Zach Duitch

CSS honours Bellas z”l

The Bellas family, left to right: Oksana, Aliza, Yaakov, Maya and Matthew. (photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)

When Camp Solomon Schechter (CSS) hosts their annual Spark fundraiser event at Beth Israel Synagogue May 3, it might be a more emotional gathering than it has been in past years.

That’s because the honouree, Matthew Bellas, z”l, who passed away last year at age 49 from health complications, left a powerful mark on both the Vancouver and CSS community.

“It means everything,” said Bellas’s daughter, Maya, of her aba (dad) being the focus of the local event. “You can’t put into words the impact he had just walking into a room with his positivity, his passion and his light, and how that inspired others.”

Honouring him, she said, “means that those opportunities for him to continue teaching and passing on his ethics and his education are not lost, and we can continue to pass that spark on to more people.”

Maya said her dad had a special relationship with CSS as a child.

“Camp was where he could express most sides of himself in the silliest way possible,” she recalled. “At camp, he was able to be playful, be an athlete, be artistic and do different visual arts, and sing and dance, while also expressing his religious side.”

She recalled her dad saying that he found his calling to be a rabbi while he was leading prayers (tefillot) as an 8-year-old. “Getting to practice Judaism and [Jewish] traditions was key to who he would become. He had lots of nostalgia and gratitude [to CSS] for that,” she said.

Rabbi Bellas grew up in the Vancouver Jewish community, attending CSS as a camper and participating in Oded, the junior counselor program. He became bar mitzvah and got married to his wife, Oksana, at Beth Israel. The couple raised three children here – Maya, Yaakov and Aliza – before moving to Olney, Md., in 2014.

While studying to become a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary, Bellas returned to camp in 2001 and 2002 as “Rabbi Matt,” writing curriculum and making other contributions. After receiving ordination in 2004, he continued to build a distinguished career in Jewish education, serving as school rabbi at Brandeis School in Lawrence, NY, and at Vancouver Talmud Torah. He spent the last decade of his life as a principal at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Md., where he apparently coined the daily reminder: “Ask a good question, learn something new, and be kind to everyone.”

Camp Solomon Schechter’s annual Spark event celebrates the camp’s legacy, community and future, with simultaneous events in Vancouver, Portland and Seattle, bringing together alumni, supporters and friends from across the region. This year’s theme – Body, Mind and Spirit – reflects the camp’s commitment to nurturing the whole person through meaningful experiences, relationships and Jewish values.

photo - Matthew Bellas with his son Yaakov at Camp Solomon Schechter — Matthew Bellas with his son Yaakov at Camp Solomon Schechter. *(photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)*

Bellas is being recognized for the Spirit element of the event.

“He was so passionate about Jewish continuity,” Maya said of the spirit her dad brought to his work, including his time at CSS. “He wanted to create that experience for other youth and families. He knew that the continuation of our traditions and people relies on joyful, immersive and strong Jewish communities, and that Judaism is a community and family-based activity.

“At Schechter, along with the Judaics team, he created an experience that was fun, engaging and hands on,” she said. “Creating the Jewish memories for the campers that he had as a kid.”

Maya and Yaakov also both attended CSS as campers, while Maya continued her staffing journey there as a young Jewish leader, serving as the director of Oded the past two summers.

“When we started going to camp, being part of this lineage of going to camp, we got to talk about how it evolved over time,” she said. “We are a part of this history and story of camp, and it’s something that connected us, and that’s something that he appreciated, too.”

Maya said witnessing her dad’s legacy has led her to seriously consider her own impact and the work she did at CSS.

“To see the mark he’s left on the world and on the people he’s come across, at my age, it definitely makes me start to think about what I’m going to leave behind me,” she said. “I just hope it’s a warmer, safer, connected place and I hope this event helps camp [provide] that for many more kids.”

For the Vancouver event co-chairs, Lisa Boroditsky and Sandy Hazan, Bellas’s aunt, honouring Rabbi Matt is extra special.

“First and foremost, it is a true honour to be connected to Matthew Bellas, z”l, as part of our extended mishpachah [family] through the Switzer family clan,” said Boroditsky. “To have the opportunity to carry on what was so truly important to Matt is a meaningful way for me to honour his legacy.

