Winter 2016 Alumni Newsletter

W inter 2016
Shway der Magic
FROM THEDIRECTOR'S CABIN
Shway der Camp
Al umni
Newsl et t er
JodieAbr ams, Dir ect or
W hat an am azing sum m er !! I w as so thr illed to spend
tim e w ith all of our cam per s and staff. We have som e
exciting highlights to shar e w ith you fr om sum m er 2015.
The biggest change at Shw ayder this sum m er w as the
constr uction of our br and new the state of the ar t
athletic field. Thr ough m uch planning and fundr aising
w e unveiled the field dur ing fir st session this sum m er.
One of the gr eatest m om ents of my sum m er w as
w atching all of the cam per s and staff r un acr oss it for
the fir st tim e! The sm iles on ever yone?s faces w er e
pr iceless. W ith the addition of the field w e w er e able to
expand our athletics pr ogr am to include an athletic
specialist, soccer, Wor ld Cup, kickball, baseball, and
ultim ate fr isbee. The field r eally helped us r each out to
cam per s and staff w ho w anted m or e athletic oppor tunities.
Another highlight w as enr olling 498 cam per s for the sum m er. Our enr ollm ent keeps gr ow ing
and w e ar e alr eady on pace to pass that num ber this sum m er. We had cam per s fr om all over
the United States as w ell as Nair obi, Beijing, Sao Paulo, and Isr ael. These cam per s added so
m uch to our Shw ayder M agic this sum m er and w e w er e thr illed to spr ead Shw ayder to the far
cor ner s of the globe. We ar e hoping to attr act cam per s fr om even m or e counties this sum m er.
We w er e also hom e to 63 fabulous staff m em ber s w ho joined us fr om all over the United
States.
As you might have heard, there are some other big changes happening at Shwayder. Through
several donations and a long term plan we are happy to announce that in summer 2016 we
will have two new camper cabin, a new barn, and fabulous staff-in-training cabin. We are so
excited to show off the new buildings at Visitors?Day 2016. Please keep in mind, that while
there are some changes to our facilities, it does not change who we are. These new buildings
are the beginning of some fantastic new upgrades which will ensure the future of Shwayder
camp for many years to come and provide a place for campers and staff to have a summer to
build their lives on.
Page 2| Shway der Magic | Wint er 2016
Ref l ect ions
f r oma
counsel or
"We all know and love Shwayder
magic well. As campers, we might get
to experience it for two short weeks
each year, which we can all agree is
not nearly enough. These past two
summers as a counselor, I have been
given the amazing gift of 18 total
weeks of Shwayder magic, and it has
changed me in ways I never imagined
possible.
I came to Shwayder looking for a fun
summer job to get me away from my
superficial friendships that I had made
in my not so successful first year of
Sarah Frank with a few of her campers and Co-Counselor
Noya Adam
college. I was feeling lost and lonely, and I
wasn?t sure that I wanted to continue with my
music education degree plan at CU. I didn?t think I had the capability to make kids?lives better
when I could barely get through what seemed like a day without making huge mistakes. When I
arrived for staff week, I was welcomed by some pretty amazing people who made me feel like one
of the family. These people have become some of my most amazing role models. They teach,
travel the world and volunteer, and care deeply and passionately for every single camper and staff
member they meet over the summer. These are the kinds of people that Shwayder attracts and
helps form. The staff is filled with people whose one goal all summer is to make sure that every
single kid who passes underneath that camp sign has a summer to build their life on. These
counselors make camp a safe place for every single kind of kid, extroverted and introverted,
spiritual and not spiritual, struggling with some part of their identity or comfortable in their own
skin. It doesn?t seem like it should be possible to build that kind of community in just two weeks,
but it is, because of the 60 people on staff each summer.
And so I think that my love for Shwayder comes from a largely selfish place. In my 9 weeks each
summer, I get so much love and joy and compassion sent my way by each person in camp. There
is no other place like that.
Now, in my third year of my music education degree, with amazing friends both in camp and out, I
feel as if I have the tools to make sure that each student and camper in my life will be better off
for knowing me, and for getting a touch of that Shwayder magic, wherever I go."
Page 3 | Shway der Magic | Wint er 2016
Our camp. Their Fut ur e. Your Hel p.
65 years of Shwayder magic created wear and tear on our buildings. With our capital building
campaign we are working to ensure Shawyder Camp facilities will be around for generations to come.
