Camp Updates
Walking around camp today feels very different than just a few short months ago when camp ended for the summer. Most of the leaves have fallen off the tree, the ground is covered in frost each morning, and the wild animals have taken over! As you walk through the grounds on any given day, you will find many deer, wild turkeys, raccoons, and so much more! However, one thing that has stayed the same is that you will find people running across camp. Now, these aren’t the same campers that we had this summer, instead camp is full of architects, contractors, and construction workers for all of the work that is being done and being prepared for!
One small project that is currently being worked on is adding permanent fairy lights and electricity to the fire circle behind the gym. This will provide the space with an extra spark that will further increase its standing as the best fire pit in camp! This will also help make the space easier to use at night as we can run real programs there as opposed to just fires.
Another really exciting project is that our Noar expansion and renovations are wrapping up! We have just finished building 6 more brand new cabins in Noar. This will not only expand the village, but also gives all campers a better experience staying in Noar. In addition to this, we are currently building four new inclusive bath and showers in Noar that will be attached to the back bathroom. This will help every camper feel more comfortable and increase our overall inclusiveness at camp! We are looking at some additional projects to further improve Noar, but already it has been incredible to see how much the village has changed and improved!
As we speak, the pavilion in the commons is being built up, which will be a huge bonus next summer. On really hot days it will provide a covered space for shade with fans built in. On rainy days it will be a large, covered space for programs to run programs. And it will also have a projector and screen built in for movie nights! Outside the pavilion will be a series of permanent outdoor games, and the pavilion will be fully lit allowing for nighttime hangouts as well!
Finally, this week we break ground on a renovation of the Perlstein Dining hall! This construction will update the space, while making it more structurally sound. This is an amazing space that is used during the summer as an indoor program location, and in the offseason as the pride and joy of our Perlstein Retreat Center! This space is used weekly throughout the offseason for a variety of programs, outside groups, B’nai Mitzvahs, and weddings! In fact, next fall there will be two camp alumni weddings happening on site! Including our very own Jessie Lankford who is marrying Aviv Rodriguez! We are so excited for them and cannot wait to celebrate!
Other projects that are coming up in the spring include all new seating in the amphitheater, additional pickleball courts, and a brand new specialty area (more news on that soon.) Overall we are very excited for all of these projects, and cannot wait for you all to see them this summer!