Camp Kinder Ring

About

Kinder Ring was founded in 1927 by The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring. Camp Kinder Ring has many families who have been attending for up to four generations. The camp offers campers a wide array of activities such as sports, arts and crafts, and lake activities while also educating them about Jewish traditions and culture. Many campers and staff return year after year due to the special attachment they feel with the camp, the greatest example being waterfront head Joel "The Hawk" Hochheiser, who worked at the camp for forty-nine years.

Camp Kinder Ring is a nonprofit 501(c)(3).

Camp Kinder Ring is Accredited by the American Camp Association

Traditions

Kinder Ring's traditions include July 4 carnival, KR of the Week/Year, Maccabean Games, Olympics, Torchbearer, Behind the Scenes, all-whites shtiller ovnt (Yiddish for "silent evening") to celebrate the Friday evening advent of the sabbath, and the setting of candles onto Sylvan Lake symbolizing the end of another summer. Other traditions include popular Jewish singers like Rick Recht. New traditions are created every year, evident by the first annual KR Softball League during the summer of 2006.

Maccabean Games

Maccabean Games, or Mac Games, are held every year in the first half of the summer. Campers are split into two teams named after important and influential Jews in history. Over the course of 4 days, campers compete against one another. The emphasis of Mac Games is team spirit, teamwork, and fun, rather than winning. Past Mac Game teams have been named for Jerry Lewis, Irving Berlin, Sholom Aleichem, Marc Chagall, Abba Kovner, Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax, Steven Spielberg, Bette Midler, Henrietta Szold, Bella Abzug, Simon Wiesenthal, Barbara Boxer, Stanford Ovshinsky, Haym Solomon, Elena Kagan, Louis Brandeis, and Samuel Gompers.

Olympics

Olympics are held every year in the second half of the summer. Campers are split into teams named for two countries. Over the course of 4 days, campers compete against one another. As always, emphasis is based on team spirit, teamwork, and fun, rather than winning. Olympics hold the most famous events in camp, the Rope Burn, the Decathlon and the Triathlon.

Torchbearer

This KR tradition was started in 1971. It is known as the greatest honor one can receive at Kinder Ring, showing one's love and dedication to Camp Kinder Ring. During the Opening Ceremonies for Olympics, past Torchbearers come back to camp to help pass on the honor. Every summer a Torchbearer is named before the entire camp and lights the Olympic flame, as in the real Olympics. The most recent torchbearer (summer 2016) was Carol Blass.

KR Landmarks

The tradition of Camp Kinder Ring can be seen in the places in camp which make it so special. The Shack and the Clubhouse, the Jewish Heritage Palace, and Social Hall are well known as older distinct places in camp. These are joined by the newer landmarks, including the Sylvan Shores Cinema, Adventure Center, Water Trampoline, the Iceberg, and the recently renovated Cultural Center.

Administration

Director: Marc Rauch

Assistant Directors: Jessica Rich, Carol Blass

Director of Business Operations and Group Sales: Lauren Adelson

Boys Head Counselor: Michael Trontz

Girls Head Counselor: Carol Blass

Waterfront Director: Josh Stone

Health Center Director: Alisa Chafitz

Athletic Director: Brian Purzak

Assistant Boys Head Counselor: Jeff Rothman

Assistant Girls Head Counselor: Geri Liss

Special Events Consultant / Alumni Relations Coordinator: Ilene Joachim

Structure

The camp is broken down into boys side and girls side, with each having its own distinct set of staff. There are Head Counselors and Assistant Head Counselors for both Girls and Boys. There are then 8 divisions, each led by a Groupleader. The groupleader has a staff of counselors, typically between 3 and 6 strong.