Michael Staenberg has been generous in helping us with our fundraising efforts. Michael has agreed to
match each and every donation, no matter the size, by fifty percent up to a million dollars. Through his
generous donation we are well on our way to making these dreams a reality.
The new design for Shwayder Camp revolves around the Center of Camp which will be a community
meeting space featuring pavilions built out of reclaimed wood from the original Shwayder cabins. In
addition to the new Center of Camp, we will be adding a new indoor recreation center featuring an
indoor climbing wall, multi-use
sport court, indoor programming
space and more bathroom
facilities. A new Arts Center will
also be built with a spacious arts
studio, indoor space for Israel
programming, and more bathroom
facilities. New senior staff and
guest housing will be added to
provide more private housing for
Image of the new Center of Camp
guests, artists in residence and
visiting clergy. The senior staff and guest housing will feature 10 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, a front
porch, and lounge area. Eight new camper cabin are in the works too, these cabins will be replacing the
existing ones ensuring we keep our small community. The cabins will be more spacious, feature a
front porch with built in seating, and will be more energy efficient. Our plan is to have two new
camper cabins, a new barn, and SIT housing will completed in Spring of 2016 ready to go for next
summer.
While all of these new buildings are exciting, we want you to be part of the process. Your donation can
make it happen, turning these buildings into a reality and ensuring Shwayder camp will be around for
generations to come. Every donation no matter what the size will be matched for 50% . So if you give
$1000, Michael Staenberg, will match your donation for $500 for a total of $1,500. Please contact
Francie Miran at Miran@emanueldenver.org.
Page4 | Shway der Magic | Wint er 2016
What 's Cooking
INt heKit chen
One of the favorite meals at camp is macaroni and cheese. Here is our
delicious camp version that will please everyone!
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/ 2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/ 4 cup butter
2 1/ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/ 2 cup panko
1 pinch paprika
Cook macaroni according to the
package directions. Drain.
In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour
to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses,
and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick.
Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
Sprinkle panko bread crumbs over the top with a pinch of paprika
CAMPREUNION
SHABBAT
Fr iday, Januar y 8t h
Oneg at 5:30PM
Ser v ices at 6pm
Dinner at 7Pm
Come celebrate Shwayder Camp Shabbat! On Friday,
January 8th we will be holding our annual Shwayder
Camp Reunion Shabbat at Temple Emanuel.
Please contact Simi Adler at Adler@shwayder.com if
your camper wants to participate in the service. If you
would like to join us for dinner please RSVP. Dinner is
$14 for adults and $8 for children (5-12 years old). If
you will be joining for the service only, no RSVP is
necessary. We encourage everyone to wear white as we
do at camp in the summer!
Page5 | Shway der Magic | Wint er 2016
MEETACAMPER
Sam Freed has been a Shwayder camper for eight summers and nine sessions.
Sam was excited to share his thoughts about Shwayder and why it is such an
important part of his life.
What is your f avorit e camp f ood?
My favorite camp food is is waffles and turkey bacon. It
really helps start your morning out right. My other favorite
camp food is quesadillas on our overnights. After a long
hike nothing tastes better.
Can you expl ain Shwayder Magic?
The feeling is indescribable. The joy I feel at Shwayder is like
no other feeling in the world.
What is one t hing you coul dn?t l ive wit hout at camp?
I need menucha everyday!! Without it, I would not be able to do all of the camp activities I love so much.
What are t he most import ant l essons you l earned at Shwayder camp?
Be daring. Nothing should stop you from having new experiences and trying new things.
If you could share one piece of advice with future Shwayder campers what would it be?
How has Shwayder camp inf l uenced your invol vement in t he Jewish communit y?
Shwayder has really helped me connect to the Jewish community and want to be involved. I am the
Membership Vice President at Friedman Club, I am a member of NIFTY and love going to chavurot, and
participating in teen programs for Jewish kids statewide. Shwayder has helped me turn my love for Judaism
into making a difference in the community around me.
Tel l us about t he f riendships you have made at Shwayder
camp
The friendships at Shwayder are the best! Some of my
friends I see all the time and others I only see at camp. But,
even if I only see my friend a camp for two weeks every
year, I feel like it?s only been a day since we last talked.
