Taking the Wisdom of Belonging at Summer Camp into the School Year

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

There are many Jewish summer camps that have innovative practices to promote belonging in their spaces for all identities. Join together in conversation with leaders in the Jewish summer camp field to learn more about what these practices are, and how you as Jewish education professionals in the school year can adapt these practices for your religious schools.

Presenters

Image

Rabbi Isaac Saposnik

Rabbi Isaac Saposnik (he/him) is executive director of Havaya Summer Programs. He joined Camp Havaya after its first summer and has spent the last 20 years helping build it into one of the premier Jewish overnight camps in North America. Under his leadership, Havaya has launched a capstone Israel experience for teens, built a multi-award-winning Eco-Village, participated in the inaugural cohort of Project Accelerate, completed a successful name change, and been called “the Jewish camp that takes inclusion seriously.” Rabbi Isaac is a graduate of Tufts University, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Executive Leadership Institute. He has worked for NFTY and URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute; served on advisory committees for the Foundation for Jewish Camp and JCamp180; and led workshops for congregational educators, Federation staff members, and docents at the National Museum of American Jewish History. A long-time camper and youth worker, Rabbi Isaac is passionate about creating engaging, meaningful, and innovative Jewish experiences that celebrate kids in all their diversity and wonder. He is married to Jeanne Calloway (whom he met at Camp Havaya!) and they live in Philadelphia with their son, Zev.

Image

Samantha Eichert

Samantha (she/her) received a BA from the University of Hartford in Judaic Studies and Sociology with a minor in History  and earned her master’s degree in Religious Education (MARE) from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). Samantha has also completed the Union for Reform Judaism’s Youth Professional 101 Program. After graduating from college, Samantha served in several different roles among the New Jersey Jewish communities. Samantha’s recent leadership roles include the Director of Youth Engagement, the Temple Administrator, Assistant Director of Youth Learning and Engagement. Serving first as faculty virtually in 2020, and at CAA in 2021, Samantha fell in love with this community and joined the full-time CAA team in April 2022.  

Image