
The History of
URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy




Portraits of a New Camp
Greg Kellner
Camp Director, 2014-2018
11/21/24
It all began on Sunday, September 22, 2013, with a phone call from Paul Reichenbach, the Director of URJ Camps and Israel Programs (now retired). I remember the date clearly because I received this call while getting ready to go to the Jets game. I had never received a call from the person who was my boss’s boss (at the time, I was the Senior Assistant Director of URJ Crane Lake Camp), so I thought something was terribly wrong. I can only describe the call as something from a Mission Impossible Movie. I answered the call and after finding out everyone was ok, Paul said in his deep voice, “I have a very important opportunity to discuss with you. Meet me tomorrow at the Metro Diner on 100th St. and Broadway at 5 pm, and we can discuss the opportunity then. Do not talk about this with anyone, including your colleagues. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Over the next 24 hours, I racked my brain, trying to figure out what Paul was talking about. Of course, I called my colleagues, and they weren’t going to tell me about the opportunity. One of my colleagues said to me, “Don't think about it, just say yes.” So I'm nervously waiting for the meeting. When we met Paul told me about the opportunity, and right there, I said that I would do it. The next 9 months were some of the craziest months of my life. Below are some of my memories from the first, second, and third summers: Just before Camp was opening for the first time in 2014, we had the final staff meeting to go over the schedule for the first day, and someone on the faculty raised their hand and asked me when the bed bars were going in. I exclaimed a couple of choice words in my head, and as soon as the meeting was finished, I ran to speak with Governor's Academy about the bed bars. At 7:00 a.m. the next day, right before the campers arrived, the maintenance staff of Governor’s Academy got all the bed bars installed just in time for the campers to arrive. During that first summer, we are at the forefront of Technology. Drones and 3D printers had just come out commercially, and we bought one of each. Within 10 minutes we crashed the drone. Luckily, this was anticipated, and we had some replacement parts. We also purchased a 3D printer. After it was unboxed, I pressed the demo button, and for about 2 hours, I sat in my office doing work getting up every 5 to 10 minutes to what seemed like watch paint dry. That demo was a keychain. About a week and a half after I started, I did my first recruitment visit and traveled down to Atlanta. I had to have something impressive, and I had nothing to share except a bunch of information and a shiny brochure. Everything in my brain and the brochure never happened and was only imagined. At the airport, I went to Sharper Image with the intention of purchasing something very cool. The Sphero ball had just come out and was amazing to watch. when I arrived at my hotel in Atlanta, I played with it and learned how to use it, which took me hours. Although the Sphero ball is commonplace now, people had never seen one before and were mesmerized by it. The recruitment visit was a hit.
Rabbi Dan Medwin, “Rabbi Dan”
Camp Council (founding member), 2013-2021
Faculty member, 2015-2021 (Faculty Dean, 2019-2021)
Co-Director, 2022 and beyond
Camp Parent, 2022 and beyond
9/3/2024
I can still clearly recall the meeting we had at the URJ central office in January of 2013 to imagine what a Jewish science and technology camp would look like. As a rabbi who specialized in technology, and who had spent practically every summer of my life at camp, including experimenting with early specialty camp education concepts, I was very excited to vision with an amazing group of dreamers. At the time, it both felt natural that a camp like this would succeed, but also, there was no guarantee it would ever get off the ground. Remembering these early days, before camp even existed, is vital to understand how far we’ve come and what it took to get here. As an experiment, some initial ideas were not successful, as is often the case in science. For example, few know there was someone centrally involved with the back end of creating camp that was poised to be its director the first summer. This person was well-suited for much of the back end and technical portion of camp’s development, with someone else focusing on recruitment, program development, and leading the camp through its initial summer. The hiring of Greg allowed Sci-tech to start with the right leadership in place, which made all the difference. One of the aspects of Sci-Tech about which I am most proud, is the deeply embedded culture of music and singing. As a guitar player and former song leader, Greg knew how important this was, and was central in introducing and sustaining music as a vital element of Sci-Tech. Faculty and guests are often blown away by the level of participation and the ruach (spirit) of services and song session. Another one of the most impressive aspects of Sci-Tech is the level and depth of our inclusion program. Drawing a diverse range of campers, it is crucial to be able to support a variety of identified needs. Jayme Dale Mallindine, who succeeded Greg as director, has poured in her passion and brilliance to also deeply embed this into all aspects of camp culture. From extensive pre-camp conversations with families, to including Universal Design Language in all aspects of camp programming, Sci-Tech is able to support campers who have not been successful at other camps, and has allowed them to thrive. Having served on the founding Camp Council, and as faculty each summer, it is an honor now to be one of the directors. I am eager to see what lasting legacy I will be able to bestow upon this thriving institution. To have the greatest impact, I need to understand what aspects of camp are deeply embedded cultural successes, and which practices need reevaluation as camp continues to grow and mature. For now, I will also relish my newest role in camp – a camp parent. My three children have had incredible summers at Sci-Tech and plan to keep returning year after year.
