#beber camp

[bebercamp]

Beber Camp Is... Erin & Dave Anderson

People often ask "How did you meet?" and when I respond "We met at summer camp in the USA!" jaws usually drop with astonishment! its a pretty cool story and we love telling it!

Dave and I are both Aussies, Dave originally from Narrandera NSW and myself from Phillip Island VIC. My first summer was in 2004 as climbing specialist and I loved it so much I decided I had to go back!! My second year, 2005 was Dave's first. I was back as climbing specialist and TC head counselor and Dave was on the waterfront as a boat driver. We met at O'hare when Danielle asked me to do the airport run to pick up the new Australians! All of us Aussies were quite close and I got to know Dave really well over the first session as a friend before anything romantically happened between us!

It was 1st week in 2nd session and both Wu and Swanny were giving me grief about not "hooking up" with anyone all summer and keep mentioning Dave "what about Dave, he's a nice guy?"... We hung out alot and nothing ever happened so I figured he just wasn't interested - I didnt realise he was just shy!!! So one night after some dutch courage at DD's I made the first move and as they say "The rest is History"

When camp finished up (after both staying on for Habbad week), We said a very hard goodbye and that we hoped to see each other back at camp in 2006. Dave took off traveling around the USA with Purdie, Coates, Pat, Kate and Sharon in a van. And I, as I always had planned, moved to Canada to live there for the 10 months on a working holiday till Camp rolled around again the following summer. We spoke everyday whilst Dave was traveling around the country and about 2 weeks before he was due to go back to Australia - He called and said he had decided to come and live with me in Canada! We lived 6.5 months in Calgary and 3.5 months on Vancouver Island in Katie Quinn's Basement, and returned to camp in 2006.

In 2006 we both worked on the lake boat driving and were both Ramot counselors it was an awesome summer! We finished the 15 month trip away  with 2 weeks holiday in Mexico before heading home to meet each others families and friends (something most couples do at the start of their relationships, not a year and a half in!)

In 2007 - we drove to Melbourne to help out at the Job Fair - and Stefan twisted our arms and convinced us (Didn't take much) both to return to camp for Dave's 3rd and my fourth and final summer. We were on the leadership team which was great - Dave running the waterfront and myself running the pool!

The last night of staff training week 2007, the night before all the 1st session campers arrive in front, in the dining hall at staff training closing - infont of 100+ staff - Dave shocked everyone by telling them how special camp was to him as he met the love of his life here and for that reason he thought it would be the perfect place to ask me to marry him!!! of course I said yes! Was a very special moment and was great to be able to share that with so many of our friends.

Dave and I married in February 2008.

In September 2009 our first Beber Baby arrived - a healthy baby boy we name Riley. In February 2012 our second son Mitchell arrived and in December 2014 our 3rd son Spencer arrived!

We now live and work on a very large farm in Southern NSW which we love very much. We are lucky enough to be visited by staff and campers over the years and cherish the life long friendships we made at Beber.

I'm not going to lie, we find it very hard when June rolls around each year, it hasn't got any easier - We go a bit Beber crazy and know where we'd rather be! We would love to come visit Beber in a few years time with the boys and show them the place that means so much to us, where their parents met, where it all began and the place we hold so dear to our hearts!

~Erin & Dave

[bebercamp]

Beber Goes to Atlantic City (w/ Jaymez)

 Hey there! Jaymez Clark here! The countdown to summer is well and truly in swing, and I thought that I would share with you a little insider info on what's been going on behind the scenes in preparation for what's going to be the best summer ever! So sit back relax, and here’s a pre summer 2016 insider... Assistant Program Director style!

Once a year summer camps from all over, head to Atlantic City for the American Camping Association: Tri State conference. From talks and workshops by leading summer camping professionals, to a vendor hall filled with many summer camp goodies this place has it all! No joke, you could find at least five different types of NOT peanut butter, including our own camp favourite Sun-nut butter! This year camp invited me to attend Tri State, so that we can get preparations for summer 2016 into full swing! I arrived by train into Atlantic City a day early to the conference, but just in time to attend a workshop by Jim Cain, who teaches lots of exciting games that can be used for multiple purposes all around camp. Having heard about some of the games he has created, from the Physician of Fun himself; Michael Wax, it was a truly awesome experience to actually meet him. One of my personal favourites was a game where we used multiple strings attached to a cube of hooks, to try and remove an armed mouse trap off of someone's chest...yeah told you it was exciting. In addition to that I became WAH! Champion, which was a proud moment for me. (if you’ve never played WAH! Before, challenge me...I dare you)

