The Legacy of Rosalie and John Eulenberg at Camp Young Judaea Midwest


From Miffie Nagorsky, Friend & Camp Young Judaea Midwest Board Member
 

Board Retreat at Camp Young Judaea Midwest

Rosalie and John Eulenberg, friends and board members of Camp Young Judaea (CYJ) Midwest, were dedicated to creating a Jewish experience for young children. In the 1980s, when CYJ was looking to add board members. Miffie Nagorsky brought a number of friends to the summer board meeting at camp. One of these women was Rosalie Eulenberg who, soon after, joined the board and served as a board member and then as treasurer for many years.  Rosalie and her husband John had attended Jewish camp and absolutely loved their camping experience. They were devoted to summer experiences for youth although they never had their own children. They were dedicated supporters of Israel through Hadassah and believed in transmitting Jewish and Zionist values through camping.  



In 2006 John passed away, yet Rosalie remained active on the camp board until her health began to fail in the early 2010’s. In 2015, after Rosalie moved into a long-term care facility, hearing stories about CYJ brought Rosalie great joy.
 
In 2016, Miffie Nagorsky visited Rosalie after the annual board meeting at camp. Miffie had previously brought her grandsons, current CYJ campers, to visit Rosalie to share their camp experience. Now Rosalie wanted to know how CYJ was doing, especially in terms of the facility. When told of the current needs of the camp and the plans CYJ had developed for the next decade, Rosalie was moved to discuss the possibility of leaving a gift to Camp Young Judaea Midwest. She wanted to make sure the gift would be used for immediate facility needs plus money for future projects.




Miffie Nagorsky

In December 2016, Rosalie Eulenberg passed away. The result of the conversations Miffie Nagorsky had with her was that Camp Young Judaea Midwest was the beneficiary of a bequest of over $275,000. Last summer, with stories from current and former campers, staff, and board members, Rosalie’s gift was celebrated by the camp board and her friends in a ceremony that recalled both Rosalie’s and John’s dedication and contributions to Camp YJ Midwest. Rosalie and John Eulenberg’s generous gift speaks to the value of conversations and donor stewardship. But more importantly, it speaks to the family Camp Young Judaea Midwest builds and creates each summer.


Service honoring Rosalie and John Eulenberg