Latest Entries
Herzl Campers Unite…in Morocco!
27 January '12 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts, Herzl, Beyond Webster, Letters from Staff, Where Are They Now.
Yonatan Dotan, Sam Kaplan and Jonathan Edelman in Rabat, Morocco
By: Jonathan Edelman
Herzl Camp staff members Jonathan Edelman and Yonatan Dotan are living in Israel for the year while participating in the KIVUNIM program. KIVUNIM, a program in international Jewish education, provides an intensive academic and experiential encounter with Middle Eastern, North African, Asian and European cultures.
This morning we had a unique and historic privilege. Because of KIVUNIM’s very special relationship with Morocco, we were invited to conduct a private Jewish memorial service at the tombs of King Mohammed V and his son, King Hassan II. As few know, Mohammed V through his courageous confrontation with the Vichy French was responsible for saving the lives of the 250-300,000 Jews of Morocco. I was asked to be the photographer of this event where the president of the community of Rabat and the President of the Jewish community. Outside the tomb, I asked a local guard how often people get to enter the tomb. He told me that some Moroccans spend their entire lives living in the country and never set foot near the tomb. It was truly an honor.
Afterwards, we made our way to the home of the American Ambassador to Morocco, the Honorable Samuel Kaplan and his wife Sylvia (Yes, Jewish Americans serving in an Arab country!). I did some research about Mr. Kaplan ahead of time and found out he is a Jew from Minneapolis. I figured I’d whip out my Jewish geography knowledge and see what we had in common. Turns out the US Ambassador was a ‘50-53 Herzl Camper! It was very fun comparing our experiences at the camp.
We then had a quick picnic lunch and headed up in the mountains to the city of Ifrane for a visit to the campus of the Al Akhawayn University and the home of the original Mimouna Club in Morocco. Here we were guests of Elmehdi Boudra, this unique college student who spearheaded the creation of the club and worked together with KIVUNIM to create and design the first conference on the Holocaust in the Arab World this past September. I was truly amazed at the beauty of this campus. We had a tour of the campus, a series of discussions with these very special Arab students, a vegetarian dinner and then an evening program before heading back to our hotel. The future of relations between Jews and Arabs was clearly being formed right here in Ifrane…there is a lot going on here.
We were also lucky enough to watch the Morocco vs. Tunisia Fütbol match with the students.
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How Far Are You Willing to Push Yourself for Tzedakah?
18 January '12 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts, Herzl, Beyond Webster, Letters from Alumni.
Alumni Joey Finkelstein, Daniel Usem and Adam Grossfield have been selected to participate in the Walk of Shameless Competition presented by Showtime Entertainment. Inspired by the strength and courage of their own Herzl Camp counselor, they have chosen dedicate 5 days to a charity that is near and dear to the hearts of many Herzl Camp alumni….Winning for Winston.
By: Joey Finkelstein, Daniel Usem and Adam Grossfield
To all Herzl Alumni, Staff, Board Members, Campers, Parents and Future Campers,
We have been selected to compete for big-time tzedakah in what is sure to be a physically demanding and emotionally draining competition over the next 5 days. No, we are not talking about Bikkurim. We are talking about the Walk of Shameless Competition. What is this, you ask? The Walk of Shameless Competition is a live, physical competition where six teams of three individuals will compete to raise money for charities and win money by being the last team standing. Participants take turns walking on a treadmill from 8 am – 8 pm, EST (that’s Eastern Time Zone, not camp time) for 5 days straight. Yes, that’s right people. 5 days straight…on a treadmill. Wednesday, January 18 – Sunday, January 22.
For every minute we are on the treadmill, Showtime Entertainment will donate $1 to a charity of our choice (more on that below). The last team standing will not only win a cash prize for themselves, but will receive a $10,000 donation to their chosen charity! We have been given the team name “Team Carl” based on one of the characters of the show “Shameless.”
We have chosen to raise money for the ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Therapy Development Institute in connection with Winning for Winston. Michael Winston, a former counselor at Herzl (Dan & Joey’s, actually), was diagnosed with ALS at the young age of 24. Michael’s strength and courage inspired his friends and family to create Winning for Winston, a fundraising group dedicated to raising funds for ALS.
So, we need Herzl friends and family around the world to help us WIN this competition for Winston and for ALSTDI!
How can you help? From Wednesday, January 18 at 8:00 am EST through Sunday, January 22 at 8:00 pm EST, we need YOUR votes! Voting is extremely simple. Simply send a text message with the text “Carl” to 74688 or click here and then click the Support #teamcarl Tweet button. There is no limit to the number of times you can vote, so vote early and vote often! In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined based on how many tweets and text message votes each remaining team receives.
We can personally guarantee to each and every one of you that we will NOT get off the treadmill, no matter what obstacles are thrown our way. Your votes will help keep us motivated…especially when we see our vote totals at the TOP OF THE LIST!
Please help us raise $10,000 for ALSTDI and Winning for Winston by voting as many times as possible.
Shamelessly Yours,
Joey, Daniel, & Adam
Follow us @TheTeamCarl on Twitter
Tags: Adam Grossfield, Dan Usem, Joey Finkelstein, Mike WinstonNo Comments
Who Are YOU?
06 January '12 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
Every Friday, you visit our blog in anticipation of what’s next. Is Anne Hope going to post tips for becoming a successful camp director? Are Zach and Max Puchtel going to entertain us with their stories from the glory days? Is Danny Soshnik going to coordinate another Herzl Bracket? Are we going to learn about the history of the Kadimah program? Maybe we’ll see photos of the swimming pool in the Ozo Mo (not likely)? Or, perhaps, we’ll hear advice from a veteran camp parent about what it’s like to send your child to camp for the very first time?
There are so many choices. However, this week we decided to make our blog all about YOU…our loyal readers. We want to know all about WHO you are and learn WHY you read this blog. And, we want to know how we are doing and what topics interest you. Why? So we can make sure we are writing blog posts that inform, educate, enlighten, entertain, amuse or inspire our Herzl family and friends.
So, dear readers, we ask that you take just 5 minutes of your time to complete a brief survey that will help us learn more about you. We promise, we’ll share the results in a future blog so you can see who else is checking in on a weekly basis. Click here to access our survey. The survey will remain open through Thursday, January 12. Thank you so much!
If you would like to learn more about becoming a guest blogger, please contact Anna Simon at asimon@herzlcamp.org.