“I also strongly believe in the profound impact that Jewish summer camp has on young people,” she said. “It helps shape identity, build community and instil a lasting love for Jewish life and tradition. Being part of an event that both honours Matthew’s legacy and supports something that was so important to him and our shared beliefs is incredibly meaningful.”

Hazan said her nephew taught them all what it means to be proud of being Jewish and loving our traditions.

“His impact in fostering love of Judaism and showing Jewish pride was felt in every aspect of his professional and personal life,” she said. “He also loved bringing people together and Schechter Spark is an opportunity for the Vancouver Jewish community to gather and celebrate Matthew’s spirit and the Jewish values we all hold so dear. These past years have shown us all that we are stronger together.”

Boroditsky made a point of noting Bellas’s impact on those around him, and how that made him an especially appropriate honouree for this year’s event.

“He touched hundreds of lives through his teachings, kindness, leadership and unwavering spirit,” she said. “By honouring him at the Spark event this year, the community comes together not only to remember him, but to celebrate the legacy he leaves behind.”

The Schechter Spark events this year will also recognize Debbi and Alan Montrose in Portland, Ore., as the Body honourees, and Cindy and Bob Strauss in Seattle, Wash., as the Mind honourees.

“As we celebrate another year of impact, Spark is a time to honour our past, celebrate our present and invest in our future,” said Zach Duitch, executive director of Camp Solomon Schechter. “We are especially grateful to honour Rabbi Bellas’s memory and the spiritual legacy he leaves within our community.”

For more than 70 years, CSS has been a cornerstone of Jewish life in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Spark reflects the soul of camp, bringing people together in gratitude, remembrance and hope. Registration and sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, visit campschechter.org/spark or contact Leah Conley at [email protected].

Kyle Berger is Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver sports coordinator, and a freelance writer living in Richmond.

Camp welcomes new director

Karli Niehaus, husband Josh and their family at Camp Solomon Schechter. (photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)

Camp Solomon Schechter alum Karli Niehaus is returning home – as camp director. She brings extensive experience in childhood education, community leadership and Jewish engagement, and she’s ready to bring her energy, creativity and love for camp to this new role.

“I’m so excited to join the team as the new camp director of Camp Solomon Schechter!” said Niehaus. “Schechter has always been such a meaningful part of my life. I spent years as a camper (including my Oded summer in 2010), then returned as a counselor and art director. I also came back during grad school to support the camper care team, focusing on the social and emotional well-being of campers and staff.

“I met my husband at camp (Josh Niehaus, longtime CSS music director, assistant director and director of innovation), and now our two kids – our eldest, Jaylan, and his younger brother, Shaya – both share our love for Schechter, asking almost every time we get in the car, ‘Are we going to Camp Solomon Schechter?’ They’ve been crawling around the hill, splashing in the lake and singing around the campfire with their dad on guitar since they were babies. Jaylan even attended his first family camp at just three weeks old.

“I also come from a proud multigenerational Schechter family,” Niehaus added. “My dad and uncles were campers long before me, and served on the board during my years as a camper. Our family was honoured last year at Schechter Spark in Seattle.”

Niehaus has more than a decade of experience in education and community leadership, along with a master’s in education and a board certification in applied behaviour analysis.

“My work has always centred on creating spaces where kids feel safe, seen and celebrated as they grow into confident, compassionate leaders,” she said. “In recent years, I’ve become especially passionate about ensuring the future pipeline of Jewish leadership, something that feels more important than ever. I truly believe Jewish camp plays a critical role in that. Camp gave me a place to explore who I am, to build Jewish pride and belonging, and to find my voice as a leader.

“I’m honoured to help carry that legacy forward, to make sure every camper and staff member feels the same magic, joy and connection that shaped me, and to help build the next generation of strong, proud Jewish leaders.”

“Please join us in wishing Karli a baruch haba – welcome!” said Zach Duitch, executive director of Camp Solomon Schechter. “We also express our deepest gratitude for outgoing camp director Manda Graizel. We wish her nothing but success in all her future endeavours.”

For more information about the camp, its leadership team and summer sessions, go to campschechter.org.

– Courtesy Camp Solomon Schechter

Benefits of being a counselor

A fundamental part of being a counselor is to support the campers. (photo from Camp Kalsman)

Rachel Mintz worked as junior counselor, senior counselor, canoe specialist and assistant director at Camp BB-Riback in the late 1990s. In her work today as deputy chief data officer for Environment and Climate Change Canada, she’s quick to credit her leadership style, passion and confidence to the skills she learned at camp.

