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December 20, 2002
New Schechter director
Jodi Sperling says tradition will balance out change.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Regular campers, staff and visiting alumni of Camp Solomon Schechter
have seen a lot of changes over the past five years to both the
programming and the facilities at the Olympia, Wash., Conservative
Jewish summer camp.
New cabins, a new lake-front beach and a village for the junior
counsellor program came several years ago with the hiring of the
camp's first full-time, year-round director, Hillary Buff.
While camp staff has worked hard to maintain its commitment to creating
a fun, Jewish experience, changes are likely to continue as Jodi
Sperling has been hired to replace the departed Buff. Sperling served
as the oded (counsellor-in-training) director in 2001 and was the
summer director in 2002.
"I've had great experiences at this camp each of the last two
summers, so being a part of it year round is really exciting for
me," she said. "There are a lot of great things happening
at Schechter that combine changes for the future with dedicated
and committed camp alumni who help keep a lot of important traditions
alive."
Sperling has a long list of credentials working with Jewish youth
in youth groups and in summer camps. From co-ordinating a camp for
financially deprived children in New York to directing a Hebrew
language day camp in Portland, Ore., Sperling has experience from
a lot of different environments that she said will likely contribute
to her efforts at Camp Solomon Schechter.
"Every experience, including the last two summers, has taught
me something completely different," she said. "I can only
look forward to continuing to learn and teach more with this year's
camp staff."
Sperling has also spent a year in Israel as a counsellor at the
Alexander Muss High School in Israel program, and spent 12 summers
as a camper, counsellor and unit head at Camp Arowhon in Algonquin
Park, Que.
She received her master's in social work and Jewish communal service
from the University of Michigan and has also served as the assistant
editor of Moment magazine, a national Jewish publication. It was
there that Sperling said she realized that becoming a full-time
camp director was what she really wanted.
"I was actually in the middle of working on an article about
Jewish camping when I decided that I really wanted to do it, rather
than write about it," she explained. "It's funny how that
works out sometimes."
Sperling said the wheels have already been set in motion for other
changes at the camp this summer. Two new log structures have been
built that will house four new cabins, which Sperling expects to
fill, on each of the boys and girls sides of the camp. As for programming,
Sperling said there will be more activities for campers to choose
from with additions like fishing, guitar, kayaking and an improved
arts and crafts program.
Camp Solomon Schechter is also entering its 49th year with a couple
of new full-time staff faces. The camp recently hired Sol Lipman,
who came from Camp JCA Shalom in Malibu, Calif., as its business
director. A new administrator, David May, was also recently hired.
May spent the past five years as the administrator of camps Swig
and Newman in San Francisco.
For information about camp Solomon Schechter or to register, call
206-447-1967. Next month, information will be available on the camp's
new Web site at www.campschechter.org.
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