Oorahthon 2020 - TheZone Interview: Feat. Marielle Braunstein

[Music] for this toy I could try - everybody thank you so much for joining the tonight's the 20th birthday of the uber auction or auction 2020 for those of you who have not yet participated we were auction org is the place to go right now and tonight not only is there an auction where you can win wonderful prizes but tonight we're also gonna celebrate all the accomplishments of we will hear such wonderful things of what Ora does in this segment right now we are so privileged to have two special guests with us who are going to give us a little bit of an insight to what the girls campus what the zone camp looks like in the girls in the girls division the zone campus is the epicenter of the excitement of every Jewish child for the summer that carries through throughout the entire year it's fabulous for anybody who has ever been as oniac and certainly for anybody even for anybody who has visited the zone has been has been tremendous so with us with us this evening is the director of the girls division mrs. Tobin schefren and a very special guest Marielle a zone camper a teen I believe do you this year Wow see I wasn't sure if it was if it was teen or senior but I I took the chance said you know if I'm wrong on the on the teen and it's really senior not so bad but if it's if it's really senior Marielle where you're from I'm from Staten Island oh wow so you really that that's like we're headquarters moving back when yeah Wow that's where a little star program is they show you the little star yeah fantastic ever go visit and I put you on the spot okay maybe you should go visit you know then maybe that'll be a good role model they'll you know you showed him what you know what campus look like a little bit later later on in life as something to aspire to you definitely have a lot - a lot to show so mr. Sharon if we can start with you mr. Sharon is no stranger to the camping industry mr. Schiff and has extensive experience in camping she's been involved in camps for many many years and Barca sham she's recently joined his own family yes lucky me and we're so excited and there's only X will be will be very very lucky to have you to see it so the zone has this slogan that it's the zone is more than just a camp now it's being the director what does that slogan mean to you other than just a marketing gimmick well it's definitely not just a marketing gimmick I would say the difference between the zone went to every other camp that I've had really the privilege to be a part of is that as a director at the end of four weeks of a fantastic summer a wholesome fabulous nonsense and everyone's had a great time and they were inspired and the men are uplifted you pat yourself on the back you've done a good job you take a deep breath and you get ready for the next year but in the zone it's really just the beginning Rosh Hashanah is coming up circus is coming up some Couture is coming up right after Circus is gonna start our chose own season and then it doesn't stop the air from Hanukkah to Parliament to all the mm told them and then there's the crown jewel of of what we stand for and over our tour mates program where our staff and our campers are connected all year round the four weeks of the summer it's tiny tip of a 12 month relationship so this sounds like a dream come true for every child like summer camp yeah it doesn't then yes director you're used to that like downtime somewhere in the dead of winter where you've already like done the post-mortem and figured out everything that happened last summer and you're not you're ready to start next summer but that's not like that in the zone not in the zone and not anywhere anywhere in the entire organization downtime does not exist and that's and that's how things wonderful things get done and that's beautiful Marielle from Staten Island yeah how many years have you been in camp um this is gonna be my sixth summer Wow six years yeah so we're done we're done with five already yeah so you've done five already I've done five years fantastic yeah beautiful if you can think back to the first year coming from an as an outsider you weren't yet in camp what was it if you remember what was it that you heard about camp what got you hooked how did you get involved so I remember sitting in middle school and all the other girls and boys just talking about their sleep way camps and I was nervous I really didn't have a desire to go to sleepaway camp until I really heard about the zone my best friend she told me about it and she said this place is different Mario you just you have to go like the chickens the camels just everything about it it's just so different and I made so many friends there and I remember saying I don't know maybe so I went home and I told my parents like I think I should give it a shot and I remember I went I was terrified it was my first year of sleepaway camp but I went and it was just different because I was just welcomes like in a tunnel of love like literally a tunnel of love like I went through it as soon as I came in and I was just it was so it was so joyful and everyone was just so welcoming and loving and it was definitely the best choice for sure well you haven't tried anything else how do you know that's it she came she was hooked I did she never went anywhere else yeah and that's what you learnt in middle school did you hear anything else that was going on in middle school it was certainly something good something good to listen to yeah right and that kept you going for five years so far we're going on year six yeah Wow well but now you're in a whole new division now now we're after yeah that's that's a whole different part yeah it's fantastic okay mr. Shipman so we're hearing a lot about a lot about the camp and now warm it is and how exciting it is the kids have so much fun and I'm sure as a director I'm sure you're concerned about the you know children