There had been a few less formal Saginaw Alumni gatherings in the 1980’s and 1990’s, but the notion of reunions on a more regular basis was hatched in the summer of 2001 by Ira Deming and Curt Heffler in Ira’s living room. Their idea was Saginaw Alums getting together every three years to kibitz and share memories of their good times at Saginaw. The two of them stewarded more formal attempts in 2002 and 2005 but the most ambitious event to date was three years later on the campus of the old place in Oxford, Pa in the fall of 2008.
1980s to 1990’s
1980’s Reunion: Back Row L/R-Neal Abrams, Jerry Blumenthal, Eddie Abrams, Barry Greene, Others Front Row: Joel Levin, Edye Greene, Joel Goozh, Hank Aberman, Jim Korman
1980s Hill Court: Top Row-Howie Center, Joel Levin, Howard Libby Front Row- Larry Abrams, Joel Goozh, Butch Thomas, Eddie Abrams, Steve Sugar
1980s: Cary Reines, Bruce “Blazer” Sklar, Brian Redman, Jack Weiss, and Don Gettinger
1980s: Joan Bachrach, Leslie Roth, Diane Goldman, Jackie Abelman, and Eydie Kotzin
1980s: Back Row-Jackie Abelman, Francyn Elion, Diane Goldman, and Barbara Perlin Front Row-Leslie Kogod and Leslie Roth
1980s: Barbara Perlin, Jackie Abelman, Eydie Kotzin, and Diane Goldman
1980s: Back Row- Francyn Elion, ???, Bertie Dwartz, Bonnie Hayman, and Hope Kramer Front Row: Peep Hayman
Early 1990’s: Cary Reines, David Lipsein, Bruce Sklar, Bobby Haft, and Rick Schaeffer
Same time frame Bobbi Newman and David Lipstein sharing a hug
Francine Elion and Sheri Lipstein
Sheryl Silverstein, Elyse Spatz, Ellen Packman, Sue Riskin, Maria Siegal, and Stacy Shinberg
1993 from top to bottom: Joan Sirkin, Sharon Weiss, Sherri Sirkin, Eileen Jacobs, Fern Gendason, Bobbi Newman, Sandi Sherr, Elyse Spatz Kaplan, April Riskin, Sue Riskin, Bev Gurk, Sheri Lipstein and others
1989: A camp map Jim Korman created to reorient visitors to the reunion
At the 2005 reunion Hank Aberman, Mickey Rothstein, and Larry Abrams
On the grounds in 2005: Mike Lindner, Cary “Monk”Reines, Bob Frankel, Carl Silverman, Bruce “Blazer” Sklar, Hank “Zeus II” Aberman, Rick Schaeffer, Jack Wilen, Jeff “Coop” Cooper, and Bill Shapiro
Alumni reunions really jumped to a new level in this 2008 iteration under the assiduous direction of Ira, Curt, Brian Redman, and Alan Harris. Some 200+ folks showed up from literally every generation that ever attend Saginaw and they enjoyed as much of three days of nostalgic revelry as they could handle in September of 2008. It was like a giant Hill Party with a full crop of the Acropolis in attendance as well.
2008
The Heffler/Deming Combo directing traffic at the 2008 Reunion
Founders of Hill and Acropolis: Hank Aberman, Sherrie Serkin, Mickey Rothstein, Kathy Aberman, and Sandi Sherr
Hillmen All-Back Row: Eddie Abrams, Sandy Levinson, Joel Levin, Butch Thomas, Hank Aberman, Jim Korman, Larry Abrams, Stan Weinstein, Jeff Mand Front Row: Steve Goldman, Gerry Ginsburg, Barry Greene, Barry Handloff
Old running mates: Butch Thomas, Barry Handloff, and Hank
Plenty of grey beards: Connie Chalick and Barry Greene
And sweet smiles: Maddy (Lavine) Zimmerman, Jim Korman, and Peep (Haymen) Cohen
Circles of friends: Bobbi Newman, Sharon Kushner, Ned Korman, Sandi Sherr, Kathy Aberman, Sharon Weiss
Top Row (L/R): Beth Brooks, Nancy Abrams, Karen Elfman, Sherri Berger, and Susan Klugman Bottom Row: Elise Elfman and Karen Moses
Top Row (L/R): Susan Landis, Harry Altman, Amy Liebowitz, Brad Heffler, Jay Passman, Marla Glickfield, Nancy Ross, and Russ Whittier Bottom Row: Rob Steinberg, and Hillary MichaelsonHarry Altman and Jody ReinesArthur Dubin, Ellen Reines, and Cary ReinesSloane and Jon Fish with Marcee and Andrew SenkerPatty Carver Shechtman, Remi Cohen Tammaro, Jessica Fink, Nancy Carroll, Debbie Fink, Marcee SenkerSisters In Arms: The Fink sisters and the Carver sisters
Last to leave: Debbie Altman Brockman, Mona Kleinman Shapiro, Karen Frankel Heffler, Mark Goldstone, Randy Garfield Friedman, Randie Garfield, Scotty Snyder, Simone Saidman Dickstein, Lisa Goss Paul, Curt Heffler, Randi Alper Pupkin, Ira Deming, Stacy Shinberg Benjamin and Donna Perlmutter.
The common denominator throughout the weekend was catching up with old friends, telling big fish stories, participating in camp style activities, and partying with the help of an ample stock of adult beverages.
