camp – Jewish Independent

Safe, healthy and respectful

Campers at Pennsylvania’s Camp Havaya. (photo from Camp Havaya)

In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers), Ben Zoma says, “Who is honourable? One who honours others.” The Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Shmira Initiative “aims to make camps safe, healthy and respectful model communities. Shmira, in Hebrew and in the vernacular of Jewish summer camp, means guard duty, embodying the social and individual responsibility every community member has to ensure a safe environment.”

For some camps, the initiative provides practical training that has been needed for some time. But, at Camp Havaya in Pennsylvania, camp director Sheira Director-Nowack told the Independent that they have been operating on the initiative’s principles for many years.

“We have people who go by ‘he,’ by ‘she’ and by ‘they,’ as rabbis, teachers, students, educators, campers and staff,” said Director-Nowack of the camp, which is part of the Reconstructionist movement. “So, for us, the sexual harassment piece is something we’ve always discussed, have always had a policy for. I used to work at a camp that did not have that defined as clearly and they had some real challenges. We don’t have some of those challenges here, because it’s very up front and very clear – how you treat all people, not just insofar as gender, but in all areas of inclusion.”

At Camp Havaya, respect is constantly discussed.

“The name of our camp mascot is Howie Bee,” said Director-Nowack. “We talk about ‘how we be,’ using that as a fairly common statement to talk about how we should treat each other with respect, kindness … better than you’d want to treat yourself, you’d want to treat the other person … and, not just as a Jewish phenomena, but as a human phenomena.”

While Director-Nowack acknowledged that, every so often, they run into power conflicts in a relationship, they try to ensure it never gets near the point of harassment.

At Camp Havaya, she said, flirtation is discouraged. For example, there are strict rules as to what clothing is acceptable. Everyone must wear shirts at all times and clothing should be loose fitting. They also have no boys against girls competitions. Instead, all sports are open to everyone and, while everyone swims together, there are rules about appropriate swimwear.

Language and attitude is another area that is closely monitored at the camp. “We don’t use the word ‘broad’ or ‘chick,’ we don’t use a lot of derogatory terms,” said Director-Nowack. “We don’t make jokes at other people’s expense.

“We want everyone to treat each other how they would treat their own family or themselves…. There’s not a constant need for romance or underlying things that go into that modern love thought and, because of that, we don’t see certain behaviours that other places might see.”

The concepts of the #MeToo movement are discussed at camp, as are other relevant topics, like Black Lives Matter and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Our constituency is made up of people who are interested in these things … also, things like respect for people with special needs, inclusivity, race, culture and minorities,” said Director-Nowack. “We don’t talk about these things because they’re hot topics. We were talking about them before they were considered cool to talk about.

“We also give the credit to younger people, because it is them who are changing the verbiage, changing ideas. They are bringing them to us and we are bringing them to camp, because, if camp is a microcosm of society, then we want to be part of that.”

If and when the topic of sex comes up, Director-Nowack said she teaches her staff to turn the conversation back to the camper and ask why he or she is wondering about it.

Camp Havaya has a no-sex policy. If inappropriate behaviour is observed, Director-Nowack said, ‘We don’t punish people for behaviour, but I may or may not ask them if camp is the appropriate place for it. I don’t feel like there’s any place at camp where you could be sexual appropriately, and that’s what we talk about.

“We don’t hook up in the middle of the woods – that’s just not what we do. And, we really don’t have a lot of that. I don’t think I’d kick someone out of camp just because they kissed someone. But, I’d say something like, ‘I just walked passed you kissing … not what I want to see, not OK, not cool.’ If it got further than that, it would depend on the kid, the parent, the discussion and the situation. We’re dealing with human beings and we have an environment that’s not constant.”

Still, staff members do talk with campers about consent, in an effort to ensure all of them are comfortable in their own space at all times.

“Our goal is to create young leaders in the Jewish community who are thoughtful and intelligent, and who are, therefore, going to go out and lead a Jewish life and know themselves,” said Director-Nowack. “We love that some people find their love and their relationships at camp. But, I also love that people find their independence at camp … or that they want to lead a more productive Jewish life without a partner…. We want our kids and staff to leave camp as people who are going to make decisions guided by some basic values.”

For more information on the Shmira Initiative, visit jewishcamp.org/shmirainitiative.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

Camp for those with aphasia

Sea to Sky Aphasia Camp provides a three-day retreat to 30 campers and their family members at Zajac Ranch in Mission, B.C. (photo from Sea to Sky)

Aphasia is a communication impairment most often caused by stroke, but it can also be due to any brain injury. It impacts a person’s ability to speak, understand spoken language, and the ability to read and to write.

“It’s important to understand that, while communication is impaired, a person’s cognitive function is not,” said Eavan Sinden, a speech-language pathologist at the University of British Columbia, about the condition. “This is something Sea to Sky [Aphasia] Camp focuses on – that we can create a communicably accessible and supportive environment, while acknowledging the inherent competence.

“But, there are some prominent researchers in the world of aphasia now who are looking at expanding on [the] definition … so that it would include the impact of aphasia on a person’s life – the impact it has on a person’s identity, on a person’s ability to participate in social events, their ability to work, their ability to be in the role that we assume … mom, dad, daughter, whatever … changing the definition a little bit to include that impact.”

Out of the 100,000 people in Canada who will suffer a stroke this year, 35% of stroke survivors will live with some form of aphasia. Further to that, 62% of these survivors will experience depression after the stroke.