I checked into the hotel shortly after the workshop finished and headed out for a meal with some of the guys and gals who work at other summer camps, which was really awesome. It was a lot of fun to be able to share stories about how cool our very own Beber Camp is, as well as hear stories from others about some sweet things that they get up to over this summer. It was clear that I would spend the next few days surrounded by people that  wanted to talk about any and everything to do with summer camp! Score! After the meal I decided to have a nap, and was woken by a call on my phone. “Room 1524” said the voice. Instantly I knew who it was, and raced up to the predetermined location. I was greeted by my partner in crime, none other than Kym Bird herself! Then came a knock at the door. ‘Knock, Knock’. I thought that it was rather strange to see Ron Kaplan as it wasn’t even laundry day! But it was very awesome to be greeted by Kym, Ron and Cheryl, as it is always awesome to be surrounded by your summer family. One by one our summer camp family was reuniting for a weekend of everything summer camp. We were joined later by Joel and Michael, and later on met up with Stefan. The band was back together again!

The first talk we attended that next day was from John Jacobs, one of the founders of the T-Shirt company Life Is Good. John spoke a great deal about positivity and carrying positive messages throughout life. One of the main things I was to take away from this talk was your use of words can affect how you look at a certain situation. If you are faced with a challenge that you aren’t too excited about completing, don’t see it as you HAVE to do something, see it as you GET to do something. If you are bummed that you HAVE to do cabin cleanup, look at it as you and your cabin GET to tidy up the cabin and make your living space a more pleasant space to be. I guess the summary of the talk fits very well to the title of the company, smile, because Life is Good! Also he threw frisbees out at the start of the talk which was a pretty big deal!

A big chunk of time was devoted to hearing and learning about others experiences and enriching my own summer camp knowledge. The Beber group came together to talk about all the awesome things we have planned for this summer. We got to share a few ideas that we had heard in some of the talks and let’s be real for a second...You guys should all be excited...Summer is Coming! And it is going to be awesome!!!

The vendor hall offered some very awesome, and some very interesting products for summer camps. Having told all the guys trying to sell me bunk beds that I wasn’t in the market for any new sleeping arrangements, I managed to meet a lot of the people that provide us with their amazing products that help our summer run. Sun Nut Butter, walkie talkies, Aqua Parks. This place really did have it all. I got to see all the little things that help our camp to do the things it does, as well as see some awesome stuff that we don’t have. A personal highlight was finding the giant inflatable zorbs. Each person gets into one of these and runs as hard as they can at each other, but because of the padding no one gets hurt! It was brilliant! So naturally I was challenged by Joel to a zorb off. I won’t reveal the results, but will tell you that it was a lot of fun! (Ask Michael for a picture!)

In addition to seeing many of the products that make summer camps tick, I got to meet many of the people that help summer camp operate for all of us overseas staff. The company that help us internationals to get to Mukwonago, CCUSA, held a small gathering to talk about the company. I got to meet many of the people that help to run the company that gets us to experience the awesome things we do year in year out. I was also privileged enough to meet some of the government officials that handle visa’s and immigration for the entire of the United States. It was a really rewarding experience to be able to tell them exactly what Beber Camp means to me and what a great opportunity it is for us to come over and hang out in Mukwonago, Wisconsin for our summers! Some of the other people I would get to meet included the team from B’nai B’rith Pearlman Camp. They are such an awesome bunch of guys and shared some truly inspirational insights to their summer that gave me a few ideas of my own. I also got to talk to Pearlman’s very own program director, Louis Stromberg, about a day in the camp calendar where four teams compete against each other in a variety of different activities...I can’t remember what it's called, but it sounded fun.Unfortunately everything must come to a close, and as is the camp tradition, we sung some camp songs in a circle to symbolise the end of a truly awesome and enriching experience in Atlantic City. 

Friends, friends, friends, WE ARE FRIENDS, we will always be.

I want to say a big thank you to Joel and Michael for inviting me along for this epic experience, and a thank you to Kym, Ron, Cheryl and Stefan for making the time spent in Atlantic City what it was. To see what makes summer camp operate behind the scenes was a really awesome experience for me.

Summer is Coming…

Jaymez

Wait one second, I almost forgot that I saw one of these on the way to Atlantic City…

YES THAT IS A COMBINATION, PIZZA HUT, KFC, TACOBELL.

[bebercamp]

Beber Camp Pioneer Program

Our Pioneer program, the first year of our acceptance-based two-year Teen Leadership Program, has become one of the highlights of the Beber experience for many of our campers. This is likely familiar to those of you who came to Beber after 1997!