Tags: Anne Hope, Danny Soshnik, Max Puchtel, Zach Puchtel
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Does Summer Camp Give Kids an Advantage in College?
30 December '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Benefits of Summer Camp, General Posts.
Originally Published on December 2, 2011 by Steve Baskin in S’mores and More.
When I started my career as a camp director in 1993, my mother (the “Silver Fox”) shared the following thought with me: “summer camp is like college, but just a little bit early”.
Being a strong believer in my mother’s wisdom, I found myself thinking about this statement fairly often. Summer camp had been a huge part of my personal development as a young man, and had even found its way into my college and graduate school applications. Yet the idea that “camp was like college” did not seem to make sense to me at the time.
Over the past 16 years, I have found that this idea is actually a profound one.
Three years ago, we were talking with a friend whose daughter was in her first year at college. Both mother and daughter had struggled mightily with the separation. “During the first semester, we would talk everyday, sometimes 5 or 6 times. She was so sad and uncomfortable away from home. It really affected her grades and social life. She is better in her second semester, and she only calls once or twice a day. I still worry about her though.”
This conversation reminded me of a speech I heard by Dr Wendy Mogel a few years ago. Dr Mogel is a nationally-known clinical psychologist and educator who wrote the best-seller parenting book “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee”. She shared a story about a good friend of hers whose daughter was a freshman at college at Sarah Lawrence.
Unlike my friend, this woman’s daughter thrived in her first semester in college. She earned exceptional marks (making the Dean’s List) and she became president of the freshman class. During Parents weekend, her mother met the mother of a senior who was president of the entire student body and was weighing various job offers. The two mothers were sharing stories about their daughter’s college experience when the mother of the senior shared an unexpected thought:
“I bet your daughter went to overnight summer camp.”
“She did, but what makes you say that?”
“I am not surprised. I have noticed that my daughter’s friends who had strong freshman years all went to overnight camp at some point. The ones that really struggled did not.”
The contrast of these two freshman experiences (our friends and Wendy’s) compelled me to think about why this might be true. Here is what I came up with.
Going to college presents many challenges, three of which jump out at me:
- Increased academic rigor (college work is simply harder than high school work)
- Being away from home and your traditional support system (family, friends, familiar places)
- Dealing with large amounts of uncertainty (what will classes require, how will I fit in socially, can I deal with this new roommate)
Of course, overnight camp does little to deal with the first challenge of academic rigor, but it helps substantially with both of the other challenges.
Camp helps students adjust to being away-from-home by giving them practice being away-from-home. Campers coming to camp (often as young as Kindergarten or 1st grade) get to experience being separated from home successfully. Certainly, most campers have some homesickness, but the supportive camp community and the fun activities help ease them through this initial challenge. Homesickness is natural. Children will miss their parents.
Further, we live in a society that sometimes suggests to children that they are only safe within eyeshot of their parents. Yet, we parents want our children to grow in confidence and independence so that they can live productive, fulfilling and joyous lives. Camp enables children to experience successful independence. Like college, they are away-from-home. Unlike college, they are in a community committed to their physical and emotional safety.
Camp also helps campers deal with uncertainty. The first week of camp is full of uncertainty: Who are these counselors? What are these traditions? Where do I go? Who will be my friends? Will I be successful? Just like college, there is schedule-related uncertainty (where to go and when) and social uncertainty (who, among this group of relative strangers, will be my friend).
The camper gets to experience overcoming this uncertainty. I like to think of it as strengthening the “resilience muscle.” Having done so, the next experience of uncertainty is easier to handle. The camper who comes to camp for several years gets multiple opportunities to strengthen his or her resilience muscle. By the time they go to college, they are much more confident and resilient.
So the former summer camper arriving at college as a Freshman can focus his or her energy on the challenges of academic rigor, but not worry about being away from home and the uncertainty of a new environment. Other students face all three challenges. Seen this way, it is not hard to understand how camp can help later with college.
Last summer, a long-time camp mom shared her thoughts about her oldest son going out-of-state to college. I asked her how she felt. “I’m going to miss him.”
“Are you worried about his first semester?”
“No way. He has already gone to camp for 9 years, so I know he will be fine. He is so excited to face this challenge. Camp has also helped me – I have had practice being separated from him. He is going to shine at school!”
Later that evening, my wife and I agreed on three things: First, this was one of the nicest endorsements of camp we had heard. Second, we are so happy to think that the campers who have become such an important part of our lives will have an advantage in college. Finally, the “Silver Fox,” once again, was right.
Steve Baskin began his professional career as an investment banker, but chose to leave finance to pursue a career in summer camp and outdoor education. He and his wife are the owner/directors of Camp Champions in central Texas. He is also a co-owner in Camp Pinnacle in North Carolina and Everwood Day Camp in Sharon, Mass. Steve serves as the Treasurer of the American Camp Association and has presented as a speaker at multiple conferences. He believes that the summer camp experience can be the most powerful growth opportunity available to children other than their parents.
Tags: Danny Zouber, Ed Hoffman, Jesse Simon, Tommy HoffmanNo Comments
This Blog’s For You, Kid!
23 December '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Staff.
Happy 4th Night!
By: Anna Simon
Yesterday, someone told me that no one will read the blog this week due to Chanukah, school winter breaks and travel plans. I say, we prove ‘em wrong!
This week, I dedicate our blog to you – our loyal readers. Thank you for giving us a reason to write each week.
Happy Chanukah!
Shabbat Shalom!
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A Love Letter to the Nozrim
16 December '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Alumni, Letters from Staff, What I Learned from Camp.
By: Kimmy Lear
The annual ozo announcement never fails to bring me an amount of anxiety. Eight years after my own experience, I can still remember the sting of pain I felt when I did not find myself on the 2004 ozo list. I remember thinking that I would never go back to Herzl, that all my sacred camp relationships would quickly disappear and I would absolutely have the worst summer of my life (I was a very dramatic 16 year old). I am writing to tell the wonderful Nozos of 2012 that I have felt how you feel right now and I know that it is painful and disappointing. I also happen to know that seven years later, you will feel different.
