canadian alumni

Winter newsletter WESTERN REGION camp hatikvah

CANADIAN YOUNG JUDAEA | 788 MARLEE AVENUE | , | M6B 3K1 | inside inside cyj from the national director

Dear Alumni,

In this edition of the newsletter we are celebrating Western Region and Camp Hatikvah. Therefore, I thought it would be apropos to remind us of the Western Region Song from many years ago:

Oh, Western, Western Region It means I love you If you will be my baby, I will Western Region you. I’ll take a semel of mine and pin it on your chest That’s how you know that we are from the West. We ride upon our horses, we shoot the buffalo We always go by dogsled whenever there is snow. We never use the outhouse we always go outside… That’s because the Western kids have nothing much to hide!

I challenge you my friends to send me another oldie but goodie. Whomever sends me the first cheer will determine which region and camp we feature in our next edition of the newsletter.

As you will read CYJ is active once again in all regions of Canada and maybe it is time for us to bring back the Regional Cheers!

Wishing you all the best.

Chazak Ve’Ematz, Risa Epstein | National Executive Director.

MACHANE LEV

Canada’s first Jewish LGBTQ+ Camp registration is now live Canadian young judaea programming What's Up IN CYJ

Our kenim have been off to a busy program, has separated into two start from coast to coast! The ruach units, Chaverim (grade 1-5) and and strength of the movement is Yedidim (grade 6-7). Toronto Youth stronger than ever, and we are Council has grown, and is working bursting with energy. Judaeans on regional and national projects. have come out in great numbers to Our Central Region Mifgash saw many of our national and regional chanichim come from the GTA, programs. Many of our kenim have London, Ottawa, North Bay, expanded their current programming, Montreal, and Halifax, making it JOLT Halifax participating in and we have also started new the most national in years. We had the Fill A Purse Campaign programs everywhere. We have participants from Camps Kadimah, several upcoming national programs, Kinneret, Solelim, Biluim Canada and including our national leadership Biluim ! retreat, Machane Choref in Toronto, this February. Judaeans from all across Canada will join us for an Eastern Region unforgettable weekend. In May Did someone say Youth Council? incoming East Coast Biluim Canada Montreal has adopted Youth chanichim will head to the West Council to our growing roster of Coast for East Meets West at Camp programming. Our first ever Montreal Hatikvah. They will enjoy a weekend Youth Council has been busy of bonding, and will start to make planning programs for our Alumim lasting bonds that will not sever! and for our JOLT participants. This Check our regional programming year we have expanded JOLT to JOLT Toronto participating in below! grade 8. We have already had several the Fill A Purse Campaign JOLT meetings and two Youth Council run programs. The Montreal Western Region Ken is growing by the day, and we We are thrilled to announce that our are so proud of the dedication we ken in Vancouver has expanded have seen. regional programming. This past October we ran our first ever Western Region Mifgash at Camp Hatikvah. Atlantic Region JOLT is off to another great start, Our Halifax Ken was off to a booming with the participation of our new start from September. JOLT has Manhigim members, or leaders. This been well attended by our Atlantic new program involves Biluim Israel Region Judaean’s, already having grads or grade 12 students, and puts participated in 3 outreaches and 3 them in the leadership role of helping meetings. They have volunteered Our first Western Region to run JOLT. Check out the buzz on at community events, and have participated in the Atlantic Jewish Mifgash at Camp Hatikvah instagram @joltvancouver. Council telethon, raising funds for programs, and community Central Region organizations. The Toronto Ken is exploding! JOLT Toronto has over 75 participants on a bi-weekly basis. Hineni, our new program for grade 11 students is in its second year, and we can’t wait to see what they will achieve. Our Manhigim program has started, and our Biluim Israel graduates are involved in all of our programs. Our Alumim Program, or youth Our first Youth Council in Montreal Canadian young judaea featured alumni FEATURED ALUMNI joanna wasel

I grew up in Vancouver and attended Camp Hatikvah as a camper from 1988 - 1994. I went to Biluim Canada in 1995 and Biluim Israel in 1996. I then served as staff at Hatikvah for several years and worked full time for the organization in my early 20’s. I am currently the President of the Board of the Camp Hatikvah Foundation.

Camp was instrumental in shaping my character. It was there that I learned independence and the true value of teamwork and community. The friendships I made at camp are amongst my most meaningful; even if I don’t Family Camp Smokey Summer see those friends as often as I would like, we have a bond like no other.

Our Biluim motto in 1995 was “Utopia” and I think the word best sums up what Jewish camp has always been to me. Camp is the ideal place to grow up and I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to experience it.

There are so many that it is very hard to choose! However, if I had to pick one, I think it would be my first day of my first year at camp. I was 8 years old and terrified. When I stepped off the bus, my counsellors immediately rushed over to me. Somehow, they knew who I was and they enthusiastically introduced themselves to me. At 8 years old, these counsellors seemed life full-fledged adults to me (but much cooler) and they made me feel like the most special kid in the world (thanks Karen and Heather if you are reading this). This was the beginning of my love for camp and all of the amazing counsellors who would guide me, inspire me and care for me over the next 10 years until it was my turn to do the same for the next generation.

My favourite camp food was Grilled Cheese (and it still is).

