial Fund Michelle & Daniel Weiss Harold & Sonia Raizes Camp Endowment Fund Sarah Barr Nancy & Bob Davis Mark Finkelstein Ricki & Milton Frankfort Amelia & Joseph Kornfeld Jessica Laderman Zelene & Robert Lovitt Diane & Steven Morgen Brenna & Jonah Paransky Susan Resnick Carol & Lester Sternberg CYJ Scholarship Fund Dorit & Marty Aaron Marsha & Arnold Abramson Charlotte & Sam Abramson Lori & Jeffrey Actor Robert & Chris Adler Elinor & Leonard Alpert Dorita & Hertzel Aron Golda & Gilbert Baker Miriam Banarer Natalie & Irwin Barath Libby & Bill Baum Francine & Bradley Beckman Judy & David Bell Vicky & Geoffrey Bergman Rachel & Mark Berins Arlene & Barry Berlin Sue Ann & Ed Bersin Sue & Mel Bilich Wendy & Ira Bleiweiss Susan & Michael Bloome Bonnie & Gary Blumberg Yula & Yefim Bogomolny Amy Bossin Peter Boudreaux Diana & Robert Brackman Sarah & Denis Braham Marian & Gabriel Braun Sharon & Daniel Brener Toby & Greg Brown Cheryl & Michael Brown Sherry Carroll Nada Chandler Belinda & Scott Chanin Bonnie Cohen Myrna & Marvin Cohen Murry Cohen Dorothy Corlin Hannah Cotlar Suzy & Robert Cullick Marian & Arthur Daum Eva Davis Carolyn & Scott Davis Robin & Luis Dorfman Frieda & Melvin Dow Ruth & Ray Eagle Bernice & Ruben Edelstein Eleanor & Leon Eidels Barbara & Ben Eisenbaum Elizabeth & Alain Elbaz Gerald Falchook Mona & Richard Farley Lindsay Feldman Roslyn & Ron Ferrell Sandra & Steve Finkelman Abby Finkelstein Shana Finkelstein Nivia & Stanley Fisch Iris & Alan Fisherman Carol & Manny Forkowitz Martha & Don Freedman Charlie Friedman Janet & Mickey Frost Charlett & Marshall Frumin Arlene & Charles Gaitz Sandy & Bernard Geiger Janice & David Gerber Sharon & Sonny Gerber Debbie & David Gersh Lora & Steve Gerson Carol Ginsburg Brion Gluck Charlotte & Bernard Goldberg Rosalie & Billy Goldberg Carol & Michael Goldberg Lynn & William Goldberg Annette & Michael Goldstein Silvia & Mike Goldstein Carol & Lawrence Goodman Ruth & Israel Gottesman Debbie & Mark Gottesman Joann Greenbaum Jo Ann & Robert Greenberg Terry & Alan Greenspan Robin & Bennett Greenspan Eric Grosman Robert Haas Ruth Hendelman Florence & Stanley Hersh Susan & Joel Hoffman Raquel & Lenny Holzman Sheila & Stanley Horn Kenneth Horwitz Laura Huvard Ginger & Michael Jacobs

Tobye & Mort Joachim Lynn & Jeff Kane Joy & Joe Kaplan Laura & Martin Karnett Joan & Lawrence Katz Sharon & Marvin Katz Marcia & Stan Katz Bessie Kaufman Pat & Raymond Kaufman Rebecca Klinger Barbara Kluchin Tillie Koch Amelia & Joseph Kornfeld Rochelle & Dan Kraus Camille Kress Michelle & Harvey Kronberg Lois & Larry Kupor Karen M. LaBelle Maxine & Herman Lapin Karin & Walter Latner Tara & David Lee David Leff Shelly & David Lerman Susan & Gary Lerner Alan & Helen Lerner Helen & Ken Lesartre Bernard & Ronnie Levin Velva & Fred Levine Janice & Jack Levine Sheldon Levine Avi Liberman Barbara & Jeff Lipschuetz Carolyn & George Lipshy Benji Lovitt Leo & Evelyn Ludvig Jeanne Magenheim Leah & James Malick Susan & Howard Marblestone Bebby & Arthur Marlin Mabel Massin Marjorie & Hans Mayer Arlene & Lawrence Maze Julia & Jack Mazow Barbara Melnik Hedy & Bruce Meltzer Elaine & Sam Merwin Pearl & Meir Monk Andrea & Gary Moore Ione & Sidney Moran Renee & Abner Morris Harold & Ethel Morris Cindy & Mitch Moskowitz Shirley & Leon Mucasey Judy & Mark Mucasey Benjamin Musher Karol & Daniel Musher Iris & Uriel Mushin Louis Navias Steven & Nadia Newman Marcia & Jim Olmsted Dolly & Joe Oshman Eta & Ron Paransky Alicia Parra Barak Perahia Debbie & Rick Pezzner Carolyn Plessner E.J. & Gideon Posner Bernice & Joe Potvin Karen & David Propis Nat & Doris Pryzant Harriet Rabb Sonia & Harold Raizes Sidney & Evelyn Reichenthal Mallory Robinson Ann & David Ronn Blanche & Irving Rose Jean & Mervin Rosenbaum Marlene & Norman Rosenthal Benita & Alan Ross Danny Ross Maury Rubin Albert Rubinsky Karen & Bill Rubinsky Carol & Eric Samet Josh Samet Genie & Toby Samo Juli & Alan Scheinthal Manet & A.I. Schepps Sandra & Moe Schimmel Naomi & Britton Schlinke Rozelle & Herman Schultz Elyse & Howard Schultz Ellen & Lewis Schwartz Toby & Jack Segal Sharon & Michael Segal Charlene & Sam Segal Larry Selzer Alicia & Stephen Shanfield Joel & Marilyn Shaw Joyce & Herschel Sheiness Esther Shelby Simone & Frank Silberlicht Rochelle Sinderbrand Leenie & Burt Skolnik Denise Snow Annette & Larry Sondock Ronald Spolane Lois & George Stark Tracy & Gary Stein Vivian & David Steinborn Stephen S. Wise Group of Hadassah Renee & Lawrence Stern Eugene & Ruth Stern Lisa & Brian Strauss Linda Suib Mimi & Leon Toubin Sheila & Louis Train Karen Utay David Vener Alvin & Marcy Vener Gerry & Larry Wadler Sue & Steve Wallock Shirley & Hy Warshaw Ray Wasserman Lea & Charles Weems Bernard Weiner Merilee Weiner Debra & Joseph Weinman Sylvia Weiss Mindy & Miles Wertheimer Sharla Wertheimer Raymond White Sidney White Sylvia Wilkenfeld Judy Winograd Jerry Wische Evelyn Wisenberg Marcia & Irving Wishnow Carole & Joram Wolanow Irene & Alex Wolchansky Keenan Wolens Judy & Ronnie Yambra Jo & Jerry Zeffren Kay & Fred Zeidman

