Eizeh yofi, yofi tofi...I feel like if I close my eyes, I can still hear the voices raised in chant and cheer from the chadar where we as a community praised whichever camper had reached new heights that day. Everything from getting up on skis for the first time, to hitting a bullseye in archery, would be announced after meals and elicit a rousing chorus of this Hebrew camp cheer. Recently, I posed this question to Andrew, my youngest and only child to have experienced the "Interlaken Magic."

"They still do eizeh yofi at camp, right?"

Andrew answered sarcastically, "No, I don't even know what you're talking about." (Note from the Camp Office: Andrew is clearly being sarcastic given that he's been the recipient of many Eizeh Yofis over the years - specifically for his bullseye's in archery). Undeniably, this was his way of saying it's my experience, not yours. However, this got me thinking...Read more.

Creating Camp Interlaken's Siddur HaMachaneh was a spiritual and creative journey. The road to our new siddur began several years ago. Our current siddurim were showing signs of wear and no longer worked for our community. Camp was on a path to be more intentional about how we prayed, what our services looked and felt like, and what made Interlaken Shabbat special. We wanted our prayer books to demonstrate this. Read more.

I can't remember a time when camp was not the most important thing in my life. Even during my first year in Shoresh, I saw camp for what it was - a place that shows you who you are and who you can be. Camp has given me moments of pure, perfect happiness, as I learned to let my walls down and feel comfortable in my own skin. At camp, I met the funniest, most creative people - people who quickly became my best friends in the world. And after a year without it, going back was a must. Read more.

Ever since I returned from my first summer at camp as a little fourth grader, I knew that I wanted to be an Ozo. Ozo or Ozrim (plural) means "helper" in Hebrew. Ozrim are counselors in training going into 12th grade. After spending my summer at camp, I truly believe that Ozos are at the center of what brings the Ruach (spirit) and excitement to everything that happens at camp. Ozrim are the ones to set the table before Shabbat Dinners, scream at the top of their lungs at the Floval, and work tirelessly to plan what I believe is the best day at camp - Maccabiah (color wars). On the first Shabbat of camp this past summer, I was told the news that I never thought I would have to hear... Read more.

Camp Interlaken is organizing a day of reunions! We are looking for a volunteer from each year to rally your K'far Noar year, to help find lost alumni, and to help lead the reunion calls.

Our Reunion Day will be Sunday, May 15 - keep an eye out for more information as we get closer! Even if you didn't go to K'far Noar, you can still participate in your reunion call for the year you would have been in K'far Noar - this way you can meet your fellow alumni who are your same age/grade.

Shalom everyone,

We knew walking into the summer of 2021 that our campers and our staff would come to camp with new challenges after living through a global pandemic, from social isolation to fear, to grief and more. Before camp began, we had an opportunity to appeal to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation (MJF) to support a project towards MESH (Mental Emotional Social Health) needs at Camp Interlaken. We took inventory of how we currently supported our campers who needed to break away from the normal camp program to decompress or reset, and they had always just hung out in Michelle Lafferty's - our camp's social worker - office or even my office. I imagined a separate sensory space to support our campers and staff who might need that safe space to take a break.

With the help of a generous donor who embraced our proposal that we wrote for the MJF appeal, the Zen Den came to life during staff week 2021! We purchased a small building locally, and we filled the inside with every imaginable type of fidget, strung Edison lights for dim lighting, added soft flooring, big comfy chairs, an essential oil diffuser, and even a speaker to play quiet music. Honestly, the staff enjoyed the Zen Den as much as the campers did, and, admittedly I spent a few moments in the Zen Den as well!

We hoped our Zen Den would make a difference. It did. A huge one.

Our campers had a place they could go to just reset and decompress before returning to camp life. Campers had to sign-in to use the Zen Den, and, at the end of the summer, we had collected pages and pages of sign in sheets to reflect the use of the space.

We know everyone in our kehillah (community) has different needs; being able to accommodate each of them is one of the things that makes Camp Interlaken so special. We are looking forward to the Zen Den providing needed respite for campers and staff for years to come.

With so much pride in our home on Lake Finley,