Alumni Spotlight - YOAV KAUFMAN

Yoav Kaufman and his wife, Tali.
Below, Yoav (far right) & friends at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI.

In this week's alumni spotlight, we want to give a shout out to Yoav Kaufman for making the very first contribution to our
CYJ ALUMNI FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE!!

Many thanks to Yoav for stepping up to the plate and answering our call for help. But we also need YOU to help ensure that CYJ-Midwest can continue to give kids the very best summers of their lives! We have no doubt that if we all participate, we can easily meet our goal by September 1st (if not earlier).

Please go online today to make your tax-deductible gift to CYJ. http://cyjalumni.googlepages.com/thealumnichallenge

While you're there - why not sign up for this summer's reunion?! In only 2 weeks, CYJ alumni from around the country will be coming to Chicago & Waupaca to re-connect with old friends and to show their children just how amazing a summer at CYJ can truly be!
Sign up today: http://cyjalumni.googlepages.com/

** We'll be updating our alumni spotlight more frequently in the lead up to the reunion so make sure to check back often! And drop us a line cyjalumni[at]gmail.com to share your story!**

Name - Yoav Meir Kaufman
Hometown - Deefield, IL
Current location - Beer Sheva, Israel

Years attended camp - 1985-1992 ( including CYJ West and Year Course) (Mazkirut: Merekez Chinuch L'Ofarim v Tsofim 1991-1992)

Favorite camp song - "Gesher Tzar Mayod" and lively improv renditions of "'Aint Gonna Work on Saturdays" in the Cheder Ochel

What I've been up to lately - I made aliyah a little under four years ago after getting back to Israel on the WUJS program (a post college Israel program that is now run by Hadassah: http://www.wujs-arad.org/). I met my wife, Tali, on WUJS and we got married in Sept 2005. Our wonderfull and energetic daughter Karen was born in Sept. 2006. I've been working for Negev Direct Marketing (http://negevdirect.com and http://jewishdonorblog.com) as a list manager and list broker for over three years now. I spend my work days helping a variety of Jewish businesses and Jewish non-profit organizations with their direct mail, email and telemarketing campaigns.

How CYJ has affected your life over the years? - I always looked forward to my summers at CYJ as a kid. Summers were THE time of year year to connect with friends, kick back and have some good clean fun (sometimes at the expense of my madrichim... if you're reading this David Brody my sincere apologies :). A strong Israel as the Jewish home and Zionism were a couple of the main values that affected me later in life and influenced my decision to make aliyah.

Alumni Spotlight: DAN RICHTER

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Currently: Short Hills, NJ
CYJ years: 1981-84, 87-88, 90-92

Favorite Shira Shketa: Zemer Nugies (Ha tishma Ko...HA TISHMA KOLI! richoki she RICHOKI SHELI) I can sing both parts at once.

Doing Now: I'm working with Citigroup as an Accountant for Hedge Fund clients. I married a Young Judaean from New Jersey, Micole Cohen. We have 3 yeladim each with a kova with shalosh pinot, shalosh pionot al hakova sheli.

How CYJ affected me: I've never lost my zeal for a good raid. I try to pull of a good raid once a week. Set up our dining room table outside. TP the neighbors tree. Pajamas on top of the flag pole. Spell out words with my cars and the neighbors' cars. (We don't have many canoes in our town.) My value system: built on a bedrock of the 5 Zionist thinkers - a little AD Gordon, a little Ahad Ha'Am, and the other 3 fellas, whatever their names were. I don't begin breakfast, until I've fully sung out the song about waking the dead birds. At work, at the storied Citigroup, I've organized my minyans into Task Forces - each responsible for a Special Day every month. And if one Task Force doesn't come up with a Special Day or a good enough Special Day...extra Toranut!!! So I guess you can say CYJ has had an impact on me. Amod noach.

Dan Richter & family will be attending the CYJ Alumni Reunion
...will you??

Register today! http://cyjalumni.googlepages.com

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If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Alumni Spotlight, please send an email to cyjalumni (at) gmail.com with the following information: Name & hometown, current location, years attended camp, favorite shira shketa song (or other camp song), a few words on what you've been up to lately & thoughts on how CYJ has affected your life over the years. Also, please include a current photo and, if possible, a photo from your camp years.

LOST & FOUND

Looking for an old friend?
Post your inquiries in the comments section below!

(Please DO NOT post someone's contact information on this site. Either contact the person directly or send the information to cyjalumni (at) gmail.com so we can forward it on.)

Thanks!

Alumni Spotlight: ALISON BANK

Women from Flint (from left)

Jennifer Chimovitz, Alison Bank,
Mara Flamenbaum, Jenny Richmond

Alison Bank circa Ofarim

As part of our ongoing efforts to help CYJ reconnect, we will be featuring one of our alumni on our blog each week until the reunion. We hope that the Alumni Spotlight will help you catch up with some of your friends from back in the day and perhaps provide new business opportunities among our CYJ alumni community!

If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Alumni Spotlight, please send an email to cyjalumni (at) gmail.com with the following information: Name & hometown, current location, years attended camp, favorite shira shketa song (or other camp song), a few words on what you've been up to lately & a thought on how CYJ has affected your life over the years. Also, please include a current photo and, if possible, a photo from your camp years.

We're looking forward to seeing many of you at the reunion! Don't forget to register today!

ALISON BANK

Hometown-- Flint, MI
Current location -- San Francisco, CA
Years attended camp/ty/yc--7 years at cyj, 3 years at ty, year course 94-95
Favorite shira shketa song?--Yerushalayim Shel Zahav

What have you been up to lately?

I've been doing photography for about 10 years now and I've owned my photography business for 3 years, based out of San Francisco. I shoot a lot of travel work, editorial work for magazines, private commissions, weddings, small ad campaigns and lots of kids and babies!

I love to travel and I feel grateful that my job allows me to do a lot of it. My job has taken me to Kenya, Brazil, Morocco, Switzerland and I can't seem to stay away from Michigan, where my lovely niece and nephew are. I'm always available for hire. I don't have any upcoming shows, at the moment, but folks can check out and purchase my work at www.alisonbankphoto.com.

In what ways has CYJ/camp generally had an impact on your life?

A year ago I ran into a camper of mine in NYC who I hadn't seen in 10 years. I'm always struck by how the camp-bond seems to persist throughout the years, regardless of where all our different paths have taken us. I think that my years in CYJ helped to define who I am and encouraged me to be the adventurer I've become.