By Thomas Wissinger
“I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and sunny days.” – Henry David Thoreau
Each year after the Kentucky Derby, when the days become longer and hotter, and the calendar turns to June, I often recall Thoreau’s quote and the memories that it evokes from my own childhood. My memories of playing sports all day and spending time with friends and family all night seem as real today as they were decades ago. However, nothing sparks my childhood memories more than my own children excitedly counting down until the end of the school year with the anticipation of living each summer day to their fullest. As a child, summer was a time when all things seemed possible.
Of course, now as an adult, the meaning of summer has changed. No longer are we free from responsibility as we were during our childhood days, and we are now the ones planning our family vacations and making sure that our kids’ summers are filled with the wonder we were able to experience. That being said, I feel extremely fortunate to see the joy of a child’s summer come alive each year on our Jewish Heritage Fund Campus and at the Trager Family JCC.
Memorial Day is commonly accepted as the unofficial start to summer, and here on Dutchmans Lane it is no different. Each year with the opening of our outdoor pool complex on Memorial Day weekend, we welcome members old and new to become a part of our friendly and welcoming outdoor pool community. Our aquatics staff, from lifeguards to instructors, work hard to make sure that all swimmers have a fun and safe summer. Whether you are a lap swimmer, an aerial artist on our diving boards, or are a first-time “swimmer” in the Seng Jewelers Wading Pool, we hope that you will find your own kind of summer fun at our pools.
But to be honest, we all know that summer doesn’t truly start until summer camp begins, and here at the Trager Family JCC our summer camp experience is second to none. Each week, we welcome approximately 250 children, youth and teens to take part in our Camp J experience. In addition, we also add about 70 counselors to our Camp J team which equates to more than 300 additional people singing, playing, learning and growing together on our campus each week during the summer.
Our Camp J program welcomes these 250 campers, ranging in age from 5 to 14 years old, to a summer full of activities and learning. Our largest camp, Camp Keff, welcomes our youngest Camp J campers, rising kindergartners to second graders. These campers get to experience a wide range of activities, including swimming, music, art, and learning about Israeli culture and history from our Israeli Schlihim. Our next group of campers, Camp Trek, rising 3rd through 5th graders, can go on excursions throughout the community in addition to the programs and activities offered at our Jewish Heritage Fund Campus. We also host our Young Leaders Camp for rising 6th through 8th graders. The Young Leaders take part in the traditional day camp experience while also being a part of teambuilding, leadership development, and community service activities. Young Leaders is a great capstone experience for those campers who have been with us for years.
In addition to our general camp track, we also have myriad specialty camps to appeal to almost any interest. Whether your child is a LEGO aficionado, athletic superstar, yearns for the bright lights on stage, or desires to be the next Michael Solomonov, we offer programming that we believe your child will love.
What you may not know is that we also have a camp experience for the youngest members of our community. Our Early Learning Center (ELC) also opens its doors for the summer, welcoming our summer-only friends to our Roth Family Education Center for their own day camp experience. These ELC summer campers get to play alongside our year-round students, creating new friendships and memories. We are proud to bring these enriching experiences to not only the children who are with us for the summer, but also for their entire families as they entrust us with caring for the youngest members.
So, while our parking lots may be a little fuller in the summer, we hope that your hearts may be a little fuller as well. Welcoming the hundreds of children and families into our Trager Family JCC community during the summer is one way that helps make the Louisville community more inclusive for all. And for all the adults out there, even though we do not get to enjoy the carefree summers of our youth, we hope that each of you finds a little time to “escape” from the worries of life, whether it is for an hour a day, or longer, here at the Trager Family JCC. No matter how old you are, we want to make the Trager Family JCC your Louisville summer destination, and if you haven’t been here for a while, we invite you to come see us again!
Thomas Wissinger is Vice President of the Jewish Community of Louisville and Executive Director of the Trager Family JCC.
