Setting the Intention for the Summer

Camp is often considered a safe and happy place to call home for our campers and staff. The full-time team spends the entire year thinking, planning and getting ready for the two months of summer. When we think about the summer, we plan on a bigger picture level while focusing in on the little details. Everything that happens at camp, from programs to seating placement in the dining hall, is not done by accident, there is intention behind everything we do.
That is not different for staff training and on boarding. It is important for us to create a sense of buy in and commitment from our staff about what we are planning but we also know it is imperative for them to know that we care about them as staff and as people. One way we recognize our staff and share the bigger picture with them is through the Cornerstone Fellowship.
The Cornerstone Fellowship is a professional development program that allows third year camp counselors an opportunity to learn more about the bigger picture of camp, take on more responsibility and solidify their role as a future leader of camp, guiding both their peers and younger staff. We spend a week together learning, delving deeper into subjects that are related to camp, thinking about our Jewish vision can come to life during the summer and planning programs to bring back to camp.
This year, interested third year staff submitted an application to camp explaining why they wanted to be apart of this prestigious program. 5 fabulous candidates were selected based on their answers and their commitment to camp. We are pleased to introduce them to you!
Katie Kramer just finished her freshman year at The University of Colorado Boulder, majoring in neuroscience and psychology with a minor in theater. This will be her 9th summer at camp, 3rd as a counselor. She is beyond excited to be a Cornerstone fellow because it will give her an opportunity to learn how to be a leader in a way that she has never experienced before.
Izzy Becker Bogan is an incoming sophomore at the University of Illinois. Summer 2019 marks a decade at Chi for her. For Izzy, being a camp means being truly herself and she looks forward to sharing amazing experiences with her campers and connecting with people from all over the world. She is looking at Cornerstone as an opportunity to enhance the Jewish experience that camp has to offer and create a more close nit and meaningful Jewish community.
Maya Parks is a theater major at the University of Wisconsin Madison. After spending 10 summers at camp, Maya has found her Jewish home. Camp means everything to Maya and she is hoping that Cornerstone will provide her with a way to express her Judaism in a way that feels most natural to her.
Ely London can’t wait to be a counselor again and to be back at camp for her 9th consecutive summer. She is excited to be a Cornerstone Fellow because it will be it a great way to get connected to the Jewish community at home and Jewish values that make camp so special.
Scott Harris just finished his Freshman year that University of Kansas. This will be his 11th summer at camp. He knows that Cornerstone is an important part of camp because it allows campers to share the different pillars of camp with the campers. He can’t wait to be a cornerstone fellow and help bring the best and most fun Jewish activities to camp this summer!
Inbar Davish is 24 years old and lives in Haifa, Israel. He is coming back to camp for the 3rd year and is looking forward to his new role as a specialty director and a rosh mishlachat (head of the Israeli Delegation). At Cornerstone he is exploring how to incorporate his new and homegrown knowledge about Israel into every area of camp and how to bring his programming skills to the next level.
NEW this summer: Cornerstone has launched a Senior Fellow Program. This program is for Cornerstone Alumni who are returning to camp to create an initiative that will positively impact the camp community. This summer we were honored to have Jacklyn Shur chosen as our senior fellow, returning to Chi for her 11th summer, this year as a counselor for the staff-in-training.
The fellows participated in a leadership training seminar just a few weeks ago, where they met with many amazing educators, learned new skills, and thoroughly enjoyed the nightly song sessions. Each year, camps participating in the Cornerstone program are paired with one of the educators as a mentor, and our group is lucky to be working with Brett Gurwitz this year.
This summer our Cornerstone fellows are focusing on bringing a new light to our values and explore with our community how to live them at camp and home but also highlighting what makes these values Jewish. We are looking forward to seeing what they will achieve!