Camp Kinder Ring
| Camp Kinder Ring | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Hopewell Junction, New York |
| Opening date | 1927 |
| Management | The Workmen's Circle |
| Website | http://www.campkr.com |
Camp Kinder Ring is a Jewish Summer camp located in Hopewell Junction, New York. It is run by The Workmen's Circle.
About
Kinder Ring was founded in 1927 by The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring. Camp Kinder Ring has many families who have been attending for up to four generations. The camp offers campers a wide array of activities such as sports, arts and crafts, and lake activities while also educating them about Jewish traditions and culture. Many campers and staff return year after year due to the special attachment they feel with the camp, the greatest example being waterfront head Joel "The Hawk" Hochheiser, who worked at the camp for forty-nine years.
Camp Kinder Ring is a nonprofit 501(c)(3).
Camp Kinder Ring is Accredited by the American Camp Association
Traditions
Kinder Ring's traditions include July 4th carnival, KR of the Week/Year, Maccabean Games, Olympics, Torchbearer, Behind the Scenes, all-whites shtiller ovnt (Yiddish for "silent evening") to celebrate the Friday evening advent of the sabbath, and the setting of candles onto Sylvan Lake symbolizing the end of another summer. Other traditions include popular Jewish singers like Rick Recht. New traditions are created every year, evident by the first annual KR Softball League during the summer of 2006.
Maccabean Games
Maccabean Games, or Mac Games, are held every year in the first half of the summer. Campers are split into two teams named after important and influential Jews in history. Over the course of 4 days, campers compete against one another. The emphasis of Mac Games is team spirit, teamwork, and fun, rather than winning. Past Mac Game teams have been named for Jerry Lewis, Irving Berlin, Sholom Aleichem, Marc Chagall, Abba Kovner, Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax, Steven Spielberg, Bette Midler, Henrietta Szold, Bella Abzug, Simon Wiesenthal, Barbara Boxer, Stanford Ovshinsky, Haym Solomon, Elena Kagan, Louis Brandeis, and Samuel Gompers.
Olympics
Olympics are held every year in the second half of the summer. Campers are split into teams named for two countries. Over the course of 4 days, campers compete against one another. As always, emphasis is based on team spirit, teamwork, and fun, rather than winning. Olympics hold the most famous events in camp, the Rope Burn, the Decathlon and the Triathlon.
Torchbearer
This KR tradition was started in 1971. It is known as the greatest honor one can receive at Kinder Ring, showing one's love and dedication to Camp Kinder Ring. During the Opening Ceremonies for Olympics, past Torchbearers come back to camp to help pass on the honor. Every summer a Torchbearer is named before the entire camp and lights the Olympic flame, as in the real Olympics. The most recent torchbearer (summer 2016) was Carol Blass.
KR Landmarks
The tradition of Camp Kinder Ring can be seen in the places in camp which make it so special. The Shack and the Clubhouse, the Jewish Heritage Palace, and Social Hall are well known as older distinct places in camp. These are joined by the newer landmarks, including the Sylvan Shores Cinema, Adventure Center, Water Trampoline, the Iceberg, and the recently renovated Cultural Center.
Administration
Director: Marc Rauch
Assistant Directors: Jessica Rich, Carol Blass
Director of Business Operations and Group Sales: Lauren Adelson
Boys Head Counselor: Michael Trontz
Girls Head Counselor: Carol Blass
Waterfront Director: Josh Stone
Health Center Director: Alisa Chafitz
Athletic Director: Brian Purzak
Assistant Boys Head Counselor: Jeff Rothman
Assistant Girls Head Counselor: Geri Liss
Special Events Consultant / Alumni Relations Coordinator: Ilene Joachim
Structure
The camp is broken down into boys side and girls side, with each having its own distinct set of staff. There are Head Counselors and Assistant Head Counselors for both Girls and Boys. There are then 8 divisions, each led by a Groupleader. The groupleader has a staff of counselors, typically between 3 and 6 strong.
