Julian Krinsky’s Yesh Shabbat (www.yeshshabbat.com) is a highly acclaimed, premiere pre-college summer camp attracting tweens and teens from all over the U.S. and abroad. The motivation behind this program is the desire of Julian Krinsky, the founder, to give back to his community.
“When I learned about my lineage and the impact my ancestors made in the Jewish world it made me realize my responsibility to the Jewish people,” says Julian Krinsky. “I started Yesh Shabbat and established it as a non-profit organization to give Jewish students a sense of Jewish identity and the same opportunities afforded to other teens in sports and summer programming.”
Originally from South Africa, Krinsky is a former international tennis player and an acclaimed tennis coach. He was ranked no. 7 in his home country and played at Wimbledon, the French Open, the Italian Open, as well as at the Maccabi Games in Israel.
After learning of the outstanding love of Judaism of his great, great grandfather, Rabbi Yehoshua Yitzhak Shapira, widely known as Eizel Charif, he wanted to create a camp for young Jews so they too would love their Jewish heritage.
“After attending Yesh, I feel a strong connection to Judaism that lasts me throughout the year,” said Arianna Breslauer of London, England. “Shabbat is a beautiful experience and my friends from Yesh all relate to my enhanced Jewish identity.”
Yesh Shabbat’s program for summer 2014 includes over 30 courses in sports, arts and academic courses, all of which are taught by professional teachers and instructors within a shomer shabbos and glatt kosher environment. (http://www.jkjewish summercamps. com/program-specifics/) Providing world-class educators and courses within a positive Jewish framework are the two pillars of Yesh Shabbat. Through teaching children to value both their rich religious heritage and the importance of contributing to modern society, Yesh Shabbat hopes to foster another generation of Jewish children who will contribute to the world around them while maintaining their religious identity.
In addition to classes, the program recently added an Internship program for high school students. Students are placed in professional offices or businesses conveniently located in Greater Philadelphia. They get an inside advantage—working 9 to 5—as they build a network of contacts and develop their resume for the future. They might be interning with a lawyer, developing marketing campaigns, shadowing a doctor, assisting a vet, or involved with high-profile mentors. (http://www.jkjewish summercamps.com/high-school-internships/)
