Shavua Tov, Capital Camps! It’s time to start our third week of 1st Session!

Each summer at camp sparks new programs, new favorite memories, and new practices that become new traditions. This year, one way we’ve embraced the newness has been through the Parsha Project, a multi-year program that launched with the start of the session. The Parsha Project changes how we read, approach, and experience the Torah at camp; rather than sticking to the “traditional” Torah reading calendar, the Capital Camps community will be making its way through the entire Torah, one Shabbat at a time, over the next four summers.

That model doesn’t just live on Shabbat, though. Each week, villages engage in specially-crafted programs that relate directly to the parsha (Torah portion) that will be read on Saturday morning. These programs can happen anywhere & everywhere on camp: in the village, at the farm, high up on the ropes course, in Omanut… the ideas are endless! Just last week, for example, campers at the S.T.E.M. activity built egg-drop containers, launched them off the chadar ochel balcony, and talked about Noah building an ark that would need to withstand (slightly) more treacherous conditions.

Because of the Parsha Project, campers will come home more familiar with the characters, themes, and stories that will be read in synagogue this October & November. I encourage you to make the most of that opportunity for energy & engagement – ask them to teach you something about those portions!

This week, in advance of our third Shabbat of the summer, we’ll focus on Parshat Lech L’cha. Campers will engage with what it means to begin a journey, venture out of what’s familiar, and embrace what’s new. As they’ve learned from their time at camp, there’s so much joy, wonder, and opportunity in the newness.

Warmly,
Ezra Suldan, Family & Community Engagement Manager

One of the moments that stayed with me most this week happened in Benjamin Village. 

Our youngest campers took on an egg-drop challenge, carefully designing ways to protect a single egg before putting their creations to the test. There was plenty of excitement, a lot of cheering, and, of course, a few cracked eggs. But behind the fun was a bigger and more beautiful question: What does it mean to care for something precious? 

That question offered a meaningful connection to this week’s exploration of Parashat Noah through our Parsha Project*, even as many of our communities at home will be reading Parashat Pinchas. 

Parashat Noah begins in a world that is fragile and in need of protection and renewal. Noah is asked to build an ark—not only as a shelter from the storm, but as a vessel for the future. In Parashat Pinchas, the Israelites also begin to look ahead as a new generation prepares to lead. Though these stories are different, together they remind us that the future is shaped by the care, intention, and faith we bring to the present. 

I see that same sacred work unfolding every day at Capital Camps. 

In many ways, Jewish overnight camp becomes a kind of ark for our children: a safe, joyful, deeply Jewish environment where they are surrounded by community, guided by caring role models, and given the space to grow into themselves. Our staff are not simply leading activities or running evening programs. They are helping campers discover confidence, form lasting friendships, ask meaningful questions, and deepen their connection to Jewish life and identity. 

Like Noah’s ark, camp protects something precious. It protects time for friendship and curiosity, for Shabbat and song, for laughter, Hebrew words, Jewish questions, and the quiet confidence that grows when a child feels fully known and fully welcomed. And just as the ark carried life forward into a new world, Capital Camps helps carry Jewish life forward by nurturing young people who feel connected, proud, and ready to help build the Jewish future.

As we prepare to welcome another Shabbat at Capital Camps, I am filled with gratitude for the campers, staff, families, alumni, donors, and friends who make this community possible. Together, we are building something that reaches far beyond a single summer: a place where young Jews feel rooted in community, proud of who they are, and inspired to carry the joy, confidence, and connection they find here into vibrant Jewish communities wherever life takes them. 

May this Shabbat remind us that some of the most meaningful things we build are the ones whose impact will continue to unfold for years to come. 

Shabbat Shalom,
Havi Goldscher

*This summer at Capital Camps, our community has launched a special initiative, the Parsha Project, to connect more deeply with the weekly Torah portions. Rather than following the summer Torah readings, we began the summer at the beginning of the Torah and are making our way through the fall parshiot together. This community-wide project will continue over the next four summers, allowing us to journey through the Torah in a meaningful and intentionally different way. Because the portions we are exploring at camp will be read again in synagogues and Jewish communities throughout the year, campers and staff will have additional opportunities to revisit these stories with new understanding, personal connection, and a camp lens. In this way, the learning that begins at camp can continue to grow at home, creating even more impact, engagement, and connections long after the summer ends.