Every year, dozens of entering 11th graders (our “Pios”) participate in the Pioneer program, which focuses on three areas of growth for Beber’s Jewish teens:

Intensive leadership training

Deep exploration of team building

A sense of self and Jewish identity

The program takes place at camp during First Session.  All Pios then have the option to attend a three week trip to Poland and Israel that runs during Second Session.

The nature of the Pioneer program has grown tremendously since its inception almost 20 years ago.  The curriculum and programming have expanded both in breadth and depth. The Pios now plan programs for all of camp, participate in community service, discover the kinds of leaders they are, and explore the kinds leaders they strive to become.

For the last several years, the popularity of the Pioneer program has grown in popularity, too.  Applications have increased significantly, which is wonderful! Due to capacity issues at camp, though, this wonderful growth has placed us in the unfortunate position of having to consider turning away amazing kids from the Pioneer program. As you may imagine, turning away potential Jewish leaders and kids who are part of our Beber family is completely at odds with our core mission and values.

To avoid this result, over the past few years we have made a series of gradual adjustments to the program’s curriculum and physical accommodations.  Constant evaluations and feedback from camp families have guided these adjustments, allowing us to advance the program while ensuring that its growth fits our strategic goals. We are thrilled to let you know that the Pio class this year is our largest ever and that none of our extended Beber family of teens were turned away due to space restrictions.

We know, however, that the short-term physical adjustments made to increase capacity are not sustainable in the long-term.  Our goal is to build a Pioneer Village on our site.  This facility would provide the Pioneer program with dedicated space, including housing, its own kitchen and dining area, and dedicated bathroom and shower facilities. Once complete, it will ensure a sustainable approach to incredible Pio summers for generations of teens to come.

Our board and leadership team are working diligently behind the scenes to make that goal a reality.  Board members, staff, contractors, designers, donors, alumni, and community members are working hard to create a plan that will facilitate building the Pioneer Village.  We look forward to sharing more details with you as the plans unfold.

And for those of you who participated in our Pioneer program over the years, please know that your participation is part of the heritage of the program.  Your experiences have helped shape the Pioneer summer into the program it has become.  We are so proud of the scores of staff who have gone through this program, and absolutely love seeing the amazing adults they (you) have become!

[bebercamp]

The Countdown To Camp Begins... Preparing Emotionally for the Summer.

As most of us look outside our windows and wish for the sunshine and warm weather, it is hard to imagine that in just four months we will actually be in Mukwonago basking in the sun and enjoying all the activities camp has to offer.  While there is still a lot of time left for packing, filling out forms, getting a physical, etc, it is never to early to start the emotional preparation for going away to camp.  As we move towards spring and the end of another academic year, thoughts about summer start to solidify and campers and parents (new and returning) are starting to experience a range of emotions.  Hopefully the predominant feelings are those of anticipation and excitement, but it’s also natural to be apprehensive and nervous.  While it may be challenging to deal with these often conflicting emotions, we are here as a resource and hope to provide you with some tips for how to deal with these emotions and set your child up for a successful summer.

Whether your child is a new camper or a returning camper, here is a list of some things to do with your camper in the next few months to get them more comfortable with going away from home and addressing some of the anxious feelings:

Spend time on bebercamp.com and youtube.com/bebercamp and go through photos and videos to get a feeling for activities, facilities, songs, etc.

If there is a Beber spring picnic in your area, ATTEND!!  This is a great way to meet some of the directors, get your questions answered and meet other parents and campers.

Spend time talking to your child about what camp will be like and listen to any fears or concerns.  Remind them that feelings of apprehension, nervousness and anxiety are completely normal.  A lot of children feel as though they have to choose being happy or being homesick.  Reassure your child that it is ok and totally normal to be happy AND miss home.  These two emotions do not need to exist separately. It is unrealistic to assume that camp is a place where we won’t ever struggle or deal with difficult situations.  There will be a blog post next month about how Beber handles homesickness and ways you can help as a parent.

Fear of the unknown is one of the biggest worries for children attending camp, so time spent at home “practicing” a typical day at camp may provide some reassurance and self-confidence.  For example, have your child practice some of their routines without your assistance: getting into pajamas, brushing teeth, reading in bed, picking out clothes in the morning, putting dirty laundry in a hamper.

If your child has not slept away from home before, the best thing you can do for them is to arrange sleepovers between now and the beginning of camp.  Have them get used to sleeping under a different roof – at a friend’s house, grandparent’s house, etc.  These experiences will stimulate feelings of independence and give your child confidence that they can cope with longer separations from home.

