Cornerstone Fellowship
Cornerstone Fellowship is a gathering of the strongest counselors, nominated from 60+ camps, for four days of exchanging ideas through attending workshops, trainings, and immersive experiences. Cornerstone is an opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about Jewish camp.
Details
Date
05/18/25 - 05/21/25Time
12:00am-11:59pmVenue
Capital Camps, Waynesboro, PACornerstone 2025 ScheduleClick here for the 2025 Seminar Schedule (PDF) which includes an overview of the Cornerstone experience.
Supervisor Elective Sessions
Opportunities for Supervisors to learn outside their CAG that they can easily adapt and bring back to their camp.
Register for TWO different Supervisor Elective Sessions:
See Supervisor Elective 1 Offerings
See Supervisor Elective 2 Offerings
Prayerful Moments
Inspired by prayer/spirituality, these sessions provide participants with a moment in the morning and evening to be intentional and model great ways to reimagine t’fillah/prayer at camp. These sessions could be replicated in many ways back at camp.
See Prayerful Moment: Morning Motivation offerings
See Prayerful Moment: Wind Down Your Day offerings
Staffter Hours
These sessions are modeling great programming that participants can lead for camp staff this summer, including activities that increase staff morale, deal with self care, show appreciation, and/or create community.
See Staffter Hours offerings
What is a Senior Fellow?
Senior Fellow OverviewSpecialty Tracks
Senior Fellows Fellows are eligible to register for Specialty Track B, a three-part deep dive into a topic with the same small group. These sessions are an opportunity for participants to learn new content, reflect on their connection to it, and learn how to teach this content area back at camp through different modalities. Specialty Track B is specifically geared towards common topics or skills that come up at camp.
See Specialty Track B offerings
Prayerful Moments
Inspired by prayer/spirituality, these sessions provide participants with a moment in the morning to be intentional and model great ways to reimagine t’fillah/prayer at camp. These sessions could be replicated in many ways back at camp.
See Prayerful Moment: Morning Motivation offerings
See Prayerful Moment: Wind Down Your Day offerings
Staffter Hours
These sessions are modeling great programming that participants can lead for camp staff this summer, including activities that increase staff morale, deal with self care, show appreciation, and/or create community.
See Staffter Hours offerings
Specialty Tracks
Specialty Tracks allow you to explore an area you’re particularly interested in and form a stronger bond with an experienced Educator. Specialty Tracks also provide continuity across three sessions throughout the seminar. You’ll register for ONE of each Specialty Track.
Specialty Track A
Specialty Track A is specifically geared towards programmatic areas of camp.
See Specialty Track ASpecialty Track B
Specialty Track B is specifically geared towards common topics or skills that come up at camp.
See Specialty Track BPrayerful Moments
Inspired by prayer/spirituality, these sessions provide participants with a moment in the morning to be intentional and model great ways to reimagine t’fillah/prayer at camp. These sessions could be replicated in many ways back at camp.
See Prayerful Moment: Morning Motivation offerings
See Prayerful Moment: Wind Down Your Day offerings
Staffter Hours
These sessions are modeling great programming that participants can lead for camp staff this summer, including activities that increase staff morale, deal with self care, show appreciation, and/or create community.
See Staffter Hours offerings
Specialty Tracks
Baker Fellows are eligible to register for Specialty Track B, a three-part deep dive into a topic with the same small group. These sessions are an opportunity for participants to learn new content, reflect on their connection to it, and learn how to teach this content area back at camp through different modalities. Specialty Track B is specifically geared towards common topics or skills that come up at camp.
See Specialty Track B offerings
Prayerful Moments
Inspired by prayer/spirituality, these sessions provide participants with a moment in the morning and evening to be intentional and model great ways to reimagine t’fillah/prayer at camp. These sessions could be replicated in many ways back at camp.
See Prayerful Moment: Morning Motivation offerings
See Prayerful Moment: Wind Down Your Day offerings
Staffter Hours
These sessions are modeling great programming that participants can lead for camp staff this summer, including activities that increase staff morale, deal with self care, show appreciation, and/or create community.
See Staffter Hours offerings
JOIN HUNDREDS OF THE BEST JEWISH CAMP COUNSELORS FROM JEWISH CAMPS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA!
