This Thankful Thursday, we pause with heavy hearts to remember and give thanks for the life of Paul J. Reichenbach—a giant of the URJ, a champion of Jewish camping, a mentor to so many, and a beloved member of the extended Camp Coleman family.
Paul passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, September 13, surrounded by his family, following a brief battle with ALS. For more than 44 years, Paul devoted his life to the Union for Reform Judaism and to creating meaningful Jewish experiences for generations of young people. As co-director of Kutz Camp, leader of the Reform Movement’s Teen Israel programs, and, for 17 years, Director of Camping and Israel Programs, Paul helped shape the vision and direction of URJ camping across North America.
But Paul’s impact cannot be measured by titles or years of service. His greatest gift was people.
Paul had a seemingly magical ability to remember everyone. He could tell you where someone was from, when and how he first met them, what they had been doing over the years, where they worked, what synagogue they belonged to, and who their friends were. He knew the URJ camps just as intimately. After visiting every camp every summer, he could tell you how to get there, which airline to take, the best flight based on your loyalty program, which rental car company to use, and exactly where to turn once you arrived. And, remarkably, he was almost always right.
That encyclopedic knowledge came from something much more meaningful: Paul paid attention. He cared about people. He remembered them. He checked in on them. He made people feel seen.
And he showed that same extraordinary commitment to our camps. While the rest of us might have been exhausted after visiting six camps in a summer, Paul seemed to have boundless energy. He was everywhere—showing up for our communities, supporting camp leaders, answering calls at all hours, and making sure that the young people and professionals who made Jewish camping possible had the support they needed. He believed the two best things you could do for a child was send them to Jewish summer camp and send them to Israel.
Paul’s connection to Camp Coleman was deeply personal. His grandchildren, Leni, Max, and Ben, along with their parents Joanna (Joey) and Eran, are part of our Coleman family, and all three are current campers. Paul was also a member of Camp Coleman’s Chai Society, extending his commitment to Jewish camping to the very place where his grandchildren were creating their own Coleman memories.
His legacy will live on in so many ways at Coleman — through the campers whose lives are shaped by Jewish camping, through the families who find community here, and through generations of young people who discover that camp can become a place that feels like home.
There are many ways to describe Paul—leader, mentor, teacher, advocate, colleague, friend. But perhaps the most fitting is simply mensch. He brought a Judaism that was joyful and accessible, and a leadership style rooted in warmth, humor, generosity, and genuine human connection. He had an extraordinary ability to make people feel that they mattered.
Camp Coleman is thankful for Paul J. Reichenbach—for his decades of service to the URJ, for his unwavering belief in the transformative power of Jewish camping, and for the countless young people and communities whose lives are richer because of his work.
Paul’s memory will live on every summer when a camper discovers that camp feels like home, when a young person finds their Jewish community, and when generations of campers return to the place that helped shape who they are.
We hold Joey, Eran, Leni, Max, Ben, and the entire Reichenbach family close in our hearts.
May Paul’s memory forever be for a blessing. We are truly thankful for you.