By Rochel
For the past 9 years, I have been working in Gan Izzy Day Camps all over the world. I always thought to myself, what attracts a typical Jewish child from public school to attend a Chabad camp?
I came to the conclusion that it is the counselors that make a huge impression on the children. Chabad girls are motivated, energized and dedicated. Children know that in Chabad counselors are both cool and they care.
That is why it’s such a pity that at almost every single one of my camp experiences, I have felt mistreated by the directors.
I don’t think it’s intentional. They were all good people, dedicated to Shlichus and were working really hard. But there was this unintentional neglect that caused some of my summers to end in a negative feeling.
The directors seem to underestimate the huge responsibility and work of counselors. We aren’t coming to your city to make money, yet we give out heart and soul to inspire the campers and make them happy – under the beating sunshine or pouring rain.
In many respects, the enjoyment of the campers very much depends on the mood of the counselors. In order to put a smile on our face and greet each camper with excitement, we need to feel the same from the directors – and we don’t always do…
So what will make your day camp counselors happy? Counselors really don’t need a lot. A few basics and an attitude that you care about them do the trick. Here are 5 points that are worth remembering:
1. Food- this may seem silly to you, but if your staff is not well fed and does not have a stocked fridge they will already start having less energy and a negative attitude
2. Respect- just like any employer to their employee counselors need to be treated with respect and not “slaves”, we are people who have feelings and are working very hard just like you.
3. Trips- after camp trips and Sunday trips are a must, they need time to let go and be a kid again after disciplining children all day, these trips don’t have to be so elaborate just something small even a picnic in the park to show that you appreciate the work they are doing for you.
4. Don’t take advantage of them- they signed up to be counselors to instill yiddishkeit into children that would otherwise have no contact with Yiddishkeit and to give the campers a good time. They did not sign up to be babysitters, janitors, or your assistant.
5. Appreciation- thank you’s are great but actions speak louder than words. Show them through small gifts or act appreciative towards them.
I hope that my message was brought across and that all directors of day camps take these important and fundamental aspects into consideration.
Amazing camp and amazing Shluchim!!
You have a very good point but remember the shluchim are working hard too…
Is the best camp in the world
AMAZING DIRECTORS
Counselor from Alpharetta, Georgia
We get treated with the best of the best! Kudos to Rabbi. minkowicz !!!!
Even after I was married, I worked in a camp one summer and had a traumatizing experience with an abusive director.
In general, awareness should be brought in the chabad world regarding work ethics, treating employees fairly and having reasonable expectations of them. Many shluchim are workaholics and expect their employees to be the same.
Agree with this article. One more things directors need to remember. Your counselors are probably very young. They probably don’t have degrees in childhood education or psychology. Please make sure they don’t take too much upon themselves, as I have seen in many camps!
Agree with this article. Very well and respectfully put.
To those who say they had only great experiences, and maybe it’s time for this counselor to have some introspection, yes, you were lucky to end up in good hands. You probably went to relatives or had other connections with great directors. Other girls end up going to whoever is advertising on COL etc…
Please don’t send girls out in unsafe cars! Too many times I’ve seen girls in these clunkers they were given to drive
SGI follows all these five things and goes lifnin mishures hadin. Every camp should take after them. Thank you rabbi sender and rabbi Rappaport for an amazing summer experience
This hasn’t been my experience in Swampscott. Best director and summer.
I called the camp my son is in and they told me they have been getting calls all day today
so thank you 67
Very well said and the directors should get involved
I think for starters both head counselors of the boys and girls
Should meet up and maybe they’re a good shidduch for each other
And then they should Try to match up their other counselors and staff members
I think this would and the whole crisis and bring mashiach
So BOYS go out and meet the girl counselors in a tznius maner
And GIRLS do the same but in a respect full manner
LETS MAKE SHIDDUCHIM
The writer sent a well written and thought out piece without any loshon hara and with very correct suggestions What is the response? Either to praise some directors and camps which probably leaves every other camp wondering why no one mentioned them. OR down and out negative and even disgusting comments and Lisbon Horah Why does every other personal post degenerate to this level? This is a shame on all of us Number 53 said something positive about maybe shidduchim could out of camps and was soundly berated for it If coed camps and counselors is against Halacha or tznius… Read more »
Completely agree with poster number 38!!!
When I did camp, my friends and I didn’t expect to get paid or have any sort of after camp trips handed to us by the directors. We were grateful for the opportunity and frankly, just enjoyed it and had fun being in that position.