Robbie Berg
Assistant Director (2013-2016)
9/07/2024
In the spring of 2013, I saw a press release from the URJ that they were opening a science and technology themed Jewish summer camp in 2014. At the time, I had been accepted to HUC’s rabbinical school program, but deferred my acceptance, and was heading to URJ Camp Coleman for the summer to work as a Unit Head. I emailed the camp asking if they were hiring anyone, and if so… they had to hire me. I earned a biochemistry degree from Penn, a deferred acceptance to rabbinical school, and five years of experience in various roles at a URJ Camp Coleman. I was told they would be looking for an assistant director, and that summer, my friends locked me in an office one night until I finished my application. After interviewing with many people I was told they would get back to me soon, but a month later, I still hadn’t heard back. it turns out they were also hiring a director! Once Greg was on board, I got the call from Paul Reichenbach, the now retired Director of URJ Camps and Israel Programs, and the first Sci-Tech team was finally in place. Greg and I had our first meeting on the Intrepid aircraft carrier in New York, an unusual setting for a camp meeting, but one to get us in the spirit of innovation and creativity. In the 160 Chubb Ave office, Greg and I quickly got to work figuring out how we would build camp for the summer. Foundation for Jewish Camp Incubator conferences helped keep us on track (thanks especially to Michele Friedman and Jay Frankel!) and guidance from Debby Shriber, Louis Bordman, and the entire Eisner and Crane Lake teams was invaluable. That first year was a whirlwind – every weekend we were in a different city, running workshops at camp fairs, religious school classes, and Shabbat events. During the week, we were fielding calls from nervous and excited parents, trying to discuss on the phone what a camp that doesn’t exist yet would look like. I did a lot of work on curriculum development, fleshing out an idea for four workshops from a more classroom-based model to a truly camp-style exploratory experience. I learned a lot about marketing in Jewish newspapers, futzing with newsletter HTML, and of course, goofy things like a vegetable piano, elephant toothpaste, and brain stress balls. So much about the first summer was an exercise in iterative improvement. The very first Boker Big Bang was a Boker Big Fail, as the kids wouldn’t let me forget. I tried doing the “Sacrificial Gummy Bear” demonstration, where a test tube of molten KClO3 causes a gummy bear to erupt in light and flames. It worked effortlessly the night before, but it was so humid the first morning that the gummy bear stuck to the side of the test tube, and when I tried to unstick it, the molten potassium chlorate was no longer liquid, and the entire experiment failed. It was a great lesson about science – things don’t always work the way they’re supposed to, and that night I recreated the experiment for the campers and got it to work out! The counselors were such troopers with me changing the schedule every day – adding five minutes of transition time, changing things up to get the kids to the Newburyport YWCA pool, adjusting times for sports or Livnot or evening program – I think not until the third session did we have two days in a row with the same schedule. Everyone’s flexibility really helped make the first summer a success, which allowed us to triple in size over the next two years because of word of mouth from how much fun everyone had that summer. I love that Sci-Tech attracted the most creative and fun people to work with, and I cherish all of those early memories.
Paul Reichenbach
Director of URJ Camps and Israel Programs (Retired)
1975-2019 - various roles within URJ Youth Programs
7/1/23
Hello everyone, I’m Paul Reichenbach and I had the great honor of being deeply engaged in the youth programs of Reform Judaism for more than 40 years. I’m so happy to share with you the wonderful journey of URJ camps across North America for more than 70 years and especially the impactful and inspiring creation of URJ Six Points Sci Tech Camp and the delightful celebration of Sci Tech’s 10th anniversary this summer to come. In 1947, young people from Reform congregations in Northern California were hosted for the first time near Lake Tahoe, coming together to create a sense of community, personal growth, fun and inspiration to explore their Jewish identity. This wonderfilled vision helped launch the Reform Movement’s dream of summer camps, having a meaningful impact on Jewish pride and the future of Reform Judaism in North America. When the Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI, our first UAHC/URJ camp residence) in Oconomowoc Wisconsin opened in 1952, there was true and broad recognition that camps could provide summers of merrymaking, celebration of Judaism and deep life changing friendship. With the tremendous support of leadership of the Movement, Reform congregations and generous donors across North America, by 2009 there were twelve extraordinary camps welcoming more than 14,000 campers and young adults for momentous summers of exploration, inclusion, and transformation. The participation of campers and young adults also deepened the connection to and involvement in Reform Judaism for parents. Our Reform Movement has well deserved gratification of how our broad range of youth programs provided great adventure, creative learning, enchanting music and prayer, connection to Israel and dedication to social justice. One of the meaningful benefits of URJ camps and youth programs has been the motivation of so many to choose to become Rabbis, Cantors, Jewish educators and devoted lay leaders for many decades. The growth of welcoming and inclusion of those who identify as LGBTQ , campers of color and those with with special needs ensured more embracing and inclusive communities. The broad challenge to come was how would we be able to grow, attract and engage more young people to expand our camp population and potential impact. This very hopeful dream and vision became a reality in the summers of 2010, 2014 and 2018 with the creation of URJ Six Points Sports Camp, URJ Six Points Sci Tech and URJ Creative Arts, all empowered, funded and guided by the Foundation For Jewish Camp together