come from various backgrounds every child that comes to camp has a different skill set at different interests and different talents you give us a little bit of an idea what your vision is how do we how do we accommodate children with different talents in one camp I'm gonna ask Mariela question and yes that's helped answer are you a sports person Morell I've done danced for like a couple of years but I stopped which part of the zone would you say of all the different activities was your think my favorite act my your favorite activity probably was ziplining amazing yeah it was so fun so that's a really good example explain why so we have the zipline we have the rock wall we're gonna have sports we have hiking we have all the outdoor things that many of the girls like or go-karts but then there's your crafty girls whoo that's not their idea so then there's a variety of incredible crafts and workshops and whether it's music or dance or culinary arts baking the arcade the bumper boats the regular boats the boogie boards all the different activities there really is something for everyone I would say if you have to look at the zone the nice thing about it is that you everything especially like the type or ncg like math yeah so there's no the type in the zone because there's so many different activities and so many diverse ways in which a girl could have a great time essentially if you're the type who just wants to come to camp and have a wonderful summer with different people from all over in an accepting environment you're the type that's the type okay you have it more than it sounds much more than just the camp so much more going on and just any camp it's fantastic - Marielle if you you mentioned the zipline was your favorite activity yeah that's that's and I'm sure there was a runner up also other than activities and I'm sure they were all very nice is there a specific memory that you can that you can relate to that you can that comes to mind something that that's really memorable I would say well for sure my favorite memory was really meeting all my best friends like I have the closest friend group we talk every single day you still keep it done every single day oh that's the best and that's definitely so special to have that relationship especially even with counselors and just my friends like it's great are these friends that you had outside of camp oh these are friends that you just met and two of them were outside but I really became extremely close with them and eight other girls like in camp but really I would say more not really an activity but a memory is just Shabbat at the zone because it's so special just like I would call it disconnecting to reconnect because everybody just puts their phones away and they're just there to build this special relationship and Shabbat and sing like singing mural on the lake that's so special to me I love that it's just everyone's just so unified no matter who you are where you came from you're just accepted and welcomed and loved and it's so spiritual and in such a great environment okay I have a sentence you know like you never thought you would ever say thanks to Corona dot dot dot like that's not a thing but thanks to Corona I got to meet marielle's she was a camper before I was you know I came to camp I didn't get to meet Marielle and she ran a Shema circle during Corona as a host for some of the people who were sick and that we should really all see her for and I heard about this cans old camper is running as Shema circle shmatte circles my favorite part of camp it's actually why I became the camp director if you must know I came to camp as a mosh SPEA and I had the privilege of watching the IMG Shima circle one night and I just wept my way down to the bungalow and said there's no way I'm leaving I'm gonna do something she ran a beautiful Schmauss circle there were a bunch of us staff members who snuck on even though whatever just to watch Marielle in action and really reminds ourselves this a beautiful ending to the day that happens in camp that just you have to experience it just to really understand how beautiful it is thank you yeah beautiful is there somebody that you can relate to somebody in camp that you can point to and say that's that's the idol that's somebody that I learned from somebody that inspired me more than anybody else well it's definitely a hard question because I feel like after every single year literally I just become more and more inspired by every single one of my counselors but I would have to say Rab idea because I remember his like every shear every single night in teens was just so influential and we could really just relate to him and ask as many questions as we wanted to and you never felt judged for doing that and that's why I think camp is so special because everyone just comes from different places and you're just accepted just a clarifier rabbi D is rabbi Davidowitz and he's the camp rabbi at this young girls division he is the camper buying the fact that he's called rabbi D without that clarification that gives us under some indication of how close they feel to him and and how much Revathy has made an impact on marielle's life and I can probably say is it safe to bet that almost any camper certainly from the the teens and the seniors and teens they certainly will will point the Rebbe idea as their source of inspiration so we certainly thank rabbi D for for all of that mister schefren mentioned activities certain things going on in the zone throughout the year it does sound like more than just a camp it sounds a little strange that camp goes the whole year mrs. Sharon how do we keep enthusiasm going throughout the year it's so much easier when you can stand up on a chair and you can give that pump and you can you know there's a song and it's exciting and there's activities how do we do this throughout the year so the truth is I would say we have the best staff in the world it's no