A 13-year-old's bar mitzvah project is turning a Farmington Hills parking lot into an outdoor cinema on Aug. 12, with every dollar raised going to mental health and inclusion programs for kids at summer camp.
Levi Rothberger of Bloomfield Hills will host "BE YOU at Tamarack," a family-friendly movie night on Wednesday, Aug. 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the JAN-PRO Detroit parking lot, 32823 W. 12 Mile Road. Admission is $18 per person and includes a screening of Troop Beverly Hills and refreshments. All proceeds benefit Tamarack Camps' mental health, inclusion, and belonging programs.
"Tamarack is a place where I realized I could be myself," Rothberger said in a profile published by the Detroit Jewish News. "I want every camper to have that feeling and know they belong, no matter who they are."
Rothberger spent months planning the event, working with Tamarack staff and securing sponsors to underwrite the refreshments so that every dollar of admission goes directly to the camp's programs. He named the broader effort his "CAMPaign for Change."
The fundraiser runs in the family.
Levi's older brother, Milo Rothberger, previously organized a successful outdoor movie night for his own bar mitzvah project that raised money for Tamarack camper scholarships.
Tamarack Camps, a Michigan-based Jewish summer camp organization with its flagship Camp Maas on 1,250 acres in Ortonville, runs two inclusion programs: Yachad pairs campers with emotional, behavioral, or developmental differences with a dedicated counselor, and Avodah provides job training for teens and young adults with special needs. The camp also employs five social workers during the summer.
Carly Weinstock, camp director of Tamarack Camps, said in the Jewish News piece that Rothberger's project will provide additional resources for the camp's inclusion and mental health work. Lisa Rothberger, Levi's mother, told the paper that camp gave her son "a true sense of acceptance" and that he wanted to help future campers have that same feeling of belonging.
Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, or Crazy Creeks for the screening. To register or donate, visit tamarackcamps.com/levi-rothberger-be-you-at-tamarack-outdoor-movie-night.





