On Saturday morning, Chavurah said “good-bye” as campers. Below are a few of the readings their shared. We look forward to their return after a summer in Israel for their CIT year in 2020!
By Avi and William “Lumpy”
We were once slaves in Egypt, we were able to overcome forty years of challenges in the wilderness to reach our goal. Freedom, the Michamocha describes this freedom and is one of the most provoking prayers we say. It sparks a feeling in us similar to how we feel at camp. When you think of the Israelites journey, you think of slaves to freedom. But the most crucial step is wilderness, the time in between. Wilderness is where we decide what kind of person we want to be, we slowly begin to make our own decisions and accumulate responsibility camp is a controlled wilderness, your counselors will guide you while letting you learn from your own mistakes. As we’ve risen through the ranks of camp from Carmel to Chavurah, we’ve been given more freedoms and responsibilities. If Harlam is controlled wilderness, then we are the people of the wilderness. The buildings, Pagodas and landmarks are important but not the reason you come back to camp. It’s the people in this wilderness that keep us coming back. Chavurah is the end of our journey through the wilderness of camp. Some of us might never come back to camp yet our impact will still be felt. The Israelites bonded together and were able to let go of their physical surroundings in order to come together and come out of the desert as one. In Chavurah, we use this same philosophy that is best expressed in a quote from Thor: Ragnorok, “Asgard is not a place, it’s a people.” So Harlam as you drive through the gates tomorrow remember, stay close to your people.
By Adina, Jared “Monkey” and Tallisen
All of my camp memories are filled with noise, the noise of lighting, talking, crying, singing, screaming and often times, the noise of people telling us to be quiet. The hand is up, people are trying to sleep, I’ll wait, Chavurah be quiet! At home moments of silence are more common. We sleep without our counselors, eat without our best friends and pray somewhere else. In moments of silence at home, I remember the noise of camp and it brings me back to when I was stress free and the most genuine, best version of myself. Here at camp, silence is hard to find. This next prayer, the silent prayer, is one of the few times we get at camp to reflect. Reflect on your session, summer and journey as campers. Reflect on who you are at camp, and how you are going to continue to be true to yourself at home. Enjoy the quiet Camp Harlam, it doesn’t come often. 1, 2, 3 Shabbat Shhhh.
By Sophie, Shayna S. and Shayna F.
As Chavurah campers we have learned that saying goodbye can be hard. Tomorrow as the gates close on this summer we want to remind you that you don’t have to say goodbye to the whole camp experience. You don’t have to say goodbye to the incredible friendships that you have made her because we can assure you that you will always find a way back to them. You don’t have to say goodbye to the memories you create because they will be the reason you come back year after year. Although goodbye’s are hard we have come to realize just how important they are. As sad as it is to say goodbye to our time as campers it is important to close this part of our camp journey so we can continue our story. As we move into the core part of our service and later on end our summer try to make these challenging goodbyes special.