Sinden teaches and does research at UBC’s School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. One of her primary roles within the school is to coordinate the Sea to Sky camp every September. This fall, it will run Sept. 20-22.

The camp, which is entering its 10th year, provides a three-day retreat to 30 campers and their family members at Zajac Ranch in Mission, B.C., in a facility specifically designed for people with unique abilities and challenges.

To make the camp a reality, Sinden and UBC partner with Douglas College’s therapeutic recreation program, and March of Dimes Canada. “There’s a lot of support for this camp,” Sinden told the Independent. “In addition to being a camp for people with aphasia, those 30 campers come with family or friends, if they choose.

“We also have 36 healthcare-professional students who come for the weekend to learn a little bit more about what it’s like to live with a chronic impairment, such as aphasia. They are speech-language pathology students, audiology students, therapeutic-recreation students, nursing, pharmacy, dental hygiene and physiotherapy – a whole range of care students who opt, every year, to do this. Without them, we wouldn’t have enough support. It’s really great to have these layers of partnerships in the community. They really help create that communicably accessible environment.”

There is also a group of clinical leads, healthcare professionals in the community, who have been working with aphasia and who volunteer the weekend of the camp to work with the students.

A disturbing trend, according to Sinden, is that aphasia is affecting younger and younger people. “This is the frightening part,” she said. “We have people anywhere from 30 or 31 to their late 70s or early 80s, a real range, but the majority are in their 50s and 60s. It’s no longer something you’d think just happens to older people. The Heart and Stroke Foundation has written quite a few reports on that.”

At Sea to Sky, participants can do yoga, horseback riding, cooking, singing, dancing, campfires, basketball, swimming, arts and woodwork.

“A lot of our activities are run by people with aphasia, as well, who have come to the camp for many years and are now leaders in that way,” said Sinden. “The students also take a role in working on some of those activities.”

All accommodations and meals are included in the $250 cost for the weekend.

“It’s a really terrific way for people with aphasia in the community to come together, socialize and be with people who’ve been on similar journeys,” said Sinden. “Aphasia can be very isolating, so it can be incredibly powerful to meet people with whom you have a shared experience, who you can see that idea of, ‘OK, I can do this.’ Maybe, if I’m a little earlier on in my recovery and I see someone 10 years post doing something that I didn’t think would be possible … that can open up opportunities.

“We have a great core group who come year after year,” she added. “But, I have to say, especially this year, we had quite a number of newcomers, which is exciting. We’re always trying to extend our reach and support the community of people with aphasia.”

While the number of people suffering from aphasia has increased, the camp has been able to accommodate the demand – but just barely, due to space and funding.

“We’re fortunate in that March of Dimes, UBC and Douglas College support us with grants, but every year we hope to still get the funds,” said Sinden. “It’s never a sure thing. There’s a huge need for more community support. If we could take more campers or run more camps, we would also be happy to do that and it’s something on our wish list.”

This year, Sinden is starting a campaign called Sponsor a Camper, asking donors to give $250 so someone can attend the camp. Other support is raised via the Stroke Recovery Association of British Columbia and Fraser Health.

For more information, visit srabc.ca or aphasia.ca.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

Some things better in person

Union for Reform Judaism will be closing down their summer camp for teen leadership development: Kutz Camp, in Warwick, N.Y. (photo from onehappycampernj.org)

It’s that time of year again – when it’s too cold in Winnipeg sometimes to go to synagogue. For many folks, this never happens! For others, they never intended to go in the first place. Others would like to attend, but aren’t well enough to leave home when it’s frigid.

Once, my twins, age 2, wanted to go to a Shabbat family service when the temperature was ridiculously cold. With wind chill, it was below -40. We bundled them up, got outside (we don’t have a garage), seat belted them in and, though the cars were plugged in, car #1 wouldn’t start.

Our hands were stiff with cold as we took off our mitts, got the twins out of their car seats and into the other car, and then? Car #2 wouldn’t start either. Dang.

We grabbed the kids, rushed back indoors, and they screamed. No services. What would we do? We streamed a service from my parents’ Virginia congregation online. The screaming stopped. The kids were transfixed.

Sometimes, streaming services at home is the only answer. However, it’s not the same as being there. No one knows whether you stand up and sit down. And if you sing along? You’re all alone doing it. If the streaming has a hiccup, well, I’ve been known to give up. (I’d only “give up” in person if my kids disrupted things.)

So, it’s fair to say that technology offers amazing benefits, but it’s not being there in the flesh. There are rabbinic discussions on why streaming doesn’t fulfil certain mitzvot and, of course, it certainly doesn’t abide by the traditional things you can “do” on Shabbat.

Why bring this up? I recently learned that the Union for Reform Judaism will be closing down their summer camp for teen leadership development: Kutz Camp, in Warwick, N.Y. In the press release announcing its reluctant close, the Reform movement noted that, in its 54 years, the camp has been a living laboratory. Some of the best and most innovative Reform Jewish experiences happen there. However, today’s teens seek experiences closer to home, and at different times during the year.

As a camper for two years and a staff member for one, Kutz offered me the opportunity both to learn a marketable skill and to wrestle deeply with Jewish music, texts and tradition. The marketable skill, song leading, allowed me to earn money teaching music at summer camps, at religious schools and in adult education classes for years. It helped cover expenses during my undergraduate and graduate degrees. It offered me a great deal of joy and spiritual meaning. I helped create kid communities who sang their way right through services together.

I also joined a program called Torah Corps, which allowed me to study and learn Torah and commentary every camp day with other similarly motivated teenagers. It was a meaningful endeavour, and it gave me an opportunity to feel less alone about my passion for both Jewish text and prayer.

The people who attended Kutz Camp over the years went on to be real leaders, not just in their congregations, but also in the larger Jewish community and beyond. Every so often, I hear a name pop up and I remember someone from summer camp. These are people who make change in the world far beyond a single summer experience. For instance, Debbie Friedman (z”l), the famous song leader and Jewish musician, got her start at Kutz Camp.

Dr. Andy Rehfeld, the newly appointed president for the Reform movement’s seminary and graduate school, HUC-JIR, was an admired mentor and song leader of mine at Kutz Camp. For years, I toted around cassette tapes that recorded the entire NFTY Chordster, an encyclopedic “real book” for Reform Jewish song leaders. I used a Walkman, boom box and car stereo. I learned every single melody that Andy sang into that recording.

When I Googled Andy’s name, three or four other names from camp popped up – all are now rabbis, cantors, educators or other leaders. Kutz Camp was an incubator. It attracted teenagers from all over the United States, Canada, England, Israel and elsewhere. Through Kutz Camp, I had contacts all over the continent (and beyond) for quite awhile. When I went far away from home to attend Cornell University in upstate New York, I wasn’t alone! I went with several dear friends from camp.

I’m sad that Kutz Camp will close. It’s sited in a beautiful place, though the buildings were falling down even when I was there, around 30 years ago. However, just as online streaming has changed our options when it comes to attending services or Jewish learning online, it has also taken away the need for some families to send their kids away to camp.

But those face-to-face leadership incubators – Jewish summer camps – are priceless. I met people from all over the world at Kutz, just as I knew teenagers who did the same at USY, Habonim Dror and other camps.

We give up some things when we stay home. Maybe it’s the casual exchanges at shul that we miss. Or that we can’t hear everyone singing harmonies around us in the Kutz Camp congregation. Or perhaps it’s missing a lifelong friendship or even a spouse you might have met at camp. Sometimes, it’s just better to be there in person. (Assuming your car will start!)

Joanne Seiff has written for CBC Manitoba and various Jewish publications. She is the author of three books, including From the Outside In: Jewish Post Columns 2015-2016, a collection of essays available for digital download or as a paperback from Amazon. See more about her at joanneseiff.blogspot.com.

Wilderness helps youth heal

BaMidbar students hike in all weather conditions, learning to live and care for themselves in outdoor environments. (photo from BaMidbar)

When she was 15 years old, now-camp director Jory Hanselman had some family members who were struggling with mental illness and addiction. At the same time, a couple of close friends passed away in pretty quick succession. Hanselman was struggling to cope, until her parents sent her to a wilderness therapy program.

“It was an extremely transformative experience for me,” Hanselman told the Independent. “I was there over Passover and so, while the program I was at was not in the least bit Jewish, my identity as a Jew was really central to what I experienced and got from it.

“I really connected it to the narrative, and thinking about finding my freedom from narrow places and overcoming obstacles I’ve faced in life. So, I looked into how I could become more involved in wilderness programs.”

In college, Hanselman spent summers at Ramah in the Rockies and saw firsthand the beautiful integration of Jewish learning via meaningful, outdoor-based experiences. And, when Ramah in the Rockies started exploring the idea of opening a Jewish wilderness therapy program, their director reached out to Hanselman, knowing that she had been working in the field. Hanselman was asked to provide input on how to build a therapy program.

“They decided they would move forward and officially create BaMidbar and so I came on board at that time, in September 2016, to help move the program from a space of ideas to implementation and actuality,” she said.

One great thing about its location – literally, in the wilderness – is that it’s only an hour-and-a-half drive from Denver, Colo. However, said Hanselman, “To give you a perspective, we are an hour drive from cell service in any direction.”

The therapy retreat is for Jews from 18 to 28 years old who are struggling with mild to moderate social and behavioural challenges, including depression, general anxiety, social anxiety and more. The young adults in the program have reached the tipping point where the issues are getting in the way of their being able to fully engage with the people and things around them in life.

“We also see lots of folks who have co-occurring substance abuse disorders, who are also using substances in addition to working through challenges associated with other mental health challenges,” said Hanselman.

photo - Staff member Cliff Stockton teaches primitive fire building skills to students at BaMidbar — Staff member Cliff Stockton teaches primitive fire building skills to students at BaMidbar. *(photo from BaMidbar)*

“The idea of wilderness therapy (WT) is using wilderness- and adventure-based experiences as the vehicle for therapy, to grow. So, we joke a lot in the WT industry that it’s not about doing therapy in the wilderness, it’s about doing wilderness-based therapy. It’s not just going out and meeting with a clinician in a wilderness-based setting; it’s really using that experiential environment as a vehicle for working through different therapeutic concepts.”

The BaMidbar program involves the whole family. While students work with an individual therapist, their family is having weekly phone meetings with the therapist who, in turn, also works with the field staff to implement a treatment plan.

“So, our students are learning how to, for example, build a fire with friction, and they use this opportunity to build primitive skills to challenge themselves,” said Hanselman. “They learn what tools they need to work through and understand what they’re capable of.

“Wilderness-based experiences are used as metaphors and storytelling to support our students in connecting what is happening in the wilderness environment to life outside the program.”

The small-group environment at the camp is used as a way to help campers learn and rebuild communication skills and other tools.

“We provide feedback and strong support for them, as they determine how to have healthy emotional responses to different stressful situations, or anger management strategies, and things like that,” said Hanselman.