It is now a common joke in my family that when anything goes wrong, I always respond with “I survived ozo rejection so this should be a piece of cake.” The ability to handle disappointment, pick yourself up, and figure out another way to go on is an important lesson. I consider myself lucky that at 16, I was forced to face rejection and find a viable plan b. I had planned on being an ozo since I was ten years old. I would run around in my older sister’s “team ozo” shirt and fantasize about the inside jokes on the back of my shirt and the song that my friends and I would write together. My 2004 summer was not what I had always planned, but there was something exhilarating about having an entire summer ahead of me that I could independently plan.
I spent the summer working at Camp Olami where I met an entirely different group of friends and had a completely different camping experience. To my surprise, I loved working at Olami (what can I say, I just love camp). I also learned that, although I love camp, I especially love Herzl and I needed to go back because, even after the disappointment, Herzl was still my place.
After two years away from camp, I was nervous about rejoining my friends who were ozrim together. My first day of staff week, I immediately remembered one reason why Herzl is so magical; your camp friendships can survive anything. One summer away did not erase the years we had spent writing flag songs, crying on Shabbat, dancing to breakfast music, and staying up all night just to see the sun rise over the lake. Needless to say, I loved being on staff so I went back again, and again, and again, (and then one more time).
My last summer on staff as the Noar/Kadimah program director was actually “the best summer ever.” My best camp friends and I decided to take one more summer together at the place we love the most. I shared a bunk bed with the same girl I shared a bunk bed with in Ha’atid. She was an ozo, I was not. I have 95% forgiven her.
To the 2012 Ozrim: Congratulations! You will have a wonderful summer, but first, call your dear friends who are upset and tell them how much you love them and how excited you are to be on staff with them in 2013.
To the 2012 Nozrim: Congratulations! I know it doesn’t seem like it today, but you have an amazing opportunity to take this summer and do something different and something great. You, too, will have a wonderful summer. And please trust me when I say, Herzl is still your place.
Tags: Kimmy Lear, Stephanie SchwartzNo Comments
Look Who’s Talking
09 December '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
An Interview with our Future Herzl Campers
Future Rosh 12 Gates, Reuben
HC: Thank you all so much for missing your morning naps and playdates to join us at the Herzl office today.
Reuben: Well, Maya is actually still sleeping so technically, she’s not really missing her nap for this interview.
Peyton: Yeah, but at least I got to hang out with Maya a little because I’m pretty sure she’s going to be my camper some day. She’s so cute! And, she looks so peaceful. Maybe that means she’ll actually sleep during minucha so I’ll be able to get my rest.
Maya: Zzzzzz.
Ruby: That’s not fair, Peyton. I want to be her Ozo! Why do you get to do everything first? That’s not fair…MOM!
Marcus: Girls, chill out. You’ll all get your chance to go to Herzl someday. If you are mean to each other, mom will probably just force you to go to camp at the same time so you’ll bond as sisters. And, since we are choosing counselors, I’d like Ella to be my counselor.
Ella: Marcus, you know it doesn’t work that way. You can’t be my counselor, but we could sit together on Shabbat or go to Final Banquet together…if you ask nicely.
Delilah: Come on guys, we need to get started with the interview. If we keep going at this rate, we’ll be K’shishim before this interview is over. Though, maybe at that point Maya will be awake. When the hand goes up, the mouth goes shut, people.
HC: Thanks, Delilah. So, what do you think Herzl will be like when you become campers?
Ella: A pool! I want a pool!
Delilah: No way. How can you swim the lake in a pool? Hey Maya, I’ve got ruach yes I do! I’ve got ruach, how ’bout you!
Ruby: Very funny, Delilah. She’s still sleeping though. Cell phones…I think all campers should get cell phones and laptops. Then we can just Face Time our friends in other tzrifim so we never have to leave the buildings.
Peyton: Guys, the point of camp is that you leave all those things behind and enjoy the great outdoors. Plus, I don’t want Marcus sending me texts in the middle of the night asking me to take his tzrif to raid the kitchen. Marcus, I hope you realize that I won’t be able to play favorites with you when I’m on staff.
Maya: Zzzzzz.
Marcus: Kitchen raids? I bet there will be computer screens in each tzrif so we can just order chanut and meals online. Everything will be delivered to our tzrif so we won’t even have to raid the kitchen.
Reuben: That is super futuristic and kind of cool but I don’t want camp to change that much. Even though camp may look different than it did when our parents and grandparents were there, I want it to be the same old Herzl Camp that my family always talks about…a welcoming, independent camp where young people become self-reliant, create lasting Jewish friendships, and develop commitment and love for Judaism and Israel. Herzl Camp creates a vibrant Jewish community of future leaders.
HC: Wow, nice job with the mission statement, Reuben. It’s true. Alumni, who are now parents of campers, comment on the fact that though the camp facilities and grounds have grown and improved, it still holds the magic they remember from when they were kids. What Herzl magic are you looking forward to when you get to be campers?
Delilah: The Ozo Dance (clap), Bikkurim (clap) and Ruach in the Chadar (clap)!
Maya: Minucha.
Ella: The Kadimah Play and the Talent Show.
Reuben: Using the microphone.
Peyton, Ruby and Marcus: 3 Charteuse Buzzards, uh! Sitting on a Fence, uh!
Future Rosh Minucha, Maya
Future Rosh Dance, Delilah
Future Buzzards: Peyton, Ruby and Marcus
Future Rosh Drama, Ella, getting a pep talk from her future counselor, Peyton
HC: Thank you all so much for coming in today and sharing your thoughts about Herzl. You will have to wait a few years to get to Herzl, however, if you have friends who are old enough, please tell them there is still space available in many camp programs for 2012. They can click here to register. We look forward to seeing you all at camp!
Editors Note: Like the Future Camper bibs? If you know of anyone in the Herzl Camp family who recently had a baby, please contact Anna Simon at 952-927-4002, extension 205 so she can send them a bib.
Shabbat Shalom!
Love, Taste of Herzl 2019
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Are Herzl Camp Alumni Food for the Soul?
02 December '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts, Letters from Alumni, Letters from Staff.
Jenna (Gordon) Budda, Jesse Simon, Marcy Simon, Bobby Shapiro, Beth (Altman) Pfeifer, Kim (Schneider) Gelperin, Leah Goldstein, Emily Mermelstein, Ellen (Berdass) Feldman, Adam Chall
By: Anna Simon
What does it really mean to be Herzl Camp alumni? I decided to start with the dictionary…
The American Heritage Dictionary defines an alumnus, as “a graduate of a school, college, or university.” Alumni are also former members, employees or contributors. According to Merriam-Webster online, the noun “alumnus” comes from the verb “alere”, which means “to nourish.” Fascinating.
