Gary Kibort, Herzl Camp Executive Director
Well, I wish I could say that reopening camp would go off without a hitch… But, unsurprisingly, a summer away, a global pandemic, and a major labor shortage has thrown a bit of a curveball into the first week. Thankfully, we are Covid-free and kids are thriving back in the camp community. The snag is in the kitchen. Both a good and bad thing… Good because it’s fixable and bad because good food makes everything else better!
With all new staff in the kitchen and a Covid protocol of serving meals simultaneously in the Chadar Ochel and in the new outdoor dining pavilion, it took a while to get a good rhythm going and the food suffered.
We’ve made some game day decisions that are already making a difference. We brought back our former kitchen director in a support role, revamped menus, and added some additional equipment to get food to the right locations. Though we are still struggling with some supply chain issues and hiring enough kitchen staff; many of us have been taking shifts in the kitchen to help out.
Over the last week, we’ve seen steady improvement – quantities are right so there are always seconds, variety and taste is good. We are still working on some kinks but I believe those will be worked through in the next few days as we settle into our new procedures and staffing plan.
Again, I wish it all could be smooth sailing from Day 1, but we’re moving in the right direction and the campers are happy and healthy. I’ll take that as a win any day.