Summer Staff Program a Resounding Success

A new system that was introduced this past summer in major Lubavitcher overnight camps to enhance the staff members’ attendance at minyanim and daily learning sedarim proved to be a great success.

Following a united request by Menahelei Hayeshivos across the country, a new system has been introduced in major Lubavitcher overnight camps to enhance the staff members’ attendance at minyanim and daily learning sedarim.

Before the summer, Menahelim got together and asked the camps to step up efforts in helping their staff feel more accountable for their Yiras Shamayim during camp, especially considering their role as an example for the campers.

The idea was simple: the Hanhalos suggested creating a system where all staff members – counselors, learning teachers, as well as general staff – would have a specific minyan which they would be expected to attend consistently, as well as a daily set hour for learning (Chitas, Rambam, etc.) in the camp’s Beis Midrash.

The camps would then have a Mashgiach/marking system in place to track attendance, with weekly updates sent to each staff member, thus reminding the staff of their progress and address any areas where they might be slipping. The bochur’s Hanhala would also have access to the data, allowing them to stay in touch and offer praise or encouragement throughout the summer.

The initiative took off very well, especially in one camp where they hired a dedicated staff member, just for this position! As the camp Director shared, “This summer, I’ve seen much better attendance, and a heightened focus among the staff to their ruchnius’dike wellbeing. I’m confident the marking system made a difference – the weekly reminders push the staff to be at their best in their Shlichus as Dugma Chayas for the campers.”

A mashpia from Oholei Torah Zal noted, “It transformed my relationship with my talmidim. Instead of the summer being a two-month gap away from yeshiva, I was able to monitor their consistency and reach out to let them know how impressed I was with their accomplishment. Of course, it also allowed us to offer support when we felt it was needed.”

We hope that this program will be implemented in every camp, overnight and day camps alike, in the years ahead, providing the bochurim with the encouragement and support they need to grow, even during the summer months, enabling them to kick off their next year in yeshiva b’yeser se’ais uv’yeser oz!

For more info, or to see a sample of the sheets created for the system, please email [email protected].