Start a conversation to link timely events coming out of Israel to the timeless values of our people and our story. Try posting a whiteboard in the staff lounge and rotate thought-provoking questions about Israel every few days.

*Access the guide*

Created by Morgan Morris; Shoshana Maniscalco; Ellie Lustigman

This resource about back pocket coping activities is for use by campers and staff to help them support each other with their Mental, Emotional, and Social Health (MESH).

Created by Eve Haras and Elisheva Malomet

Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) mental health interns Elisheva and Eve find it important that camp is a place where everyone can thrive. As previous campers and staff members, we know how awesome
camp is, but we also know that even the most amazing place can always be improved. Mental, Emotional,
Social, and Spiritual Health (MESSH) is the notion that everyone has mental health the same way
everyone has physical health. It is important that camp is an inclusive and understanding environment that accommodates everyone’s needs. It is vital that camp settings provide a healthy environment for people with different mental, emotional, social and spiritual needs. This checklist ensures that camp settings are implementing these accommodations. This would help camps become more inclusive towards everyone’s needs. It has the potential to cause a lot of change in how camps view MESSH and hopefully will have a positive impact for all types of campers and staff.

Created by Noa Landau-Camarillo and Amanda Thompson

Welcome to FJC’s Mood Music Playlists! Here you’ll find nine ready-made playlists, color-coded for any

possible mood you might be feeling. While music can be incredibly personal, it also has a history of connecting people, which is why we encourage you to listen to these playlists alone, with friends, as a bunk, during the summer, or year-round. Not only does music serve as the connection between people, and therefore fulfilling one’s social health; music can also have a significant impact on mental, physical, and emotional health. For example, studies suggest that music decreases stress and increases overall health. Whether it be used as a coping mechanism, a distraction, an activity, a tool to soothe, a tool to energize, background music for programs, etc. we hope you enjoy these playlists!

Created by Julia Parnes and Tiffany Padron

This will be a place where campers or staff at can go for a few minutes when camp becomes
overwhelming, or there is a need for some alone or quiet time to decompress.

Created by Amanda Leventhal and Hannah Via

Counselors say that the number one reason they don’t return to camp is internships, but focus groups run by Foundation for Jewish Camp have discovered that the actual leading issue in regards to staff retention is staff feeling undervalued. This problem can be addressed by camps implementing various staff appreciation efforts and programs. Making Mensches: A Periodic Table lists the Middot (values) of Areyvut – Community Mindedness and Achrayut – Social Responsibility as important Jewish values. These are particularly relevant to this issue because the summer camp experience begins with staff. When staff feel appreciated, the resulting boost in morale benefits the camp community as a whole.

Created by Hannah Gilman and Julia Frankel

A guide with practices to help staff be present in moments of stress. These have a variety of approaches, with discretion in mind.

Created by Aric Acopa and Shayna Kling

This board includes self-care categories, tips for counselor-ing, ways to stay mentally healthy, and even
camp counselor jokes to boost one’s mood. All of the boards relate to camp in some way. As staff
members/directors, we often have a hard time prioritizing our own mental health, so this board is meant
to give concrete ideas for putting these self-care ideas into action plans.

As you prepare your camp programming during the Three Weeks leading up to Tisha B’Av, we know many camps are looking to connect the lessons of our history with current events at the US border. This text study and discussion guide provides a Jewish lens to help facilitate conversations around the border crisis.

FJC and Gleis Security Consulting have developed materials and templates to aid camps in developing their own internal security protocols. These documents contain observations, recommended security operations, and plans from GSC and FJC.

For security purposes, these documents are not posted on the internet.  Please email Randi@JewishCamp.org to request any of the following documents:

1. How-to Guide for Simple & Effective Emergency Procedures – A detailed, customizable guide for your camp to use in creating your own emergency procedure and protocols.
2. Bomb Threat Checklist – Steps to take in the event of a bomb threat.
3. Emergency Procedure Action Sheet – Steps to take for various emergency situations (lock down, evacuation, suspicious people or objects. Customizable for different buildings and spaces).
4. Suspicious Activity Report – A template for reporting a suspicious person or vehicle.