A New Tradition Comes to Camp Harlam

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By Lisa David

At Harlam, when people arrive to join our community, we greet them with the phrase “welcome home.” We welcome them, because we want people to feel truly included and supported while they are here. And we welcome them home because we want this place to feel like home – a safe shelter, a refuge that is filled with joy and with love.

In my work, I have the great privilege of seeing what makes other camps unique and how they create community. When visiting URJ Camp Newman in California, I was so moved by a ritual that they engage in each week during Shabbat. On Friday night, dressed all in white and gathered as a community, counselors lift beautiful tallitot (prayer shawls) over their children, creating a shelter over them, and offer a blessing to keep those children safe. Seeing campers surrounded by the love and care of these staff members brought me to tears, and since returning to Harlam I’ve always hoped we might bring that beautiful ritual here, as yet another way to demonstrate the home that we create with such care, and pride, and devotion.

This winter, as you may have heard, URJ Camp Newman experienced a wildfire that destroyed much of the camp property. Campers, staff, alumni, and community members were deeply impacted by this loss, the loss of their summer home. While they have moved their program to a temporary facility on a college campus, and are enjoying an incredible summer together, it is unclear when and if they can return to their campsite.

When the Executive Director of Camp Newman was able to access the facility after the fire, and explore the damage, he found a number of what he called miracles. One miracle was that the storage shed that held the tallitot used each week to bless the community had survived, fully intact, and the tallitot were unharmed. Even when the camp appeared to be devastated by the fire and the loss of so much property, these important items remained, perhaps symbolizing that the community remained intact and strong. While the physical space may have been harmed, the strength of spirit and the strength of the community, the things that bring blessing to all of us, have remained.

This summer, on Opening Day, each cabin created tallitot so that we can bring this ritual from Camp Newman to Camp Harlam, and to symbolically create a safe shelter for our community. We will also be sending a gift of a tallit to the Camp Newman community, to signify our support for them during this difficult time.

On this past Friday night, as we celebrated our first Shabbat together, our staff members raised these tallitot over the heads of their campers, and together we sang Hashkivenu , the blessing we also sing each night here at Harlam, asking for a shelter of peace to be spread over us. And it was breathtaking. Camp creates a true shelter for our children, a place where they can explore and be free, but be safe and embraced by those around them. And as Camp Newman’s community members have learned, that shelter protects you far beyond those moments when you dwell in those buildings or on that land. The support and love of those around you at camp builds you up and sustains you.

We have lots of good work to do in these coming weeks together with your children. We will protect them, but we will challenge them. We will support them and we will provide experiences filled with joy. We will ask them to try something new and allow them to enjoy things they already love. And we will keep them safe, we will build them up, and then we will bring them back to you. Thank you for allowing us to make this place their home.

Shavuah Tov!

Lisa David is serving in her second summer as Camp Harlam’s Director after 15 years as a professional in the field of Jewish Camping. She is a former Harlam camper and staff member, and a parent of Harlam campers.