About the Farm
Urban Adamah seeks to build a more loving, just, and sustainable world. We ground and connect people — to themselves, to others, and to the natural world. We do this by providing farm-based, community building experiences that integrate Jewish tradition, mindfulness, sustainable agriculture, and social action.
The Urban Adamah farm is situated on a two-acre site that is home to a wide array of perennial flowers, native plants, annual vegetables, animals, and learners. We employ a sustainable, hand-scale system of production agriculture that considers the health of the soil, the careful and conservative use of resources, and the human impact on the land and surrounding ecosystems. Our methodology aims to mimic natural processes, encourage biodiversity, reduce off-farm inputs and cycle our nutrients on site. We use innovative technologies such as aquaponics that are well suited to urban areas, and our infrastructure includes extensive greywater and solar electricity systems to reduce our ecological footprint.
About Farm Camp
Every summer, Urban Adamah offers an outdoor summer camp for kids ages 3 – 14 . Summer Camp features hands-on projects and activities exploring themes that integrate nature-connection, crafts, farming, community-building, and Jewish values. Camp Urban Adamah is designed to create a space for children to thrive and express their natural curiosity and passion, all within a vibrant, loving, and inclusive Jewish community. Our counselors ensure that children of different ages can have joyful experiences within a small group of peers.
Daily activities at Summer Camp include gardening, feeding chickens and collecting eggs, music and stories, farm-to-fork food preparation with our bicycle powered blender and solar oven and in our industrial kitchen, arts and crafts, nature connection activities, and more. We do everything through the lens of Jewish tradition and storytelling, whether it be through our shomrei adamah farm activities, nature-based art projects, or eco-mitzvot songs. We open and close every day as a whole camp community with circle time, songs, storytelling, and acts of love and kindness.
The Summer Specialist Program is intended for young adults ages 19 – 22. Each specialist will work 25 hours a week at camp and on the farm in exchange for room and board and an end-of-summer stipend. Summer specialists live on the farm itself in a modern building with a large, well-stocked kitchen and plenty of living space. Specialists will share a room with one other person.
In return for room and board in the Bay Area, summer specialists lead daily activity blocks in their area of specialization. Each block is an hour long and specialists work a maximum of two blocks in a day. Specialists help with children during all-camp activities, including the daily morning circle and end-of-week Shabbat service. Some specialists may be expected to help counselors in small group activities as well. There is also ample time to brainstorm, develop and plan new activities, and collaborate with peers.
Summer Specialists will get regular, consistent supervision and feedback from the Camp Manager and Ed Director, as well as the Farm Director and other members of the Urban Adamah staff. They will receive extensive training before camp starts as well as learning opportunities in Jewish values, farm techniques, mindfulness, DEI, nonviolent communication, and other topics.
Farm Camp runs from June 10 – August 9 of 2024. Summer Specialists will be expected to be in Berkeley on June 3 for training and settling into the farm. The summer specialist program runs through August 15th for a week of debriefing, celebration, enjoying the farm and community created throughout the program, and packing up. Summer Specialists are expected to be present for the entire experience. (Specialists will have July 4th off from work).
While specialists are critical to camp life and expected to work the required hours on the farm and at camp, you may also work off site if you would like to pick up a part time job. There may also be additional work opportunities on the farm, including helping to run after-care, etc. Any additional work will be paid at $21/hour. The availability of additional work is not guaranteed.
Each summer specialist will specialize in one of four specific areas. In each one, we are looking for people who find joy in teaching others, who have skills already developed in a particular area, and who are enthusiastic about farm life and being outdoors.
Farming
Engage children in creative activities to foster appreciation for farm life. Work with children to plant, tend, and harvest summer crops; farm specialists will also work with Urban Adamah’s lead farmer to tend the farm through the summer with responsibilities to include flipping garden beds in the field, harvesting crops, and planting.
Necessary skills and experience: Comfortable getting your boots and hands dirty, bending, lifting, and shoveling; have experience with plants and gardening, whether through classes or personal experience; have prior (preferably in a summer camp or school-based setting) experience working with children.
