Chag Sameach from a wintery Kutz Camp! With the dust from Biennial settling, and Chanukah coming to a close, we here at Kutz wanted to take a quick moment to reflect on the blessing in our lives that is the Kutz Alumni family. Our Kehilah was out in force at Biennial, with well over 250 alum in attendance, not including the additional 50 newer alumni participating in the NFTY Leaders Assembly! To see the sea of friendly, familiar faces, almost all proudly sporting our gorgeous “Kutz Alumni” pins, brought warmth to our hearts. In reflecting on this past summer, as [...]
Tag Archives | Kutz 2011
Participant Perspectives: Leah Hennes on Tefillah, Leadership, and the Impact of Camp
The tron was dimly lit as we gathered around the glow of candles and songleaders. We had just ended our adrenaline fueled day of color wars and the satisfied smiles of campers began to find their space on the ruach-worn wooden floor. A form of acoustic evening services began and progressed with a beautifully relaxed mood. We arrived at the Shema. The group began in whispered tones and repeated the prayer, growing in volume after every round.
Regional Board All Camp Program: What Living NFTY Means for Kutz Teens
It is certainly fair to say that the days leading up to the Regional Board Leadership Track’s program on Living NFTY were filled with stress, nerves, and excitement, but none of that seemed to matter as our entire community came together after Havdallah to learn, examine, and discuss the five “Living NFTY” initiatives, as well as our values as Reform Jewish teens. From the beginning, the idea of having 28 opinionated minds working on one program was daunting, but in the end, the plethora of abilities, knowledge, and talents worked together to create one amazing evening.
Participant Perspectives: Jennifer Gibson on Mitzvah Corps
My major was Mitzvah Corps. In this major we mentored teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder, meaning we hung out with them and integrated them into the camp environment. We also learned about social action in a community. This experience was very rewarding because we made about twenty new friends who we might not have met otherwise. I loved every part of the Kutz experience and strongly encourage others to participate.
Participant Perspectives: Elan Kramer on the Songleading Major and Advanced Leadership Seminar
It seems almost impossible to place a marker on my favorite memory from Kutz. Aside from all the crazy adventures I had with my friends, and apart from all the incredibly engaging services and programs, my favorite memories are probably those from my time as a part of the Songleading Major. In Songleading, we were blessed to have the opportunity to learn from some truly remarkable teachers and mentors. Debra Winter and Max Chaikin, our primary Major teachers were superb, and each of the guest teachers brought something special and unique to the class.
Participant Perspectives: Isaac Netzer on Trip Day, Torah Corps, and Josh Nelson’s Tefillah
My favorite memory from Kutz is most definitely a cross between trip day and the josh nelson service after maccabiah. During trip day, my Major, Torah Corps, toured the Lower East Side of NYC. We traveled first to a Lower East Side Synogogue, one that had been standing for at least 100 years. On our way there, however, we walked through a movie set. After that, we then went to a local pickle shop, called “the Pickle Guys,”and I had literally the best pickle of my life.
Creative Arts Major Final Projects
The following are the final art projects created by the participants in the Creative Arts Major. For more information on how these projects were created and the process we went through to produce these art works, see our Creative Arts Major Spotlight blog post.
Participant Perspectives: Emily Horowitz on the Mitzvah Corps Major
As I prepared for my 2nd summer at the Kutz Camp, I had expectations. I knew what I experienced last summer, how it made me feel and what I wanted to do again this summer. What I didn’t take into account was that I made a Major (no pun intended) change from my first summer to my second; during my second summer, I chose to participate in the Mitzvah Corps Major.
Participant Perspectives: Alana Yeager on Creative Arts
Kutz… where do I even begin? Well for starters I came to camp thinking that this would be a waste of my summer, that I would just be surrounded by a bunch of people who were more religious than I. But as it turns out, I was wrong. At camp Kutz I was immediately embraced with welcoming arms.
Participant Perspectives: Rachel Brustein on Continuing Relationships after Kutz
In the Summer of 2010, I went to Kutz, not really knowing what I was going to get myself into. I figured it would just be a gap summer, and that I would go back to my regional URJ camp, OSRUI, the next year. After I attended NFTY Convention in February, something clicked, and I knew I had to go back to Kutz. I am thrilled that I returned. Both summers were very different, and have had a huge positive impact on me, and my NFTY experience.
