Hot Topics
You Shaped the Conversation at Leaders Assembly 2014!
Sunday we will engage in interactive peer-led conversations on a variety of topics relevant to the field of Jewish camp and experiential education. By showcasing professionals and organizations that have taken risks in areas vital to the advancement of their organizational agenda, these sessions offer opportunities to discuss challenges, surprises, and best practices that others have encountered along their way.
Attendees who registered prior to the early bird deadline of December 16th had the opportunity to contribute potential themes for our Hot Topics sessions and suggest professionals and organizations that are accomplished in these areas. The following Hot Topics are representative of those contributions. Check back as we continue to add more sessions in the coming weeks!
You Shaped the Conversation at Leaders Assembly 2014!
Sunday we will engage in interactive peer-led conversations on a variety of topics relevant to the field of Jewish camp and experiential education. By showcasing professionals and organizations that have taken risks in areas vital to the advancement of their organizational agenda, these sessions offer opportunities to discuss challenges, surprises, and best practices that others have encountered along their way.
Attendees who registered prior to the early bird deadline of December 16th had the opportunity to contribute potential themes for our Hot Topics sessions and suggest professionals and organizations that are accomplished in these areas. The following Hot Topics are representative of those contributions. Check back as we continue to add more sessions in the coming weeks!
SESSION ONE: 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
(Please note: There will be a One Happy Camper Federation Partners Meeting at 2:00 PM that will run through the first Hot Topics session.)
Be Prepared: Emergency Planning at Camp Keeping our campers and staff safe is the number one priority of every camp. Despite our best efforts emergencies happen. Using challenges faced at camp, we will explore proactive measures all camps can take to limit the impact of difficult and unplanned situations. |
Shara Perlman Assistant Director of Camping, JCC Association |
Bringing Authentic Israeli Arts and Culture to Your Camp Sponsored by the Lillian & Larry Goodman Foundations, Presenting Sponsor of Israel Programming Camps are incubators of creative and cutting edge Jewish culture. Discover how engagement with contemporary arts in Israel can further enrich this fundamental aspect of camp and strengthen connections. | Aliza Goodman Director of Professional Development & Experiential Education, The iCenter |
Creating an Inclusion Program: A NJY Camps Case Study Sponsored by the Ruderman Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor of Disabilities Programming According to the National Inclusion Project, the 2013 move of Round Lake Camp, a special needs camp, to the NJY Milford campus (Camp Nah-Jee-Wah, Cedar Lake Camp and Teen Camp) is the largest inclusion project ever undertaken. The entire camp benefited from this experience. Staff and campers alike learned to welcome and understand differences in each other. This session will review planning and preparation, top-down staff training, implementation, and results. Discover the benefits of starting or expanding an inclusion program for your camp. |
Len Robinson Executive Director, NJY Camps |
Day Camps: Becoming One Field & Developing a Community of Practice Join Ramie Arian and Rob Bildner for our inaugural gathering of day camp professionals at Leaders Assembly. Learn how becoming part of a larger field can benefit you as a camp professional and the opportunities available to your camp |
Rob Bildner Co-Founder, FJC Ramie Arian Ramie Arian Consulting |
Let's Chat: Communication with Parents in Season During the summer season, the parents’ experience with camp communication is just as important as the campers’ experience at camp. At this session we will discuss challenges and solutions for keeping your families connected, involved and invested with the way we tell the story of the summer. |
Lewis Sohinki Director, Camp Northland B’nai B’rith |
The Long View of Camp Operations "Not for Profit" does not mean "Not a business." Share best practices and find solutions to your biggest problems. Two veteran camp directors and lay leaders lead a conversation in the day-to-day management and long-term view of camp business operations. |
Skip Vichness Board Member, FJC Keith Klein Board Member, FJC |
Making it in the Big Leagues: Turning Your Educational Experience into a Camp Career If you are currently in graduate school, you do not want to miss this session. Take advantage of this networking opportunity to engage with peers from other programs across North America and learn from alumni of graduate programs about how they have leveraged their educational experience to build successful careers in the field of Jewish camp. This session will also serve as a guide to how YOU can make the most out of your time at Leaders Assembly. | Jared Goldlust Director, Camp Kadimah Mark S. Young Program Coordinator of Experiential Learning, The Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary, Board Member, Pinemere Camp Association, & Leadership Training Consultant |