While there are many WT camps, BaMidbar is possibly the only one that uses a Jewish lens and framework in everything they do, including using the Jewish calendar as an opportunity to look at topics that are thematically relevant to campers.

“To give an example, for Passover last year, every day we had a theme we focused on that tied to the Passover narrative, as well as our student therapeutic journey,” said Hanselman. “Day One, we focused on our narrow place. Day Two, we talked about the story of Nachshon Ben Aminadav … jumping into the unknown and what it might look like to take a leap of faith and know that you need to change your situation, even if you don’t know what the future holds. Day Three, we looked at manna in the desert and talked about what sustains you physically, metaphorically, spiritually. Day Four, we talked about receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai and did a summit hike, talking about our personal value systems, what we live by, things like that.”

With BaMidbar being a kosher camp, Shabbat is a break from the routine, which, in this case, is wilderness. On Shabbat, they spend time in a cabin, while still studying texts through the lens of how they are relevant to one’s life. This is the perfect time, said Hanselman, to talk about family. For instance, “because, throughout Genesis, that revolves around challenging family dynamics…. I always joke that Abraham was the first wilderness therapy participant. He leaves everything he’s familiar with and goes off into the wilderness on this journey of self-discovery. So, we do a lot of programming around Shabbat.”

photo - BaMidbar’s program is rooted in Jewish ritual. Here the BaMidbar community celebrates Havdalah — BaMidbar’s program is rooted in Jewish ritual. Here the BaMidbar community celebrates Havdalah. *(photo from BaMidbar)*

BaMidbar (which means “in the desert” in Hebrew) is non-denominational and the organizers are dedicated to meeting every student where they are in their unique journey, recognizing and honouring that it can be very different for each individual.

“We are very dedicated to making sure that students understand that our goal is to explore meaning, values and purpose through a Jewish lens – not to tell them how to live Jewishly or what that ideal Jewish life might look like,” said Hanselman. “That’s not our goal. Our goal is to look at the wisdom Jewish tradition provides and to support students for whole health wellness.”

Participants can expect 10 to 12 weeks in the wilderness (Shabbat in a two-room cabin). Groups are small, with a current maximum of eight individuals, and the program runs year-round.

In winter, said Hanselman, “We fully outfit our students, so they receive all their gear from us. We make sure they have what they need to be safe and warm in a wilderness environment. We have a lot of staff practices around safety and support in that winter environment, and then we have tents that have wood stoves in them when it gets below a certain temperature.”

The camp fee is around $3,500 US per week. A nonprofit, the BaMidbar program offers scholarships and works with every family, regardless of their financial situation. Currently, about 75% of students receive scholarships provided mainly by private donors and foundations.

While BaMidbar has received many inquiries from Canadian families, they have not had any Canadian participants. “But, we can work with them – from Canada, or Israel, or other countries,” said Hanselman. “We just haven’t yet.”

For more information, visit bamidbartherapy.org.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

Supporting their community

(photo by Rebecca Zaidi)

Three years ago, Rabbi Audrey Pollack of SolelCongregation in Mississauga, Ont., decided to follow the lead of Rabbi DebraDressler of Temple Israel in London, Ont., and create an interfaith peace campin Mississauga.

Pollack, who hails from the United States, moved to Canada in 2015. The Reform congregation Solel “had a tremendous reputation in the movement in terms of the education,” said Pollack, as did “the rabbi of the congregation at the time, Rabbi Lawrence Englander, who retired after 40 years here.”

As for the idea of the camp, Pollack told the Independent, “When I spoke with Rabbi Dressler, it sounded like a great opportunity to bring together interfaith dialogue and cooperation. And so, I went out there that summer for the day to see what they were doing. I thought it was a great experience for kids, adults and the teen volunteers that we have.”

As the chair of the Interfaith Council of Peel, Pollack was well-positioned to start the interfaith camp, and Solel does a lot of outreach in the Mississauga community in general.

The suburb of Toronto “has about 700,000 people and we have about 250 families in our congregation, so we’re relatively small in terms of Jewish community here,” said Pollack. “We do a lot of dialogue and conversation with the community, because we are a diverse community. It’s important for people to know who Jews are and what we are about, to make friends and to really to support each other.”

Pollack wanted to find an Islamic partner who did a lot of English-language programs, as opposed to Arabic. They found Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer from the Masumeen Islamic Centre in Brampton, who was excited to join, said Pollack.

“The church – Canon Jennifer Reid from Saint Peter’s Anglican Erindale – we had already been partnering with for awhile,” she said. “I knew the minister there. They run a day camp program, like a vacation Bible study program. So, that was helpful our first year, just in terms of setting up and running a day camp. They already had a few people in place that had some background.”

At first, the interfaith camp’s content was a bit of mishmash, said Pollack, but it is continually being developed and updated to meet the needs of the community. One of the bigger challenges has been to maintain a balance from each denomination; the mosque membership is much larger than that of the church and synagogue.

“The first day, we always try to do something that everyone can do together, like a get-to-know-you day,” said Pollack. “Kids need to get to know each other as kids. We do a training beforehand for our adult and teen volunteers, and, I should mention that each faith centre makes a commitment to bring a certain number of volunteers.

“The first summer we did something on tzedakah, or charity, and this summer we did something on building friendship and peace.”

Each day of camp, they go to visit a different faith centre. The campers learn a little bit more about what each group believes and how they practise their beliefs. Everyone has an opportunity to visit, have a tour and ask questions.

“We really expect the youth from each of the faith centres to do some of that explanation,” said Pollack. “It’s an opportunity for them as well.

