Libenu’s New Camp Lev!
A wonderful time was had by all at Libenu’s inaugural Camp Lev, an extension of our Lev Lilah overnight respite program. From August 20th to 23rd, Libenu welcomed 14 campers to our pilot program at Camp Red Leaf in Ingleside, with swimming, boating, ziplines, s’mores, hayrides, a paint run, arts and crafts, and even candle making. Residents from our homes came up on the opening day for a day of fun and a BBQ.
This new intersession program was planned to give parents a break from caregiving between the end of their child’s summer camp and the beginning of school – a stressful time for families. It also gave campers a chance to take part in activities that many of them had never participated in before. Camp Lev parents expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the staff and this extraordinary program:
“What a fabulous few days this has been! The pictures show all the fun these precious kids are having, sheer delight! What a blessing to have such loving angels in our lives.”
“Thank you for all of these unbelievable activities. The days were full of unforgettable experiences that they will carry in their hearts – magical moments of fun and caring.”
“This week is normally such a stressful time for our family, but not this year! Thanks to Libenu, we were able to get our other children ready for school and send one off to Israel. Camp Lev was an incredible gift to our family!”
Yasher koach to our extraordinary team members, Rivka Schaffel – Lev Respite Supervisor, Dina Baker – Director of Programs, and Kaley Cohen – Libenu’s Nurse Administrator, as well as our dedicated staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this program a success. Thank you to Eric Rothner for his vision and continued support in making Camp Lev a reality. Stay tuned for more exciting developments and programs.
Announcing the new Lev Avigayil Libenu Center
In Memory of Gale Rothner a”h
Libenu is proud to announce the purchase and development of our new Lev Avigayil Libenu Center, donated by the Rothner Family in memory of Gale Rothner a’h. Lev Avigayil will become a permanent home for Libenu’s Lev Respite on Touhy Ave. in West Rogers Park and will enable us to expand programming to meet the growing needs of our families. The center will also provide space for new adult programs and more. Heartfelt thanks to Eric Rothner and family for their incredible generosity and support. Stay tuned for updates as we work on bringing this exciting project to fruition.
The Berkowitz Family Libenu Golf Outing
Great Fun for a Great Cause!
With perfect weather more than 200 Libenu supporters gathered for THE event of the summer – the Berkowitz Family Libenu Golf Outing! Golfers enjoyed playing the beautiful course at the Ravinia Green Country Club. The day featured a delicious BBQ lunch and dinner, exciting raffle prizes – the most popular one, it seemed, was the 4 lb. Romanian salami – signature cocktails, Rita’s ices, gourmet food stations along the course and, of course, each other’s company. Mazel Tov to this year’s “Kiddush Cup” winners, Jason Amrani and Troy Jarvis (AM) and Jonathan Dress, Max Dayan, Alex Jakubowski, and Michael Jacobson (PM).
This year, we were excited to add a pickleball tournament to the festivities. Congratulations to the winners, Syed Lateef and Wasim Chowdhury. Much thanks to Osvaldo Montelongo and his team from ConnectCareHero, for sponsoring the pickleball paddle giveaways and to CRBN for the donation of the tournament prizes. Thank you to Selkirk, Holbrook, and Paddletek for the raffle prizes and gifts.
Heartfelt thanks to Dudi Berkowitz and family for generously sponsoring the annual golf outing; Dovid Seitler, whose outreach helped make the event a tremendous success; Jason Amrani for his help with the golf swag; Mitch and Max Dayan, who first conceived of the golf outing eight years ago; all our new and repeat sponsors and participants; Ben Larson, Libenu’s Director of Operations, whose outstanding event planning and organization made the day run smoothly; and to all of our dedicated staff and volunteers. Libenu owes you all a tremendous hakarat hatov!
Thank You!
Libenu’s Annual Report 2022
We are proud to present the Annual Report for Libenu. This report highlights our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional kosher residential opportunities, robust after-school and overnight respite care to families, and tireless advocacy for the rights and inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Within these pages, you’ll gain insight into the profound impact of Libenu’s work, as we continue to create a brighter, more inclusive future for all we serve.
