Lellie Tousson is a Poconos and Berkshires Alum who made aliyah in 1975. She wrote to Ramah about her experience.

My late father David August in his youth had made aliyah twice and served in the Israeli army in the 50s. Later on my father was Rosh Mador in Poconos and then Rosh Machaneh in Berkshires. All my childhood summers were spent at Ramah and that had a great influence on me. Being raised in a Zionist household, it was natural that I should make aliyah. Ramah being so Israel-oriented definitely also had a great impact on me. All the singing, dancing, learning and speaking Ramah Hebrew influenced me. I came on Seminar in 1975 and then stayed on to study at Bar Ilan University. In the first few years, I was still in touch with many Ramah friends who came to Israel for the year. After my summer on Seminar, I went back to Berkshires and was a counselor and then for three straight summers my husband and I were counselors on Seminar.

I studied social work at Bar Ilan University where I met my husband Tzion. We married in 1979 when I was still a student. We lived in Kiryat Ono and then in 1982 (when I was expecting my first son), we moved up north to a mitzpe called Katzir in the Wadi Ara area and we have been here ever since. Later on, I received my masters degree in social work and worked in various positions. For the past 19 years, I have worked in an addictions clinic in Hadera. I supervise workers. I am also a family therapist and have specialized in eating disorders. We have three children: a son who is an architect, a daughter who is a social worker and a son who is currently serving in the IDF.