So, does that mean am I responsible for providing healthy and delicious food for the campers? Well, there are definitely a few precedents for that…
Alum Amy Cytron spent a day working hard in the kitchen this past summer. She actually did nourish the campers!
Some of you may remember when the Hanhallah used to cook dinner in the old Chadar for all of camp on Thursday nights. The kitchen staff had the night off so the Hanhallah would take over the kitchen and prepare the food. Admittedly, the only person who actually had any knowledge of cooking at the time was Shelley Kornblum, who always doctored up the baked beans.
So it’s been done before, but for most of us, cooking for the campers is just not a realistic option! So I go back to the dictionary…The definition for nourish is “to support or encourage”. From there, I’m taking the leap that alumni take action to keep Camp thriving for the next generation. Nourishing. Supporting. Encouraging.
At Herzl, alumni nourish, support, encourage in a lot of ways.
Did you know that the majority of our camper parents are actually Herzl alumni themselves? If you are reading this blog, you probably do know that BUT what you may not know is that it’s unusual, even unheard of, at other camps. Herzl is a “legacy” camp – a shared experience between parents, kids, grandparents, maybe even great-grandparents!
So, if you have kids, you are probably supporting Herzl by sending the next generation of campers (and BTW, there are still spots available for Summer 2012, click here to register!)
Or maybe you are supporting and encouraging Camp by coming back to camp yourself – for Winter Alumni Camp…or Family Camp…or Kishishim…or the ’72 Ozo Reunion…or the ’60-64 Staff Reunion…(More info on our Alumni page)
And over 1,000 of you will live camp vicariously this December by making a gift to camp so you can be part of the next generation of campers. There’s a simple joy in paying it forward – knowing that I’m sending a kid to camp or making some special programming possible. Someone made camp possible for me and now I’m making it possible for someone else. I think I may have even learned that Jewish value at camp…If you haven’t made a gift yet, do it online – click here to donate.
So at Herzl, we’re literally never too old to be campers and we can always be a part of the power and magic of Herzl.
Shabbat Shalom!
Anna & Beth (Altman) Pfeifer in the Old Chadar, 1995
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Ayze Yofi, Ayze Yofi! Ya la la la la la la!
18 November '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Herzl, Beyond Webster, Letters from Staff, Where Are They Now.
By: Anna Simon
Hey Holly Guncheon - We're so proud of you! (Photos: Shana Sureck)
This week, I attended the 2011 Grinspoon Institute Annual Conference in Springfield, MA with our board president Sue Roether, president-elect Amy Friedman and Development Director Holly Guncheon. It was an incredible conference where we had the opportunity to network with many other camp staff and volunteers from around the country. Our sessions covered everything from alumni outreach and annual campaigns to social media and marketing. Throughout the conference, we discovered how the deep connection to Herzl Camp stretches far beyond what we would expect.
Larry Moses, Senior Philanthropic Advisor for the Wexner Foundation, cited Herzl Camp in his keynote address to over 400 camp professionals and lay leaders, as having fostered a love of Judaism and life long learning for Rabbi Elka Abrahamson, one of his mentors.
One of the sessions I attended was on the topic of Strategic Blogging and led by, Debra Askanase – who runs the award-winning blog www.communityorganizer20.com. Her presentation featured our own Herzl Camp blog as an example of successful use of guest writers. So, kudos to everyone who has joined us in our blogging efforts! And, thank you all for partnering with us!
When I travel, I end up playing “Jewish Geography” to see whom I may know in common with someone I meet. However, I think I may end up changing that game to “Herzl Geography” as it seems I run into a few Herzl Alumni everywhere I go. (Side note: When we were at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure with our family a few weeks ago, we were waiting in line for the Harry Potter ride and turned around to see someone wearing a Herzl sweatshirt…It was my son’s cabinmate from this past summer). Herzl Alumni Sarah (Raful) Whinston, Todd Zeff and Noah Allen were all in attendance at the conference. It was great to reconnect and reminisce with all of them! Just when I thought we found all of our Herzl connections…I walked out of my last session and a woman pulled me aside and told me her husband went to Herzl in the 1970s. Then, a woman who works for Ramah told Amy Friedman that her mother (who now lives in Israel) went to Herzl as well.
And, while all these folks have current connections to other Jewish camps, it’s very clear that they have a deep and meaningful connection to the magic of Herzl. Someone else pulled me aside to say that there was something about Herzl alumni that they couldn’t put their finger on. Something very powerful and very special that seemed to be unique in the camping world. Of course, upon hearing that, I could not have been more proud to be a part of Herzl Camp and all that we do. Incidentally, we also discovered later on that the blogging facilitator, Debra Askanase, too, has ties to Herzl Camp.
The last, but most exciting, thing I want to share is about the Grinspoon Awards. This year, Holly Guncheon was presented with the Outstanding Development Professional of the year award. This award is presented to a development professional who has made a significant impact on a Jewish overnight summer camp’s long-term vitality and sustainability through increased cultivation, solicitation and/or stewardship efforts. We are so proud of Holly and are thrilled that the Grinspoon Institute honored her with this award. It is well deserved!
Shabbat Shalom!
About the Grinspoon Institute:
The Grinspoon Institute for Jewish Philanthropy is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Its vision is to significantly enhance the long-term effectiveness of nonprofit overnight camps and other organizations that engage young people in meaningful Jewish cultural and educational experiences. The goal of the Grinspoon Institute is to guide these camps to become strategic and self-sustaining by providing coaching and consulting services along with technology assistance and a series of matching grant challenges. The Institute enhances its offerings with additional services such as conferences, professional training, webinars, the Create a Jewish Legacy Program, Technology Program and more.
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99 Ozrim Raise Phunds for Herzl
22 July '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Where Are They Now.
By: Danny Soshnik
This post is part “where are they now” and part “look at something cool that I can do for camp”.
A few weeks ago, I got an email from Phil Block, one of my Ozrim from when I was Papa in 1999. He was offering me and our fellow Ozrim a great opportunity — we could sponsor a Shabbat lunch meal this summer at camp. I thought to myself, “Self, chicken nuggets aren’t cheap. This is an expensive proposition.”
However, as I read more, I learned that Phil, along with Neal Mintz, had launched a website to facilitate this fund raising goal. All the 1999 Ozrim had to raise IN TOTAL was $500. I could pledge whatever I wanted, starting at $1.
