This week’s torah portion, Parashat Vayeira, teaches the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim: the importance of hospitality and kindness to strangers. In Parshat Vayeira, Abraham shows incredible hospitality by welcoming guests to his tent. Not only did he and his wife Sarah provide food, drinks, and a comfortable place to rest, but Abraham went out of his way to actively greet his guests by leaving the sides of his tent open so he could see them approaching and make them feel welcome before they even made it inside.
Parshat Vayeira teaches valuable lessons at all points in the year, but it is especially meaningful to us at GFC after we open registration for the upcoming summer. We are excited to welcome our new and returning campers and families to Bruceville for Summer 2022! We want the decision to send your child to camp to be an easy one, so we offer all of the resources that we have to kindly welcome you into our tent.
- We are always available to answer your questions about Summer 2022. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us by calling (254)859-5411 or by emailing gfc@urj.org.
- We do not want the financial expense of camp to be the reason that your camper cannot attend for the summer. We believe that every camper is the most important person in the world, and we want to help make camp a reality for your camper. Visit our Scholarships page for more information about how you can receive financial aid for your camper’s summer tuition.
- If you register before November 12th, you will receive our Early Bird Discount, which gives you Summer 2022 tuition at 2021 rates!
- We are excited for the return of our Year-Round programs in the Spring. If you want to try out GFC before the summer OR you want an excuse to come to camp for a weekend, we have programs for that! Visit our Year-Round Programs page to find out more.
Just as Abraham’s family worked together to welcome their guests, we need the help of our family – our Greene family – in creating a community that is welcoming and comfortable for everyone.
Our summer community is made up of three groups of people, all welcoming one another in many ways
Staff: Our staff work to keep our campers healthy and safe, and to create a thriving, creative, and supportive community based on Jewish values. Our staff is comprised of college students, young adults, and professionals in a variety of fields. They come from our region, across the country, and around the world, including a delegation from Israel – shlichim or “ambassadors”.
Faculty: Rabbis, Cantors, Jewish Educators, and Youth Professionals from congregations and partner organizations from the region join us throughout the summer. They are not only a key to our Jewish Life program, but they are very visible adult role-models for our campers and our staff. They participate in and help lead activities throughout camp in all areas; you’ll see them in arts & crafts, on the sports fields, and even at the pool and lake.
Campers: Our campers are the most important group that we welcome each summer. Not only do our staff and faculty create a welcoming environment for our campers, but our campers play a big role in welcoming one another! Whether it is their first summer or they have been coming for years, our campers live in bunks together, becoming a more comfortable and tighter bunk community each day.
Summer 2022 registration is now open, just like the sides of Abraham’s tent. We have been fixing up our facility and upgrading our food service program to begin welcoming our camp community back to Bruceville.
Opening Day is 233 days away, and we can’t wait to yell “WELCOME TO CAMP!” as you drive through the front gate.