We often think of summer camp as a time of pure joy, a chance for children to live their ‘best lives.’ But stop for a moment and think about what that means.
Last Friday, I visited New Country Day Camp (NCDC), our Jewish summer camp run by the 14th Street Y at UJA’s Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds out on Staten Island.
Earlier that day, the kids had been running around, letting loose, and experiencing the fun of being outside during the summer. They had been participating in all of the usual camp activities like swimming, gardening, and theater.
Everyone I met talked about the fantastic programs, but they additionally noted to me that the theme of the summer was ‘perseverance’ and that the theme of the week was ‘kindness’ (referred to as ‘tuv lev’ in Hebrew, meaning ‘of good heart.’) Everyone was also very aware that Friday was the beginning of Shabbat, and a time for the community to celebrate together.
During the weekly Shabbat celebration, NCDC staff led the campers through Hebrew songs and the traditional blessings. Shabbat at NCDC also included a mitzvah tree, an award ceremony honoring the Mensches of the Week, and a presentation from two campers on why we should be kind to others. While all this was going on, a little boy came over to show me the award he’d received for Community Mindedness and also shared an advice column on kindness from the camp’s newspaper.
At Shabbat, the NCDC campers get a truly incredible gift: a crystalizing moment when community, spirituality, compassion, and fun are all intertwined. These campers are truly living their best lives.
Please take a moment to watch the video above. There’s a lot of unpleasantness in the world right now, but what you’ll see here is a window into the world as it should be, and one that the children of our community are so lucky to experience each summer.
Best,
Rich Baum
President & CEO, Educational Alliance