Highlighting the Growth and Impact of Inclusion on the Entire Camp Community
This year, Camp Morasha pulled out all the stops to mark a significant milestone: 25 years of Yachad being an integral part of the camp’s community. The celebration was highlighted by their beloved annual event, a camp-wide sing-off called Shiria. The event’s slogan, “We can all sing!” perfectly captured the essence of unity and inclusion that defined Yachad’s presence at Morasha.
“Hosting our Yachad campers each summer is the privilege of a lifetime. Celebrating the program’s 25th summer reminded all of us how blessed we are to partner with such an incredible organization,” said Jeremy Joszef, Director of Camp Morasha.
Yachad, an international organization under the umbrella of the Orthodox Union, is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish individuals with disabilities. Through a wide range of social, recreational, educational, and vocational programs, Yachad serves communities in 10 regions across the United States, Israel, and Canada.
For more than three decades, Camp Morasha, located in Lakewood, Pennsylvania, provides a place where campers thrive. From exciting sports and arts projects to waterfront adventures and drama, Morasha offers a full summer camp experience for all. Since their partnership with Yachad began in 2000, the camp has hosted Yachad campers aged 12 to 21 in their own supportive bunks, enabling them to participate fully in camp alongside their mainstream peers.
A Unique and Groundbreaking Partnership
What makes Camp Morasha so special is that they were the first camp to have a dedicated bunk and staff built specifically to accommodate Yachad Summer’s boys and girls divisions. “This concept of an inclusion program at a mainstream summer camp did not exist until Morasha transformed this landscape,” explains Nechama Braun, Associate Director of Yachad Summer Programs.
Over the years, the program at Morasha has grown significantly, now featuring vocational opportunities within camp, where you’ll find Yachad members at work in the dining hall, lakeside, and beyond, with dedicated staff coaching and training them toward working independently.
Shiria: A Celebratory Sing-Off
Shiria, a much-anticipated annual highlight at Camp Morasha, is a lively event that is livestreamed and anchored in realtime, where the boys’ and girls’ divisions compete in a judged contest to celebrate the spirit of the entire community. Among the judges were Dr. Eliana Korn, Program Director at Morasha Yachad and Rabbi Dr. Benjy Leibowitz, Clinical Supervisor of Morasha Yachad. This year’s theme centered around Yachad, emphasizing unity, inclusion and belonging. Campers even rerecorded Mordechai Shapiro’s hit song, B’Yachad, in Morasha’s music studio which was shared live during the Shiria.
Over a thousand campers took part in Shiria this summer. The event featured a musical recording by campers created in Morasha’s very own professional recording studio, capturing the chorus of voices, joy, and camaraderie. The Shiria contest involved each team presenting three songs aligned with themes of togetherness, with judges who were all deeply involved with Yachad events and values, to truly celebrate the camp community.
Special Event with Meaningful Participants
During Shiria, leaders from the Orthodox Union and Yachad joined the festivities, underscoring the significance of this milestone. The event was not only a celebration of the past 25 years, but also a powerful reminder of how everyone’s camp experience is enriched by Yachad’s presence.
“There was so much nachas at this event,” shares Joe Goldfarb, PhD, Director of Yachad Summer, “With over 1,000 people in attendance, the impact of Yachad was loud and clear.”
The 25th summer of Yachad at Camp Morasha is a testament to how far inclusion efforts have come.
“Celebrating this milestone with Shiria,” says camp director Jeremy Joszef, “with its songs, joy, and purpose, reminds us that inclusion and community belong at the core of everything we do.”
View the livestream of the full event at Shiria 2025: “We Can All Sing”.