Can you feel it? There’s something exciting in the air. It’s only October, and yet…Summer’s Comin’!
And not just “any” summer, either. Our “best little ole jew camp right here in Texas” is turning 50!
With the High Holidays imminent and a new year with new opportunities just over the horizon, how fitting is it that Summer 2025 registration is about to launch, with GFC50 registration to open soon after? Just as we eat apples and honey to relish in a sweet new year, so too can we embrace the joy, excitement and anticipation of a new camp year by signing up for a new summer of camp. Can’t wait ‘til summer? Don’t worry, there are many city-based and camp-based activities to come between now and Opening Day.
Some of what we look forward to in this coming year include:
– Fall Camp & Spring Camp
– Teen Extravaganza & Family Camp
– Mitzvah Weekend
– Local Greene Chaverim events (pool parties, Havdalah in the park, pizza parties and more)
A new year also brings us new leadership in our camp community. Hilary and I are so excited to have begun our journeys as Camp Committee Chair and Vice Chair. Neal and I are absolutely ecstatic to welcome our new Assistant Director, Lainey Komerofsky.
Note from Neal:
To paraphrase a familiar Texas saying, I didn’t grow up at GFC but I got here as fast as I could. My first GFC experience wasn’t until high school. I was once that kid that didn’t know the songs, couldn’t figure out when to bang the table during Birkat Hamazon, and wouldn’t have known how to spell “maccabiah” let alone pronounce it. And look at me now!
Truth be told, my family and I owe Camp quite a lot. My first summer at Camp was a struggle. Were it not for my counselors support, I probably would not have returned. And, had I not returned it’s likely my brother would have never come. And if he had never come, he wouldn’t have met the girl who would become his wife nearly 30 years later!
Our Dad worked 6 days a week as a car salesman. Our Mom, even while sick, worked 2 jobs as a High School English teacher and HCC counselor. They scrimped and sacrificed and sought financial assistance to be sure we had the opportunity to make the friends, build the relationships and develop our jewish identities in that special way that only happens at Camp.
That’s a heck of a “debt” to repay. My parents, my counselors, my friends and my campers are all front of mind when I do my “camp job.” I may do that job with a bit of a smirk, a touch of sarcasm and a prank in my heart, but trust me, I will always strive to meet the obligation, honor the position and support this very special place with all I’ve got.
Note from Hilary:
On Rosh Hashanah we serve a round challah to symbolize the circular nature of the seasons of the year. Camp has its own seasons, as campers grow into Avodah, grow into staff, grow into alumni, who may one day have the chance to give back to GFC.
The opportunity to play a role in supporting GFC is a responsibility that I personally cherish as both an honor to my parents, Barbara and Robert Maidenberg, who themselves served on camp committee for almost 20 years, and as a gift to my children, Brandon and Dylan, to ensure that generations of children to come will have the opportunity to become the very best version of themselves through their experiences at camp. I look forward to connecting with the camp community and building a shared vision for the future of GFC with all of you.
In our roles on the Camp Committee, we like to think of ourselves as the “counselors” of our Camp Community. Whether you are an alum, a camper parent, or a friend of GFC, we look forward to meeting you at our events, on Opening Days and whenever our paths can cross.
Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year!
L’Shanah Tovah and Shabbat Shalom,
Neal Spielman, Chair
Hilary Kamin, Vice-Chair