Informing The French Woods Community

French Woods Festival

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THE PERFORMER IS YOUR NEWSLETTER!!!

The Performer is only as good as the contributions we receive from the French Woods
community. Let us know what is going on in your life. Your camp friends love to hear what you
are doing. Do you have a performance or concert coming up? Have you seen or spoken to French
Woods friends? How did your sports team do this season? We also welcome your photos and any
creative writing you may want to see in print. Itʼs your big chance! Write us at P.O. Box 770100,
Coral Springs, FL 33077-0100 or give us a call at 1-800-634-1703.
OUR E MAIL ADDRESS IS admin@frenchwoods.com.
We all love hearing from you!
All the news thatʼs fit to print.
See yourself in the French Woods Performer.
1-800-634-1703 in FL 954-346-7455
Coral Springs, Florida 33077
PO Box 770100
WINTER OFFICE
of the Performing Arts
French Woods Festival

Dear Frenchwoodite,
Well, the fall is whizzing by and registra-
tion is going full speed ahead, as you will see in
the Already Registered section of this newsletter!
Are you on the list yet?
Barbara and I are enjoying the time at home,
but think of you often as we watch last summerʼs
theatrical videos. They really look great this year.
In addition to the video departmentʼs doing a bang
up job over the summer, we have invested in some
additional duplicating equipment for high quality
copies. Those of you who have already received
your DVDs realize the incredible step forward the
kids have taken in this area.
Back at camp, the long awaited athletic
fields are finished. They will all be lit for night
games and ready for you to use in 2005! Hardball,
softball, soccer and football are
ready to go.
Please keep those letters
Beth
Backstage
After a week or so bounc-
ing around Manhattan, Iʼm back in
Florida and ready to go. Michael
and I have resettled into our home
& finally organized the Florida
office. Next stop, returning staff
for the summer of 2005!
Iʼve been going over the
applications from last years staff
and so many of our favorite staff
members will be back for round
two (and sometimes three or
more!) Next come the hiring fairs
The Sherie Beth Weinstein
Memorial Fund
Family and loved ones are in the process of forming the Sherie Beth Weinstein Memorial Fund. The proceeds from the
monies collected will be used to provide a scholarship to Camp this summer for a deserving and talented youngster/s). French
Woods has agreed to match any dollars they receive.
Sherie spent many summers at French Woods as a camper, staffer and most recently as a Theater Director. She was
memorialized in a moving tribute at the camp on Tuesday, July 29, 2004 and a building has been renamed in her honor at
camp.
So many of you have asked what you could do to ease the pain of her untimely death. We ask that you remember this
very much beloved young woman by making a donation to the Sherie Beth Weinstein Memorial Fund. All contributions will
be tax deductible and acknowledged as soon as the Fund is established and will be held until then.
Sherieʼs warmth, sweetness and bright smile lit up a room. She will long be remembered by all who were touched by
her. Her loving family and fiancé all very much appreciate the outpouring of care and support at this very difficult time.
Please make your checks payable to The Sherie Beth Weinstein Memorial Fund and forward it to:
The Sherie Beth Weinstein Memorial Fund
c/o Ron & Shelly Merson
2 Woodland Road
New City, N.Y. 10956-2609
Sincerely,
The Sherie Beth Weinstein
Memorial Fund
September Birthdays!
1 Lucie Allouche Daniel Bachrach Claire Borders Rachel London

and e-mails coming! We love in the USA and abroad and weʼre Gabriela Gonzalez
Catherine (Katie) Merfeld
8 Quinn Cohane
Emily Nash
Chelsea Wadsworth-Mirviss
Ashley Owen
Hannah Root
Mark Gordon
hearing what youʼre up to and off and running! Rashad Haynes
Joeylyn Yockey
Sarah Nusbaum
Conner Frost
17 Sam Spaiser
Samantha Marks
Matthew Smith-Burlage
Camille Loiacono
how you are keeping your- Rebecca Battat
2 Neal Hanna
Bridget Gabbe
Quinn Cohane
Justin Klein
Julia Nackenson
Hannah Rose
26 Hannah Rosen
selves busy over the winter. Alexa Rae Beyer 9 Maggie Brennan Ciara Anbri Arielle Kaufman