the Jim Joseph and Avi Chai Foundations. The superb story of how URJ Six Points Sci Tech allured new campers from all over North America is a moving narrative on how to engage a contemporary generation of young people. We all understood that the world had changed and a new mission and vision could truly make a difference. We recognized that the choices that many kids and parents would make during the summer had evolved. Parents sought for their children unique programs of 2,4 or 6 weeks that were different than traditional summer camp experiences and would resonate for their young people…and expand our ability to attract and engage many more campers. In our appeal to the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) for being our partner in the creation of URJ Six Points Sci Tech Camp, we shared that “Jews have been leaders in scientific exploration and technology for centuries and their work has expanded our understanding of human nature and our world. Maimonides taught that in order to become both discerning and sage, we must pursue two kinds of knowledge, humanities and natural science”. Our proposal for inventing Sci Tech would provide young people with opportunities to explore and understand science in the context of Jewish tradition and values. We understood that science and technology has captured the imagination of countless young people. We had the hopeful opportunity and honor to invent the first Jewish summer camp dedicated to science and technology infused with Jewish culture, tradition, and joyful ruach. Our fantasy for this new camp opportunity would welcome young people into a vibrant Jewish community filled where kids would build pride in themselves and lifelong friendships far beyond building rockets and robots. The URJ was very blessed to have the insight and guidance of the Foundation for Jewish Camp experts in new camp creation. Thank you Jeremy Fingerman, Michelle Freidman, Jay Frankel and the FJC Leadership Board for your dedication, knowledge and compassion for inventing new opportunities for young people. The excitement and support of the URJ professional and lay leadership empowered the fulfillment of our shared dreams for the expansion of youth engagement. The core of success of decades of Reform Jewish youth programming is focused on the amazing professionals who create and manage impactful experiences, build great teams and care deeply for the welfare and safety of young people. Greg Kellner, the Founding Director of URJ Six Points Sci Tech, was the cornerstone of this transformative experience. Greg is a product of so many URJ youth programs and leadership skills he acquired as a URJ camp professional. On the opening day of Sci Tech on June 30, 2014 parents delivering their children saw instantly Greg’s professionalism, confidence, vibrancy and warmth. Greg shared in the opening week, just before Shabbat, that he was “in awe of what had been created, a unique and incredible camp, stellar counselors, safety and comfort and boundless smiles of campers”. Jay Frankel of the FJC shared on his first visit ; “My visit to Sci Tech was quite unbelievable. Nothing about this camp says “first year” right now. The quality of care kids are receiving is better than many camps I have visited for decades. Greg’s staff; counselors, specialists, camper care and adult faculty are dedicated, compassionate, warm and so excited to share this new camp experience with kids. “ We were so fortunate to have discovered The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts as the home of Sci Tech since its invention. What a beautiful facility, comfortable housing and property managed by exceptional people….with the best food served in any URJ camp! Governor’s Academy provides not only space for scientific exploration but opportunities for a wide range indoor and outdoor activities that kids love. Being close to Boston offered campers the enhancing benefit to visit famous centers of science and technology. The ongoing growth and support of Sci Tech has been so passionately supported by the camp’s lay leadership team. The Founding Camp Committee Chair Abby Fisher (Scientist and Jewish Educator), was a superb partner for Greg Kellner and all those engaged with Sci Tech. Abby recognized that a high percentage of campers at Sci Tech would be boys and we needed to find a way to motivate and enable girls to become engaged in science and technology and build a more diverse community. As a leader of the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), Abby partnered with her colleagues and friends at the WRJ to provide generous scholarship funds for female first time campers. As Sci Tech lay leadership has evolved, camp is so fortunate now to have Michele Metsch as the Chair and hosting the celebration of summer # 10! What is truly extraordinary is that since Sci Tech’s creation in 2014, more than 4000 children and young adults have been deeply embedded in this miraculous camp community! All those connected to URJ Six Points Sci Tech have so much confidence in the camp experience and future under the talented leadership of Camp Director Jayme Mallindine and Co Director Rabbi Dan Medwin. Everyone is so proud of all they have accomplished in this challenging time and faith in the future of this amazing camp experience. Jayme and Dan (and the URJ Camping Community) are so fortunate to have Rachel Handloff as the Executive Director of all three elite URJ 6 Points Specialty Camps. Camp is the core of who Rachel is and so expressed by her skilled leadership, management, camper and parent care and dedication to education and Jewish life. The bright destiny of youth programs of the Reform Movement is blessedly under the truly gifted and visionary guidance of Ruben Arquilevich ( Vice President of the URJ) and his outstanding team and colleagues across North America and in Israel. During the 44 years of my engagement with URJ youth programs (retired since September 2019), the creation of our Six Points camps and the ongoing success of our camps across North America and programs in Israel fills me with a sense of gratitude for all those who made our dreams for youth engagement and the future of Reform Judaism possible. Thank you all for your deep dedication, tremendous collaboration and hopeful optimism for the future.
