Staff

 

Air Service

Staff can fly into either Portland International Jetport (75 minutes away) or Boston’s Logan Airport (3 hours away). Both are serviced by major airlines. Modin provides pickup service from the Portland Jetport.  Concord Coach Lines provides bus service directly from Boston’s Logan Airport to their bus terminal in Augusta, Maine, where we will pick you up for the 20 minute drive to camp.

Bus

Greyhound Bus Lines offers service from New York City to Boston and Concord Couch Lines provides services from Boston to their bus terminal in Augusta, Maine, where we will pick you up for the 20 minute drive to camp.

Driving

Many staff members choose to drive their own vehicles to camp for use on days off. There is no public transportation in the area, nor does Camp Modin provide vehicles for days off. If you have the opportunity to bring a car, it is a good idea. All vehicles must be in good working order and have a valid registration and proof of insurance. Car rental companies are available in town, but generally limit rentals to staff aged 21 and above.

Born and raised in Rockland County, NY, Samara joined the Modin family in 1999 and spent five years here as a camper. She returned to Modin as a general counselor and two years later became the girls’ head counselor. Upon graduating from George Washington University, Samara was promoted to full-time assistant director before becoming the director in 2013. Samara and her husband Pascal became the full-time owners and executive directors of Camp Modin in 2024.

Pascal joined the Modin family when he married Samara in 2020. Born and raised in Munich, Germany, he grew up attending Jewish camp and ultimately became the head counselor for a Jewish youth organization. Pascal lived in Israel for 13 years and in 2018, relocated to New York City for work, where he met Samara through a Modin family. Since 2019, Pascal has spent his summers at Camp Modin. Samara and Pascal are proud parents of two daughters Romi and Leni. 

Together, they are responsible for all administrative functions, staff development and the well being of the entire community. They know each and every camper personally and spend the bulk of their time with the kids – at meals, on the waterfront, at campfires, everywhere. They like to operate “out in the field” and not behind closed doors. Their mission is to provide children with a healthy, safe and memorable summer experience.

Camp Modin was founded in 1922 by a group of prominent Jewish educators as “The camp with a Jewish Ideal.” Their goal in founding Modin was to establish a community where children from around the world could come together in a breathtaking natural setting, help them pursue their individual and collective Jewish identities, and forge lifelong friendships. Today Modin is the oldest continuously operating Jewish camp in the United States. Modin takes its name from the biblical town of Modi’in, where the story of Chanukah took place.

Absolutely not! Many of our staff, including a vast majority of our international and specialty staff, are not Jewish. While it is important for our campers to have Jewish role models, it is equally important that we find the most qualified, professional and caring individuals and teachers to nurture and guide our young people. Over the years, we have recruited hundreds of amazing individuals from such places as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. These individuals bring tremendous energy and enthusiasm to our program and their religious background is completely irrelevant to their success as a Modin counselor. At Modin, we work hard to ensure that every member of our community feels comfortable. Many current and former Modin staff members are available to speak with you and will be happy to allay any questions or concerns you may have.

Pre-Camp Staff Training begins approximately one week prior to the campers’ arrival (except for Waterfront and Pioneering staff, who arrive approximately five days earlier for specialized training). Pre-Camp begins with dinner and informal introductions. The ice breaks really quickly. Within forty-eight hours of everyone’s arrival in Camp, what was a diverse group of people is now a cohesive, functioning collective of Modin counselors. Indeed, the night before the children arrive, the feeling of “I cannot believe I have known these people for only a week” comes right along with it. What results is that, when our campers arrive they are greeted by a Camp Staff that is primed, unified and giving off an excitement that makes the campers feel that we have been eagerly waiting for their arrival.

Bunk Counselors living in cabins with campers include both general counselors and specialists. Each bunk has 1-2 general counselors and 2-3 specialists. General counselors tend to be former campers or individuals with comparable camping experience at camps like Modin.  Specialists are individuals who have been hired because of a particular skill they can teach.

Within the cabin their roles of general counselors and specialists are identical, and they share equal responsibilities.  The main difference in their roles pertains to their activity assignments during the day.  In the morning, the specialists go off and teach at their assigned activities. The general counselors travel with the entire bunk of campers to each activity, assisting the specialists as needed. In the afternoon, campers travel individually to their elective activities, which they sign up for daily. Specialists teach their assigned activities and general counselors are assigned to assist the instructors.

Many times, we rotate specialists so they have the opportunity to travel to activities with their own bunk. Additionally, specialists participate in all special activities, such as overnight camping trips, amusement park trips, birthday parties, evening activities, and so much more.

We do not pre-assign staff to certain cabins or age groups prior to their arrival. The only exception to this rule is for returning staff who often return to work with their same group of children, though not necessarily. The first few days of pre-camp orientation affords us the opportunity to meet you and determine which group of children you will work best with. In addition, it gives you a chance to meet your fellow colleagues to determine if there is anyone you don’t connect with. We take all of these factors into consideration in making our final placements. Rarely do we make mistakes. Sometimes staff members who believe they will only work best with younger children are surprised by how well they do with teen campers. Other times, individuals who want to work with older children find an assignment in the younger cabins to be an amazing experience. Keep in mind that we have limited spaces in our older groups, many of which are filled by returning staff. In addition, specialty staff have less flexibility in selections as certain bunks have specialty slots and others do not. Relax. Everyone ends up forming a strong connection with his or her campers, regardless of age.

