Archive for 'Jewish Camping'
Working at Camp….The Best Job in the World
March 30, 2012 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Benefits of Summer Camp, Jewish Camping, Letters from Staff.
By: Drea Lear, Assistant Director
I firmly believe that camp is the best job in the world. We get to be a part of a community that impacts the lives of children. We get to leave our cell phones and computers in our offices and play outside. We get to work with some of the most dedicated young Jews I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. We get to be Jewish educators, mentors, friends, listeners, gaga players, camp counselors. Until recently, I thought of these things exclusively through the lens of Herzl Camp.
Two weeks ago, I had the incredible opportunity, along with Camp Director, Anne Hope, and Director of Operations, Gary Kibort, to attend the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) Leaders Assembly and the American Camp Association (ACA) Tri-State Conference both in New Jersey. These camp conferences draw 650 and 1200+, respectively, camp professionals and lay leaders from all over the country.
The conferences had their own atmosphere, each with its own goal to accomplish. Leaders Assembly was meant to connect Jewish Camping professionals to share their experiences, brainstorm creative solutions to common challenges, and celebrate the success of Jewish Camping over the past decade. Alternately, the ACA Tri-State conference focused on continuing education for camp professionals with sessions ranging from effective food service practices, to staff training, to camper behavior management strategies, to risk management.
The impact of camp hit me like a ton of bricks when ACA keynote speaker, Kevin Jennings of Be the Change, said, “If you can’t support each and every camper in his/her right to be who they are, you should find a new profession.” As I was emphatically applauding his statement I realized that everyone around me was doing the same. It was as if, with one mind, 1200+ camp professionals understood our purpose. We are all working towards the same goal, to give young people (both campers and staff) the opportunity to build their identity.
The more people I met and sessions I attended the stronger that feeling became. We were learning from one another and beginning to grow a greater camp community. I came to appreciate that Herzl Camp does awesome things like build community through rituals (i.e. Shabbat Caravan), provide opportunities to try new things through scheduled Tzrif times, and communicate with our alumni community in creative ways (i.e. this blog, Alumni Wednesday facebook updates, reunions).
I also learned new things. I learned that communicating with our camper families not only provides important camp information, but also builds the foundation for an important Parent or Guardian/Camp partnership where both parties acknowledge that the camper’s welfare is top priority (and I picked up some great ways to enhance this communication!). I learned that teambuilding activities and icebreakers are not just for fun and creating strong staff morale, but can have an enormous impact on a group’s ability to respond to an emergency. I learned that within the world of Jewish camping, while we may all have our own affiliations, core values, or mission, we are a group of individuals who are making a difference in the Jewish community and by sharing ideas we can all continue to grow and improve.
In the end, my belief of camp being the best job in the world was reinforced. We get to be a part of a network of camp staff that impacts the lives of children. We get to play outside knowing that campers and staff all over the country are putting down their cell phones and computers and doing the same. We get to work with some of the most dedicated young Jews I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. We get to be Jewish educators, mentors, friends, listeners, gaga players, camp counselors. And here’s the awesome part: Herzl Camp is an integral part of a greater camp community, a community that influences not only the lives of our 750 wonderful Herzl campers, but also the lives of over 70,000 Jewish youth all over the country.
Though Herzl Camp will always be in my heart, I now think of these things through a broader lens knowing that our work in Webster, Wisconsin over the past 65 years plays a role in the larger picture of camping.
Shabbat Shalom! It’s going to be a great summer.