Until next month! We have quite a bit planned Beth Jacobson

Sophie Quist
Jason Kaplan
Anjelica Svatek
Sam Spaiser
18 Aaron Farenback-Brateman
Ilan Macadam - Somer
Tavia Merchant
Katrina Gould Jenna Gregory Davita-Bonnacci Frankel Alyssa Liriano
Fondly, for next summer already and you 3 Alana Cohen
Mickey Di Battista
Sarah Brown
Max Siegel
Vanessa M Ferranti
Talia Handler
27 Jake Berkowsky
Rose Schaeffer
can view the centerfold of this Kerianne Di Battista
Allegra Judah
Ariana Loizias
Emily Whaley
Callie Weinstein
Chelsie Nectow
Christa Lupo
Dustin Scaccetti.

Ron newsletter to see how many of your David Russell

Sadie Banks
4 Melanie Haberman
Kana Yokota
Alexis Adler
Maggie Brennan
Jordyn Gottlieb
19 Benjamin Ehrlich
20 Samantha Eisenberg
28 Zurin Villanueva
Jodi Savitz
Zachary Strecker
friends will be back with us. Will
IN THIS ISSUE
Daniel Daks 10 Lauren Foster Louisa Pough Alec Mactas
Hailey Marcus Itamar Aviram Claire Joanne Freeman 29 James Dawson
you be there? Taryn Wiens
Cory Bolotsky
Hannah Sachs
11 Jessica Rosenthal
Andrew Wotman
Jacqueline Gould
Samantha Goralnick
Rachel Shinder
Daniel Armas Jared Stier Sarah Koch 30 Randi Olan
We hope to see you in 5 Kyle Axman
Scott Weiner
Sabrina Kapadia
Jaclyn Schultz
Erin Stabile
21 Jasmyn Howell
Noelle Burger
Alison Heller
* W E ’R E A LREADY REGISTERED 2005! Matt Harrison
Jason Mariasis
Emma Tronier
Robert Sanon
Ella Greenstein
22 Samantha Elkan
31 Molly Perelman
Shayna Skibinsky
Justine Rosenblat Sydney Gross Alexandra Perro Stef Millman
All the best, 6 Rebecca Gallick Kane Ritchotte Jillian Freitas
Rebecca Youngdahl Michael Dadurian Elizabeth Andretta
* C A M P E R & STAF F NEWS Alyssa Maio
Hannah Levintova
12 Alexa Lebersfeld
Melissa Welikson
Eddie Lyons
Brenden Garcia

Beth
Jaclyn Mitgang Melissa Skolnik 23 Jessica Spar
Varun Bajaj Amanda Doman Paul Alshooler

* R O N , ISAAC & BETH

Thomas Wolfson 13 Michael Bello Tucker Patterson
Brittany Alexis Cho Ben Bram Sophie Blumberg
Rose Bochner 14 David Joseph Freeman Zoe Sidel
Maelle-Charlotte Charpie Melissa Hartman Sabrina Ghalili
Emily Einhorn 15 Joseph Hughes Jessica Spar
* W HAT’S NEW Rebecca Gallick
Jessica Zeidman
Jared Gelman
Marianne Rendon
24 Jessica Volpe
Alexis Silow
7 Alexander Scelso Joey Batlan Maxwell Schoenbaum
Leah Cohen 16 Joey Schatt Elizabeth Mitchell
Kimberly Hirst Kate Valiska 25 Arielle Carmel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

