New Environmental Camp Nearing Opening 

“I was doing the dishes one day, thinking about my career in Jewish camping and realizing that although I loved working at camps, I always had inclinations to steer things differently,” says Yoni Stadlin, co-founder of the new Eden Village Camp.

“In a moment, I realized that every institution starts from an idea, and my idea was to start a new Jewish summer camp focusing on environmentalism, social justice, and spirituality,” Stadlin says. “Although the idea was huge, the feeling of Yes was even bigger!”

In the course of a few years, Stadlin and others have moved the inspiration toward reality. Eden Village Camp, an overnight camp being developed on a Putnam County site rented from UJA-Federation of New York, is scheduled to open next summer. On July 12th, it held a “Beresheit Workday” festival, when volunteers gathered to build trails, till fields, sing, and dance. The program plans to develop environmental awareness and Jewish identity and is the only camp with Jewish environmentalism as its founding principle, says Stadlin.

UJA-Federation has committed to refurbishing the site, having already allocated $1.5 million toward realizing the Eden Village plans, says Deborah Joselow, managing director of UJA-Federation’s Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal. Completing the physical transformation of the property will require millions of additional dollars, she said, and an active fundraising campaign has already begun. Costs include the refurbishment of basic infrastructure, in addition to the development of special features — such as greenhouses and farm buildings — the camp will require.

“On a microlevel, you’re living in a caring, nurturing, and supportive environment. On a macrolevel, you are learning how to live a sustainable life, and how that is an essential aspect of Jewish life,” says Joselow.
A camp for fourth- through tenth-graders, Eden Village is also supported by Jim Joseph Foundation and the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Designed for approximately 360 people, it has a 250-acre campsite, which is being redeveloped from a former camp. The camp’s facilities include a pool, a theater, hiking trails, and sports courts.

Eden Village will use green building technology, including permaculture designs and straw-bale construction, and will be powered by energy from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, and hydropower, says Stadlin. Members of the camp community will pursue a zero-waste goal by composting, recycling, and growing food from an organic farm.

Stadlin said campers will focus on a particular area, such as wilderness skills, science and nature, organic farming and green building, and arts for change. Program activities include boating, swimming, herbalism, animal care, and making masks. Campers will engage in Jewish cultural and religious practices through song, prayer, and mealtime blessings. They will also experience an educational fusion of environmentalism and religion, as campers will be taught values while planting. 

“The Torah has a lot to teach about social justice, and we can live those lessons through farming, role modeling, and living in a summer camp with a culture of caring,” says Stadlin. “That’s where the magic is. We don’t just have to learn about it or read about it, but we can do it and get our hands dirty in it. Our religion is trying to help us know how to be in this world.”