Director's Corner - Tuesday, June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Dirty Laundry

I make my livin' off the evenin' news
Just give me somethin', somethin' I can use
People love it when you lose
They love dirty laundry

‍Laundry came back today, and while clean clothes might not be the most glamorous part of camp, they’re a pretty 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, so that clothes are returned to the right camper. Occasionally, if a bag is too full, it may 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 that are 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 those 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 really 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 to be made.  This morning during Hobby 1, I spent some time at the Challenge Course and got to watch a camper push themselves all the way to the second level of the High Ropes. You could see the focus, the nerves, and then, the confidence. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It’s part of how we think about camp at Beber.

I also stopped by the indoor kitchen where homemade potato latkes were on the menu. The kitchen was filled with energy and a few tears as onions were sliced, potatoes peeled and shredded and latkes sizzled in the frying pan.  I am hopeful that these campers will try out their new cooking skills when they come home and teaching them traditional Jewish recipes allows them to bring more Jewish Life home at the end of the summer.  

And speaking of food…on the menu today were:

Breakfast-Pancakes

Lunch-Poke bar and Hotdogs and fries

Dinner-Pasta bar with veggies and garlic breadsticks

Evening programs were super exciting tonight.  Makor took to the stage for their talent show.  Watching our youngest campers overcome their stage fright to sing and dance and perform skits in front of their peers is what makes Beber so special.  Here “you can be cool, you can be crazy, you can be anything you want.”  That’s a quote from a favorite Beber original song - The Beber Boogie.  Every act is met with applause and cheers and it makes every camper who performs feel that extra special moment in the spotlight.  

Kesher had a fantastic program tonight celebrating our international staff in that division.  Campers rotated amongst stations led by staff from countries around the world.  At each station those staff shared facts about their homeland and played a short game or activity challenge related to their country.  It was a cool and meaningful opportunity for our staff to highlight something special about where they're from, and for our campers to appreciate the diversity within our camp community.

Ramot had their turn at Night at the Races, where staff were pitted against each other in a wide range of competitions that the campers could bet on. Ranging from strength to silly competitions the staff in Ramot created an evening of laughs and high energy.  I was pitted against a staff member in an arm wrestling competition.  I won, because I told them before the whistle sounded that I sign their paycheck! :)

The PIOs also participated in a camp favorite Lip Sync battle mixing popular songs with some good oldies.  It is always impressive to see how much they get into a program like this.  Well choreographed dances and routines that would take the average person weeks to learn are perfected seemingly overnight.  

We talk a lot with staff and campers about the Beber Beliefs. These are five core values that guide everything we do here. They help us create a community where kids feel safe, supported, and stretched to be their best selves. Over the next few days, I’ll be highlighting one of these beliefs each day.

Today, I want to share a bit about Pride & Ownership. This is the idea that campers thrive when they feel invested in their experience. Whether it’s keeping their cabin clean, leading a cheer at GA, or helping a friend clean up after an art project, we want our campers to understand that their contributions matter. When they feel proud of what they’ve done and take responsibility for how they show up, they grow.

It’s more than just a clean bunk or a chore list. It’s about building a mindset: “This is my camp. I have a role to play here.” That sense of ownership leads to confidence, accountability, and belonging and it’s one of the reasons Beber feels like home for so many.

I ended my night in one of the best ways possible—on my porch with the Senior Ramot Girls and our artist-in-residence, Brett Fromson, for an acoustic song session under the stars. It was the kind of bonding moment that captures the heart of camp. I hope the girls carry that feeling of connection and shared experience home with them at the end of the summer. If you want to hear one of Brett’s original songs, click here.

Trivia Time! Yesterday’s question was: Who sang “Something so Strong?” Answer: Crowded House (one of my favorite bands!)

Congratulations to the following people who answered correctly

• Jill Rivkin
• Andy Whitman
• Heather Carp
• Julie Houghton
• Amy Bloomberg

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