 Camper &Staff News
Rochelle Windman was in the Independent film For the want of a Queen, featured in a scene with
the main character. The movie will be finished in December. In early January she will go to the Baltimore
Independent Film Festival, and the premiere of For the want of a queen.
After a fun filled Family Camp, Susie Mccann Stayed with Joe Triffiletti for a week and got a
chance to see the talk show The View while spending time in the city. Next, sheʼs off to Chicago, San
Francisco, Las Vegas and Seattle, where she will be visiting with Starlet Jacobs. She will finally end up
in London, where Iʼm sure that she will see loads more French Woods Counselors. Sounds like a great
trip!
Look for Katie Gansler in the opening funeral scene in John Travolta Ladder 49 - released (finally)
Oct. 1 2004. We hope this will be the first of many films for her. Have a great winter & see you in ʻ05!
Zachary Sherin had his first musical gig this month. He performed his cello for the wedding of his
first baby sitter!
The Hockstein family (Sharon, Steven, Dan, and Eli) have been selected to be on an upcoming
episode of the HGTV show Mission: Organization. They will be taping us transforming our totally
unorganized (ok, chaotic and sloppy) “junk” room into a guest room / home office. “Stay tuned” for
details on when it airs!
Corey Steinfast will be playing the role of Roger in Grease in his local community theater.
Caron Eule and James Gibson performed in a dance piece (she danced with two others, James
played piano) called Nocturne (music by Chopin) a couple of weeks ago at the Flea Theatre (Off Off
Broadway) in New York City.
Remy Zaken performed in the world premier production of The Little Princess in California.
Remy played the role of the scullery maid.
Had any French Woods staff knocking on your door? Any achievements or performances
we should know about? Let us know for future issues of “The Performer”.
That’s the news and we’re outta here!!!
Isaac’s Corner
As of October 1 there are only 254 more days until session 1 2005 opens its doors for our new
four session summer. More French Woods than ever before.
The Importance of the French Woods Bunk Experience
Over the yearʼs many parents have asked me about the importance of the bunk in terms of the total camp
experience. Some believe that the traditional camp offers a more valuable camp experience.
In my 23 years at French Woods, I have always viewed French Woods as a camp that offers all the activi-
ties and experiences that any camp in the world could offer and then much more. I chose French Woods for my
children because I wanted them to be exposed to the children that attended the camp as well as the abundance of
creative and artistic activities offered here. My kids loved sports, the out doors, and the like and I realized that at
French Woods they could partake in swimming and sailing, and tennis, and baseball and basketball, and fencing,
and wrestling, and biking, and hockey, and skating and football and soccer, yes and even horseback riding; but at
French Woods they could also learn to play an instrument, be in a show, be in a band or orchestra, learn to dance,
build a set, learn about video, sound, and lighting, throw a pot, make a puppet, screen a shirt, create an animation,
fly on the trapeze, the list is endless. Although other camps might have some of these activities, you could not
find another camp that has all of these wonderful activities in one place over one summer.
Through all of these activities, one thing that stands out in my mind is the tremendous support that the
campers give to one another. The French Woods camper is more precocious and more introspective that the aver-
age child; they are brighter, more inquisitive, creative, motivated and supportive. This is just the environment that
I would want my children to be exposed to.
At my sonʼs wedding there were four tables of French Woodites. One table was filled with boys from
