Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation purchases new camp in the Poconos
March 2, 2006 by Howard Blas
The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) has big plans to build Jewish identity and
community-and it involves a swimming pool, a lake, an arts center, sports fields, courts, and acres of untouched forest in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains.
According to Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, director of camping, the JRF completed the purchase of Camp JRF, located in South Sterling, Penn., and plans to be fully operational for the 2006 camping season, which opens on June 28.
The new Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus of Camp JRF will offer cabin space for more than 250 campers, in grades 3-12, who will attend either the
12-day Mini Camp (for entering 3rd and 4th graders) or one of two six and a half week sessions. Eisenstat said, “We took the values of our father, Mordechai Kaplan, and translated them into the life of camp.”
Eisenstat has served as a congregational rabbi in State College, Penn., Philadelphia, and Plantation, Fla., and has served as Hillel director at Penn State, where he also taught in the Religion Department. He has been involved in directing schools and camps for more than 30 years.
“For years, even back in the 60s and 70s when I was in rabbinical school, I was running alternative religious schools, retreats and camping programs,” reports Eisenstat, who concedes that “running a camp is very much a
business-with a business plan and a marketing plan. I’m learning that!”
“For the past four years, we rented Camp Henry Horner, just north of Chicago,” reports Eisenstat. “We grew from 30 campers to more than 130, and we maxed out.”
Eisenstat has been looking at possible sites “from Maine to California to the Berkshires to Maryland, the Midwest and the Catskills.”
Eisenstat was pleased to find the site in the Poconos, two hours from Philadelphia. “Quality-wise it was the
finest-it is basically a ‘turn-key’ camp and we will only have to do minor things. We will also have a kosher kitchen.”
“We know that Jewish camping builds Jewish identity, and we are proud that we can contribute to the process for the children of our movement,” notes David Nerenberg, president of the Jewish Reconstructionist Camping Corporation.
While some campers from the Chicago area may be concerned about the distance to the Poconos, Eisenstat is sure that they will come.
“We are a national camp. Ninety percent of our campers come from Reconstructionist congregations. Campers come from all over. Ninety of our 130 campers flew to Chicago, and we bussed them to camp there.”
Staff members, who are often referred by Reconstructionist rabbis or learn of the camp on their college campuses, also come from diverse places, including Canada, Israel, Boston, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Denver, Florida and the Pacific Northwest. Several Israelis work at camp and arrive via the Jewish Agency and the support of the Avi Chai Foundation.
Eisenstat and his colleagues have received various types of assistance from the Foundation for Jewish Camping. The Foundation hosted a three day transition conference, and has provided use of such resources as a marketing specialist.
In December, Rabbi Eisenstat came to Temple B’nai Israel in Willimantic, to promote the camp.
“Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz of B’nai Israel has been very committed to Reconstructionist
camps-his wife and daughter were at the camp in Chicago, and he sent us a wonderful counselor.”
Rabbi Schwartz describes Rabbi Eisenstat as “having the ruach (spirit) of a 24 year old and the wisdom of a rabbi’s rabbi. Rabbi Jeff is an amazing guy!”