Arts & Crafts
Plan and teach a wide range of arts and crafts activities, including but not limited to candle making, Jewish crafts, puppet making, lanyards, and nature-based activities. Organize and clean all supplies and equipment daily; order supplies as necessary. Arts and Crafts specialists will have opportunities to work with the Camp Manager and Ed Director to develop projects and gain feedback.
Necessary skills and experience: Comfort with a wide range of art mediums; able to teach both single-day activities and longer, multi day projects for a wide range of ages; have prior experience teaching arts and crafts skills (preferably in a summer camp or school-based setting); have prior (preferably in a summer camp or school-based setting) experience working with children.
Cooking
Plan and teach cooking activities in Urban Adamah’s industrial kitchen for children ranging in ages from 3 – 14, including: preparing challah for our weekly Shabbat end-of-camp service; teaching canning and pickling; making food from our farm produce; teaching basic kitchen and cooking skills to a wide range of ages. Organize and clean all supplies and equipment daily; order supplies as necessary.
Necessary skills and experience: Attention to detail and safety awareness, with excellent observation skills. Some experience catering, working in an industrial kitchen, or taking cooking classes; have prior (preferably in a summer camp or school-based setting) experience working with children. A food handlers permit is a bonus.
Music
Lead and teach Jewish summer camp songs as well as American and Hebrew folk songs in camp-wide sing-a-longs; lead songs at opening circle every morning and songs and blessings at Shabbat services on Friday afternoons; develop fun, interactive song-based activities for small groups of children (e.g. musical games, songwriting workshop, etc).
Necessary skills and experience: Play guitar proficiently, have a solid foundation of camp and folk songs appropriate for school-aged youth, feel comfortable singing in front of large groups of people, have prior song-leading experience (preferably in a summer camp or school-based setting); experience working with children.
All three non-farming specialists will also be expected to help around the farm between 3 – 5 hours per week. Some responsibilities include: cleaning animal enclosures; weekend animal and watering chores; weeding; maintaining farm spaces and cleaning sheds, pathways, and the compost pile.
You want to live on a farm in an urban setting and are excited about deepening your experience with farm life and children. You are receptive to feedback and taking direction, and are eager to improve your own abilities in your specialty while also being open to learning new skills.
While we expect that you will have had some experience working with children and in the specific specialty for which you are applying, you do not need to have prior experience in Jewish learning and practice or in community living to apply for the program. An openness to exploring and sharing Jewish environmental wisdom and spirituality is a plus.
We appreciate an overall spirit of flexibility and enthusiasm!
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
This is a temporary position. Interns will work 25 hours per week in exchange for room and board and a small, end-of-summer stipend. Interns live on the farm itself in a modern building with a large, well-equipped kitchen and plenty of living space. Interns will share a room with one other person. Interns will be in charge of their own food purchasing and meal preparation.
SCHEDULE*
Training
June 3 - June 7
Summer Camp Sessions
June 10 - August 9 | Monday - Friday, times to be scheduled
Integration / Packing up
August 12 - August 15
*Schedule notes:
- There is no camp on July 4th.
- There will also be required training before camp begins. Interns need to arrive in Berkeley by June 3 to attend the training. training and settling into the farm. The internship runs through August 15. Interns are expected to be present for the entire experience. (Interns will have July 4th off from work).
SUPERVISION
This position is supervised by the Camp Manager.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION INCLUDES:
Cover letter, resume, two professional references with how you know them, and responses to the following short questions. Bullet pointed lists are welcome as responses to the short questions, if preferred by the applicant (200 words max for each).
- Rank the specialist position you are interested in applying for (1-4, with 1 being the position you are most interested in).
- What particular skills and experiences do you have in the speciality you are most interested in? (If you have two specialities you feel equally qualified for and interested in, describe them both.)
- Describe your experience with working with children. What age ranges have you worked with? In what capacity? Are there any courses or training that you have taken? Is there any other relevant experience you want to share with us?
- What excites you about working at a Jewish summer camp?
- What excites you about living communally on the farm for the summer?
Applications will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis, however, we encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. If you have any questions about the application or the position, please contact our Camp and Educational Programs Manager, Zev Bennett, at zev@urbanadamah.org.