By Lisa David

It’s amazing how much happens here in a week, a day, even an hour. This week alone, our campers experienced: daily ruach (spirit)-filled song sessions, Carmel-Chavurah Day, the dedication of a new Torah during Shabbat services, two Galil hikes on the Appalachian Trail, athletic competitions at Pinemere Camp, trips to Beltsville State Park, Dutch Springs, and an Iron Pigs baseball game, Israel Night with programming led by our Mishlachat (Israeli staff delegation), a 4th of July Carnival organized by our Gesher/CIT program participants, Camper Free Choice, a basketball clinic, a surprise visit from our Polk Township Fire Department to cool campers down with their hose, and much, much more.

But while these activities and programs, from the outside, appear to keep kids happy, busy, and engaged, what is even more significant, perhaps, is what we don’t see – the growth happening on the inside. This week alone, our campers experienced: the development of new friendships, expansion of their repertoire of foods by trying something new, growth of their independence and life skills through completing their daily jobs that keep our community healthy and clean, and newfound resilience as those who missed home learned how to work through that challenge.

The pace of these transformations is impressive as well. The intensity of this environment, the support that we provide, and the opportunity and space we offer to kids to reflect and process help them to take advantage of and really learn from what they experience.

We work hard to create an environment where our staff can help facilitate this growth, through their encouragement, prompting, and support. But in the very best case scenario, kids dive in wholeheartedly and navigate this growth and learning themselves. And this week, I wanted to share a beautiful example of these things happening successfully and naturally here at Harlam.

Entering into this summer, our Professional Staff had worked throughout the year on our B’rit Kehilah (Commitment to community) – the document we shared with you prior to the summer that outlines our expectations for camper behavior. While we did not feel that camper behavior was a major concern, we did think that providing clearer expectations to campers, and a tool for staff to refer to, would be helpful in navigating the summer. We were pleased overall at the supportive response from families, staff, and campers.

But, naturally, camp is also a place where kids can push boundaries as they explore who they are. And one such group of boys in camp began the summer pushing – and pushing – those boundaries. All of them are, undoubtedly, great kids. But in an effort to humor one another, they were making poor choices – using inappropriate language and acting disrespectfully to one another and to their staff. We knew they could do better, and their staff, unit leaders, and our Professional Staff spoke to them about our expectations.

Fast forward to rest hour on Wednesday, when I was invited by the boys to their bunk for a meeting. The meeting turned out to be one of the most moving and profound examples of how change and growth can happen at camp. These boys, after multiple conversations with adults at camp, had convened themselves the night before this rest hour meeting and decided that they were just not proud of their behavior. They wanted to do better, to be better, and since they loved camp, and one another, so much, they did not want to spend the summer facing consequences for poor choices, but rather modeling for others what this place is and should be about. They invited me to their bunk to share that they were ready to move forward – ready to be kind, ready to change, and ready to have fun. I shared with them how blown away I was by their maturity, how incredible it was to hear how they were taking responsibility, and how ready all of us were to support them. We talked about how it’s okay to make mistakes as they continue to improve their behavior, that all of this is a way to learn and grow, but that at every possible point we will support and reinforce their positive behavior.

It was breathtaking. I wish I could have recorded the conversation. I walked away afterwards and hugged the unit leaders with tears in our eyes, our hearts ready to burst. Parents, they said everything you dream that your child will one day say, as they realized that they have the capacity to be the best version of themselves. This was not because adults told them to change – they took ownership of changing themselves.

I know that many of you sent your children to Harlam so that they could play sports, swim, zipline, dance, create art, climb, and sing. But rest assured they are also learning, growing, seeking meaning, taking responsibility, building character, developing their identities, and flourishing. There are many people here giving them the opportunity and tools to do so, and it is a privilege to seem them embrace these opportunities and just run with it.

Shavuah Tov!

Lisa David is the director and proud Camp Harlam parent.