ePinemerit Newsletter

February 2012

From the Executive Director

Dear Pinemere Families,

The warm winter we have been having makes me feel like camp is just around the corner. And, it really will be here before we know it - only 124 more days until camp!

We have lots of great things going on - we continue to recruit new campers, staff is being hired, our calendar is getting full, our facilities continue to be improved, new additions to camp have been purchased (see our new batting cage just below!) and new programs are being put into place.

I am particularly excited about a new program we will be having during the second session of camp. Pinemere Camp and the Youth Department of the Jewish Communities in Germany have partnered together for an amazing exchange program between the two camps. We are the first camp to ever take on a venture like this, and we are proud that this organization has chosen to partner with us. They feel that Pinemere Camp's mission is very similar to their mission, and feel that our campers will warmly receive and integrate their campers into our camp program and will value learning about different cultures. During our second session, 20 Jewish German campers will join our Hilltop and Village campers. They will be totally integrated into our bunks. Together with our Israeli campers, we will be a real international camp!

In return (and wait until you hear this!!), we have been invited to attend one of their winter camps during winter break (December 20, 2012 - January 3, 2013). Pinemere campers (and staff) will be traveling to a small ski village in Northern Italy to experience a once-in-a-lifetime camp experience with their campers. All our families have to do is pay the airfare plus an administrative fee, and they will do the rest (ground transportation, sightseeing trips, ski rental, food, program, accommodations, etc.). For those who do not ski (and I am one of those people!), there is a full camp program at the resort site they rent for the camp. All food will be kosher and they will have Shabbat programming similar to our program at Pinemere. I, along with some of our other professionals, will be traveling with the group. This program is open to Village and Hilltop campers, CITs, CIT-TWOs and JCs. More details will follow, but please let me know if you are interested, as space will be limited to 20 participants (first come, first served). I am really so excited to meet our international campers and then to return to visit them in the winter.

So, as you see, we really do "think camp" during the winter months.

Ezra, Ann, Keith and I will see you in 124 days! 

Think Camp!

Toby Ayash

Executive Director

Quick Links

We are continuing to make the rounds to our camp communities to share the energy and excitement of camp! Our best advertising is person-to-person referrals from our camp families - please spread the word to your friends and around your town when we are coming to your neighborhood. We love to see our camp families during the year, so come on out and see us, and bring one or more friends to hear about camp too!

We were in Garnet Valley, Villanova, and Allentown this past week, and hope to see you at one of our upcoming events:

An updated list of events including maps and contact info can always be found at www.pinemere.com/experience-pinemere/in-your-neighborhood/

Wednesday, February 22 - Come visit us at Germantown Jewish Centre, 4-6 PM.

Thursday, February 23 - Parlor meeting in Bethesda, MD, 7 PM. Hosted by Lauren Randel.

Sunday, February 26 - Parlor meeting in Philadelphia, PA (Mount Airy), 11 AM. Hosted by Jessica Shapiro.

Sunday, February 26 - "Bring a Buddy" event - Come visit us at the Allentown JCC. We will be serving snacks from 11 AM-4 PM.

Monday, March 5 - "Bring a Buddy" event at Strawberry Fields Frozen Yogurt, 147 B Maplewood Ave, Maplewood, NJ 07040, 6-8 PM.

Sunday, March 18 - Parlor meeting in Kingston, PA, 4:30 PM. Hosted by Paula Chaiken.

Breast Cancer Initiative

This summer, Pinemere is offering a 50% tuition discount for our second session for children of parents going through treatment for breast cancer during this year.

Please feel free to pass this on or share it with any establishments or organizations who can help promote this for us. We hope to help many families through this initiative.

Please contact Toby Ayash at toby@pinemere.com with any questions or for more information.

New Batting Cage

In addition to all the facility improvements at camp mentioned in the previous newsletter, we are pleased to report that in response to popular demand, Pinemere has just purchased a state-of-the-art batting cage with pitching machine! We look forward to utilizing our new batting cage in sports activity periods and baseball clinics.