boys 1, the young men he started camp with and almost twenty years later still counted them as his most important
friends.
Joey, Erin and Brittany Champey were all on the computer last night speaking to their camp friends from
around the country and making plans to visit with them whenever the chance presented itself. It is these relation-
ships that will last a lifetime. The sharing and the camaraderie are incomparable.
I see the bonds at French Woods being very strong ones. The bunk is very important. Remember, the
campers leave the bunk every morning and go out and work hard to learn and achieve at various activities. They
must learn their songs, lines, and dances for a show. They must learn and rehearse the music for their concert.
They must practice and rehearse their circus acts. They have baseball and basketball practice. Many times they
are with various members of their bunk and sometimes their interests separate them from some of their bunk mates.
But at the end of the day, and at every meal they reunite with their “bunk”; itʼs their safe haven, itʼs their support,
itʼs their best friends, itʼs like coming home after a tough day and knowing that your “family” is there to comfort
you and share in your successes and, yes, your hardships as well.
French Woods is more sophisticated in many ways. Children attend for three weeks, six weeks, nine
weeks, and, now, even twelve weeks. Parents worry that their child will not get the support from their peers that
a traditional camp might offer. Just ask your children. The boys and girls await the new campers with open arms.
They cannot wait to help them, orient them, and take them under their wings. At one time, they were the new
campers too, and they were welcomed with open arms and made to feel that French Woods was their home away
from home.
For my children and Kathyʼs children, we can honestly say that French Woods changed our childrenʼs
lives for the better. It opened them up to a magnificent learning experience in the company of the most amazing
and extraordinary people one could ever meet.
Again, the importance of the bunk at French Woods cannot be denied. The team
building and the camaraderie far exceed any oneʼs expectations. Although the camper meets
and develops relationships with peers outside of the bunk, the bunk remains one of the most
important aspects of camp life. Our counselors are trained, with the knowledge that the bunk at
French Woods is the most important aspect of camping. We are so successful because we start
with this premise and move on from there to create one of the most incredible environments in
all of camping. Bye for now,
Isaac
 We’re Already Registered!
Peter Aamoth Michelle Burschtin Doriet Fischer Jillian Harris Rebecca Kuznick Lauren Moore Hannah Roukas Amanda Jane Stern
Isabel Abraham-Raveson Michael Buszczak Jordyn Fisher William Harris Romy Van ` T Laar Gabrielle Moretto Ariana Rudess Zak Stevens
Jessica Abramson Mark Bylancik Rachel Fleishaker Melissa Hartman Vincent Van `T Laar Nicholas Moretto Debbie Sachare Eve Stever
Ryan Adams Anna Cage Jenna Fontanetta Rebecca Heath Scott Labove Claire Morrell Samantha Sadicario Jared Stier
Bianca Alenik Nora Casper Reisa Forster Lena Heller Samantha Lange Shamir. Morrison Lea Sarodjo Jason Stier
India Allouche Brittany Champey Alexander Fox Rose Heller Sophie Lavine Jordana Moser Ethan Saviet Sara Stookey
Lucie Allouche Erin Champey Rachel Fox Max Herbst Eric Lawrence Rachel Moskowitz Arielle Schechtman Alison Stuart
Priscilla Allouche Joseph Champey Allison Frank Josie Herbst-Longenecker Alexa Lebersfeld Sarah Moskowitz Emily Scheiber Anjelica Svatek
Samantha Allouche Kayla Chandler Harley Frank Laura High Benjamin Leff Loren Moslin Danielle Scheinthal Evan Brown Tabacco
Morgan Anderson Amanda Chang Micaela Frank Rebecca Himmelstein Jenny Leon Ben Moss Scott Scheinthal Rachel Taub