Peer to Peer Fundraising As a lay leader, you have an incredibly valuable resource for supporting camp – your personal network. How can you leverage your relationships to help reach your camp’s fundraising goals? In this session, we’ll discuss how to invite your friends and colleagues to join you in your support of your camp. Come ready to share ideas with your peers about how to connect with your friends around your passion for camp, effectively leverage technology, and actually make an ask for a meaningful gift to camp. |
Kevin Martone
Jill PaulMentor, JCamp 180 Mentor, JCamp 180 |
Spiritual, Religious, & Cultural Experience at Camp The ability to nurture the spiritual, religious, and cultural needs of your camp community is one of the key measurements of camper satisfaction. While the spectrum of Jewish ritual observance looks different from camp to camp, how can we provide experiences for our campers that foster rich connections to our camp's unique culture, mission, and vision? At this session, we will explore ways to create intentional space at camp for these meaningful experiences that campers can share with their families when they return home. | Jonathan Gerstl Executive Director, Camps Airy & Louise |
The Staff Experience: Programming, Social Life, & Fostering Jewish Identity Research shows that camp fosters meaningful Jewish identities for campers, but are we being intentional about providing the same opportunities for our staff? FJC is currently involved in a pilot to measure the impact of camp on staff. In this session, a camp director currently participating in the pilot will help us consider challenges and opportunities to evolve in these areas. |
Aaron Cantor Director, Camp Seneca Lake |
What's Your Israel Connection? Engaging Staff & Campers Sponsored by the Lillian & Larry Goodman Foundations, Presenting Sponsor of Israel Programming Do your campers and staff have consistent positive “wow” moments about Israel? How is Israel woven into the everyday experience of your target group during camp and after camp? What are the stories you want your campers and staff to be sharing about Israel? |
Bobby Harris Director, URJ Camp Coleman |
SESSION TWO: 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Board Governance: Setting Roles & Expectations A lay leader's job is to provide great governance to their organization, and the best way to do it is by understanding the difference between their roles and responsibilities and those of their paid staff. Join your peers at this session as we explore some ideas to help you take your governance from good to great! |
Natasha Dresner Mentor, JCamp 180 |
Community-Wide Fundraising Want to raise the profile of Jewish camp in your community? This session will focus on community-wide strategies and tactics that have a proven track record of success, such as this past year’s Tour De Camp (a camp-to-camp bike tour fundraising event). Participants will discuss how to involve different stakeholders in your work to ensure participation and fundraising success. |
Shira Rosenblatt Vice President of Jewish Education & Engagement, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Julie Platt Board Member, FJC |
Dreaming Up Creative Affordability Strategies So many industries have reined in or lowered costs to keep their offerings affordable. This brainstorm will challenge us to think creatively beyond raising more scholarship dollars. Come dream with new potential partners so we can develop new ideas. |
Tom Rosenberg Executive Director, Camp Judaea |
Educational Resources & Organizations to Enhance Camp Programming Part I Drawing on case studies of successful integration with outside educational resource providers, we will explore opportunities and challenges, looking for ways in which camps can maximize the benefits of bringing in outside resources, as well as ways in which educational resource providers can more effectively work with camps. If you are considering bringing in an outside organization to complement and enhance your educational programming, or your organization offers educational programs or resources that can be better utilized by the community, this will be a valuable experience for you. Find out how to seamlessly incorporate these resources into an experiential education plan and build a partnership to better serve our youth. |
Mike Mellen Consultant, The Jewish Education Project |
Israel Education: Making HIStory OUR Story Sponsored by the Lillian & Larry Goodman Foundations, Presenting Sponsor of Israel Programming Learn how camps can utilize their staff and their own history to portray Israel’s modern history in a systemic manner. |
Adam Stewart Director of the Goodman Camping Initiative, The iCenter |
Keeping the Faith, Including the Interfaith: Boosting Jewish Camp Enrollment With over 70% of non-Orthdox Jews intermarrying these days, it’s time to spread the joy of Jewish camp to our families – including our interfaith families. The woman who rebranded Manhattan Mini Storage into one of New York City’s hippest brands leads a discussion on how to boost enrollment via interfaith outreach as well as other hot edge topics. |
Archie Gottesman Co-Owner & Chief Branding Officer, Edison Properties & 2008 Wexner Heritage Program Recipient |