Adam Boehm
Camper, 2014-2018
Machon (counselor in training), 2019
Counselor, 2020-2021
Digital Film Production Lead Instructor, 2022-2023
07/03/2024
When I was a kid I was absolutely terrified of just the thought of sleepaway camp. My big sister went every year, and every summer my parents thought it was funny to tell me they were just going to drop me off and leave me there with her. I, however, did not find this funny. I would scream and cry, and my parents would just laugh. I never thought I would go to sleep away camp. That was until Robby Berg visited my synagogue and told me about this new camp opening up called URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy. My fears of sleepaway camp melted away as I listened to this tall skinny stranger tell me and my dad about a summer camp full of my favorite things: science, technology, and, of course, daily explosions. I will never forget driving past the most well-kept grass I've ever seen, through the orange and blue balloon archway, into Governor's Academy eleven years ago. 12-year-old-Adam looked through his gigantic, thick, brand new Ray-Bans (that his mom always made sure were pushed all the way up his nose) at a group of four more tall, skinny strangers jumping and screaming as they welcomed the new campers. They told me I was going to be in Ramon 2, a name and number I could never remember at the time but will never forget. The two weeks that followed were full of learning, excitement, and a lot more rolling around on the floor pretending to be a goat than I care to admit. Being surrounded by a bunch of like-minded Jewish young adults who loved learning just as much as me was something I never knew I needed. It made me feel like I finally belonged. Unsure if I was smart enough for some of the workshops, I signed up for Digital Media Production. I didn't think much of it, and I thought I was more excited for the other aspects of camp. Boy was I wrong. The attic of Kaiser changed my life. I can still feel the excitement I felt when I walked up those echoey stairs and stepped into this tiny little room full of computers and vintage cameras. I knew immediately this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I returned every single summer to do the same workshop and learn the same thing over and over and over again, and I absolutely loved it. I made so many friends and made so many movies. I discovered who I wanted to be while looking through the viewfinder of the 15-year-old Canon camcorders we were given. On the last day of my time as a camper, Tess and Lillian, the leaders of the DFP program, pulled me aside and told me one day I would be running their workshop. I smiled and said “as if,” but it turns out they were right. I returned as a counselor and became lead instructor of DFP the following summer. Being the leader of the workshop that literally shaped me into the person I am today was a dream come true. Being able to inspire the next generation of Jewish storytellers will forever be one of the greatest, albeit stressful, experiences of my life. Jewish summer camps have been a staple for Jewish families for years. It is so important for Jewish kids to meet other similar Jewish kids. But Sci-Tech did something a little extra special. It created a place for the Jewish kids who didn't quite fit in anywhere else: a little place for little nerds to experiment, not just in the lab, but with friends, interests, and personalities.
Abigail (Abby) Fisher
Founding Camp Chair 2013-2018
Camp Council member 2013-present
I first heard about Sci-Tech in the summer of 2012, when the grant application was mentioned at the Eisner-Crane Lake Stakeholders Day. I knew I had to be involved. When the grant came through, I was immediately in touch with Paul Reichenbach. Eventually, URJ convened a meeting in NYC in January 2013 to discuss what this camp might be. The meeting ended up half visioning (“we aren’t a summer school.” “Should we do certificates of some kind? (no)”), and half support group for those of us steeped in science and Judaism. After that, I was asked “how involved” I’d like to be, and in March 2013, I was asked to be camp chair. In the fall of 2013, Greg and I met for the first time at Governor’s. Greg asked what my vision for camp was. As a Crane Lake parent, I knew immediately-“I want the kids to have the same experience they have at CLC, but the activities will be science.” To me, the sense of community, independence, Jewish identity etc. that come from any Jewish camp are the main goal; the science is a means to that end. In retrospect, I believe we brought that vision to life—and then some! One of the biggest issues we faced heading into our inaugural summer was recruitment. Convincing folks to send their kids to or work at a camp that did not yet exist was tough. Those pioneer families really took a leap of faith. Camp, naturally, was pretty small that first summer. The entirety fit in what we now call the small dining room. After the first year, of course, things got easier (not that we have ever gotten to lighten up on recruiting); Sci-Tech grew fast! I remember arriving during staff week in our second year and realizing the staff had now filled the small dining room, which a year earlier had held all of camp. On the staff side, we dreamt of the day when we would have a pipeline of potential staff from our alumni campers. Without it, we were constantly trying to find new sources for staff. That day has now come (yay!), but naturally it took a while. Seeing our former camps thrive as staff is an absolute delight. I have one opening day memory I’d like to share. For the opening day of the very first session at camp, Greg arranged for a giant balloon arch in Sci-Tech colors to greet families on the main lawn. That day happened to be one of the hottest days all summer. As the balloons heated up in the sun, periodically, one would pop. We kept making cracks about our demonstration of Boyle’s law.[1] At the end of the day, the balloon artist came to pick up the arch. Pretty much all that remained was the support for the arch. “What have you done to it?!” she asked. “Nothing,” we replied, “they popped due to the heat.” “No,” she said, “ that would not happen.” She then had several eager science geeks explain just what had happened to her balloons. Not sure she understood. Since that day, Sci-Tech has grown and evolved in many ways. We are so much more than we envisioned at the start—embracing, for example, a level of inclusivity we never imagined. It is still a dream come true and very much my happy place. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyle%27s_law
Sam Kazer
Counselor/Communications Coordinator (2014)
Camp Council Member (2017-Present)
Camp Council Vice Chair (2021-Present)
08/25/24
