Check out our interview with Food, Facility and Logistics Director in the blog below! Welcome back Heidi!

Tell us about your background at camp. 

“Hi, I’m Heidi Rybak and I am so excited to be taking on a new role at camp.  For the previous 4 summers I have been the Mini Mensch Director and have thoroughly enjoyed it. This year, a new opportunity presented itself and I was eager to jump on board.” 

What are you looking forward to this summer?

“I grew up attending URJ Goldman Union Camp, where I developed a love of camp and Judaism.  Camp was always a place I felt welcome and comfortable and it was where I established who I was as a Jew. It was a place that helped shape my Jewish identity and my future Jewish life. Besides Goldman Union Camp, I attended numerous other day camps and worked at many as well. Even after I got married and had kids, camp was still drawing me in and I was more than thrilled when KK invited me to be a part of Camp George with Mini Mensch.

I am looking forward to having my whole family at camp this summer.  My oldest will be in second year Kochavim while my youngest will be in second year Nitzotzot, and my husband, Brian, is on staff as well. I also look forward to developing meaningful relationships with campers and staff, and hope to be another “camp mom” they can look up to.” 

What do you do outside of camp?

“When I am not at camp, I work as a Chef and Meal Coordinator Manager at a private school in Richmond Hill. It combines my 2 passions in life, cooking and kids. I love teaching lessons in my kitchen with all the various grade from Pre-School to grade 8 and I especially enjoy our after school cooking club. Working at a school has provided me the opportunity to come to camp for the full summer and I couldn’t be happier about that!” 

You have to sing karaoke, what song do you pick?

“I love to sing and play guitar and if you get to know me, you’ll probably find out that I often sing absentmindedly all the time. I like a wide range of music but if I had to share my go-to karaoke song, I’d have to say Cowboy, Take Me Away or Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks.” 

If you had to eat one camp meal everyday for the rest of your life what would it be?

“Being a foodie, it’s hard to pick just one meal that I love at camp and would be willing to eat all the time…but, as weird as it might sound, I’ll say oatmeal. I eat it nearly every morning and I like that you can add fruit or granola or whatever and make it different but it’s always yummy and filling.” 

What is one thing people might not know about you?

“To share something that you might not know about me, it that I love to write. I write poetry, short stories and I currently have 3 novels in the works.”