Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael. How good are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel. – Numbers 24:5
This summer, I visited three Jewish summer camps-Camp Coleman, Camp Barney, and Six Points-Sports. I was on faculty for a little more than a week at Camp Coleman. The other camps I spent a few hours at. TKC families sends kids to all three of these camps. After spending time at these three camps, I can confidently say this – I’m a big fan of Jewish summer camps. All three of those camps are great.
Here's a few things I saw at all of the camps –
· They are immersive environments. The kids do everything together. They eat together, share cabins (or dorm rooms), play together, and so on. This leads to an incredibly strong sense of community and relationship building. A lot of kids say that the friends they make at camp are their best friends.
· The camps are value-driven. At Camp Coleman, four values in particular are at the heart of camp. Those four values are Kavod/Respect, Chesed/Kindness, Kehillah/Community, and Shalom/Peace. It’s amazing how after a short period of time, these words and values become common points of reference, regularly discussed. Six Points also has its core values, Avodat Tzevet/Teamwork, Manhigut/Leadership, Geivah/Pride, Sportiviyut/Sportsmanship, Tzmicha/Growth and Kavanah/Intention. Their camp director, Jackie, told me that part of the camp’s philosophy is that becoming a better person helps someone to become a better athlete.
· All of the camps bring Judaism to life in their own ways. That means they help kids connect to Jewish culture, Jewish people from around the world, Jewish spirituality and Jewish values.
· Camps help kids learn responsibility. Kids have jobs at camp. They are asked to help bus tables in the dining hall, they are responsible for helping to keep their bunks or rooms clean. They are also responsible for helping their cabin and units be respectful, kind groups of people. The Talmud says Kol Yisrael Aravim Zeh bazeh we’re all responsible for one another. That’s especially true at camp. Parents often tell me that their kids return to camp having matured tremendously.
· Camps are a much-needed vacation away phones, social media, and so on. Not only are the kids sans-phone, so are all of their fellow campers. Their community happens in person and face-to-face.
· The camps do a great job taking care of the kids. From counselors to the professionals (all camps have social workers or other mental health professionals on staff) to the directors, the staff is devoted to making camp a safe, inclusive, and nurturing place.
As much as these camps share in common, they’re each different. Camp Coleman and Camp Barney both have a wide-range of activities, from visual arts to performing arts to sports to Jewish cooking. Six Points is a specialty camp. I visited the sports camp, but the Reform movement has two other specialty camps, Creative Arts and Sci/Tech. Different camps for different kinds of kids means there’s options to find the best fit.
Part of what I like about camps so much is that they can be transformative experiences for the kids that attend. As summer goes on, the campers learn, connect, and grow. I’m happy to speak with any families that are considering camp for their child, and I’m also happy to connect interested families with families at TKC who have sent their children to camp.
I hope everyone has had a great summer, and I look forward to seeing everyone as we enter into a new season at TKC.
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