Edith & Robert Zinn Sarah Barr Nancy & Bob Davis Mark Finkelstein Ricki & Milton Frankfort Amelia & Joseph Kornfeld Jessica Laderman Zelene & Robert Lovitt Diane & Steven Morgen Brenna & Jonah Paransky Susan Resnick Carol & Lester Sternberg CYJ Tree Fund Rachel & Mark Berins The Forward Together Capital Campaign Barbara & Stuart Aaron Patti & Mike Abkowitz AIPAC Hazel & Mark Alterman Amicus Search Group, LLC Golda & Gilbert Baker Sharlene & Lawrence Barris Deborah & Reuben Bar-Yadin Tzipora Bar-Yadin Judy & David Bell Roselyn Bell Larry & Helaine Benator Leni Berger Deborah & David Bergeron Lisa & Jay Berlin Linda & Nelson Block Alan Buck Camp Young Judaea Shirley & Meyer Chaskin Nancy & David Cohen Clara Cook Nirayl & Brian Cororve Annette & Jim Cottingham Freddie & Paul Croft Iser Cukierman Marian & Arthur Daum Carolyn & Scott Davis Bernice Feld Sandra & Steve Finkelman Rose & Wolf Finkelman Carol Fisherman Diane & James Foote Carol & Manny Forkowitz Bettie & Brian Forman Marcia & Fred Fox Betty Freedman Sarah & Larry Freilich Fran & Abe Friedman Naomi & Jack Friedman Joy & Robert Friedman Charlotte & Bernard Goldberg Ann Goldfarb Rhonda & Allan Goldstein Debbie & Mark Gottesman Fay Green April & Al Hiller Regina & Joseph Hiller Marsha & Lewis Hoffer Helen & Cornelis Hoogendam Sheila & Stanley Horn Laura Huvard Diane & Jeffrey Josephs Alicia & Julius Kamien Marcelina & Leslie Kane Ruth Kane Natalie & Julius Karp Shirley & Jack Katz Jennis & Irv Kauffman Amelia & Eric Kleiman Amelia & Joseph Kornfeld Miriam & Jacob Lefkowitz Susan & Gary Lerner Diane & Mitch Levy Albert Lewis James Lewis May & Dave Litowsky Elaine Lupovitch Marjorie & Hans Mayer Nina & Hillary Miller Wendy & Rob Milman Lainie & David Mincberg Sylvia Mintz Susan Most Judy & Richard Musgrove Tali & Yosi Navon Susan & Allen Noorily Linda & Jerrold Paine Marcia & Jerome Pappert Brenna & Jonah Paransky Ann Pomerantz Irving Pozmantier Sidney & Evelyn Reichenthal Ann & David Ronn Glen Rosenbaum Marsha & Stanley Rosenblatt Sharla Rosenstein Jane & Larry Ross Richard & Terry Rubin Karen & Bill Rubinsky Marjorie Rumsey Margo Sack The Leon Samet Early Bird Memorial Foundation Carol & Eric Samet Peggy Samet-Fine Linda & Edward Sands Andrew & Alysa Schildcrout Florence Schraub Rozelle & Herman Schultz Toby & Jack Segal Cheryl & Dennis Shequen Barbara Shurberg Jennifer & Arieh Siegal Simone & Frank Silberlicht Susan & Abbye Silver Patsy & Fred Sklar Ellen & Alec Sonenthal Helen & Andy Spector Monika & Enrique Spindel & Norman Veta Celina & Robert Wager Helen Waks Clarice & Philip Wallock David Weisfeld Herschel Weisfeld Michelle & Ronald Weisfeld Myra Weisfeld Rosalie Weisfeld Sheldon Weisfeld Sharla Wertheimer Lawrence Whyte Irene & Alex Wolchansky Karen & David Wolf Terry & Marvin Woskow Judy & Ronnie Yambra Rebeca & Rob Zurawin

It's now possible to donate online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the CYJ-Texas website. You can easily join this list of benefactors who have contributed to the future of our Jewish community by clicking here and filling out our simple donation form (tributes in honor or memory of a loved one are also available through this site). Toda Raba!

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This month, the Lion's Roar was provided with a wonderful picture of the Summer 1991 tsevet (staff) of CYJ-Texas. Rather than spotlighting one person, we encourage you to peruse the photo and try to find the madrich or madricha (counselor) who made a difference in your life or that of your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or friend. Over the last 15+ years, these men and women have gone on to become successful attorneys, rabbis, comedians, designers, doctors, educators, and Olim.

(Click the photo above for a larger image)