On Sunday I returned from two weeks at Ramah Darom, where I was teaching both campers and staff, and spending time with our Memphis campers there. It was exhilarating; the energy at camp was powerful, and I was so grateful to receive hugs from our Memphis campers whenever they saw me. I was reminded of the magic of being at summer camp and the power that it has to help shape Jewish identity. (I was also reminded that I am not as young as I used to be when I spent significant time at camp.) I want to share with you just a few of the beautiful moments.
I taught an elective for entering 10th graders about Jewish perspectives on disabilities, access, and inclusion. I had three of our teens in my cohort, and they studied texts thoughtfully, engaged with ideas with empathy and a full heart, and shared deep ideas on how to make our societies and Jewish communities more open to those with various disabilities.
One camper from Beth Sholom reflected that while of course they enjoyed their friends and all their activities, they also deepened their relationship to prayer. I watched as this teen led services for their edah (unit) often; their unit head approached me to tell me how big of an asset they were to their unit.
I watched one of our young teens perform in a camp performance of the show Frozen, and in Ramah tradition, it was entirely in Hebrew. With a 2-minute solo, she confidently and beautifully belted out her Hebrew song in front of hundreds of people as Olaf.
Our youth are doing Memphis and Beth Sholom proud.
I facilitated conversations with campers and some of the Israeli Mishlachat (the delegation of Israeli staff at camp), many of whom had just completed their army service. They spoke powerfully about their experience in Israel and in the army, they shared complicated nuanced feelings about their perceptions of the government and how the war has been handled, and they also shared their unending love for their country. I was so glad our campers were able to hear, firsthand, these perspectives.
I am so grateful that I was able to spend this special time at camp. I encourage families to send their kids to Jewish camp, and being there reinforced its impact. Allowing our youth to independently create Jewish experiences, to foster their own connection to Judaism, and to become leaders of their own micro-communities at camp - these moments are priceless and will shape them for their entire Jewish lives. I only wish all of you could’ve been with me to see the magic.
