On any given day, Camp is either changing rapidly, or staying the same.  With over 100 summers under our belt, EKC has changed so much – the physical location, the programs, the people and even the name. Yet, so much has stayed the same.  We still provide campers and staff with a safe and caring home away from home and the experience of living in a vibrant Jewish community of their peers We still rely on the leadership of emerging adults to recreate the EKC magic summer after summer.  These staff, often between the ages of 18-25, is the ones who form the bedrock of each summer’s experience. Our investment into this group is skyrocketing in advance of this summer.  Every summer our staff give so much to Camp.  We’re returning that effort by making sure they’ve got every tool they need to be successful in their roles at camp and are prepared to deliver the EKC experience that we’ve all come to expect.

One of the newest tools that we’ve provided our Head Staff is a book called “Cape, Spandex, Briefcase: Leadership Lessons from Superheroes”, written by David Kahn.  Coincidentally, David Kahn attended URJ Camp Coleman as a camper and staff member.  I’ve had the opportunity to speak with David on multiple occasions and he definitely understands the impact that Jewish camping can have for everyone involved.

What we love about this book is that it makes leadership, and its concepts, accessible to our staff in ways we haven’t been able to make it in the past.  The way David shares the information and connects it to the behaviors and actions of superheroes, then connects it back to everyday life, allows for the reader to better visualize what leadership actually looks like.

We’ve gifted a copy of this book to each Head Staff member and have asked them to check it out before they get to Camp.  We can’t wait to engage in meaningful discussion with them about what they’ve read and how they might use these leadership tactics to inspire their staff and create the culture they desire.  If our supervisory staff understand how to be effective leaders, it will only further enable them to positively role model that behavior for their staff setting the tone for future leaders to follow.

One section of the book that resonates at Camp, with respects to being visible and working alongside our staff is shown through Wonder Woman.   “Wonder Woman, she trained with the other people in her tribe.  That’s something all leaders need to do.  You can’t learn everything required by the job through books or by locking yourself behind a computer all day. We discussed the benefits of walking around, but it’s more than just collecting the information.  Learning and fighting alongside her people improved Wonder Woman’s skills while also legitimizing her status as royalty.  She earned their respect when they saw how talented she was and how hard she practiced.”  Staff knows the importance of being out and about in Camp. It’s a concept that makes sense to them. When that is coupled with this particular excerpt from the book, it reinforces the importance and may be the motivation to continue those efforts throughout the summer.

All of our staff have the potential to be extraordinary leaders.  It is our job to tap into that potential and give them the tools to achieve it. Interested in the book for your own reading?  It’s on Amazon and it obviously comes highly recommended by us!

In the spirit of camping,

Aaron Cantor

Camp Director