Director's Corner, Thursday, July 24, 2025

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough 

Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low
Ain't no river wide enough, baby
If you need me, call me, no matter where you are
No matter how far, don't worry, baby
Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry, 'cause, baby, there

Today was a fantastic day at Beber, with campers enjoying a full day of hobbies and cabin activities. Although it drizzled on and off for three minutes, it wasn't enough to cut any activities short! It was still pretty hot, so we made sure the kids stayed well-hydrated.

It's hard to believe we're already approaching our second Shabbat of the session, and soon we'll be bidding farewell to our Rookie campers on Sunday. Time is truly flying by, and we're having an absolute blast!

Campers enjoyed a leisurely morning wake-up today, following a "reset night" where every staff member was in their bunks by 10:30 PM. After their big Maccabiah day yesterday, we let everyone sleep until 9 AM. They couldn't stop talking about their team races, songs, dances, and posters!

Hobbies were incredibly exciting today, with campers reaching new milestones! We saw impressive feats like skiing on one ski (slaloming), successfully navigating the wind on a windsurf board, carefully placing a work of clay into the kiln to dry, and landing a perfect tumbling pass in gymnastics, plus so much more. Meanwhile, our talented cast of The Wizard of Oz is diligently memorizing lines, perfecting choreography, and preparing for their performance in just a week and a half!

I had the chance to watch and even join the tennis hobby for a bit during the second session today. The staff running it, Julia Barker and Caroline Kramer, were absolutely amazing coaches. I even had to brush up on my own skills, and I was so impressed with their feedback. It's not surprising, especially since Caroline mentioned she's been playing for 16 years (and she's only 18—how crazy is that?!). They were true rockstars, setting a fantastic example for their Makor campers. What a blast that was! I also continue to work on my cartwheels and kudos to the Makor campers in hobby 3 for being so encouraging! 

Meals:
Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls 
Lunch: Grilled cheese, tomato soup and onion rings
Dinner: Sloppy joes!

Senior Ramot enjoyed their annual afternoon trip to Lake Geneva, departing right after lunch! They spent the day exploring, enjoying shopping, sweet treats, and time together downtown. The group also had a blast at the beach, soaking up the sun and making the most of a beautiful afternoon.

As I watched a group of friends gather around the picnic table today, having their snack before 3rd hobby with smiles wide, I couldn’t help but think: this is what it’s all about. Moments like these are what we hope to share with future Beber families, too. Please know that we’re excited to welcome prospective families to Beber Camp for our upcoming Family Fun Days—a perfect way to experience the magic of camp firsthand. You can learn more and RSVP at bebercamp.com/family-fun-day. We’re also hitting the road with info sessions scheduled in the following communities:

• August 24 – Cleveland
• August 25 – Indianapolis
• August 26 – Louisville
• August 31 – Minneapolis
• September 7 – Los Angeles
• September 8 – Denver
• September 9 – Boulder

If there’s a friend, neighbor, or cousin who might love Beber, please send them our way. You know as well as anyone—there’s nothing quite like it.

Tonight, Makor campers participated in an exciting "Shark Tank" evening program! Embracing their "Makor on Shore" theme, cabins had to create their own unique sea creatures. This involved sketching out their designs and then bringing them to life using cardboard, all to be presented to the "sharks" at the end of the program. They absolutely loved coming up with silly sea creature creations!

Kesher held their hilarious "Keshtoon Network Lip Sync Battle" in Crown Hall! Campers chose songs and costumes that perfectly matched their cabin's Cartoon Network-themed identities, which they selected at the beginning of the session.

Ramot participated in a "Master Chef" program on the island today! Each cabin had to create their own unique salad, combining ingredients they thought would be tastiest for the judges. After preparing their culinary masterpieces, they then delivered a persuasive speech explaining why their salad was the best! Despite being limited to just three ingredients, their creativity truly shined. They impressed the judges with dishes like fruit cut into stars, inventive salad wraps, and even hearts drawn with ranch dressing!

Last but not least, TLP held their own special talent show in the Chapel on upper camp.

As the lyrics of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" remind us, there's no obstacle too great when you have a community that truly cares. Today at Beber Camp, from campers mastering new hobbies and Senior Ramot's adventure in Lake Geneva, to the incredible creativity shown in our evening programs like "Shark Tank" and "Master Chef," that spirit of connection and support was everywhere. As we head into Shabbat and prepare to wave goodbye to our Rookie campers, it's clear that the bonds forged here run deep. We'll always be there for each other, no matter the distance, because at Beber, our shared experiences create connections that "ain't no mountain high enough" to break.

P.S. Congratulations to the following who knew that Survivor sang "Eye of the Tiger"

• Wendy Elman
• Jessica Fonoroff
• Julie Houghton

P.S. - Today’s question: Who sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough?”  Email your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a shoutout in tomorrow’s blog!