Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I have been employed as a rebbe in the middle school at the Beth Tfiloh Community Day School for the past 25 years. My wife and I have raised five children, and thank God have a number of grandchildren. I have also worked at Camp Shoresh for the past 45 years.
How did you get involved with Shoresh?
My parents moved from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Baltimore in 1980 and I had nothing to do that summer, so Sam Finkelstein gave me a job as a counselor. Over the years, I was also Head Counselor and then the Field Director. Today my title at camp is Dean of Jewish Life. I still lead a davening group and teach a Torah class every day, and I help mentor the next generation of counselors and campers.
What makes Shoresh unique?
Rabbi Kosman, founder of the camp, taught early on to embrace Jews from all backgrounds. We have campers from different cities and religious backgrounds who come together as proud Jews. We daven in the morning, study Torah after a ruach-filled lunch, and the rest of the day is filled with wonderful programming throughout our 107-acre campus, including sports, swimming, ropes course, arts and crafts and other special activities. We also have a brand-new Israel Rec Room which we built in order to increase education about Israeli history and culture after the horrors of October 7th.
Is Shoresh just a summer camp?
No! We have programming all throughout the year. As our Executive Director Rabbi Finkelstein (Rabbi Dave) always says, we serve everyone from Baby to Bubby. We have holiday events, including Chanukah and Purim, carnivals and festivities. We have a meaningful Simchas Torah program for families at our campus. We take a special winter break trip with our teens so they can learn to find Jewish connections anywhere they go after high school (including places like Florida, California, Arizona, Texas and Israel). They daven and learn each day, do lots of fun activities, and connect with our caring staff and each other. We host a number of Shabbatons throughout the year, most notably our Family Shabbaton, where the campers’ families come to enjoy Torah classes and many learn about Shabbos for the first time. It’s a truly beautiful, life-changing experience.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Studies have shown that a strong Jewish day camp experience plays an extremely important role for Jewish youth. It gives them a solid foundation in life and they create lifelong connections. This is one of the biggest reasons why I have stayed with the program these past 45 years. Knowing that so many kids count the days until the first day of camp gives me a sense of pride and brings tremendous meaning to the work that we do.
How can people learn more about Shoresh?
Shoresh is always looking for wonderful campers and talented counselors from around the region, whether Baltimore, Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Frederick or Northern Virginia. If you would like more information about Camp Shoresh, please visit www.shoresh.com/camp. Camp registration is open (with an early bird special through February 1) and staff applications are being accepted at www.shoresh.com/staff. New for 2025, there will be special bonuses for those who commit to work the full summer! We are also currently running our annual campaign to support our year-round Jewish outreach programs at www.shoreshcampaign.com. Tizku l’mitzvos!
