Karyn and Charles Bendit

Harry S. Feller Award

Karyn and Charles Bendit are proud to be receiving the Harry S Feller Award which Charles' father Benjamin, may his memory be a blessing, is a past recipient.
 
Charlie is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Taconic Partners. Taconic is an owner, operator, and developer of commercial and residential real estate. Taconic has acquired, developed, or repositioned over 15 million square feet of commercial space and over 5,000 apartments, primarily in the New York City metro area. Earlier in his career, he was a managing director at Jones Lang Wootton, where he was responsible for property acquisitions, sales, and financing for the firm’s international clientele, focusing on New York, Washington, DC, and Toronto. In these latter two cities, he established JLW’s regional offices and business platforms. From 1990 to 1993, Charles traveled through Europe as a liaison between JLW’s European and US offices. A graduate of George Washington University, Charlie is actively involved in the educational community serving on The George Washington University Board of Trustees and is a member of the Advisory Board of the University’s Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis. Charles has served two terms as the Manhattan representative to the Board of Regents of the New York State Education. Charlie is a member of the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York and on the Board of the Partnership Fund for New York City.
 
Karyn, a native of South Africa, is a proud alum of Jewish Day Camp having attended Habonim as a teenager. After graduating from the University of Cape Town, she worked in public accounting and finance. She is currently on the board of the New York Theater Workshop and previously served on the boards of Rodeph Sholom Day School and Synagogue as well as the Education Alliance.
 
The Bendit family is a multigeneration NJY family and recognize the impact of Jewish camp. They are proud to continue the legacy of Charlie's parents Rosalyn and Benjamin, may their memories be a blessing, who generously supported NJY's scholarship efforts for many years. Karyn and Charlie are proud parents and divide their time between New York and Connecticut. 

 

Beth & Dr. Joel Selter

Benjamin Bendit Family Award

Beth & Joel Selter have been proud members of the Camp Nesher family since 2001. In a twist of fate, after having previously registered their eldest daughter, Yael, for a one-month session, Beth was approached to see if she might be interested in filling a last-minute opening for the Drama Director position. Beth’s response? “You’re crazy! My summer is all set and besides…I HATED camp as a kid! There is just no way!” Upon sharing the story with Joel, he ran to the attic, took down the suitcases and said, “Call Jeff, I’ll start packing!” Thus began the love affair between Camp Nesher and the Selters - Beth, Joel and their 5 children, Yael, Eitan, Aliza, Isaac and Isabelle, aka, “Izzy.”
 
Beth’s degree in theater and her passion for singing were perfect entrées into working as a teaching artist both in camp and in various Jewish Day Schools in the NY/NJ area, where she produced and directed a multitude of theatrical productions. Additionally, Beth is a Cabaret Artist and continues to perform her own one-woman shows in various venues throughout New York City.  Her most recent adventure is as Artistic Director of the Great Room Arts Salon, an intimate cultural venue that she and Joel have established in their home in Wesley Hills, NY.
 
Joel, a busy physician running his multi-location practice, Allergy & Asthma Care of Rockland, relished his role as a commuter spouse and his “honorary” staff-member status. Lending a hand in everything from Visiting Day parking and tent building to chazzaning, from choir performances to consulting as the volunteer “on-call” Allergist, Joel quickly became a camp icon, one who could be depended upon to help in any and every way.
 
Beth & Joel are deeply grateful for their 18 summers at Camp Nesher and forever indebted for having had the opportunity to raise their family in the most grounded, wholesome, spirited and spiritual summer home they could ever have hoped for. Both they and their children learned lifelong lessons and created lifelong friendships, especially Yael who met Jonathan Green while on staff together and later became Camp Nesher couple #19! Now, as they are blessed to watch their grandchildren grow, they look forward to seeing 3rd generation Selters take to the Camp Nesher stage!