RJ Blog

by Bobby Harris Last week I was in Israel attending the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Summer Staff Seminar where, together with many of the URJ Camp Directors, I met with and helped to prepare the Israeli staff who have been hired to come and work at our  URJ camps this summer.  During the seminar, we provide the Israeli staff the opportunity to participate in a camp like Shabbat service that might take place at one of our camps. I was asked to present a D’var Torah, and I chose to relate the Parsha to everything that we have done at [...]

As we all know (I hope!), our thirteen Reform camps offer the most inspiring Judaism our children can experience. More than 10,000 youngsters had a taste of a Reform Jewish summer in 2011, and this year’s registration numbers are even better. I have the pleasure of serving as the Chair of the URJ Camp Harlam Council. Harlam is our camp located in the Pocono Mountains, northeast of Philadelphia. We serve nearly 1,000 campers and 225 staff each summer. Additionally, I am honored to be a Vice-Chair of the NAC, our Reform North American camping organization that has oversight for the [...]

by Aaron Selkow I sat in a classroom last week with fellow URJ camp directors Rabbi Mark Covitz (GUCI) and Bobby Harris (Coleman), along with my colleague at Camp Harlam, Rabbi Vicki Tuckman. There was a graph mapped out on the floor with lots of different papers spread across it, and there were more than 40 Israeli staff (Shlichim, or “emissaries”) sitting around the room. These staff members will be travelling to work with our camps this summer, including 26 at Harlam, and the classroom was at Kibbutz Shefayim in Israel. This was my tenth time at the Summer Shlichim [...]

by Andrew Paull Walking to the subway last week, I saw an elderly man collapse on the sidewalk only a few feet in front of me. Unsure of the severity of the circumstances, I went to his side and realized he appeared unconscious. After he did not come to, I knew this man needed medical attention. I saw a woman on her phone and asked if she was calling 911, which she thankfully already was. I checked his airway, breathing and circulation. He had a pulse and was breathing, but with difficulty. By this time, a sizable crowd had gathered [...]

by Susan Alexander One of my favorite weekends of the year is when I facilitate OSRUI’s Mother & Daughter Kallah. This is a program designed for mothers, grandmothers, aunts and the girls they love ages 5-12. The Mother & Daughter Kallah is open to mothers, grandmothers, and aunts, and the girls they love ages 5-12. The connection between mothers and daughters is probably the most profound of human connections. With today’s busy lifestyles, sometimes this relationship needs to be charged with something new to keep it alive and growing. This weekend is designed to deepen that bond between these women [...]

by Rabbi Ron Klotz Hoo boy, do I have a lot of kids! Spending thirty-seven years directing a URJ camp brings a lot of children into the family. Do you think I know a lot about parenting? Well, I know a lot about camp directing, and Jewish programming, and conflict resolution, and homesickness and more; but I never thought of myself as an expert in parenting. About eight years ago, our son Jeremy and our daughter-in-law Melissa brought Zoe into the world. Of course grand parenthood presented only wonderful opportunities to my wife and to me. But an unexpected opportunity [...]

by Deborah Greene Two great things you can give your children: one is roots, the other is wings. (Hodding Carter) It is said that, “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” (Havelock Ellis) It is, to be sure, a balancing act for every parent. We wish to give our children the opportunities to grow, to become more independent and forge out their own path in this world. Yet, we want to protect them, keep them safe and shield them from harm, hurt & the inevitable disappointments that life will bring them. [...]

by Marissa Frankel, MS Ed February 2012 is the 4th Annual Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month. A month dedicated to raising awareness and expanding the inclusiveness of the Jewish community. URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps is dedicated to creating a more inclusive community, and several years ago began the planning for a camp for children with special needs. On August 21, 2011 just days after second session wrapped, URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camp’s newest program, Camp Chazak, began its inaugural summer. Camp Chazak is a one-week program for children with various special needs, giving them the opportunity to have [...]

by Samantha Dresser For the last five summers, I’ve been part of the URJ’s Kutz Camp community in Warwick, NY, where approximately 200 teens from all over the country come together for intense leadership training, Jewish living, celebration and fun. Kutz also is home to Mitzvah Corps, a unique entrée into Jewish camping for teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  Working together with teen leaders who provide individualized support and peer mentoring, campers form Jewish relationships, pursue their interests, and build on existing connections to Judaism—all within a fun, safe and inclusive camp environment.  Most importantly, these amazing campers positively influence [...]

by Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz Last week I went up to the URJ Eisner Camp for a day during the December Institute of NFTY-NE, the regional winter gathering of our movement’s youth group.  There were over 150 teens there and, in the short number of hours I spent there, I learned and I was inspired. I arrived in time to lead a fun and noisy session – a drum circle.  As I told the teens, I profess no great expertise in teaching anyone else to drum.  I do have good rhythm and average drumming skills, but we happen to own a [...]