By Rabbi Brian I. Michelson

It was one of those days!  It was hot and humid and I was asking myself why I was here.  I have been coming up to Camp Harlam for twelve years to serve as one of the faculty members for the first two weeks of camp.  I love working with the campers and staff, but every once in a while I find myself asking why bother?  I got my answer and it has filled me with joy every day since.

We had just finished helping Kineret (the rising sixth graders) with their evening program.  The kids headed off to milk squad for their evening snack and my wife and I were heading back to our room.  The sun was going down and it was just starting to get dark.  As we walked, we passed by a unit who was finishing up their day doing Siyum L’Yom; the ritual that brings each day to a close.

As we walked passed the campers, it made me smile to watch them together, standing arm in arm around the circle.  About a minute later, as we were further down the road, we heard the unit begin to sing the songs that are part of this nighttime ritual.  It was then that it hit me.  Why do I come to camp?  I come to hear Jewish children sing.  The sound of their singing filled me up.  I knew why I was here, despite a challenging day and hot and humid weather.  In just a few days this group was becoming a community and they were celebrating their Judaism in a safe and supportive environment.  They were able to sing away from the pressures of the outside world surrounded by old friends and new.

I live and work in a small Jewish community where many of my students are the only Jew in their class or even their grade.  For them, the opportunity to be surrounded by so many other Jews is wonderful.  Camp is one of the few places they get to experience life in the majority.  However, even for the campers from larger Jewish communities, camp is a chance to simply be Jewish and not worry about someone else’s comments or jokes.  Camp is a safe space—something we all need.

As a rabbi and the father of two campers who were also staff members, I know and believe in the value of camp.  In my head it is the chance to have fun, feel safe, and live our Judaism.  In my heart, it is to hear our campers sing.

Rabbi Brian I. Michelson is the rabbi of Reform Congregation Ohev Sholom in Reading, PA.