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Telling Our Stories - Sustaining and Enduring Yavneh

If you are reading this it probably means that you likely have a strong connection to Yavneh. Many of us have a story to share about a powerful moment that involves Yavneh. This summer is going to be a summer unlike any in the history of camp. Our leadership team is feverishly working to create a meaningful and familiar experience for all of our campers. 

Stories are a powerful way to communicate. Everyone of us has a story to share about their Yavneh journey and bringing that story to life is important this summer. This ability to create more stories is fortified by the generosity of our community. 

The daily schedule and many of our time honored traditions need to be adapted to adhere to COVID protocols. There are so many dedicated people working to ensure an outstanding experience for our campers and staff. 

As many of you know, when we couldn’t open last summer, The Harold Grinspoon Foundation through its JCamp180 arm gave Yavneh a fundraising challenge through the All Together Now initiative. HGF is doing it again and we need your help to meet that match. We need to raise $212,000. If we do that we will receive $106,000 to give our campers the opportunity to write another chapter in the Yavneh story. Additionally if we can raise the $212,000 by the end of the summer, we will receive an additional $10,000 from JCamp180. 

We love hearing Yavneh stories and the influence Yavneh has had on so many people. Please pick up the phone, send an email and share your stories with Adina Zarchan, Director of Philanthropy. You can reach Adina at 617-580-3465 or adina@campyavneh.org - we want to connect and hear those stories! 

To help us meet the match, click here. 

Bil Zarch, Executive Director

Shalom YavNation!

Our next installment of Meet the Mumchim (specialists) introduces some dramatic activities...literally! What’s camp without plenty of rikkud (dance), musika (music), and staged theatre! We know that although camp may look a little different, there are some things we are NOT willing to sacrifice - we will find ways to have shira b’tzibbur (song sessions), YavNotes (Yavneh’s own a cappella group), and musical chuggim with Mishael, Jake, and Marlene. We will bookend and elevate Shabbat by rocking out at ReLiSh and Havdalah. And of course we’ll learn more amazing dance moves from Marcelo all summer long. For Zimriya enthusiasts, hang tight: We’re working out the details so we can have a safe Zim and still be shticky! We are also super excited to announce the two big musical productions this summer...but I’m not going to spill the beans! You’ll have to read Rosh Drama, Jonathan’s Guest Voice blog below...

Hope to see you on the stage at camp this kayitz (summer), whatever your favorite performance art is!

Shabbat Shalom,

Michi

Kol Yavneh קול יבנה

This week's guest voice: Jonathan Gomolka (K'13)

After a year without theatre and in-person performance, it is my honor to work with the chanichim (campers) at Yavneh to bring you productions that camp has never seen before. The Maalot/Kerem this summer will be putting on the magical musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - A full scale production with sets, costumes and accompaniment. Second session, the younger chanichim will get to have their time on the stage with a roving production of Really Rosie by Carole King and Maurice Sendack. I’m pretty excited, I must say. 

New Camper Orientation

Attention new chanichim (campers)! Please join us for the New Camper Orientation on either Wednesday, May 19 at 7 PM EDT or Sunday, May 23 at 3 PM EDT via Zoom. You'll start to learn about all of the amazing things that you are going to do this summer. Orientation is open to campers who were supposed to start in 2020 as well. Both new campers and parents are encouraged to attend. (If you are a returning Yavneh family and you have a new child starting, we want that new camper in your family to attend as well.)

There will be breakout rooms for campers and parents so please plan accordingly with your screens. 

RSVP here for the Zoom link. 

Yavneh Kehillah Town Halls for parents

Please join us for our upcoming Kehillah Town Halls for parents on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 - 2 PM EDT or 7 PM EDT

For a link to the 2 PM EDT webinar, register here. 

For a link to the 7 PM EDT webinar, register here.

We will be recording the sessions in case you can't make it! 

For Yavneh Alumni & Open to Everyone

A Variety of Opportunities for You to Participate In this Month

Yavneh Kadima is continuing to move kadima (forward)! We had two Yavneh Kadima Alumni programs in the last two weeks. Ed Shems (K'85) led a Drink and Draw event.  We learned how to fold paper into a zine (most of us learned) and then let the thoughts and design free flow on the paper.  Rachel Barowsky Coddington (K'98) led an Israeli wine tasting and taught us all about what really goes into creating flavorful, sweet and robust wines in the Galil.  

Boost Your Immunity from Within- Thursday, May 13, 2021, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm ET

Join Julie Reisler (K’91) and learn the science and powerful mindfulness practices to help align your mind and body, have more energy and boost your immunity. If you are looking to feel more vitality and less exhaustion, and are interested in taking care of your health, wellbeing and immune function, this experiential session will show you tools and techniques to feel your best, even during a pandemic. Open to all ages and all you need is yourself and an open mind!