Living Jewishly All Year: Camper Engagement We know that during the summer our campers are deeply engaged in Jewish living and learning. What can we do to help ensure that our campers are living and learning Jewishly during the other 10 months of the year? Develop ideas that help send the message, "Camp is special, but living a full Jewish life can happen outside of camp as well." |
Bradley Solmsen Director of Youth Engagement, Union of Reform Judaism |
Metrics for Success - Day Camp Edition As day camps, how can we use the data we have at our fingertips to strengthen the quality of the camp experience we provide? Come learn about Camper Satisfaction Insights (CSI), the tool that many Jewish overnight camps use to help identify areas for growth and improvement, and help identify their successes to add to their story. This conversation will walk you through what metrics you should be collecting, how to use the metrics you already have more effectively, and how to make the data work for you once you have it. We’ll also explore together what a day camp version of the CSI tool could look like, and what specific and unique questions apply to the world of day camp. |
Jodi Sperling Vice-President | Director, Merrin Center for Teen Engagement and Camping, JCC Association Mark Sass President, Summation Research Group |
Out of the Box Professional Development Camp is not just about campers, but also about creating professional opportunities to challenge and retain quality seasonal staff. From accredited internships to staff exchange programs, come learn about some of the most innovative initiatives that camps are implementing across North America. |
Noah Zaves Candidate for Nonprofit MBA/MA in Jewish Camping and Informal Education, Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program |
Strategic Planning for Maximum Organizational Success As a camp lay leader, what is your role in developing a long-term strategy for you institution’s health and sustainability? FJC board member, Jim Heeger, led the Master Plan Committee that developed the long-term vision for Camp Newman’s facilities, and he is currently chairing the Building Committee for the first phase of major renovations. In this session, Jim will share his experiences and help you articulate specific goals for your own work. Discover the action steps and resources needed in order to develop a healthy strategy for camp programming, fundraising and other aspects of operations. This is a session you don’t want to miss! |
Jim Heeger President, CEO & Chairman, GreenRoad & Board Member, FJC |
Turning Ideas into Dollars Through Proposals & Donor Cultivation All of us have great visions and ideas about how to improve our camps and nurture our young leaders. This session will focus on approaches and tactics to raise the dollars you need to turn your ideas into reality through the hard work of donor cultivation and foundation proposals. |
Rabbi Mitch Cohen National Director, National Ramah Commission |
When Everyone Values Inclusion: A Mind-Set for the Entire Camp Sponsored by the Ruderman Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor for Disabilities Programming Whether your camp has a special needs program, a mainstream program, or is just starting the journey, every member of the camp community plays a part in successful inclusion. Representatives from Matan and Rosh Pina will lead a discussion on what this means for your camp, and how to successfully accommodate the wide range of campers that each summer brings. Participants will gain insight from one another as well as from the facilitators, and will leave with concrete ideas for moving forward. |
Elana Naftalin-Kelman Director of the Tikvah Program, Camp Ramah in California & Founder & Director, Rosh Pina Dori Frumin Kirschner Executive Director, Matan |
SESSION THREE: 4:50 PM - 5:50 PM
Alumni Engagement Discuss models and strategies for engaging your camp’s alumni. At this session you’ll learn different tactics and approaches to keeping your past campers and staff engaged so they are part of your “camp family” for life, eventually becoming a tremendous source for marketing, recruitment, and fundraising. |
Rabbi Paul Resnick Director, Camp Ramah in the Berkshires |
BunkConnect: An Introduction to FJC's Affordability Initiative Come learn about BunkConnect™, FJC’s initiative aimed at addressing affordability of Jewish camp. BunkConnect is an online referral service designed to generate first-time camper leads, matching moderate and lower income families with opportunities to access Jewish summer camp at an introductory price point that is right for them. BunkConnect is also an opportunity for Jewish camps to rethink how they view unsold beds. Empty beds at Jewish camp represent lost opportunities to both provide an exceptional Jewish experience for another child, and for camps to bring in additional revenue. BunkConnect is being piloted in partnership with 39 camps across the Northeast, New England, and Mid-Atlantic regions. |
Seth Cohen Director of Affordability Initiatives, FJC |