exaggeration it really isn't just me saying it it's true from the very second my camp ends with tour mates reaching out to their campers to wish them a good year from Rosh Hashanah where our campers get to come back to the zone and spend time with us to the suka stand on Shabbos solemn item is owned again and then in addition to the chosen season which really just gives a chance for kids to really show off their camp to other friends from their community even who haven't had a chance to come to camp and always welcome at chill zone we have our surveys and we have our Instagram contest and constantly reaching out to our campers throughout the year and it just it's a few more this is a Jewish calendar in a few more seconds another yontiff is coming and there's another event coming up it's a really phenomenal thing to always have something from the zone going on in your life you never get to forget about camp it's still always happening beautiful Mariella food can go back to the inspiration for a moment just to give our listeners and our viewers a little bit of an idea and I hope you won't mind me asking this can you describe but something's she's right here even if she does we're not gonna care no it's Marielle she's got this if you can describe to us what you've learned in camp other than excitement we know there was a lot of fun in what way have you grown during your your five years in the zone I would really have to say that the zone really gave me a love for Judaism when you're younger you don't really ask questions you just do what your family does and that's what I did but then when you get older you really start questioning and wondering and when I was at camp I really could just ask all the questions I wanted and I just I didn't hesitate because I just felt so welcomed and it was just great so I feel like if the zone really did give me inspiration and a desire to continue growing after after high school and learning Torah and I'm going to Israel and oh wow definitely like the zone help me with that beautiful thankful Oh hopefully you'll be able to get there hopefully track will be a little bit easier hopefully things will go go well for you but that's that certainly you know we'll make sure we obey means hears about that rabbi means will be very excited I know specifically the girls or the boys from the boys division when they go to learn in yeshiva or seminary in Israel I know that that brings them a tremendous source of nach Hause that's a tremendous source of pride so that's that's really really nice and I'm sure there are friends of yours from the zone that are going along with you yeah there you go mister Shiffrin have a little dangerous question for you go for it I know Helen I I know there's a lot of talk now about you know how things are going for this summer you know what exactly is gonna happen and there who knows knows hopefully things will go will go well with certainly so we hope and pray that things will go well and we're gonna get the okay to to open this summer can we get a little sneak preview just give us a little just before summer start wait come on it's almost June already get a little bit of an idea what's in store for summer 2020 what's new what's happening knowing the girls division okay so I don't want it you know bury my lead here yeah no I'm sure we put in brand new beautiful hiking trails are really excited this summer we brought knocker balls we've all had kangaroo shoes and for the Harry Potter fans up here we're playing Quidditch know I can't explain how all that works because that would really be killing it you and easy we'll be coming to do a concert I mean you know this is just one week so we're really really really hard at work up and it happens today it just came home down from a week in camp and I'm going back up tomorrow I'm rinse - I'm with my kids again it's an incredibly fun thing to just walk through a camp and just watch each of the different areas come alive and make them ever more beautiful and ready so it has to open because it's too beautiful I'm wonderful in fantastic and stunning to be MP so rest assured most it most definitely will we certainly help so we'll keep we'll keep happening Marielle close your eyes for a minute if I can give you one wish one wish what's something that you would want the zone to add I'm not promising it's gonna come true wait a second we did a survey this year about what the campers want added to the game room and they chose and they are being added asking you shall receive I'm just saying within reason go with like that the Pesach Seder afikomen whatever you want within reason other than other than game room something that you feel that the zone is missing I've I had this hemming and hawing I don't know think of something um we had this a couple of years ago I don't really think they have it anymore but it was a hair and makeup workshop and that's so pack oh it's back ok ok well that's what I would have wished for ok so here we have it we asked the zone camper what you would want to add to the camp's you couldn't come up with one thing that you can think of that the camp does not get is unbelievable and the one thing that she thought of we have that too it's unbelievable and mister Shiffrin is is certainly lucky enough to work with a fantastic staff and that's a special shout out to all these staff members at the zone both the boys division and the girls division fantastic staff all around unbelievable staff and head staff that are tremendously dedicated to all the needs of every single camper and for those of you out there that are listening and watching this and want to be a part you want to be a part of what we do here at the zone you want to be a partner with us now's the time to join our auction at URI auction org make sure you're in before the nights over so you can take part and and and be and be partner with us in the zone both campuses that's the boys and the girls [Music] you