Beber Marriages
Tara (Croft) and Jeremy Baker
Tara and Jeremy met in 1998 at the hobby wheel. It was Jeremy’s fifth summer at Beber and Tara’s second. They became friends after a few conversations at the blue swing, the dining hall steps and the old bughouse, and decided to keep in touch. They started dating in 2002 when Tara was at Northwestern University and Jeremy moved to Chicago. Four years later, Tara and Jeremy got married (with seven Beber alum in the wedding party). Tara and Jeremy now both practice law and live in Riverwoods, Illinois, with their six month old daughter, Elle. Elle is looking forward to her first summer at Beber in 2018!
Beth and Chuck Lustig
We met during the summer of 1981. Beth had just finished her freshman year of college and was looking for a summer job. Her father was the International Director of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization at the time and her brother Adam, had been going to camp as a camper since 1977. They persuaded her to go to camp that year. Beth took a job as a counselor at Beber and drove out to Mukwonago. I had been working at camp since the summer of 1978 in various capacities and that year I was the camp administrator. Beth got to camp and went into the office to see where to go and I was sitting at my desk. For me it was "love at first sight". During the first few weeks of camp we became friends, but things soon changed. Our first official date was at the restaurant Pieces of Eight in Milwaukee. At the end of the summer, Beth went back to the University of Maryland and I went back to SUNY at Oneonta to finish my degree. A year and a half later, I took a job in Washington, DC and we were married on August 11, 1985. We were the first Beber Camp marriage. 25 years later we have three wonderful children and live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Erin (Cleeland) and Dave Anderson
For those of you we haven’t met - Dave and I are both Aussies, Dave originally from Narrandera NSW and myself from Phillip Island VIC.
My first summer was in 2004 as climbing specialist and I loved it so much I decided to return! My second year, 2005 was Dave’s first. I was back as climbing specialist and TC head counselor and Dave was on the waterfront as a boat driver. All of us Aussies were quite close and I got to know Dave really well as a friend before anything romatically happened between us!
It was 1st week in 2nd session and both Wu and Swanny were giving me grief about not "hooking up" with anyone all summer and keep mentioning Dave "what abou Dave, he’s a nice guy?"… We hung out alot and nothing ever happened so I figured he just wasn’t interested - I didnt realise he was just shy!!! So one night after some dutch courage at DD’s I made the first move and as they say "The rest is History"
When camp finished up, We said goodbye and that we hoped to see each other back at camp in 2006. Dave travelled around the USA with Purdie, Coates, Pat, Kate and Sharon and I, as I always had planned, moved to Canada to live there for the 10 months on a working holiday till Camp rolled around again the following summer. We spoke everyday whilst Dave was travelling around the country and about 2 weeks before he was due to go back to Australia - He called and said he had decided to come and live in Canada with me! We lived 6.5 months in Calgary and 3.5 months on Vancouver Island in Katie Quinn’s Basement, and returned to camp in 2006.
In 2006 we both worked on the lake boat driving and were both Ramot counselors and we had an awesome summer! We finshed the 15 month trip off with 2 weeks in Mexico before heading home to meet each others families and friends (something most couples do at the start of their relationships, not a year and a half in!)
In 2007 - Stefan twisted our arms and convinced us (Didn’t take much) both to return to camp for Dave’s 3rd and my fourth and final summer. We were on the leadership team which was great - Dave running the waterfront and myself running the pool!
The last night of staff training week 2007, the night before all the 1st seesion campers arrive in front of 100+ staff - Dave shocked eyeryone by telling them how special camp was to him as he met the love of his life here and for that reason he thought it would be the perfect place to ask me to marry him!!! of course I said yes! Was a very special moment and was great to be able to share that will so many of our friends, one that will be forgotten for quite some time!
Dave and I married in February 2008 and we now have our own little Beber camper Riley, who was born in September 2009.
I often get asked how we met - and people are so suprised to hear we had to go all the way over to the otherside of the world to meet each other at a little camp in Wisconsin which will always be a BIG part of both our hearts!
Mindy (Blank) and Bruce Seidman
Bruce went to Beber from ‘82-’88 (skipped ‘87) and I went from ‘83-’89. We knew each other but it wasn’t until our Chalutzim year of 1988 that we became friends. Sycamores was very close quarters as you know. We hung out a lot together that summer. However, we didn’t keep in touch with each other once camp ended. We have many mutual friends (the Louisville group!) from camp so we always knew what each one was up to. I think it was the summer of 1997 and I was driving from DC to Chicago to spend that summer between grad school years at home to save some money. I stopped at Caren Carney’s (a Beber alum) to spend the night. She was living in Cincinnati at the time and it was a great half way point. We spent the evening reminiscing about camp and wondering where people were and found out that Bruce was living in Provo, UT and coaching at BYU. I found that very funny. So, we decided to call him up. Bruce and I had a great conversation and traded information. We spent that summer writing and calling one another. I went back to DC to finish grad school and he came out to visit over Thanksgiving. We had a great time together and started dating long distance. When I finished grad school, I moved west to be with him and we were married in 1999. After several different coaching stops we now find ourselves in Memphis, TN. Along the way we had three kids and a couple of dogs! And, I cannot believe we have a child old enough to go to Beber!
