In the words of a CW staff person…

For the past 11 years, Camp Wise has been my home away from home. I made some of my best friends during my first year, way back when I was in Chalutizm, and some equally as close just this past summer. CW has some of the most unique opportunities for campers and staff alike. As a camper, I remember running around, playing every sport, cheering, song sessions, little inside jokes, staying up late and hanging out with my bunk, and getting super excited when Maccabia came around. As a staff member, I have been blessed to see the other side of what camp is. I feel that I owe it to campers to try and make camp just as awesome to them as it was for me. Whenever people ask me, “Why are you a counselor at the same camp you have been going to for eleven years, why not try something new?” The answer is always the same, Camp Wise is home for me, it is part of me, and that’s why I love it so much. Camp simply is the best decision I have made. I am a better person because of camp. I have had once in a lifetime experiences, been able to learn and grow with some of my very best friends, and I get to have the best summer, every summer.

-Andy Leubitz, Counselor

Akron, Ohio

After studying full time and finishing university in Australia in 2005, I found myself constantly daydreaming about finding something new. Something that was going to make me laugh for 10 weeks straight, let me wear a costume all day just because it felt like a good idea, a place that no matter what background you have, what country you’re from, or which Beatles song you like the best, you’d instantly feel at home and feel that you were about to be apart of something that would probably change your life forever. The first thing I noticed about the staff as they arrived at camp was the look on their faces. It was a look of absolute happiness because as they put it, “they were home.” I didn’t understand that completely until my 2nd and 3rd summer. Camp Wise has honestly made me into the young woman that I am today and I am so thankful for my experiences and the memories that I hold so close to my heart. If you want to laugh, make friends, learn something new every day and make a difference in the summer of some amazing kids then Camp Wise is exactly where you need to be!

-Sarah Mac, Arts & Culture Supervisor

Melbourne, Australia

Being new at Camp Wise may be scary at first but as soon as the campers arrive every worry you might have had about your summer flies out the window. The campers are the heart of Wise and they pull you in day after day and week after week. From the moment they step off the bus you can see how excited the campers are to see returning staff, and to meet the new faces. This excitement is contagious and the staff is just as excited as the campers. That’s because the friendships made at Camp Wise are genuine and you know that at the end of the summer everyone may go their separate ways but as soon as they return in June it’s like not a moment has passed. It’s hard to describe the energy that flows through the air at camp; it’s something you just have to experience- the thundering cheers in the Chadar (Dining Hall), the electricity of Maccabbiah, the power of CW night. I have worked at a few camps before but none had the magic of Wise that you feel even as new staff. Camp Wise is more than a summer job; it’s a lifestyle that I am happy to be returning to in just a few short months.

-Heather Pease, Counselor

Toronto, Canada