Throw in the fact that Phil also offered to eat 20 nuggets in 5 minutes and video tape it for those who contributed $, and it was an easy decision. The 1999 Ozrim successfully raised $500 and will be sponsoring a lunch at camp this summer on Shabbat. How cool is that? You can check out the details here.
https://phundraiser.com/promotion/promotion/view/id/177
So I got to thinking…I’ll bet there are a lot of readers out there who would like to give to Herzl in various ways, but don’t always have the financial means to do so alone.
I suggest you check out www.phundraiser.com, put on your creative hat, and start making things happen at Machaneh Paradise. You’ll be supporting a great camp as well as the business endeavor of two esteemed alumni. All you need is an idea and the ability to spread the word to your friends.
If you’re motivated but uncreative, contact Holly in the Herzl office. I’m sure she can come up with some great creative ideas for you.
Tags: Neal Mintz, Phil BlockNo Comments
A Parent’s Idea of How to Create Herzl-at-Home
08 July '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By: Micki Litton
Dear Lizzie,
Well, we saw you in a bunch of Bikkurim pictures, and I have to tell you, it
looks like you are having so much fun, you might not want to come home.
So I have been thinking of ways to get you to be happy with the idea that you
can’t live at camp forever; you actually have to live here in this boring house.
Here are some of my ideas:
1. Have color war days (like Bikkurim) days twice a month at home. The day will
be a random surprise day, just like camp, but each member of the family will
wear a different color – Joey=yellow, Lizzie=green, Dad=blue, Mom=red – and we
will play games (capture the flag, tug-o-war), make signs. stand on chairs and
shout at each other at breakfast, have silent lunch and each do our own
“Schtick” at night.
2. We could release a bunch of mosquitoes in the bathrooms and bedrooms, so
while you pish, shower and sleep you will get big itchy bug bites.
3. We can blast OZO songs at meals and dance like crazy instead of eat.
4, We can have a Chanut, where we can all buy snacks from the pantry and have
cute sweatshirts, Tee shirts and shorts that say HOME on them (instead of HERZL)
that you can buy.
5. We can all wear flip-flops in the shower.
6. We can start calling our lemonade at home “lem-lem”
7. We can buy a shed to put in the yard and call it “Ozo Mo.” Then we will have
someone come over and decorate the inside of the shed so we have no idea what it
looks like inside, and we can all wonder if there is really a hot tub in the
basement of the shed. We are not allowed to look inside, of course, just like we
can’t look in the Ozo Mo at camp. Once you are old enough, and if Anne picks you
to be an Ozo, you are allowed to look in our shed. If you are confused about
this, ask your Ozo. She will explain this to you.
8. We can turn off the air conditioning in the house, except in the kitchen.
9. We can have ChipWiches every Saturday night, and wear sport jerseys every
Saturday.
10. We can raid each others bedrooms once in a while and steal each others
underwear and hang it on the banister to embarrass each other. (We don’t have a
flag pole to string them on, so the railing in the upstairs hallway (banister)
will have to do).
11. We can wear bug spray around the house every day (because if you smell like
camp, you will feel like you are still at camp).
12. We can put a plaque above your bedroom door with the letter Gimel on it so
that you don’t get lost when trying to find your room at night.
While you are still there at camp, you can think about if you want to live like
this at home, and if you do, just let me know, I will get started on the changes
around the house as soon as possible!
I am just kidding about this stuff, but I am SO glad you look so happy at camp,
and just remember, at least there’s still family camp to look forward to!
http://www.herzlcamp.org/family_camp.html
Love, Mom
4 Comments
Ozo Mo Dedication
01 July '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Alumni.
By: Blog Admin
On June 26, 2011, over 150 friends of the Schechter family and past Mama and Papa Ozos (pictured above) gathered at the Mercaz to dedicate the new Ozo Moadon. It was a beautiful day, filled with ruach, memories, joyful reunions and all that’s good about camp. For those who weren’t there, we printing the speeches given by Lauren Kaplan, Past President and Mama Ozo 1988 and Drea Lear, Assistant Director and Mama Ozo 2006.
LAUREN KAPLAN
Thank you – I’m honored and fortunate to have this opportunity to represent the Board of Directors. Our current President Sue Roether has a Noar camper here this week and I think each of you will appreciate that she felt it was best for him that she stay home today so she asked me to fill in for her.
Herzl magic – we hear that phrase a lot. What make’s Herzl so special? Why do the campers beg to come back and count the minutes between summers? In fact it’s so common an explanation that Michelle Basman, mother of a past ozo, even painted a picture of the Old Ozo Mo and entitled it “Herzl Magic” It was on your invitation for today’s dedication.
So what do we mean by Herzl Magic – I think we say it because what we see at camp often defies explanation. And if you can’t explain it, It must be magic.
In fact, when we first began to dream of rebuilding and expanding Herzl Camp, we had a lot of concerns. Some quite practical – how would we raise the money? Would the DNR let us expand the waterfront? How many toilets per camper are required? Would the bank give us credit in the midst of a financial crisis?
And other concerns were more esoteric – the first among them – what happens if we change camp and we lose the Herzl Magic? What if the magic is in those dilapidated, tiny, rickety old cabins? That magic comes from somewhere – what if it’s the buildings…It sounds funny now – as we look around and see beautiful, solid, safe, spacious cabins… all filled with the Herzl magic.
And nowhere was that concern more evident than in the Ozo Mo – No building is imbued with more ruach, more memories, more mystery than the Ozo Mo. When my son came home one year – he said to me, “mom, I know there’s no basement in the Mo.” How do you know that? “I looked under it and I could see the other side” it’s true – you can actually lean down and see under the old mo and yet, the basement is well known by all to contain a hot tub, a bowling alley, a tunnel that comes out on the other side of the lake, an elevator, what else? What am I missing?
Yes, building a new mo was not taken lightly. And though it’s just been two weeks, I think the 2011 ozrim will show us that the Herzl Magic is alive and well.
As we dedicate this new Ozo Moadon, we are remembering our friend, our family, our Mama – Heidi Schechter Moldo. Heidi embodied the Herzl magic – she was vivacious and spirited – she was “can-do” if it needed doing, Heidi did it. She aimed high – set big goals and brought everyone along with her in achieving those goals. It’s fitting that the Mo be naming in honor of one of our own – one who left us too early – one who gave her all as an ozo and as a Mama – she created her own part of the Herzl magic and now the magic will go on being created in “Heidi’s Mo”
DREA LEAR
I’m Drea Lear and I am the Assistant Director of Herzl Camp. I was Mama Ozo in 2006.
