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Week Seven 2022

Dear Parents & Friends,

Over the past six weeks of this summer, I have shared the various elements of overnight camp of which I am most passionate. For this seventh and final week, I’m sharing what is perhaps the most obvious — but has increasingly become one of the most important aspects of this experience: Unplugging campers of all devices so that they can fully immerse themselves in — and connect with — their environment.

As a parent myself, I don’t believe I need to elaborate on this. It’s a daily struggle in my own household to balance the strong desire to have my children off devices while using them as a crutch as Rachel and I need to simply ‘get stuff done.’ I recognize that this only gets exponentially more complicated as children grow older and are exposed to unintended media and content. This is a massive issue that we, as a community, need to address. But, for this short moment, I feel fortunate to spend seven weeks in a camp where children are fully removed from electronic devices and are able to fully immerse themselves in the magic of summer camp. It’s the biggest blessing for our kids.

Camp tradition is to not have the typical PreShabbat video for our last Shabbat in anticipation of Tuesday evening’s closing video. In its place, we’ve created a short ‘trailer’ for the Final Night video, which can be viewed by clicking here or below. I look forward to sharing one final weekly message through a post-summer e-mail and video on Friday, August 26th. Until then, here’s to an amazing final four days of Morasha 2022!

Jeremy Joszef
Director, Camp Morasha

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This entry was posted Friday, 12 August, 2022 at 10:52 pm
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Week Six 2022

Dear Parents & Friends,

We like to say that, in camp, we don’t only learn about our Judaism — but we live our Judaism. Campers LEARN Torah in formal and informal ways from passionate and inspiring teachers, counselors and staff. They then have the chance to LIVE that Torah in their bunks and on the ball fields, with teachers and peers. Learning and living Torah define the natural rhythm of Morasha, every minute of every day.

This is the sixth (and perhaps top) reason why I am so passionate about summer camp. It is one of the few places in the world dedicated towards inspiring religious growth that our kids literally count down to return to. Think about that: Our children count down all year long to participate in a program that is focused on Jewish education and values. This is an incredibly unique and powerful reality — and we do not take that opportunity for granted. It’s this fact that inspires US to continue to think of ways to have a bigger and deeper educational impact each and every summer.

We hope this is the last Tisha B’av that we need to experience here in Lakewood, PA. But we also know that Tisha B’av is remembered by many of our alumni as one of the most powerful experiential moments of their camping experience. May we merit the coming of Mashiach so that next year we will celebrate the Ninth of Av together in a rebuilt Yerushalayim.

Jeremy Joszef
Director, Camp Morasha

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This entry was posted Friday, 5 August, 2022 at 10:51 pm
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Week Five 2022

Dear Parents & Friends,

We are on the cusp of welcoming parents, grandparents, siblings and alumni back home for the first time in three years. It’s no-doubt exciting for our campers and staff alike and we are thankful to Hashem that we find ourselves in a position to host an in-person Visiting Day. There were many factors that drove this decision — but giving our guests a chance to see the camp facility, meet camp staff, and enjoy camp activities were all secondary to the core motivation to host, which is the fifth reason I am so passionate about camping: Family.

Summer camp strengthens family — both inside and out. Leaving home often makes our camper’s hearts grow fonder and giving children an experience to connect with parents through the unique context of Visiting Day is hard to match. I remember that special Visiting-Day-feeling as a child. We also view the relationship with our camp parents as extended family — partnering together in educating and raising our children. Finally, we are so blessed to form our own ‘summer family’ here at camp and giving parents the opportunity to taste this sense of achdut and camaraderie is invaluable.

Jeremy Joszef
Director, Camp Morasha

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This entry was posted Friday, 29 July, 2022 at 10:50 pm
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Week Four 2022

Dear Parents & Friends,

It’s no secret that our camp puts an emphasis on creativity and the aesthetic. This touches upon the fourth of six summer camp elements that I am so passionate about — the unbelievable potential to learn and develop creativity within an appropriate framework of Halacha and Jewish values.

