This is a very different camp than the one I first attended in 1992. For many years, there was a clear and present cultural element that fought changes of any sort but over the years, this has dissipated. As a younger staff member I was most definitely at the center of that ‘camp should never change’ mentality, but my perspective and role have undoubtedly evolved over the years. As a Unit Head for four summers (two in Mohawk, two in Tusc) and now in my third year as Program Director I have found myself at the center of change at CSL. Not all the changes we have made over the last few years have worked, but we continue to look toward ways to improve CSL and not only stay head of the times, but to really drive the times as we aim to be the premier Jewish overnight camp in the country.
So with change in mind, we have continued to look closely at all pieces of the camp program to see where we can grow. We continue our efforts to distinguish the July and August sessions from one another programmatically so that they each develop their own separate identities. The most significant addition to the July session will coming later in the session with details of it coming to this space shortly. We continue to increase the size of the Waterfront, now with more boats (motor and sail) and more staff to accommodate up to six bunks at a time (there will be an entry shortly on the evolution of the Waterfront in recent summers).
The actual purpose of this entry (I seem to have veered off course slightly) was to inform you all on two major changes to Shabbat this year that were first implemented this past Shabbat. After services on Friday evening, older villages (M,S,T,Oneida) went straight to the O-Rec for a Shabbat Dance. Then Saturday morning saw breakfast (still the traditional Saturday cereal and bagels) delivered to villages rather than everyone converging on the Dining Hall. This promoted a more restful and festive atmosphere around camp on a day that is of course supposed to be as restful and festive as possible.
That is all for now as we are neck deep in July 4th preparations. Our second hobby session will be this afternoon. Please continue to email us feedback and comments at cslprogramming@jccrochester.org and remember to check the blog, twitter, and bunk1 whenever you have the chance. Special props go out to our “Public Relations Liaisons” in each village: Alec Jacobson (Cayuga), Erin Fauer (Onondaga), Neal Richardson (Mohawk), Claire Mirsky (Seneca), Lorenn Kassel (Tusc), Jamie Pearsen (Oneida) who have been working closely with me to coordinate and upload all the village blog content that you have been seeing (and will continue to see) on a daily basis. And all the way from Great Britain, Marc Field (who will be joining us in August as Special Assistant to the Program Director) has upgraded the blog’s interface to make it easier to navigate and more aesthetically pleasing (especially the daily schedule). We also invite you to check out the CSL Website where Max Krieger (Associate Program Director) has been integrating some upgrades as well.
We hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and enjoy fireworks wherever you may be.
Ari Baum
Program Director