“Camp actually played a role in my career path,” she told the Independent. “One major lesson a person learns from work at camp is the power of passion. Anyone who came in 1998, when I was canoe specialist, would’ve experienced how much I loved teaching kids the freedom of paddling their own canoe. Today, with the staff I manage, I believe in finding projects that align with their strengths and passion.

“My last year of camp, I was 19 and working as assistant director, a position that gave me the confidence to apply and take on future management roles,” she added. “I learned the importance of a leadership role and the ‘behind the scenes.’ I came to realize that I have skills to coordinate moving parts and that I enjoy influencing others in their work.”

Jewish camp directors in the northwest are already recruiting counselors for summer 2026.

“As a counselor at camp, you build community, work with kids, run programs and act as a role model,” said Zach Duitch, executive director at Camp Solomon Schechter. “These experiences running a cabin, dealing with challenges and problem-solving teach you resiliency, which is critical for this age group. Our counselors learn from their experiences and realize that they can overcome things with patience, communication and problem-solving. It’s such an important learning experience.”

Duitch believes strongly that a position as a camp counselor teaches teens skills they would never learn in a traditional retail environment or minimum-wage summer job. “They’re learning hospitality, conflict resolution, health and hygiene for a group of eight-to-12 kids, how to run a program – these are human skills and executive skills,” he said. “We even take their phones!

“Consider that, if our counselors didn’t do this, they’d likely be bumming around at home on their phones and staying up late,” he explained. “My message to these teens is this: working as a counselor is an experience that truly doesn’t exist elsewhere. Take advantage of this opportunity as long as you can, before you’re thrown into really needing to find a job.”

Duitch’s own work as a camp counselor set him on the path to dedicating his life to Jewish work. Another camper he knew, the late Rabbi Matthew Bellas, found his path to the rabbinate at camp. “Camp teaches you skills, but it also shows you what your passions are,” said Duitch.

If money is your teen’s top priority for the summer, a camp counselor position is not going to be a top contender. The salaries for counselors range from honorariums to a few thousand dollars. One upside of the money earned at camp is that the counselors don’t spend it while they’re working. “When you leave at the end of the summer, you leave with a lump sum,” Duitch said.

Rather than look at it in financial terms, he encouraged parents to think about the opportunity camp counseling gives teens to create impact.

“If you went to camp and loved the immersive programming, the fun, the memorable moments and the joy, maybe this is your turn to give back to the kids as a counselor. There’s nothing like living a fully immersive Jewish experience at camp, surrounded by a community you can rely on.”

Don’t look at it as a “summer filler,” agreed Liza Rozen-Delman, executive director at Camp Hatikvah. “Your teen will build confidence and emotional maturity as a counselor, learning to manage stress, communicate clearly, lead with empathy and take real responsibility. These are skills that prepare them for university, travel and future careers.”

Becoming a counselor is the natural next step after aging out of camp, she said. “It lets young people return to a place they grew up, one that feels safe, familiar and supportive. These roles offer structure, purpose and a guided environment where teens can practise independence, learn to meet expectations and develop accountability, something many aren’t used to today.”

The work is meaningful but demanding, she noted, with early mornings, late nights and constant responsibility, as counselors support kids, run activities and manage group dynamics. “One of my favourite sayings,” she shared, “is that camp doesn’t just prepare young adults for ‘work,’ it prepares them for life.”

At Schechter, candidates are interviewed for their past experience working with kids, their values, trust, accountability and communication skills.

“Have they failed before, and have they used that experience to succeed? We love to give second chances at camp,” Duitch said.

Rozen-Delman said she looks for counselors who demonstrate empathy, kindness, responsibility, confidence and initiative. “They need to be team players and strong communicators,” she said.

“Camp doesn’t run without these young Jewish role models,” Duitch added. “They bring the magic to life, and we want to continue to invest in them, motivate them, provide them with resources and challenge them.”

“Working at camp is an investment in your development,” said Stacy Shaikin, executive director at Camp BB-Riback. “There’s no other job for young people that gives you this much responsibility and a chance to troubleshoot and think on your feet. Everyone who has ever done it looks back on it and uses these tools in their careers.”

When Rachel Mintz’s daughter returned home from camp, Rachel quizzed her on her favourite part. Her answer was immediate, and just two words: the counselors.

