One of the greatest strengths of the Jewish community is its diversity. As a people, we span continents, our identities and practices as vast and varied as the places we call home. While this pluralism can be a challenge, our differences are small compared to the similarities at our core.  Across millennia, it is our values that have kept us connected to both other Jews and to the communities we live in. At EKC, Jewish values likewise serve as a foundation for the work we do all summer. Over the past several years, EKC has undertaken a journey to make values learning fun and meaningful for campers and staff; this year is no exception. However, what is exceptional is the changes we made to choosing and living out these values. This summer’s middot came from a true collaboration between campers and staff!

During the year, twenty-one staff-in-training met once a month to learn about Jewish values through activities and text learning. With their newfound knowledge, the SITs created a list of the values that they saw as essential building blocks for the EKC community, which in turn became the center of conversation for our counselors. Each unit was tasked with choosing three to four values that represented their goals for campers ,as well as mission statements and mottos that would provide not only clear goals for programs and activities, but a way of connecting to each other.  We are proud of the work our counselors are doing and excited to share the missions, mottos, and values that have been guiding campers throughout the session. Shabbat Shalom!

EKC 2019:

Our Missions and Mottos for a Summer of Success! 

Sabra

• Values: Respect, Friendship, Self-Value, Courage
• Motto: Home is where the Circle is!
• Mission: We build the foundation for a happy, memorable, comfortable camp experience.

Kineret

• Values: Friendship, Respect, Love
• Motto: Arrrrgh! Hop on the friend-ship: first stop, new opportunities!
• Mission: To create lasting friendships and connections through our words and actions in order to make a more cohesive unit.

Halutzim

• Values: Respect, Kindness, Dependability, Patience, Family, Communication
• Motto: Love, Comfort, & Family!
• Mission:  To create an environment where all campers and staff communicate mutual respect to one another in order foster love, comfort, and family.

Teen

• Values: Respect, Communication, Patience, Friendship
• Motto: The village: where friends become family.
• Mission: We strive to build a respectful community with our staff, campers and the environment around us.