“I remember the first time we came here [to the synagogue] with the kids for summer. Our kids were so excited, because they’d been to the mosque the day before, and they wanted to give the tour and to explain what a Torah is, why we wear kippot and things like that. So, it’s an opportunity – not only for them to learn about other faiths, but for the home faith group to be proud of who they are … and to really make the connection that there are things we share in common, and that we need to get along with each other. Basically, we need to know our neighbours.”

Most of the participating kids go to public schools around the city and may sit next to each other in class, but they rarely get to share anything about their faith in class. They may have some misconceptions or stereotypes about what someone else’s faith or culture is, said Pollack, because they don’t really discuss it.

The camp is a great opportunity to share some truth and dispel such misconceptions, she said.

The kids who have had this camp experience are already looking forward to next summer, asking when registration will be open, said the rabbi. Their parents, too, are interested in what is going on.

“On the last night of camp – we’ve been running this as a four-day camp, maybe five next summer – we get together at one of the centres for a potluck meal,” said Pollack. “It is all-vegetarian, so everybody can eat. There’s a presentation and a slideshow. After the first dinner, all the parents said they wanted to go to camp and learn, so we started doing an adult session, too.

“We did a progressive dinner,” she said. “We started with appetizers at one centre, and then moved on to the next centre and had dinner. By the time they got here, at the synagogue, I could barely talk, because they were all chatting away with each other. And, it was great, because many of them, before this, didn’t know each other well.

“It was a really great day and we’re looking at doing some other programming this year. During the camp off-season, we’ll have an opportunity for dialogue and discussion, and some activities.”

With budget and space limitations, the camp is capped at 12 kids from each faith centre. While the campers pay to attend, the camp makes sure cost is not a prohibitive factor. “We want anyone who wants to, to be able to come, so we try to keep our costs low,” said Pollack.

The congregations are looking to create a couple more opportunities this coming year for people to meet, she said, “and they would like to do something for the older kids as well … to do an evening or afternoon activity where they could do a craft or cooking or something like that, and the adults could have a discussion on something that we have in common with each other.”

Because the Jewish community in Mississauga is small, said Pollack, “for our kids, when they come together at synagogue, it’s really important for them to connect with Jewish kids. For them, the opportunity to talk to their new friends from different religions and cultural backgrounds, with pride and support of each other, is important. It’s also really important for them to see that there are ideas and values and ethics that we hold in common. Often, we talk about what divides us.

“For younger kids, they just like hanging out with their new friends. They’ll talk about the activities they did together, while, for the older kids, they’ll articulate and express what they’ve learned or didn’t know before. Each time they go back, they gain something a little different.

“A very valuable part about this camp experience,” she continued, “is building relationships through intentional dialogue and intentional conversation, and the opportunity to do that in a camp setting means that people are doing it in different modalities. They are connecting with each other through play and through giving back to the community.

“One of the other things we’ve made part of our program each day, in addition to the activities we are doing, is giving back. We’ve invited representatives from the hospital to come and the kids have made cards for people in the hospital. We’ve invited people from our greening and planting area of the city to come also. So, they understand that, no matter what community you come from, there’s a value in supporting community.”

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

Hatikvah bursting at seams

Land-based activities at Camp Hatikvah form a large part of the summer experience. (photo from camphatikvah.com)

Like most everything, camp enrolment goes in cycles. And, for the past few years, Camp Hatikvah has had a waiting list for its first session, a full second session and has closed off the summers with the highly popular Family Camp experience that sells out within hours of registration opening in October the year prior. With the largest-ever single age group of campers rising through the ranks, Hatikvah is looking to expand its facilities to accommodate these campers as they move toward the counselor-in-training program.

Camp Hatikvah has a formula that seems to be working well. In order to fill every bunk, current board president Joanna Wasel worked closely with camp director Liza Rozen-Delman to make some changes in programming. In addition, they have brought the concept of camper care front and centre, and the programming is more flexible than the camp experience of yesteryear. As but one example, Hatikvah has been bringing in specialist instructors for activities such as tennis or mountain biking to run weekly sessions, and such initiatives are drawing campers. Once their interest is piqued, the kids tend to come back year after year.

“Liza does an excellent job ensuring that the campers are well cared for, safe and happy,” said Wasel. “I believe her reputation of providing exceptional camper care is the primary reason we are seeing the success we are today.”

photo - Camp Hatikvah, 1972. Sailing was one of the writer’s favourite camp activities — Camp Hatikvah, 1972. Sailing was one of the writer’s favourite camp activities. *(photo from Jewish Western Bulletin fonds, Jewish Museum and Archives of BC L.09596)*

While Camp Hatikvah has been known for years as a watersport camp, the land-based activities have been overhauled during Wasel’s tenure as president. “We are now able to offer expert instruction from professionals in a plethora of land activities including tennis, football, basketball, fitness, yoga, dance and more,” she told the Independent. “The change has been dramatic and campers are now equally engaged on land and water.”

Those who remember their own experiences of the “good old days” of camp continue the tradition, and send their children, according to Rozen-Delman. “Many of our campers are second- or third-generation participants,” she said. “Our camp is rich in traditions and many of the programs we offer our campers today are based on programs their grandparents participated in during the ’50s and ’60s and their parents did in the ’70s and ’80s. We are very proud of this dedication to our roots and traditions and believe this makes our camp experience even more meaningful.”