It was SO great to see everyone who was able to make it to our Summer 2011 reunion on January 8! Over 125 campers attended, and had the opportunity to socialize and bowl with their camp friends.

Congratulations to the co-winners of the "Design the Reunion T-shirt" contest: Sofia Chartove, and Ethan and Izzy Randazzo!

Click here to see photos from the reunion!

Ezra Selected for National Fellowship

We are excited to inform you that Ezra Androphy, our Assistant Director, has been selected as a fellow in the Foundation for Jewish Camp's Yitro Leadership Program. The 19-month program, "uses experts and recognized leaders from various disciplines to challenge the fellows to widen their lens of Jewish leadership, in order to enhance the staff culture and experience at their home camps, and improve the product of Jewish camp."

We are thrilled that Ezra was selected for this exclusive fellowship after only one summer as Pinemere Assistant Director!

Cornerstone Fellows

We are thrilled that Pinemere was once again invited to participate in the Cornerstone Fellowship this May, and five of our returning staff members have been selected as Cornerstone Fellows. Cornerstone, organized by the Foundation for Jewish Camp, empowers third-year Jewish bunk counselors to view themselves as Jewish role models for both campers and younger counselors alike, by offering advanced professional training and imparting counselor skills, best practices in Jewish content programming, and team building exercises.

Mazel Tov to Brendan Bellomo, Jake Randazzo, Belle Roman, Marisa Sobel, and Jared Widman on being selected as Cornerstone Fellows for 2012! We look forward to all that our Fellows will add to camp this summer.

Campers in the News

Welcome to the Pinemere Family!

Welcome to our International Staff!

(from top, L-R: Daniel, Viki, Krisztina, Mihaly, Anna, Filip, Emilia, Jarmila, Jan, Balazs, Ezra, Ben, Szabi) 

We would like to extend a warm Pinemere welcome to our support staff who will be joining us this summer from Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Here is a little about each of them:

Daniel Szijarto - Night Watchman / Maintenance - majoring in Design at University Budensis

Hometown: Bicske, Hungary

Hobbies: drawing, acting, reading, driving, roller skating, learning new languages

Viktoria Peter - Kitchen - majoring in International Studies at Budapest Business School 

Hometown: Balatonlelle, Hungary

Hobbies: Sherlock Holmes, travel, music, American TV 

Krisztina Korodi - Kitchen - Masters student in Political Science at University of Szeged

Hometown: Bekesszentandras, Hungary

Hobbies: hiking, swimming, fitness classes, drawing, reading detective novels

Mihaly Kovacs - Kitchen - majoring in Russian Philology at West Hungarian University

Hometown: Hernad, Hungary

Hobbies: guitar, skateboarding, jogging, weightlifting

Anna Flosova - Driver - majoring in Livestock Production at Czech University of Life Sciences

Hometown: Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

Hobbies: animals, sports, reading, jewelry, singing, playing flute and piano

Filip Atanasov - Kitchen - majoring in Economics at Czech University of Life Sciences

Hometown: Prague, Czech Republic

Hobbies: learning Chinese, sports, reading, computers

Emilia Biborova - Kitchen - majoring in Public Health at Slovak Medical University

Hometown: Turzovka, Slovakia 

Hobbies: sports, reading, movies, writing, camping, travel, dancing

Jarmila Bila - Kitchen - studying Biochemistry at Comenius University in Bratislava

Hometown: Slovakia 

Hobbies: floorball, swimming, horseback riding

Jan Kriz - Maintenance - returning for his 2nd summer at Pinemere!

Hometown: Trest, Czech Republic

Hobbies: sports, biking, skiing, snowboarding, computers, reading, music

Balazs Toth - Maintenance - returning for his 2nd summer at Pinemere!

Hometown: Hosszuheteny, Hungary

Hobbies: handball, nature

Ben Hanzel - Counselor/Mountain Biking - returning for his 2nd summer at Pinemere!

