Lessons From Camp 5785

I found this postcard in my backpack and I realize I never sent it from camp (the mail is pretty slow anyway). So here it is.

Now that I’m home in Caldwell, I thought I’d share a few more reflections on my time.

1. Using different muscles (literally and figuratively) — Being at camp gave me the chance to be active in ways I’m not usually during the year. Walking everywhere, playing sports — it’s nice not to have to use my car on a daily basis. It felt great. I played a lot of guitar too — leading musical services (see the video to the right), campfire sing-alongs, and a camp-wide Havdalah on the final night of the first session. It reminded me how essential play is to a joyful, creative life. I’m thinking about how to bring that spirit into my daily work now that I’m back in New Jersey.

Morning Musical Services

2. Sneaking Jewish education into other aspects of camp. Growing up, we had a cat who hated taking her asthma medication. So we used to crush it up into powder form and mix it into her food. That’s kind of how I think about my role on the sports staff. The kids at camp call me “Lucas” not “Rabbi Lucas.” I want them to know me not only as the serious guy on the Bimah with a suit and tie, but more accessible — in shorts and a T-shirt on the ballfield.

I emphasized values of sportsmanship and mentschlikhkeit in addition to healthy competition. The campers knew that if they cursed, it was an automatic out or turnover.
At the end of each game, I would award one player “mentsch hamishak — the mentsch of the game.” I tried to point out a specific moment when they did something kind or respectful — supporting their teammates or resolving conflict well. Sports taught me the value of kindness — win or lose — when I was growing up. I hope to pass it on to the next generation.
I had my frisbee players write their own “frisbee players’ prayer” (see below), which we recited at the beginning of every game. This was a collaborative effort. Each age group contributed a line. I guided them through the process and helped with some editing. It became a nice ritual to begin our time together each day.

3. A haven from the war in Israel — I was the only member of the sports staff not from Israel. This is by design. For decades, Jewish summer camps have brought tens of staff from Israel to bring an atmosphere of Hebrew and Israeli culture to camp. It’s become a hallmark of camp as friendships are formed and the Jewish American campers develop meaningful relationships with Israeli counselors and teachers. The learning goes the other way as well — Israelis come away with greater familiarity with the American Jewish community and the unique brand of religious life of the Conservative movement, which is unfamiliar to many of them from Israel.

This year, the mishlahat’s (Israeli delegation's) presence in camp was in question due to the conflict with Iran. Two days before the campers arrived, I was the only member of the sports staff in camp. Thankfully, the administration pivoted quickly and hired a combination of veteran staff members and 16-year-old campers who were unable to attend their summer trip in Israel to help get the program started. Then they quickly pivoted again when, a few days later, a ceasefire was reached. The 16-year-olds’ Israel trip was back on. The Israelis were able (with difficulty) to get flights through Jordan, Egypt, Greece, Switzerland, and other places to the US. You can see here the emotional arrival of the mishlahat, which I think conveys how important they are to the camp community.

But their safe arrival was only the beginning. They had just come from a war zone to the haven of a Jewish summer camp in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It was not a simple or easy transition. Out of respect to them, I won’t share their stories publicly, but each one carried with them the trauma and pain of life in Israel and the complex emotions of being away from Israel during a challenging time. I tried to offer them a listening, compassionate ear and a supportive presence as they joined the camp community. During the summer, we marked the 650th day of captivity. It was a heavy day for everyone, but you could tell that it weighed even more heavily on the Israeli staff. I hope they felt supported by hearing us sing “acheinu — regarding our brothers and sisters who are in distress, may God have mercy on them…” I've included below a picture of the whole camp gathered on the soccer field making the shape of the ribbon for the hostages. We are still praying for their release. I hope that someway/somehow this gesture of solidarity makes an impact.

I look forward to sharing more reflections with you as I continue to unpack my time at camp. For now, thank you for the opportunity to have this experience, and I hope you get a sense of how special the camp community is and the ways in which I was able to contribute to making it so.

Warmly,