Silver gan izzy is by far one of the most amazing camps out there. For real there are no words to express how much rabbi Sender engel and rabbi rapoport care about their staff and how they give them everything they can possibly want and need happily and only want to do more by far be best camp no words to express the total amazingness
An extremely appreciative counselor of the best camp ever
No doubt the best camp around. The Silvermans treat their counselors extremely well.
cgi calgary def is the best camp out there
the matusofs are amazing shluchim with the best staff!
Every parent no matter how old their child is, has to do research and know where they are sending their child too! The daycamp that we sent our daughter to this past summer had a name as being a great daycamp. Much to our surprise this particular daycamp does not care much about their ruchnius let alone their gashmius!!
I was recently a counselor in cheder chabad Toronto and I can personally say they treat the staff extremely well we had a great time and Rabbi Bard-Wigdor (director)is one of the nicest people I know
had the most amazing experience ever in CGI Winnipeg! The shluchim there are incredible!
We love sgi. so there!
I’ve been a counselor in silver gan izzy. I was treated so well and had such an amazing summer that I came back for another year!
Was a staff member at LDC Toronto for two years, they spared no expense to make sure we were taken care of extremely well. A tremendous hakoras to mrs. Steinmetz for all she does, especially for the staff!
Perhaps your children had good experiences. I’ve sent away my kids two camps to be counselors all over the world BH. The fact of the matter is truth be told I don’t know about your kids but mine worked extremely hard in every area of being a counselor trust me they have kabolas ol did what they had to with a happy heart a wonderful attitude and a smile on their face that does not mean that the people that hire them should take that for granted and not recognize a job well done and meet the basic needs of… Read more »
are you out of your mind? these counselors are 15 16 17 years old
I was a counselor this summer and I was not told my camper was severely allergic to nuts and he by mistake ate something contaminated with nuts and thankfully I was on my ball and took care of the situation. COMMUNICATION is the key to life
We play a very integral role to make sure that all the staff are happy and there is zero appropriate and it’s a busha and disrespectful to all GM’S out there And about the name GM all counselors think a GM fixes things and build thing and take care of plumbing Hey but that’s not true the GM name should be changed to GENERAL MANAGER and we should be treated with respect from all the staff a bit of hakoras hatov sometimes might help me and my other fellow GENERAL MANAGERS out there Thanks for the understanding And Stam as… Read more »
Wow you deserve a medal
I was a counselor this summer and I was not told my camper was severely allergic to nuts and he by mistake ate something contaminated with nuts and thankfully I was on my ball and took care of the situation. COMMUNICATION is the key to life
I think we need to tackle this issue from the start the fact that there girls in camps is the problem not vice versa girls main objective should be in the kitchen and helping around the house gashmiyus and bruchniyus. I know this sounds extreme but if u look in Torah (the book of everlasting truth) Torah calls Avodas perech (hard laboring work) when the men and women had to go against their nature namely the men doing housework and women doing field work
For real it’s not a joke, the first week I came to camp there was nothing in the fridge and the shluchim kept on saying the food was coming but it didn’t. Every night we had to remind the director about dinner. It was a mess!! I am a shlucha too and I don’t think the rebbe would like to see that his representatives are treating their staff so poorly. Please take care of this
Counselors are complaining! In my day there was school in the summer! They get the opportunity to go to a fun exciting Moised were they can fulfill the rebbes shlichus and all they can do is complain? Seriously, the entitlement of this age is astounding! Is there anything that doesn’t warrant a complaint?? Do you want an ice cream every day also?! Ridiculous.
A concerned chossid
To 42
The reason why boys get treated better is simply because girls should not be counslers in the first place,the Torah says kol kevoda bas melech penimah, a women should spend her time in the kitchen and helping around the house, in my humble opinion those girls who go out and try to “put themselves out there” by being counslers don’t deserve to be treated as well as the boys are. Thank you.
I cannot believe that I am looking at a website which has posted countless deep, thought provoking, and heartfelt op-eds which tackle the colossal issue of the shidduch crisis. Yet in the midst of this very website I see comments which are making light of an extremely serious issue. There are girls which need a shidduch, and you 53, write so trivially about such a subject! Although I have seen the fruits of the day camp setup (I myself am a product of such a shidduch), one cannot make light of genuine issues. Although this may sound hypocritical, I know… Read more »
Equally dedicated?
All the rules apply to bochurim staff also and I got to say as a counselor this summer in the Toronto cheder camp they nailed every single one of the rules mentioned above starting with a packed fridge and Sunday trips and just a great director overall to deal with!! And since it’s cheder camp there’s no girls section so all mashpiim can breath easy:)
Number one girls always have better coffee
Number two girls always have nicer cars and the boy counselors
Number three girls always get better food than the boy counselors
Number for girls always have more fun than the boy counselors
And girls in general look like they have a better time than the boy counselors
I would like to thank the brave mashpia who wrote comment number 55.
