Mission and Values.
Mission Statement.
We offer the highest quality informal education to prepare young people for real life, as they practice leadership skills, advocate for social and environmental justice, and build connection to progressive Jewish values and Israel. In our youth-led community, our chanichim build life-long friendships as they take ownership over their experience, as they develop their sense of agency and responsibility for shaping the world in accordance with their values.
Our Three Pillars.
Socialism
We believe that all people deserve to live in a society that treats them with humanity (and not merely as capital) and empowers them to live their best lives. This positions us in opposition to all oppressive forces that systemically reinforce inequality and exploitation of peoples and resources. In practice we imagine a society where all people have a strong sense of community and can flourish as individuals. This is the vision we are working towards, so that all people may one day be free to pursue projects that bring them purpose and be able to participate equally in our democracy and civic society.
At camp, we practice this value in the form of communal living, free from the pulls of materialism and consumerism. Additionally, each age group (kvutza) forms a shared fund (kupa) that they collectively decide how to spend, whether on their trips into town or for their end of summer party (mesiba). The fund itself is entirely communal no matter how much any individual camper (chanich) contributes. Beyond that, campers engage in activities where they gain exposure to contemporary injustices and challenge each other to consider what it means to be an activist in our time.
At camp, we practice this value in the form of communal living, free from the pulls of materialism and consumerism. Additionally, each age group (kvutza) forms a shared fund (kupa) that they collectively decide how to spend, whether on their trips into town or for their end of summer party (mesiba). The fund itself is entirely communal no matter how much any individual camper (chanich) contributes. Beyond that, campers engage in activities where they gain exposure to contemporary injustices and challenge each other to consider what it means to be an activist in our time.
Progressive Zionism
We believe all peoples deserve the right to self-determination. For many decades, Shomrim manifested this connection through aliyah (moving to Israel) and founding kibbutzim. Today, our focus is more on having our chanichim appreciate the power they have to shape a vision for Israel's future which advances equality and justice for all. As with all our educational content, we believe young people have the ability to understand complex issues and form their own opinions, and so we ensure that each camper is fluent in dialogue about Israel, and feel a sense of love and connection for this collective project of the Jewish people.
Some might say our camp is like a little kibbutz. That pioneering spirit of working the land, building something with your hands, the rugged communal lifestyle, it's all part of our DNA. Our culture at camp is inseparable from Israeli folk music and dancing, Israeli food, and the Hebrew language. We even have Jewish and Palestinian Israeli teens attend for some of the summer through our Heart to Heart program. And with year after year of dynamic educational activities on the topic, and opportunities to travel to Israel, our progressive take on Zionism isn't just discussed, it's lived.
Some might say our camp is like a little kibbutz. That pioneering spirit of working the land, building something with your hands, the rugged communal lifestyle, it's all part of our DNA. Our culture at camp is inseparable from Israeli folk music and dancing, Israeli food, and the Hebrew language. We even have Jewish and Palestinian Israeli teens attend for some of the summer through our Heart to Heart program. And with year after year of dynamic educational activities on the topic, and opportunities to travel to Israel, our progressive take on Zionism isn't just discussed, it's lived.
Humanist Judaism
We believe in expressing our Jewish values through Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and Tikkun Adam (repairing the self). This is rooted in the belief that neither of these will ever be complete and therefore they must occur in parallel, informing one another, as the personal development shapes one’s contribution to the world and in turn one’s impact shapes their sense of self. We encourage every member of our community to do what brings them meaning, and while we as an organization are humanistic, we welcome all forms of practice, and hold space for those who want to do the Friday night prayers to do so prior to the shabbat meal and activities.
At camp, our priority is to support our campers to develop a strong sense of identity and connection to their roots, and even if they’re not Jewish, to gain an appreciation of the rich history and traditions that serve as a source of inspiration and universal wisdom. By embedding Jewish art, food, history, and language in the fabric of our camp, we ensure all our campers are able to find their place in the Jewish community and feel connected to their cultural heritage.
At camp, our priority is to support our campers to develop a strong sense of identity and connection to their roots, and even if they’re not Jewish, to gain an appreciation of the rich history and traditions that serve as a source of inspiration and universal wisdom. By embedding Jewish art, food, history, and language in the fabric of our camp, we ensure all our campers are able to find their place in the Jewish community and feel connected to their cultural heritage.
