ה׳ אדר ה׳תשפ״ו | February 22, 2026
Is Camp Recruitment Starting Too Early for Bochurim?
An almost seventy-year-old letter from the Rebbe brings into sharp clarity a question that remains highly relevant today: the involvement of bochurim in summer camps.
An almost seventy-year-old letter from the Rebbe brings into sharp clarity a question that remains highly relevant today: the involvement of bochurim in summer camps.
The letter, dated 8 Adar 5718, was written to Tzach of Montreal in response to their inquiry whether it was appropriate to recruit yeshiva bochurim to assist in the day camp they had established.
“It is understood that yeshiva bochurim may engage in the above only in a manner that will not cause a mental distraction – pizur hanefesh – during the year, or for most of the year,” the Rebbe writes.
Because of this concern, the Rebbe explains that if decisions about staff involvement would already be made months in advance, then, in accordance with human nature, the distraction would begin immediately. “Especially since, as appears from your letter, they would begin occupying themselves with preparations several months before the opening of the day camp.”
The Rebbe therefore suggests that the matter should be discussed and decided “about a week or two before the opening of the camp,” which would still “leave sufficient time for the bochur to fulfill what is required of him.”
As for the general preparations that require longer-term planning, the Rebbe states clearly that “these are not for the yeshiva students, whose primary occupation is Torah study.”
It is quite clear from throughout the years that the Rebbe strongly supported and encouraged bochurim who assisted in the holy shlichus of Gan Yisroel day camps and overnight camps. Their impact on tens of thousands of children is also undeniable.
At the same time, in recent years, the involvement of bochurim – from head staff to counselors, learning teachers, and other roles – has begun earlier and earlier each year, as camps compete to recruit the “best” group of bochurim as soon as possible.
Experience has also clearly shown that when recruitment, preparation, and discussion begin months in advance, it can create a significant pizur hanefesh, making it more difficult for bochurim to remain fully focused on their primary role during the year – limud haTorah – as their attention increasingly turns toward camp responsibilities.
Perhaps it is worthwhile to revisit the Rebbe’s guidance and reexamine both the role of bochurim in camps and the proper timing of their involvement, ensuring that the tremendous zechus of camp shlichus strengthens rather than competes with their central role of learning Torah throughout the yeshiva year.
COMMENTS
Thank you so much for sharing now any camp which tell you they have a shlichus for you and they come before 2 weeks before camp you know its not what the Rebbe wants
Currently the camp system is ridiculous
From chanuka, bochurim have to worry if they have a summer job or start planning, instead of learning.
Either shut down all the camps & allow yeshivos to run as it should, all year
Or fix the camp system. No discussion or applications, for kids or staff until lag baomer
And definitely cut it to 1 month
this is a troubling phenomenon that has been getting worse from year to year it used to be that the people running the camp cared about the purpose of camp and the staff cared about educating the children therefore a week or two before they would come to 770 find a few bachurim learning and tell them there is an important shlichus and that was the beginning and end of it but now all they care about is getting themselves so therefore they hire their head staff 10 months in advance and by doing so with the tannah that we have to get the best staff but instead what happens is that they get אויסווארפס which are clearly not learning if this is what their busy with from the beginning of the year and it now has a ripple effect that they have to harass the bochur that wants to learn 8 months in advance and it makes fights amongst bachurim and tell them that this is what the rebbe wants from him now as if they care about what the rebbe said when meanwhile they haven’t opened a sefer in 2 years and it ruins the bochurs year in yeshivah and now coming to the summer they are already burnt out and clearly don’t care about the kavanah which brings a big problem in the camp when they don’t have chassidshe head staff
To Anash.org writer: You can post the Rebbe’s letter and let people draw their own conclusion – no reason to make equations that may not be accurate.
To the commenters: In the majority of cases, once the staff are hired, both the Shliach and the Bachurim have menuchas hanefesh that it’s settled and the Bachur can then go and learn peacefully. The reality is that a regular counselor won’t have to do anything until camp.
Before spewing negativity, please think if it’ll bring light to the world or the opposite.
As a camp director (who hires girls) I’d be happy to discuss this respectfully with anyone. Anash.org has my email address and can share it with you.
While your point about a counselor not being required for the long-term planning is generally true, to say that there is Menuchas Hanefesh and the Bochur can refocus on learning is entirely incorrect. The headspace that it takes up, besides for all his friends coming to speak to him about it, makes it almost impossible to focus on his learning. its not impossible, but it takes tremendous Mesiras Nefesh to focus on learning after thinking about the summer. Staff recruitment should begin no earlier than Pesach! Anything other than that will destroy the rest of his year in most cases.
In my opinion (from experience), since now it is normal to get counselors early, it can be as much of a worry (worrying he won’t find a position) and distraction for a bochur who decides he won’t sign up early as it is for a bochur who does…
I humbly disagree with what you say. Do you have any idea what goes on in seminary? The girls are all enjoying an inspiring and fun year when all of a sudden head counselors get hired in kislev and they have to form a staff. Many mothers will agree that this completely kills the year. There is so much dirty politics that happened among the girls, secrets are kept from each other, no one is sharing where they are going, and leaves a very, not nice feeling in the seminary atmosphere.
1) Thank you for writing in a respectful tone.
2) Before your comment, people were writing “two weeks”, at least you’re suggesting after Pesach.
3) It’s been a while since I was a Bachur so it’s hard to disagree but I find it hard to believe that a Bachur who commits to work as a counselor at xx early on will have trouble learning for the rest of the year. About head staff I agree.
4) A much bigger issue is that there aren’t enough options for Zal Bachurim in the summer.
5) Mainly to the author: Before pointing fingers, it’s important to look at a situation from different perspectives and to think about how suggested “solutions” may make matters worse.
6) This will be my last comment on this matter BLN because I don’t want to take bachurim away from their learning to keep checking comments. If you truly wish to continue the conversation, anash.org has my email.
Stop looking from a singular perspective and read the letter from the Rebbe and then you wont have to guess what it means for the head staff or what it means for the staff or what the zal bachur will do for the summer because the Rebbe will take of that if you follow his directives and the Rebbe wrote 2 weeks. If you feel that maybe now they need a bit more time then speak to your mashpia and then maybe add 2 weeks not 3 months and then the bachur not learning and the camper getting staff who are drop outs is your achrayus that should answer your middle 4 points.
Its not the writer coming to conclusions he just saw a a letter of the Rebbe that when not listened to it has very clear unfortunate bad outcomes which anyone which cares about what the Rebbe writes or about the bachurim or about the camper wants to scream out about the wrongdoing of the boys camps.
אוי לו לקעמפ שכך חושבים מנהליו