Thank you for continuing to inspire bochurim on public forums
I am a masphia in a mesivta and I always tell my boys never to go to day camps
I would like to thank the brave bocher who wrote comment 48
As someone who worked in a camp where both boys and girls worked i can say that without a doubt, it is always the boys trying to talk and get to know the girls, and generally acting improperly.
This ranges from subtle things like saying good morning and good shabbos to dancing in front of the girls with inappropriate music playing.
Something must be done about the yeshiva system that leaves us with boys like these.
Day camps have the advantage of there having both chassidishe males and females. This should not in any way be taken in a negative way. IN FACT this is an absolutely perfect opportunity for proper shidduchim to come about.
So, there is a double advantage-proper counselors, and the resolution (somewhat) to the current shidduch crisis.
Every CGI should be run like CGI Cherry Hill. The Kahans are the best shluchim out there!
From a parent, our staff goes above and beyond whats expected as a counselor and it’s seen in my kid and the camp as a whole giving the kids a fun chassidishe safe environment we love you you’re the best #livinglegend
As a camp head counselor I make sure that the boys and girls go through different entrances
and same goes with overnight camps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve been around camps for 11 years. I’m a 24 year old chassidishe bochur (my friends tell me) and I don’t understand why’ve girls are allowed to work in camps with boys. It’s poshit a big issue, we are leading our bochurim astray with an unreal reality we’re girls and. It’s are allowed to interact. It’s really a problem. I usually don’t ever talk to the girls in the camps I work in. They try talking sometimes (the fry ones). This is a big problem. I am talking to my Mashpia and he agrees.
Please treat this post with seriousness, our fridge is empty.
I’m a Parent of a girl in the frum division and the girl stuff this year are super chassidish always playing negunim and chassidishe stories
It’s 2017, the white male directors need to start showing us respect.
Camps are hiring counselors that are too promiscuous, this is borderline znus
The fact that you have the zchus to work for the rebbes Shluchim is enough.
I don’t think you need special treatment, the zchus is more then enough
Very good point, I couldn’t agree more. The only thing u failed to mention is how for some reason boy counselors get treated much better and much more respected than us equally dedicated girl counselors
Go edmonton and the pinsons!!!!
They are really thr best!
I went to camps a few times and B”H i had wonderful experiences!!
Best Camp EVER- Denver, Colorado!! By the Engel!!
They are mamesh amazing people!!! Keep doing the awesome job you do!!!
Missing you…
They treat the staff amazing beautiful home accommodations food and whatever we need.
Thank you!!
#thankyoubrocho
While I agree with most of what was written here… I was a camp counselor not too long ago. And in the short time that has passed since then, the young girls who are working for shluchim, be it in Hebrew school, day camp, on Yom tov running children’s programs, have become extremely entitled and demanding. Since when do you ask to get paid for running children’s program for a shliach? Since when are trips after camp hours a must?! The shliach gave us a list of different places he thought we’d enjoy and we happily packed sandwiches and planned… Read more »
My children worked in a variety of day and overnight camps, from waiters to head staff. Some camps they loved. Some we’re awful. One was so bad my son only stayed because he had rachmanus for the campers! The shluchim were so disinterested, with no clue of halacha, for instance expecting the counselors to supervise mixed swimming because a pre-teen girl insisted on swimming with the boys. My son refused saying either she goes or he does. I am sure that weaker kids are negativity affected by this type of hefkerus, and grow up thinking that this is in accordance… Read more »
Absolutely! Silver Gan Izzy is an total winner in this. They excelled in all 5 and more. We spending money of $35 at the end of the week instead of a paycheck, but we’re so excited to find out what major Sunday trip they would take us that week.
Great job
The best camp in the world, with the best staff!!!!
They go above a beyond in taking care their staff!
It’s talking about the basics- It didn’t seem like it was a negative article it’s just the honest facts which some people can’t face
YOU sound like a hard person to please…. The author is just stating the facts:
-Many shluchim do take advantage of the girls/boys
-No pay
-Little food
-Bad accommodations
-Old cars that break down
-No ac
-No washing machine
In short they treat their staff (girls/bochrim) in a way they would never allow their own children to be treated
Take care of them as if they were your own or better!
All I can say is that the scheimans did everything on the list and way more – when something comes natural theres no comparison. I and the rest of my group had an incredible summer and more importantly, we learned how to treat others.. thank you!