Listening to and talking to golden oldies in the Canteen
Brian Redman, one of the protaganists, with Steve and Susan GreeneSandy “SS” Saidman, Bruce “Blazer” Sklar, and Cary “Monk” ReinesAformentioned Adult Beverages: Toasting are Jon Fish, Ira Deming, and Jeff RuddMarcee and Andrew Senker tending barJon and Sloane Fish caught in the lights
There were campfires, stage entertainment, sing alongs, softball games, field activities, color war (The Red Peckers against the Blue Balls), even the Medley Relay with the rope burn.
Red Team Captains Jim Korman and Hank Aberman lead to another color war victory
Ned Korman and Sheri Lipstein stoking the flames for the Medley rope burn
The winner and still champions!
Who could forget Over-Under a staple at Saginaw for 60+ years
Sandy Katz playing jacks in the bunk
Apres Softball: Back Row (L/R) Donna Permutter, Laurie Berman, Lois Katz, Ronnie Baer, Sherrie Sirkin, Sandi Sherr, Eileen Jacobs, Wendy Miller, Nancy Buckhantz Front Row (L/R): Bobbi Newman, Sharon Korman, Cindy Melnick, Sandy Katz, Sheri Lipstein
The commitment to do this every three years hence was made as people realized how important it was to keep up with those with whom you made lanyards, canoed, swam, and showered in your formative years.
Older and wiser but still enjoying each other’s company: Bill Shapiro, Moe Dweck, Bruce Dove, Steve Greenblatt, Howie Greenblatt, and Barry Handloff
The Big Four reunited: Barry Greene, Joe Gimbel, Joel Goozh, and Eli Silverstein
These reunions remind us that there is just something special about the relationships created and fostered at a place like this.
3 thoughts on “Saginaw Alumni Reunions 2008 and Earlier”
Thoughts written after the 2008 Reunion:
I left this weekend full of Saginaw and its people, but still yearned for more time to go beyond the sparkle-eyed excitement of being there, and “merely”! having fun, and finding, somewhere in the stunning poetry of memory song-words written by our young selves, the utter ripeness of us 17 year-olds, eons ago.
Saginaw always was, and still is, a religious experience. I am filled with gratitude for the gift that I was given–that we all were given– to grow up in “ritual” time where every moment held transformative possibilities. The reunion created this space anew for us, allowing us to open, again, the possibility of transformation as we relived, renewed, repaired our connections to one another.
It was not the Hill or the Acropolis that was ever so important. It was the opportunity, at every moment, to become who we could become. When we returned, year after year, we did not come back to the same place, ever. If it happened right, we were different, and what we gave and what we took from Saginaw was, each time, different. And a time came, for all of us, when we had to leave even this garden. But, as we each, in our own way, wandered in deserts, heading toward our own promised land’s creation, we had within us a reservoir that had been filled by Saginaw. We had within us Eden, because we had been there.
Brian, Ira, and everyone: thank you for opening the gates to the garden once again, for creating Camelot for one brief, shining moment. The weekend flooded my soul with where I began and with all of you who once, as we walked on be-rooted paths together, entwined your arms around me while mine encircled you, allowing us all to say “yes” to what spread itself before us.
Sheri (Lipstein) Lindner
I hope that you are planning to attend our 2017 reunion this September. Every 3 years since 2002 we have returned to “the garden spot of pennsylvania” to reunite with out friends, laugh, play, drink and relive the memories of our youth. We are already anticipating a huge crowd spanning 7 decades of campers and staff. Please save the dates and of course feel free to contact me with any questions…imddpm@aol.com
Saginaw Super Senior Alumni 
Thoughts written after the 2008 Reunion:
I left this weekend full of Saginaw and its people, but still yearned for more time to go beyond the sparkle-eyed excitement of being there, and “merely”! having fun, and finding, somewhere in the stunning poetry of memory song-words written by our young selves, the utter ripeness of us 17 year-olds, eons ago.
Saginaw always was, and still is, a religious experience. I am filled with gratitude for the gift that I was given–that we all were given– to grow up in “ritual” time where every moment held transformative possibilities. The reunion created this space anew for us, allowing us to open, again, the possibility of transformation as we relived, renewed, repaired our connections to one another.
It was not the Hill or the Acropolis that was ever so important. It was the opportunity, at every moment, to become who we could become. When we returned, year after year, we did not come back to the same place, ever. If it happened right, we were different, and what we gave and what we took from Saginaw was, each time, different. And a time came, for all of us, when we had to leave even this garden. But, as we each, in our own way, wandered in deserts, heading toward our own promised land’s creation, we had within us a reservoir that had been filled by Saginaw. We had within us Eden, because we had been there.
Brian, Ira, and everyone: thank you for opening the gates to the garden once again, for creating Camelot for one brief, shining moment. The weekend flooded my soul with where I began and with all of you who once, as we walked on be-rooted paths together, entwined your arms around me while mine encircled you, allowing us all to say “yes” to what spread itself before us.
Sheri (Lipstein) Lindner
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I hope that you are planning to attend our 2017 reunion this September. Every 3 years since 2002 we have returned to “the garden spot of pennsylvania” to reunite with out friends, laugh, play, drink and relive the memories of our youth. We are already anticipating a huge crowd spanning 7 decades of campers and staff. Please save the dates and of course feel free to contact me with any questions…imddpm@aol.com
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On behalf of all the super seniors-we salute Moe for what he does for our entire alumni group-he goes above and beyond… Joel L
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