MAJORS & ELECTIVES

Digital Film Production provides a unique combination of technology and art. In the Digital Film Production (DFP) major, campers take ownership of the entire movie creation process. From ideation and scriptwriting to directing, shooting, and editing, campers in DFP have the opportunity to engage in all aspects of film production and creatively explore a whole new world of storytelling. 

In DFP, campers form production teams to write, film, and edit their film together with our professional-level equipment and specialists and counselors who act as producers for their short-films. 

Throughout this process, campers learn to effectively use technology – from our video cameras and microphones to diverse and advanced computer software options – to realize their artistic visions. Our instructors, specialists, and counselors work with campers to write scenes, execute multiple camera angles, adjust for lighting, and direct their movies.

Once the footage is filmed, campers use professional tools to develop hands-on experience in editing and VFX, music scoring, and sound effects. At the end of the session, we hold a mini-film festival to showcase all the films made that session!

Our Instrumental & Vocal Ensemble is for rising 6th-11th graders. We create an environment for our musicians and singers in which methodology and theory are highlighted as foundational skills through collaboration and teamwork. Our instrumentalists and vocalists perform in large and small ensembles, while setting individual goals that are supported and reinforced. Campers interpret and engage with existing musical works in a variety of genres while growing their technical and musical skills.

Opening each day by playing and singing through new musical pieces lays groundwork for exploring new skills, and afternoon sessions offer time to incorporate those skills into ongoing projects, including group and individual rehearsal time in our private practice rooms. Campers can bring their own musical scores from home to work on, and can create their own compositions as well.

We recommend that instrumentalists and vocalists have at least one year of experience playing their instrument before registering to attend this major.

Our Songleading Major is for rising 8th-11th graders. Combining the passions of singing, playing music, and leadership into one, campers spend 12 days jamming and learning with some of the greats in the Jewish music world. This special track was developed in partnership with Sing Unto God, an organization founded by Cantor Rosalie Will, which is dedicated to building a pipeline of strong Jewish leaders through communal singing.

Campers will gain skills and have unique experiences, such as getting a big crowd to sing along with you, improving your guitar stylings and technique, tips and tricks for teaching new tunes, making music with peers and friends, and more!

Participants will leave with tangible takeaways, skills, and a repertoire that will support them in continuing their songleading journey outside of camp – whether it’s at your home congregation, a JCC, or a summer camp job.

Songleaders of any level and experience are welcome. At least a beginner level of guitar skill is recommended.

Our Rock Band Major is for rising 6th-11th graders. We create an environment for our musicians and singers in which methodology and theory are highlighted as foundational skills through collaboration and teamwork. Our instrumentalists and vocalists perform in large and small ensembles, while setting individual goals that are supported and reinforced. Campers interpret and engage with modern repertoire in a variety of rock subgenres while growing their technical and musical skills.

Opening each day by playing and singing through new musical pieces lays groundwork for exploring new skills, and afternoon sessions offer time to incorporate those skills into ongoing projects, including group and individual rehearsal time in our private practice rooms. Campers can bring their own musical scores from home to work on, and can create their own compositions as well.

We recommend that instrumentalists and vocalists have at least one year of experience playing their instrument and/or singing before registering to attend this major.

What was in your breakfast this morning? How does sunlight turn into electricity? Why does a roller coaster make your stomach drop? How do rockets launch into space? What exactly is a vitamin? These are just a few of the countless questions people wonder about every day. The process of exploring and answering questions like these is called SCIENCE! You've probably heard of the scientific method, but did you know it begins with a simple question? Once you start asking questions, the real adventure begins.

This summer, in the Natural Sciences major, we’re going to dive right into answering some of those big questions. In the first week of each session, we’ll learn about the methods used in different fields of study as we explore a current, cutting-edge topic and the underlying principles. As part of those investigations, campers will have lessons, labs, debates, and other activities to learn more about that topic and the ethical issues surrounding it.

For Session 1, we’ll focus on Physics; for Session 2, we’ll focus on Chemistry; and for Session 3, we’ll focus on Biology! This means campers who want to take Natural Sciences all summer long can learn about different scientific topics, debates, and experiments for each session they’re enrolled.

In the second week of the session, campers will have an opportunity to design and implement an investigation of their own. Campers can create any type of science experiment that they’re curious about, regardless of scientific field! They just need to be testable using scientific methods, which we’ll teach you all about.

Is there a question you asked yourself at the beginning of reading this that you think you can try to answer? Want to learn more about the wildlife at camp, but the topic was about something completely different? No problem! If you come to camp with an idea, we’ll talk about it and see what we can work out for you! Don't worry if you don't have a project idea before camp. We'll discuss lots of ideas during the first few days of the session to get your brain going.

In the Robotics major, our campers become engineers, bringing their ideas to life through hands-on building and computer programming. Learning from experienced instructors, campers use a wide variety of tools to explore the mechanics of robots and the programming necessary to make them work. Campers are divided by grades and/or skill level into groups to create an age-appropriate program that is both intellectually stimulating and challenging.

Beginning campers will learn the basics of robot construction and programming. Working with gears, sensors, and motors, they teach their robots to accomplish a series of smaller challenges. Once they’ve mastered moving, turning, and sensing colors and distance, the campers collaborate to work on larger projects. Examples include Robot Soccer, Robot Tic-Tac-Toe, or a Rube Goldberg machine – a whimsical device using their robots to complete a basic task in the most convoluted way possible.

Campers returning to robotics or those with more experience have an opportunity to develop their learning further, where they will use similar tools with more complex modeling and programming with new projects and challenges. As campers move beyond the basic functions of robotics, they will begin to learn more about gear ratios, as well as more in-depth programming that combines visual programming with coding in Robot C, a common programming language used for robotics programming. With a greater understanding of robot mechanics, campers can customize their electrical circuitry and designs to create even more intricate robots.

Our program uses the VEX Robotics platform, a popular and advanced platform for robotics competitions.

Lower Camp (rising 4th – 7th grade) uses VEX IQ.
Upper Camp (rising 8th - 10th grade) uses VEX EDR/ VEX v5.

Beyond technique and experimental approaches, visual art takes critical thinking to a whole other level. Visual artists have access to studios in drawing, painting, printmaking, and hand-built clay work. They derive inspiration from pieces by fellow artists, and from the natural world around us, to develop a critical eye to design and execute unique works.  

Daily opportunities for engaging with various materials and techniques lay the groundwork for exploring new skills each morning, and afternoon sessions offer time to incorporate new skills into ongoing projects leading towards crafting and hosting a display of their selected works for our Art Gallery Walk as part of our culminating Showcase experience.