I learned about Sci-Tech from Greg Kellner as I was finishing my undergraduate studies. Greg was hired occasionally to play music at my Hillel’s Kabbalat Shabbat services (he initially got involved since he was the roommate of our Rabbinic Intern, Rabbi Brandon Bernstein). Greg had gotten to know me over the preceding year or two, learning that I majored in Chemistry. One Shabbat, Greg unabashedly asked if I would have any interest in coming to work for him at a brand-new specialty camp, one that would combine Jewish camping traditions with STEM. It was fortuitous timing for me; I was going to start my PhD studies in the fall but had the upcoming summer open after graduation. As someone who attended traditional Jewish summer camps and struggled with the (over)abundance of physical activities and lack of direction, Sci-Tech sounded like the camp I would have wanted to go to when I was younger. Needless to say, I said yes. A few months later, Greg and I (and about 30 other staff) found ourselves at Governor Dummer’s Academy with less than a week to launch a summer camp that had never happened before. During staff week, we had a lot to figure out. Looking back, so much work had already been done by Greg, the URJ, and the Camp Council. In the moment, however, it felt like we were building a city from a hole in the ground. We had our fair share of bad ideas… The original camp blessing we collectively developed had a glaring grammatical error. Staff week services took place inside the chapel, after we took down the crucifix of course. We committed to creating original evening programs for each and every night that were distinct between sessions… Of course, despite all our collective bad ideas, and some personal ones (like using the photochemical room without permission, sorry Greg!), we managed to put together and run a truly incredible and original summer camp program. During the summer, I had what are now 4 different jobs. In addition to being a hall counselor, I also planned and taught chugim (electives). I was also hired as the camp photographer, videographer, and blogger. In 2014, we had 40-70 campers per session, so having one person capture pictures of each camper daily seemed feasible. I even believed it could be done before starting camp. And surprisingly, it mostly worked…after developing a routine of processing and posting all the photos taken each day between 10 pm-12 am in Greg’s apartment (I had the luxury of AC). I also had two-day turn-around times for opening day session videos, writing and collecting blog posts, and managing trip day photos. This is all to say, we all had our work cut out for us that first summer, and despite the hardships, missteps, and general chaos, most of us loved every second of it. And apparently, so did the campers. URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy has grown into an incredible community. In reality, our hard work during the summer of 2014 only set the foundation of the city we are still building. Sci-Tech continues to evolve and grow, supported by a passionate community of campers, guardians, scientists, engineers, teachers, Jewish professionals, philanthropists, foundations, volunteers, and more. What makes Sci-Tech so special is that we continue to change and adapt, living our mission to integrate Judaism and STEM, bringing both forward as evolving processes. I’m so excited to see how Sci-Tech will impact the world in 10, 20, and 50 years.
Jacob Paikoff
Counselor 2014
Robotics Assistant Lead Instructor 2015-2016
Robotics Co-Lead Instructor 2017
8/30/2024
I remember showing up on the first day of staff week the pioneer summer, nervous about what I was getting into. To the credit of the full-time and leadership staff, camp seemed very well set up even though they had only been there for a couple of days. That staff week was a blur, from a ton of trainings, to a session dedicated to creating camp traditions (almost none of which are still in use) to setting up camp. A lot happened before Sci-Tech even opened. The best part of the first summer was the third session. We as a staff found our groove and there were only about 45 campers (and 30 staff members) so every staff member had their own room on camp. The robotics workshop, which would grow to be huge had about ⅓ of camp in it, about five 5th and 6th graders and nine to ten 7th-9th graders. 9th grade was the oldest age offered the first summer. These smaller workshop sessions freed me up for a lot of good memories. I had time during robotics to build my own robot from one of the extra kits to compete against the campers and time to work with Seth on building the Sci-Tech Ark. While the Ark is now used for every Shabbat, we actually didn’t have it ready until the final Saturday morning service of the summer. Even that was tight for myself, Seth, Devon, and Lillian working until around 4 am to have it ready for services. In addition to helping out in robotics, I also led the 3D printing Chug in the basement of Frost with the one (really bad) 3D printer that camp had at the time. I used that 3D printer to print the Star of David handles for the Ark, it took 5 or 6 tries to get the two handles we ended up using, and even though part of the back of one of the handles broke when we were mounting them, they have worked for 11 years and are still going strong. After that first summer, I knew that I wanted to be back at Sci-Tech and arranged my work and ultimately, grad school schedule around being able to go back for summers 2-4. Starting that 2nd summer I took on the new role of Robotics Assistant Lead Instructor helping Devon out as the workshop grew from one (incredibly hot) room at the front of Technion to two connected classrooms, then ultimately four total rooms across two floors of the building. To help elevate the workshop and allow us to better use the new VEX EDR kits for upper camp, I designed game challenges for the campers based on my experience with the FIRST Robotics Competition. The games were: Ramp It Up and Bushel Bedlam for 5th and 6th graders, Kibbutz Chaos for 7th grade and Tic-Tac-Stack and Fast Break for 8th and 9th grade (10th grade does the fabled Rube Goldberg challenge for their entire session). Building these games used the same, always dirty, theater shop at the back of the PAC and I would normally spend one of my days off each summer having uninterrupted building time there to get everything complete for the start of the second week of the first session. I also spent a day off helping Seth build the Ark the first summer so it just became a normal part of my Sci-Tech experience. It was incredible to watch the campers build ever-improving robots to compete at these game challenges and seeing the workshop grow to over 50 campers a session, barely able to fit on a school bus for trip day. I’ll always cherish my time at Sci-Tech. I made a ton of lifelong friends at camp, including my wife, Hannah, in the summer of 2016.


