Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute
Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) | |
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![]() ![]() Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) | |
Location | 600 Lac La Belle Dr, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 |
Coordinates | Coordinates: 43°08′18″N 88°32′16″W / 43.1382099°N 88.5377485°W |
Operated by | Union for Reform Judaism |
Established | 1952 (69–70 years ago) |
Website | osrui |
Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) is a Jewish overnight summer camp and conference center located in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The camp attracts over 1,000 children each summer, mainly from the United States and Canada.[1] It serves children in second through twelfth grades in a variety of programs, including specialized arts and Hebrew language units.
History[]
Olin Sang Ruby was founded in 1952 and was the first summer camp of the Reform Movement of Judaism. Its founding director was Rabbi Herman Schaalman.[2] The camp has operated continuously on the same property since its founding.
The camp has been a major source of Jewish musical output over the past several decades, hosting the Hava Nashira song leaders workshop.[3] Popular Jewish singers and composers including Debbie Friedman, Craig Taubman, Danny Maseng, and Dan Nichols, among others, have all served on the faculty of Hava Nashira. Friedman also served as a songleader at the camp in the 1970's, which is where she started her musical career.[4] OSRUI was also briefly home to Sofer, the Jewish Writers Workshop, which brought prominent authors to the institute to teach writing.[5]
Staff[]
The camp's director is Solomon "Solly" Kane. He was preceded by Gerard W. "Jerry" Kaye, who served in the position for 48 years before his retirement.
Notable persons[]
Staff and Faculty[]
- Debbie Friedman, singer/songwriter. Former camp song leader. Co-founder of Hava Nashira.
- Danny Maseng, composer, singer and actor. Founding director of the Tiferet arts program. Former director of Hava Nashira.
- Dan Nichols, singer/songwriter. Faculty for Hava Nashira.
- Cantor Jeff Klepper, singer/songwriter. Co-founder of Hava Nashira.
- Julie Silver, singer/songwriter. Faculty for Hava Nashira.
- Rabbi Herman Schaalman, founding director of OSRUI.
- Gerald Stern, American poet. Faculty for the Jewish Writers Workshop.
- Rodger Kamenetz, American author. Faculty for the Jewish Writers Workshop.
- Steve Stern, American author. Faculty for the Jewish Writers Workshop.
- Howard Schwartz, Folklorist and author. Faculty for the Jewish Writers Workshop.
- Senator Russell Feingold, US Senator for Wisconsin. Served as faculty for the Lerhaus program.[6] Also sent his children to OSRUI.
- Osvaldo Romberg, served as a visiting artist at the Tiferet arts program.
- Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf, important American Jewish leader of the 20th century. Former faculty and Rabbinic Advisor.
- Gary P. Zola, Professor of Jewish History at HUC-JIR. Former unit head of Chalutzim Hebrew immersion program.
Campers[]
- Jason Brown, Olympic Bronze medalist in Figure Skating.[7]
- Garrett Weber-Gale, Olympic Gold medalist in Swimming.
- Rebecca Jarvis, American journalist.
- Joe Mande, comedian.[8][9]
- Jeff Erlanger, disability rights activist. Also served as a counselor.
- Amy Webb, American futurist and author.[10]
- Daniel B. Shapiro, American diplomat and former US Ambassador to Israel.[11]
References[]
- ^ "About OSRUI | OSRUI". osrui.org. Retrieved Feb 10, 2019.
- ^ "Rabbi Herman Schaalman, an interfaith pioneer, dies at 100". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "The Reform movement across the United States is alive with the sound of music". Haaretz.
- ^ "Beloved US Jewish songwriter, Debbie Friedman, dies".
- ^ "July 4, 1997".
- ^ "OSRUI hosts Feingold - Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle".
- ^ "Figure Skater Jason Brown Takes (Jewish) Aim at Winter Olympics Gold".
- ^ Jewish Summer Camp. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08.
- ^ @JoeMande (29 December 2016). "@skinnyjewperson it was called OSRUI" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Webb, Amy (31 January 2013). "Data: A Love Story". Slate.
- ^ "Ambassador Dan Shapiro: From Illinois to D.C. to Israel" (PDF). JUF News Chicago. January 2018.
External links[]
- Youth organizations based in Wisconsin
- Jewish summer camps
- Jewish summer camps in the United States
- Jewish summer camps in Wisconsin
- Reform summer camps