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Dear Camp Young Judaea Midwest Families,
As we prepare for the joyous celebrations of Passover, our anticipation for the upcoming summer at camp continues to grow. This week, I'm thrilled to delve into two of my passions: Israel and food, which will intertwine beautifully in our new initiative: Israeli Culture Through Cuisine.
Leading this exciting program are some familiar faces—Noa and Sela Nuphar, along with their three daughters: Ahinoam, Hagar, and Kedem. Noa, who previously served as our Hebrew educator, will now bring her expertise and culinary flair to the kitchen, transforming each meal into a delicious learning experience. Meanwhile, Sela will once again oversee our tiyyulim (camping trips) and cookouts, bridging our culinary experiences both on and off camp.
Our menu will showcase a delightful array of Israeli delights, from classic favorites like schwarma and falafel to nostalgic childhood treats like "shoko v'lachmania" chocolate spread and long buns with yellow cheese. These dishes will not only tantalize our taste buds but also provide insight into the rich tapestry of Israeli culinary culture. Of course, we'll still offer familiar favorites like yogurt, fruit, and cereal for breakfast, as well as a salad bar at lunch and dinner. And who could forget our classic meals of pizza bagels and French toast sticks? Shabbat mornings will still begin with traditional coffee cake, followed by a deli spread for Shabbat lunch.
I want to emphasize that every meal will cater to all dietary needs, whether vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, or any other preferences. This year, we're focusing on creating adaptable meals that accommodate everyone's needs and preferences with ease.
Now, let's shift our focus to other aspects of our Israel education and experience. Our mishlachat (Israeli staff) team comes with two special trainings. The first, given by the Jewish Agency for Israel, has helped our Israeli staff to craft their story. They are prepared to share about their family, where they live in Israel, and their hobbies, some of which will be chugim (interest groups) at camp. Most of our Israel staff have served in the military this year, and they have given thought to how to talk about the values inherent in these experiences, for example, teamwork, loyalty, and service, so that we may deepen our understanding as a learning community. The second training some of our mishlachat are bringing with them is through Kayitz Kef, which teaches how to integrate Hebrew into regular camp activities. We will give kids the vocabulary tools to use Hebrew in some of the camp's favorite activities: sports, swimming, art, maybe even Dungeons and Dragons.
Camp will also have some special visitors during staff training and at the start of camp. To align American and Israeli staff in developing Israel educational programs in light of this past year, we are having the iCenter come in to work with staff during training week. We will also have the Young Judaea shaliach Amit Castel take part in both staff training week and the first week of the summer. Amit will be a resource as staff are developing programs and in our initial educational launch. Finally, to make sure staff have educational background resources at their fingertips, we became a partner educational organization with IsraelLink. IsraelLink provides more factual background information on Israel that we could hope to impart and has a special educational build-out focused on resiliency for this year, which is a message we will focus on at camp.
As a lifelong Zionist, I understand the importance of Israel education at camp. There is so much noise out there in the Israel information space, and it is critical that we cut through this to help our camp community develop and grow our relationships with Israel in ways that are true, that honor our relationships with Israelis in our community, and that hopefully someday also grow out of the firsthand experiences with Israel. Young Judaea provides these first hand experiences through Gesher, a summer in Israel program for rising 11th and 12th graders, and Year Course, which is the largest gap year program in Israel, for high school graduates.
While we are asked to celebrate our freedom during this holiday of Passover, we also hold in our hearts those who are not free, including those of our people held by Hamas. If there is one lesson I have learned from our year of ongoing challenge, it is to be grateful for the moments when our loved ones are near and for those moments when something we have hoped for comes to fruition.
With gratitude for our CYJM community, which fills me with hope for the future of the Jewish people,
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