Our Mission
Our Vision
Eden Village Camp...
- is a living model of a thriving, inspired, sustainable Jewish community, grounded in social responsibility and vibrant spiritual life.
- is not a place where campers retreat from the world, but one that allows them to more powerfully step into the world.
- creates a fun, safe and inclusive space for young people to be themselves – to learn, grow and explore their true gifts and passions. As campers gain both technical skills like outdoor living and social skill sets like learning to thrive in community, they deepen their sense of personal purpose, contribution and Jewish identity.
- offers an immersive education in Jewish values that provides a context for making choices and taking action. Campers consider and express those values through activities like hands-on farming, hiking, arts, contemplation and service to others, which simultaneously transforms them and changes the world.
The big idea...
Create a Jewish environmental overnight camp!
A letter from Founding Directors Yoni and Vivian Stadlin
Three years ago, we (Yoni and Vivian) were washing dishes in our Manhattan apartment, as an inspiration came that would become our life’s work: create a Jewish environmental overnight camp!
The goal was both lofty and simple: to create a safe space for young Jews to ask big questions while having the time of their lives, and to help them create a more just, sustainable and joyful environment, for themselves and for the world.
We started outlining the dream in the form of a proposal. A few months later, we learned of the Jewish Specialty Camp Incubator, a competitive grant that would provide resources to create five new camps (with funds from the Foundation for Jewish Camp and Jim Joseph Foundation). For months, while Yoni completed his Masters in Informal Jewish Education and Vivian practiced public interest law, we spent evenings and weekends crafting a detailed proposal, with generous input from colleagues, friends, family and community. On September 15, 2008 — the day after our wedding — we learned that our camp had been selected!
We suddenly had major funding, amazing and committed mentors, and a training program designed to ensure that Eden Village Camp would adhere to best practices and succeed in its mission.
The way we found our gorgeous site felt equally miraculous. On a seemingly ordinary Monday afternoon, our friend Nili was on a business call with someone from the UJA-Federation, who happened to mention that the UJA had an empty camp facility and was looking for someone with an environmental leadership camp vision. Just minutes later, we called Nili to tell her our camp idea – and the match was made!
Dream to Reality
Eden Village Camp is the blossoming of a large group of people who believe in the power of young people to create change in themselves and in the world, who believe Judaism contains wisdom that speaks to our most pressing social issues, and who are excited to help young people thrive within a positive, solutions-based community.
For two joyful, intensive years, we brought our dream into reality through capacity-building, program development, staff training, site renovations, camper recruitment and more. With tremendous support on all sides, we launched in Summer 2010—with 134 campers from 17 states and 4 countries!
And it succeeded beyond our wildest imagination! For all that we’d planned Eden Village Camp as a kind of kid-and-teen paradise, we couldn’t have predicted how immensely each of our campers and apprentices would contribute to shaping our kind, spirited, creative community.
Having spent this past year building on our successes and strengthening our program, we are thrilled for our next amazing summer. Thank you for your interest in Eden Village Camp, and we invite your family to join us! Please contact us with questions or comments.
Warmly,
Vivian and Yoni Stadlin
Founding Directors
Beresheit (Creation) Work-Day Festival
Watch a short newsclip below of our Beresheit (Creation) Work-Day Festival in July 2009, when over 250 people, ages 1 to 89, joined to break ground on the farm, fundraise, clean, run the festival itself, learn and celebrate. Since then, many hundred more volunteers have helped Eden Village grow!
In our efforts to learn more about the world around us, we've included a background image of one of the plant species native to our campgrounds. On this page you can find the:
