Blog
First This: Thinking About First Moments in the New Year
First Female President/CEO of JCC Chicago. I’ve seen this headline quite a bit in recent weeks. And with the convergence of a new year and new position, I’ve been reflecting on what it means. Merriam-Webster defines “first” as “preceding all others in time.” JCC Association reports that of the 112 affiliated JCCs in North America, […] Learn More ›
Chai Five Blankets
You may have heard that nobody makes more out of summer than Camp Chi! Growing up as a camper, SIT, counselor and unit head at Camp Chi, it is no surprise that making the most out of my life has become my modus operandi. I fondly remember over my 13 years at camp (but who’s […] Learn More ›
My Sheva Journey
The practice of gematria, or the spiritual interpretation of numbers, is common in Jewish tradition and is one technique for understanding sacred texts in Judaism. Commonly, we think of the number 18 for its meaning of Chai or “life.” We often gift a new baby, Bar/Bat Mitzvah child or bride and groom $18, $36 or other denomination […] Learn More ›
A Celebration of All The Fun Little Things of Camp
I have a story I like to tell to our staff during our training week. I try to save it for the end of the week but sometimes I get too excited and tell it earlier. It happened back in the summer of 2002, during an Extended-Eve-O-Fun (where campers would stay late, eat dinner and […] Learn More ›
Getting Back to the Basics
From snow days to snow cones, it’s hard to believe that summer is almost here! Although each of us is coming off of a different school year experience, it appears that the one constant has been how we all spent our days and nights driving our over-programmed children from place to place. As we prepare […] Learn More ›
Apachi Old Town’s Risk & Rewards
As a parent or teacher, how many times in a day do you say to a child, “Be careful” or “Watch what you’re doing” or “Stop, you’re going to get hurt”? We are the ultimate risk managers, professional watchers, injury prevention specialists and worriers about all things potentially dangerous. We are the closest thing to […] Learn More ›