Dear Camp Pembroke, We wait all year for you. For the quiet winter months when camp feels impossibly far away, for the spring days spent counting down, for the moment when cars roll through the gates and suddenly, somehow, we are all back together again. We finally get to see you again. The first few […]

A Community Letter from Ben Portnoy, Executive Director of the Cohen Camps: Thank you for all the kind notes and encouragement you’ve sent since we shared the news of Jonathan Cohen’s upcoming retirement. My goal looking forward to enhance what makes each camp special while fortifying our shared heart and mission: creating camp communities of life-long belonging fueled by Jewish values where youth, teens, and adults grow into their best selves.

From Renée Goldberg, M.D., Chair, Cohen Camps Board of Directors: I’m writing with deep appreciation to share some big news: this fall, after 21 years of leadership, Jonathan Cohen will step down as President and CEO of the Cohen Camps. Starting October 1, Executive Director Ben Portnoy will step into the top leadership role.

Shabbat Shalom from Pembroke! It never feels real when we approach this part of the summer. How could it feel like we only just arrived and at the same time like we’ve always been here. Together, a family, a part of each other’s lives. Summer is so temporary, and yet, we now all have some […]

Shabbat Shalom from Pembroke! There are certain moments at Camp Pembroke that feel almost sacred, ones where you can feel the history pressing in around you, like a warm blanket made of years and years of sisterhood. And there’s no part of camp more saturated with that feeling than Color War. There’s a moment at […]

Shabbat Shalom from Pembroke! Camp is loud. It’s messy. It’s glitter stuck to everything you own and wet towels draped where they don’t belong. Tie dyed hands for days, some post-Messtival paint behind your ears, and dirt lines on top of tan lines. It’s the sound of 250 voices singing off-key, the chaos of 15 […]

Shabbat Shalom from Pembroke! Don’t Race to the Finish Camp Pembroke isn’t just about where you end up—it’s about who you become along the way. From your first summer in Bunk 1A to your final days on the Hill or in 9AB, the process of camp changes you. Every summer has a different lesson: take […]

Shabbat Shalom from Pembroke! From the Outside Looking In by Rachel Glincher (CA 2004) As a 36-year-old mom with two young kids, a full-time job surrounded by children, and a parent with medical needs, you’d think I’d use a vacation day for rest — maybe a spa, a nap, or some peace and quiet. Instead, […]

Shabbat Shalom from Pembroke! Camp Works Each passing day, and each week here at Pembroke, we’re reminded, over and over again, that camp works. It’s not always perfect, there are often bumps and bruises along the way, but at the end of each summer, and the end of your camper’s time at camp in 10 […]

Shabbat Shalom from Pembroke! The Beautiful Machine If you’ve ever walked through the gates of Camp Pembroke, you’ve felt it. The energy of all the moving parts. Camp is a finely tuned machine, crafted with care, powered by people, and driven by purpose. Our product? Helping to create good people, confident young campers and unforgettable […]