Camp Massad

Well, come on ! Everyone who went to Massad Ontario was famous in his or her own way, right?

Did you know that the famous CNN news correspondent Wolf Blitzer went to Massad, Ontario ? So did Patti Starr of the famous 80's scandal that rocked Toronto!

Regardless how famous you were/are, we want to hear from you ! Please email us a report on what you have been up to and we will paste it onto this page.

Lynda Szedlecki
"Lynda Marks Kraar was alt.country when alt.country wasn't cool"
Lynda Marks and the Marksmen were more than just a passing fancy in Toronto's nightclub scene during the 1980s. Slinging a flashy Gretsch Chet Atkins Nashville, or an old L-series Fender Telecaster around her neck, Lynda Marks was a singer songwriter whose music rocked many a house in a multitude of American roots styles, from rockabilly to rhythm and blues to reggae...

As the decade progressed and alt.country came out of the closet, Lynda took time out to have a family and to become a serious fund raiser on behalf of social causes. But she never hung up her rock'n'roll shoes..."
http://www.geocities.com/artists_tzora/kraar.htm

Baruch Rand, Camp Director 1968
"Rand is now a respected educator and the founder of the Toronto Heschel School (noted for its nurturing spirituality and promotion of social justice). He and his wife Jackie have become our good friends at LArche Daybreak, a community of people with developmental disabilities and their friends. Sometimes we ask them to talk to us about Judaism. This year Rand spoke at Daybreaks Holocaust Education Week..."
http://www.jcrelations.net/res/porter2.htm

Wolf Blitzer
"Late Edition is CNN's live newsmaker interview program. Late Edition offers the last word on breaking news and is often a prime source for page one newspaper stories the following day. The program is hosted by CNN's Wolf Blitzer and airs Sundays from 12-1:30 p.m. (ET)."
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/late.edition/

Dr. Karl Skorecki
"The DNA Chain of Tradition - The Discovery of the "Cohen Gene"
"...Dr. Skorecki considered, "According to tradition, this Sefardi and I have a ommon ancestor. Could this line have been maintained since Sinai, and throughout the long exile of the Jewish people?" As a scientist, he wondered, could such a claim be tested?

"...Being a nephrologist and a top-level researcher at the University of Toronto and the Rambam-Technion Medical Center in Haifa, he was involved in the breakthroughs in molecular genetics which are revolutionizing medicine and the study of the life-sciences. He was also aware of the newly developing application of DNA analysis to the study of history and population diversity..."
http://www.cohen-levi.org/dna.htm
Here is a new link for Karl (summer 2007):

Mark Turkienicz
"No 47 August 1999
FROM PAST TO FUTURE - IMPRESSIONS FROM THE ANNUAL MEETING
"...Our annual meeting was held on May 8. 1999 at Givat Hayim-Ihud. Some 250 participants were present - from the first, second and third generation...
"..."Mark Turkienicz from Toronto gave us a copy of statutes from Terezin, dated July 15, 1944."
www.cet.ac.il/terezin/d-k8e.htm

"Mark Mietkiewicz is a Toronto-based television producer who writes, lecturer and teaches about the Jewish Internet. His columns alternate with those of James D. Besser. "
http://www.jewishsf.com/bk000623/sfcyberlinks.shtml

Audrey Kekst, Marketing Director
"KA Inc., Architecture was established in 1960. The firm has achieved a national reputation for upholding a timeless standard of excellence in the art of architecture. This large, Cleveland firm fosters a remarkable environment where staff pursue a dual commitment to architecture and client service.

"...Years of dedication to quality are achieved through superior designs and total client devotion at every project phase. For every client, KA Inc., Architecture maintains a constant goal to provide value beyond fees..."
http://www.kainc.com/

Cantor A. Eliezer Kirshblum (Director, 1974)
Chazan, Adath Israel, Toronto
http://www.adathisrael.com/clergy.htm and
"Friday night - Adath Israel
"The Adath Israel Men's Club was our first host for the weekend. We began with services in their chapel, led by their Rabbi Steven Saltzman and Cantor A. Eliezer Kirshblum along with their synagogue choir. A most memorable and enjoyable service!"
http://www.fjmc.org/greatlakes/convention2000/convention2000.html

Lee Davidson (email: lee.s.davidson@intel.com )
Brief history since Camp Massad (1970 or so)
It's been a long time since camp! Somehow made it through high school, cut my hair and went to work as an auto mechanic. That didn't look too promising after a year or so. Went to Israel and built chicken coops at Kibbutz Kinnereth. Came back and did a year of chemistry at Buffalo State, and then back to Israel for a year of Mechina at the Technion. (Ran into Edie Lipson and Sharona Freudmann over there too BTW). Made it through most of that year and came back. Got into SUNY Buffalo and graduated in 1981 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Went to work at Motorola in Arizona, designing implements of war mostly. Left that for the glamour of the business side of things and world travel. Have been at Intel Corporation for nearly 14 years now, the last 4 in Portland, Oregon. Various work at Intel included Marketing, Technical Management etc. Currently doing contract and license management (I serve as interpreter between lawyers and engineers). Don't travel now unless it's for pleasure, (am partial to France, Italy, SF and Seattle) and spend as much time as I can with my kids.

Other stuff: Was Shabbat Cantor at Arizona State Hillel for a couple of years. Have two children: Sarah age 10 and Becky age 7. Raced cars for a few years for grins. Recently earned a black belt in TaeKwonDo. Getting married for the second time soon