I don’t want to be controversial on a special day like today but I must declare that there is no magic at Herzl Camp. Yes, it’s true – Herzl magic is not magic. It’s not an illusion or a slight of hand. I knew it. Heidi knew it. And for those of you who were Mama’s and Papa’s out here today, you knew it too. Herzl’s magic is and always has been created by our dedicated staff and Ozrim.
Camp is a utopia of our own creation and as Herzl Camp staff, we have a unique opportunity to mold each summer into the summer of our dreams. Our staff pour their heart and soul into each camp season determined to pay it forward – to give this year’s campers the same great experience they had. Herzl’s magic may not be actual magic, but it is magical and quite unusual. You see, nearly all our staff – 98% – were Herzl campers themselves. And that is unusual. You don’t often see that kind of loyalty and dedication over time. But here at Herzl – once a camper, always a camper. Once an Ozo, always an Ozo. Once a staff member, always a staff member. Once a Mama or Papa, always a Mama or Papa. And then, forever after, you are an important part of the Herzl Family.
Herzl magic starts with our staff and our staff begin here – in the Ozo program. Each year, 28 Ozrim begin the journey to become successful Herzl staff members – they learn the rules and the behind the scenes of camp. All is revealed here in the ozo program and over the years, each group becomes legendary. The Ozrim write their songs, make their shirts, teach their dance, and perform their play. Each group has it’s own chemistry, it’s own style, it’s own schtick. Some groups work cohesively, some not so much…but each is unique. For Heidi’s group – it was chickens. If you can learn to take care of chickens, you can learn to take care of campers. For other groups, it was nikayon schtick – teaching the importance of keeping our sacred place clean. And for others – Ozo karoke, proving that schtick in the chadar can truly be reinvented year after year!
The ruach Ozrim bring to camp is nurtured by their Mama and Papa. And that’s no small task. I never had the opportunity to meet Heidi, but the second I was hired as Mama Ozo in 2006 I knew I had the support of Mama’s past. And as I have learned about Heidi, her life, and her legacy, I continuously feel more and more connected and proud to a part of this Herzl Camp family.
So while Herzl magic may not necessarily be “magic” in the most literal sense, it without a doubt is a real thing. And as the years go by, more and more staff leave their mark on camp and Herzl becomes magical in our memories.
Many of us were sad to see the old Mo outlive it’s useful life – but in these two weeks of the new mo, I have seen our Ruach fill the new building with life – and soon it’s walls will be as rich with history as the old. I’d like to thank the Schechter Family for their generosity and ask that the 2011 Ozrim and Lois Butwin and Andy Halper, Mama & Papa Ozo 1973 come forward and say Birkat HaBayit with me to dedicate the Mo.
From this day forward, our Mo will be known at the Heidi Schechter Moldo Ozo Moadon.
Tags: Drea Lear, Heidi Schechter, Lauren Kaplan, Michelle Basman, Sue RoetherNo Comments
What makes Herzl Camp Awesome, Part 2: Herzl Magic
24 June '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By: Avi Baron
Here is the second part in the series “What makes Herzl Camp Awesome.” When starting this series, I had a few basic ideas of topics for each part, each topic being something that could be quantitatively measured about camp. For, as I have learned this past staff week here, I am an analytic and I like measurable, precise data. Having said that there is something about this phrase “Herzl Magic” that necessitates me including it in what makes Herzl Camp awesome.
Arriving at Herzl on June 2, just a day after signing for my new apartment and less than 15 hours after teaching my last Talmud Torah class for the year, the magic had already begun. I’m not a person who gets emotionally attached to any place (well I’m not so good at things or people either), I have no feelings towards the house I lived in for the first 17 years of my life, any of the numerous dorm rooms, or even my parents’ new home, where I’ve lived off and on since we moved. People often speak of their intense connection to this plot of land in the middle of Webster, how they get chills making that final turn North, only 12 minutes from camp, but I’ve never felt it. Walking around camp these past 18 days, as the Hanhallah arrived, the third-year staff, the rest of the staff, and finally the Ozrim, I’ve noted locations where the old tzrif (cabin) 9 used to be, or where the shmir site for tzrifim 2 and 3 was. I’ve taken part in flag in the same flag circle it has been as far as I can remember. But I haven’t gotten chills from any of this. To me these are just facts, just information.
Drea Lear introduced the phrase “ma nora hamakom hazeh.” “How awesome is this place.” to our Herzl Hebrew the night of June 2. After doing some fact checking and a little research, we then presented it to the Han the night they arrived. How awesome is this place. Not just the new cabins and buildings, but the campers and staff who reside within them. We extended it to the third-year staff on Leadership Shabbat. How Awesome is this place. Not just the location, but where we are in our journey with it. And finally we introduced this to All the staff and Ozrim for Havdallah last night. How Awesome is this Place. We all can take a moment to think what Herzl has done for each of us individually, or the community from which we came. To enjoy what is surrounding us.
And so it may turn out that this land holds no magic, but instead that it is the staff, the campers, the alumni, and all who help make Herzl thrive that create the magic each year. To the Yacher who forfeits his seat so a Ha’atid camper can sit next to his brother on Shabbat, to the staff member who designs a new and creative tzrif time (cabin time), to the Program Directors who tirelessly work with each one of their staff and campers, to the Board of directors, to the donors, and the parents, and the list continues. These are what give me chills, everything we do, everything you do, to continue making Herzl Camp as awesome as it can be.
I ask that you take a moment to think for yourself, what happened at Herzl Camp that kept you here. Why are you reading this blog post when you might not have been to camp in years? What makes Herzl so awesome to you? Because I tell you, Herzl Camp is Awesome! (How awesome is it? / Ma nora hamakom hazeh?) It is so awesome that I didn’t have any jokes in this post to show my sincerity.
Tags: Drea Lear1 Comment
Happy Place
10 June '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By: Zoe Stern
This past Monday the Herzl Hanhallah (senior staff) packed their bags, braved the record breaking temps and moved up to camp. If you’ve read my past blog posts, you may remember that I consider this to be one of the worst days of the summer. In my mind camp has started…without me. Camp is without a doubt my “happy place.” Anytime I am feeling sad, sick, lonely…all I have to do is go to camp in my mind and instantly feel better. I can always conjure up the sights, sounds, smells and emotions of camp to erase my bad mood.
