Portable fan? Check. Mattress Topper? Check. Shower Shoes? Check. Bug Spray? Triple Check. It’s been years since our children, Sally and Jonah, went to Camp Havaya, our movement’s sleepaway camp in South Sterling, Pennsylvania. But I found myself going over the packing list multiple times, making sure this particular first-time camper had everything she needed. She was only going for a week, but I’m pretty sure I helped her pack for a month. But as it turned out, all this camper REALLY needed was to bring her full, authentic self to feel comfortable because at Havaya if you bring just that, you’ve got it all (well, bug spray and shower shoes too if we’re being completely honest). I suppose it’s obvious at this point that the first-time camper was me, and as one of the Jewish educators on faculty for a week, I felt the spirit of Havaya as a camper and a teacher-and it was magical.
Camp is the living expression of the three B’s of Reconstructing Judaism: Belonging, Behaving and Believing. Throughout the week, the two visiting Rabbis and I (I was frequently referred to as Rabbi Rebecca-I didn’t mind it!) explored Torah, values and prayer intermixed with pickleball, friendship bracelets, nish nush (snack!) and lots and lots of dancing. And as I got to learn with these open, funny and curious souls, I was awed by how every moment of camp is structured to build community-from eating, to playing, to praying and to just be-ing.
Some of you may have experienced the David Cards with me: created by an Israeli artist, these cards have a simple human figure in a variety of poses and settings with a blue Star of David somewhere in the mix. I asked the youngest campers ( 3-5th graders!) to choose one card that best matched how they feel about being Jewish at camp and one about being Jewish at home. One chose the figure wearing sunglasses with stars as the lenses” cause being Jewish at camp is cool!” Another chose a family cooking with Jewish stars wafting out of the pot for Judaism at home. Their answers were amazing-campers are deeply aware of what belonging feels like, and most importantly, they delighted in understanding how it felt for others.
Behaving was at the center of our lessons on derech ertz, the concept of walking the right path. True to form, I brought lots of art with me. As they walked around matching pictures to feelings about feeling left out, about responsibility, and community, they shared so openly about themselves, their families, and their friendships. The experience ended with “speed dating” (I almost lost everyone with THAT description!) questions about how they act in this world, how they treat others and themselves, and once again their answers reflected a willingness to acknowledge challenges, accept responsibility and most importantly, to be on this journey with each other. At Havaya, this concept of “bee-ing” (their mascot is a cute little bee named Howie B…get it?) is just part of everyday life – how kids root for one another at the talent show, how the whole camp responds every time a cabin leads a random cheer during a meal, and how L’cha Dodi is a moment of exuberant singing and dancing with everyone holding on to each other in pure joy.
And not for nothing, Havaya is consistently voted as having the best camp food in the country. I’m not kidding! What I loved about eating at Havaya were the blessings before and after the meals. These blessings were full of energy-loud singing, interspersed with equally loud, choreographed banging on the table. Seasoned campers sang every word as new campers joined in when they could, and the message was clear: we believe in expressing our gratitude for our food and the community we share it with. In our movement, believing is often expressed in how we think about God. The movement began with Mordechai Kaplan’s desire for a more expansive view, more like a God concept. But at Havaya this past week, believing took on a new meaning for me, not just in the blessings, but in how the campers believe in one another, how the staff believe that what happens at camp matters far beyond the summer months, and how Rabbi Isaac, with an unbelievable team of support (including our very own Michelle Witman!) makes us all believe in the power of “bee-ing” to help us live a life steeped in Jewish values, grounded in community, and full of love. If you’re thinking of camp for your kids, grandkids, or any kids…your search might just be over.
Rebecca Hirschwerk
Director of Congregational Education