As much as our camp has physically changed over the years, the core values of what we do are the same as they were at the camps inception. I want my Joanna at camp 1988 kids to immerse themselves in those decades old traditions and celebrate their shared culture, history and love for Israel with their camp and CYJ friends as I did.

We were in Israel last year for my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah and there was a group of Israeli scouts at a national park we were visiting. We watched them do mifkad and then a fire writing display and my heart was warmed by the familiarity of it all. My kids thought it was incredible that these Israeli kids were doing the same thing they do at their camp. It was a really lovely moment for me to watch them taking this all in. I look forward to them working their way through the CYJ system and learning how many shared experiences and values they have with their contemporaries in Canada and in Israel.

It has been a true pleasure to serve on the Board at Camp Hatikvah. Having experienced my best childhood memories at Camp, I feel very fortunate to be able to try to help ensure that future generations are given the same opportunity. I truly believe that Jewish camping is the most instrumental way to ensure continuity and it is a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful organization and movement.

Chazak Ve’Ematz! Joanna Wasel Joanna, Allan, Sammi & Tessa Wasel at a Camp Hatikvah Fundraiser Canadian young judaea main article camp hatikvah then and now

Camp Hatikvah has held a special place in the hearts of campers and staff in the BC community and beyond since 1937 when it opened in Crescent Beach, British Columbia. Since then, Hatikvah has moved to its stunning Oyama, BC location where it has been for over 50 years. Much has changed over the years, from its brand new cabins, to its hockey arena but at its heart, Camp Hatikvah is the same it’s been since the beginning.

Since she has taken over the camp as Director in 2008, Liza Rozen-Delman has worked hard to build a reputation for the camp and to build Hatikvah up to be all that it can be. She has worked tirelessly to fundraise in order to secure funding to complete the re-building of all remaining original cabins for our 7-12 year old campers, a completely renovated CIT site with the addition of 4 new cabins to prepare for our growing numbers, a brand new hockey arena with lights as of last summer, a renovated basketball court complete with lights for nighttime games, a completely renovated Hatikvah ulam (now known as the Paperny Ulam) new docks, and much more. It is safe to say that anyone who attended Hatikvah over 20 years ago would hardly recognize it today! With all of these new structures, the campers are always running around with no shortage of activities to keep them busy from morning till night.

In spite of all the new and wonderful changes that Hatikvah has seen, what our veteran staff and campers would still be able to recognize at Hatikvah is its heart. As soon as one steps on to Hatikvah’s beautiful property, it is easy to see why all who attend love it the way they do. Besides the blue lake and the mountains that surround our little peninsula, anyone who spends a summer at Hatikvah, quickly finds their place in our close family. We all take care of each other and look out for one another not just at camp, but in the city too. CIT buddies become babysitters, counsellors become like older siblings and staff share friendships that last forever. We are proud to be a camp where Grandparents have sent their children, who are now sending their own children. Hatikvah is home away from home to our campers and our counsellors become their family away from their family.

In a new initiative this year, we are welcoming back our veteran campers and staff, ages 25-35, for an alumni weekend at Hatikvah! We are so excited for our young alumni to get to experience camp again, if just for a weekend! The event will be taking place June 21-23, 2019. Registration begins on November 30th! Details are on the website for anyone who might be interested.

We also hosted the first Western Mifgash program which was a huge success! Our campers loved getting to come back to camp again, this time seeing it in fall where the leaves were changing colours and it looked more beautiful than ever. We are also excited for this year’s East Meets West program which will take place on the last weekend of May. Hatikvah sometimes feels like CYJ’s cousin who lives far away from the rest of the family. We are so excited every time we get to host campers and staff from the east who are in total shock at the beauty of our camp. We encourage anyone who gets the opportunity to come to see Camp Hatikvah and why we out west love it so much! Canadian young judaea ADVERTS

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weddings & ENGAGEMENTS hakshivu hakshivu

Have a simcha we should celebrate? Please share your CYJ Alumni Mazel Tovs with us for our quarterly newsletter! Please Contact Risa: [email protected]

JUDY SOMMER Biluim ‘06 LAUREN GANS Biluim ‘06 & NEAL PEDERSEN & YONATAN LIPSITZ

LORNE REMBACH billy '05 MARLI STEIN CIT ‘04 & JACLYN POSLUNS

SOPHIE GOTTESMAN SHALOM STAFF ‘07, SOLELIM STAFF ‘08 -’10, BILLY ISRAEL ‘11 & BRYAN FLATT Canadian young judaea mazel tovs! mazel tovs! hakshivu hakshivu

Have a simcha we should celebrate? Please share your CYJ Alumni Mazel Tovs with us for our quarterly newsletter! Please Contact Risa: [email protected]

Avery paige Raphael Moshe Ben Zvi Carly Hitelman Nishmas & Jason Nishmas Dana Breger & Tomer Ben-Zvi

August Maeve Jonah Toby Waltman Daniel Bonder & Jess Unikowski Brian Waltman & Kim Lichtman

Joshua Levin Julia Levin & Dave Levin Have a simcha we should celebrate? Please share your CYJ Alumni Mazel Tovs with us for our quarterly newsletter!

EmaiL: [email protected]

CANADIAN YOUNG JUDAEA | 788 MARLEE AVENUE | TORONTO, ONTARIO | M6B 3K1 | CANADA