Our Camp Families

My first summer at Beber Camp was the summer of 2009.  I remember the night before I left for camp perfectly.  I was so worried that I wouldn’t make friends, that I wouldn’t like my counselors and that I would be homesick.  Looking back on all those worries I laugh.  Beber Camp made my summer the best summer of my life.  I was adopted from China when I was a baby and I was brought up Jewish.  At camp I couldn’t feel more at home.  Making friends was the easiest thing to do.  My cabin was so friendly and I made so many close life long friends.  I have friends from all over the world, that’s what makes camp so special.  The best part about camp is when you get off the busses and run screaming to all of your friends that you haven’t seen in 11 months.  It’s the greatest feeling.  All of my counselors were amazing and so caring.  They remind me of my family.  I love the first flagpole because you get a feeling of everyone being together as a family.  Camp has changed my life completely.  I learned a lot at camp too, like to not open your mouth while showering and to not wait to the last second to fill up your whacky mac bowl.  When I was introduced to the idea of going to camp I thought to myself “I’m never ever leaving home.” Now I wouldn’t have it any other way.  A summer without Beber is like having a summer without love, friends, activities and joy.  That would be a very boring summer.  At camp I feel most comfortable with myself; I can be anybody I want.  “What?!? Cuz I’m at Beber Camp...” The traditions at Beber make me want to come back to camp every summer.  I’m already counting the days til I get to eat whacky mac, go on sneak outs, see all my friends from all over the world, sleep in a bunk, and have flagpole with my family again!

Hi! I am Noah Marcus, and I go to Beber with my sister. We live in Libertyville, Illinois, just north of Chicago and I’m one of the only Jewish kids in my community. I am 14 (15 this summer) and my sister, Lily is 11. Beber has been my home during the summer for six years already, and it still continues to grow on me. As the years have passed, I’ve seen the same faces time and again, with new ones always joining in the mix.

Even though most people don’t come from around my home, everyone is always totally wiling to include me in anything they’re doing. Beber has always been showing me new doors, allowing me to try things I couldn’t at home. And I get to try them with a group of supportive friends. I couldn’t ask for anything more. When I’m at camp, I always like to take advantage of the wide variety of activities. I enjoy windsurfing, which I had never heard of until I came to Beber. The rock wall is also always a welcome challenge.

As time passed at Beber and I started to see the same people come back again and again, I started to realize that no one ever was exactly the same. Everyone changes, little by little, or in bigger ways, no matter who you are. This is probably one important lesson I learned at Beber.

Hi! My name is Lily Marcus and I go to Beber Camp. I am 11 years old and have gone to camp for 3 years (4 this summer) with my brother Noah. We live in Libertyville, Illinois just north of Chicago. As I continue to attend camp I become better and better friends with girls at camp. Beber has become my home over the years which sounds like a cliche but it isn’t. Everyone is so nice there that you are always so sad to leave (in my opinion). The best thing about Beber would have to be the everyday activities, like waterskiing (this is where I learned to waterski), the play (you perform it in front of the whole camp), drama, ceramics,and almost everything else!!!!! At Beber if I have learned 1 thing it would be to always believe in yourself and never give up because they’re are things that you will be able to accomplish you never thought possible! I have tons of camp memories but the ones to spotlight would be last year I did the play and it was so much fun also, I learned how to ski in and out of the wake (the white lines behind a boat) this year, also another memory I have is Macabiah a sport like thing, like the Olympics!!! These are the reasons why I love Beber Camp!!!!! 

Why Beber Camp?