The list of former campers reads a bit like a who’s who of the local Jewish community, something that shows the link between camp attendance and Jewish community involvement. Many of the children from Camp Hatikvah are already well ensconced within the community; many are students at Vancouver Talmud Torah. Rozen-Delman noted that campers also come from Alberta, Ontario, Washington and California. Hatikvah has combined a number of initiatives to draw a diverse group of campers, some of whom have no other connection with the Jewish community.

The effort to diversify and attract unaffiliated Jews this year has been aided by the Laskin Outreach Fund. This initiative, created and entirely funded by Elliot and Megan Laskin, provides $1,800 (almost the full fee) to first-time campers from British Columbia with little or no Jewish communal engagement to try Camp Hatikvah in its second summer session.

Both Wasel and Rozen-Delman stress that the programming at Camp Hatikvah is oriented toward helping children develop as members of the community. As a pluralistic camp, children from all sorts of Jewish backgrounds are introduced to and experience the camp’s motto: “Leadership by example.”

Although the programming for younger campers is focused on fun and socializing, with some Zionist and Jewish learning, it is the staff-in-training (SIT) program that begins the leadership training in earnest.

“This program is designed specifically to enhance the leadership abilities and traits of our campers. Participants engage in almost daily hadracha (leadership) sessions or discussions where they learn the importance of leadership, citizenship and community,” said Rozen-Delman of SIT.

Both Wasel and Rozen-Delman are alumna of Camp Hatikvah, with Wasel starting as a camper in 1988 and Rozen-Delman in 1979. Both have worked and volunteered within the Jewish community, in addition to their work at Camp Hatikvah.

While local Jewish life is part of the formula, Hatikvah’s Zionist roots are as strong as ever. Last summer, there were 14 Israeli schlichim (emissaries) on staff.

This year’s camp sessions are both looking like they will be full, said Rozen-Delman. For more information on the camp, subsidies to attend or the Laskin Outreach initiative, call the camp office at 604-263-1200.

Michelle Dodek is a freelance writer who spent one summer at Camp Hatikvah a long time ago and loved the sailing program.

Let’s hear it for camp!

(photo from teenlife.com/summer-program/urj-camp-kalsman)

Going to camp was a rite of passage when I was growing up. Everybody went to camp. In my day, it was the B’nai B’rith camp that all Jewish kids went to, in Sandy Hook, past Winnipeg Beach.

I don’t recall much detail of my really young days as a camper, but we never missed a summer. As small kids, we went with our mothers. It all had to do with getting away from the oppressive summer heat and time at the beach, wading and swimming, sunning on a blanket, playing the games on the boardwalk. I would have an ice cream cone every day, even though, back then, all you could get were vanilla and strawberry flavours. There may have been chocolate, too.

I enrolled in Young Judaea in my early teens. In the heady days leading up to and after Israel declared its independence, movements of every political stripe in Israel had a youth group and camps in Canada and in the United States.

At camp, we built our Jewish consciousness and reinforced our Jewish identity. We were part of larger society, of course, but the one that was becoming central to our lives was the Jewish one, and the camp experience strengthened all that. Everything around our activities focused on our life as Jews, intellectually and emotionally, in our developing teen years. It was easy to pick out the future leaders – assertive, confident, basing their arguments on material accepted as fact. That was the stuff we brought forward into our adult years, colouring what we would become and the messages we would transmit to our children.

Aliyah to Israel was an enormous focus of the Zionist camps I associated with. This possibility, went the argument, was why we had to study our history, our customs, our holidays. We were building a new kind of Jew, unapologetic for his striving nature, determined to never again be a victim. History’s lessons were clear and we had to take heed and take our future into our own hands. The camps I attended were the educational vehicle.

In those days, we pretended we were chalutzim (pioneers), so we went out into the bush and made like we were going to live off the land. We built lean-tos to sleep under, chopped down trees, built things, learned how to make a campfire even without matches, and engaged in marches, canoeing, the whole megillah.

The years I spent as a camper – learning to be a scout, learning to create things with my hands, to develop myself physically, to compete for excellence – we were modeling the new Jew. We were not content with just being students, we knew we could do that – we were going to be doers. We were building pride in ourselves and in our accomplishments.

In turn, I became one of the leaders trying to transmit the messages I had absorbed to others. The young people I grew up with at camp worked in their own communities in the same way. All across the country and across the United States, we were a network fighting assimilation, building loyalty to Israel and a consciousness of being Jewish and the values it represented.

One of the best experiences I had was when I was invited to be a Camp Shalom program director in Gravenhurst, Ont. I spent six months preparing programs and then threw them all out on my second day on the job. I spent the next two months preparing different programs on the fly, built around Jewish holidays or events in Jewish history. We organized camper teams, choosing names, uniforms and cheers, and had athletic competitions, colour wars, talent competition skits, swimming competitions or just fun at the beach. I don’t know about the campers, but I had a great time exploring my creative capacities. We set up a pattern that was followed for years at that camp.

Some of us became community leaders. A few of us even got to Israel, at least for a time. Many of the associations we made have withstood the test of time. Some of the best friendships I have today are ones I made in those years. A good number of marriages came out of those experiences, including one of my own.

What a wonderful institution camps are, whatever their nature! Bringing kids into a healthful environment with responsible supervision, living lives completely different from what they are accustomed to, meeting people they would not normally meet, exposing them to alternative behavioural norms, has to be good. And getting away from the city into a natural environment, who has to be convinced that that is a good thing? Let’s hear it for camp days. Rah, rah, rah!

Max Roytenberg is a Vancouver-based poet, writer and blogger. His book Hero in My Own Eyes: Tripping a Life Fantastic is available from Amazon and other online booksellers.

