Camp YavnehCamp Yavneh
November 21, 2017

Machaneh Musings – Try Something New

Author - Camp Yavneh

There is nothing like a comfortable pair of jeans. Worn in at all the right places, you can trust that they are going to fit you know how they look on you and you like it. It feels right. I think of a good pair of jeans as a staple that you hold on to forever. They are timeless. But the reality is that there are very few pieces of clothing as iconic as a pair of jeans. Over the years, other articles of clothing have gone in and out of style. We experiment with our fashion – some trends are real hits and others are flops. Yet, for some of us, we perfecting a look and find solace in trying new articles of clothing.

Last year, I was on a listening tour – meeting with people who truly love Yavneh for so many reasons. One thing was clear – the ruach (spirit) of Yavneh has not changed over these years. This ruach is what makes Yavneh unique. It is the unbelievable and timeless feeling that one feels when they walk into camp . And the feeling doesn’t change. Alumni who are sending their own children to camp feel the same feeling the moment they walk back into camp.

A central question that many of us in leadership roles at Yavneh ask is: how do we keep camp ruach the same and yet keep evolving to address the needs and challenges of today’s kids and teens?

We are trying in different ways.

One of our first initiatives that we have been working on is our branding. Our new logo keeps the quintessential sukkah at the center. If you have ever been to camp, you will recognize that structure immediately and know that it is Yavneh. We knew that a font change would not be a game changer, but that Hebrew needed to be integrated as it is to the core of our mission. We believe that the our new logo captures the ruach of Yavneh while demonstrating our progression into the future. But don’t worry, we will still have many fun t-shirt designs that show the Yavneh spirit.

This past summer, we hired Shmuel Hoffman, a filmmaker, to come to camp and capture the essence of the Yavneh. I’m honored to share with you the premiere of our 6-minute short film about Yavneh. I think he highlighted how people feel when they step on to the property at camp. Do you know someone who is thinking about Yavneh? Please feel free to share this film with them.

Finally, another change is that this weekend will not be our Annual Reunion. Based on feedback from many members of our community, we are changing the date of Reunion and offering multiple events to reach more people in more locations. Yearbooks will be handed out at these events and there may even be a piece of new #Yavnehswag to grab!

You will be receiving a lot of information about our Annual Reunion in the coming days but we are happy to share with you a few details:

  • Saturday, 6:45-9:00 PM,, January 27, 2018 at Launch, Watertown, MA. This is for 2017 campers in Arayot, Leviim, Maalot, Kerem + Na’aleh.
  • Sunday, 1-3 PM, January 28, 2018 in Boston. (Location TBA) This is for 2017 campers in Gurim and Kfirim.
  • Sunday, 1-3 PM, February 4, 2018 in Manhattan. (Location TBA)
  • Sunday, 1-3 PM, March 4, 2018 in Washington DC. (Location TBA)

We are looking forward to trying this new format of reunions and hope to see many of you there! Check our website next week, to RSVP for any of these events (campers can go to multiple events).

Happy Thanksgiving.