What Kachel is excited for in her new job!

Shabbat Shalom Y’all,

I am writing to you from my new (and not unpacked) apartment in Dallas. This is my fifth Texas city to live in (if you do not count Bruceville, which I might start counting).

I want to share two things that I am excited for as the new Assistant Director of Family Retreats and Staff Engagement.

First, I am excited about family retreats!

My first time on camp was in fall 2007. My family had moved to Texas from Colorado earlier that year. When I got to camp, I remember meeting 10 other girls who were just like me: Jewish, Texan, energetic, and excited. I was sent to camp with only one other person in my grade from my synagogue, so I was thrown into the deep end of camp and had to make friends quickly. No surprise for anyone who knows me, I did make friends quickly that weekend, but I might have even had a better time if my sister and my parents had been on camp with me. 

Family retreats are such a great way for us to open our gates in a low barrier way to all Jewish families in Texas. I think about providing a low barrier entrance to camp because my sister had slower entrance to camp than I did. While I was able to go to a weekend retreat before I attended summer 2008, my sister did not attend a weekend retreat before coming to camp in the summer. If my parents had attended camp with her in 2007, she probably would have come to camp a whole year earlier. There are so many campers who have never slept away from home, or parents, or family, and I am excited through family retreats, to encourage more campers to get to camp.

Secondly, I am excited about engaging staff!

I had the unique opportunity last summer to be the staff time-off coordinator. I supported the staff as they took time off on camp instead of leaving as we have in past years. I am looking forward to supporting our staff through their first, second, third (Cornerstone), fourth and on years at camp, and making those years as enjoyable as their years as campers.

I am looking forward to working with Keshet, FJC and other programs to engage our counselors in different ways based on their identities. Our camp is a place where our campers can be their truest selves, and that is a value I want to bring to our counselors as well.  

I cannot believe my dream has become my reality. I have been dreaming about being on the full-time team since I was an Avodah in 2013. I cannot wait to support all of our families and all of our staff as they move through their years on camp.

Please feel free to reach out any time – rkohnhorst@urj.org

Loyally,
Kachel