Involve your child in decisions regarding camp.   Have them help create a packing list or have them pick out their new camp shirt or luggage they want to pack in.

Talk about your communication plan with your child.  Remind them that they will not have access to phones but that they will be able to write letters, emails and faxes and that you will be sending them packages, letters and emails.  Help them create an address book with everyone’s contact information so that they can keep in touch with family and friends.  Sending pre-addressed, stamped envelopes and pre-written fax and email cover sheets is a great way to ensure that letters get sent!

Help your child create a little photo album of some of their favorite photos to bring with them.  They will be able to show their friends and counselors and tell them all about where they are from!

Younger brothers and sisters may become anxious about their sibling being away from home.  Make sure your younger children understand how they will be able to communicate with their sibling while they are away.  Show them photos of camp as well so that they can visualize where their sibling will be.

Be realistic.  Like the rest of life, camp will have high and low moments and your child may have some down moments.  Your child should not feel pressured to feel a certain way at camp (ie. happy all day every day) and remind them that their main goal should be to have fun.  Remind them that there will always be a counselor to talk to if they do ever feel sad.

Please communicate any issues with camp staff prior to the start of the summer.  If your child has a history of bedwetting, sleepwalking, night terrors, etc, it is extremely important that we know about this and can make an appropriate plan.  Your child may be extremely anxious that nobody at camp will know how to handle these issues and if we have a plan, we can communicate that plan with your camper and make sure they know what will happen and how we will handle things without parents’ presence.

Avoid the “get out clause”:  If your child asks a lot of questions about what will happen if they are really homesick, one good response is “there will probably be times when you miss us or something else from home, but that’s normal and the best way to deal with it is to do something fun and stay busy”.  AVOID making promises or statements that imply that you will pick them up if they are sad or want to come home.  These statements set your child up for failure and send a message that the only solution to a difficult and normal feeling is to be rescued by mom or dad.  It undermines your confidence in your child’s ability to cope with adversity.

Be positive! Let them know how proud you are that they are setting out on this adventure and how you share in their excitement.

As you become anxious, try not to transmit that feeling to your child.  Don’t emphasize the fact that you will miss them while they are away.  This may seem harsh, but the message here is avoiding the emphasis on that feeling.  Support words like “we will miss you so much” with “but we will be so proud and happy that you will be having so much fun and making new friends and learning new skills”.  Kids often internalize their parents’ anxiety and if your child is worried that you will be sad when they are gone, they may not be able to fully enjoy their experience.

As always, we are here to discuss your concerns about the summer and help you and your child prepare for the summer.  Please do not hesitate to call or email us with any questions.

[bebercamp]

Introducing Beber Camp’s New Logo

Beber Camp families, alumni, donors, and friends,

As we all weather through the winter by focusing on warm thoughts of Wisconsin summers, I'm thrilled to introduce our community to Beber's new logo and brand refresh.  The new logo evolves the classic Beber crest and pays tribute to what we all love about camp.  Elements within the logo honor Beber's 40 years of rich heritage by representing camping, Judaism, and the iconic Burr Oak trees that give camp its unique feel.

In conjunction with the launch of the new logo, the Beber team is renewing our focus on the tagline "All Summer. All Year. All Life".  This simple phrase represents our firm belief that summer camp can meaningfully engage all of you - the full Beber community - throughout your entire lifetime.

As Beber continues to improve and excel, we are committed to staying true to the heart and soul of the organization.  Our mission is as valid today as it was when it was originally drafted:

Beber Camp creates a community that challenges and nurtures fun, individual and community based growth, and Jewish identity in a safe, positive and diverse environment with exceptional professional leadership.

Beber has been transforming the lives of Jewish children for four decades through a blend of excellent child care, world class programming and intentional Judaics.

The new logo - along with a new website to launch this spring - beautifully represents that transformational experience and boldly positions Beber for another 40 years of life-changing summers.

Please join me and the rest of the Beber staff and board to celebrate this wonderful milestone by sharing your thoughts on our Facebook page (#3BC40) or emailing me directly.

Thank you so much for your continued support,

Becky Altman Camp Director

[bebercamp]

Alumni Family Summer Dinner Recap

Hi everyone,

This is Karen Bernstein, one of the camp doctors, a first-time parent of a Beber camper, and a Beber alumni from ‘87 to ‘92.  As a member of Beber’s Young Alumni Families committee, I’m excited to share an update from this weekend’s alumni event.

