Girls Overnight Camps Unite to Postpone Hiring Staff

The directors of 8 Chabad girls overnight camps have joined together and agreed to postpone the hiring of staff for the upcoming summer to allow girls to focus on their school year. “It is detrimental to our girls to start the hiring process so early,” they said.

By Anash.org reporter

The directors of 8 Chabad girls overnight camps from across North America have joined together and agreed to postpone the hiring of staff for the upcoming summer to allow girls to focus on their school year.

Thousands of girls attend overnight camps each year, with staff hired from high schools and seminaries across the globe. On an average year, the hiring process begins before Chanukah, and many girls begin making plans weeks before.

This year, however, the directors of Chabad overnight camp informed schools that they would be postponing any hiring until later in the school year.

The announcement was issued collectively by 8 camps, and signed by the camps’ directors; Calo Firtell of Camp Chaya, Mrs. Chaya Mushka Rivkin of Camp Chomeish, Mrs. Simi Shemtov of Camp Gan Yisroel Detroit, Mrs. Shira Wajsbort of Camp Gan Yisroel Florida, Mrs. Goldy Grossbaum of Camp Gan Yisroel Toronto, Malka Aisenbach and Mrs. Geula Gniwisch of Camp Gan Yisroel United, Mrs. Tzipi Lipsker of Camp Grow, and Mrs. Dinie Gurary of Camp Pardas Chanah.

“The school year has begun in earnest and the air is just emerging with winter frost. As many students are just beginning to navigate the academic and social complexities of the school year ahead, conversations of summer plans are somehow on the table, just weeks after the conclusion of the previous summer,” they wrote.

The directors noted that for seminary girls and high school students, planning the summer so early in the year often causes stress, peer pressure, and even broken friendships. It may create a hindrance to important learning and impede opportunities for growth during the year.

“We camp directors understand that inasmuch as we would love to have our staff hired as early as possible, it is detrimental for our girls. Our position in Chinuch, albeit different than schools, shares the same goal. We are here to care for our girls and strengthen their Yiddishkeit and Chassidishe Chinuch,” they wrote.

With decades of combined experience directing camps, the directors pointed out that many who do not thrive during the year are given the opportunity during the summer months to shine and succeed in ways never imagined. These goals go hand in hand with the emotional and social growth of all who walk through our doors.

“With this in mind, we camp directors met and took the first step by deciding to collectively postpone the date of summer hiring for our head staff and counselors. We would like our girls to light the Chanuka Menorah and enjoy the energy of Kislev without the worry of their summer plans and everything that comes along with that,” they wrote.

The new arrangement in place is that head staff hiring for this year will not take place before 24 Teves (December 28) and counselor applications will open Rosh Chodesh Shevat (January 3).

“We hope that all day camps will join and follow this schedule so we can streamline our staff hiring across the board and allow our girls to be present during the beginning of their school/seminary year,” the directors concluded.