Bridging the Gap

As I sit here listening to my Greek Philosophy professor lecture on the ethics of Aristotle, my mind cannot help but wander and become distracted by the good news that I received yesterday. I received a call from the director of Camp Ramah in the Poconos, and he informed me that I was being offered the role of a Gesher Madrich (Gesher Counselor). This job, while difficult, is one of those roles that you know that you can/will have an impact on someone else’s life. I am both nervous an excited; however, receiving this job offer is akin to a dream come true!

The role of the Gesher Madrich is unique at Camp in that it serves the oldest age group of hanichim (campers), and these hanichim are given certain responsibilities that really exceptional to expect of a hanich. Literally the name of this group, Gesher, means “bridge” and the concept behind this program is to not only serve as a culminating experience for the hanichim, but also to help aid their transition into effective staff member. Each Geshernik is assigned to a specific tzrif (bunk) or program area, and they assist the staff that work in these areas for part of the week in order to gain practical work experience at camp! The role, then, of the Gesher staff is to demonstrate and teach their Gesher hanichim how to behave in that manner. While professional development is one aspect of the Gesher program, there are a number of peulot or activities that are unique to the program as well! While I am unfamiliar with the entirety of the program, as I was never a camper, I am sure that we will have all sorts of great things planed! Specifically, there is a week-long road trip that serves as a unique bonding experience for the edah (age-group).

Another part of this summer that I am particularly excited for is the staff that I will be working with! I am going to be one of 5 people working with this age group this summer! The five are headed up by Sarah Waxman, who will serve as our fearless supervisor, and I am so very excited to be working under her this summer as she is an amazing Jewish Educator and so very passionate about camp. The counselors are Me (clearly), Sara Rothschild, Rachel Berger, and my very close friend Ira Blum. I cannot begin to describe how amazing this staff is, especially since we each have a close confidant on the staff. Rachel and Sara are close friends and I would count Ira amongst my closest friends. I have found that it helps to have people who you have a strong rapport with and trust on your staff. Especially with such a small group, there are only 5 people on the staff!

That is another piece that is unique to the Gesher program, as there is only one madrich in each tzrif. That means that there will be 4 tzrifim and each will only have 1 madrich. This is not the normal structure for Camp, as in all of the other tzrifim there will be two madrichim. This system allows for a better personal connection with the hanichim, allows them to have a more relaxed atmosphere, and ultimately causes there to be less staff involvement in their culminating experience. This also means that those staff members that are involved with the program have a slightly larger workload BUT as it is such a unique experience, the intended outcome of the program is worth the effort put forth. I am nothing but excited for any and all new challenges that will come my way this summer.

The only qualm that I have is that my girlfriend, Michelle, will be coming up to camp for one week. That week happens to coincide with my week-long trip. What can you do? She is part of the reason that I love camp so much. But I will have a Shabbat to spend with her... c'est la vie!

All in all, I am sure that I am in for a challenging yet uniquely rewarding summer! I honestly cannot wait! Go Gesher Eser!