Dear Capital Camps Families,

There’s something at camp we call a “normal day.” Simply put, it’s a day with no accessories or add-ons. The “normal days” lay out the structure of camp in its most authentic form. These are days when we climb the towers at the ropes course, and an hour later we jump off the inflatables at the lake. These are days that set in place the authenticity of a summer at Capital Camps.

We also have many days when camp changes; days when it’s not a “normal day.” Maybe it’s yesterday’s carnival, or possibly a campout. Maybe it’s Maccabiah, camp show, or maybe it’s CIT Siyyum. These days bring new energy and excitement to camp. The “normal days” and the “special days” weave in and out to create a fabric of camp.

This summer, we proudly debuted “Waynesboro Wednesdays” as a new hybrid day bridging our “normal days” and our “special days.” Waynesboro Wednesday draws out both camp pride and the highlights of a normal day at Capital Camps, placing them all into the spotlight. We see campers and staff wearing old Capital Camps shirts, enjoying the camp-favorite grilled cheese and tomato soup music lunch, and we even find the goats making their way up from the farm and onto main camp in the afternoon. We dig deeper into what Capital Camps has to offer, and we connect over our love for Capital Camps.

We also intentionally unite our entire camp community for an all-camp evening program. Last Wednesday kicked off our camp-wide Parsha Project, a multi-year project guiding our camp community one parsha at a time to complete a full cycle of the Torah. Last night, we all joined together for the camp carnival. Our Macks campers planned an incredible carnival complete with inflatable water slides, DJ entertainment, and interactive carnival booths. One additional significant benefit of all-camp programming is siblings being able to enjoy time together.

Waynesboro Wednesday might look different week to week, but more than anything, it is a day for Capital Camps pride. It’s a day we actively remind ourselves that home isn’t just a place we come from, but it’s also a place we come together. Home is a place where we all feel like we belong and can be our true selves. On Waynesboro Wednesdays here at Capital Camps, the songs are a lot louder, the chatif (snack) is sweeter, and the community is even stronger. Thank you for being a member of the Capital Camps community, and happy (belated) Waynesboro Wednesday!

Warmly,

Sam Belkowitz, Programs Manager

Dear Capital Camps Families,

We are just over a week into the session – what a week it has already been!

At Capital Camps, we view camp not as a collection of activities, but as a journey of growth, connection, belonging, and Jewish identity shaping. Over the past week, campers have settled into their cabins, established new routines, made new friends, and begun to create lifelong memories. While they have already packed an incredible amount of fun and adventure into the first week, the journey is only beginning.

As campers grow more comfortable in their surroundings, the feeling of belonging truly kicks in. Friendships deepen, confidence grows, and campers begin to fully embrace opportunities that may have felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable just a few days before. These next few weeks are often where the most meaningful growth takes place.

And for our Yalla campers, these two-week programs are a wonderful introduction to the full experience of overnight camp. Designed specifically for younger, first-time campers, Yalla serves as a valuable stepping stone, helping campers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive during longer sessions in future summers. We look forward to welcoming them back next summer to discover the experience a four-week session has to offer.

There is still so much to come these next few weeks. The beauty of these four weeks at camp is that each week builds upon the last. With three weeks still ahead, there are countless opportunities for growth and discovery that I look forward to watching our campers take on!

Warmly,
Ezra Suldan, Family & Community Engagement Manager

Hello, Capital Camps!

My name is Nathan Osheroff, but most of the camp community knows me as Nosh. I am the Head Songleader this summer – or as I like to think of myself, the CCRC Vibes Coordinator. This is my 12th summer at Capital Camps, and my fourth on staff, and music has been the throughline of all of it. From playing instruments for the village during SING as a camper, to jumping up and down singing at the top of my lungs during Friday night song sessions, my childhood camp memories are defined by song.

During the week, I run shira (music) activity blocks, where I get to directly engage with one cabin at a time, teaching Jewish music. On Shabbat, I have the privilege of assisting Rabbi Misha Clebaner in running services, song sessions, Siyyum (our Friday night closing ritual), and Havdalah, where music shapes the holy and sacred spaces at camp.

Music at camp isn’t background noise: it’s the heartbeat of this place. It’s how we celebrate, how we connect, how we welcome Shabbat, and how we say goodbye at the end of summers that always feels too short.

What moves me the most is knowing that the music doesn’t stay at camp. Campers spend the entire year listening to self-curated Capital Camps Spotify playlists, teaching their families the songs that are the most meaningful to them. A melody heard on a random Tuesday at home can instantly bring someone back to a Friday night in Waynesboro, surrounded by the people who make camp home.