Camp’s benefits

Camp allows youth to learn meet new people. (photo from campmiriam.org)

There is something special about camps. Transporting kids out of their customary environments into something that is at least somewhat foreign is a great stimulus to change. New people and new situations over a few-week period force more rapid adaptations than would normally be required. Camp offers an environment for kids and youth to have fun and learn new skills, but also to consider who they are as individuals, without the close observation of their parents.

Some kids bloom in surprising ways at camp. They get a chance to use and develop aspects about themselves that they either never realized were there, or haven’t had a chance to exercise. For better or worse, the regime of mom and/or dad is challenged. Different rules apply, and often they are enforced with a consistency not found at home. There is no one immediately there to intervene in one’s interaction with bunkmates, for example. Kids have to work issues out between themselves as they temporarily share their world.

This is what it is like in the real world, and we learn lessons at camp that we might not learn if we just stayed home. And we get to measure ourselves against others. We get pushed to compete, to strive, to be better, because everyone else is doing that. This allows us the chance to grow in self-confidence. It’s not just family encouraging us, it’s the approval (or disapproval) we gain from those around us – strangers who can become our friends.

photo - Camp allows youth to learn new skills — Camp allows youth to learn new skills. *(photo from camphatikvah.com)*

Camp offers so many things: the chance to escape the city, to learn to swim and do other sporting activities, to be creative with arts and crafts, and to be self-sufficient in less inhabited areas. The list goes on. What about the songs and dances that we join in with others, which make us feel good, and a part of something larger than ourselves? What about the friends we make, some of whom will be there for us throughout our life? What about the chance to develop and exercise leadership and initiative?

The most delicious thing about this recipe for growing kids into grown-ups is that it’s all about fun. This isn’t about “a little bit of sugar to help the medicine go down.” It’s sugar pops all the way. And a side benefit accrues to parents, who get a little respite when they ship their kids off to camp.

Being a part of the camping experience opens up a universe of possibilities for those who are fortunate enough to have a chance at entry into that world.

Max Roytenberg is a Vancouver-based poet, writer and blogger. His book Hero in My Own Eyes: Tripping a Life Fantastic is available from Amazon and other online booksellers.

Anger over flag-raising

Kids4Peace at Camp Solomon Schechter. (photo from k4p.org)

Camp Solomon Schechter (CSS), located outside of Olympia, Wash., was mired in controversy earlier this summer, after it temporarily flew a small Palestinian flag alongside the large American, Canadian and Israeli flags that usually wave above the camp. The flag was hoisted to welcome a delegation from Kids4Peace, which included Palestinian Muslim and Christian children. The children had come to the Jewish summer camp to foster friendship and understanding.

According to a source at the camp, the decision to raise the Palestinian flag was not a political one, but was intended as an expression of the mitzvah of welcoming guests (hachnassat orchim).

The 13 children from Kids4Peace, whose visit inspired the incident, spent five days at the camp, where they attended Jewish prayers every day and learned about Zionism and Israel. Founded in Jerusalem in 2002, Kids4Peace is “a global movement of youth and families dedicated to ending conflict and inspiring hope in divided societies around the world,” according to its website. The organization works with more than 500 Palestinian, Israeli and North American youth.

“It provided an opportunity for many American Jewish campers to meet a Palestinian for the first time, and to recognize that there are Palestinian partners who want to work – together – for peace,” Kids4Peace Northwest regional director Jordan Goldwarg wrote on the Kids4Peace blog about the camp visit. “It provided an opportunity for Palestinian Kids4Peace participants to experience American Jewish life and to gain a deeper understanding of why a strong, stable Israel is so important for Jews the world over.”

The flag incident was first publicized on the Mike Report, an amateur news blog hosted out of Seattle by right-wing, pro-Israel activist Mike Behar, who was highly critical of the actions of CSS. The news of the raising of a Palestinian flag sparked intense criticism online and among some parents and alumni, including many British Columbians connected to the camp. The apology subsequently issued on the CSS Facebook page was met with so many hostile comments that the page itself was taken offline for a time.

The incident attracted attention in American Jewish papers, as well. Tablet’s Leil Leibowitz, who acknowledged that, on one level, the flag raising was a “sweet gesture,” nevertheless wrote a fiery op-ed accusing CSS of addressing “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a mindless, morally preening way, treating it not as something concrete but as a collection of grand symbolic gestures,” and suggesting that training children on such empty theatrics would set them up to join “fringe anti-Israel groups” as adults.

In a letter sent to parents and supporters following the visit, the camp wrote: “For the sake of a teachable moment, we did raise the Palestinian flag as a sign of friendship and acceptance. It was met with uncertainty by some campers and staff, especially the Israeli’s [sic], but all understood that the message of hope for peace by flying the Israeli flag alongside helped develop empathy. Still we plan to take down all the flags for Shabbat since there is no peace and also to relieve the sadness and anger that some feel by the site [sic] of the flag.”

The letter also said the camp remains “unabashedly pro-Israel and we are celebrating Israel alongside our new friends.”

“Camp Solomon Schechter is a proud Zionist and pro-Israel camp,” a subsequent statement said. “We honour the Israeli army and Israeli people on a daily basis at CSS. Our goal was to create a safe space for all, and begin dialogue among the next generation.”

The camp’s executive director, Sam Perlin, and co-board president, Andy Kaplowitz, also issued a statement responding to the depth of the negative responses from some members of the community: “Camp Solomon Schechter regrets raising the Palestinian flag alongside U.S., Canadian and Israeli flags … we neglected to foresee in such actions the serious political implications and, for that lapse in judgment, we are deeply sorry.”