Participant Perspectives: Suzannah Sparks on Hagshama
My favorite part of camp is really corny. Cabin bonding with my girls every night was truly the best part of my summer (go mountain 1! ). Every night there was always something new happening- whether it was learning how to Bernie or meowing accapello’s… and even getting serenaded by a few cabins. It was incredible. It was just the perfect end to every night. Plus, we had about fifty pounds of food so that definitely helped.
Participant Perspectives: Seth Zabin on the Kutz Sunrise Service
My favorite memory from camp is from the last day of camp, at the end of the Lack of Talent show. It ended around 5 in the morning, and there were about 20 kids including myself there. We went to the Tron to look at the sunrise, and after a few minutes had to head back to prep for the Sunrise Service. At 6:30, all 20 of us went down to the Tayatron.
Participant Perspectives: Sara Nussbaum on Cabin Bonding
This is my 2nd summer at Kutz Camp and I came into it having the biggest expectations. The feeling of being anywhere in this camp is the greatest feeling and I haven’t found any other place where I can be 100% myself. One of my favorite things about this entire camp is the bond a group of 18 girls can form overnight.
Participant Perspectives: Miller Saltzman on TYG Leadership
When I first heard about Kutz, a friend from my region told me it would change my life, and until I got to Kutz, I didn’t understand what he meant by that. I now understand what he was talking about. From cabin bonding to song sessions Kutz is like a separate community of NFTYites that just happens to be in Warwick, New York. I remember when I arrived at the airport and had to wait for quite a while for the other campers’ flights to land. During this time I bonded with some of my first friends at Kutz, who ended up becoming my best friends. I have no doubt that our relationships will continue outside of Kutz.
Klutz: Kutz Camp Glee Club
Yeah, we went there. The three-week Kutz Glee Minor arranged, recorded, and choreographed song to be used in a “Klutz” episode they wrote, acted in and filmed. The video, aside from showcasing our many talents at Kutz, also touches upon liberal Jewish values as the Klutz Club has issue with the Mechitza at the Kotel.
Participant Perspectives: Jodie Friedman on Returning to Kutz for a Second Summer
As a returning camper, I’ve seen two completely different groups of teenagers interact here at the Kutz Camp. After my first summer I thought about how much fun I had, but didn’t plan on coming back. I told myself, “What else could you possibly learn? You already walked away with a two-inch binder full of information to bring back to your region and TYG. Going to camp again would be useless”. But halfway through the year, I began to see how Kutz shaped me.
Participant Perspectives: Sierra Debrow on the Mitzvah Corps Major
As a third year participant at the URJ Kutz Camp, I thought that I had experienced everything that there was to experience. I had led services, recorded in the soundproof studio, and learned all about TYG Leadership. There was, however, one thing I had left to experience – Mitzvah Corps. Mitzvah Corps is an unique three week major that allows teens to become friends and mentors to teens on the Autistic Spectrum and to create an inclusive environment as these teens join the rest of the participants.
A New Case of Warwick Withdrawal
After serving this summer at Kutz as Visiting Faculty and, simultaneously, as a Staff Husband, I got home Sunday, arriving at an empty house. There were no guitars available for an impromptu song session (it’s okay, I don’t play anyway); no recycled program materials citing Jewish text, leadership dynamics or random quotes; and none of the ruach that has characterized the last month spent, though intermittently, in Warwick.
Torah Corps Major Spotlight: Putting Instruments on Shabbat on Trial, Honi the Circle Drawer, and Talmud
Torah Corps is a very wide ranging Major covering almost any topic related to Judaism that interests Kutz participants. Our conversations have roamed from serious discussions on tradition and faith to more lighthearted topics such as the Jewish perspective on beards and Jewish ethics on twitter.
Hagshama Major Spotlight: Body, Mind, Soul, and Heart
In Hagshama we focus on the integration and celebration of the four aspects of the human experience: body, mind, soul, and heart. Through yoga, meditation, movement awareness and improvisation, we as a community have been exploring relationships between these multiple levels of experience.
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