Putting Children First: Inside Tawonga’s Staff Training Week

Halfway through Camp Tawonga’s Staff Training week, Camp Director Aaron Mandel reflected while sitting by the lake: “I feel like every summer is the best summer at Tawonga. It’s cheesy, but I mean that. We just keep getting better and better every year.”

Over the past week, more than 200 summer staff members gathered for our annual week of training to prepare for the 1,300 children and teens who will be joining us this summer for joyful Jewish experiences. We’ve been waiting all year for this!

Our talented director team have led workshops and learning sessions covering a range of topics that include team bonding, community building, anti-bullying, and emergency preparedness. Staff also learned the ins and outs of their specific roles across departments, from counselors, kitchen, and maintenance to wilderness, programming, waterfront, and more. (One new role this year is a sports specialist!)

At their core, each training focused on putting children first and prepping for a safe and fun-filled summer. 

While Tawonga is more than 100 years old, new ideas are routinely implemented as directors learn more about what campers, families, and staff want and need. 

Many of our staff were campers themselves and are excited to give back to the community that helped shape them. In fact, 38 of the 50 Staff-In-Training from the 2024 season have returned to work this season!

Alongside our returning staff, we are welcoming lots of new team members who are excited to bring their unique perspective to the community while honoring the four pillars of our mission: nurturing self-esteem, cultivating a loving and inclusive community, strengthening Jewish identity, and deepening our bond with the natural world.

Part of our training week includes practice backpacking trips, where Wilderness staff lead the counselors on an overnight trip to help them prepare for camper adventures. Our Wilderness Leaders have been at Camp since late May, refining their naturalist, cooking, lifeguarding, and first responder skills to safely and professionally lead campers on their Sierra Nevada adventure trips.

As we have for more than 40 years, we’re excited to welcome our mischlachat (delegation) of 10 Israeli shlichim, who bring Israeli culture, language, and traditions to camp. For many campers, getting to know the members of our mishlachat is their first opportunity to build genuine friendships with peers from Israel, making the global Jewish community feel a little smaller and more connected.

This year’s diverse team also includes nine additional international staff from four other countries: Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom. These staff members’ presence enriches camp life by exposing campers and staff alike to different cultures and traditions, fostering curiosity and a deeper understanding of our interconnected world.

Working with Tawonga kids is what brought counselor Eldar L. back for a second summer. As a returning mishlachat member, Eldar, 23 and from Ramat Gan, Israel, is guiding his fellow Israel staff members and helping them integrate into the camp community, all while leading his own cabin for another exciting summer. 

“I feel like I’ve done my job,” Eldar shared with a smile, gesturing to several members of the mishlachat nearby, who were chatting and playing pingpong with their American coworkers. 

“We want to share our culture with the kids, and we want to have fun with them,” he said. “We all love working with kids.”

Ramon A., a 21-year-old counselor from Brazil, said he’s excited to help campers express themselves. After watching American movies, Ramon dreamed of working at a summer camp and chose Tawonga after reading our mission statement. 

“I think if you really believe in yourself from a young age, you can achieve your dreams,” Ramon said. “I was really happy to learn during our trainings how we are going to help kids grow.”

Beyond the trainings, the week also offered plenty of opportunities for staff to build community and experience the magic of Tawonga together. Evenings were filled with campfires, improv skits, art activities, and late-night conversations under the stars. 

This Sunday, we officially kick off the summer by welcoming Taste of Camp 1 and 49 Specialists-and-Counselors-In-Training — we couldn’t be more ready.

One returning counselor shared he was unsure if he could work this summer as he weighed other commitments – but once he heard Hashkivenu (a prayer for protection that we sing during the evening campfire), he knew he made the right choice. 

Take a peek into the week below:

P.S. Learn how you can tune into this summer’s magic here.