Rabbi Joel N. Abraham
Faculty and parent from the beginning, still faculty 2024
09/01/2024
There was so much energy as the first day of camp drew near. Michelle,my spouse, (Michelle Shapiro Abraham) had been working with the Foundation for Jewish Camp for almost 5 years, and this was her second round of specialty camp openings, but this was special. Our son, Ezri was THE pioneer camper – as Greg had been angling to be the first camp of that cohort to have a registration. We came up a few days early, and I had the opportunity, along with a few other faculty members, to work with the specialists to dream about what this crazy merger of teaching science and Jewish values might involve. Then, we were ready for the kids. My station (for several of the first years), was the photobooth. Before campers would register, they would pose in a lab coat with an Erlenmeyer flask (my favorite), or some other piece of lab equipment to take a “science-y” picture. Then, they were off through the maze of sign-ins, lice check, medicine drop-off, and to the dorms to unpack. The next morning was the first Boker Big Bang – Greg and Robbie had been imagining this moment for months. The campers had already been in the outdoor sanctuary (by the parking lot near Franklin (then Rosie) for the opening ceremony the day before. I was standing in the back with Michelle and Dan Lang (URJ Assistant Director of Camping, at the time). The campers were chanting, “Boker Big Bang! Boker Big Bang!’ Robbie was ready to drop the gummy bears into the test tube, and flame would shoot out….. except it didn’t. There was silence, and then one brilliant camper spoke up, “Boker Big Fail! Boker Big Fail!” Soon, everyone was chanting, “Boker Big Fail!” In that moment, Greg stepped up, and delivered the first of the message that has been repeated at every SciTech opening ceremony – in science, failure is just as important as success, and that we learn as much from a failed experiment as one that succeeds. (That first year, Rabbi David Levy also suggested that they add another Jewish value – savlanut- patience.)
Ezri Abraham
Camper, 2014-2018
Machon/Volunteer, 2020
Counselor, 2021-2022
10th Grade Unit Head, 2023
09/01/2024
I was the first camper to ever sign up for Six Points Sci-Tech Academy. I was also the first camper to arrive, much to the surprise of the first cohort of staff members, who looked at me a bit flabbergasted when I walked into the Chadar Ochel (Dining Hall) the night before camp officially began. My mother, Michelle Shapiro Abraham, was a consultant for the Foundation for Jewish Camp on a program they had called Incubator. Sci-Tech was created as part of the incubator II, and she helped sci-tech (and many other camps) create a Jewish values system that allowed them to integrate Judaism into life on camp. However, as she worked with the team creating Sci-Tech, my mother realized it was the perfect place for me to go as a camper. A year before Sci-Tech opened, Sean Fogel went to Eisner Camp (which I attended for 11 years), and did some science-themed activities to test out the dream of sci-tech and take some promotional photos of young jews doing science at camp. I was chosen for this cohort, missing my menucha (rest time)for the day, because I argued, “I’m the only one who you know is actually going to be at Sci-Tech”. That spring, Greg Kellner came to our house to learn how robotics worked for STEM education since I was on a FIRST Lego League team. A few months later, as the story I have heard goes, Greg was itching to get his first camper. He sent me a video with a song he just wrote, called “Ezri, Come Build Some Robots at Sci-Tech”. It didn’t really have a name, but those were the lyrics I still remember. That day, I signed up for Sci-Tech and became the first camper to ever sign up. In December of 2013, I was interviewed for one of Sci-Tech’s first blog posts, entitled “Interview with Ezri Abraham, our first camper!”. The photo for the interview was me wearing a t-shirt that was only made before the first summer: a blue long-sleeve shirt with an orange sci-tech logo. Once the school year ended, I drove up to Byfield for the first time. After the aforementioned awkward dinner, I settled into my bunk the next morning. The first summer at Sci-Tech was a bit more chaotic than the following summers. We had color war, a harry potter day, and there was only one camper in lower camp digital film production. The robotics field trip was at the iROBOT facility, where I and my fellow campers were scarred by seeing the electronics under a mechanical baby doll’s face. I was chosen to give the first robotics summary at TECH talks, which later was replaced with the driving arena and Rube Goldberg presentation that exists today. I attended Sci-Tech for the next 5 years, and received a 5 year crewneck at the TECH Talks my 10th grade summer. Despite only ever going to Sci-Tech for the first session each summer, I cannot understate the effect that Sci-Tech had on me growing up. It was a place where my interests and passions were not just accepted, but seen as cool. It was a place where, in contrast with Eisner, I could be a Gaa (in the thunderdome) champion. I felt radically accepted, and the Governor's Academy campus truly feels like my summer home. While I did not travel to Israel with Sci-Tech, I was a volunteer/Machon (CIT) in the summer of 2020 with Bethany Smith as the Machon director. Trapped in my home, disconnected from my jewish and scientific community, I was able to help lead services in Minecraft and try teaching STEM for the first time. When we sang Mah Tovu after building tents in Minecraft in the first ever “Minecraft and Midrash”, I remember my mother starting to tear up– it was one of the only times I have felt genuine human connection over Zoom. I continued my Sci-Tech career as a counselor and songleader in 2021, where the Sci-Tech I knew looked a lot different but kept the same values. Campers were housed ( podded) by workshop, rather than by age, which allowed me to gain experience being a counselor for 5th grade-10th graders only a couple weeks after I turned 18. Songleading that year was a game of trying to create a meaningful experience, balanced with the fact that singing could spread