JCC Association and Foundation for Jewish Camp Launch Newest Cohort of Lekhu Lakhem

From Section:

In-Service Training

Authors:

eJewish Philanthropy

Published:

Sep. 29, 2016

A fourth cohort of Lekhu Lakhem, a program that prepares JCC-affiliated and independent Jewish camp directors as Jewish educational leaders launched on Monday, Sept. 19, 2016. Lekhu Lakhem, a program of JCC Association and the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) is a two-and-a-half year professional development program for Jewish camp directors (and selected assistant directors) jointly sponsored by the two organizations and funded through a generous grant from The AVI CHAI Foundation.

The name Lekhu Lakhem is Hebrew for “go forth,” an allusion to the Biblical command (in Genesis 12:1) to Abraham and Sarah to set out on the journey that would lead to the establishment of the Jewish people. The program is designed to lead top camp professionals on a journey that will deepen their understanding and appreciation of Jewish tradition, practice, history and literature. Lekhu Lakhem helps the directors to understand that they serve in their camps as Jewish role models and educators.

In the course of the program, the 20 Lekhu Lakhem fellows attend four, four-day seminars held in camp locations across the United States, plus a 12-day seminar in Israel. Throughout the months of the camp “off season,” they are provided with faculty mentors, who engage the fellows in regular, periodic, small-group study of Jewish texts, conducted via video-conference. The opening seminar was held. Sept. 19th-22nd at the Capital Camps Retreat Center in Waynesboro, PA.

The cohort is the fourth iteration of Lekhu Lakhem for directors of overnight Jewish camps. The first two cohorts, plus an additional group exclusively for day camp directors, were sponsored by JCC Association, and were limited to participation by directors of JCC Associated-affiliated camps. Starting with the third cohort, launched in 2013, the agency partnered with FJC in sponsoring the program, and extended eligibility to directors of independent Jewish camps across the United States and Canada.