Julie is the author of Get a PhD in YOU, host of The You-est You podcast and multi-time TEDx speaker, with a masters degree in health & wellness coaching and is a certified transformation coach. Julie leverages her experience as a well-known podcast host, mindfulness expert, accomplished entrepreneur, and faculty at Georgetown University to equip ambitious men and women with the tools, methodology, and energetic practices they need to thrive. Julie's work is rooted in mind-body science, positive psychology, and integrative whole-person coaching techniques. Passionate about mindfulness practices for both heart, brain and body health, Julie is a meditation teacher and course creator for Insight Timer, the world’s number-one ranked free meditation app, with over 140,000 downloads. Visit her online at juliereisler.com.

Interested in Coming Back to Yavneh to Help Us Set Up Camp?

Join Us: Sunday, May 23 and/or  Sunday, June 6 from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (weather permitting)

Space is limited and registration is required

Minimum age is 18. Volunteers need to wear a mask and adhere to COVID guidelines. 

Assistance is needed in a variety of areas including: painting, yard work, hanging signage, organizing areas, setting up fencing, building a sensory path and much more.

Further details will be shared with registrants

Join Us For A Virtual Yavneh Retrospective Through The Lens Of WYAV (Yavneh's Radio Station)

Thursday, May 27, 2021 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Featuring Rachel Gerard Boles (K'96), Rabbi Bernie Gerson (K'79), Jackie Kahn (K'68), Efraim Yudewitz (K'99) & Special Guests

Click here to learn how it all started...

Yom Huledet Sameach to the following campers who are celebrating May birthdays:

May 1 - Rachel Kutin (Arayot), Matan Shapira-Stern (Leviim); May 2 - Judah Nathan (Gurim), Eliana Zackin (Arayot); May 4 - Tzofiya Lesack (Leviim), Micah Szubin (Kfirim), Arielle Teichner (Gefen); May 6 - Ari Cohen (Arayot); May 7 - Shai Katz (Gefen); May 8 - Allie DelVecchio (Arayot); May 9 - Emet Hirsch-Hoffman (Naaleh), Henry "Chicken" Perdue; May 10 - Max Coakley (Arayot); May 11 - Jeremy Kravitz (Kerem), Molly Sokol (Kfirim), Josiah Szubin (Gurim); May 14 - Eitay Matityahu GanEl (Leviim); May 15 - Josh Walensky (Na'aleh); May 16 - Morielle Strapp (Gurim); May 17 - Rami Fishman (Gefen), Felix Harari (Maalot), Max Raphaely (Gurim); May 19 - Spencer Kolodny (Arayot), Ari Laufer (Arayot), Ayelet Ravera (Kfirim), Shiraz Sage (Leviim); May 20 - Jordy Bednarsh (Arayot), Amalya Exler-Kaunfer (Gefen), Zev Gross (Kfirim); May 21 - Laila Fenton (Kfirim), Micah Gann (Gefen), Eitan Gerber Schneiman (Maalot), Noa Nagata (Gefen), Talya Nagata (Gefen); May 22 - Yonatan Konstantine (Naaleh); May 23 - Libby Sivan (Leviim), Aliza Trakhtenberg (Kfirim); May 25 - Ayelet Finegold (Leviim), Naomi Hanna (Kerem), Lila Noorani (Leviim); Charlie Perdue (Kerem); May 26 - Aryeh Gold (Gefen), Libby Packard (Gurim), Ethan Ravid (Kfirim); May 27 - Ethan Joseph (Arayot), Eliana Ozsvath (Arayot), Ella Septimus (Maalot); May 28 - Adva Beiser (Maalot), Orly Charrabe (Leviim), Margo Lewin (Gefen); May 29 - Yiftach Sapir (Gefen); May 30 - Emma Gomeringer (Gurim), Itai Levy (Gefen); May 31 - Isaac Fishman (Maalot)

Mazal Tov to the following campers who are celebrating their b'nai mitzvah in May:

Maggie Chessman (Arayot), Galia Cohen-Margolius (Arayot), Lilah Foster (Kfirim), Ethan Joseph (Arayot), Spencer Kolodny (Arayot), Sophie Lowin (Kfirim), Edin Masry (Kfirim), Ayelet Ravera (Kfirim), Abby Roskind (Arayot), Molly Sokol (Kfirim), Sarinah Spira-Savett (Leviim)

Mazal Tov to:

Jonathan Golden (K’89) for being elected to Brookline Town Meeting.

Maya Feldman (K’10) on her engagement to Jonah Harris. 

Lily Guttentag (K’09) on her engagement to Adam Buchbinder.

Ruth Gelbtuch Abolofia (K’99) and Jay Abolofia on the birth of a daughter, Lena Freda.

Our Condolences:

On the passing of Fred Shporer (K’70), husband of Lisa Gibbs (K’73) and brother-in-law of Eric Gibbs (‘84).  Fred and Lisa met at Camp Yavneh. May the entire family be comforted amongst the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Please keep in touch with us and share your milestones, simchas, births, passings, news & updates. You can send details and photos to Adina@campyavneh.org

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