Around 9pm last night I was sitting at my desk feeling a little sad and lonely catching up on some general blog reading when I came across a post from The Foundation for Jewish Camp’s blog, The Campfire, titled, “A Little Taste of Cornerstone.” From the FJC website: “Third-year bunk counselors are the “cornerstones” of their camps, making significant contributions to the camp program. Retaining these valuable staff members can be a challenge. The Cornerstone Fellowship, made possible by the generosity of the AVI CHAI Foundation, empowers third-year Jewish bunk counselors to view themselves as Jewish role models for both campers and younger counselors alike.” This year Herzl sent 5 Cornerstone Fellows as well as Assistant Director Drea Lear to Capital Camps and Retreat Center in Waynesboro, PA for Cornerstone.
From what I can tell, Cornerstone was 4 full days of learning, networking, planning, developing programming, sharing stories and of course, singing and dancing. When the following video of this year’s fellows singing and dancing to the 2011 Cornerstone theme song, Simplify Yourself appeared on my computer screen I was back in my happy place, goose bumps on my skin and tears in my eyes reminding me how amazing camp is, and how thankful I am that the 2011 summer has been started and countless lives are about to be changed, as thousands of kids head off to their “happy places.”
Tags: Zoe SternNo Comments
Alumni Advice
27 May '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By: Aiden Pink
I am in a pretty unique position among the volunteers who write for the Herzl Alumni Blog: I am not technically an alumnus. Almost everyone else who has written for the blog over the past two years has “graduated” and gone on to get “real jobs” that pay “money.” Unfortunately, that means they no longer get to spend their summers in Webster. However, this summer I am lucky enough to make the drive up Highway 35 one more time. On June 12th, I will start my ninth summer at Herzl Camp.
Machaneh Herzl is pretty much all I have been thinking about since spring break. I cannot wait to see my old friends, eat delicious cinnamon rolls, pray on the Mercaz, paint my face for Bikkurim…I just know it’s going to be the best summer ever. And I consider myself incredibly lucky that I get to play even a small part in shaping Herzl’s success.
This will be my second year on staff (third if you count my Ozo summer), so I am fairly confident in my ability to not screw up too badly. For example, I now know from experience the worst possible way to build a bonfire (well, best if you consider the size of the fireball, but worst if you consider the potential destructive power of said fireball). Also, kitchen raids can be considered only partially successful if everyone thinks that someone else is in charge of actually grabbing the snacks (on the plus side, it could be seen as training for future members of Seal Team 6). Oh, and as effective as it is, campers do no generally appreciate being woken up with reveille on the trumpet. That goes double for campers in neighboring cabins, who also get woken up by reveille on the trumpet.
OK, so clearly I have a lot to learn. This is where you come in, alumni. Who better to ask for advice than people who used to be in my shoes? There are a lot of awesome traditions that have fallen by the wayside over the past few decades – is there a cool feature that camp should bring back? As former campers, what activities did you most enjoy? What did you most value in a madrich? And if you were on staff yourself, I am sure you have great advice to share with me and the more than 140 madrichim, specialists, program directors and Ozrim who are lucky enough to return to Webster one more time. Let me know in the comments! Todah Rabah!
3 Comments
Herzl Acrostic Blog Post
13 May '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By: Alex Locke
Editor’s Note: Alex has experience with acrostic poems. As a 1994 Ozo, he performed an acrostic flag song with a hidden message. Ask a 94 Ozo near you to see it — sheer brilliance.
Herzl Camp means a lot of things to a lot of people. But let’s break it down to its very core:
H – Home; A camper’s away from home
E – Equality; Everyone’s a winner at Machaneh Herzl
R – Religion; No place has a stronger connection to Judaism than Herzl
Z – Zionism; Creating a relationship with Israel for those in the Diaspora
L – Learning; An important education in a non-academic setting
C – Children; The best place on Earth to just be a kid
A – Accessible; The only Jewish overnight camp in the Midwest to be accessible to all children
M – Modernized; New facilities mixed with old traditions
P – People; Where you learn to live and work with others on your own, for the first time
All of these elements embody what Herzl Camp is. They are the pieces to a puzzle that has been creating memories for over 60 years.
So… what does Herzl Camp mean to you?
1 Comment
What Makes Herzl Camp Awesome Part 1: Order out of Chaos
29 April '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By Avi Baron
Hello and welcome to a new bit called “What Makes Herzl Camp Awesome.” Now I know a lot of you could name off hundreds of things that make that plot
of 166 acres in Webster, WI awesome, but I’m going to focus on more
broad topics and expand in detail why each one is important. This topic,
part 1, is about creating order out of chaos. In reality though, Herzl
doesn’t create order out of chaos, which is what helps make it so
awesome. Instead, we take the naturally entropic environment and use it
to our advantage. I suppose I should have titled this “Orderly Chaos,”
but that has less curb appeal, and I watch a lot of HGTV, so I know how
this works.There are two types of orderly chaos that occurs: observable
and internal.
Observable is best seen (duh) by a visitor to camp. So let’s all put ourselves in
the shoes of a visitor to camp. It is Tuesday, July 26 and you decide to
venture out the South side of the Beit Chai at about 3:48pm (Camp
time). A staff member is getting on the golf cart carrying a garbage bag
with sheets and a sleeping bag in it. You see eleven girls dressed in
all green walking towards the Rock wall where one girl and one counselor
sit, facing towards the wall. You stumble across a few playing cards on
the ground and start to notice more placed in trees and scattered
around. Just as you bend down to pick one up, four or five boys run past
you, water from their towels and swimsuits spraying you. You look up
just in time to catch a frisbee and toss it to the tall yacher running
towards you. He asks if you’d like to play with them so you join in
their cabin versus cabin game of ultimate for 15 minutes. After excusing
yourself due to exhaustion, you begin to walk back towards your water
bottle you left in the beit chai apartment. Taking a more leisurely
stroll back, trying to catch your breath, you stop and chat with a
counselor holding a bucket of water near a circle of happy Ha’Atid boys.
