K’tanim Unit Head – Alana Pellerito Hi everyone! My name is Alana, and I cannot wait to be back at camp after a one year hiatus! I am originally from Long Island, but I’ve spent the past four years in New England at Brandeis University. I graduated this May with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Hispanic Studies. Next year, I will be a New York City corps member of Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps. Through Avodah, I will been a Case Assistant at the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services’ Kaplan Center. I love zumba, mangoes, [...]
Farming and Greening at Eisner Camp
“You shall love your fellow neighbor as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) New to Eisner Camp this summer, we are proud to be partnering with a fantastic organization called Amir. The Amir Project uses experiential environmental education, to teach youth about social justice, poverty, and the environment through Jewish values and community building. Amir’s overall mission is to build a world that is environmentally conscious and socially just. Through our partnership with Amir this summer, we will offer an expanded agriculture and farming program for our campers. With five different planned gardening plots, our farming chug, or elective, will give Eisner campers [...]
Camp Store, grUVy Wear, Bunk 1 and More
Enjoy our brand new camp store and new vendor as well as grUVy Wear, that provides UV protective summer gear. New for this summer: 2013 Eisner Yearbook. You can pre-purchase your yearbook for $15 on opening day of each session. You will still receive the summer memories DVD at Chanukah, but this professionally printed keepsake will be sent to you in early Fall. We will be distributing mailing labels on opening day so you can properly label packages to send to your camper. Click the images below to learn more about: Bunk 1 Summer Email and Photos SWAK care packages [...]
Camp Unplugged
Louis Bordman was interviewed on Eisner Camp’s cell phone policy for Reform Judaism Magazine. What is the cell phone policy at Eisner Camp? It’s Eisner unplugged. No cell phones—that’s the longstanding policy of all 14 URJ camps. At Eisner we also prohibit handheld games or any touch screen devices. Our only permissible electronic devices are MP3 players. Why do you believe cell phones and most electronic devices should be banned at camp? Kids come to camp to be with friends and to learn how to navigate, mediate, and integrate friendships. The best way to do this is by talking and [...]
Olim Beit Am
We are fortunate to have many buildings on camp that are rich with history, memories and traditions. We work hard to preserve the character of these buildings while making the repairs necessary to keep them useful and safe. Last week, with the floor of the Olim Beit Am collapsing, we called in structural engineers to take a look. These inspectors told us the foundation was beyond repair, the building had become unsafe and that they would not allow us to use the building any longer. Even as we solemnly acknowledged the loss of this old building, we committed ourselves to [...]
Camp Chazak: Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month
February 2013 is the 5th Annual Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month. A month dedicated to raising awareness and expanding the inclusivity of the Jewish community. URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps remains committed to inclusivity and to creating programs for a children with special needs. This past August, just days after second session ended, Camp Chazak began for it’s second summer. Camp Chazak is a one-week program for children with various special needs, giving them the opportunity to have a Reform Jewish camp experience enriched with Eisner and Crane Lake traditions. Campers utilize all of the facilities and programming that camp [...]
Note From Alumni Chair, Yonni (Limmer) Wattenmaker
Dear Fellow Alumni, I hope you all had a meaningful Thanksgiving and are having a bright & joyous Chanukah!. As the days become shorter and nights grow colder, it is natural to think about the long, hot, fun days of summer. One of the highlights of my summers has become visiting camp and seeing the relationships that continue to bloom and grow at Eisner each summer. It’s amazing when I look at my son and his friends and think about how, years from now, so many of them will still be connected to one another, just as so many of [...]
Eisner Alumni – Where are they now?
Andrea Zlotowitz (1997-2009) It’s weird to write about camp as a member of the alumni; I never really thought I would make it to this side. I always expected to be at Eisner forever, just like what we used to sing in our camp songs and say to each at the end of every summer. I always thought I would grow old in Great Barrington and continue to do Israeli dance with my friends and family until the wee hours of Saturday morning on the Quad. I never thought I would grow old of going on sneaky adventures to visit [...]
All the Camp’s a Stage
A reflection by James Gelsey, Eisner Camp’s Associate Director Skimming the television listings the other day, the abundance of reality shows like “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Voice,” and “X-Factor” caught my eye. It’s hard not to notice how many incredibly talented people are out there. Which, when I stopped to think about it, is a lot like camp. We have a variety of amazingly talented campers who join us each summer, and many of them use camp as the chance to share their gifts with us. This past summer alone saw some remarkable performances in “A Year with Frog [...]
8 Ways in 8 Nights You Can Impact Camp
Hanukkah is a time to celebrate and get together with family and friends to rejoice in the miracles, big and small, that abound in our lives. It’s also a time when we can re-dedicate ourselves (don’t forget, the translation of “Hanukkah” is “to dedicate”) to the values and way of life for which the Maccabees fought—values that come to life every single day at Eisner and Crane Lake Camps. So here are some simple ways to keep the miracles of summer camp burning bright all year long. 1.Volunteer as a camp ambassador at your temple Share your love for camp with [...]
Eisner’s New Hanukkah Music Video
If you are unable to view the video on this page, cut and paste the following link into your browser. Happy Hanukkah! http://www.jibjab.com/view/KLWo2x0ySFi9YrNCqj0jZQ?utm_campaign=URL+Copy&utm_medium=Share&utm_source=JibJab&cmpid=jj_url
A Note From The Director: Louis Bordman
Dear Friends, What an exciting few months we have had! Despite the days we lost due to Hurricane Sandy, our camp staff has been very busy this fall. You may wonder what we do in the “off” season – a true misnomer, as we are never off – so I hope this letter gives you a sense of some of our activities. I just returned from a weekend in Atlanta for our Olim Fellowship, an exciting leadership program for first year staff. For those of you who are not familiar with this program, Olim Fellows are a select group of [...]
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