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Shalom YavNation!

 

After almost a year and a half of COVID restrictions, it truly seems that here, in the U.S, the tides are turning and the finish line of this pandemic is getting nearer and nearer. We all have much healing to do - from physical ailments to mental health boosts - we have many habits to re-learn and others to un-learn. Judaism teaches us that healing takes many forms: Refuat Hanefesh (spiritual healing) and Refuat Haguf (physical healing) are both part of the prayer for those who are sick or recovering. Camp is the perfect place to help us find that healing - of body and mind.

 

This week’s Meet the Mumchim (specialists) highlights two teams at camp, one that focuses on the benefits of stimulating the muscles of movement, and the other that focuses on the benefits of stimulating the muscles of our minds and hearts.

 

We welcome back Mica Felsztyna as Co-Rosh Sport! She is a talented, patient, and nurturing gymnast, aerial acrobat, and coach and is truly loved in the Yavneh family. Alongside Mica, we are thrilled to inform the community that Ari Kwitkin-Close (K’16) will be joining our team as Co-Rosh-Sport for Kayitz ‘21, to organize all our drills, games, and workouts. This pair sees the importance of body movement and teamwork as major contributors to campers’ well-being, instilling confidence and encouraging our chanichim (campers) to reach new heights and develop new skills each day.

 

Our collective camp neshama (soul) we entrust to our spiritual leaders, Rabbi Saul Strosberg (Session 1) and Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold (Session 2). Many of you already know of Rabbi Saul’s loving influence in camp, helping shape the Jewish experience for staff and campers alike, and we are lucky to have him as Mashgiach Ruchani this summer. As we move from Session 1 to Session 2, we will welcome Rabba Rachel to our community as Mashgicha Ruchanit for her first summer at Yavneh. Rabba Rachel is unbelievably talented, wise, and musical. We have no doubt she will fit right into the fabric of camp life and add her warmth, and genuine love of Jewish education and supporting Jewish journeys to our kehillah (community).

 

With these two teams in place, we know your campers’ bodies and minds will be healing and growing all summer long!

 

Shabbat Shalom,

Michi

 

Introducing Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold- Mashgicha Ruchanit for 2nd session

I serve as a member of the clergy at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal. As the Rabba and Director of Education, I give classes and sermons, officiate lifecycle events, offer spiritual care, and oversee our programs for youth and young families at the synagogue.

Favorite outdoor activity: I love to hike, or to wander around a city I’ve never been to. Exploring a new setting always brings great surprises!

What I will bring to camp: my yoga mat. I’ve been practicing yoga for over 20 years, and it has grounded me through many ups and downs. Can’t wait to do some yoga at the agam!

I love: The holiday of Sukkot. We bring our meals from inside our homes into the outdoors, and then after a week we bring that outdoor feeling back inside. I think it challenges what we mean by the concept of “home”, and it awakens a new awareness of something so basic as where we eat our meals.

 

Kol Yavneh קול יבנה

This week's guest voice: Ari Kwitkin-Close (K’16)

Shalom Machaneh Yavneh! It seems that every time I look at my calendar, our time together is getting closer and closer and I could not be more excited to be back on Lucas Pond! This summer, I am lucky enough to wrap my two biggest passions into one as I will be co-rosh sport with our amazing Mica, as well as being a counselor for the best chanichim around (shoutout to K’22). As a camper from 2010-2016, I must have participated in over 15 different sports chugim. Sports have always been a passion of mine and was always the first line of connection I would make with a new friend. In my opinion, there is very little on this earth that can bring people closer together than being teammates in any given sport. And isn’t that what camp is all about? I am beyond excited to see how we will be able to use Yavneh Sports to help our chanichim grow as both athletes, but more importantly, as people.

 

Other upcoming Meeting Reminders:

  • New Camper Orientation - Sunday, May 23 at 3 PM Eastern. RSVP here.
  • Na'aleh Parent and Participant Orientation - Tuesday, May 25 at 5 PM Eastern. Information was emailed to all parents and participants
 

Continuing to Build Our Capacity 

& Securing Our Future

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Camp Yavneh was able to secure a new challenge grant match from a generous foundation to help us fund the following:

  • Deepen our commitment to camperships
  • Enhance our year round programming for alumni and current camp families
  • Build on our capacities through fundraising and marketing
 

Alumni Spotlight: Adam Aroesty (K’03)

Adam Aroesty (K’03), is a real estate professional with Kingston Real Estate & Management in Brookline, MA and he recently had the most remarkable milestone of his life – Adam just had the privilege to meet the woman who received his stem cell donation in 2019.

In 2009 on the Boston University campus, Adam approached the Gift of Life table at the Hillel house, looking for some extra karma points. He was swabbed and sent on his way.

 

Interested In Helping Us Set Up Camp?

Volunteer Opportunity this Sunday, May 23 & June 6

 9:00am - 4:00pm (weather permitting)

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.

Questions? Contact Adina at adina@campyavneh.org

 

Want to learn about Yavneh's history and the secrets of our old radio station WYAV?

Love music? This event is for you...

A Virtual Yavneh Retrospective With The DJ's Of WYAV

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

 

The Vandalism at Hillel: One Year Later

Noam Borensztajn (K'16) a junior at University of Massachusetts, Amherst is speaking virtually June 10th at 8:00 pm on the important issue of Anti Semitism on College Campus.  This issue is a continuing and growing concern for the national Jewish community and an important issue for families to discuss with their children and teens.  
 

