Rabbi Ari Strulowitz, ’05

Executive Director, Camp Nageela Midwest

Having to shut down all of our in-person programming since the onset of COVID has been truly devastating for hundreds of campers and staff at Camp Nageela. From the very beginning we needed to quickly adjust our plans and begin to prepare for what was going to be an incredibly difficult time ahead. Aside from the survival of our organization, we felt a responsibility to help our campers as well. In an effort to support them and their families, we did our best to engage everyone through virtual programming. While we were providing a much needed informal virtual experience, behind the scenes things were a bit more difficult. Leading an organization through COVID has been incredibly challenging, but it has also awarded me many unique opportunities. I have been able to completely reshape the way we manage our operation, our financials, and our communications. In many ways we have had to do more with less resources, but we now have a renewed commitment to our community and our mission.