My name is Emma Gewurz. I live in Merrick, New York. It’s a small town in Long Island. Most kids here go to sleepaway camp in the summer, just like my sister Jamie (13) and my brother Jack (9) and I do. This year is the 4th summer my sister and I will be attending Beber and the 3rd summer for my brother. People think we are crazy for getting on a plane to go halfway across the country for camp. They don’t get it. Beber gives us so much more than a camp here in the Northeast can. At Beber, we get to meet kids from around the country and staff from around the world. Just this winter, some of the girls from my 2nd session cabin flew to Chicago to see each other for a long weekend. At Beber, we get to form friendships and bonds we normally wouldn’t. My camp friends come from as far as Las Vegas, Colorado, Louisiana, Chicago and Ohio! My sister has had counselors from Australia for 2 years in a row. She has souvenirs from that country and she’s never even been there! My brother has friends from his cabin from Connecticut, Chicago and Louisville that he talks to during the year. If we hadn’t come to Beber, we would have never met any of these kids from other states. These are our very best friends from camp!

We support Beber Camp in its annual alumni campaign in trying to bring kids from around the country  to Beber Camp who could not otherwise afford it. In this way, our family feels that we are giving back to our camp community, which gives so much to us each summer.  

Why Beber Camp?

Summers have always been a bit tough for me.  I was born blind - and because of that, I didn’t sign up for sports day camps like most kids (basketball and baseball aren’t my best thing).  Instead, I did various other activities like piano, karate, and swimming.  Each one was for about an hour at a time - and none really filled my summer with fun and friends.  I really wanted to do something where I could be part of the whole camp experience and participate like everyone else.  Then my friend Eddie told me about his camp, Beber.  It sounded great.  The director came to my house and told me about all of the great things I would be able to do.  Everything from waterskiing (which is my favorite) to fishing and from camping trips to swimming around the whole lake.  Beber was for me.

My summer at Beber was the best time of my life.  I made great friends and thought that everyone was so nice.  I got to try all sorts of new experiences, and I am really proud to say that I got up on water skis and I participated in "Swim the Lake" and made it all the way around - that is more than a mile around Lake Beulah!

Believe it or not, I even liked keeping Kosher for the summer.  It is not something that we do at home, so it was interesting to learn about all the rules - and I even learned to like chicken on Friday nights.  My mom can’t believe that one.  But the best part about Shabbat is that we get to sleep late. 

If you are thinking about going to Beber - take it from me, you will love it.  My favorite outings were to the Wisconsin State Fair because we got to eat fried candy bars, the three day camping trip and of course getting apple pie from The Elegant Farmer  "Ooh Ah!"

The campers and staff are amazing.  I can’t wait to get back to Beber this summer. 

Why Beber Camp?

We are sisters, our names are: Sabrina (11) and Sophie Ginsburg (8 ½). We live in Palm Beach, Florida. Our Mom went to Beber (Melanie Marks, from Louisville) and she told us we would love it and boy was she right! We both even got our best friends to join us! So the Florida gang is growing. The best thing about Beber is all the friends you make from other states and for us we love what Beber looks like with all the trees and the lake, very unlike flat Florida with mostly palm trees. We both love the water activities, rock climbing, arts and crafts and the Maccabiah games! Oh and the food is great, we even tried new foods at Beber. We could not believe how much we actually enjoy Friday night services. It is a great time to chill and hang out with everyone at camp and it really makes us proud to be Jewish. We know how lucky we are that our parents find a way to get us to the best camp in the world, but what we learned as Beber Camp Ambassadors is Beber does not refuse a Jewish kid and that is so awesome, so no matter what your background is, we can still all be together. Our parents have taught us a lot about diversity and Beber is very diverse, the counselors are from everywhere, all around the world.

One story I (Sophie) can share is when I got a little sick at Beber, they sent me to the infirmary and the nurses were so, so… nice! I was the only one there and they straightened my really curly hair, not something I ever expected to be able to do at camp. I love when my hair is straight and my parents thought it was really funny when they saw pictures of me online with straight hair at camp! Another story I (Sabrina) can share is we went to the Wisconsin State Fair and it was a blast and we also went on an overnight camping trip with our bunks and slept under the stars (in tents)! We have so many great memories of our 2 summers at Beber and we both want to be CITs and then Counselors someday! We love to skype and e-mail our friends, when camp ends. Beber ROCKS!!