The Camp

Located in the scenic, central region of Wisconsin, Camp Moshava is a Religious Zionist camp affiliated with Bnei Akiva, the Religious Zionist youth movement. Programs offered include:

• 2-week “Matchilim” program for new campers entering 4th-5th grades
• 4-week programs for campers entering 4th - 11th grades
• 8-week option for campers entering 7th, 10th - 11th grades

At Camp Moshava, campers enjoy a full range of activities, including sports, swimming, arts & crafts, drama, boating, music, overnights, trips, zip line, Maccabiah, concerts, and more. Each activity is supervised by specialty staff, who not only ensure safety, but also work to help campers improve their skills, and gain confidence in their abilities.

All Moshava campers, regardless of age or gender, attend three tefilot each day. The menu is strictly Glatt kosher. Every program in camp has daily shiurim, mostly led by participants in our kollel and midrasha, young men and women who have studied in yeshivot or seminaries in Israel. All shiurim take place under the guidance of our high-level Jewish educators, which include rabbis, principals, teachers, and shlichim.

The Philosiphy

Israel. Zionism. Torah Va’Avodah. Aliyah. These words represent the unique mission of Camp Moshava and its affiliate youth movement, Bnei Akiva.

When campers ride through the gates of Camp Moshava, they enter an environment whose essence is defined by history. Not just by the camp’s own history, which dates back to 1939, but by 100 years of modern Zionist history, and by 3000 years of Jewish history.

At Camp Moshava, campers don’t learn Jewish history, they live it. Campers eat in tents like Avraham Avinu did. They walk through the desert to receive the Torah at Har Sinai. They carve out the Burma Road and deliver food and supplies to Jerusalem. They await the United Nations vote to create the State of Israel. And they grapple with challenges Israel faces today.

At the same time, campers learn the inextricable link between Eretz/Medinat Yisrael, the Jewish People, and our rituals, tefilot, and traditions. They learn the ideology of Torah Va’Avodah: that building the Jewish nation includes every task, from the mundane to the sacred. That each member of the Jewish people must contribute to the greater community. That our obligation to our people comes before our obligation to ourselves.

Torah Va’Avodah remains as critical today as it was at Bnei Akiva’s inception in 1929, when Zionist pioneers were building up the land of Israel. It remains the perfect balance for a healthy religious life that integrates ritual practice, Torah study, and communal commitment. Thousands of olim, and many roshei yeshivot, Jewish community leaders, and even members of Knesset, have their roots in Torah Va’Avodah, in Bnei Akiva and Camp Moshava.

At Camp Moshava, Jewish observance, Zionism, and Israel leap out of the classroom and into campers’ lives. This is the place where Moshe Rabbeinu, Theodore Herzl, and Rav Kook come together every day. This is the place where campers have a great time and develop lifelong friendships while learning and living Jewish history. This is the experience that stays with them for a lifetime.

The Staff

The majority of our staff comes up through the ranks, having attended Moshava for many years. They come back not just to have a good time, but to give something back to the campers, just as their madrichim did for them. They know the ins and outs of camp, and are devoted to making sure their campers have a great time.

Our staff also includes a handful of Israelis, some of whom have completed their army service. Who better to teach the ideals of Religious Zionism than those who exemplify it by living in Israel? Some come as official shlichim, and others come from families that made aliyah (many who themselves attended Moshava); together they give camp a small, but essential, “Taam Yisraeli,” or Israeli flavor.

Safety

As an American Camp Association-accredited camp, Camp Moshava voluntarily adheres to the highest standards of safety in the camping industry. Our camper:staff ratios of 5:1 for younger campers, and 8:1 for high school campers, exceed the ACA standards of 8:1 and 10:1, respectively. Factor in specialty staff such as lifeguards, sports staff, and kollel/midrasha, and campers are well supervised.

1st Period campers are divided into bunks of 10, with two full-time madrichim per bunk. 2nd Period campers are also divided into groups of 10, with one full-time madrich and 2 madrichim-in-training. At night, when campers go to sleep, a staff member remains inside the cabins where the campers are sleeping.

Our medical staff consists of two nurses and one doctor; at least one medical staff person remains on the camp premises at all times. Campers can visit the health center in the morning after breakfast, and our nurses administer medications that need to be taken regularly or at meals. There are several pharmacies and hospitals near camp. All staff members attend a first-aid seminar at the start of camp.

In addition to our head lifeguard and medical staff, our adult staff also includes a camp mom and a mental health professional who help campers deal with homesickness or difficult situations, and help the camp better meet the needs of particular campers.