a deadly disease throughout the camp. In my first summer on staff, I taught 1 of 2 chugs that Michael Wagner asked me to co-lead despite me having no experience in it: drones. The next summer, it was Improv. In terms of songleading, my main project was creating immersive services. My second year on staff, I used a phone streamed to the projector to give campers the perspective that Bilam saw when looking over at the Jews. For a service the next session, inspired by Rabbi Dan Medwin’s work on Visual Tefilah, I projected scenes on the walls and controlled the lighting to create immersive stories that led campers on an emotional journey of Jewish storytelling. The next summer, I worked with Devon and Rabbi Dan to create a massive 40-foot screen on stage to project videos and images for the 10th summer service. Sci-Tech is a place where one can say, “I want to project the red sea splitting on the walls during services”, and leadership says, “Sure, how can I help?”. My second year on staff, when I was officially a 10th grade counselor, I was talking with Jayme on the phone at 2am figuring out the logistics of sending a camper to the emergency room. “Do you like this kind of thing?”, she asked me, “Cause this is what it's like to be on the leadership team”. “Yeah, this is pretty interesting”, I responded. A few months later, I got the job as 10th grade Unit Head for Summer 2023. As 10th grade unit head, much like Greg had done when creating Sci-Tech, I took my learnings from other camps (namely, Eisner), and applied them to a brand new 10th grade curriculum. I worked with Hannah Jay to create defined 10th-grade leadership positions for Quest Day (a color war-dungeons and dragons hybrid that replaced trip day post-pandemic), relaunched the 10th-grade buddy program, and organized the first 10th-grade service. As I look back at my 9-ish years at Sci-Tech, I am so grateful that I was given a place to truly explore what kind of leader I was, create things that only ever existed in my imagination, and make some of the best friends of my life. Moreover, I am proud to have contributed to a community that means so much to so many people and has provided a summer home for Jewish nerds for over a decade.
Paige Kohn
Camp Administrator, 2014-2017
9/1/2024
I believe I first heard about URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy in the summer of 2013 while working at URJ Eisner Camp. I had been chatting a lot that summer with Louis Bordman (then the Camp Director at Eisner) about my desire for a full-time job within the summer camp community and he specifically mentioned the upcoming Sci-Tech camp as a possibility. Some months later, I learned Greg Kellner had become the camp director. Greg and I had overlapped for a few years at Eisner. I later learned that the assistant director, Robbie Berg was also a URJ camp alum. I believe most of the early hires ended up being former URJ camp colleagues. (Looking at you Seth Marion and Brett Lubarsky). I officially joined the team at the beginning of April, a little less than three months out from our very first opening day. For the most part, we had to build everything up from scratch. Thankfully, the director at 6 Points Sports Academy gave us access to their camp database so we could replicate much of their infrastructure. So many little things needed to be created piece by piece. Unlike a more “traditional” camp with bunks, our campers and staff lived in dorms divided up into halls/floors. Each individual room (and its capacity) we intended to use had to be built into the system as its own record use in order for the housing function to work. We would eventually create many of our own, but being able to see the saved email templates from 6 Points Sports to start off with was enormously helpful. A big part of my purview also included camper travel coordination. Sci-Tech was going to have campers flying in from all over the country (and, later on, a few international campers), so we needed to plan accordingly. Thus began my overabundance of airport knowledge that I can still probably recite many years later. I started out by cold calling multiple camps in the Boston area that also catered to a national audience to ask them how they handled their travel through Boston Logan Airport. I learned A LOT, from which airlines went out of which terminal, to all the different airlines’ unaccompanied minor policies, to what a gate pass is (and how to get one), and even how we could get a special pass that would help us park in a more convenient location. That first summer, I called every single family that lived beyond a reasonable driving distance (or the very edge) to confirm their travel arrangements and recommend any flight options I had identified. In later years, this evolved into an extremely thorough process – researching thousands of possible flights (definitely overwhelming the Expedia algorithm), learning about CBSAs (core-based statistical areas) and using them to send recommended flight emails to the appropriately located families. Some of the visual memories blur together, but I do remember in mid-June packing all kinds of random items into both my and Greg’s vehicles to move out to camp. Things like a donated Torah in my car that was going to be traded out for a different one at Eisner on my way out to the Governor’s Academy, and a meat smoker into Greg’s. I definitely recall the distinct smoker smell lingering in that SUV for much of the summer. I had only been to the Governor’s Academy once for an open house before moving out there for the summer. I had been called away before the tour started, so I only saw the parking lot and the dining hall/administration building. When we arrived to move in properly for the summer, it made perfect sense to me that we were going to set up our office space in the school’s main science building. I recall trying to remember to take photos of the classrooms we were going to use before we moved all the furniture around, as we were told we’d be responsible for resetting them all at the end of the summer. (In future years, I would draw diagrams of each room layout on one of the dry erase boards on the wall before we moved anything). For some reason, a bunch of the desks had slate slabs as