Email Us. As we enter our second century, we are confident that Michael will enhance these camp experiences. The womans attorney, Richard S. Swartz of the New Jersey law firm Swartz Swidler, LLC, declined to comment about the settlement. Phone: (570) 296-8596 Milford, Pennsylvania Camp Counselor and Tennis Coach at Cedar Lake Camp. There was a whole movement on the importance of taking care of yourself before addressing the needs of others. A grandparent? Get New Jersey Jewish News's Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories NJY Camps, a Jewish camping association in New Jersey, announced on Feb. 7 that its board of directors voted unanimously to suspend itself after an independent investigation found that Leonard Len Robinson, the 74-year-old former executive director of the organization, had sexually abused or harassed at least 11 women during his 25-year tenure as NJYs top executive. In that role, Schlank will lead the professional staff and oversee all of NJY Camps, Get New Jersey Jewish News's Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories, The New Jersey Jewish Film Festival returns to the JCC MetroWest, Kosher-chef-whiz-kid Eitan Bernath turns to social action as he works to feed the hungry, Local production,as in New York, takeson the Leo Frank story. But a JCCA employee, who asked for anonymity for fear of reprisal, told The Jewish Week last year that complaints about Robinson being verbally abusive were brought to the JCCAs attention but disregarded. While most of us were blindsided by the allegations against Len Robinson, we quickly came together to take decisive action and ensure no one else would be subjected to sexual harassment or assault at NJY Camps, said board president Peter Horowitz, who announced his resignation in December, the day after The Jewish Weeks exclusive report on the investigations findings. Does life have any meaning ifit all ends in death? It allows them to maintain control., NJY Camps said in a statement that the organization is working aggressively to reinvent itself in the aftermath of Robinsons removal and the entire boards resignation earlier this year. Get New Jersey Jewish News's Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories, The New Jersey Jewish Film Festival returns to the JCC MetroWest, Kosher-chef-whiz-kid Eitan Bernath turns to social action as he works to feed the hungry, Local production,as in New York, takeson the Leo Frank story. I cant wait to get to know everyone in the rest of the NJY Camps community. Do you wish you belong to any of those previously mentioned demographics? Caren Ford, Elyssa Wright. Our camping program serves a total of 5500 youth annually. JCC of Central New Jersey | Special Needs Resource Fair. Cedar Lake Camp 21 Plymouth Street Fairfield, NJ 07004. Have A Question? An independent investigation into the allegations was completed in September, The Jewish Week reports, but its conclusions only became public when the head of a large New Jersey Jewish federation read the report and called on the entire 60-member board of NJY Camps to resign. Camp Overview. The NJY board refused to release the full report to the public or to the press, citing the privacy of the individual women therein, but allowed two New Jersey federation executives Dov Ben-Shimon, executive vice president and CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ: and Jason Shames, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey to view the report two weeks ago. NJY Camps is part of the Jewish Community Center movement, a tradition grounded in Jewish communal service and social group work practice. Michael is a longtime active member of the New York Jewish community: sitting on the board of Hofstra Hillel, as president of his synagogue, and as a member of the AIPAC Long Island Council. An old parent? A person Wiesenthal Centers program puts students in government offices, Rabbi Moshe Josef Rubin talks about his family history and looks forward, We are more than a choir. H ours after NJJN published a report in which New Jersey federation executives called for the entire board of NJY Camps to resign for not taking action after learning of allegations of predatory behavior by its former executive director ("After damning probe, NJ fed exec urges board purge at NJY Camps," Dec. 20), the president of the NJY board announced his intention to resign, and advised . His letter was obtained by The Jewish Week. ours after NJJN published a report in which New Jersey federation executives called for the entire board of NJY Camps to resign for not taking action after learning of allegations of predatory behavior by its former executive director (After damning probe, NJ fed exec urges board purge at NJY Camps, Dec. 20), the president of the NJY board announced his intention to resign, and advised the rest of the board to follow suit. The camp was originally created to give young Jewish boys from around the state of New Jersey an opportunity to go to the country with other Jewish boys. NEW! JCC Association is honored to have been asked to assist NJY Camps through what has been a difficult period., Added Jeremy Fingerman, CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, We look forward to working with JCC Association to help assemble a transitional board which will put NJY Camps on a strong footing for generations to come. Sign in to stop seeing this, Sara Netanyahu accosted by protesters at Tel Aviv hair salon, extricated by police, Brides joy turns to sorrow after Elan Ganeles killed driving to her wedding, Hiker discovers 2,500-year-old ancient receipt from reign of Purim kings father, Netanyahu compares Tel Aviv protesters to settlers who set fire to Huwara. A few key facts about NJY Camps: NJY Camps is the largest Jewish overnight camping agency serving over 5,000 children each year. Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield opened her Riverdale home to a family of Ukrainian refugees. Summer Camp Board Asked To Resign For Ignoring Director's Predatory Behavior. NJJN obtained a copy of recommendations the investigators suggested in order to overhaul NJY Camps governance. NJY Camps attorneys entered into good faith conversations with that individuals counsel and ultimately reached a settlement to address her allegations, Horowitz wrote. Advisory Board; Globalize Your Camp. Sincerely,Michael Schlank, Winter Office: 21 Plymouth St. Fairfield, NJ 07004 Joanna reported the incidents of sexual assault to the Ramsey Police Department when she was 23. Last year, Robinson was forced to resign from his position as executive director last April, a day before The Jewish Weeks initial story was published. Horowitz thanked his colleagues on the board for the seriousness with which they have approached this crisis in our community. Schlank, a former teacher, has been an executive at Oasis Children Services, a provider of camp, enrichment, and after-school programs in the New York area. Get New Jersey Jewish