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond.

Camp celebrates a lifetime at 70

Lisa and Andrew Altow with their family on visitors day at Camp Solomon Schechter in 2013. (photo from the Altow family)

On May 5, Camp Solomon Schechter will honour four long-time relationships that were built at the camp. Part of its 70th-anniversary celebrations, there will be three separate events in three different cities – Portland, Seattle and Vancouver – on the same day. Those being honoured include Vancouverites Lisa and Andrew Altow, and Yvonne Rosenberg.

“One of the most special things about camp is the lifelong friendships that it creates and the geographic area that it spans,” Zach Duitch, executive director of Camp Solomon Schechter, told the Independent. “We say camp friends are forever friends and we know that having Jewish friendships throughout your life is one of the most significant and important relationships we have. This is what builds Jewish community.”

Of this year’s honourees, he said, “We have a friendship that has spanned three generations and two countries, from Portland to BC, Yvonne and Sharon [Stern] – they went to camp together, their children went to camp together, their grandchildren go to camp together. We have two relationships that are marriages from camp, the Korches [Melissa and Matt] and the Altows. And we have a beautiful friendship of four friends from four different communities who have stayed friends throughout their lifetime”: Eva Corets, Rochelle Huppin, Wendy Rosen and Karen Twain.

photo - Sharon Stern, left, and Yvonne Rosenberg met in the early 1960s at Camp Solomon Schechter and have been friends ever since — Sharon Stern, left, and Yvonne Rosenberg met in the early 1960s at Camp Solomon Schechter and have been friends ever since. *(photo from CSS)*

In previous years, Camp Solomon Schechter has awarded the Migdal Or Award to individuals who have provided a “spark of light that guides the way for others to follow.” The inspiration for the award and its first recipients, in 2020, were camp founders Rabbi Joshua and Goldie Stampfer (z”l). While an award won’t be given out this year, the 70th anniversary Schechter Spark will reflect the Stampfers’ “legacy, virtue and commitment to Jewish life and camping.”

Camp Solomon Schechter started in 1954, near Echo Lake, in Washington. The first year, 25 campers attended a one-week session; the next year, 40 campers attended a two-week session.

The camp moved to Whidbey Island in 1958 but outgrew that space within 10 years. With the help again of Seattle Rabbi Joseph Wagner, one of the camp’s founders, as well as Harry Sherman and Rabbi Zev Solomon from Vancouver, BC, a camp property in the Olympia area was found, and it was for sale.

“Rabbi Stampfer immediately called the number and spoke with the owner, Helen Shank,” reads the Our History page of the CSS website. “And, for $300,000, the 200-acre property could be owned by Camp Solomon Schechter. Each of the rabbis from the major cities (Portland, Seattle and Vancouver) committed to raising $100,000 from their communities, and they were able to accomplish the goal in time for summer 1969.”

CSS is still located at the site near Olympia, with some 600 campers and more than 100 staff attending annually, in addition to the Stampfer Retreat Centre and OSPREY Camp (an outdoor education program).

Seventy years is a special anniversary in Judaism.

“The number 70 is considered a lifetime, so much so that 13 years into the second lifetime, at the age of 83, many Jews will have a second bar or bat mitzvah,” explained Duitch. “Where does that number come from? A midrashic tale tells us that there was an old man planting a carob tree by the side of the road when a traveler walked by. The traveler asked the man, ‘Why are you planting that tree? It will never bear fruit in your lifetime.’ The man responded, ‘I’m doing it for the next generation.’ And so, the legend goes, it takes a carob tree 70 years from seed to fruit and that’s where we get that idea of a lifetime. So, this year, at Schechter Spark, we are celebrating our first lifetime and raising funds for our next lifetime.”

“We are looking forward to being at the event with many of our good friends and all our kids,” Andrew Altow told the Independent. He and Lisa attended CSS in the mid-to-late-1970s. “I was a camper,” he said. “Lisa was a camper and, later, a counselor.”

After their first year at CSS, Andrew said there were a couple of reasons for wanting to return for another summer. “First, all our Jewish friends from all the cities – Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Spokane – that went every year. Second, the ruach [spirit], the amazing sense of Judaism and fun together.”

