Sep 29, 2024
No, this is not a Pesach story, especially with Rosh Hashana around the corner. What has changed in camp in the past 25 years or so? So much. At camp, we professionalized our work and doubled in size while growing our facilities, programs, and reputation. What has not changed is the values of independence, grit, and kindness infused in our overall mission of building strong Jews who love Israel.
I will put COVID-19 aside because we all know how COVID-19 has greatly affected so many. Let me start with cell phones. My first cell phone was a Motorola that probably weighed 4 pounds. Back in 1995, cell phones were just for talking. Now, very few kids actually talk on cell phones but use Facetime, text, and other apps. We know the transistor, and eventually, the computer changed our world as we know it. Next to the wheel, it is probably one of the greatest inventions. Around 2007, the first iPhone came out, and that was the start of the prevalence of smartphones becoming more than a talking device. The smartphone is the biggest catalyst for change in families.
It’s ironic that, as a society, we have become so technologically advanced in communicating, yet we have become lonelier. Instead of talking, we prefer texting or mindlessly scrolling through platforms like TikTok. This has resulted in an increase in “helicopter parenting.” We now track our kids with apps like Life360, which shows that we don’t fully trust them. We are constantly aware of where our kids are but not necessarily what they are doing. On average, American children spend less than 10 minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play, compared to seven hours in front of a screen. Our kids have highly structured days, leaving them with little room to make their own choices or decisions. What does this mean for camp? We have a period called chofesh, or free time, within certain boundaries with staff providing supervision but not planned activities. This period can be challenging for many, but it’s also a time of growth.
We seem to have lost our creativity. When I was in my early 20s, I used to play soccer by marking the boundaries of the soccer pitch with clothing and using cinder blocks as goals. Nowadays, our kids play on a perfectly lined soccer field with corner flags and fresh white field paint each week. We organize the games, and the rules are clear.
We needed a change at camp, and a few years ago, we introduced an amazing area that encouraged creativity, freedom, and choices and was suitable for most ages. However, some people thought it wouldn’t work and that it could lead to injuries. They were wrong. It’s called The Hill. This simple 10-foot-high hill next to the playground has no rules and allows kids to relax, sit and chat, or create fun games on and using the hill. I am proud of the hill.
During camp, we upload 25 pictures per day for each age group and about 300 general pictures daily. We make it convenient for parents by using facial recognition, so they get notified whenever their kids appear in a picture. The main purpose is to provide parents with a glimpse of camp life. Most parents schedule their day around 11:00 am when the photos are posted. They eagerly go online to check not only their children’s photos but also their children’s expressions. If their child isn’t smiling, they might assume that the child is upset, and if their glasses are missing in the photo, they may think the child has lost them. If their child is alone in a photo, they may worry that the child has lost friends. Using these photos, our parents try to analyze how their children are feeling, sometimes even comparing them to other kids. However, not all kids smile all the time. It’s important to understand that camp, like life, has its ups and downs. Experiencing setbacks can be beneficial for kids’ growth. Currently, kids are shielded from failure with the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality. We believe in teaching kids at camp to be gracious winners and good losers.
I discussed the changes that have taken place with our campers and parents. Now, I’d like to share three things that have remained unchanged about CYJ over the past 25 years:
To sum up, CYJ helps make our kids better and thus our community and world. Only 257 days until Summer 2025!
A Happy and Healthy New Year, Frank
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