Director's Corner, Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Footloose

Been working so hard
I'm punching my card
Eight hours, for what?
Oh, tell me what I got
I've got this feeling
That time's just holding me down
I'll hit the ceiling
Or else I'll tear up this town
So now I gotta cut loose
Footloose
Kick off the Sunday shoes

Yet again, it's another beautiful and sunny day here at Beber Camp! The sun is shining and the birds are chirping. Campers are really getting into their hobbies for day two, becoming more comfortable and confident in what they're accomplishing.

Laundry came back today! While clean clothes might not be the most glamorous part of camp, they're definitely an important one.

Each camper brings their own laundry bag from home, and that individual bag is what gets sent out. Our laundry partner washes each bag separately, not by cabin or age group, to ensure clothes are returned to the correct camper. Occasionally, if a bag is too full, it might be split between two machines, but the laundry team does their best to keep items together.

Of course, not every sock or shirt always makes it into the laundry bag. Items left around camp—at the waterfront, in the dance studio, or near the gaga pit—end up in our camp-wide lost and found. We routinely wash these items too and do our best to return them as quickly as possible.

The biggest challenge? Unlabeled clothing. Towels, sheets, and especially socks are tricky to return when there's no name to go by. Even with our best efforts, it's hard to reunite a plain white towel or a lone sock with its owner without a label.

We're always working to improve the system, but it truly is a team effort. Labeling everything clearly, even the easy-to-forget items, helps your camper stay organized and helps us make sure nothing gets left behind.

Enough about laundry! It was another incredible camp day filled with exciting activities and memories. This morning during Hobby 1, I spent some time at the new DJ hobby. Zach Moss, who attended Beber about 20 years ago, returned to camp this session to teach this hobby. He shared with me that his love for DJing, which he now does professionally on the side, began right here at camp. Zach hopes to inspire a camper to find the same passion he did, simply by enjoying a hobby they pick up. How sweet is that?

Up at the farm, campers painted the bug house while Amy, the cow, sat peacefully beside them. It seemed like a therapeutic hobby for all, and it was quite a funny thing to witness. It almost looked like Amy was their pet dog, resting calmly while her "owners" focused on their painting!

On the menu today:

• Breakfast: Pancakes
• Lunch: Poke bar, hotdogs, and fries
• Dinner: Fettuccini Alfredo pasta bar with veggies and garlic breadsticks

Campers got canteen today as well!

Our PIOs and CITs enjoyed a fun trip to Madison for the day! They took a college tour of University Wisconsin-Madison and they asked great questions about the classes and activities there. They also  explored State Street! I'm so glad it was a beautiful day for them to walk around and enjoy their time there. Madison has always been a personal favorite of mine—it's the best town in the summer, with great food and a beautiful lakefront. 

For the evening program, we had an absolute blast with our Staff Talent Show! Our incredible staff team displayed a wide range of talents this year.

Highlights included a great routine from our six Division Leaders, who lip-synced and danced to a song from the musical "Six"—what a cute performance! We also had staff performing songs with acoustic guitar and bass, Irish dancing, and even synchronized swimming from our programming team.

Last but certainly not least, during the final performance of the Staff Talent Show, the highly anticipated Maccabiah was revealed!

For their act, the programming team performed a synchronized swimming dance. As their performance concluded, Kim Bird "broke Maccabiah" by bringing out four of those inflatable "flappy" air dancers in red, yellow, blue, and green. The campers immediately knew what was happening and erupted in excited screams!

Each team then came out and performed a short skit. For example, the Yellow Team, representing "Traditions," chanted: "Old or new, we carry the flame, Traditions strong, we play the game. Shabbat lights and Song Sesh pride, Yellow team stands side by side!" Following these team unveilings, all the Senior Ramot campers stood up to be recognized as team captains. Finally, the staff captains were revealed, waving their flags in the air and jumping around on stage.

What an incredible night! The campers and staff will rest up tonight for a big day tomorrow, so we hope they all get a good night's sleep.

"Footloose" captures that irresistible urge to "cut loose" and dance away worries, today at Beber Camp was all about kicking off our shoes and embracing pure joy! From campers confidently diving into new hobbies like DJing, to the entire staff unleashing their hidden talents in a show-stopping performance culminating in the thrilling Maccabiah reveal, the energy was electric. We're not just working hard; we're playing harder, fostering a vibrant community where everyone feels free to shine and celebrate the unforgettable moments that

Trivia Time! Yesterday’s question was: Who sang “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go?” Answer: Wham!

Congratulations to the following people who answered correctly 

• Ronit Ripes
• Tammy Rosengarten
• Karen Rothbaum
• Julie Brodsky
• Susan Heath
• Wendy Elman
• Brian Berns
• Jessica Fonoroff

Today’s trivia: Who sang “Footloose?” Send your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a chance to be featured in tomorrow’s blog!