No phones, no distractions, just fun times and summer camp memories that will last a lifetime.
Located in Webster, Wisconsin, Herzl Camp has been operating as a summer camp for more than 50 years. The camp is a fun place for all the kids to hang out, make new friends, and strengthen their Jewish identity.
The camp started after Harry and Rose Rosenthal sent their daughter and her cousin to Brandeis Camp. The experience the girls gained from the camp and their enthusiasm for returning gave the couple the vision of Herzl. Herzl’s first campsite was previously operated by the National Council of Jewish Women in White Bear Lake. In the summer of 1946, they welcomed their first sixty campers for three weeks. However, Herzl would have to find a new campsite just a year later. Eventually, they found a campsite on Devils Lake in Webster, Wisconsin, where the camp stands and operates today.
Sophomore Eli Sanders has been going to Herzl for two years. “The first time I was there for six weeks and it felt pretty long, but this past year, it felt really fast,” Sanders said.
At Herzl, the campers have to choose three activities each day as well as an optional activity with the entire cabin. The activities range from land sports and water sports to ceramics and gardening. These activities are fun but also help campers build valuable skills and help them try new things.
Herzl attracts Jewish kids from all across the country from all different backgrounds together for one or many summers. Sophomore Isaac Broderius has been going to Camp Herzl for seven years now. “For the first years, I think I was probably forced to go,” Broderius said. “But then after that, I made friends that I would only see at camp because some people lived out of state and it was just a really fun way to spend my summer.”
The fantastic thing about returning to a camp year after year is that all the memories one has forgotten come flooding back. It could be something fun for someone and their friends. “My favorite thing was my cabin and I, we all went and had a water balloon fight,” Sanders said.
Meeting new people (and living together for a few weeks) also teaches important life lessons. “I learned that it is important to do things that aren’t in your comfort zone,” Sanders said.
At Herzl, photos are more of a group activity rather than an individual activity. Camp Herzl’s cellphone ban forces campers to bring a digital camera, ask a counselor for a photo or ask one of your campers for one of their photos. This ban creates more interactions between campers, deepening connections and allowing them to share their camp experiences with their fellow campers.
Sophomore Evie Gardner has been going to Herzl for two years. “People use digital cameras. I mean, some are nicer than others, so more people just get those for, like, $20 off Amazon, and then they upload the pictures,” Gardner said.
The benefit of returning to a summer camp year after year is that the place begins to feel like a second home and teaches essential life skills. For example, how to get out of one’s comfort zone, ask for help, and how to make new friends or talk to new people. At summer camp, one can make friends and connections that will last a lifetime.
