Julian Krinsky, Tennis Icon, Gives Back To Jewish Community
Non-Profit Camp Seeks to Reinforce Jewish Teens’ Identity
Julian Krinsky Yesh Shabbat
Julian Krinsky’s Yesh Shabbat (www.yeshshabbat.com), is a highly acclaimed, premiere pre-college summer camp attracting tweens and teens from all over the U.S. and abroad. The motivation behind this program is the desire of Julian Krinsky, the founder, to give back to his community.
“When I learned about my lineage and the impact my ancestors made in the Jewish world it made me realize my responsibility to the Jewish people,” says Julian Krinsky. “I started Yesh Shabbat and established it as a non-profit organization to give Jewish students a sense of Jewish identity and the same opportunities afforded to other teens in sports and summer programming.”
Originally from South Africa, Krinsky is a former international tennis player and an acclaimed tennis coach. He was ranked no. 7 in his home country and played at Wimbledon, the French Open and the Italian Open, as well as at the Maccabi Games in Israel.
Though Krinsky personally became a renowned tennis player, there was something inside him pushing him to give back; he was inspired to create Yesh Shabbat camp. After learning of the outstanding love of Judaism of his great, great grandfather, Rabbi Yehoshua Yitzhak Shapira or widely known as Eizel Charif, he wanted to create a camp for young Jews so they too would love their Jewish heritage.
Eizel Charif, born in Lithuania in 1801, was a child prodigy. He learned the entire Talmud by the time he was just nine and knew the entire treatise of Jewish law by heart. Reb Eizel became one of the most important rabbinical authorities of his time and authored numerous works on Jewish law and texts, including one of the most important commentaries on the Jerusalem Talmud ever written, Noam Yerushalmi. And despite the hours he devoted to studying and writing, Reb Eizel was renowned for the communal and charitable activities he undertook in whatever community he was living in. The deep respect and honor of having a legacy as such, propelled Krinsky to create a camp to give back, like his great, great grandfather.
“After attending Yesh, I feel a strong connection to Judaism that lasts me throughout the year,” said Arianna Breslauer of London, England. “Shabbat is a beautiful experience and my friends from Yesh all relate to my enhanced Jewish identity.”
Yesh Shabbat’s program for summer 2014 includes over 30 courses in sports, arts and academic courses, all of which are taught by professional teachers and instructors within a shomer shabbos and glatt kosher environment. (http://www.jkjewishsummercamps.com/program-specifics/)
In addition to classes, the program recently added an Internship program for high school students. Students are placed in professional offices or businesses conveniently located in Greater Philadelphia. They get an inside advantage – working 9 to 5 – as they build a network of contacts and develop their resume for the future. They might be interning with a lawyer, developing marketing campaigns, shadowing a doctor, assisting a vet, or involved with high-profile mentors. (http://www.jkjewishsummercamps.com/high-school-internships/)
Providing world-class educators and courses within a positive Jewish framework are the two pillars of Yesh Shabbat. Through teaching children to value both their rich religious heritage and the importance of contributing to modern society, Yesh Shabbat hopes to foster another generation of Jewish children who will contribute to the world around them while maintaining their religious identity.