{"id":43052,"date":"2023-12-15T01:34:20","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T09:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=43052"},"modified":"2023-12-14T19:47:32","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T03:47:32","slug":"encouraged-to-be-oneself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2023\/12\/15\/encouraged-to-be-oneself\/","title":{"rendered":"Encouraged to be oneself"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lifelong friends can be made at summer camp. (photo from Camp Kalsman)<\/i><\/p>\n

Fun is in all that we do,\u201d Rabbi Ilana Mills, director of URJ Camp Kalsman, told the Independent.<\/i> \u201cOur staff creates dynamic programming that lets campers laugh and play in a way that doesn\u2019t happen anywhere else. Where else can you spend a day with your friends and your evening doing messy night with a slip-n-slide, water balloons, shaving cream, and more?\u201d<\/p>\n

Summer camp is a unique experience for children and young people, for campers and counselors. While fun is at the forefront of programming, so is learning. In the case of Jewish camps, there is the added element of Shabbat observance and other elements of Judaic practise and values.<\/p>\n

Looking at the example of Camp Kalsman, which is located north of Seattle, one can see the breadth of activities summer camp can offer. A typical day at Kalsman includes singing, pool time, prayers, and activities that range from canoeing and kayaking on the lake, to climbing the camp\u2019s tower and\/or high ropes, to farming or gardening, to painting or having a cook-out.<\/p>\n

The camp has chugim<\/i> (electives), which usually run three to four days, and campers do a project during them, said Mills. \u201cCampers will get to rank their choice from a list of options and we do our best to give campers their choices,\u201d she said. Chugim includes such things as pottery, embroidery, hiking, water aerobics, yoga or soccer.<\/p>\n

And older campers have \u201cSababa Time,\u201d said Mill. \u201cSababa Time is an hour each day where older campers get to choose their own activities from a number of creative options that changes each day. Those might include volleyball, board games, outdoor cooking, or spa days.\u201d<\/p>\n

The camp schedule also carves out free time for campers.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife is so busy and camp is as well. Free time enables campers to choose what they need on any given day,\u201d said Mills. \u201cWhenever we have free time, we have options for campers to choose which option best fits their needs.\u00a0 <\/span>Some campers need to get energy out, so they play basketball or go to the pool. Others may need down time, so they may read a book in the trees. Campers use free time to relax, recharge and have fun in a manner that best suits them. Recreation can be a time to re-create, to rejuvenate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Kids at Camp Kalsman get ready to take a canoe out onto the lake. (photo from Camp Kalsman)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to obvious practices, such as the celebration of Shabbat and group tefillah <\/i>(prayer), Kalsman tries to impart Jewish values and culture throughout activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe design our programs to foster a holy community through connection between campers, between campers and staff and between campers and the larger community,\u201d said Mills. \u201cWe believe connection is important on every level, so our cabins do cabin time every night to form connections and, every week, we have all-camp programs, where campers of different ages can get to know one another. When we eat, pray and sing together, we connect to the larger community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camp Kalsman ends each night in siyum, \u201ca special closing prayer where we pray Hashkiveinu and Shema using a special tune written just for Camp Kalsman,\u201d said Mills.<\/p>\n

When asked what summer camps in general \u2013 and Jewish camps specifically \u2013 can give kids that schools can\u2019t, Mills shared a quote from a 10-year-old camper, who said, \u201cKalsman lets me take off all the masks I have to wear at school and really be me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Kalsman, our campers know that they are valued, honoured and supported for who they are,\u201d said Mills. \u201cCamp enables kids to be kids, to be free, and to have fun in a way that they don\u2019t get anywhere else. It frees them of the burdens of school and competition and allows them an outlet to be part of a great community. Kalsman campers disconnect from their devices and connect to a larger, holy community. Campers learn independence and problem solving, they learn they can make mistakes and how to manage mistakes in a safe environment. Camp is the place where kids can explore who they want to be in the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lifelong friends can be made at summer camp. (photo from Camp Kalsman) Fun is in all that we do,\u201d Rabbi Ilana Mills, director of URJ Camp Kalsman, told the Independent. \u201cOur staff creates dynamic programming that lets campers laugh and play in a way that doesn\u2019t happen anywhere else. Where else can you spend a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43056,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[5215,3076,5914,4330,6153,3753],"class_list":["post-43052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","tag-camp-kalsman","tag-education","tag-identity","tag-israel","tag-summer-camp","tag-youth"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}