In a summer camp focused on inspiring and educating our campers, we also believe that the notion of zeh keli v’anvehu expects one to not settle on accomplishing the minimum requirement but should beautify all aspects of their service to Hashem. I recognize that there are many approaching and perspectives on this — but we are passionate about using creativity and aesthetic intelligence when designing our programming, building our facilities, and teaching the value of creativity and artistry. Camp is a laboratory for life in many ways and to give our children the chance to learn creativity and express creatively in a wholesome, inspiring, and energetic environment is so important.

At the same time, we are wholly cognizant and sensitive that there is a nuanced and crucial line. I call it the “Happy not Jappy” evaluation — that we are here to provide our kids with an incredibly fun, happy, and exciting summer, but everything we offer must reflect values and inspire growth. From Olympics to Israel Day, this week in camp provided so many opportunities for campers to use their creative talents and continue to shine.

Jeremy Joszef
Director, Camp Morasha

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This entry was posted Friday, 22 July, 2022 at 10:50 pm
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Week Three 2022

Dear Parents & Friends,

I was hired to serve as Camp Director at the age of 25. When interviewed for the position, I listed 10 reasons why I thought the Board of Directors were out of their minds to consider me for this position — and my age certainly trended towards the top of that list. Little did I know that, in summer camp, one’s age becomes a virtually insignificant metric. Kindness and one’s skill-set rises above age.

Where else can a trio of 17 year olds become responsible for a group of children 24/7? Where else do a Senior Staff ranging from 21 to 73 work with complete mutual respect and camaraderie? How amazing was it to see young campers and staff take lead in the incredibly inspiring Shiria event that we all experienced last night?

The third of six summer camp elements that I am so passionate about is simple: Age is overrated. I myself was a product of this magical reality as a camper, as I was given the opportunity to organize and manage projects and events in camp that I would never be able to do at home. It is a privilege to now be able to do that for our own campers and staff — and to empower the next generation of passionate leaders.

Jeremy Joszef
Director, Camp Morasha

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This entry was posted Friday, 15 July, 2022 at 10:49 pm
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Week Two 2022

Dear Parents & Friends,

As a nation, we have been compared to both the stars in the sky and sand at the sea. The question begs itself — why does Hashem use multiple descriptions when describing the children of Bnei Yisrael? Wouldn’t one be enough?

I heard an explanation that can serve as the foundation to my first of six reasons I am so passionate about summer camp. Camp offers the most incredible and unique opportunity to become part of a community, committed to shared values and building a sense of achdut across all bunks and ages. This fosters friendships that truly last a lifetime (a weekdoesn’t go by when an alumnus will proudly show me their Morasha WhatsApp group with friends they met in camp decades ago!). Joining Morasha means joining a family.

At the same time, camp also offers the unparalleled opportunity for each individual camper to grow in her or his own way — developmentally, spiritually, and by building on unique skills. I am deeply passionate to offer a program that gives children with a wide-range of interests a chance to shine. I myself wasn’t an athlete, so offering all campers an opportunity to excel is deeply personal — whether in athletics or aquatics, arts or adventure, on the stage or in a fitness studio.

So yes — we are sand and we are stars. Sand represents a unified body, a cohesive body indistinguishable from one another. Stars represents an individual unit, shining in a way that is unique and special. We are so fortunate to be able to spend our summers building this family and helping each individual child grow. I cannot remember seven days of any previous summer that was more inspiring, action-packed, and fun than this past week — focused both on building the individual and unifying our camp. It was incredible.

Jeremy Joszef
Director, Camp Morasha

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This entry was posted Friday, 8 July, 2022 at 10:48 pm
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Week One 2022

Dear Parents & Friends,

Imagine if the concept of overnight camp did not exist. Imagine a world where our children had no counselors to look up to, no camp friends to connect with, and no opportunity to unplug from their devices for any extended period of time. There’s no two ways about it — The immersive nature of overnight camp creates a most unique and transformative experience for our children. It is unparalleled.

I was often asked in my mid-to-late 20’s when I would get a ‘real job.’ When asked this, I of course understood the intention of the question. But it was the irony of the wording that I found most fascinating. Because, in my humble opinion, there is nothing more real than summer camp. This is where children have the distinctive opportunity to gain real independence, make real lifelong friendships, and build real skills. This is why we are so passionate about Jewish camping.

