Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute

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.

Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI)
Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) is located in Wisconsin
Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI)
Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI)
Location600 Lac La Belle Dr, Oconomowoc, WI 53066
Coordinates43°08′18″N 88°32′16″W
Operated byUnion for Reform Judaism
Established1952 (70–71 years ago)
Websiteosrui.org

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 Beth Rodin, who has served in the role since 2022. From 2017-2022 the Director was Solomon "Solly" Kane, who served as Executive Director from 2022-23. Kane 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.
  • Rabbi Mark S. Shapiro, important American Jewish Leader, mentor and Senior Rabbi of BJBE in Glenview, IL
  • 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

References
  1. "About OSRUI | OSRUI". osrui.org. Retrieved Feb 10, 2019.
  2. "Rabbi Herman Schaalman, an interfaith pioneer, dies at 100". Chicago Tribune.
  3. "The Reform movement across the United States is alive with the sound of music". Haaretz.
  4. "Beloved US Jewish songwriter, Debbie Friedman, dies".
  5. "July 4, 1997".
  6. "OSRUI hosts Feingold - Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle".
  7. "Figure Skater Jason Brown Takes (Jewish) Aim at Winter Olympics Gold".
  8. Jewish Summer Camp. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08.
  9. @JoeMande (29 December 2016). "@skinnyjewperson it was called OSRUI" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. Webb, Amy (31 January 2013). "Data: A Love Story". Slate.
  11. "Ambassador Dan Shapiro: From Illinois to D.C. to Israel" (PDF). JUF News Chicago. January 2018.
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