CHI Cherry Hill
CGI Pittsburgh
To name a few…
Has been by far the my favorite summer experience!!! The shluchim understand the role of the counselors perfectly and are very easy and open to communicate with! Not only that, but every single detail of the camp is well planned and thought out. The camp grounds are beautiful and the campers are great! Thank you Rabbi and Mrs. Gerber for the summer of a lifetime!
You seem like a hard person to please
I’m not sure what “I disagree” means. You had one experience and she/he had another. I can say that I know of plenty of day camp done of which test the staff amazing some of which test the staff terrible and let me tell you, the ones that treat the staff well are the ones that see good staff year after year and the ones that don’t treat the staff well are the ones that are struggling to find decent staff. So if your a director out there and your struggling every year with finding staff, maybe you should look… Read more »
Choose your head counselor very carefully. Just because she’s over 20, doesn’t make her qualified for the job. She will have the most direct contact with the conselors and she needs to be a people’s person to know how to get the girls to work as a team. She needs to listen to them and no discount their needs, complaints or suggestions
Directors should Farbreng with councilors, especially on chasidishe yomim toivim…a shabbos shiur ,whatever… help them keep connected to the Rebbe and how much the Rebbe values the work of councilors. Remind them of the special sichos to councilors. ..if possible take them as your group of councilors to the Rebbe
Same goes for shluchim taking bochurim or girls to work for them…..
Hatzlocho rabo
May we all be reunited with the Rebbe, today
Being a counselor is more than babysitting, you are putting all your energy into gibing the campers a great time. fortunately, most of my camp experiences have been positive, but some directors tend to overwork their staff, and show little or no appreciation. We aren’t doing it for the money (then we would get a summer job where you actually get minimum wage at least) but it would be nice to feel appreciated…
Best camp ever!
This camp is like, just professional! The Rosenblatt family is incredible when it comes to the above mentioned and beyond. They lead by example. Every director shlould admire and learn from them.
They published an article a few years ago featuring quite a few camp directors and how they view and interact with their counsellor staff. I’ll never forget Rashi Minkowitz OBM and her responses
That’s not my experience AT ALL. I’m being treated like royalty at SGI in HB, CA.
Very nicely written, obviously there are camps that already do this. But this has to be written for others that aren’t doing this yet.
They go above and beyond to make sure the councilors are having a good time!
Shout-out to the kahans in cherry hill! Definitely the best shluchim out there
Just a thought… If you have been at camp 9 summers and feel you have constantly been mistreated, perhaps it’s time for some introspection. I have been at 3 day camps and we have been treated very well all 3 times by the Shluchim.
SGI in HB California gets each of these 5 things right! So happy I got to experience working there. Lots of directors can learn from them!
I was a counselor by 6 different shluchim and was treated very well by each of them, and learnt so much from them.
I’m sorry for your experiences, please realize this is not the norm. Can I suggest you email the shluchim where you were and respectfully tell them how you feel? That may help them in the future to treat other better. And I’m sure your experiences will help you in the future and you will come out stronger, and a more sensitive person to others with the knowledge of how to treat staff properly.
That’s only because konikovs rockkkkk!!!
#weareawesomeandweknowit
I just had 2 of the most amazing girls for Shabbos. I can’t believe how hard they work and how dedicated they are. It was my pleasure to spoil them a little. Communities, invite the counselors to your home. They appreciate it and are the most delightful guests.
I have been a counselor in a few different day camps and have been treated very well in all of them
Directors should actually read this. Had terrible experiences in camp and directors need to learn how to communicate and be mentcluch to their counselors and staff.
Great article and very well written!
I hope all directors see this
Yes, I too feel this way. I myself am surrounded by shlichus, my own siblings on shlichus, friends on shlichus, but personally I have had hard summer experiences and it threw me off. I appreciate the shluchim very much and all their hard work and in no way is this comment directed towards then but I haven’t had too many enjoyable camp experiences and I think things need to be fixed and thought through before hiring people. Based off of past jobs, directors please remember that we too need to be treated correctly not just the campers/parents. And yes, the… Read more »
Can the same somewhat be applied to teachers with the school administrators and parents? Let’s see some comments!
and i just have to say that they excel in all of these things and other camps have a lot to learn from them. I had an amazing time, and I’d for sure go back.
also, accommodations- i was really lucky and stayed by a gorgeous resort this year (thank you, konikovs!) but some of my friends have had apartments full of bugs and really not nice places
THIS
Every word is true and so important
Agree appreciation is key And a happy counselor makes happy campers