There’s a camp for everyone

I have been a camp director for 20 years. I love to tell parents that “there is a camp that is just right for everyone, but the same camp is not the right one for everyone.” Probably, some parents are tired of hearing me say that, but I REALLY believe it! There are specialty camps, co-ed camps, teen camps, and short stay camps. The Foundation for Jewish Camp promotes and assists all of them. One of them is a good choice for each camper.

Camp is fun! It allows children to learn self-reliance, develop independence, meet new people and navigate social situations. Jewish camps add another layer to all of that … an opportunity to live in an immersive Jewish community that has a unique way of expressing its connection to Judaism and to Israel. I love camp and believe in it as an essential unifying experience for Jewish kids and their families.

After 20 years as the director of the camp where I grew up, I decided to make a change. I am now the director of Camp Avoda, an all-boys camp in nearby Massachusetts. After years at a co-ed camp, it feels very natural to become part of the brotherhood. My early impressions have yielded some surprises and met many of my expectations. I assumed that I would see enthusiasm, camaraderie, lots of activity and even enormous quantities of pizza consumed by campers and staff.

So, I wasn’t surprised that the young men at Camp Avoda use their camp experience to engage in interesting Shabbat evening discussions, or vie for the honor of being “Rabbi” for the summer.

I read the literature for Camp Avoda. Brotherhood. Leadership. Spirit and Tradition. I was prepared to become part of it. What I didn’t anticipate was the Avodian’s lifetime adherence to these values. In November, I sat in a room filled with Avoda alumni who manned the phones and raised $30,000 in less than two hours so that we would have scholarship money for younger campers. Yes, the calls were accompanied by plenty of pizza and amazing stories about our camp.

In January, I was greeted by campers and staff at our annual reunion as though I was already family. I listened to boys of all ages talk about their summer experience with love and make plans for the upcoming summer. Yes, you guessed it, pizza was on the menu.

Single gender camps are one of the choices that are available to families. Even before my first summer at Camp Avoda, I have learned a great deal about the brotherhood that is the hallmark of the Camp Avoda experience. An all-boys camp allows campers to enjoy the high level of physical activity that many boys love while offering quality instruction in woodworking, arts and crafts, climbing, ropes adventure course and plenty of time on the waterfront.

If you visit, you will see small groups of campers sitting on porches talking, playing cards, singing and telling jokes. They will greet you with hands outstretched to say hello and to bring you into the fold. You will hear counselors guiding them to play hard and to treat one another with kindness. You will feel the energy and the confidence in the air as you watch younger campers guided by older campers, CITs and staff to learn new skills and make good decisions. It is easy to see why Avodians are proud of their alumni who have made contributions to the world in big ways … philanthropy, government, business, medicine … the list goes on. And, they continue to give back to their Camp Avoda.

As for me? I am eagerly counting the days until I move into my new house at camp. I will proudly wear my Camp Avoda beanie in the dining room and on Shabbat. I will definitely not be painting the bathrooms pink!

RONNI  GUTTIN is director of Camp Avoda and lives in Cranston. She says she still loves camp and recommends that everyone find the right one for their family.