CAMP KADIMAH 2021—Staying together, even when we are apart

BY SARAH ATKINS, DIRECTOR

Although this summer marks the second summer in a row that we were not able to open the gates at Camp Kadimah, we are taking a positive approach, seeing this summer as an opportunity to keep our family connected and to invest in relationships and community building that will propel us into 2022.

KADIMAH ON EXCHANGE

Our social media outlets (CK Instagram & Facebook) are highlighting what our campers and staff are up to while they are not with us this summer. It is our hope that our staff and campers will have a safe and enjoyable experience elsewhere this summer and will be able to bring a wealth of new ideas (and perhaps even some new friends) to CK 2022!

CK FAMILY OUTREACH

During the summer months, our professional team will be reaching out to every CK family to check in on the campers and see how and what they are doing this summer. We will continue to invest in building relationships with our families as that is the foundation upon which camp is based.

CK ALUMNI CONTINUE TO GIVE BACK

We were so grateful to have Dr. Mitchell Abrams, a Canadian Radiologist, past Department Chief of Diagnostic Imaging, an Associate Professor at Michael G. Degroote School of Medical Sciences, and most notably, a Kadimah Alumnus lead an amazing staff training program earlier this spring. This session was tremendously well-received by our staff and has given them tools for working with campers, peers, and year-round success!

During this program, CK Staff were introduced to:

• Meditation as a means of reducing anxiety, depression and burn out

• Meditation as a means of personal transformation to create long lasting joy and satisfaction in life

• The physiological benefi ts of meditation for improved well-being

• The art and science of self-care

B’YACHAD CAMPAIGN UPDATE

When we launched the B’Yachad Campaign in 2019, our focus was on raising funds for critical major capital and infrastructure improvements. Then the unthinkable happened: a global pandemic forced camp to close for the fi rst, and then second time in its 78-year history resulting in an enormous loss of camper fees and placing sizable fi nancial strains on camp. Although Kadimah has arguably never gone through more challenging times, it has been incredible to see our close-knit community step up with amazing generosity to keep our camp strong.

REMARKABLY, WE HAVE ALREADY RAISED OVER $2.3 MILLION SO FAR!

This is truly an incredible accomplishment and says so much about our camp and our community of generous donors. In the coming months you will learn how you can become a part of this exciting initiative.

Netkdam

As our name suggests, netkdam—“we will move forward”. Despite the challenges and obstacles that have come our way, we are determined to ensure that Kadimah will emerge from COVID-19 with strength. Thanks to our generous donors, CK will continue to play a critical role instilling in our campers and staff strong Jewish values and a powerful connection to Israel.

Sometimes, you need to go away and look at things from a different vantage point to deeply appreciate what you have. These new perspectives will lead our community to return next summer with a renewed appreciation of Camp Kadimah. You can take the camper out of Kadimah, but you can never take the Kadimah out of the camper!

2022 המידק הללאי! Yalla, Lets Go Kadimah 2022!