Dear CSL Families,
I am very pleased to announce some exciting changes for Camp
Seneca Lake. It is with mixed emotion that I tell you that CSL Camp
Director, John Golden will be stepping down as Director of Camp Seneca Lake
effective October 1, 2013. As many of you know, John has provided exceptional
leadership at CSL for 21 years. Most recently John has focused his
attention on laying down the foundation for continued program development and
success of CSL that has earned us a reputation as one of the premier JCC camps
in the United States. In making a decision to step away from the
day-to-day direct leadership of CSL, both John and I believe that his continued
involvement is important in order to insure a smooth transition to new camp
leadership. For at least one year, John will assume the position of Director of
Camping Services responsible for direct supervision of both Camp Seneca Lake
and Camp Sisol directors. John will spend time at both camps during the summer.
Effective on October 1, Aaron Cantor, CSL associate
director, will become the new CSL director. After an extensive search, Aaron
was hired 3 years ago as the CSL associate director with this succession plan
in mind. Prior to working at CSL, Aaron served as the director of a YMCA
camp in the Albany area. A former CSL camper, Aaron has proven himself as
someone who recognizes the importance of providing a safe, caring and enriching
environment for campers. He has a strategic vision and boundless energy
and enthusiasm, along with a natural rapport with children and a love for
camping. I am enthusiastic as we look to the future of CSL under Aaron’s
stewardship, with confidence that new cherished memories are waiting to be
made. We will hold off recruiting for a new assistant director until the
Fall of 2014 giving Aaron an opportunity to determine the skill set that will
best complement his own .
Please join me in wishing both John and Aaron a mazel tov in
their new positions. John has also prepared a letter to you which
is below.
Best,
Leslie Berkowitz
Executive Director
JCC of Greater Rochester
Dear Camp Families and Friends,
When I joined the CSL family in 1993, co-directing with my
wife Judy, little did either of us anticipate that my tenure at Seneca Lake
would last over 20 summers. My years at CSL have been fun,
memorable, and fulfilling, but I feel the timing is right for me to contribute
in other ways and let a younger generation full of energy, creativity and high
ideals move camp forward.
I have worked alongside a strong team for the past few
summers, and I am confident that under Aaron Cantor’s leadership they are up to
the challenge of continuing to improve CSL and the experience it provides for
our campers. I have known many of our leaders since they were campers
themselves…Aaron Cantor, Ari Baum, Josh Sham, Rachel Kosoff, Jilly Lederman and
Max Krieger are a few I have worked with the longest. They are an
extremely capable group.
CSL is a great camp, and it is people such as these who make
it so. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with so many
dedicated, hard-working staff members throughout my camp career at CSL. I
am still maintaining a presence at the JCC as the Director of Camping
Services. My main responsibility is the supervision of our overnight and
day camp directors as we move into the future.
I am looking forward to my new position and hope you will
all continue to be in touch. Drop by the camp offices anytime! I
will be at t he JCC Tuesday through Thursday each week. Aaron has also
prepared a letter to you which is below.
Sincerely,
John Golden
Greetings CSL Families!
One of my earliest professional goals was to become the
Director at Camp Seneca Lake. I’m
thrilled and grateful that the opportunity has arrived and I am ready to hit
the ground running. I first arrived at CSL in 1998 as a Tuscarora camper and
was instantly hooked on Camp. I
spent the next many summers working as a counselor, unit head, and ultimately
the program director. After
graduating college I got my first real taste of year-round camp management as
the Assistant Director at YMCA Camp Chingachgook. After one summer, I got the chance to showcase myself as
their Camp Director. I held that position until the fall of 2010 when I
returned to CSL and Jewish camping as John’s Associate Director.
Working with John has been an incredible learning
environment for me and I know I’m ready to lead CSL into the future and keep
with our longstanding tradition of safe, successful, and fun summers. As I’ve done for the last few years,
and now as director, I will approach every conversation with an open mind and
listen to you with sincerity. I
place a high value on building positive relationships with our campers, staff,
and their families. I look forward
to having the opportunity to build one with your family.
As a father of two daughters and future CSL campers, I want
them to have the same type of life-changing camp experience that I did. My vision for CSL is no different than
the one John has guided us through over the last 20 years- exceptional programs
run by top a notch staff. These
programs and staff are why we are able to create a place where our children can
be part of a very special Jewish community. CSL has a unique ability to generate Jewish leaders and I
look forward to continuing that trend.
Please don’t be a stranger.
In the spirit of camping,
Aaron Cantor