Hometown: Pecs, Hungary

Hobbies: mountain biking, driving

Szabi Kurucsai - Kitchen - returning for his 2nd summer at Pinemere!

Hometown: Kiskunfelegyhaza, Hungary

Hobbies: cycling, basketball, collecting cactuses, traveling, internet, music, movies, eating 

Look for an introduction to our 2012 Israeli staff in an upcoming e-Pinemerit!

Summer 2012 Registration and Referral Incentives

Summer 2012 registration is well underway and we are out there recruiting new campers, with your help. If you haven't signed up yet for 2012, it is easier than ever: just log in to CampMinder as you did previously to view photos and complete forms, and click on "Camper Application." Select the appropriate session(s), make any changes to your information from last year, click submit, and that's it!

Please note that the deadline to apply for financial aid is February 24.

We are also continuing our successful referral incentives program. For each new family you refer to Pinemere Camp that registers, you will receive a $100 check at the end of the summer! Refer 10 new families and your family will receive a free camp tuition!

One Happy Camper Incentive Grants

Through the generosity of the Foundation for Jewish Camp and local communities, we are proud to be a partner of the One Happy Camper incentive grant, which provides $1000 for first-time overnight Jewish campers.

Many communities also provide a $750 grant for the second summer. If you are eligible, you must apply (for the second year as well!) directly at www.onehappycamper.org. Please contact us with any questions.

PJ Goes to Camp Incentive Grants

PJ Goes to Camp offers incentive grants up to $1,000 to PJ Library families who wish to enroll their children in a nonprofit Jewish overnight camp for the first time. 

Made possible by the Foundation for Jewish Camp's One Happy Camper program and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, this offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis to PJ Library families who might not otherwise be eligible for their community's One Happy Camper program..

Eligible First-Time Campers Include:

• Current PJ Library subscribers who enrolled in the program on or before Sept. 1, 2011.
• Siblings of current PJ Library subscribers who enrolled in the program on or before Sept. 1, 2011.
• All PJ Library alumni

Register for a PJ Goes to Camp/One Happy Camper incentive grant at www.onehappycamper.org and enter the PJ Library referral code PJGTC20121A at the beginning of your online application.

(PJ Library children fortunate enough to live in communities whose Federations sponsor a One Happy Camper program will receive a grant from their community sponsor rather than a PJ Goes to Camp grant.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are only 100 grants for campers who currently attend Jewish Day schools.

To learn more, please contact Kirstin at Kirstin@hgf.org or your local PJ Library Program Professional.

January/February Birthdays 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

January: 

2 - Ann Selkow

4 - Sam Silverberg

5 - Jordyn Harrison

7 - Michael Miller

11 - Jamie Fromm

12 - Elijah Kutz, Sarah Steinberg

15 - Brendan Bellomo, Ofir Chananovits

16 - Benjamin Kutz

17 - Dan Cominetto

20 - Samantha Goldman, Marisa Greene, Margo Schoenberg

23 - Moran Halabi, Robby Ufberg

25 - Matthew Zager

27 - Rachel Berlowe-Binder, Haiden Citron, Sarah Raizen

28 - Ezra Androphy

30 - Avery Rosen

31 - Alexis Kaufman

February:

6 - Catherine Schwartz

7 - Lily Selkow

8 - Noa Ayash, Brendan Cantos, Benjamin Gelb-Dyller, Ricky Lenrow, Samantha Lenrow, Jake Weiner

10 - David Brandeis, David Ferman, Jason Pavlov

12 - Mallory Friedlander

13 - Lindsey Schweitzer

14 - Eli Block

16 - Richie Kraus

18 - Benny Berger, Ethan Randazzo, Danny Wax

19 - Lila Berger

20 - Benny Schonberger

21 - Emma Brown

23 - Eli Zajicek

24 - Caleb Gershengorn

25 - Ben Arnon, Jordana (Uba) Fish, Hayden Ufberg

26 - Sophie Citron 

27 - Nathan Gross, Rachel Lappen

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Important 2012 Dates