WHAT IS THE CORNERSTONE FELLOWSHIP?
- A gathering of the STRONGEST counselors nominated from 60+ camps
- Four days of exchanging IDEAS, attending workshops, trainings & immersive experiences
- An opportunity to connect with others who are PASSIONATE about Jewish camp
WHY BE A CORNERSTONE FELLOW?
- Develop SKILLS to make a positive, innovative IMPACT on your community
- Include this PRESTIGIOUS fellowship on your resume
- Interact with prominent EXPERTS across a wide variety of fields
- Join a NETWORK of 5,000+ alumni from across North America and Israel
General
Please bring clothing appropriate for camp (comfortable layers)! It will be warm in the sun and cool in the shade, and we’ll be outside (a few drops of rain won’t stop us from outdoor programming), inside (with some air-conditioned facilities), and camp cabins without heat for our overnight accommodations.
Make sure to pack closed-toe shoes, and rain gear.
Linens are provided, but it does get COLD at night so consider packing an extra blanket, sleeping bag and/or warm pajamas.
A camp tshirt for camp tshirt day!
Clothing
Dress code for the seminar is casual. However, please keep in mind that this is a professional development conference, and you will be representing your camp community! Be aware you’ll be asked to sit on the ground for some programming.
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Long sleeve t-shirts
• Jeans or long pants
• Warm pajamas (nights get COLD)
• Socks
• Underwear
• Warm nighttime gear (wool socks, gloves, warm winter hat)
• Sweatshirt, coat, sweater, or fleece
• Hat (with brim for sun protection)
• Sneakers (comfortable for walking and that can get dirty)
• Rain gear (poncho, raincoat, etc.)
Additional Necessities
- Backpack
- Toiletries
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Bug repellent
- Sunscreen
- Reusable water bottle (Let’s reduce waste!)
- Pen or pencil
- Sunglasses
- Flashlight
- Any prescribed medications important for your well-being
Suggested (Non-Essential) Items
Cornerstone is a great opportunity to share your talents, be creative, exchange ideas, and trade best practices. Consider bringing some of these:
- Song books from your camp
- Printouts of favorite programs to share with other camps
- Musical instrument (drums, guitars, etc.) (You’ll have a chance to jam…)
- Favorite games
- Camera
Jewish Ritual Items
There will be time in the program for those who have a practice of daily prayer and saying grace after meals. We will have a limited number of benchers and prayer books available. If you prefer to pray with a specific siddur, please, BYO-Siddur! If you wear or use a kippah/yarmulke, tallit, tefillin, or other ritual garment, please bring your own. We will not have access to these religious items.
Luggage
FJC is not responsible for the cost of checked baggage. We suggest packing your items so they will fit in one carry-on bag. For additional details, see our Travel Policy.
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FAQs
At the May Seminar, you’ll learn how to enhance the Jewish experience for your campers by attending innovative Jewish programs and exchanging ideas with Fellows from other Jewish camps. Then, you will be expected to design and implement programs for campers and staff over the summer. For more details, speak with your Supervisor or your camp’s Lead.
The Cornerstone team is committed to your health and safety. You can see our protocols here. Download and read the Cornerstone COVID Protocol (PDF).
Registration for all participants closes on Wednesday April 16, 2025, at 11:59pm PST. Remember, sessions fill-up beforehand and are open on a first-come first-served basis.
See our Cornerstone Fellowship Information Guide for details about late registration penalties.
The form works best when accessed from a desktop. If you’re having trouble with the session selection buttons not responding, try accessing the form from a desktop (not a laptop nor mobile device).
Don’t see the session you wanted to take listed? Once a session is full to capacity, you will no longer see it listed as an option. Please make sure to be prepared with your second-choices.
Unfortunately, we do not allow Fellows to change sessions. Please be sure to review all your session choices with your Supervisor BEFORE registering!
For details, see our Packing List. Capital Camps and Retreat Center will provide all bedding and linens, as well as towels, mini shampoo & mini bar soap. However, it does get very cold at night in the cabins (which do not have heat). You may wish to bring an extra warm blanket, a sleeping bag and/or sweatshirt to sleep in (we will not have extra blankets)!
