Earlier this week, our team spent 4 days with Jewish camping professionals from across North America and Israel at the Jewish Camp Summit hosted by JCamp 180 and Foundation for Jewish Camp. We left this time together overflowing with ideas and excitement for what is to come at GFC.
We heard from Houston Kraft, author of Deep Kindness, about the power and complexity of kindness. We often say, “be kind.” However, kindness is not a simple quality or act. There is intentionality, thought, and action into being kind. At camp, we are uniquely suited to create a space where we can teach and practice kindness at camp.
We explored ways to elevate our staff hiring and training. Michael Brandwein, acclaimed author, speaker, and expert in staff training, took us on a deep dive into our staff training model, highlighting the importance of leading with our mission, listening to each other and our campers, and using real world examples to highlight our lessons and ultimately build not only great staff, but great people. Emily Golinsky of Bright Moose Training engaged us in thinking about how to hire and train our staff with an eye toward initiative taking and motivation.
With our camp committee chair, Neal Spielman, and vice chair, Hilary Kamin, we explored our culture of philanthropy, donor stewardship, and our next steps toward sustaining GFC for another 50 summers.
We connected with professionals in the field, deepened friendships, and learned from other camp professionals.This Shabbat, I am grateful to have been able to spend this time with colleagues and teachers. I enter into Shabbat with a full heart and mind, energized to see where all this learning takes us.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Erin