Tradition! Through the Eyes of Longtime SIJCC Camp Co-Director
Since Glenn Wechsler was a child, summertimes unfolded in a green expanse just a short ride from his Staten Island home. He played muddy tug of war, made tie-dye T-shirts, sang Camp songs and admired the counselors who guided him. At SIJCC Camp, Glenn also became steeped in the code of ethics he would grow to live by.
“It was the highlight of my year. School was school, but I always looked forward to coming to camp,” recalled Glenn, standing beside one of the two glistening lakes on the bucolic, 75-acre Campgrounds. “I guess you can say I never left.”
Glenn started Camp as a 10-year-old, progressed through the divisions, and, as a teen got his first-ever job as a maintenance worker, cleaning and taking care of snacks and equipment. He was a counselor, senior counselor, assistant director and a division director before becoming co-director SIJCC Camp with Stephanie Feldman 12 years ago.
“Each successive summer I had increasing responsibilities,” he said, laughing about how as a teen he had been told by a supervisor that he was socializing too much and was sent home for the day.
As he heeded the call of Camp during the summer months, Glenn also pursued his education. He didn’t anticipate he’d make a career out of Camp, which seemed like a fun-filled respite from the rest of the year.
Glenn earned a Master’s of Social Work, along with a JD in law, and a Master’s in Jewish education.
With his accomplished background, he could have pursued any number of career paths. But he chose to return to the place that felt most like home.
“I always enjoyed being around children,” he said. “I like their innate enthusiasm and authenticity.”
Part of the pull, he explained, is knowing that while Camp instills joy in children, it also helps them develop an understanding of their duty to others and the community. The Camp experience inspires them to live as compassionate human beings.
“When we conceive of our camp and our mission and our philosophy, obviously one piece is we want them to have fun and make friends, but the other are the values we imbue on the kids,” he said. “We really emphasize t’zedekah, charitable giving. We share values through storytelling, through certain activities that we hope will enter into the hearts and souls of the children.”
Campers come from many faith traditions, not exclusively Judaism, he said.
“We are promoting Jewish values, at the same time I recognize the Jewish values we’re promoting are universal values,” he said. “It’s the same values with the Jewish lens.”
In a way, Glenn’s annual return to camp is similar to reading the sacred Jewish book of the Torah. Every year, on the same day, the same section of the book is studied. The meaning of the text seems to change with the passage of time, with age, with circumstances, and with deepening wisdom.
“When we think about Camp, there is this constant tension we face which is tradition and change,” he said. “On one hand what makes camp so special is there is the similarity from year to year, and that’s very comforting. On the other hand, you need to see some change and some growth.”
He named some new and different programs being brought to Camp this year, such as the Topsy Turvy bus — a school bus with an upside down bus on its roof, which runs on cooking oil and teaches kids about conservation and the environment.
Glenn is honored to be a part of the Camp tradition, and sees much of his own journey in the Campers who return year after year, he said.
“I can list many young children that were here when they were 4 or 5 and I’ve watched them develop and grow — and then they themselves become directors,” he said.
“I like to believe and hope in some way I’ve played a role in their development, and that somehow that trajectory I’ve helped shape in some meaningful way.”
CLICK HERE for more information on SIJCC Day Camp or to schedule a tour.
