The success of Summer 2021 lies in the passion and hard work of our staff members who join us each summer to create camp magic. We have many groups of staff members who participate in additional training prior to this summer, and I want to take a moment to highlight this summer’s fellowship graduates! These staff members participated in additional pre-summer seminars engaging in Jewish learning, collaboration with staff members at other Jewish camps, and brought meaningful ideas and programs back to GFC.
Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Cornerstone Fellowship
Cornerstone Fellows met for a week-long virtual seminar prior to the summer with hundreds of other staff members at other Jewish summer camps. Cornerstone Fellows experienced camp magic alongside peers and learned about shared and unique camp traditions, ritual, and Jewish camp ruach (spirit). Our fellows participated in camp electives and majors that expanded their understanding of integrating Jewish learning in camp activities and sparked ideas of programs to bring back to GFC. This summer, our fellows helped develop Camp Kehillah, a daily program for campers that focused on Jewish learning through middot (Jewish values). Fellows also implemented individual projects that built Jewish community among their bunks, units, and specialties. Our Summer 2021 Cornerstone Fellows are:
- Maddie Benzuly
- Hunter Boyer
- Jack Kaden
- Zoe Makler
- Morgan Nurenberg
- Ashley Rosen
- Ashley Spiegel
- Zoey Weinstein
The Nachshon Project’s Camp Counselor Fellowship
Our Nachshon Fellows met for two weeks virtually prior to the summer and engaged in Jewish learning with other counselors across the Jewish camping industry. Fellows collaborated with a variety of Jewish professionals and scholars, and learned more about opportunities within Jewish professions. During the summer, our fellows planned and executed projects for the GFC community that included the topics of Israel, anti-semitism, and Jewish peoplehood. We are grateful for The Nachshon Project’s Camp Counselor Fellowship, which trained our young Jewish leaders.
- Daniel Block
- Drew Cobin
- Micah Heilbron
- Sophia Zinn
- Eliza Greenberg
- Diane Scheinberg
The Nachson Project Undergraduate Fellowship
We were so proud to have a Nachshon Undergradate Fellow , Morgan Ducar, this year! Morgan spent a full semester studying at Hebrew University engaging in Jewish learning centered around exploring Jewish communal careers, Jewish learning, Israel engagement, and collaborating with a diverse group of future Jewish communal leaders. Morgan brought this learning back to camp in her role as a unit head and led an opening program to our staff training week focused on intentional conversations between our Israeli and American staff.
We are grateful for the support of Foundation for Jewish Camps and The Nachshon Project in inspiring our staff members to bring meaningful and intentional Jewish programming to GFC this summer. Kol hakavod (all the respect) and todah rabah (many thanks) to our staff members who invested time into these fellowships and Jewish learning and brought a more meaningful layer of camp magic to GFC this summer!