News's Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Among camp directors, 54.0% of them are women, while 46.0% are men. Leadership at NJY Camps continues to decline NJJNs requests to disclose the full report, citing the confidentiality of women who have made allegations, according to an NJY Camps spokesperson. NJY Camps is the largest Jewish camp complex in the world, serving more than 7400 participants in our overnight camps, family camps, visiting groups and year round senior adult programs. I had to make sure this couldnt happen to another camper, she said. An old parent? All Staff Training. NJY Camps in New Jersey is the largest Jewish camp complex in North America, serving about 5,500 youth annually. operations. Iam pretty sure that I wrote a column about self-care at some point during the pandemic. For one hundred years, our NJY camps have been creating lasting friendships, positive Jewish experiences and summers of fun. NJY Camps, a Jewish camping association in New Jersey, announced on Feb. 7 that its board of directors voted unanimously to suspend itself after an independent investigation found that Leonard . Life is waking up every morning and being grateful that you can get out of bed and walk to the bathroom unassisted. For 100 years, our NJY camps have been creating lasting friendships, positive Jewish experiences, and summers of fun, said board president Stephen Seiden in an email to camp families, alumnae, and donors. Campers Arrive. Actually, come to think Read The Latest Issue of The New Jersey Jewish News, Pennsylvania governor bested by Jewish media mogul, The Lonely Child headed to Carnegie Hall, An IRS Twitter post you might have missed, Shul sues for being buffeted by Margaritaville, Joseph Tenenbaum celebrates his 98th birthday, YUs Holocaust in Lithuania speaker series begins this week on Zoom, Arden Courts grants resident her Hearts Desire, Israeli tour guide talks about Israeli food on Zoom, JCC MetroWest exhibit marks Tree of Life tragedy, 25th annual Holocausteducation conference, Union County shuls to markJewish Disability Awareness Month, Community development block grant program for JFS and JVS, JESPY House celebrates 45 years of service to adults with disabilities, Local Jewish agencies win Essex County community awards. Located in the beautiful Poconos of Pennsylvania, they are the perfect summer escape that can also provide amazing leadership and professional development opportunities for college students. Joanna who requested that her full name not be used to protect her privacy was 17 and working at the library of Camp Nah-Jee-Wah during the summer of 1994 when Robinson first sexually assaulted her, she claimed. After reflecting on the independent investigation into Len Robinsons tenure as executive director of NJY Camps, I have come to the conclusion that it is in the best interest of NJY Camps for new lay leadership to lead our community going forward, Peter Horowitz, the current president of NJY Camps, wrote to NJJN in an email. Ten months after the executive director of the largest camping organization in North America was forced to resign due to allegations of sexual harassment that stretched back years, the organizations entire board has voted to disband. E ven as NJY Camps, the embattled New Jersey network of JCC Association of North America-affiliated summer camps, focuses on moving forward with a new board, two alleged victims have come forward. Working on an actual campgrounds and being able to work with children. Cultural Exchange; Advocacy; About the Program. Bruce Tucker, GPS . We are determining if there is basis for a criminal investigation, a spokesperson from the Prosecutors Office told NJJN on April 8. Tuition provides for the full operating costs of the NJY Camps. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Winter Office: 21 Plymouth St. Fairfield, NJ 07004 Horowitz said in his remaining time as board president he will work to identify replacement board members and officers from outside the current board with impeccable credentials. At least 15 board members, including Horowitz, plan to step down, according to NJY Camps. Even as NJY Camps, the embattled New Jersey network of JCC Association of North America-affiliated summer camps, focuses on moving forward with a new board, two alleged victims have come forward. The Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities (WCBDD) coordinates services for over 1,000 people with developmental disabilities in Wood County. At the same time, camp is about having fun and creating lifelong friendships. In December, Dov Ben-Shimon, executive vice president and CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, called for the resignation of the entire 60-member board of NJY Camps after viewing the report, according to an NJJN story. Why didnt his obituaries say so? The NJ Y Camps is one of the nation's premier Jewish camping organizations, with seven camps clustered at two locations serving children, families and seniors. As for the meaning of life? By Hannah Dreyfus April 13, 2018, 12:00 am. By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. As for the meaning of life? and many more to come. Hannah Dreyfus is a staff writer for The New York Jewish Week, NJJNs sister publication. 2 Day Intro to Overnight Camp. THE NJY CAMPS board of directors has named Michael Schlank to the newly created position of chief executive officer. Actually, come to think Read The Latest Issue of The New Jersey Jewish News, Pennsylvania governor bested by Jewish media mogul, The Lonely Child headed to Carnegie Hall, An IRS Twitter post you might have missed, Shul sues for being buffeted by Margaritaville, Joseph Tenenbaum celebrates his 98th birthday, YUs Holocaust in Lithuania speaker series begins this week on Zoom, Arden Courts grants resident her Hearts Desire, Israeli tour guide talks about Israeli food on Zoom, JCC MetroWest exhibit marks Tree of Life tragedy, 25th annual Holocausteducation conference, Union County shuls to markJewish Disability Awareness Month, Community development block grant program for JFS and JVS, JESPY House celebrates 45 years of service to adults with disabilities, Local Jewish agencies win Essex County community awards. An independent investigative report, commissioned by NJYs board in April and completed in September, found that board leadership had known of Robinsons behavior NJJN reported that members of the board were informed three years ago that Robinson had pressured at least one female staff member to engage in sexual activity but failed to act. Ihave no idea who reads this column. "For 100 years, our NJY camps have been creating lasting friendships, positive Jewish experiences, and summers of fun," said . (Photo illustration by Janice hwang). After seeing the report which detailed at least 11 cases in which Robinson sexually harassed, assaulted, or bribed female staff members in exchange for their silence federation leadership called upon the NJY board to resign, among other recommendations.