Keeping Our Campers & Staff Safe: Staff Training

The mental, emotional, social and spiritual health of our camp community is our highest priority. Here is information on the training we provide to our staff:

All overnight camp staff are required to participate in the following pre-camp training sessions:

  • Sexual Harassment Prevention Training – run by Stuart Katz
    • Stuart Katz has been recognized as a leading lawyer in Connecticut in the area of Labor & Employment Law, by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (since 2008) and is listed in Best Lawyers in America (2013-2019) for his work in the areas of Litigation (Labor & Employment) and Employment Law (Individuals and Management).  In addition, Mr. Katz has been recognized by Super Lawyers since 2009 for his work in the area of Employee Litigation: Defense.  He is listed as one of Super Lawyers “Top 10 Connecticut Lawyers” (2013-2015) and “Top 50 Connecticut Lawyers”  (2012-2018).  Benchmark Litigation, The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys, named Mr. Katz a “Local Litigation Star” in Connecticut (2011-2019), and a “Labor & Employment Star-Northeast” (2019), in areas including Employment and General Commercial Litigation. Mr. Katz often lectures on employment law topics and has authored numerous articles in this area.
  • Appropriate Behavior with Campers – run by trainers from Ramah’s insurance company, AMSkier
  • Concussion Training — Online program as required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • Town Hall Q & A sessions with Rabbi Gelb and camp leadership
  • Training for all Junior Counselors – run by Assistant Directors Josh Edelglass and Michelle Sugarman

All day camp staff are required to participate in the following pre-camp training sessions:

  • Sexual Harassment & Abuse Prevention Training — run by Amy Skopp Cooper, National Ramah Director — Covers topics such as appropriate touch, appropriate care and comfort of campers, rules for abuse prevention, signs of abuse & harassment, incident reporting, and more.
  • CPR & First Aid – Optional class sponsored by day camp prior to the start of camp
  • Information and orientation sessions with Rabbi Jill and camp leadership

At the overnight camp, we run a six-day Staff Week before campers arrive, in which we run training in areas including, but not limited to:

  • Camp purpose/focus/mission/intended outcomes:
    • Rabbi Gelb’s meetings with each edah (division)
    • Edah-specific training run by the Rashei Edot (division heads) and Yoatzot (advisors for each edah)
  • Developmental needs of campers:
    • Rabbi Gelb and Talya Kalender’s meetings with each edah
    • Yoetzet meetings with each tzrif (bunk) staff
    • Support team’s meetings with the tzrif staff
  • Objectives and procedures for program activities:
    • Rashei Edah (Division Heads) and Rashei Anaf (Department Heads) run extensive training and prep sessions to cover these areas.
    • Josh Edelglass training session(s) focused on creating programs
  • Behavior management and camper supervision:
    • Training sessions run by Rabbi Gelb and Talya Kalender
    • Training sessions run by Josh Edelglass on creating a positive tzrif environment
    • Training sessions run by Michelle Sugarman and Pamela Kekst on the daily routine and creating safe, positive experiences during wake-up, bed-time, meals, nikayon, etc.
  • Staff performance and conduct and sexual harassment policies:
    • Rabbi Gelb’s rules talk
    • Training by Rashei Edot and Yoatzot
    • Consent program run by Lindsay Fram
  • Emergency procedures:
    • Emergency Procedures workshops and drills
    • Training by Health Center staff on first-aid, allergies, and the health and safety of the campers in your tzrif

At the day camp, we run a five-day Staff Week before campers arrive, in which we run training in areas including, but not limited to:

  • Camp purpose/focus/mission/intended outcomes
  • Broad and specific developmental needs of campers
  • Objectives and procedures for program activities
  • Behavior management and camper supervision
  • Staff performance and conduct and sexual harassment policies
  • Emergency procedures
    • Security overview with representatives from Secure Community Network

Our staff training continues throughout the summer.  For the overnight camp:

  • Regular Hadracha (leadership) training run by Rabbi Gelb and Talya Kalender for all counselors
    • A focus of our staff training is about how staff members should interact with their campers — how to listen, how to speak to them, how to get them to listen to you and do what you ask, how to balance being a friend and an authority figure, etc.
  • Camper Care meetings
    • Every counselor pair/three-some meets regularly with their edah’s yoetzet for a “Camper Care” meeting.  In this meeting, they review and discuss the well-being of every single camper in their bunk.  The yoetzet asks prompt questions to make sure the counselors are thinking about all of the campers in their bunk, not just the ones who are the loudest and most demanding of attention.  Action plans are developed to address issues of group dynamics, homesickness, behavior, etc.
  • Gelb Camper Care meetings
    • Once a week, every counselor in each edah gathers to meet with our CEO, Rabbi Gelb, along with their edah’s yoetzet and Talya Kalender, our Director of Camper Care.  In these meetings, the group runs through all the campers in the edah (using a red light – yellow light – green light system) and shares strategies for handling certain campers.
  • Staff Care meetings
    • Once a week, every Rosh Edah meets with Rabbi Gelb, Michelle Sugarman, Talya Kalender, and the staff yoetzet to review and discuss the well-being of every counselor on their staff.

For the day camp:

  • Staff participate in four hadracha meetings on Tuesday nights, outside of camp, during the camp season for continued professional development.
  • Daily staff meetings.
  • Twice weekly Camper Care meetings with the Assistant Director, Rosh Edah, Yoetzet, and the madrichim.