Jewish Summer Camp – The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I remember being a freshman at Brandeis University oh too many years ago.  In those first days after arrival my cohort would refer to our early experiences of organized mixers and socializing as ‘Camp Brandeis’.  [Check out this camp Brandeis slide show]  This seemed so endearing to me, though I didn’t fully get it.  In those first weeks of school, my roommate would receive visitor after visitor of friends ‘I know from camp’ she would tell me.  There was so much reveling in these visits and admittedly, I was a bit jealous and missed home even more.  Ok, full disclosure.  I never went to summer camp as a kid, never mind Jewish summer camp.  However, I have discovered some important and wonderful things about Jewish summer camp not only from my amazing college roommate but also from other dear people in my life most of whom I have come to know (and love) as adults (or young adults) long after their experiences at camp.  I have discovered even more from our own daughter’s experiences as a camper who is already integrating her “lessons” from camp into her own life in astounding and wonderful ways.  Here are a few things I have learned:

1.       Many kids that go to Jewish Summer camp, retain a strong Jewish identity as adults having experienced the intensity of living amongst their peers doing fun and stimulating secular and Jewish activities; and also leading and therefore, thinking more deeply about, these fun and stimulating activities.

2.       Many kids form life-long friendships with their Jewish camp friends.  Some begin dating and sometimes fall in love and perhaps even marry!!

3.       Many kids discover a kind of Judaism that is different from what their parents experience; one that focuses purely on youth – their needs and their interests – music, dance, culture, experiences, issues … such exposure seeps into their imaginations and stays with them into adulthood where they can be dusted off and re-visited in new and exciting ways.

4.       Many kids that go to Jewish Summer camp discover their own personal connection to Israel.  Others may even end up traveling there with their camp-mates or sometimes even making aliyah, that is, going to live in Israel.

5.       These kids develop a certain level of independence, self-reliance, leadership and group living and working skills!  And also emotional and physical caring for one another especially around challenging issues of living in a group!

6.       And very significantly to this ol’ dinosaur, many learn the skills of corresponding via snail mail, making music with acoustic instruments and voice, playing board games and reading physical books (and swapping them around) as they are usually completely unplugged from electronic devices during their camp stay.

Please note that there are a whole spectrum of types of Jewish summer camps to match yours and your child(ren)’s own ideologies and interests.  [eg. Religious denomination affiliations, Organization affiliated {Hadassah, Federation, BBYO etc.}, Social Zionist-affiliated, Independent, special interests, etc.]