No Need To Fear, The J Is Here
It was March 16, 2020. I got an email from the Florence G. Heller JCC: “School will be closed for the next 3 weeks.” Panic set in. Two full-time working parents with two adorable, BUSY kids and no family in town – how would we survive the next 3 weeks without the J? Florence G. […] Learn More ›
Becoming Miss Barnett
Teachers have always had a great impact on me, but there is one teacher in particular who has had the most profound influence on my life. That teacher is Mrs. Barnett, a preschool teacher from JCC Chicago Early Childhood at Am Shalom – and she just happens to also be my mom. I grew up getting […] Learn More ›
Community, Togetherness and Teamwork
As a summer camp director, my family and friends ask, “isn’t it stressful planning for camp during a global pandemic?” This question always catches me off guard, because the first emotion that comes to mind when I think about summer camp is not stress; it’s gratitude. When I started as director for Apachi Rogers Park […] Learn More ›
Choosing Jewish Camp
Among our four kids, only one is a product of Jewish camp. When the older three were of camp age, they were enrolled in a Jewish day school and we chose a secular camp for its diversity and the opportunity to broaden their circle of friends. For a series of reasons, we shifted course to […] Learn More ›
Growing Through the Years with Camp Chi
Recently, I was a contestant in Who Knows One: Camp Chi Edition, which is virtual game of Jewish geography. Participating in this really fun event as part of Chi’s 100th birthday celebration got me thinking about my long-standing relationship with Camp Chi. It’s evolved and grown along with me as I moved from camper to […] Learn More ›
We Grow Good People
“We Grow Good People”…those aren’t just words we say at Apachi Day Camp, but words we try to live by. Each summer, children come to camp to spend time with friends, learn new things, create new memories, swim, participate in sports, sing songs, celebrate Shabbat, enjoy some popsicles, get someone out in a game of […] Learn More ›