It is a profound honor to help create the musical moments at camp that continue to unite our community, serving as a lasting thread that connects us long after summer has ended.

Best,

Nathan Osheroff, Head Songleader

Hello Capital Camps families!

My name is Zach Stern. In addition to serving as your campers’ local sports reporter at B’yachad each morning, I’m also the Ropes Course Coordinator this summer. I am thrilled to share some updates about the Capital Camps Challenge Course and how it has been enhanced since last summer.

In previous summers, each cabin typically had one full day dedicated to ropes. This summer, we’ve expanded access so that every cabin and age group visits the Challenge Course three times per week. While the offerings remain the same – team building initiatives, high ropes elements, and of course, the zipline – campers now have far more opportunities to spend time at one of Capital Camps’ biggest programmatic highlights.

What makes the Challenge Course so special is how it fosters growth across multiple dimensions. One morning, a cabin can learn about the importance of thoughtful communication through team building activities. Later in the week, those same campers may be supporting one each other as they conquer their fear of heights on the high ropes elements. Each experience is designed to help campers push themselves in a safe, supporting, and encouraging environment.

I am proud to lead a team of ropes specialists who are deeply committed to helping each camper grow and leave a little more confident, connected, and capable than when they arrived.

The ropes course is truly my favorite place at camp, and I am overjoyed that it now plays an even larger role in our campers’ daily routines.

Warmly,

Zach Stern, Ropes Coordinator

One of my favorite parts of a Capital Camps summer is the vast set of opportunities for our campers to experience new activities, discover their passions, and dig deeper into activities they might not participate in the rest of the year. 

Each day, our campers progress through carefully curated schedules that bring them into a world of programmatic offerings. Campers and staff exercise their creativity at arts programs. We laugh and play at the pool and lake. We work together as teams at the various sports. We challenge ourselves at the ropes course. We connect to the environment around us with teva (nature). We sing in Hebrew and dance with pride. It’s easy to see all of these in a day at Capital Camps.

One moment in the daily schedule, however, truly stands out to me: chug. 

Chug (elective) is our dedicated time for campers to choose an activity they would like to try. While we always offer Capital Camps staples like omanut (arts & crafts), archery, and tennis, chug goes deeper than our standard offerings. It is a time for our staff to share their own passions and lean into the specific interests of our campers. 

Rather than just typical swimming at the pool, we offer activities like instructional diving and water polo. Instead of standard arts, we dig deep into specific skills like jewelry making or performance preparation for the annual camp show. Each chug is designed to develop specific skills over the course of 4-5 days, after which campers begin a new round of chugim selections, with new and exciting offerings on the table each time.

Beyond offering skill-building and choice, chugim bridge our village communities, offering a time to engage with new campers and staff outside a camper’s cabin or village. This is where we start to see new cross-village relationships forging and connections strengthening. It is a time when campers join together over shared interests and new passions.

Chug is already underway at camp, met with ruach (spirit) and wonder for new opportunities, exploring our passions, and strengthening our bonds as a camp community.

Best,

Sam Belkowitz, Programs Manager

This Sunday, Capital Camps will welcome our first campers of Summer 2026 to our beautiful campus in Waynesboro. After months of planning and preparation—and two intensive weeks of staff training—our bunks, villages, lake, pool, ropes course, fields, arts spaces, and gathering places are ready to once again become a vibrant center of Jewish life, learning, friendship, and joy. 

As we prepare to open our gates, we read Parshat Korach, a Torah portion that invites us to reflect on leadership, responsibility, and the importance of working toward a common purpose. While Korach’s challenge to Moses and Aaron is often remembered as a story of conflict, the parsha also highlights what is required to sustain a strong and sacred community: leaders and community members who understand that their role is not about personal recognition, but about serving something larger than themselves. 

Over the past two weeks, nearly 200 seasonal staff members have participated in Specialist Week and Staff Week, engaging in certifications, camper care and behavior management training, leadership development, relationship-building, discussions about Israel and Jewish identity, and countless hours of preparation for bunk life, village programs, Shabbat experiences, chugim, sports, aquatics, adventure, arts, and camp-wide traditions. Together with our year-round team, they have worked to ensure that every aspect of the camper experience reflects the values that define Capital Camps. 

I am continually inspired by the dedication of our staff and leadership team. Their commitment reflects a deeply Jewish understanding of leadership—one rooted in achrayut (responsibility), kehillah (community), and service to others. Long before campers arrive, these individuals have invested their time, energy, and expertise to create an environment where young people can grow, explore, connect, and thrive. 