In line with this summer’s educational theme, “People of Passion,” I look forward to utilizing each weekly email to focus on a specific and unique element of summer camp of which I am passionate. Until then, I want to thank our camp parents for partnering with us in this journey. We truly believe that there’s never been a time when summer camp was more important than now — and we are thrilled to be back at it for our 59th season.

Jeremy Joszef
Director, Camp Morasha

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This entry was posted Friday, 1 July, 2022 at 10:46 pm
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Morasha 2022 Bus Departure Times

STAFF ORIENTATION – SUNDAY, JUNE 26

  • Long Island Bus: Boarding at 9:30 am, departure at 10:00 am, from Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream (Men’s Macy’s Lot)
  • New Jersey Bus: Boarding at 10:30 am, departure at 11:00 am, from Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus (AMC Lot)

OPENING DAY – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

  • Long Island Bus: Boarding at 8:00 am, departure at 8:30 am, from Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream (Men’s Macy’s Lot)
  • New Jersey Bus: Boarding at 8:30 am, departure at 9:00 am, from Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus (AMC Lot)
  • Westchester Bus: Boarding at 8:30 am, departure at 9:00 am, from William B Ward School in New Rochelle
  • Airport Bus: Coach bus transportation will arrive at Newark Airport to pick up our CA group flight (and any other non-group flight camper landing at Newark Airport) at 9:00 am and then our FL group flight at 2:15 pm. Camp staff will be at each arrival to greet our campers and chaperone them up to camp.

CHANGEOVER DAY – WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

TO CAMP

  • Long Island: Boarding at 8:00 am, departure at 8:30 am, from Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream (Men’s Macy’s Lot)
  • New Jersey: Boarding at 9:00 am, departure at 9:30 am, from Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus (AMC Lot)

FROM CAMP – TBA

MORASHA MANIA – AUGUST 8 – 10

TO CAMP (AUGUST 8)

  • Long Island: Boarding at 8:00 am, departure at 8:30 am, from Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream (Men’s Macy’s Lot)
  • New Jersey: Boarding at 9:00 am, departure at 9:30 am, from Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus (AMC Lot)

FROM CAMP (AUGUST 10)

  • New Jersey: From Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus (AMC Lot) at approximately 4:45 – 5:15 pm.
  • Green Acres Mall: From Green Acres Mall (Men’s Macy’s Lot) at approximately 5:45 – 6:15 pm.
  • Pick Up: If you plan to pick up your child at camp please come to the Main Office at 2:00 pm city time, where your child will be waiting with his/her luggage.

CLOSING DAY – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17 – TBA

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This entry was posted Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 at 3:52 pm
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The Greatest Showman!

Last night, girls campus wowed us with their performance in “The Greatest Showman.” The Mercazia was transformed into a circus tent and the main acts featured beautiful singing, dancing, gymnastics, and more. From the authentic costumes to the scenery, ambiance, and the amazingly talented performers, including campers, staff, and Yachad, it was a night to remember. Kudos to director Sally Shatzkes on another well-done production!

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This entry was posted Wednesday, 1 August, 2018 at 5:39 pm
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Girls Win Shiria!

The highlight of our week was Shiria, our annual boys versus girls singing competition, focused on our Summer of Simcha theme. Both campuses spent hours practicing and perfecting their songs, culminating in an inspiring evening of achdut, creativity and ruach. From the meaningful song choices to the melodious harmonies and from the impressive soloists to the talented camper band, it was an amazing event where campers truly shined. The girls wowed the audience with renditions of “Acheinu” and “Im Eshkacheich” and boys campus sang “Od’cha” and an original medley of wedding songs. The scores were close, and although the boys won “Song of the Night” for “Od’cha,” Girls Campus was ultimately declared the winner!

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This entry was posted Thursday, 26 July, 2018 at 4:28 pm
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Great Big Challah Bake!

Girls campus united Wednesday for the second annual Great Big Challah Bake. It was amazing to see campers of all ages, decked out in colorful Morasha aprons, join together to perform this special mitzvah. Led by Lauren Goldstein, our Head of Baking, we watched an original “MoraChef” video demonstration explaining how to mix the ingredients properly and how to knead and braid the dough. Leah Moskovich told a powerful story and explained the mitzvah of Hafrashat Challah. Every person baked their own Challah, and we can’t wait to taste them on Shabbos!

