We’re back baby!!!! Session 2, Kadima & B’Yachad – June 23
We’re back! That’s right, camp is in full form!
For those of you who are newcomers to the Machaneh Herzl community, welcome. We’re so glad you’re with us, and we’re even more glad that you chose to send your kid to this little slice of paradise in Webster, Wisconsin.
My name is Tommy Hoffman, and I get the privilege of serving as the Executive Director of the Herzl Camp Association and Foundation. I am one lucky dude.
I’m going to write these updates almost every night. I do take some time off here and there, but I promise to communicate as much as possible. And I promise a few other things too.
First, these updates will come right from the heart and exactly as I see it.
Second, I’m never going to use AI (you’ll see bad grammar and misspellings to prove it). You’re going to get me in full form, without the filters. Now, those computers do a lot of correcting for me these days, which is probably why I think kids should go back to blue books and #2 pencils. But that’s a whole other story for a different day.
And third, you’re going to get a picture of camp through the lens of a Jewish communal professional, a former camp staff member from years past, and a camp parent.
Our entire staff has one mission. It’s a mission we’ll never fully accomplish, but we’re going to work as hard as we can toward that unreachable finish line. We are here to help raise proud Jews and help our campers understand why Israel exists for the Jewish people.
We are proudly a Zionist camp, and we get to do this Jewish education through the lens of fun.
And it is a whole lot of fun.
Thank you for sending your kids here. Now we get to do some of the heavy lifting alongside you, helping them become proud of who they are, where they come from, and the incredible story they inherit.
Today, we welcomed 330 campers, along with 58 Ozrim and a whole lot of staff members already here making sure this engine runs smoothly.
The Chadar (Dining Hall) was in its absolute best form, FULL! Everywhere you looked, people were grinning from ear to ear.
The welcome in the Ulam (our auditorium) was perfect.
Sure, there were some nervous faces and some scared eyes. That’s normal. But I assure you that in one day’s time, which is about a week in Herzl time, those nerves will disappear, and your campers will feel completely at home.
As a matter of fact, that’s the very first thing we say to them. They walk into the Ulam with staff members standing on benches and stages, singing, dancing, celebrating, and filling the room with Jewish song. Then we quiet the crowd down and give them a very hearty…WELCOME HOME! And the crowd goes wild.
That’s what we’re going to do this summer. We’re going to build proud Jews, and we’re going to do it through the incredible tool of summer camp. Because it takes self-awareness to build pride. You have to become proud of yourself before you can become truly proud of who you are.
Coming to camp when everything is new. Arriving without many friends or knowing many people, that will change soon and probably already has. Being away from home. Living outside your normal routines. Being AWAY FROM TECHNOLOGY. Trying a new activity. Making the best of an unfamiliar situation. These minor adversities are what shape kids.
And we are the lucky beneficiaries who get to witness that transformation in real time, every single day.
So, I’ll leave you with that and give you another update tomorrow night. I usually write these pretty late, by the way. Things never really sleep here in the forest because we’re always working to make sure your campers are safe, happy, and getting the rest they need to be ready for another awesome day.
But for now…
Thank you for sending your kid to Herzl Camp.
All is well. Safely rest.
לילה טוב,
Tommy
P.S. It never rains at Herzl Camp. It only heavy dews. And it was dewing much of the day today, which messed with some of our timing, including some of our technology and uploads. Please be patient with us. We’re doing the best we can.