He explains that most of his campers had a water chug for dalet so
they’re playing drip, drip, drop before shower time. You watch until the
type of toothpaste was guessed (Colgate total plus whitening) and are
distracted by excitement a few yards away. Walking closer, you see a
counselor handing out sixlets candy to his campers for finding all 52 of
the hidden playing cards. Happy to see him back early from his day off
and excited by the candy, they were hugging him and lifting their cards
in triumph. Almost back to the beit chai now, you see a party by the
rock wall and the one girl who had been sitting there with her counselor
was being lifted on the birthday chair. Her cabin mates had made a
dance for her and, after they performed it, they all ate cake in a
wonderful birthday celebration. Once you get back into the office, you
overhear a conversation between two staff members saying she managed to
wash and replace the sheets before anyone noticed and her camper was
grateful.
This, to me, is a regular day at Herzl Camp. What, at first glance, may seem
to be crazy green girls, wild wet boys, and litter is actually the most
glorious thing on Earth – orderly chaos. It’s like the movie “The Book
of Eli,” where you either have to be apart of it, or wait until the end
for everything to make sense. This combination of structure and play
time is part of what makes Herzl so awesome.
Now the internal part of orderly chaos. This part is best described in
analogies, so I’ll do just that, starting with an online video game
called “n game.” N stands for ninja in the action stick-figure game
where the player guides a ninja through treacherous territory containing
mines, lasers, evil robots, heat-seeking missiles and more in search
of the exit door. While working at or behind the scenes for Herzl Camp
hasn’t quite yet reached the epicness of being a ninja in a pixel world
(just a few points shy of it), they definitely shares important aspects.
If your little ninja dude is running towards the gold cubes and you
accidentally jump early, into a wall, the best plan of action is to
continue with your new trajectory and wall jump back to a different
approach, in fact, looking back, that was probably better because it
avoided the mines near the gold and got you to the exit sooner. While a
staff member might have one idea for a program they are planning, when
they actually sit down to plan it with other staff, something else may
come up, the original program location may not be available, or the 8
foot beach ball broke. No matter what happens, Herzl Camp staff are
great at adapting to new obstacles and making them advantageous.
Anyway, in conclusion, Herzl Camp is Awesome. That is part 1 (with two sub-parts if you were paying attention, so it was like a two-for-one!) Look for
the other parts coming soon!
Things I mentioned, unrelated to Herzl, that might interest you:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/
http://www.addictinggames.com/ngame.html
3 Comments
Chag Sameach (from the summer)
18 April '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By: Max Puchtel
When it comes to the Jewish calendar, Jewish summer camps fall on a horribly bad lot. Rather than grand, inspiring, enriching celebrations, the only Jewish “holiday” that campers get to experience during the summer months is T’sha B’Av! While the ninth of Av teaches important lessons about the current religious state of world Jewry, it’s always a HUGE downer, especially for campers who are teeming with the excitement of summer, friends, and self-independence. It’s a shame that there is not better holiday representation for the campers.
Unlike the Muslim lunar calendar whose holidays migrate through the months from year to year, ours is “adjusted” with leap months in order to ensure that the holidays fall in their appropriate agricultural season. Sukkot always falls in the autumn and Pesach/Shavuot in the spring. But how great would it have been for modern summer camp if our Rabbi’s hadn’t made those fixes, and occasionally, some of our other holidays fell in the summer?!?!
The high holidays at camp would be quite a sight. Blowing the shofar during ruach sessions would be fun and “apples & honey” already sounds like a shtick, but I’d be pretty upset if the fast day fell on tuna melt day!
One could see how Sukkot would be perfectly suited to the outdoor life of camp, engaging campers in creative construction of temporary shelters all over camp. No one would throw a fuss about Herzl building new cabins anymore because one would have an opportunity to live in an inadequate and unsafe structure every summer!
Purim would fit naturally into the camp culture of “dressing up for random reasons.” Why else would anyone ever paint themselves blue from head to toe? Although, I’m pretty sure my campers would have used the costume opportunities to switch their identities around and trick me, and it would be hard to fulfill the mitzvah of getting drunk while being a good role model for the campers.
We all look forward to the Passover seders. Can you imagine the entire chadar at a seder table, or forcing a taster to sing the four questions? And what would we dunk into our tomato soup without a grilled cheese sandwich? A slab of matza?!?!?!
Hmm, maybe it’s best that the Jewish holidays ARE confined to the non-summer months! Luckily, camp finds many other ways to engage and develop campers spiritually; some of my best memories of camp are tied to Shabbat, services, and communal rituals. Although I won’t be thinking about camp this year at the seder table, I will acknowledge that my summers at Herzl were indeed the defining Jewish experience of my youth. And for that, I am grateful.
Chag Sameach!
1 Comment
All I Need to Know, I Learned from Bikkurim
15 April '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By: Anna Simon, Community Relations and Event Manager
1 Comment
Letter from the 1984 Israeli Scout
07 April '11 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts, Letters from Alumni.
Dear Herzl Camp Family,
The words of the Herzl Camp song mean a lot — “Here’s to dear old Herzl, we’re so proud of you…” I realized it today more than ever. 27 years have passed, and today, as snow covers the ground, 15 degrees outside under blue skies, I came back to visit camp with my host family (my “American Parents”), Harry and Terry Cohen.
It really is unbelievable…27 years ago, in the summer of 1984, I was the Israeli scout of Herzl Camp.
It was the summer of my life! The memories are still alive, the great chance and opportunity that I had as an Israeli youth to get acquainted with Jewish American kids of my own age, to share together happy and meaningful days…Those were, and still are a crucial brick building my personality as a mature person, as a Jew, and as a patriotic Israeli.
Today, I am a 43 year old married woman, mother of 3 girls, 2 of them active in the Zofim. I’m participating in Israel in their summer camp as kind of a “Mama Ozo”, working and serving my community and country as a juvenile judge, happy and proud to share with you a small but yet a huge part in the puzzle of my life — and that piece is the summer of 1984 at Herzl Camp.
I wish you all, my beloved Harry and Terry Cohen, who will participate this summer in the K’Shishim program, their grandson Ezra who is in his 3rd year, and granddaughter Libby who will be in her first summer, all the campers, Ozrim, Madrichim, and especially the Israeli Zofim a great 2011 summer!
Just continue as you are, with the Herzl Camp spirit.
I wish you all Shalom.
Love,
Michal Kaplan Rokman
Tags: Ezra Cohen, Harry Cohen, Libby Cohen, Michal Kaplan Rokman, Terry Cohen