Dear YWN,

As we sit in the midst of the summer, it pains me to watch what has now become of summer camps for teenage boys. In my eyes sleep away camp was an integral part of Chinuch; and a part of maturity for young staff members. As a person who went to camp for many years, was a waiter, JC, and counselor for a number of years, I can say first hand that being a staff member in camp as a teenager helped me deal with many things that take place later in life. Is it so horrible for young men to take on a responsibility for 8 weeks in the summer?

We all want our young children to have the most positive experience in camp, and that they should have a counselor who is a role model. Wouldn’t the best role model be a Bochur from a fine yeshiva? The “better” yeshivas today don’t allow you to go to camp for 8 weeks because it will disturb the zman. Yet I am sure many of the same Rebbeim who do not allow their Bochurim to go to camp, insist on having counselors for their children who are fine yirei shomayim. Why not allow those who want to go to a regular camp, not a “learning camp”, go with the blessing of the yeshivas? Is it really better to send these boys for the weeks that they have in the summer to SEED programs, where most have no experience in Kiruv, nor have any desire to be in the field of Kiruv, to run to some exotic area of the country (or some other country) for the sake of running around freely in the name of Kiruv? Is it really better to have an extra 3 weeks in yeshiva as opposed to being in camp?

Before camp, our camp would have a staff meeting, and the head-counselor, who is a very well-respected Menahel of a very large elementary school would say that without a doubt the 8 weeks in camp have more of an effect on a young impressionable child than 10 months of school. It is not even debatable. We are talking about children who spend 8 weeks in a sheltered environment; not just the hours that they are in school. No outside influences other than those who are in camp.

Do we really want the ones who are making this impression to only be from the yeshivas that many label as 2nd rate? Look only 10-15 years back and look at what yeshivas the counselors were from, and look now at the yeshivas the counselors come from? I am not knocking any of those yeshivas; nor the counselors who I am sure are fine at their jobs; but don’t we see what is happening to these Bochurim? It is much easier not to have to answer to anyone and run off to do SEED. Why have the pressure of having to answer to someone, a.k.a. a head staff member. Why have responsibility?

Many of the great Askanim or leaders in our communities, if you were to look back, were leaders in camp before they became who they are today. There are so many talents and experiences that emerge from being apart of camp; why let it fall away like it has?

Signed,

Concerned & Saddened.