UNITED STATES
The New York Jewish Week
HANNAH DREYFUS
May 9, 2018
n anticipation of the first summer since the emergence of the national #MeToo movement, the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) — the largest Jewish camping umbrella organization — announced the launch of an initiative to help prevent sexual harassment, abuse and misconduct at camp.
Titled the Shmira (Hebrew for “guardian”) Initiative, the effort was unveiled in March at FJC’s biennial Leaders Assembly, in an effort to better equip camps to “address these issues head on, with immediate action in conjunction with parents and law enforcement authorities,” the organization announced via press release at the time. An initial $100,000 is intended to support the development of staff training and virtual learning opportunities for the foundation’s 300 member camps.
But in a recent interview with The Jewish Week, FJC’s chief executive, Jeremy Fingerman, suggested that the new effort, at least in its early stage, will address “changing camp culture” rather than focusing on solidifying camps’ “best practices” when it comes to handling allegations of sexual abuse and harassment.
The first organization to sign on to the initiative, Moving Traditions, a group that works with teens to challenge sexism and gender norms, does not deal with abuse prevention.
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