| Shalom, Yavneh kehilla (community)!
We hope that everyone is healthy and in good spirits during these trying times. We are continuing to monitor the situation regarding COVID-19 and working with local officials and experts to ensure that Yavneh has a communicable disease plan that addresses the impact of COVID-19 and other health issues. The camping world is working collectively to strategize how the summer is going to look. There is so much unknown and we don’t fully comprehend all of the data that is coming at us. As of this correspondence, it is just too early to make any type of decisions other than saying that we want there to be a summer 2020 for our campers. Over the coming weeks, it is our plan to have a timeline and an FAQ for when we will make decisions about the status of all of our programs (retreats, summer camp, Na’aleh, and Family Camp). In the meantime, we are planning the best summer yet for our campers and staff. There will surely be modifications made to the way we “do camp” this summer. As you know the situation is fluid and we ask for your patience and understanding while we work through the daily changing landscape. Our year round office located at Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts is temporarily closed and year round staff is working remotely. Please be understanding that there may be a lapse, both in returning phone and email communication. In addition to convening a task force composed of staff and healthcare experts, Hanhallah (Leadership) is also trying to offer a small measure of Yavneh ruach for those that are either in quarantine, participating in social distancing or are just in need of community and spirit at this time. Last Friday we tried our first ever Zoom virtual ReLiSh. We have been working on the technology issues with Zoom and will have all of the kinks worked out before the next time we meet. We plan on hosting other online events and if you have any ideas about how we can meet together virtually as a community, please send Lisa, Miriam, or Michi an email. We are also starting two campaigns to grow positivity and connectedness in our homes and to help parents come up with activities for their children: #YavnehHala will highlight our summer theme of chesed and help us all think about others, while Tochnit Thursdays will provide weekly entertainment, whether it be in the form of printables, family peulot (activities), live sessions of camp fun and ruach, or challenges to complete and send back to us. We want to ensure that all in our Yavneh community feel connected to each other and to the machane (camp)! Lastly, we will communicate with you via email on a regular basis regarding the ever-changing situation. Be sure to check your spam or promotions folder for Yavneh emails. Yavneh staff are working diligently to ensure another amazing kayitz (summer) at camp. If you have additional questions about the summer, or wish to talk about camp attendance or registration, please direct your correspondence to me or Netanel, Director of Operations. This will help minimize the stress of camp staff and allow them to continue to focus on their work. Bil Zarch |
March 17, 2020