Zoom away into nature @ Family Camp at Yavneh

Tuesday, August 24th - Sunday, August 29th

Reconnect with friends and family

Fun activities for kids with counselors

Parent-only activities and socializing

Special family programs

Joyful Shabbat experience

Details & Registration: https://www.campyavneh.org/familycamp/

Questions: shirah@campyavneh.org

Participants 12 and older need to be vaccinated

COVID guidelines are subject to change

 

Congratulations Kerem ‘19 High School Graduates:

Josh Abramson, Rebecca Altholz, Ellie Altman Sagan, Ilan Amkraut, Inbal Armony, Shira Ashkenazi, Lishi Baker, Nadia Bar, Hannah Becker, Noah Berkowitz, Aviav Bernstein, Mila Boymelgreen, Benjamin Brause Breslow, Amitai Cammy, Tamir Charytan, Adam Chern, Katherine Cranman, Benjamin Engler, Aviva Feinberg, Mia Frankel, Ari Gerard, Aya Gerson, Abby Hoffman, Tani Israel, Benjamin Jacob, Yonah Kalikow, Matthew Kaplan, Matan Kaplun, Maya Katz, Liora Katz, Eliana Kimmelmann, Keren Kubersky, Gavriella Lapin, Ethan Lapp, Sam Levitt, Ruth Levy, Eliana Nahoumi, Ethan Nestelbaum, Rachel Parsley, Jack Pershin, Livia Prince, Adina Robbins, Sally Rogal, Yonah Rosenfield, Talia Rothschild, Orlee Sadinoff,  Yonatan Semel, Owen Siege, Noga Starobinski, Lyla Waitman, Emmett Wechsler, Adam Winograd, Abigail Zimmerman, Elie Zimring

 

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

Sarah Abelman (K’09), Arielle Alterbaum (K’05), Eli Aroesty (K’00), Shira Ashkenazi (K’19), Alexander Bein (K’18), Aaron Berk (K’10), Sara Blanchard (K’02), Tamir Charytan (K’19), Adam Chern (K’19), Shira Cohen (K’14), Maya Cohen (K’18), Julie Glick Davis (K’95), Noah Decter (K’15), Reuben Dreiblatt (K’12), Jake Eisenhard (K’07), Sara Ann Erichson (K’78), Joshua Finkel (K’16), S. Kobi Fodor (K’12), Amy Forleiter (K’01), Noa Friedman (K’14), Leora Frost (K’13), Tamar Gaffin-Cahn (K’08), Leah Gann (K’18), Ari Glasgow (K’12), Beni Goodwin (K’12), Carrie Goren Ingall Stein (K’74), Rebecca Green (K’98), Kyle Gruber (K’07), Tara Hanau (K’11), Hannah Hausman (K10), Ilan Hurwitz (K’05), Benjamin Israel (K’18), Maya Jubas (K’18), Matthew Kaplan (K’19), Ella Kaplun (K’15), Rebecca Kass (K’03), Daniel Klein (K’94), Eili Klein (K’92), Kayla Koffler (K’15), Stacie Lane (K’10), Sara Leeder Bonin (’92), Avi Levine (K’06), Adina Levitt (K’14), Peter Lewis (K’09), Molly Mamon (K’10), Sarah Marolowe (K’09), Matthew Michelson (K’01), Jonathan Miller (K’05), Gregory Mintz (K’13), Ethan Naviasky (K’15), Daniel Neuberg (K’10), Andrew Oks (K’13), Eden Olsberg (K’15), Mia Pillinger (K’05), Emily Pinkwas (K’81), Danielle Pitkoff (K’11), Sonya Poznansky (K’18), Alexander Quatrano (K’06), Kinneret Rosen (K’17), Michael Ross (K’72), Ben Rotter (K’09), Joshua Russo (K’14), Gabrielle Sadinoff (K’16), Joshua Schwartz (K’12), Alexandra Schwartz (K’12), Rebecca Schwartz (K’80), Amital Shapiro (K’18), Samuel Sheldon (K’14), Danya Shults (K01), Mason Siegel (K’14), Harold Simansky (K’82), Rafi Singer (K’01), Jack Sivan (K’12), Molly Skoff (K’10), Joshua Smilowitz (K’01), Ellen Tattelman (K’73), Yael Turk (K’14), Ethan Turk (K’14), Lisa Wasserman Sivan, Anne Wax (K’73), Avi Wechsler (K’11), Hannah Weinronk (K’09), Allie Wiener (K’13), Ari Wyner (K’17), Shoshana Zenilman (K’13), Gabriel Zuckerberg (K’10)

 

Apologies for omitting the following birthday in our last issue:

Yom Huledet Sameach to Shira Danon (Leviim) on May 28th!
 
Mazel Tov To:
 

Jeff Finkelstein (K'85) President/CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh is honored with the 2021 Bernard Reisman Award for Professional Excellence by The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University. Jeff is also the Commencement Speaker for Hornstein Class of 2021.

Isaac Davenport (K’14) has been commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force. 2nd Lieutenant Davenport is slated to be stationed at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City, OK. 

Nathan Abelman (K’07) got engaged to Rachel Occhiogrosso 

Naomi Harmon (K’06) and Justin Rodis on the birth of their daughter, Aubrey Rose.

Adam (K’01) and Alison Feldman on the birth of their daughter, Eden Vera.

Assaf (K’00) and Rebecca Ben-Atar on the birth of their daughter, Sivan Roma.

 

Our Condolences:

On the April passings of Sonya Schickler (mother of Yavneh alumnus Eliot Schickler) and her twin sister Lois Wasserman, who attended Yavneh for two summers in the late 1940s, early 1950s. Their brother Norman Chansky passed away eight hours after Sonya. May Eliot 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

 

Connect With Camp Yavneh!

Learn more on our website!

SUMMER ADDRESS
18 Lucas Pond Rd
Northwood, NH 03261
(603) 942-5593

WINTER ADDRESS
160 Herrick Rd
Newton, MA 02459
(603) 942-5593

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