New JORI director really loves camp

Louis Lasko grew up going to camp, first at Camp JORI, then at day camp and finally at Camp Wah-Nee in Torrington, Connecticut, which is where he said it really clicked. “I went to JORI a little too young in the summer,” Lasko said with a laugh recounting his time as a home-sick elementary school kid. His experience years later at Wah-Nee was when his love of camp really began. “My favorite memories were spending time in the evening with the friends I made,” he said.

Now, Lasko, 37, is Camp JORI’s new director. And he is looking forward to keeping the beloved traditions at the Wakefield camp and building out activities for all types of campers. “I plan to keep the traditions people love, like the Olympics and some of the Shabbat and Havdalah traditions.”

Lasko’s background is focused on youth and camp programming. After high school, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Elmira College and went on to serve in a wide range of camp and after-school programs. He was the director of day camp at the Jewish Community Center in Springfield, Massachusetts; he served as the assistant director at Camp O-la-mi; he was the director of the after-school program at the Stamford JCC and the assistant director at Camp Laurelwood in Connecticut.

Lasko has been married for a decade to his wife, Kristin, and couple has two children and a dog named Matzoh Ball. He lives about an hour from Camp JORI in Colchester, Connecticut. After a brief stint in the Midwest, he is glad to be back home in New England and heading to Camp JORI.

“JORI is really unique,” he said. “Jewish camping is so expensive, and JORI includes everyone regardless of need.”

He pointed to JORI’s origin as a place for Jewish orphans as foundational to its inclusive nature. “It’s a great community,” Lasko said, describing his experience meeting with parents and past campers.

Choosing a camp can be a big undertaking and Lasko recommends that parents, “really connect with the staff and director.” He pointed out that activities are similar at all camps so the important thing to look for is “that feeling of connection – this will become their camp family, and it should feel that way.”

Other tips for parents include making sure your children are ready for overnight camp. “People used to start their kids in 2nd or 3rd grade, but that doesn’t work for every kid,” he cautioned. “It is more important to start them when they are ready so they can really grow their love of camp.” The worst thing that can happen is sending a kid who isn’t ready and negatively impacting their view of camp, so they don’t want to go at all.

When asked what set JORI apart Lasko pointed out that it is a newer camp facility with beautiful (and air conditioned!) indoor spaces like the dining hall and theater. “The lake is the most beautiful spot,” he said, describing the current quiet. “I know that won’t be the case in the summer!” he said. The camp is also surrounded by a nature preserve making it feel like a world away.

Camp JORI is a device-free zone. “No campers can bring anything that connects to the internet, and staff are not allowed to have their phones out when they are with campers,” he explained. Though some kids, especially teenagers, can really struggle with this change, Lasko pointed out that “it is up to the camp to make it more interesting than whatever might be on a device.” Downtime is when things like homesickness really flare up so “it is important to have activities and really present and available staff,” Lasko said.

As someone who has been involved in the camp world, Lasko has seen a lot of change. “The biggest change is the camper experience,” he said, “having social workers on staff and making sure kids have the resources they need.”

Lasko points out that this is not to turn camp into a therapeutic environment, but to have extra layers of attention and expertise. “Camp back in the day was much more of a free for all,” he said. “Here are the activities and you figure it out, which worked for the time, but we are much more focused on camper care.”

In his personal life Lasko is a family man who loves spending time with his 3-year-old and 10-week-old, cooking, and hosting. He hosts Thanksgiving and the first two nights of Passover, with family coming in from out of town for both. At these events, he does what he hopes to do at camp – invites people in, makes them comfortable, and creates a fun experience.

This summer you’ll find Lasko on the archery range, at every meal, at the ropes course, and everywhere in between. The one place you won’t find him? “You won’t find me in my office during the summer,” Lasko said with a laugh.

SARAH GREENLEAF (sgreenleaf@jewishallianceri.org) is the digital marketing manager for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and writes for Jewish Rhode Island.