After the Gesher Banquet of Thursday night both Gesher Assistant Supervisors, Rachel Klein and Julia Sherman were presented with their 5 Year Staff sweatshirts. Below are the remarks shared about each of them. 

To Rachel
On the occasion of receiving your Five Year Sweatshirt:
A legacy to Harlam, your fate was sealed
Your mother, aunt and cousins time did yield
A future as bright as the stars in the sky
Many new experiences you did try
It began with a Taste of Camp in 2008
You were hooked on camp – for summers, you couldn’t wait
From Sharon to the ‘Rah, then Israel and Gesher
Joining the staff was never a question
Your time on staff has been varied and great
Following your kids as they reached a new state
Galil and K’far, and Galil yet again
Your expertise made you a mentor and friend
From these strong beginnings, you have paved your own way
To the unit of Gesher, who you inspire each day
Your loyalty, devotion and leadership too
Make you a role model to those who surround you
Your future is bright wherever you go
Because the Harlam path says it’s so
A leader, a mentor, advisor and friend
Though it’s been 5 years, this isn’t the end
Jared, Nathaniel and Elliot all follow your lead
Continuing the Lee/Klein family tree
Harlam is lucky to have you in our midst
This poem’s almost over – but you get the gist
Five years is a milestone – you should be so proud
So let’s all stand up and shout it out loud
Rachel Klein, you will kick butt at whatever you do
Because the spirit of Harlam is inside of you!!

To Julia
It’s hard to know where to start
Especially since her leave is impending and we’ll soon be apart
How can I even begin to describe
The gifts of this beautiful girl who is sometimes seen by my side
I’m speaking about Julia, one of our Gesher assistants this year
Who also has years as a counselor and let me be clear
The quality and depths of bonds she’s created
With too many to name but it needs to be stated
Julia cares so deeply about so many people here
The new bonds with our Gesher group she holds so dear
But even more worth noting is the impact she has had
On so many on staff, in both good times and bad.
We often commend people about being a trusted friend
Sometimes there’s disappointment and it comes to an end
But with Julia if she says she’s there for you, it with heartfelt truth
This has been her mantra with campers still in their youth
And as these campers grow up they turn seamlessly to peers
The ages erased, seemingly less distance in years
And it is these bonds she creates that she should make her most proud
I’ll scream it from the Chapel (Beit) nice and loud
And speaking of loud, Julia can bring levity to moments with that contagiously loud laugh
It’s can even be heard in the Chadar, more like a laugh and a half
The laugh can sometimes really catch your off guard
But it’s nice to hear, especially when times are hard
So as this session comes to an end
As we wrap up talking about Julia and her strengths as a friend
I wish her well as she heads off to Penn
And I look forward to the time I will see her again.