Posted on 04/04/16
Baltimore, Md - Mar. 31, 2016 - Steve Attman’s involvement with Camp Shoresh, in Frederick, Maryland, started when he was looking for a tutor for his son, Michael. The Co-CEO and Principal of Savage, Maryland based Acme Paper & Supply Co. Inc., a third generation business that is one of the Nation’s largest suppliers of Restaurant Equipment, Disposable Food Service packaging, Janitorial supplies, Cleaning Equipment and Industrial Packaging, was recently chosen as the President of Camp Shoresh. In an exclusive BaltimoreJewishLife.com interview, he shared his story:
“Michael was attending Hebrew School, but I wasn’t happy with the overall Jewish education he was receiving. I wanted something more for him, that would both help him to learn, and would connect him to our traditions. So, through a relationship I had with an old classmate from Talmudical Academy, I was introduced to Rabbi David Finkelstein. From the first tutoring session with Michael, which my wife Lisa and I both sat in on, we could tell this was exactly what we were looking for. “Rabbi Dave” was someone who could educate Michael, Jewishly, and help him connect to his Judaism and heritage. Michael’s interest in Judaism was growing, so we moved him to Beth Tfiloh Day School the next year, for Middle School. Rabbi Dave was also a regular teacher at BT, so we were able to maintain our relationship. As our relationship grew, we were introduced to Shoresh, where I saw a lot of opportunity to get involved, to impact other children who wanted to connect to their heritage and enhance their Jewish education similar to Michael”
Staff and campers of Camp Shoresh - Summer 2015 (Photo Credit: Esky Cook)
Steve joined the Board in 2000, before Shoresh purchased its permanent property. He gradually became more active on the Board, and as the campus was built, his family was one of the first to step up to help establish the foundation of Shoresh’s property.
“Shoresh’s Attman Village is a project sponsored by my family, together with the families of my Uncles Seymour and Lennie Attman,” explained Steve. “It was given to perpetuate their belief in supporting an opportunity for every Jewish child to learn about their roots. Our family deeply believes that knowledge of legacy and heritage enriches life to an immeasurable degree. It is because of this belief that my family has become so involved with Shoresh. The connection that Rabbi Dave, Rabbi Asher Stein, Rabbi Tuchman, and the rest of the Shoresh staff has with the children is every bit as engaging now as it was in the very beginning, which enables Shoresh to make a huge difference in children’s lives.
“My belief is that the engine of Shoresh is the camp, which draws the children to be involved,” continued Steve. “Once the children get involved, they gain more of a connection to some aspects of Judaism than they had before. Some had no connection at all, some had a grandparent who was connected to Judaism, some had a little bit more than that. But the eventual goal is that, however much time they spend in Shoresh, and however much they get out of it as a positive Jewish experience in their lives, they possess the necessary skills and commitment to become active members of the greater Jewish Community. When they are ready to move on with their lives and go to college, they will be able to include Judaism in some part of their lives, such as by joining Hillel or other Jewish organizations. Because of Shoresh’s professionals, the mix of our children, and our camp activities, people will learn more, and experience the joy and fun of their Jewish heritage.”
Shoresh opened up 37 years ago as a small summer day camp servicing 19 unaffiliated Jewish children in Frederick, Maryland, with the intent of helping them explore their Jewish heritage. The camp was initially only three weeks long; it soon expanded to four weeks. Following its early success, and armed with the desire to imbue Jewish children with a strong sense of positive Jewish identity and connection to their Jewish roots, Shoresh continued to emerge. Over time, the staff extended its programs to include year-round events for its children, and created new branches of the organization geared to engage teens. Thus, the Fidler Teen Torah Center was established. Weekly and monthly learning sessions and events culminate in exciting yearly trips for Shoresh’s teenagers.
“These trips to places such as New York, California, Arizona, and Israel provide much-needed Jewish inspiration and a wonderful opportunity for Shoresh participants to make tremendous strides in their spiritual growth,” remarked Steve. “Trips also renew and cement relationships between group members and their exceptional Jewish advisors who serve as mentors and close friends to the participants year-round. We found that the desire for Jewish knowledge and connection expanded to the parents, who said, ‘My children are asking me things I forgot. Could you help me learn more?’ So our Adult Education Program was then formed. As our campers aged, we created informal opportunities for teens to continue to learn and connect at Starbucks. All of this just came from the camp being so accessible to the children. So, Shoresh has become an organization for everyone, as they say, ‘from baby to Bubbie’.”
