Shabbat News of the Day! 

 
·Camp Hilltop welcomed Rabbi Jennifer Frenkel from Congregation M'kor Shalom in Cherry Hill.  It was very cool to see so many of our campers and staff greet her for her first ever visit to the JCC Camps at Medford.  We look forward to many more visits!

·The Chai Lifeline Swim-a-thon that Camp Aaron campers and Gesher CIT's swam for last week raised  $5372, with proceeds going to Camp Simcha, a camp for children with cancer.  WAY TO GO CAMP AARON AND GESHER CIT's! 

·Camp Hilltop welcomed back former camp puppet specialist Ellen Berju.

·Camp Shalom welcomed Cantor Jen Cohen from Temple Beth Sholom, Cherry Hill

Lenny Krayzelburg Visits Camp! 

Our inaugural summer of the  The Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy went  "swimmingly".

Our 1600 Campers, lifeguards, and staff really embraced the new program's great curriculum that first emphasizes water safety, and then works on refining swim strokes. 
Just last week, Lenny, a four-time US Olympic Gold Medalist, made a personal appearance at Medford to see the program in action.  Lenny had such high praise for our water staff as well as our campers when he saw his program in action.  As a special treat, Lenny brought his medals and posed for pictures with many of our campers, who were very excited to meet him! 

Since we began this new program, the campers are clearly more water safe and confident in their abilities. This week during free swim I saw something truly heartwarming - a camper was teaching her friend how to streamline in the water, using proper hand and body position. It is so rewarding to see that the skills are really sticking with our campers, and that they are eager to share them with their friends.

There is also a colorful change in our program that our campers are most excited about - their swim caps!  As campers advance through the program, they earn a new cap color -and boy have they been progressing through the different cap colors!  The caps also have a safety purpose - it helps our lifeguards monitor where campers belong in the pool, based on their level of swimming. 

With so many campers now passionate about swimming, we want to continue to educate them and help them improve during the school year.  The Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy is available year-round at the Katz JCC, plus we have a swim team your child can be part of!   

All new camp families who are not already enrolled in the program at the Katz JCC will receive a 20% discount on the first three months of lessons.  This discount also applies to any swimmer who hasn't taken lessons for six months or more at the JCC, too.  You can contact us at the JCC at infoLKSA@jfedsnj.org.

See you at the JCC!
~Amanda Halliwell
JCC Assistant Director, Health & Wellness

Hilltop Happenings! 

Camp Hilltop performed their "You've Got a Friend in Me" show last night, -  it was so much fun and great to see so many Hilltop families and friends.  Click here to view show photos!

Today we broke Maccabiah Color War and announced the teams for next week: Red - Mario Brothers, Blue - Sonic, Green - Donkey Kong, and Yellow - Pac Man. Let the games begin!!! Look for an unforgettable Maccabiah Color War next week! 

Hope Segal

Director, Camp Hilltop

camphilltop@jfedsnj.org

609-654-5192 x 110

Amazing in Camp Aaron

Chaverim

Here we go again!

It was another wet and wild week in Chaverim!  We hit Six Flags Great Adventure, Ocean City, Thundering Surf Water Park, the Casino Pier, and Go Vertical and loved it!  Next week is our final trip to Virginia, where we get to go to Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, a ghost tour of Williamsburg and Water Country USA.  What a way to end the summer!

Gesher Gab

Gesher had a great seventh week at camp.  We continued our wonderful time with our campers and learned what it takes to be a great counselor. Then on Wednesday, we went to Wildwood where we enjoyed the Splash Zone and the Boardwalk.  Next Wednesday, Gesher heads to Hershey Park for the day, followed by our second overnight.  We are excited for a fun day, then even more fun back at Katz JCC where we will enjoy a special "end of summer" awards ceremony and hanging out!  

P.S. Get ready for COLOR WAR next week...what color and team will you be representing?

Tips on Tipping -  Staff Recognition

Over the years, many of our parents have asked how they can express their appreciation to various staff members.  While tipping is certainly not required, tips are an appropriate way to recognize those staff members who have contributed toward the success of your child's summer experience.  Below is a guide that may serve helpful.  For exceptional performance, parents are welcome to exceed these amounts.

Senior Counselor - $25-$40 

Assistant Senior Counselor - $20-$30

Junior Counselor - $15-$25             

Counselor Assistant - $10-$20

CIT - $10-$15
Bus Counselor - $10-$20

Bus Driver - $10-$15

Parents may also consider tipping swim instructors or daycare staff who they felt made an impact in their child's camp experience.

* Please note that Camp recognizes that some parents believe that tipping is a necessary part of recognizing and showing appreciation to staff, some think tipping should be eliminated, and some believe that the tipping guidelines are too low.  The Camp Committee has considered all of these options and leaves it to parents to determine what works best for them.