Looking back now some 50 years later, Andrew said, “CSS played a massive role for us. Because of our CSS lifelong camp friendships, we met in our 20s at a party in Bellevue [Washington] and fell in love and got married a few years later – Lisa was from Bellevue and I was from Vancouver. Because of CSS, we maintained a meaningful connection with camp and eventually each of our four kids attended CSS and have made their own lifelong friends.”

Andrew and Lisa have each, at one time or another, served on the CSS board or a board committee.

“CSS has been a Jewish string that has connected us to our Judaism and to Israel in a positive and meaningful way, for which we are extremely grateful,” said Andrew. “Mostly, it’s been the amazing people involved with CSS, whether they be staff or volunteers, each one amazing in their passion for CSS and their genuine love for this magical camp, its mission, its values.”

It was “incredibly important” that their kids also go to Camp Solomon Schechter, said Andrew. “Each child – Josh, Lynne, Joey and Ari – got something different out of camp but their experience reinforced their Judaism and their connection to Israel.

“One summer, it was very special to have all four kids and my nephew from Toronto to attend in the same summer session – five Altows at one session. We were so proud to see how close they all were and continue to be. We believe CSS was an incredible positive influence on all of them.”

Humbled to be one of the Schechter Spark 24 honourees, Andrew said, “In a world today full of hate, full of antisemitism, full of turmoil worldwide, CSS is an oasis of safety for Judaism to shine through our children and teach them the beautiful tenets of Judaism so our children, and future children, can continue to repair the world as our faith illustrates.”

To read about the other Schechter Spark 2024 honourees and to RSVP for the (free) local May 5 event at Tap & Barrel in Olympic Village, go to campschechter.org/spark-24. Vancouver co-chairs are Elana Bick and Sheldon Franken, and the special guest will be camp director Manda Graziel.

Thanks to CSS’s 2024 Matchmakers, any new donation to the camp will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $218,000. Visit campschechter.com to donate.

Encouraging independence

At Camp Solomon Schechter, campers are encouraged to take some risks, embrace imperfection, connect and make new friends, and grow as leaders and good citizens of the world. (photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)

The pandemic and its restrictions on socializing greatly affected kids in particular. Being together at school and at camp gives children the chance to practise being in community and build skills around dialogue, collaboration, connection and identity. Without face-to-face interactions, in-person education and events, physical touch and their relationships, they have struggled to stand up for themselves and build the confidence they need to make their own decisions and truly find out who they are. Especially with how much social media and celebrity culture influence kids to try the latest trends to be part of the in-crowd, many of them are losing their own self-worth and misinterpreting their identities.

As many camps and groups for young people do, Camp Solomon Schechter values each child as an individual, and strives to support their social, emotional, physical and spiritual growth. At Solomon Schechter, campers have the opportunity to practise independence by choosing their own chuggim (activities) and making their cabins their own through spirited chants or personal artwork. Campers can do all of this in a safe, nurturing environment and find their passion to do what makes them happy, whether it’s arts and crafts, sports, nature or musical theatre. Every camper is encouraged to risk a little (but not without guidance and protection from counselors), embrace imperfection, try something new, connect and make new friends, make choices that support their community, and grow as leaders and good citizens of the world.

For summer 2023, Camp Solomon Schechter is making an even greater and more intentional effort to praise perseverance and inspire confidence in our campers to help them discover themselves. All of the programming this summer will be infused with key curricula that will teach campers how to set goals, show love, explore their feelings and emotions, find new activities they can be passionate about, and develop skills they can bring back home and use in life outside of camp.

One of the newest programs, started last summer, was the middot (values) system, which includes values such as compassion, respect and teamwork. This was designed to show campers the 10 values that members of the Camp Solomon Schechter community uphold. Each value corresponds with a coloured bead, and a camper received a bead from a counselor when they displayed one of the 10 values. Each cabin of campers collected their beads in a jar and, once they reached 25 beads, they received an award.

“We’re immensely proud of this program and the campers who displayed these values all throughout the summer. We believe that this program and others are crucial in developing confidence,” said Zach Duitch, Camp Solomon Schechter executive director. “We know that they will treasure these values and take them with them as they grow and begin participating in the community at large. We can’t wait to bring our middot program back to camp this summer and see how our campers have used these values outside of camp.”

