For some people, summer camp is a place to make new friends and get away for a few weeks. For me, summer camp is a place that changed my life. I attended my Jewish sleep-away summer camp, Camp Alonim as a camper for eight summers, and a counselor for two. I would start counting down the days until my next summer, starting the day that I returned home that year. I often find myself unable to explain why I adore Jewish summer camp to people who never went to one. However, when I meet someone who also went to camp (even if it was a different one than my own), we would instantly form a connection and bond about things nobody else would understand. Camp is a magical place that has affected my life in ways I never thought possible.
Camp is a place where I was able to do things I would not be able to do otherwise. I was given the opportunity to do art projects, sing songs, bake cookies, do Israeli dancing (a huge aspect of Jewish culture), climb a rock wall, swim, learn about my Jewish culture, horseback ride, do archery, eat, and make new lifetime friends all in one nineteen day and night session. Whenever I would come home after a session at camp, my parents would not stop hearing about all of the things I had done and about how much I wanted to go back.
Going to camp has made me understand that I grew up with special abilities that most kids do not have at such a young age. The main skill that I shared with many other campers was a newfound independence. Camp creates a sense of self-determination that a child cannot learn in many other places. Whether or not that kid has a good experience, they will gain independence just by being there. A typical day at camp involves a kid getting up and getting dressed by themselves, directing themselves to their own activities, knowing how to eat properly without a parent being there, and most importantly learning how to make decisions on their own maybe for the first time.
Jewish summer camp taught me how to be a leader, helped me form relationships with peers and adults, allowed me to experience an environment without the full use of technology, exposed me to sharing items and space, and educated me about my Jewish culture as well as information about historical and modern Israel. Being a “camp kid” is having unforgettable experiences while learning a new set of skills as a bonus. Even now, I often find myself thinking in a different way than kids who did not attend camp. One of the main things about Alonim and other camps is the fact that they do not allow kids to bring technology into the camp environment: this means at least two weeks without a cell phone, laptop, iPod, or anything else that these kids claim to not even miss anymore once they are at camp. I subconsciously learned how to pay attention to those around me without the distraction of my devices; something that I am still grateful of learning how to do.
Coming to college truly put these camp skills into action. I was not as homesick in college as others because I had practiced being away from home each summer. Suddenly sharing a bathroom with a handful of strangers in my hall seemed much easier when I compared it to sharing one with sixty other girls my age during my summer as a C.I.T. (counselor in training). Speaking of shared space, having a roommate? No problem for a camp kid. Throughout the years at camp, I must have lived with a hundred different girls. One roommate was easy. People seemed shocked that I did not feel the urge to text in class. Little did they know, I actually enjoyed going the three weeks at camp without my phone or computer. Learning a new place by myself? Been there, done that. Also, making connections with my professors was just like being friends with my counselors who had all been at least eight years older than me. Being at camp for only three weeks each year would make it so I could create long lasting friendships in a short amount of time. This has allowed me to make friends in college in a much easier way than it may be for others.
Although I do not identify myself as a religious person, Jewish camp in particular has made me appreciate my Jewish culture immensely. We would learn about modern Israel firsthand, from Israeli teenagers who came to be counselors at camp. Our days were practically formed around our Israeli dancing schedule. We were taught words, dances, and songs in Hebrew, daily. We would have discussions each week about the Torah, that I did not find as boring as I did at my Jewish day school. Everyone at my camp came from some sort of Jewish descent, and this brought us closer together, forming a community.
Mine and most others’ favorite time at Alonim is Shabbat each week. For those who do not know, Shabbat is the Jewish Sabbath that occurs every week. Each Shabbat celebration is formed by at least 400 people including campers, counselors, old camp alumni, the camp Rabbis, their families, and special guests. The entire camp dresses in all white. We begin with a prayer ceremony filled with singing Jewish prayers. At camp this is truly magical when everyone sings in unison. We then gather into the dining hall and share the classic camp Shabbat meal of soup, chicken, potatoes, carrots, and chocolate cake. We then immediately merge into a song session filled with special Jewish songs that everyone knows the words to. You have not seen passion for music and culture until you have seen a Shabbat song session. The night ends with hours upon hours of Israeli dancing where we move until we can barely walk. It is an amazing experience that you truly cannot get anywhere else. There is so much happiness in the air as everyone is coming together to celebrate the end of a great week. The Shabbat experiences I've had will influence me to celebrate the holiday in ways similar to this for years to come.
Although I missed the magic and excitement of being a camper, I could not wait to be a counselor and give the kids an even better experience than I had. “Why do you want to be a counselor? How do you think you could benefit the Alonim community?” I was asked in my interview to be a counselor. “I want to give back,” I responded. “Camp has given me so much over the years that it is my turn to pass that onto the kids. I want them to love camp as much as I do. I want them to make relationships with people, the community, and the place that will last them forever. I want them to enjoy the little things and have experiences you cannot have otherwise. Camp has taught me how to be a leader, and I want to show that off.”
I got the job and was able to be a counselor at Alonim for two years. It is extremely different than being a camper, but it is still a one of a kind experience. I would not be able to get the same kind of free time anymore because I would be the one supervising the kids. I could not nap during rest time because I would need to write programs. I could not sit with my other counselor friends at meals because I needed to eat with a homesick camper. It was all about the kids this time, and it shouldn't be any other way. I would be paid as little as possible for a job like this, but it is hard to put a price on something so unique. As different as it was to be a counselor than a camper, it was worth it when I noticed the campers learning the same lessons and having similar experiences as I had for all of those years. I looked up to my counselors as role models and friends, and I hope that my campers felt the same way about me.
Camp is a one of a kind place where memories are made, friendships are formed, skills are built, and lives are changed. I would not be the person I am today without camp. I am forever grateful to my parents for sending me there, my wonderful camp counselors over the years, my advisors, my mentors, and the entire camp community for instilling so many values in me along with experiences, friends, and place to call home.