During the seminar, Cornerstone’s office number at Capital Camps will be: 717-794-1449
Prior to the seminar, you may contact FJC’s Associate Program Manager, Henry Weltman, at 646-278-4529 during typical weekday business hours (M-Th:9AM-5PM ET, Friday:9AM-2PM ET) or email Cornerstone@jewishcamp.org.
There is wireless connection in the main program spaces, and some other areas of camp. There is some cell phone service (Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T tend to get better reception). Fellows are welcome to use these services during free time, but should refrain from doing so during programming.
Yes, and we ask that you indicate your dietary restrictions and food allergies fully and completely in your online registration form. Capital Camps is a kosher and nut-free campus!
Fellows & Baker Fellows will be in gender-specific cabins (based on gender self-identification*) with Fellows from their camp when possible, along with Fellows from 3-4 other camps. Fellow accommodations include top and bottom wooden bunk beds.
Senior Fellows will be in shared-housing with other Senior Fellows.
For those who choose to opt-in below, whether identifying within or outside a gender binary, there will be an All-Gender Housing option available.
Supervisors may be housed in shared accommodations.
Guests, please connect with your FJC contact to confirm your agreed-upon accommodations.
Bedding, linens, and towels will be provided by Capital Camps & Retreat Center (Fellows may wish to bring an extra blanket for cold night).
If you have any concerns about our housing policy, please let us know.
The Cornerstone Fellowship Program is inclusive and open to participants of all genders. Housing assignments are based on gender self-identification. All Fellows will be in gender-specified cabins with Fellows from both their camps and other camps.
Yes, each cabin has private showers.
FJC arranges travel for all participants. If you are a Fellow or Supervisor coming from within 60-miles of NYC, Newark, DC/Rockville, Baltimore, or Philadelphia, you should request a seat on one of our charter buses in your registration form. For flights, our travel agent Abe will handle all bookings. All participants fly into BWI, DCA, or IAD airport, so please indicate your preferred departure and arrival airports in your registration form. Shuttle buses are then provided from BWI, DCA, or IAD to Capital Camps and back to BWI, DCA, or IAD after the seminar.
Yes. This process ensures that FJC is able to cover all costs and provide support from a travel agent in any emergency situations.
Fellows may not drive themselves to and from the Seminar, but you may get a ride with your Supervisor, or be dropped off at camp by family/friends. However, you will need to inform FJC that you will be arriving by car (including the name of who will pick you up and drop you off). All driving arrangements must be confirmed in writing to cornerstone@jewishcamp.org.
No. You may book a one-way ticket if needed. However, if you book a round trip flight and forego the first leg of that trip, the second half will be automatically cancelled by the airlines.
Additionally, you may book a two-leg flight that is not necessarily round-trip. For instance, if you are traveling from school to the Cornerstone seminar and then home, this can be arranged by FJC’s Cornerstone Team. Similarly, if you are traveling from home to the Cornerstone seminar and then straight to camp, this too can be arranged by FJC’s Cornerstone Team. If you plan to extend or alter your trip in anyway, FJC’s Cornerstone Team may invoice you for the expense. Please be prepared to pay for any additional costs associated with changing or altering your flight as soon as you confirm your itinerary.
No. The Cornerstone Seminar is crafted so that each piece intentionally builds upon the next, so we cannot allow for participants to miss any portions of the program. This helps ensure you are set up for success and have the opportunity to maximize your camp cohort’s experiences.
It’s approximately an hour-and-a-half drive. FJC will provide bus service between the airport and the Seminar for those who are flying.
There will be buses from NYC, Newark, Philadelphia, and the Metro Washington D.C. area. If you are traveling from the Baltimore area, you will meet at BWI airport and take the FJC shuttle to Capital Camps with those arriving by plane. FJC will provide you with information closer to the start of the Cornerstone Seminar if you note on your registration that you will be coming from or going to one of these locations.
Generally there is no cost to participants. However, if you plan to alter your travel arrangements after booking, FJC’s Cornerstone Team may invoice you for this expense. Please be prepared to pay for any additional costs associated with changing or altering your flight as soon as you confirm your itinerary.
FJC will also not cover any travel booked after April 16, 2025 (online registration close date). See our Cornerstone Fellowship Information Guide for more information.
If participants fail to register for transportation by the registration close date (April 16), or if any changes are made after the registration close date – and therefore the travel cost increases or change fees are applied – the participant is responsible for the difference in cost.
