Eden Village Camp: Planting the Seeds of Tomorrow

New sleepaway camp with progressive and environmental approach; first of its kind in the Jewish world

December 30, 2009, Cold Spring, New York

Eden Village Camp, a brand new, first of its kind non-profit Jewish environmental overnight camp for 3rd –12th graders, is currently pioneering the camp’s first summer in 2010.

Located one hour north of New York City, the beautiful 248-acre Kosher camp aims to be a living model of a thriving, inspired, sustainable Jewish community, grounded in social responsibility and a vibrant Jewish spiritual life.

Eden Village is garnering tremendous backing from the Jewish community. The camp is a recipient of a competitive $1.1 million grant from the Foundation for Jewish Camp and Jim Joseph Foundation, and is supported by the UJA-Federation of NY, Hazon, the Jewish Farm School and hundreds of individual donors.  The UJA Federation of New York has provided Eden Village with its incredible site along with a $1.6 million renovation that is currently under way.

The camp was founded by directors Yoni Stadlin and Vivian Lehrer, with extensive backgrounds in Jewish education and public interest law.

In June, the camp hosted a Jewish permaculture design course that yielded their innovative landscaping design. At the camp’s Beresheit (Creation) Work-Day Festival in July, over 250 people, ages 1 to 89, joined to break ground on the farm, clean, learn and celebrate. Since then, Eden Village has received over two hundred staff inquiries.

Eden Village renews Jewish wisdom that speaks to the environmental concerns today’s young people care about, creating a substantive, relevant Judaism that is attracting youth who otherwise might have chosen a secular camp. With their zero-waste goal, emphasis on developing youth leadership skills, focus on healthy, sustainable living and dynamic approach to Jewish education, Eden Village supports campers in simultaneously transforming the world and themselves.

For more information, contact Yoni Stadlin, (877)397-3336, Yoni@EdenVillageCamp.org.