Director's Corner - Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

You’ll Be in My Heart

Come stop your crying
It will be alright
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I will protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don′t you cry
For one so small
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here, don′t you cry

Today started out beautifully sunny, but we did encounter some rain mid-afternoon. This meant we sent hobbies back to their cabins a little earlier than usual. Luckily, the skies cleared, and we were right back on schedule for hobby three. The rest of today brought on-and-off rain, but it didn't impact our daily schedule at all! We kept right on track.

Let's jump into today by sharing more about Beber's incredible hobby program—it's a core part of our daily schedule!

Campers enjoy three hobby periods each day for five days a week. What makes it special is that they customize their own schedule, choosing from a wide range of fantastic options during hobby sign-ups. Our dedicated area director team, led by our hobby director, oversees staff who are passionate about teaching skills and helping campers perfect them within that five-day rotation.

We believe in camper choice and customization. If a hobby doesn't feel like the right fit after the first day, campers have the flexibility to switch to one that suits them better. This ensures everyone finds something they truly enjoy! During staff training, our area directors work closely with hobby leaders to develop a curriculum that balances skill development with pure fun in a safe and well-supervised environment.

In a single day at Beber, a camper might learn to waterski, sculpt a ceramic bowl, and traverse the challenge course! By the end of the session, campers will have participated in nine different hobbies, giving them a wonderfully well-rounded experience. Some campers love specific areas of camp, and our program allows for several different hobbies in each major area. Others branch out and try a little bit of everything during their time here.

Every hobby period starts at our iconic Beber hobby wheel, where campers quickly find their hobby leaders at various signs around the wheel. While it might sound like a big task, by day two, everyone knows exactly where to go, and it runs like a well-oiled machine, maximizing their time in each activity. Hobby leaders check in their campers, and then they're off to learn new things, perfect old skills, meet new people, and have a blast!

I can't wait to introduce you to our amazing hobby team in a future Director's Corner.

In my travels around camp today, I got a sneak peek at the Ramot Arts & Crafts hobby this morning. There were so many campers signed up, and it was a blast watching them explore various creative projects! They were deeply focused on woodworking (making birdhouses), beading, bedazzling, painting, making ceramics, and mosaics. Many were so concentrated that they even asked if they could come back during rest hour or other free times to finish their masterpieces!

Today, we had some truly cool visitors join our baseball hobby: two coaches from the Israel National Baseball team that competed in the Tokyo Olympics! They are from the organization Israel Baseball.

One of our guests was Nate Mulberg, who is also the head coach for Johns Hopkins University. Nate shared the inspiring story behind his involvement with the Israeli team. Growing up in New Jersey, he was often the only Jewish player on his baseball teams and sometimes felt like an outcast when he had to miss games for Jewish High Holidays. He explained that he now coaches to inspire Jewish kids and show them that there are Jewish athletes reaching the Olympic level, while also helping to expand the team. It was a fascinating insight into his dedication!

Throughout the day, Nate and his fellow coach ran a variety of drills with our campers, including base running, throwing, and infield/outfield practice, topped off with some fun games. It was a genuine pleasure to have them at camp, bringing their expertise and inspiring stories to our baseball enthusiasts!

Click the link below for Camper Podcast - Session 1 Baseball All-Star Game:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2489339/episodes/17503010

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: Chocolate chip and regular pancakes with fruit

Lunch: Mac and cheese with a fried mac and cheese treat

Dinner: Pasta with red sauce, garlic bread, green beans and salmon

Here’s what our various evening programs looked like tonight: 

• Makor: Night at the Beulah Shore Downs 
  
  • Our classic "Night at the Races" program got a fun twist, becoming "Beulah Shore" themed! Campers excitedly bid on counselors who competed in various hilarious races. These included challenges like crab walking or a race to see who could get a Swedish Fish from their forehead into their mouth the fastest.
• Kesher: Campers Choice Awards
  
  • Campers played various games today, acting out different cartoon characters. The highlight? At the end, they got to "slime" their counselors!
• Ramot: Ramot Talent Show
  
  • Our infamous talent show evening program was a huge hit tonight! We saw a wide variety of talents showcased, everything from energetic cabin dances to impressive football precision throws.

Our PIOs are still enjoying their three-day trips! Meanwhile, the CITs continued their hobby interning today and also participated in a valuable conflict resolution session. Their evening ended on a high note with their very own CITalent Show!

"You'll Be in My Heart," outlining a bond that "can't be broken," we see that same deep connection forming and strengthening here at Beber. From the inspiration shared by Olympic coaches, to campers finding their passion in hobbies and creating masterpieces, to the joy of our evening programs, every moment reinforces the powerful, supportive community we build together. Our commitment to each camper means that, no matter what, they'll always have a safe, warm, and loving place in our Beber family.

P.S. Congratulations to the following who knew that ABBA sang "Our Last Summer"

• Mariana Buchman
• Samantha Fishbein
• Ronit Ripes
• Julia Geller
• Eleanor Kahn
• Rob Fenton

P.S. - Today’s question: Who sang “You’ll Be in My Heart?”  Email your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a shoutout in tomorrow’s blog!

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