Dinner of Champions

Eva Cowen began her career as an inclusion counselor at Lessans Camp JCC in 1986 and was Bender JCC director of inclusion from 1989 to 2009. For 40 summers, she has been on the camp leadership team, first overseeing the inclusion of children with disabilities, and now running the program for teens and young adults with disabilities.

For 12 years, Eva coordinated the Bender JCC’s Dinner of Champions, being instrumental in raising $1.2 million to support inclusion at camp.

“Inclusion is not a program or an option,” Eva says. “It’s not something we can decide to ‘offer’ or ‘not offer,’ like decaf coffee or gluten-free bread. It should never be a question of whether it can be done. The only question is how.”

Eva was a member of the Maryland State Developmental Disabilities Council, and has served on the Sunflower Bakery Advisory Committee and The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s Inclusion Committee. Eva serves on the board and is a past president of Makom (formerly Jewish Foundation for Group Homes). She is board president of Linclusion, an organization that provides inclusive camp opportunities.

As a consultant, Eva has worked with the National Inclusion Project, Jewish Community Centers Association, Matan, Bender JCC, ADL, Sunflower Bakery, Balancing Life’s Issues, Howard County Department of Recreation, Foundation for Jewish Camp, and Friendship Circle.

Eva runs Camp Erin, a CaringMatters camp for children who have lost a loved one. She volunteers on the National Crisis and Suicide Hotline through EveryMind, and has received awards from parent advocacy groups, Bender JCC, Association of Jewish Center Professionals, American Camp Association, The Jewish Federation, and Sunflower Bakery.

Eva’s family is her “reason why.” Her husband, Lee, has cheered her on through every step of her career and endeavors, filling their lives with fun, adventure, and steadfast support. Her children—Ari, Tali, and Ellie—attended preschool and camp at the Bender JCC. Each of them has also worked at Lessans Camp JCC.

Eva’s mother, Shirley, of blessed memory, encouraged her to work at camp 40 summers ago, sparking a lifelong commitment. Along with Eva’s father, Al, Shirley created a loving and inclusive home where Eva and her siblings were nurtured and supported, ensuring that each of them—including her brother Roger, who has autism—could live happy, fulfilling and productive lives.

Rebecca “Becky” Silberman’s lifelong dedication to athletics as a player, coach, and administrator began at Berman Hebrew Academy, where she earned All-Conference honors in both basketball and volleyball. She continued her passion for competition at the University of Maryland, playing club basketball while pursuing her education, later earning a bachelor’s in kinesiology (2011) and a master’s in physical education (2016). Becky was also crowned champion at the inaugural National Hillel Basketball Tournament in 2011.

As a player in the JCC Maccabi Games from 2004–2006, Becky won a gold medal in the 2004 Greater Washington Games and a silver medal in the 2006 Vancouver Games under the guidance of Hall of Famer Brian Magid. She later returned to the Maccabi stage as a coach, leading the Bender JCC U14 boys’ team from 2013–2016, including a gold medal victory at the 2014 Cherry Hill Games. In 2017, she represented the United States as the U18 girls’ basketball coach at the Maccabi Games in Israel, earning a silver medal.

Since 2014, Becky has served as the varsity girls’ basketball coach at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, capturing championships in 2014, 2023, and 2025. Her coaching excellence was recognized nationally when she was named Jewish Hoops America Coach of the Year for the 2022–2023 season.

Beyond the court, Becky has been a driving force in athletic leadership. She served as the youngest-ever Potomac Valley Athletic Conference (PVAC) league president from 2021–2024 and, as athletic director for Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, oversaw programs that amassed 28 league championships and seven state championships.

Bio Coming Soon

Andy Dinkin is a distinguished former athlete, author, and community leader whose accomplishments span sports, education, and philanthropy. 

A three-sport letterman at Winston Churchill High School, Andy excelled in football, basketball, and track & field.  In 1987, he was ranked first in Maryland in both the shot put and discus, winning Montgomery County titles in both events. His football excellence earned him a spot in the prestigious Big 33 Football Classic and a selection to the All-Met Football Team the same year. 

Andy accepted a full athletic scholarship to the University of North Carolina, where he was a three-year starter and letterman from 1989 to 1991. He was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll in 1991 and was twice honored as a Jewish College Football All-American. 

In addition to his athletic achievements, Andy is the author of Going Pro in Life, a guidebook for student-athletes transitioning beyond sports, which was recognized as a finalist in the “College Guides” category of the 2020 Best Book Awards by American Book Fest. 

Raised in Potomac, Maryland, Andy had his bar mitzvah and confirmation at Washington Hebrew Congregation and attended Camp Kaufman. Since relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1992, he has been an active leader in the Jewish community. He currently serves as president of the Charlotte Torah Center and is a dedicated fundraiser for Athletes for Israel. 