Thank goodness for social media so we can keep in touch
throughout the year,
Page 6| Shway der Magic | Wint er 2016
ALumni
ARchiv es
While it may be difficult to capture and preserve 65 summers worth of
memories, we at Shwayder Camp have begun our efforts to collect as
much of our history as possible. Whether it's a picture of campers
enjoying archery, an old brochure or an old staff picture, our alumni
archives now have a home at
ht t p:/ / www.shwayder.com/ al umni-archives/
While we have a great collection of photographs we are always looking
for more contributions to add to our archives. To learn how to submit
your camp photos, please email Simi at Adler@Shwayder.com
Page 7 | Shway der Magic | Wint er 2016
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Ryan Bal ows
What is your f avorit e Shwayder t radit ion?
My favorite camp tradition is Paco Taco night. The first night of camp the
campers have to make rhymes while making their tacos and burritos. It
helps the kids get to know each other and keeps everyone laughing with
the silly rhymes they come up with. My other favorite tradition is when a
camper has a birthday at camp. I was born in August so I have many great
memories of dancing around the chaddar. The birthday kid has to dance
around the room with a broom and the entire camp sings the birthday
song.
Year s as a CAmper
1980- 1985
Year s ONSt af f
1990, 1993- 1997,2001
Cur r ent Locat ion
Denv er , CO
Occupat ion
Fir ef ight er
par amedic
What are t he t hree most import ant
l essons you l earned at Shwayder
camp?
One lesson I learned was from former director, Rabbi Bob
Davis, he said, ?Don?t judge your insides, by others?outsides?.
This quote has really stuck with me over the years and
continues to help me put things into perspective. Another
lesson I leaned was, ?remember your kid self.? This helps me
see the world in a different way ? it reminds me to be playful,
spontaneous and carefree. Lastly, I learned the importance of
washing your hands and using napkins. It?s a practice that we
use at the firehouse everyday!
How has Shwayder camp changed your l if e?
How has Shwayder camp not changed my life? I would not have the life I lead today without
these ?summers to build your life on.? It was staff week, 1993, and I chose to change my life.
What started out as a 2-month commitment to sobriety has turned into 22 years! Not only does
this reflect the physical aspect of camp, but the amazing group of people that come with it. My
closest friends in the world, I met at Shwayder. I am still friends with my cabin mates from my
first year as an Aleph. To top it all off, I met my wife, Rachel, through these camp connections. We
are happily married and now have our amazing daughter, Daliah. Who, by the way, will be a
future Shwayder camper.
Page 8 | Shway der Magic | Wint er 2016
How has Shwayder camp inf l uenced your invol vement in Judaism?
Shwayder was truly my introduction to my Judaism. I grew up in Colorado Springs and didn?t have a
strong connection to my synagogue or Jewish community. At camp, I learned that the values I held
were actually Jewish and all of a sudden, I was surrounded by others who honored who I was. The
values and lessons I learned about Judaism at camp have become an integrated part of my
everyday life.
Can you expl ain Shwayder Magic?
Shwayder Magic starts at the gate. The ride up the road prepares you to be wowed. Camp is a cross
between the real world and a fairytale where anything can happen and anything is possible.
How has t he experience of working wit h campers and st af f
hel ped you out side of Shwayder camp?
Shwayder has taught me how to connect and relate to people
who have different ideas, perspectives, and points of view.
Shwayder has also helped me become more patient and
understanding.
Why do you cont inue t o vol unt eer and give back t o Shwayder
camp?
Shwayder has given me so much and I am so thankful for that. I
want to ensure that kids today get the same camp experience
that I did. I gladly give back to the place that has given me so
much. There have been two times in my life when I got a call
from someone at Shwayder asking for my help- I dropped
everything to get up there and assist. I cannot give back as
much financially as I would like, but I want to continue to support Shwayder and volunteer when I
can.
Any advice f or campers or st af f ?
For campers I would say, ?go early and go often?. Shwayder is an amazing place where there are so
many memories to be made. For staff, I would say, ?stay present and value each day.? The
summer?s only two months, but the memories are for a lifetime.
Tel l us about a f avorit e Shwayder memory
To tell you the truth, with 12 years of full summers plus another 10 years of visits and volunteering,
my camp memories could write a book. Here are a few chapter topics: Drama Chug, working with
my sister, Building Bridges for Peace, having former campers become my staff members and seeing
my two year-old daughter run around the dining hall.