Deena (Swartz) and Dan Zeppelin
“Where did you guys meet?” is a question that we have answered hundreds of times. We look at each other and smile, and then answer in unison, “summer camp!” We then go into our story that takes us back to the summer of 1991 when we first met at Beber Camp. We were friends that summer and stayed in touch throughout the next school year. We reunited the following summer and we were a “couple” by the end of staff training week. We both thought it would be a typical summer fling but it turned into something more. At the end of the summer, we knew this was different.
Meeting at camp was very special. Both of us spent many summers at camp. I started at Beber in the summer of 1985 and returned every summer until 1994. Dan grew up going to Jewish camps in Colorado before coming to Beber as a counselor from 1991 until 1993. We both believed in the same basic values; Judaism, friendship, kindness, respect, importance of family, and enjoying life. We shared camp experiences and could relate to the inside jokes, stories, and amazing friendships.
We were married in 1998. After 12 years of marriage and two beautiful children, Ellie (8) and Sam (6), we still look to Beber Camp and the Jewish camping experience as part of the foundation we have built our family upon. We are thrilled to still be actively involved in Beber Camp. Our daughter, Ellie spent her first summer at Beber this past summer and Sam will join her this coming summer.
Dana (Levin) and David Saltzman
Many Beber alumni recently attended the wedding of David Saltzman and Dana Levin in Detroit Michigan. On November 6, six years after meeting at Beber Camp, Dana and David were married in Dana’s hometown. Both Dana and David came from camp backgrounds and met during the summer of 2004 when both were Makor counselors throughout the summer. David had attended Beber for many years from TC through to the CIT experience and Dana went to Tamarack camp in Michigan for several summers. Family ties to the Feldmans brought Dana to Beber in the summer of 2004 and the rest is history.
David and Dana were often known as Mr. and Mrs. Makor and attended Beber for 3 summers together, always working with the youngest division. Throughout college, they dated long distance between The Ohio State University and Michigan State. Dana moved to Columbus following college graduation and they both now live in Columbus together and welcome any camp visitors. Someday they hope their kids can experience the magic of Beber.
Lara (Johnson) and Darren Napton
Well Darren and I first met briefly in 1997, my first year at camp and Dazza’s 4th year. He helped me make french onion dip when I was thrown in the deep end in the kitchen! But then i didn’t see him again as he was the pio leader and took a trip with the kids out west for the summer.
I came back in May 1998 to help out in the kitchen before camp started and he had become the kitchen manager. I stayed on the camp side in the health centre and one night after bvs Darren and Wu tang (Wouter Sliederecht) decided to switch the power off to the health centre and start banging on the pipes to try and scare me! We went out together quite alot in those first few weeks and then one night after a group ride to dockside we got together.
Daz came out to Australia with me in December 1998 and met my parents and then i met his mum in england after camp in 1999. We were engaged in September and then married in Hawaii in october 1999. We lived at camp until 2001 when we moved to Australia, but after 6 months we got itchy feet and decided to travel again where we ended up living in England.
And we couldn’t resist coming back to camp for 2 more summers! In 2006 we bought a bakery and cafe in the north of england which is where we still are today! Come visit us in the Lake District and visit our bakery (http://www.broughtonvillagebakery.co.uk/).
Becky (Golden) and Marc Altman
After growing up as campers in different age groups at Beber, Becky and Marc finally met during staff week of 1998. They hadn’t seen each other in years and made an instant connection while playing the summer’s first name game on Crown Hall Field. By the end of the week they were a couple and have been together ever since.
The first four years of the relationship brought long-distance challenges during the school year, but Marc and Becky came back to Beber for the summers of 1999 and 2000 to be together (and to be great counselors, of course). After Marc graduated from Brown and Becky graduated with her Mater’s degree from Boston University in 2002, they moved to Chicago, got jobs, and started their life together. After three years, they quit their jobs and spent seven months traveling around the world. Upon returning, they opted for a change of scenery and weather conditions and moved to Phoenix, where Marc started his career in photography. At the end of 2007, Becky accepted an offer to work for Beber full time as the Assistant Director, and they moved back to Chicago where they currently live with Beber’s camp dog, Nelson.
Becky loves her current role in Beber’s leadership, and Marc has the privilege of spending his summers with her as camp photographer. They love spending their summers together in the place where it all began.