Dan Kolko has been a part of the Washington Nationals’ TV broadcast team the last 12 seasons, serving as sideline reporter, host of the “Nats Xtra” pre- and post-game shows, and providing play-by-play. He is also co-host of “The 11th Inning” podcast with longtime Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman. 

Dan has provided sideline reporting on various national TV broadcasts of MLB games, has worked as a correspondent for MLB Network, and as a host on MLB Network Radio. He also provides college basketball play-by-play for FOX Sports.  

Following five seasons as the Nationals’ sideline reporter, which featured multiple memorable post-game interviews with outfielder Jayson Werth, Dan covered the team’s World Series Championship season in 2019 as “Nats Xtra” host. He then filled the sports void during the Covid pandemic by teaming up with Zimmerman to co-host a Game 7 Reunion on Zoom, with nearly two dozen members of the World Series team joining to re-watch the decisive game and raise money for Zimmerman’s covid relief fund. 

Prior to transitioning into a TV broadcasting role full-time, Dan spent three seasons as MASN’s beat writer, covering the Nationals from 2012-14, and also covered the Baltimore Ravens from 2008-11. 

A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Kolko went to Albert Einstein High School in Kensington and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Delaware. 

Michele Kuvin Kupfer is a documentary filmmaker, behavioral therapist, and educational consultant.  

Michele grew up in Palm Beach, Florida and Jerusalem, Israel.  As a swimmer, she was a member of the Israeli 1980 Olympic team, held numerous Israeli national records, and participated in many international competitions including, most meaningfully, the 1981 Maccabiah Games.  

A graduate of, and swimmer at, Indiana University, Michele spent her junior and senior year studying at Hebrew University. She was awarded a master of science degree from Syracuse University.  

Working at various hospitals in the US and Israel, Michele focused on the psycho-social issues young people face as they work to be more independent. She is the co-founder of “Difference Diaries,” a documentary short-film series focused on adolescents and young adults with chronic illness.  

Michele just completed a full-length documentary, titled “Parting the Waters,” about her experience swimming over a span of 40 years both in America and Israel. 

Michele is married to Gary Kupfer, a renowned physician specializing in hematology/oncology at Georgetown University. Together, they have three children—Noa, Zev, and Meital.  

Howard Offit grew up in Baltimore County and began his lacrosse career at the age of 14. At Pikesville High School, he earned All-County Honors in his junior and senior years. During his four years playing lacrosse for Johns Hopkins, his teams amassed a 53-3 record, played in four national championships and won 3 in a row, and won the Henry Ciccarone Award his senior year. Howard ranks 20^th out of 65 for most ground balls in a season at Hopkins. 

Going on to play for Maryland Lacrosse Club, Howard won 3 straight Club Championships. He became a member of the 1982 USA Box Lacrosse Team that beat Canada in the finals. He played in the 1996 Master World Team Games for USA and won the Masters World Games, during which an injury caused him to retire from playing. 

Howard joined the college coaching circuit. After coaching at UMBC and winning the Martin Schwartz award for leadership and Friends of UMBC, Howard went to his alma mater to coach.   

Howard coached his son Josh’s lacrosse team at Landon and his daughter Mikki’s lacrosse team at Holton Arms.  He made an additional college coaching stop at Georgetown University.  

Howard started the Icon Leadership Academy with Dr. Greg Dale. He joined Level2Sports and initiated the Under Armour Underclassmen All American Games with Corrigan Sports, the Adidas All American Games, The Brogden Cup and other events that contributed to Reaches, a charity focused on helping the underserved communities nationally. 

Howard served on the Tewaaratan Award Advisory Board, the “Heisman Trophy of lacrosse,” and has mentored more than 250 high school athletes

Attending Sherwood High School, Matt Popeck served as a two-time captain (2016, 2017) while being honored as an All-American in 2016. He earned 1st team All-County honors twice (2015, 2016) before missing his senior season due to a foot injury.  

Before attending Saint Joseph’s University (PA), Matt took a gap year and lived in Ashkelon, Israel during the 2017-18 school year. While training with the Israel Men’s National Team for the 2018 World Lacrosse Championships hosted in Netanya, Israel, he coached youth lacrosse across the Southern District of Israel.  

Matt spent five years at Saint Joseph’s, earning an undergraduate degree in entertainment marketing and communications, as well as a graduate degree in marketing and leadership. During his time on campus, Matt played multiple positions across the defensive end of the field and was an integral part of the transition unit for the Hawks.  

The five-year span concluded with a 2022 Northeastern Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, three Northeastern Conference (NEC) Academic Honor Roll selections alongside a selection to the 2023 Atlantic-10 Conference All-Academic team.  

Since his involvement began in 2015 with Israel Lacrosse, Matt has participated in the 2018 and 2023 World Lacrosse Championships, 2022 World Games, and 2024 World Box Lacrosse Championships. He looks to continue being a part of rosters moving forward, with the ultimate goal of competing in the 2028 Summer Olympics. 

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