Lion’s Pride: Noah Barshop

Greetings from San Antonio! My name is Noah Barshop and I’m a proud Camp Young Judaea Texas Alumni. I attended CYJ from Ofarim through Segel and returned after high school as a counselor for three summers and a year-round coordinator. Camp has always had a special place in my heart, and I’m always amazed when thinking back on the ways it still influences me today.

I currently work as a Director of Policy with San Antonio City Council and support a family-owned event planning and DJ business, Rikko’s Joint. Community, communication, and project management are at the heart of what I do–and these are all things I was fortunate to be immersed in during my lifelong journey with CYJ. Before I was planning community town halls or advising on policy, I was planning Army Day and Macabiah as a counselor. Before I was working with my family to support weddings, quinceañeras, or Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, I was working with my young Jewish peers to prepare Banquet and the Ofarim Wedding. Whether it was in building social skills, refining interests, or solidifying Jewish identity, those years at Camp Young Judaea continue to be pivotal in my life and the lives of so many campers, staffers, and families.

Looking at the connections between then and now, I feel there is a tangible magic of camp that we are fortunate to have a chance to channel in our everyday lives. I can’t wait until my nephews can see it for themselves.