David Fine papers and oral history interview, 2003-2014

In the oral history interview (November 10, 2014), David Fine discusses his upbringing in Oak Park, Michigan, which he describes as a very Jewish suburb. After many years of encouragement by the Rabbi father of a friend, David left his human resources job to become a rabbi. At his first rabbinical position, in a north suburb of Chicago, he was Assistant, then Associate, Rabbi for the 1,000 household-size congregation. In 1993, he and his family moved to Everett, WA, to lead Temple Beth Or. The congregation grew by 1998 from 65 families to 135, and the position changed from half-time, to full-time, and then to 90%. Rabbi Fine was selected for a leadership role in the regional Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations now Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Over 10 years, the number of congregations in his region, the Northwest states and western Canada, grew from 21 to 35. A significant part of this interview features detailed first-hand information about Camp Kalsman: its name, his search for properties appropriate for a camp, and how they came to get the Love Israel property in Arlington, WA in 2004. Rabbi Fine's URJ position evolved to his current title: Rabbinic Director of the Small Congregations Network of the Union for Reform Judaism, a job which involves primarily phone calls and traveling. He has an honorary Doctorate from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and is proud that his son is now studying to become a rabbi.

Papers include existing structures information on Camp Kalsman (2003-2004) and correspondence from members of the Love Israel community (2004) regarding the legal transfer of the property upon which Camp Kalsman is located to the Union for Reform Judaism.