When I was finishing up my undergrad degree, I didn’t sweat when people asked me the typically dreaded “what are you going to do after graduation?”, because I knew exactly what I wanted to do. In fact, I had already been working in my desired field since a week after I graduated high school; Early Childhood Education. But more specifically Jewish Early Childhood Education. During the year, I thoroughly enjoy my roles as a teacher at  Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center’s (PJTC) Louis B. Silver Religious School and B’nai Simcha Community Jewish Preschool. But becoming Director of Camp Gan Shalom (CGS), an oasis of Jewish Day Camp fun, has proved to be nothing but the best meeting point of being a Jewish educator in a non-traditional classroom setting during the summer. Every year I get the opportunity to provide the scaffolding and oversee our camper’s summer experience.

Camp every summer is constructed with knowledge from previous years, feedback from our most recent year, and where we see the program headed for the upcoming summer. Mapping field trips, brainstorming projects, deciding the week’s theme for all eight weeks, testing recipes, connecting with previous year’s staff and prospective staff is such a delight. While losing PJTC’s campus to the Eaton fire proved to be a personal heartbreak and challenge, we have found our footing for CGS as we return to Pasadena this summer, and look forward to returning to Pomona’s campus again this summer.

We start each summer, a week before camp begins, with our staff training which is so critical to the success of our camp program. We begin our week setting our intentions of “why” we are there that summer, many of our staff are previous campers and budding educators, and we are all eager to make the magic of camp happen for your campers.

During that week, we spend 25+ hours working together to finalize details like activities and group assignments, learning together how to best serve our campers whether it be through best practice training, CPR/First Aid, practicing how to cross the street with our campers, or spending some time setting up our camp rooms.

Finally, camp begins and we enter an incredibly rewarding eight weeks. Each week is an opportunity for new and returning campers to join us for all of the fun CGS has to offer. Campers come eager to reunite with friends, meet their counselors, join our Wednesday field trip, and be with us at camp. Whether your camper is in Kehilla (K-5), Manheegim (6-8), or a Counselor-In-Training (9 + 10), every day is a new day of art projects, games, songs to sing, a delicious snack, water play, or a new handshake with a friend.

Every day of camp offers a chance to do something Jewish like learn a Torah story and perform it in a play, or finally master the Birkat Hamazon (after meal prayer) and bake a challah each week. Being able to facilitate and witness our summer unfold with so many amazing moments is such an incredible opportunity as Director. Each summer is a new opportunity for some Jewish fun at a local level here at Camp Gan Shalom. I look forward to seeing new and returning campers this summer!