Summer 2015 Groupleaders
Sophs/Juniors: Amanda Kaufman and Jackie Wendel
Ultras: Marisa Joachim and Dan Schneider
Inters: Tiffany Eisner and Matt Brown
Seniors: Ariel Kaplan and Tyler Gorelick
Supers: Erica Jeifa and George Hutton
Teens: Carly Schultz and Ricky Posner
SIT's: Marc Komito
Summer 2014 Groupleaders
Sophs/Juniors: Amanda Kaufman and Morgan Fins
Ultras: Skylar Gottlieb and George Hutton
Inters: Erica Tropp and Paul Jackson
Seniors: Ariel Kaplan and Tyler Gorelick
Supers: Carly Schultz and Matthew Bacon
Teens: Jackie Wendel and Itai Penso
SITs: Stacie Milman
Summer 2013 Groupleaders
Sophs/Juniors: Chelsea Eisner and Tyler Gorelick
Ultras/Inters: Amanda Kaufman and Matthew Bacon
Seniors: Ariel Kaplan and Isaac Silver
Supers: Carly Schultz and Bryan Joachim
Teens: Jackie Wendel and Itai Penso
SITS: Jackie Teisch
Summer 2011 Groupleaders
Sophs/Juniors: Tal Jaeger and Ned Semoff
Ultras: Amanda Kaufman and Mike Steinmetz
Inters: Alyssa Garfinkel and Eric Menino
Seniors: Carly Schultz and Itai Penso
Supers: Erica Kaufman and Justin Schneps
Teens: Lauren Friedlander and Danny Cohen
SITS: Jackie Wendel and Ricky Posner
Summer 2010 Groupleaders
Sophs/Juniors: Lauren Friedlander Ultras: Amanda Kaufman Inters: Abby Leiberman Adam Schnepps Seniors: Erica Kaufman Supers: Jackie Wendel Teens: Tal Jaeger Workgroup: Jackie Friedlander
Summer 2008 Groupleaders
Summer 2009 Group Leaders Workgroup: Ricky Posner Teens: Lindsay Heit Supers: Jackie Wendel and Andrew Group Seniors: Craig Ashinsky and Kayte Mcginlay
Lower Camp: Ricky Posner and Lauren Friedlander
Ultras: Zach Levine and Stacie Millman
Inters: Ben Browning and Emily Carpenter
Seniors: Eric Teisch and Jackie Friedlander
Supers: Michael Dawson and Alyssa Hochstein
Teens: Lindsay Heit
Workgroup: Nancy Campagna
Summer 2007 Groupleaders
Sophs: Michael Dawson and Laura Spencer
Juniors: Ricky Posner and Lauren Friedlander
Ultras: Zach Levine and Stacie Millman
Inters: Ben Browning and Emily Carpenter
Seniors: Eric Teisch and Jackie Friedlander
Supers: Scott Goldstein and Alyssa Hochstein
Teens: Marc "Z" Zelmanowicz and Lindsay Heit
Workgroup: Danny Lange and Nancy Sackstein
Assistant Head Counselors: Jeff Rothman and Bonnie Seidel
Summer 2006 Groupleaders
Sophs: Sam Ross and Melissa Stein
Juniors: Zach Levine and Jessica Gutman
Ultras: Eric Teisch and Jackie Friedlander
Inters: Danny Lange and Emily Carpenter
Seniors: Scott Goldstein and Kayte McGinlay
Supers: Jared Finkelstein and Stacie Millman
Teens: Ricky Posner and Lindsay Heit
Workgroup: Greg Schwartz and Nancy Sackstein
Summer 2005 Groupleaders
Sophs: Eric Teisch and Kayte McGinlay
Juniors: Jordan Braver and Steph Slome
Ultras: Adam Tatz and Emily Carpenter
Inters: Danny Lange and Jackie Friedlander
Seniors: Mike Tirrell and Nancy Sackstein
Supers: Scott Goldstein and Stacie Millman
Teens: Ricky Posner and Lindsay Heit
Workgroup: Marc "Z" Zelmanowicz
Assistant Head Counselors: Noam Ben Tov and Sam Fishman
Famous alumni
Barbara Boxer - U.S. Senator from the State of California
Adam Schefter - ESPN NFL Insider
Jonathan Dankner - Actor Catch Me If You Can
Tommy Koenig - Actor/Comedian
Bill Freiberger - Emmy nominated television writer
Robbie Kluge - Momma's Boys - NBC
Chad Rubel - Editor Fringe (TV series)
Dean Blandino - NFL vice president of officiating
See also
External links
Coordinates: 41°36′20″N 73°44′23″W / 41.605487°N 73.739687°W