Aug 31, 2026
Dear Judaeans,
In the previous Summer (2025), we had the three F’s. Flu ran through the first session. Then the Floods, and the grief that came with them for our Hill Country neighbors. And then Food, or more accurately, trying to feed everyone out of a dining room that was too small to contain all of us.
This summer was TAG. Things Are Great.
Expanding the Chadar Ochel into the old Beit Ha’am doubled our space. Seven buffet lines, plus a separate line for campers with allergies and dietary needs which meant that no kid stood off to the side wondering whether there was anything on the menu for them. Food came out fast and it came out hot. I realize that sounds like a low bar. Twenty-eight summers in, I promise you it is not.
The farm was a runaway hit. Rabbits, tortoises, goats and chickens, and a line of campers waiting their turn every single day. More than one homesick kid found a goat to talk to, which I can report is considerably more effective than anything I have ever said to a homesick kid. But the real win was the staff. They did the job, and more importantly, they were there: present, caring, and full of energy. You can build all the buildings you want. You cannot buy that.
Most of you have heard by now that we had a fire in the Chadar Ochel earlier this month. The most important thing: no one was hurt.
We will share the cause and our plans as soon as we actually know them. Not a day before, and not a version of them that sounds good but isn’t confirmed. In the meantime, mitigation is beginning.
And yes, the irony has been pointed out to me. Roughly once a day. We spent a year getting that room right, and I would happily hand back every compliment I received about those seven buffet lines to have it back the way it was in July. But the challenge is also an opportunity. We were going to have to think hard about changes to that 20 year old building eventually. We are thinking hard about it now, and what comes next can be better than what we had.
While one building is coming apart, four others are coming together.
We are just about to occupy the new Bar Yadin Beit Ha’am and the Jodi Braham Center for Arts, Crafts & Design — Mercaz Omanut. After all the drawings, the meetings, construction, and the delays, they are nearly ready for the only inspection that actually counts: a few hundred campers starting to use the spaces next summer.
The new camper cabins should be ready in about a month. That is the part of our project that expands our mission: room for another 56 campers a session. More beds means we can say yes to more families who want CYJ for their kids, instead of putting them on a waitlist and hoping for the best.
When I look at what we accomplished this past year and read through the summer evaluations, I am excited about what is ahead. I hope you are too, because I have a lot to share. Stay tuned…
Frank “the Tank” Silberlicht Executive Director
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