footboards and I remember them being a real pain to move. I think we ended up stacking them in a nearby closet with a questionable amount of spiderwebs. Greg rented a teacher’s onsite apartment for the summer that was across the street on the basement floor of what would become our first boys’ dorm. During pre-camp, Seth and I took over the extra bedrooms in the apartment while Robbie and Brett moved into dorm rooms above. Greg would learn his lesson that summer not to assign the youngest boys the hall directly above the apartment. Once more staff arrived, I moved into a room on the top floor of what became the Rosie dorm with the other female leadership team members. I learned that I never wanted to live in a third-floor room without air conditioning again. In the summers that followed, I moved into a room in the Cottage that I affectionately referred to as “the shoebox.” A window AC unit that could somewhat cool my old 500 sq ft apartment was extremely effective in the shoebox. We had an absurd number of supplies shipped to Sci-Tech over those few weeks before campers arrived, and to be fair, throughout all the summers. Greg had added me to his Amazon Prime account “family” (something that he did not remove me from until after we had both left Sci-Tech and he wanted to give the spot to his then fiancé Ali), and I still have all the original orders saved in my history. An example – just to make our signature Sci-Tech mezuzahs, I ordered hundreds of test tubes with stoppers, magnets, wooden rulers, spools of copper wire, and clear printable labels. Years later, Robbie and I would talk about the random items that Amazon still tried to recommend we reorder. Aside from all the supplies, we also had multiple spaces to set up. One very important space needed was what would serve as our sanctuary for services and opening/closing day ceremonies. I remember us having services during staff week inside of the chapel on campus at least once and needing to appropriately store the very large crosses somewhere else. Ultimately, I do not recall us ever taking the campers inside the chapel. Instead, we set up benches outside the chapel and when there was a severe storm the evening of our very first opening ceremony, it was moved inside the dining hall in the administration building. Unfortunately, I missed most of that first ceremony. The severe storm knocked out the power to multiple buildings on campus, including our dorms along with their fire suppression systems. If the power did not come back by 9PM, everyone was going to have to sleep in the administration building because it was the only building with a generator. I do not think many of the camp staff were aware that we were up against the clock. I was sitting out in the hallway drafting an email to camp families about the situation and I was stressed because the email would be sent “from” a senior member of the URJ and not myself or Greg. Thankfully, the power came back on around 8PM and I never had to finish that email. One thing we still needed for the outdoor sanctuary was missing was an ark for the Torah. I don’t know where it came from, but Greg has this circuit-tree design. We used it for the Sci-Tech mezuzahs and it was decided we would build a cabinet with the design etched into the front doors. Seth ran point on the whole project. He built the cabinet in Gov’s workshop and set it up in the classroom across from our office to work on the ornamentation. Multiple people would pitch in and work on different sections. I can still picture Seth and Lillian Feldman-Hill standing in the darkened room and using the overhead projector to trace the circuit-tree design into the doors. And I believe Devon Barker and Jacob Paikoff worked on 3D printing the door handles in the shape of a star of David. I still have one of the mess-ups sitting on my work desk directly above my keyboard. I do not recall what the Ner Tamid (eternal light) ended up being, but Seth and I did have quite the adventure with an attempt at a rainbow of resin-filled test tubes and a malfunctioning industrial vent hood. The only remnants currently sit on my work desk where I can see them every day. There are countless little moments and memories from that pioneer summer alone. Even writing this has unlocked so many more memories that would take too long to write them all down. All in all, that first summer felt a lot like the wild west. In 2014, the most recent camp the URJ opened was 6 Points Sports Academy, four years prior, and their initial setup needs were vastly different from ours. We learned a lot of lessons that first summer, and even more when our enrollment doubled the next. Here are a few of my favorites: You cannot overnight model rocket engines (because they are explosives) It is more cost-effective to purchase your own dewar for dry ice transport and storage. Drone batteries will expand before exploding if you overcharge them. (Nothing exploded at camp that wasn’t supposed to). There was a helium shortage in 2014 (but mostly the liquid form). Do not participate in a Boker Big Bang if you are flying later that day (again explosives). Always double-check your business name before creating an account. Sci-Tech may or may not still have a Costco account under the name URJ 6 Pionts Sci-Tech Academy. (Costco’s typo, not ours). It started the running joke that 6 Pints Academy would have made a great name for a spinoff camp focusing on brewery science (for the over-21 crowd). As far as I know, I am the only person from that pioneer summer who still works for the URJ. I used my skills to assist multiple programs over the years before finally landing in the Finance department where I support all the programs at the URJ. I clearly still carry Sci-Tech with me, both in me and in the physical items I surround myself with. Every day I see the items on my desk and look across at a wall covered with t-shirts of all the camps I have worked at or with over the years, some before and some after my time at Sci-Tech. Even now there is a Sci-Tech magnet on my car. I’ve replaced it a few times, and will probably do so until I run out of extras. I keep it there just in case I happen to run into someone who recognizes it, and I get to talk Sci-Tech for a few minutes.