All of our cabins are spacious and modern, many having been built or restored in the past few years. All cabins have electricity and in-cabin bathroom facilities. Cabins are furnished with solid, wooden bunk beds with mattresses fitting twin-size sheets, as well as ample storage space for your personal effects.

On average, each bunk is made up of 4 counselors and 12 campers who are generally grouped by grade. All staff except administrative, medical, and support staff live in the cabins with the children.

While we’re all here to spend quality time with the campers, we recognize that everyone needs time off to rest and recuperate. During the seven weeks that the campers are in attendance, all staff members receive 4-5 days off (depending on your start date) that are about 24 hours in length.

Staff are also provided with a number of evenings off, generally beginning at the end of evening activities and running until curfew. If not on-duty, staff are free to go off camp, work out in our fitness center, enjoy our game room, grab a bite to eat in our camp canteen, or catch a movie in our magnificent lodge.

The salaries at Modin are very competitive. American salaries vary depending on age and experience.  International staff are required to apply for work visas and sponsorship through Camp America, who are responsible for setting first-time applicant salaries.

Staff members have no expenses during the summer except, perhaps, for items purchased on days off. The benefit of working at camp is that most staff members depart at the end of the summer with their entire paycheck, having spent very little. Modin provides staff shirts free of charge. In addition to salary, Modin provides free room and board, as well as linen and laundry service.

At Modin, we organize our camper body into the following units:

UNIT	AGES	GRADES FINISHED
Lower	7-10	2nd, 3rd, 4th
Middle	10-12	5th & 6th
Junior	12-14	7th & 8th
Senior	14-16	9th & 10th

TYPICAL DAY

7:30 am       Wake Up
7:45 am       Line Up
8:00 am       Breakfast (three shifts)
8:30 am       Clean Up
9:25 am       1st Period – Bunk Activities
10:25 am     2nd Period – Bunk Activities
11:25 am     3rd Period – Bunk Activities
12:30 pm     Lunch (three shifts)
1:00 pm       Rest Hour/Free Time
2:00 pm       1st Period – Electives
3:00 pm       2nd Period – Electives
4:00 pm       3rd Period – Electives
4:50 pm       General Swim/Free Time
5:30 pm       Dinner (three shifts)
7:00 pm       Evening Activities
8:30 pm       Curfew Begins (varies by age)

The kitchen at Modin offers carefully prepared menus with a variety of selections. From our fresh salad bar to hearty soups and homemade breads, it’s no wonder that campers and counselors alike rave about the Modin cuisine. With standard fare such as pasta and pizza to a full salad bar, as well as vegetarian & gluten free options, even the pickiest eater finds plenty of items to choose from. Healthy snacks are served each afternoon and again before bedtime. Camp Modin observes the laws of Kashrut.

Camp Modin requires that all staff members maintain an appropriate level of personal hygiene and at all times be conscious of their personal appearance. Camp Modin reserves the right to require staff to wear camp uniforms and to enforce any dress or grooming codes as it sees fit. Earrings shall be small and modest and worn only in the ears. All other body piercings are unacceptable. In addition, Camp Modin reserves the right to ask any and all staff members to remove apparel deemed inappropriate. All staff members shall wear their hair in a neat and tidy fashion. All staff members are expected to wear proper attire, including shirts, when teaching activities and/or supervising campers. Camp Modin reserves the right to ask any and all staff members to adjust their hairstyle, facial hair, or dress to conform to such camp standards as it may deem appropriate. We provide all staff with Modin staff shirts free of charge.

Maine summers are warm and inviting, with daytime temperatures peaking at about 85°F/29°C and evening temperatures cooling to a comfortable 65°F/18°C. Maine is usually spared the sometimes oppressive heat and humidity that affects communities south of us in the summer.

While insects such as black flies are a problem for those of us here in Maine’s early springtime, by the time you arrive at camp the black flies have gone for the season. Mosquitoes can be a minor nuisance, but nothing that a little bug-spray can’t cure!

Salmon Lake, on which Modin is located, is the jewel of the beautiful Belgrade Lakes chain in Central Maine, some 70 miles north of Portland, Maine. More than two miles long, Salmon Lake offers a crystal clear, sand bottom, spring fed lake, with water temperatures averaging about 75°-80°F/24°-26°C. -80°F/24°-26°C.

Ask yourself one simple question: “Do I love children and want to make a difference in their lives?” Camp is a hard job. We are responsible for these children 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We need to supervise them, nurture them, teach them and guide them. If you come to camp for the right reasons, this will be the most memorable experience of your life. You will develop a life-long bond with your campers and leave a better person. If all of this sounds great, why not apply online right now?