There’s something magnetic about Camp Coleman. Maybe it’s the late-night singing under the stars or the way friendships here feel more like family. But for those who’ve been here summer after summer, it’s something even deeper. It’s love. It’s legacy. It’s home.
Just ask Alyse Bessell, a longtime staff member and Coleman parent who’s spent nine summers in three different roles—from the office, to Campscape, to Jewish Cooking. For Alyse, camp is a place she shares with her kids as much as it is a place she serves.
“I come back every year because I love it,” she says. “Also, my children are here. They love it too. My daughter is in Kesher. My son is in Tsofim. We just love it here, and we’ll come back as long as they’ll have us.”
Alyse’s perspective reminds us what it means to trust a place with your family—to see your children grow through the same traditions you help create. She’s not just giving to camp; she’s living it alongside her kids.
Then there’s Aiden, who brings a different kind of full-circle story. A former camper turned counselor, this is his second year on staff—but his seventh summer at Coleman. He came back with fresh eyes after some time away and found not only joy but purpose.
“The staff members before me gave so much to me—life lessons, things I never thought I could learn,” he says. “Now I want to give that back. I want to teach campers what I’ve learned in life, so they can grow into better people and stronger members of our Coleman community.”
Aiden knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of Coleman magic—and now, he’s choosing to pass it on.
Together, these two voices—a parent and a camper-turned-leader—show how Camp Coleman isn’t just a summer job or a childhood memory. It’s a community that spans generations. A place where you grow up and grow into something bigger. And as long as that magic keeps working, they’ll both keep coming back.