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This entry was posted Thursday, 19 July, 2018 at 5:46 pm
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Visiting Day!

We were excited to welcome family and friends to Morasha on Sunday for Visiting Day. Under sunny blue skies, we greeted our guests and showed them what makes Morasha so special. On campus, there were bounce houses and slides, as well as horseback riding, rock climbing, ceramics, street art and more. Many enjoyed homemade pizza in our spacious new dining hall, while others sat outdoors and in our canteen, spending quality time with family while snacking on slushies and other treats, and playing foosball and ping pong. It was a fantastic day for our extended Morasha family! After saying our goodbyes, we were treated to a fun hypnotist show at night!

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This entry was posted Monday, 16 July, 2018 at 4:37 pm
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Going for the Gold

The highlight of this week was Olympics XIII, as campers represented the countries of Australia, Italy, Kenya and Spain. Morasha was transformed into a mini Olympic Village, with each country’s flags displayed, athletes proudly decked out in their country’s colors, and themed meals and decorations enhancing the dining room. From the opening torch ceremony at the Coliseum, to the final gold medal distribution, there was something for everyone. There were group activities in athletics and aquatics, as well as a bucket brigade, marathon, triathlon, and Stomp competition. Arm wresting, jump rope, subway surfer, home run derby, foosball and gymnastics were just some of the fun skills & strengths competitions. But the Olympics wasn’t only about fun and games. We also heard inspiring messages from renowned motivational speaker Jon Pritikin, as well as Rabbi Seth Mandell, whose son Koby was killed in a terrorist attack in Israel. At night, we enjoyed a half-time show outdoor Film Festival, choosing from three movies, “Wonder,” “Hidden Figures,” and “Remember the Titans,” with each focused on the relevant theme of resilience. After two days of competitive fun, led by their fearless ambassadors and coaches, Spain was declared the winner, with the most gold medals.

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This entry was posted Thursday, 12 July, 2018 at 6:14 pm
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Terrific Week Two

Week Two was a jam-packed whirlwind of fun, as campers had a blast enjoying regular activities and participating in special events. We started off on a more serious note to commemorate Shiva Assar B’Tammuz, as we fasted, davened and were inspired by meaningful learning programs, with ice cream sundaes as a break-fast dessert.

On Monday, girls campus enjoyed Studio247, a new program that focused on staying healthy – physically, mentally and spiritually. Sporting their new Morasha headbands and water bottles, campers enjoyed a variety of classes, including Krav Maga, Kangoo dancing, jump rope, army training, and soul cycle. At the same time, Boys Campus also worked up a sweat while competing in their annual FIFA tournament, with dozens of soccer teams represented by different countries, from Aruba to Zimbabwe.

Wednesday, we celebrated July 4th, decked out in red, white and blue. We had a delicious BBQ and watched a stunning fireworks display over the lake, enjoying the view from our new Dining Hall patio. Thursday was Trip Day! We had an amazing time at Dorney Park, with an exhilarating day full of rides, roller coasters and games.

Can’t wait for Olympics next week!

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This entry was posted Friday, 6 July, 2018 at 4:26 pm
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Let the Magic Begin!

We greeted a record-breaking number of campers on Wednesday for what promises to be another fantastic summer! The rain didn’t put a damper on the excitement of Opening Day, as campers eagerly ran off the bus, meeting counselors and friends, and admiring the beautiful new Dining Hall and Canteen we built this year. 

Opening festivities kicked off in the Mercazia Performing Arts Center with a special concert by music star Eitan Katz. The energy and ruach were incredible as each division cheered, sang and danced. We also met our amazing division heads and were introduced to this summer’s theme: A Summer of Simcha!

Regular activities were in full swing with sports, swim, baking, art, fishing, archery, horseback riding and more, in addition to two new specialties for this season: Dance Dance Revolution and Woodshop. Night activities were off to a great start as well, with pool parties and army nights setting the stage for a summer of non-stop fun! With FIFA, July 4th and Trip Day coming up next, we are looking forward to an even more amazing second week at Morasha! 

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This entry was posted Friday, 29 June, 2018 at 11:52 am
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