Camp Ideal 2025: Fun, Friendship, & Forever Memories
Director Kim Cossman Reflects on the 2025 Season
Wow, what an incredible six weeks it’s been! This summer was packed with adventure, laughter, and unforgettable experiences. We’ve made so many memories together, and we couldn’t wait to share the highlights with you.
We kicked things off each session with fruit picking — cherries and peaches straight from the orchard — and maybe a few made it straight into our mouths! We had a private movie showing of the live action How to Train Your Dragon at Wonderland Cinema. At the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, we got hands-on with fossil digging, sparking curiosity and some “future paleontologist” dreams.
The South Bend Chocolate Factory treated us to a behind-the-scenes look — plus lots of samples and even full-size chocolate bars! At Apex Climbing Gym, we conquered the walls (with permission this time!) and cheered each other on.
We also had some amazing guests join us this summer. Home Depot partnered with us to build birdhouses, donated four new picnic tables, seeds for planting, and a generous $695 gift card. Ethos wowed us with STEM activities. They even set their hands on fire as an experiment, and we were able to guess how it worked. Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky of Temple Beth-El led us in joyful Jewish songs with her guitar, sparking lively dance circles that brought everyone together. Plus, our community’s very own Max Kirsch led a fascinating nature hike, teaching us all about birds, insects, and plants right here on the Federation grounds.
Our weekly trips to Fuller’s Beach every Tuesday quickly became a camp favorite! We spent our beach days digging in the sand, swimming, and playing games both in the water and on the shore. And of course — no beach day was complete without stopping for ice cream on the way home! Camp favorites were Michigan Pothole, Cookies and Cream, Blue Moon, Rainbow Sherbet, and Cotton Candy.
This year, we introduced 9 Square to camp — and it was a huge hit! While some campers still preferred the classic 4 Square, many loved the fast-paced fun of 9 Square. Our campers also enjoyed playing camp classics like Chicken on a Roof, Tag, Freeze Tag, What Time is it Mr. Wolf?, Fast Ball, Sardines, Hietzhara, the ever-popular Gaga Ball, Flag Football, Tether ball, and Capture the Flag. Some even invented their own games this year — shoutout to the creativity behind Wall Bash!
In before and after care, our most popular games continued to be Poker, Blackjack and Texas Hold’em, giving campers a fun way to practice math and strategy. And Minecraft Magnetic Blocks were a major hit too, sparking creativity and teamwork.
Another highlight of our summer was our awesome Chugim (electives). Each week, campers chose from activities led by our talented staff and counselors:
Judy Sassler shared her baking talents with cake pops, fondant modeling, cookie decorating, and cupcake decorating, which is always a favorite!
Joyiona, Rheylynn, Jada, and Timmyah brought the energy with dance sessions.
Jayiona and Ahniyah led creative jewelry-making.
Bella and Maggie inspired young artists with Arts-n-Crafts and Forensics.
Reine and Vee guided epic adventures with DnD (Dungeons & Dragons).
MJ, Eli, and Vivian kept campers active with sports sessions.
One of the biggest highlights was our overnight adventure — an evening at Fuller’s Beach until nearly 9 PM, followed by night games like Who Stole the Kosher Bacon and Sardines in the Dark. The next morning, after a delicious breakfast, we headed out for “Camp Day” with the South Bend Cubs, enjoying baseball and a kosher hot dog lunch from Camp Ideal.
We wrapped up our camp days with waterslide fun, laughter, and lots of splashing — the perfect way to end what we can truly call “The Best Summer Ever!”
A special highlight this summer was the Shi’Shuk program, which was a huge success! A portion of the money raised was donated to Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County, an organization that helps local teens who need a safe place to stay. A heartfelt thank-you to Judy Sassler for her incredible dedication to Shi’Shuk. Her weekly challah, chocolate chip banana cupcakes, peach cobblers, potato kugel, savory tarts, Jerusalem bagels, and so many other treats were a hit with both our campers and community. Judy, thank you for all your hard work, and for stepping in on field trips and beach days when Omer couldn’t come — you jumped in without hesitation, and I’m so grateful for your constant support and friendship.
Thank you to Omer Karavani, my amazing Co-Director, for your leadership, for running the archery range, for building meaningful connections with campers, and for being a strong, steady support to me and our Hadracha program. You’ve been an invaluable part of this summer.
Thank you, Moshe Kruger, for your wisdom and steady guidance. Your advice during camp planning and throughout the summer gave me the confidence I needed to lead.
Thank you, Steve Lotter, for your marketing insights, encouragement, and support that made this job easier and kept me motivated.
Thank you, Dan Cossman, for your behind-the-scenes work with room setups, payroll, building needs — and even cleaning up life’s little surprises (yes, even vomit). Your support as both my husband and Operations Director has meant the world.
Thank you, Rabbi Nebel, for always being ready with kosher advice and a helping hand in the kitchen for Shi’Shuk. Your guidance is appreciated more than you know.
Thank you, Dr. Louise, for stepping up when we needed coverage, for helping with camp materials, and for being a trusted sounding board throughout the summer.
Thank you, Moose, our unofficial Emotional Support Pup, for bringing smiles and calm whenever you visit.
And finally, a huge thank you to Ben and Norma — your help cleaning up after our campers’ daily adventures (and some of our larger messes… like the watermelon explosion!) did not go unnoticed. We truly could not have done this without you both. From the bottom of my heart — thank you!
To our campers, families, and community — thank you for making this summer unforgettable. It’s been a joy and a privilege to share this journey with all of you.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Kim Cossman
Director of Camp Ideal