Kids4Peace released an official statement, saying that, “To some, the Palestinian flag evokes the failure of past negotiations, continued hostility toward Israel and a feeling that there is no partner for peace.

“At the same time, the Palestinian youth who came to camp are precisely those peace leaders who are reaching out to work with Israelis to counter incitement and build a new future on a foundation of mutual respect and understanding. These Muslim and Christian youth are also part of the Palestinian people, and they deserve only admiration and support.”

The statement also noted, “Unfortunately, most Americans and Israelis never encounter any pro-peace Palestinian voices. Instead, their perspectives are shaped by painful past experiences and media portrayals that reinforce negative views. But it is wrong to view all Palestinians as enemies of Israel or the Jewish people. That’s why Kids4Peace came to camp in the first place.”

Both the Israeli and American governments have flown Palestinian flags in gestures of welcome or goodwill. The White House flew the Palestinian flag when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year. Israel lifted its ban on flying the Palestinian flag in 1993 and there were Palestinian flags flown at the Knesset in 2013, when a Palestinian delegation visited. Likewise, at a ceremony thanking all those who helped douse the wildfires in Israel’s north in 2016, the Palestinian flag was flown at an Israeli air base, next to the flags of Turkey, Russia and Greece.

Matthew Gindin is a freelance journalist, writer and lecturer. He writes regularly for the Forward and All That Is Interesting, and has been published in Religion Dispatches, Situate Magazine, Tikkun and elsewhere. He can be found on Medium and Twitter. This article was originally published by CJN.

Why Jewish camp matters

The most frequently used words by alumni answering the question “What does Camp Miriam mean to you?” The larger the word, the more frequently it was used. As with other Jewish camps, “Jewish” and “identity” are the most common responses. (from campmiriam.org/home/about/our-impact)

As a director at JCC Chicago’s Camp Chi, I often found it difficult to know with much certainty if our goals and mission were being met. Sure, I knew that campers were having a lot of fun, trying new things and forming friendships, but what about the deeper connections or personal growth?

Satisfaction surveys and return rates demonstrate one type of success, but these measurements don’t get to the heart of what we want kids to take away from their camp experiences.

I saw firsthand last summer that this challenge is even more true at day camp, where campers often don’t have the maturity or verbal expression skills to accurately share their feelings. By spending a minute at any of the nine JCC Chicago day camps, you know that campers are having the time of their lives, but how do we know if we are meeting or exceeding what we want to be the positive impact of camp or, more precisely, the positive impact of Jewish camp.

We found the answer to this question in a surprising way. Towards the end of the summer, as part of a larger project, we asked JCC Chicago day campers to complete this sentence: “It’s not just camp. It’s _______.”

Using markers and crayons, words and pictures, campers shared – often with creative spelling – what camp “is” to them. Among responses that ranged from reflective to silly, we discovered a number of answers that highlighted the distinctive elements of Jewish camp. Campers wrote: Jewish memories … Shabbat … family … Jewish tradition … Maccabi games … inspiration … Jewish … community … Israel experience … a chance to show yourself … kindness … Shabbat singing … JCC.

With an opportunity to write anything they wanted about camp, many of our campers chose to express what was meaningful to their Jewish identity and Jewish experience. These ideas were surrounded by other words and phrases, such as swimming, home sweet home, soccer, awesomeness, my happy place, fantastic, best part of the year, friends, painting and love.

screenshot - Screenshot from a 2014 Camp Solomon Schechter promotional video. While swimming and other secular activities engage campers, so do Shabbat and Israel — Screenshot from a 2014 Camp Solomon Schechter promotional video. While swimming and other secular activities engage campers, so do Shabbat and Israel. *(from youtube.com)*

Seeing this better defined for me, more than any research study, why Jewish camp matters. The melding of Jewish rituals, ideas and activities with the excitement that naturally happens at camp is the real magic of Jewish camp. Swimming was a dominant theme with our day campers, but so was Shabbat and Israel. Campers related “Jewish” alongside fun, joy, comfort and belonging.

This reminded me of something I experienced in the months leading up to my first summer working at Camp Chi. I met with small groups of campers and staff to get the real scoop on the camp. I asked all of them to tell me their favourite part of camp. Almost always the answer was “Shabbat.”

Not having attended Jewish camp as a child, I thought this was an odd response at a camp with outstanding facilities and activities. I would have expected “horseback riding” or “water skiing” or even “my friends,” but, instead, I heard about how connected they felt to the Jewish community or their “Jewishness” when at camp.

What our day and overnight campers told us is so much more than just words on paper or stories to be shared. There is incredible power in this positive relationship to Judaism that campers make while at Jewish camp. At JCC Chicago day and overnight camps, being Jewish is fun, accessible, relaxed, just like almost everything else that takes place there. In their own ways, our campers, from the youngest to the oldest, expressed that “Jewish at camp” has meaning and importance to them; it’s part of what makes camp and their camp experiences so special.

As adults, we can see that their words and stories are evidence that the seeds of Jewish connection are planted throughout the summer. The potential impact of Jewish camp is tremendous. It sets the stage for a lifetime of sense of belonging to a Jewish community, a relationship with Jewish traditions, a feeling of pride in Jewish identity and an understanding of values.

It’s not just camp. It’s the start of a lifelong Jewish journey and so much more.

Jamie Lake is marketing manager of JCC Camping. This article is reprinted with permission from JUF News. It can be found at juf.org/news/local.aspx?id=440848.