Six years ago, a small group of Beber alumni (campers and staff from the 80’s and 90’s) began to congregate in the Chicago suburbs the night before they sent their own children off to Mukwonago to make lasting Beber memories. Those of us who did not have campers (yet) took advantage of the time to catch up with dear old friends.  Over the years, the group has continued to grow, as alums from near and far  (Louisville, Florida, Denver, Omaha, Atlanta, and Chicago…to name a few) continue the Beber tradition.  

This year, thanks to the efforts of the Young Alumni Families Committee, we made it an “official” event that was quite a success!  15 alumni families gathered at Brickyard Park in Deerfield for an evening of pizza, fun, and memories. Adults reconnected, new campers found buddies, returning campers bubbled with excitement to return to the “happiest place on earth”, and those kids still years away from Makor took advantage of the fantastic park – playing in the rain until soaked.  The evening was topped off with a visit from the ice cream truck… and who doesn’t love an ice cream truck?!

Despite not seeing each other for years, and the miles between us notwithstanding, it was obvious that the bonds Beber had created were long lasting and “Friends, Friends Friends….we will always be” .  Whether or not our kids will become the “next generation” of Beber camp, we all agreed the event was wonderful opportunity to reconnect with our “Beber Family”.  

We look forward to continuing this tradition, and welcome alums and their families from near and far to join us next year.  To make sure you stay informed about upcoming alumni events, like Beber’s Facebook page, follow @beberalumni on Instagram, and email Marc or Elli to be added to the mailing list!

Karen

[bebercamp]

Driving Detour to Beber

I'm writing this afternoon with details about the detour on the road to camp. Beber is located on Lake Beulah, which is a managed waterway and the county is replacing the dam which feeds the Mukwonago River from Lake Beulah. Unfortunately for us, this dam is located under the roadway on County Road J, about 500 yards east of the camp entrance, between camp and the Elegant Farmer. The road is currently closed and we expect it to remain closed through October 1st.

For our returning families, there is no way to get to camp by turning right at the Elegant Farmer and driving west on County Road J. You must follow the detour.

The detour we are recommending is detailed in this Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/6I5gp

The map above provides directions from our Skokie office to Camp in Mukwonago. Here are the text directions:

Take 94 West (North) into Wisconsin

Exit 333, Highway 20 (West)

Follow Highway 20 into Waterford, taking a left at the stoplight to stay on Highway 20

Detour: Normally, upon leaving Waterford, you turn right at the Cotton Exchange (resturant) and take Route 83 North into Mukwonago. Instead, go straight at the Cotton Exchange to stay on Highway 20. This will take you into East Troy.

You will go under Highway 43 and cross railroad tracks in East Troy.

Turn right at Division Street

Turn left at the stop sign onto St. Peters Road (you cannot continue straight)

Turn right at the stop sign onto Stringers Bridge Road

Turn right onto County Road J

Ignore the "Bridge Out Ahead, Local Traffic Only" signs as you are local traffic! Drive down Highway J until you see Beber Camp, this time, on your right-hand side.

We will be sending out these directions again closer to the summer. I also want to encourage you to consider the bus from Glenbrook North High School as an option. We have made this available at no charge to our families. Please contact the camp office if you wish to change from "driving to camp" to taking the bus.

Thanks and have a great day!

Best,

Joel

[bebercamp]

Yoga at Beber

Hey there!  My name is Mina Fedderly and I’ll be the yoga specialist this summer at Beber.  I recently graduated from high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and also graduated from a 200 hour yoga instructor certification class! Most yoga training classes are just 20 hours.

This is my 9th summer at camp, but first year on staff!  I was a C.I.T last year for the wonderful O1 Makor girls, and this year I will again be with the amazing Makor division.

Yoga became a huge part of my life roughly 2 years ago when deciding on what I wanted to do with my future.  I plan on studying nutrition in college, as well as yoga instruction.

My journey through my yoga instructor training course was one of the best experiences that I have ever had. I was able to study yoga and gain the knowledge of what I love for 10 months of my senior year of high school. I learned how yoga is not just about your flexibility or how long you can hold a pose but what the poses do for your body and mind.

In my camp yoga hobby, I am going to take campers through a very relaxing, fun, challenging, and exotic path of yoga. We are going to learn some challenging but super fun yoga poses and learn how to use them in a sequence.  We will get to use those poses in some awesome obstacle games and even in the water for those hot sunny days! Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the relaxing part of the yoga hobby. We will spend some time hiking through the camp’s amazing woods and relax our minds through a guided meditation. Everyone loves and needs some peace and quiet in their day.

I am so excited to be sharing my love of yoga with all of you at my favorite place, Beber Camp. I can’t wait to meet all of you and introduce you to the wonders of yoga!! :)

Mina