34 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 

I 

grew up at Camp Young 
Judaea Midwest (CYJ) in 
Waupaca, Wisconsin. I 
spent many summers there as 
both a chanicha (camper) and 
member of the tzevet (staff). 
Rising through 
the ranks each 
summer, I 
couldn’t wait to 
be in the oldest 
age group as a 
camper and was 
just as excited 
if not more to 
become a merakezet (unit 
head) when I was old enough 
in college. Then it was time 
to grow up, or that’s what I 
thought — since that’s what 
so many people around me 
said (not my family, though!).
When it came time for me 
to pursue my professional 
career, it also led me to other 
summer camps. I learned so 
much and was so grateful for 
those years. 
But still, I felt this whisper 
and push to find something 

that would have me be home 
in the summers and some-
thing with more regular 
hours while living at home 
in Michigan. Then came 
this past fall when I had the 
opportunity to return to the 
Wisconsin woods for my 
summers. 
Being older and a bit wiser, 
I know how precious this 
opportunity is. I am so proud 
to be back with the CYJ fam-
ily. So thrilled to be able to 
live at my house in Michigan 
during the year and spend my 
summer with a new crop of 
campers and staff each sum-
mer to help create memories 
that will last a lifetime. There 
is no better resume builder 
and teacher than summers 
spent working at camp.
This place shaped me into 
who I am today. The lens 
that I look through for every 
aspect of life was especially 
formed during those sum-
mers at CYJ. The friendships 
I gained, the people I met 

from Israel and all over this 
country, the lessons learned, 
and the conversations had all 
helped me to grow. The pride, 
comfort and support that was 
there in everything we did. 
Whether it was singing or 
dancing, swimming or debat-
ing, it shaped us all. Every 
camper and staff not only 
knew one another’s names, 
but also looked out for every-
one at that camp all summer 
long. Good lessons indeed. 
It’s nearly an indescrib-
able feeling to know that my 
niece and nephew now attend 
CYJ with their friends. I am 
overjoyed to see friends my 
sister and I have from our 
years spent at camp send their 
children off to Waupaca each 
summer. It’s the next genera-
tion’s turn to experience this 
magic and fun. To start their 
journey and to return for 
many summers as chanichim 
and future tzevet.
Want to join us? Give us 
a call at (224) 235-4665 or 
email rachel@cyjmid.org. 

Rachel Ruskin is camp life director at 

Camp Young Judaea Midwest.

Rachel 
Ruskin

Rachel Ruskin is camp life director at 
Camp Young Judaea Midwest.

RACHEL RUSKIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CAMP GUIDE
ESSAY

My Home in the 
Wisconsin Woods

Rachel Ruskin 
during her 
camper days 
at Camp 
Young Judaea 
Midwest.

Calling all participants, families 
and interested members of the 
Teen Mission to Israel!
The Federation has been 
accepted as a RootOne grantee 
for summer 2022. The new initia-
tive helps lower the price of Teen 
Mission 2022 (June-20-July 15) 
by offering each registered partic-
ipant a voucher for $3,000. “We 
are so excited to be working with 
RootOne in sending more teens 
to Israel and investing in quality 
educational experiences,
” said Zach 
Goldberger of Federation.
Teen Mission is open to ninth-
12th graders to strengthen their 
Jewish identity and pride as a 
Detroiter. The educational, experi-
ential itinerary allows teens to see, 
feel and touch Israel, and create 
personal relationships with Israeli 
teens from the Partnership Region. 
The trip provides quality programs 
with attention to health and safety 
standards; and emphasizes a com-
munity building experience with 
sensitivity toward individual needs.
According to a former partici-
pant: “Teen Mission was a once-in-
a-lifetime opportunity for me and 
helped shape who I am today. I 
made incredible friends, saw mag-
nificent sights and was challenged 
every single day. I feel so lucky to 
be able to call Israel my home and 
am so grateful for the experience.
”
The cost of the trip — now 
$4,095 — includes room and 
board, program activities, flights to 
Israel and back, and laundry. An 
itinerary of the trip can be found 
at https://teenmissiondetroit.org/
trip-overview.
To learn more, visit https://teen-
missiondetroit.org. For questions, 
contact Zach Goldberger at zgold-
berger@teenmissiondetroit.org. 

Teen Mission 2022