On Sunday evening, as our campers and staff gather together for our opening evening program in the amphitheater, we will recite the Shehecheyanu blessing, thanking God “who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.” It is one of my favorite moments of the summer. After months of anticipation and preparation, we pause as a community to acknowledge the significance of the moment and express gratitude for arriving here together. 

The Shehecheyanu reminds us that Judaism teaches us not to rush past moments of meaning. We are called to recognize them, celebrate them, and offer thanks for them. 

As our campers begin their summer journeys—whether they are entering Capital Camps as Yalla campers for the very first time or returning as CITs for their final camper summer—they will have opportunities to build lifelong friendships in their cabins and villages, strengthen their Jewish identities through Shabbat, song-session, Israeli culture, and everyday moments of Jewish joy, develop confidence and independence, connect with Israel, and experience the power of being part of the Capital Camps community. These experiences do not happen by accident. They are made possible through the collective efforts of staff, families, supporters, and community members who share a commitment to Jewish camping and Jewish futures. 

As we enter Summer 2026, I am filled with gratitude—for the trust of our families, the dedication of our staff, the generosity of our supporters, and the privilege of leading this extraordinary community. 

May this summer be one of growth, connection, resilience, and joy. May our campers and staff continue to build a community grounded in Jewish values and meaningful relationships. And may we merit many opportunities in the months ahead to pause, give thanks, and recite Shehecheyanu together. 

Shabbat Shalom, 

Havi Goldscher 
CEO 

This Shabbat, we read Parashat Nasso, the longest parsha in the Torah. At first glance, it can feel like a portion filled with details, logistics, assignments, and repetition — each family group given its role, each leader bringing their offering, each contribution carefully counted and acknowledged.   

And honestly, this time of year feels a little like that too. 

As your family closes out another school year filled with concerts, graduations, projects, exams, and celebrations, here at camp we are deep in our own season of preparation. Final schedules are being confirmed. Supplies are arriving. Staff are beginning to move onto campus next week. Retreat season is winding down, and very soon our camp community will reopen in its fullest form — filled with the energy, noise, laughter, and connection of summer. 

One of the most meaningful themes in Nasso is that every person holds a role in building the community. Even when the offerings described in the Torah were identical, each one was named separately and recognized individually. The Torah reminds us that community is not built only through grand moments, but through countless acts of preparation, presence, and participation. 

That feels especially true in Jewish camping. 

For Capital Camps, summer does not begin on opening day. It begins now — in the care and intention behind every final detail, every staff training, every packing list, every nervous or excited conversation around the dinner table. It begins in the collective effort of parents, staff, leadership, and campers all preparing to create something sacred together. 

As we transition from the rhythm of the school year into the spirit of summer, I feel tremendous gratitude for the partnership of our camp families and staff. We cannot wait to welcome everyone back onto campus very soon. 

May this season of preparation lead us toward a summer filled with blessing, growth, friendship, joy, and belonging for every member of our community. 

Shabbat Shalom. 

Havi Goldscher

As we welcome Jewish American Heritage Month and embrace the rhythms of spring, the weekly Torah portion Emor invites us to pause and reflect. Emor is a portion rich with instructions—guidance for living a life of holiness, care, and intention. It reminds us that our rituals, our celebrations, and even our quiet moments shape the fabric of our community and our identity. 

This theme feels particularly resonant as we approach another vibrant summer at Capital Camps. Our camp is more than a place for fun and friendship; it’s a sanctuary where Jewish values come alive in everyday experiences. Here, traditions are passed from counselor to camper, from generation to generation, echoing the Torah’s call to speak and to teach. Jewish American Heritage Month amplifies this message, encouraging us to honor our roots and share our stories—not only within our families, but across the broader camp community. 

Personally, this month’s themes have felt especially poignant to me. Earlier in April, my son celebrated his bar mitzvah—a milestone that brought our family together in joy, gratitude, and reflection. As he chanted from the Torah, I was reminded of the profound impact that supportive communities like Capital Camps have on shaping confident, compassionate Jewish leaders. Our campers discover their strengths, build lasting connections, and find their voices, much as my son did during his own rite of passage. 

As we look forward to the summer, let’s carry the lessons of Emor with us. May we continue to build a camp culture rooted in respect, kindness, and tradition—a place where every child feels seen and celebrated. Wishing all of our families a meaningful Jewish American Heritage Month and a season of growth, adventure, and shared memories at Capital Camps. 

Warmly,

Havi Goldscher, CEO