Elizabeth Andretta Alex Charrak Richard Frank Taylor Hirshfield Perry Leon Gracie Nash Rebecca Schimmel Dan Tenzer
Erin Antoville Lindsay Charak Davita-Bonnacci Frankel Heather Hodder Carolyn Levande Naomi Natko Julia-Rose Schmid Afton Thomas
Natalie Atkin Lisa Ciaccio Josh Freilich Melissa Horadam Kathryn Levin Taylor Ness Benjamin Schrager Johnathan Topol
Sydney Atkin Terese Classen Allison Fricke Maddie Horowitz Liz Levin Sydney Newman Hallie Schreiber Rebecca Topol
Matthew Auster Lucy Cobbs Ryan Fugitt Blair Hotchner Jessica Rose Levine Eric Nirenberg Adam Schultz Austen Tosone
Kyle Axman Quinn Cohane Simone Furhman Nicole Howard-Bloom Sarah Levine Paul Nirenberg Evan Schultz Jacob Tripp
Danielle Bachar Benjamin Cohen Jenna Gagliardo Sydney Elyse Huffman Tyler Levine Sarah Nirenberg Alexander Schwartz Emma Tronier
Daniel Bachrach Martin Cohen Rebecca Gallick Joseph Hughes Ben Levitt Alexandra Noble Çatherine Schwartz Erica Turret
Brian Barnes Samantha Cohen Natalia Galynker Jared Isaacson Sam Levy Allison Oʼ Toole Jennifer Schwartz Diana Valenti
Alanna Baruch Tony Cohn Kathryn Gansler Stephanie Israelson Ben Lieberman Lily Offit Michael Schwartz Joey Varvaro
Molly Becker Molly Collins Hali Garber Emily Jacobs Ian Lieberman Abby Olan Jilian Seltzer Natasha Vaughn
Meryl Becourtney Leah Contovasilis Jeremy Garber Juliet Harrison Lief Gena Olan Joel Seltzer Diana Velasquez
Daniele Sara Bell Sofia Kathryn Coon Daniel Geigerman Jacobs Dara Faye Liling Randi Olan Lindsay Semel Jessica Volpe
Elizabeth Belnap Molly Croce Remy Geller Dylan Jenks Jessica Lim Koby Liliana Omansky Ariana Seraita Justin Wachman
Nicole Beloyianis Jennifer Cutler Jared Gelman Lauren Jentleson Justin Lipman Dylan Pager Jeremy Shanker Ddouglas Wagner
Rebecca Ben-Amou Nicole Cutrone Gabby Gertel Alexandra Joester Lily Lipton Eddie Pailet Dana Shapiro Sarah Wahl
Sarah Bennett Jimmy Damiano Molly Gervis Michael Jorisch Sam Locklin Andrea Persampieri Emily Shaw Brandon Waller
Molly Berenhaus Samantha Derby Rachel Gestwick Alana Joseph Rachel London Denise Persampieri Julia Shaw Stacie Weinberg
Jacqueline Berger Kerianne Di Battista Jeremy Gilston Matthew Joseph Mia Longenecker Julia Gabrielle Phillips David Shear Sara Westheim
Danielle Berkowsky Mickey Di Battista Alexa Giordano Nicole Jubelirer Sam Longenecker Becca Pickett Beth Sheil Kayla Whipple
Nathalie Berman Rachel Diamond Nikolette Giordano Adam Kahn Alley Lorell Krista Pioppi Kelsey Sheppard Travis Whipple
Arielle Berne Julia Dick Amanda Gluck Josh Kahn Simona Lourekas Lara Pitkowsky Emma Sherr-Ziarko Annie Whitehurst
Samantha Bilinkas Matthew Dick Zachary Gluck Mallory Kahn Brianni Lundy Alexandra Pottash Cody Sherrin Sarah Wildman
Kalie Birnbaum Zachary Dick Jason Goldberg Rachel Kalina Alex Lurie Brandon Powers Zachary Sherrin Matthew Wildrick
Alice Rose Bishop Rachel Dimowitz Lauren Goldberg Joanna Kamien Ilana Maccia Daniel Pratt Rachel Shinder Aliya Wilkes-Klein
Lindsay Bloom Rachel Dodson Alex Goldklang Jason Kaplan Daniel Mactas Joshua Pratt Alison Shlom Jeremy Wind
Bridget Blum Marisa Douenias Ariana Goldklang Kate Kaplan Elyssa Mactas Bryan Prywes Evan Shlom Rochelle Windman
Brittany Blum Joel Dresnick Taylor Goldman Samantha Kaplan Michelle Mactas Lisa Prywes Stephen Shortz Margot Witter
Matthew Blum Caroline Dreyfuss Jamie Goldstone David Karol Eric Maitland Schuyler Quinn Scott Shuldiner Elizabeth Woodham
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Cory Bolotsky Brooke Egerman Samantha Goralnick Julia Katz Judith Mandel Sarah Radov Julie Siegel Zackary Yeager
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Jamie Brand Max Ehrich Kenny Gould Madeleine Kimble Becky Marcus Dylan Riback Emily Silverberg Rebecca Youngdahl
Jeremy Brauner Emily Einhorn Kim Gould Lucie Kittel Hailey Marcus William Rich Jessi Silverman Marisa Zable
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SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER!