Making Mensches

“The Maharal of Prague (Rabbi Yehudah Loeb, d. 1609) created a golem (a being from clay that came to life), and this was a great wonder. But how much more wonderful is it to transform a corporeal human being into a mensch!” –Rabbi Israel Salanter and decided that while most of them still reflected who we are and our goals, they needed some updating.

Read the full story and updated Seven Core Values

Rabbi Shana Nyer Jewish Educator

I have spent the past eight summers teaching and reminding campers and staff that while we often define the Yiddish word “mensch” as a good or kind person, the actual translation is simply “person.” (Literally “man”, but we are going to be mensches and use the more inclusive “person”).

For many years now, Camp Wise has had Six Core Values that inform our work, who we are as a camp community, and how we guide our campers and staff to be mensches both while at camp and in life. As we prepare for this coming summer, the head staff reviewed our core values