Summer 2015 Groupleaders

Sophs/Juniors: Amanda Kaufman and Jackie Wendel

Ultras: Marisa Joachim and Dan Schneider

Inters: Tiffany Eisner and Matt Brown

Seniors: Ariel Kaplan and Tyler Gorelick

Supers: Erica Jeifa and George Hutton

Teens: Carly Schultz and Ricky Posner

SIT's: Marc Komito

Summer 2014 Groupleaders

Sophs/Juniors: Amanda Kaufman and Morgan Fins

Ultras: Skylar Gottlieb and George Hutton

Inters: Erica Tropp and Paul Jackson

Seniors: Ariel Kaplan and Tyler Gorelick

Supers: Carly Schultz and Matthew Bacon

Teens: Jackie Wendel and Itai Penso

SITs: Stacie Milman

Summer 2013 Groupleaders

Sophs/Juniors: Chelsea Eisner and Tyler Gorelick

Ultras/Inters: Amanda Kaufman and Matthew Bacon

Seniors: Ariel Kaplan and Isaac Silver

Supers: Carly Schultz and Bryan Joachim

Teens: Jackie Wendel and Itai Penso

SITS: Jackie Teisch

Summer 2011 Groupleaders

Sophs/Juniors: Tal Jaeger and Ned Semoff

Ultras: Amanda Kaufman and Mike Steinmetz

Inters: Alyssa Garfinkel and Eric Menino

Seniors: Carly Schultz and Itai Penso

Supers: Erica Kaufman and Justin Schneps

Teens: Lauren Friedlander and Danny Cohen

SITS: Jackie Wendel and Ricky Posner

Summer 2010 Groupleaders

Sophs/Juniors: Lauren Friedlander Ultras: Amanda Kaufman Inters: Abby Leiberman Adam Schnepps Seniors: Erica Kaufman Supers: Jackie Wendel Teens: Tal Jaeger Workgroup: Jackie Friedlander

Summer 2008 Groupleaders

Summer 2009 Group Leaders Workgroup: Ricky Posner Teens: Lindsay Heit Supers: Jackie Wendel and Andrew Group Seniors: Craig Ashinsky and Kayte Mcginlay

Lower Camp: Ricky Posner and Lauren Friedlander

Ultras: Zach Levine and Stacie Millman

Inters: Ben Browning and Emily Carpenter

Seniors: Eric Teisch and Jackie Friedlander

Supers: Michael Dawson and Alyssa Hochstein

Teens: Lindsay Heit

Workgroup: Nancy Campagna

Summer 2007 Groupleaders

Sophs: Michael Dawson and Laura Spencer

Juniors: Ricky Posner and Lauren Friedlander

Ultras: Zach Levine and Stacie Millman

Inters: Ben Browning and Emily Carpenter

Seniors: Eric Teisch and Jackie Friedlander

Supers: Scott Goldstein and Alyssa Hochstein

Teens: Marc "Z" Zelmanowicz and Lindsay Heit

Workgroup: Danny Lange and Nancy Sackstein

Assistant Head Counselors: Jeff Rothman and Bonnie Seidel

Summer 2006 Groupleaders

Sophs: Sam Ross and Melissa Stein

Juniors: Zach Levine and Jessica Gutman

Ultras: Eric Teisch and Jackie Friedlander

Inters: Danny Lange and Emily Carpenter

Seniors: Scott Goldstein and Kayte McGinlay

Supers: Jared Finkelstein and Stacie Millman

Teens: Ricky Posner and Lindsay Heit

Workgroup: Greg Schwartz and Nancy Sackstein

Summer 2005 Groupleaders

Sophs: Eric Teisch and Kayte McGinlay

Juniors: Jordan Braver and Steph Slome

Ultras: Adam Tatz and Emily Carpenter

Inters: Danny Lange and Jackie Friedlander

Seniors: Mike Tirrell and Nancy Sackstein

Supers: Scott Goldstein and Stacie Millman

Teens: Ricky Posner and Lindsay Heit

Workgroup: Marc "Z" Zelmanowicz

Assistant Head Counselors: Noam Ben Tov and Sam Fishman

Famous alumni