Educational Resources & Organizations to Enhance Camp Programming Part II Drawing on case studies of successful integration with outside educational resource providers, we will explore opportunities and challenges, looking for ways in which camps can maximize the benefits of bringing in outside resources, as well as ways in which educational resource providers can more effectively work with camps. If you are considering bringing in an outside organization to complement and enhance your educational programming, or your organization offers educational programs or resources that can be better utilized by the community, this will be a valuable experience for you. Find out how to seamlessly incorporate these resources into an experiential education plan and build a partnership to better serve our youth. |
Mike Mellen Consultant, The Jewish Education Project |
Everything You Wanted to Know to Start & Run a Successful Vocational Training Program Sponsored by the Ruderman Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor for Disabilities Programming This session will present an overview of the vocational training programs at the various Ramah camps. Howard Blas is the director of the Tikvah Program at Camp Ramah in New England, which has been offering its in camp vocational training program for over 25 years. Topics covered will include: job sites, job placement, job site supervision, worker evaluation, housing, socialization, days off, the staff buddy program, recreational programming, the Tikvah Guest House, the Voc Ed bakery, program staffing and communication with parents, schools and employers in home communities. |
Howard Blas Director of the Tikvah Program, Camp Ramah in New England |
Exploring Jewish Diversity: An Innovative Israeli Family Camping Model YAHALOM Family Camps in Israel were developed 13 years ago to engage Russian-speaking families in a conversation about Jewish and Israeli identity. Since then, YAHALOM has expanded and the organization now runs family camps that bring together Russians, Ethiopians, and native-born Israelis. Together, they explore the identities and multiculturalism that are the building blocks of Israeli society. Derek Perlman, the Founder and Director of YAHALOM, will share the model and lead a discussion on how it is transferable in the North American context, given the ever-diversifying nature of our own Jewish population. | Derek Perlman Founder & Director, YAHALOM |
Institutional Collaborations to Strengthen Staffing Retaining high quality seasonal staff is a challenge for a variety of institutions from camps to Hillels, but also a great opportunity for collaboration. A few years ago, FJC initiated Nadiv as an opportunity for six congregational or day schools to partner with six camps and each create a year-round position for a Jewish educator to be shared at their partnering institutions. At this interactive session, come learn about the experiences of developing and participating in this program from the director and fellows of Nadiv in order to brainstorm how you could consider similar opportunities to strengthen your own institution. |
Ramie Arian Director, Nadiv Jeff Bicher Executive Director, Hillel of Montreal |
Integrating Israel Trips into the Culture of Your Camp Sponsored by the Lillian & Larry Goodman Foundations, Presenting Sponsor of Israel Programming If you are considering incorporating Israel trips to the experiences you offer your campers and staff, this session is for you. Whether your institution already runs an Israel trip or you are in the beginning stages of creating one, learn from some of the best practices in the field as we also explore what the implications of the relaxed Birthright restrictions on previous trip experience can have on camps. |
Toby Ayash Goodman Camping Initiative Faculty Advisor |
Leveraging Shlichim in Your Camp and Community Sponsored by the Lillian & Larry Goodman Foundations, Presenting Sponsor of Israel Programming Shlichim can play a vital role in enriching and deepening the connection and engagement campers have with Israel, but much depends on their training, expectations, and their capacity to become integral members of the camp or broader community. They can be the living bridge but what does it take for folks to want to use that bridge to cross to the other side? |
Shalom Orzach Director of Avi Chai Projects for Returning Shlichim, Jewish Agency For Israel |
JEM Camping: Jewish Engagement Through Modeling Together, we will discover the benefits of working as a field to better service the edge of our community. How do we recruit and retain campers? Where can we collaborate? In this session, we will explore how our competition can serve for the betterment of K’lal Yisroel. | Rabbi Yitzchok Ehrman Director, Camp Agudah Midwest & Chief Operation Officer, Agudath Israel Midwest Region |
What Makes My Camp Jewish? Telling your story. There's a Jewish camp out there for every potential camper, but how do you let families know you're the right one for them? This session examines how to articulate your camp's Jewish mission and explores ways to make explicit the values that animate your camp and make its program unique and attractive. | David Ackerman Director of the Mandel Center for Jewish Education, JCC Association |
Using Big Data to Aid Year-Round Engagement Big data tools are not just for big corporations. Learn how to use big data techniques to acquire new campers and maintain existing relationships with your current staff and valuable alumni. Engage your campers year-round and offer new recruitment opportunities through lead generation. | Sacha Litman CEO, GrapeVine & Founder & Managing Director, Measuring Success |