– Courtesy Camp Solomon Schechter

Back to camp, to being a kid

At summer camp, kids build community, take on challenges, become independent and develop leadership skills. (photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)

There’s a place where kids can simply be themselves. Where they build community, take on challenges, become independent and develop leadership skills. And, through it all, they think it’s just fun and friendships. That’s the magic of summer camp – a healthy dose of nature and nurture.

One year after sleepaway camps across the country were shuttered by the pandemic, many kids packed their shorts and hiking shoes once again, dug out their sleeping bags, and reunited with camp buddies to rekindle fond traditions.

We asked the directors of three Jewish summer camps in Washington state to share their perspective on the role camp plays in the social and emotional health of children, and how it was especially vital in the summer of 2021.

Welcome back to camp

“Welcoming the kids back this summer was extra special,” said Zach Duitch, director at Camp Solomon Schechter in Tumwater. “We could see it in their faces. After being online for a year-and-a-half, they were ready to be outside, with their friends, and having fun.”

Many parents were understandably concerned about sending their kids back to camp this past summer. Attendance numbers dipped somewhat, but families also recognized the value of getting their kids back to outdoor healthy summer fun, Duitch said. Away from everyday social pressures, camp staff works to create an environment that’s a safe place for kids to be their authentic selves.

“Parents trust us with their kids’ safety, security and health – and also with their spiritual and emotional needs. We take that trust incredibly seriously,” said Rabbi Ilana Mills, director at URJ Camp Kalsman in Arlington. “Camp is life-changing in so many ways. It’s an opportunity to grow as a whole person.”

Fun with lasting impact

When kids come home from one, two or three weeks at summer camp, the changes may not be immediately evident. In fact, many campers and counselors only realize as adults how much the experience has shaped them, instilling them early on with courage, compassion and independence. Kids can head off to camp as early as the summer after first grade. Many progress through the years to become counselors, taking on leadership roles as high school and college students, in what many describe as the “best job ever.”

Ask a kid and they’ll say camp is about boating, hiking, arts, sports, cookouts – and the thrill of a high-ropes course. Along with the fun, each camp has its own unique culture with familiar traditions passed down from summer to summer. Camp culture is what ties the community together with singing and celebrations, skits and games. Jewish summer camps also integrate religious observance and community into daily life.

“Camps are these bubbles – their own societies – where kids play a central role,” said Rabbi Kenny Pollack, camp director at Sephardic Adventure Camp in Cle Elum. “Our kids are immersed in the culture of camp, and it helps shape their identity.”

Healthy dose of silliness

When camp directors describe how their programs nurture kids, it can sound pretty serious. But one thing they take extremely seriously is fun.

“At Camp Solomon Schechter we do a lot of ‘shtick.’ Campers love seeing their counselors act silly,” said Duitch, as he explained a beloved trivia game that ends with participants messy and everybody laughing.

Mills described how “we really try to be as outside the box as possible. We push our counselors to teach their passion, be creative and try new things.”

She even got a chance to join the fun, playing a zombie during the culmination of their outdoor survival unit at URJ Camp Kalsman.

Leave real world behind

Kids leave their parents and their digital devices at home when they arrive at camp. There may be homesickness at first but soon their days are consumed by activities and friendships. And, since more and more camps are going device-free, campers get a break from their screens.

“Camp is a place where kids get to be their authentic selves,” said Pollack.

Each summer, as kids are reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, they’re also connecting across borders. Increasingly, camps are bringing counselors from international locations to supplement the programming with games and traditions from their home countries.

“As much as kids love their parents, camp is a great opportunity for them to learn from other role models,” said Duitch, explaining how the camp experience broadens kids’ viewpoints and connects them to lifelong friends.

Many parents, kids and camp staffers found it heartbreaking to cancel camp in 2020. That’s why camps throughout Washington banded together, lobbying the state government to make sure that camp happened in 2021 and that it would be a safe and extra-memorable summer. In the end, it may be difficult to measure the social and emotional impact of returning to camp after a trying year. But parents could no doubt see it in the hugs, the joy and the happy exhaustion as they picked their kids up at the end of camp this past year.

This article, courtesy Camp Solomon Schechter, comes from the Samis Foundation, which was established in 1994 by Samuel Israel, z”l, and is the largest Jewish philanthropy in Washington state. Grantmaking is focused on the foundation’s mission of supporting local Jewish education and initiatives in Israel. Samis is honoured to support the three Jewish overnight camps located in Washington state, working to keep Jewish children and teens engaged in their culture, religion and communities.