Participants are responsible for reimbursing the full cost of travel if cancellation occurs after travel arrangements are confirmed or registration deadline passes, including processing fees. If in any situation FJC is unable to recuperate costs from the participant in these situations, the participant’s camp will ultimately be held responsible. See our Travel Policy for more information about late registration penalties.
If you do not see answers to your questions here, please reach out to Henry at cornerstone@jewishcamp.org.
CORNERSTONE FELLOWSHIP TRAVEL POLICY
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) fully subsidizes the cost of all travel arranged, booked, and approved by FJC for Fellows, Senior Fellows, Supervisors, and Leads. Participants may not book their own travel to/from the Cornerstone seminar.
- FJC only covers travel costs within North America. Travel for those outside of North America will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- All participants are expected to participate in the seminar in its entirety (Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 2:00pm ET through Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 2:00pm ET). Any exceptions must be pre-approved by FJC, and the participant is responsible for any additional costs incurred by the approved deviations.
- FJC is not responsible for the cost of travel arranged after April 16, 2025 (registration close date). After this date, the sponsoring camp will be responsible for all travel costs.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION
- Fellows, Senior Fellows, Baker Fellows, and Supervisors traveling from within 60 miles of New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Baltimore are provided coach bus transportation to the Seminar. During registration, participants select their bus options and will receive travel details prior to the seminar. If you are within a 60-mile radius of the Baltimore metro area, you will meet at BWI or Rockville, MD and join our charter bus to Capital Camps.
- Leads traveling from within 60 miles of New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Baltimore have the option during registration to request an Amtrak train ticket to be booked from a nearby train station.
- Fellows are not permitted to drive to the Cornerstone Seminar. Supervisors and Leads may drive, however FJC does not reimburse any participants’ driving expenses.
AIRLINE TRAVEL
BOOKING
- Participants will receive an email from FJC’s travel agent, Abe Friedtanzer, with a proposed travel itinerary after they register for the Cornerstone Seminar. You must reply to that email within 24 hours to confirm or request changes to the itinerary. This ensures the price quoted does not fluctuate.
- All tickets are non-refundable and must originate and depart between home, school, and/or camp.
- Each participant travels independently. We are unable to book group flights or ensure camp cohorts travel together. Flights are booked as each participant registers, subject to airline rules and regulations.
- Participants booked on flights to and from the Washington, DC and Baltimore area will use the following airports: BWI, Dulles (IAD) and DCA.
- If you do not arrive for your inbound flight, your return ticket is automatically canceled. Any resulting rebooking costs are the participant’s responsibility.
- FJC does not cover the cost of parking or transportation to/from the airport.
- While a single piece of carry-on luggage will be included in all ticket purchases, FJC does not cover checked baggage. It is the responsibility of the participant to double-check their proposed itineraries for hidden baggage fees before confirming their itinerary.
ITINERARY CHANGES
- If you plan to extend or alter your trip in any way, Abe will ask for your credit card information up-front on the phone to cover the cost associated with a flight outside of the standard Cornerstone parameters. Please be prepared to pay for any additional costs associated with changing or altering your flight as soon as you confirm your itinerary.
- Participants who choose to change their confirmed itineraries for any reason after booking are responsible for any airline change fees or increased ticket charges.
CANCELLATIONS
- Any participant canceling Seminar attendance after April 16, 2025 (registration close date) will be responsible for a processing fee of up to $50. The $50 cancellation fee will be waived for any participant who is unable to attend Cornerstone due to contracting COVID in the days preceding the seminar.
- If air travel has been booked at the time of cancellation, the participant is responsible for reimbursing FJC for the cost of their airfare. If FJC is unable to recuperate funds from the participant for any costs incurred for changes or cancellations, the participant’s camp is ultimately responsible for covering the costs.
- In the event of flight cancellation by the airline, FJC reimburses participants the IRS per diem for each travel day, if requested by the participant in writing within 30 days.
DAY OF TRAVEL
- If you experience any flight delays or airline issues on the day of travel, please contact your airline directly to re-book on the next available flight. Then immediately contact Cornerstone@jewishcamp.org with any updated travel information.
If you have questions regarding your itinerary once your trip is booked, please contact cornerstone@jewishcamp.org.
