OUR COMMUNITY
TAMARACK
The Israeli staff were welcomed with a dinner buffet
Tamarack had 35 Israeli staff members this summer, the most ever. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
A
fter Tamarack’s summer 2020 programming was canceled due to COVID-19, Tamarack returned this summer with calculated safety measures in place. While Israeli campers were not able to make it to camp, 35 Israeli staff members, the most ever, brought Israel to life this summer. “This year we had an Israeli counselor in every village,” said Carly Weinstock, director of Tamarack’s Camp Maas. Carly Weinstock “The Israeli camper program
14
|
SEPTEMBER 16 • 2021
was really missed this year. It was sad we couldn’t have them, but we look forward to continuing that program in the future.” Israeli staff members led and impacted a variety of programs at camp: from artists-in-residences to staff training to teaching Krav Maga, as examples. In so many ways, Israeli staff enhance the Jewish overnight camping experience. Yuval Hazon was an Israeli counselor at Tamarack this summer. Hazon wishes Israeli campers were able to attend but believes there were so many Israeli staff
Yuval Hazon
TAMARACK
A Little Bit of Israel at Camp Tamarack that the kids at camp still had positive Israeli experiences. The presence of Israeli staff members, Israel Day and Jewish programming were obvious ways Tamarack was able to bring Israel to life, but Hazon believes the most important way is through personal connections. “Just through being who we are, connecting with the campers and counselors here and hearing personal stories about Israel,” Hazon said. “You can hear and read about Israel but it’s so different when you actually get to know someone from there. Every one of us is so different and