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A Newsletter of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore December 2009 Kislev/Tevet 5770
Inside: Jewish Life 2 Holiday Happenings 3 Children & Youth 4-5 Camp 6-7 Maccabi 7 Aquatics 8 Special Needs 8 Teens 9 Adults 10 Fitness & Wellness 11 The Arts 12 Chai Lights 13 FYI 14 Staff News 15
JCCs of North America
Associated Corner 15
JCC Camp Staff Bring Years of Experience
You have to love working with kids and have a genuine desire to see them flourish and grow to become a camp leader. Just ask any of the JCC camp directors profiled in this newsletter. Each of these individuals brings their own unique talents, backgrounds and philosophies to the table, yet all share the goal of making your child’s summer a safe, fun and memorable experience. Even if you’ve met some of our directors before we bet you will learn something new about them from the interviews we conducted. So read on and then feel free to call any of them to find out how they can help you plan the ideal camp experience for your child.
Dori Zvili, Camp Milldale, Director
Dori Zvili has been with the JCC since January 1995. This will be her fourth summer at Milldale. She has also spent two summers as a village leader at Capital Camps, six summers with JCC Road Trip (four of those as a Director) and four summers as Assistant Director for the JCC’s TNT program. In addition, she was a counselor at Camp Debut for four years. Dori says that she has been working with kids basically for her entire life! “I think all of my experiences with children have played a part in my training. Being a big sister taught me patience and how to play with kids. Working as a Bunk Counselor has helped me to understand how it is to work both sides of camp. My experiences with the teen camps helped me work better with the counselors and my leadership position at Capital Camps had a part in preparing me for this role. Working with BBYO helped me to stay organized, see the big picture, and help others to lead and grow.” Dori feels that camp is an opportunity for FUN! As director, her goal is to make each day at Milldale nurturing, enriching, and full of exciting and memorable experiences. She believes that good consistent communication with parents and staff is key to making camp a positive experience for all.
Lara Wellerstein, Camp Milldale Associate Director
Lara Wellerstein is in her ninth year at the JCC. During this time she has been the Director of TNT and The Loft and the Assistant and then Associate Director of Camp Milldale. From September to June Lara runs our Kids Center after-school program. Lara is a veteran JCC camper, having spent every summer since she was two years old at a JCC summer day camp!
Lara has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MSW as well. These degrees help her meet the needs of a diverse group of children and families. It helps that she knows many of the children at camp because they attend Kids Center during the school year. When asked what her camp philosophy is, Lara explains, “Summer camp experiences have been proven to help shape Jewish identity. I hope that our campers grow up to be part of a Jewish Community that will impact them throughout their life.”
David Mitnick, Camp Milldale Program Director David Mitnick has been with the JCC for over two years. Last year was his first summer at Camp Milldale but his previous job was at Camp Shoresh where he worked for eight years. David has also worked for the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) for seven years, so with the addition of Camp Milldale that totals about 16 years working with Jewish youth! “Both NCSY and Shoresh were all about fun while in a Jewish environment! For me it is about keeping things fresh and different from the overly structured environment of school while imparting Jewish values. Camp, while structured, is more informal and should be exciting and enjoyable all the time!” David has five young children at home who keep him on his toes. He often tries to see the world through their eyes. David says that he looks at it this way, “If I were a camper, what would be fun for me? I think I’m just a big camper in an adult body because one of my goals each summer is that I have fun too.” Camp continues on page 6.