10 for 2: It's True

You’ve probably heard the phrase “10 for 2.” For most people it means kids wait 10 months for their 2 months of camp. For camp people? It means we work for 10 months to prepare for the 2 months your kids get to run around like crazy and they aren’t your responsibility!

And the #1 question I get more than any other is: “So… what do you do the rest of the year?”

If you ask my kids, they’ll tell you I spend all year working on my Wakey Wakey morning-radio show. And while I’d love to say that’s true, the real answer is less glamorous: I spend my time on the phone, buried in spreadsheets, wandering from meeting to meeting, analyzing everything from menus to medical policies, and planning for the summer like it’s the Super Bowl.

Then comes the #2 most-asked question: “What’s new at camp this summer?”

Well, we’ve been busy dreaming and planning big things. This summer we’re preparing for two new cabins, brand-new art studios, and a giant new Beit Ha’am that will someday hold more ruach than seems physically possible. We’re also planning upgrades to food systems (don’t panic—the Shabbat coffee cake remains untouched), strengthening health-center procedures after last summer’s flu tried to move in permanently, and looking to create as many “wow” moments as we can during the summer.

On top of that, we’ve been refreshing programs, updating equipment, and expanding activity offerings to create more ways for campers to discover something new, something challenging, or something that just makes them smile. All of this planning is meant to strengthen the CYJ experience without ever losing the feeling that makes this place special.

So, if anyone asks what we do the rest of the year, feel free to share the secret: we’re preparing—sometimes quietly, sometimes chaotically, always wholeheartedly—for the magic your children will find here each summer.

And if they ask what’s new this year, you can let them know that CYJ is growing in all the right ways, with thoughtful improvements, big dreams, and the same ruach your kids bring home every Summer.

So yes, “10 for 2” is real. We work all year so your kids can have the kind of summer that fills their memories—and their laundry bags—with magic.

All of this planning is what makes the “2” in “10 for 2” truly unforgettable.

If you still wonder what I do the rest of the year? Let’s just say this: by the time summer starts, I’ve already worked hard enough to need camp almost as much as the kids do.

Wishing your family a Happy Thanksgiving. Frank “the Tank” Silberlicht