Sixteen years ago, Shoresh and its Board realized that the purchase and development of a campus was vital to sustain and grow the organization. Shoresh worked intensely to purchase a wonderful 107-acre property and have channeled tremendous time and effort toward its development. Establishing this campus enabled the organization to expand its reach to additional geographic locations, thereby greatly increasing its number of participants to nearly 500 campers, ka”h, while offering many other various programs.
Steve’s responsibilities as the president of Camp Shoresh will include presiding over the board and executive committee meetings, and working with the Director, board, staff, and committee chairs to further Shoresh’s mission.
The Attman family attending a Shoresh event
“I act as the board ambassador and spokesperson to the larger community on behalf of the organization, and I introduce potential donors and participants to the full array of programs offered by Shoresh,” noted Steve. “My role as president is to bring greater structure to the organization. Shoresh has had a Board of Directors for years, as well as professional staff, and Chairmen that have had an active role in building the entire foundation of Shoresh for the last 35 years. Given the tremendous growth of Shoresh in recent years, I felt it was important to expand the model of governance. As such, I created an Executive Board to deal with the short to medium term issues that needed to be handled, which could then be brought to our Board for votes and discussions. I also created an advisory board, headed by Josh Fidler, comprised of people who have been instrumental in building Shoresh’s foundation. Their role is more strategic, with a focus on five to ten year planning. Their goal is to maintain continuity between the initial vision the founders had of Shoresh when it was first created, how it operates today, and what the organization hopes to accomplish in the future.”
Shoresh is a truly unique organization that offers a one-of-a-kind camping experience. Its campers are immensely diverse, both geographically and in terms of their backgrounds. They hail from such areas as Frederick and surrounding Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. They come from all religious affiliations and educational backgrounds. Children who attend Jewish day schools and public schools learn and play together, with a mutual respect and desire to strengthen their connection to their heritage while having a great time. Campers from areas that contain strong Jewish communities engage with others from areas that lack these communities in a supportive and fun way.
Shoresh’s 107-acre campus offers such features as a pool with graded entry, archery range, basketball courts, soccer and baseball fields, and playground. It also features both high and low challenge courses, as well as the second longest zip line in Maryland. An old barn houses the arts and crafts program, dance studio, and game room, while a 1950’s vintage diner is Shoresh teens’ favorite place to hang out. Its 17,000 square foot Community Center also boasts an expansive auditorium complete with a stage, kitchen, library, and early education wing. Shoresh bunkhouses and Family Cabins provide additional space for our campers to learn, daven, and engage in bonding activities together.
In striving to provide both exceptional Jewish engagement for its children, and an amazing overall experience, this summer, Shoresh is offering some really amazing new campus additions and programs. The campus now features a 9-hole mini-golf course, complete with Jewish themes, as well as a human foosball court. In terms of programming, the camp has added several new components, such as edible arts, a spa day for our young ladies, and woodworking.
“We are so excited to continue to add to our offerings for our campers, and we anticipate that our kids will really enjoy these new features,” said Steve. “Personally, I enjoy hearing the stories from first-time Shoresh attendees about how much they enjoy their camp experiences, and how they feel Shoresh is the greatest camp ever. It makes me feel good to hear them sing and laugh with their fellow campers all through the day.
“I feel very fortunate to have a leadership role in such an influential organization like Shoresh,” concludes Steve. “My parents, Mildred and Edward Attman, a”h, raised me with a strong Jewish identity and sense of commitment to my Jewish community, and I feel very privileged to contribute to experiences that strengthen this in others. The Foundation for Jewish Camps conducted a research study in 2011 that examined the long-term impact of Jewish camping on children as they reach adulthood. The researchers found significant results, in that Jewish camping immensely deepened the sense of belonging that former campers felt within their larger Jewish community as adults. Specifically, their findings demonstrated increased feelings of attachment to Israel and Jewish identity, as well as regular synagogue attendance and donation to Jewish Federations. This study demonstrates the important and far-reaching impact of Jewish camping, which Shoresh not only recognizes, but exemplifies. I am thrilled to be actively involved in such an organization that helps so many individuals discover and maintain connections to their roots and our larger community, not just in childhood, but throughout their lifetime.”
Camp photo by:
