By Lori Zlotoff

Earlier this year, when the days were short, and the weather was cold, and we were getting ready to light the first candles of Hanukkah, the camp’s Pro Staff convened the first ever meeting of the LGBTQ task force.  We were a group of about 25 – alumni, staff, council members, parents of campers, allies and professional staff members.  We came together under the common goal of creating an intentionally more inclusive community for our LGBTQ campers, staff and families.  We wanted to look at all areas of camp life and culture to see where we had been falling short, and what we could work on improving.  We began by sharing our stories of what drew us to this work – the desire to create a community that was more welcoming, more reflective of our society and more inclusive than we had ever been before.  When I think about the middot for this week’s service, Acharayut (thinking about others), I am reminded of the work we are doing in this realm.  Thinking of others, and the experience of others, is the job of the camp professionals who spend all year thinking and planning for camp.  But thinking of others is also the job of the people who make up this community.  Because when we think of others, we are putting other people’s needs before our own.  And showing compassion, and doing for others, is what makes this camp community the safe, special and magical place that it is.  

Earlier this week, I was fortunate enough to visit the newly created URJ camp outside of Philadelphia called Six Points Creative Arts Academy.  Unlike how Harlam is celebrating its 60 years, this camp is only 6 weeks old.  Everything they do is new.  And everything they do is intentional.  From the types of blessings they say after the meal, to the way they celebrate birthdays, to the names of their bunks – everything started from scratch this year.  And when you start a camp in 2018, as opposed to 1958, you have the opportunity to be as progressive, inclusive and thoughtful as you possibly can when it comes to gender, sexuality and affirming people’s identities.  

In 2018, we know a lot more now about human beings than we did 60 years ago.  We know that our gender expression is not always determined at birth, that gender is expressed on a spectrum and people do not necessarily have to choose one category or another.  At Harlam, we pride ourselves on celebrating who we are by being the best version of ourselves – and that means being who we want to be, and knowing that we will be unconditionally accepted for it.  But this wasn’t always the case at Harlam.  For many years – more than I’d care to admit – people who were part of the LGBTQ community did not feel like they could live out the best version of themselves here at camp.    It has taken the intentional thought and work of our professional staff and the LGBTQ task force to make inroads to start the work of cultural change in order to reverse six decades of the way things used to be.  At 6 Points Creative Arts Academy, their conscious use of gender-free language, attention to pronouns and celebration of humanity and self-expression has been part of their culture since day 1.   

In Hebrew, there are 2 words that describe creation.  The Hebrew word briya means creating something out of nothing.  The word yitzirah means creating something out of something.  Each year at Harlam, we get to enact yitzirah – to take what was done before, and build on it, change it and make it better.  When we act with acharayut, we are fulfilling God’s desire for us to create a compassionate and humane community. 

In the Torah portion for this Shabbat, Eikev, Moses tells us that the Land of Israel will overflow with milk and honey if the people obey God’s commandments and teach them to their children.  The hills of Harlam are overflowing with milk and honey.   And now those hills have a beautiful symbol flying over it, a rainbow PRIDE flag signifying our commitment to our LGBTQ community.   On Sunday July 8, because of the generosity of one of our camp families, we were able to raise the PRIDE flag at camp and share that with the world.  It represented our commitment to all Harlamites – past, present and future –  who are allies of or part of the greater LGBTQ community.  We shared the photo on social media, and before we knew it, the post had over 600 likes, had over 30 comments and had been shared over 40 times, which resulted in over 10,000 people reached.  The exposure we have had, and the work being done during this summer, signifies to a whole group of people that they have a voice here, and they will be embraced and celebrated for who they are.  This work is vitally important to our future, and is why we have devoted time to the creation of a GSA – a Gender Sexuality Alliance – for both staff and campers here. 

It is why our task force continues to grow, and it is why we will continue to examine our culture and community to determine more ways we can be inclusive and intentional with a group of people who, outside of our gates, may face struggles, challenges and rejection for who they are.  These lands flow with milk and honey – they represent the best of who we are, and the way we want the world to be.  And with each summer, with each connection, with each moment, we are fulfilling God’s commandments and will be closer to a more perfect world.  A world that is perfect, and a little broken too, but respected and honored for all of its imperfections and its beauty.

Lori Zlotoff is the Inclusion Coordinator at Camp Harlam. She attend Kutz Camp as a camper and URJ Camp Newman as a counselor. Lori currently lives with her family in Port Washington, NY.