By Lisa David

Wow. The first Shabbat of the summer. The first time our community has gathered all together, in white, to pause, take a deep breath, and enjoy the community and setting we are so blessed to be a part of.

This first Shabbat is special for many reasons. For many people, it’s the first Shabbat of the summer with old friends. For others, it’s the first Shabbat of the summer with new friends. For me, personally, it is special because it’s the first time I get to speak to our entire community, to address camp as your Director, to share some words and thoughts which I hope will provide added meaning and purpose to our Shabbat.

Can I tell you a secret, though? While speaking in front of all of camp is such a privilege and one of the most special parts of being the Director of Camp Harlam, it also is one of the things that I was most fearful of when I started this job. Don’t get me wrong, I love people. But I prefer meeting and getting to know them one-on-one, not speaking to hundreds of them at one time.

But, here I am. And I have to say, after a few years, I’ve grown to enjoy this. While there is still a bit of fear, a pit that sometimes develops in my stomach, I’ve grown able to work through that. To embrace the jolt of nervous energy and use it to my advantage, to animate my words and amplify my message. Despite my fear, I’ve tried to demonstrate bitachon, confidence and courage.

Throughout the service tonight, you have heard the many ways in which camp provides us with opportunities to create the best version of ourselves, and to focus on the process of tikkun middot, building our character. And as a new summer begins, all of us have many opportunities to look at the ways in which we can continue to develop and grow.

To me, bitachon is not about a lack of fear. I think gaining confidence is actually about acknowledging that you are fearful of something and despite that, working through it. I’m sure many of us, whether this is our first summer at camp or our 5th or our 15th, had some fears coming into the summer. We may have been fearful that things had changed – friendships, camp traditions, or maybe that we have changed. We may have been fearful that we would be away from the comforts of home – the people, the routine, the food. Or we may have been fearful that the beautiful moments and important memories from previous summers might not be experienced again this year. But – we made it here. And now that you are, I hope you are feeling more confident. I hope that as each day passes, your tension eases, your connections deepen, and new memories are created.

At Harlam, there are many experiences that may challenge us. Trying new foods. Meeting new people. Sleeping in a strange bed far from home. Difficult conversations. Plans that change at a moment’s notice. But, here, we help each other through these challenges. We use our strengths to teach and help others to face fears that we may not have. We support each other, lift each other up, and work through that fear. I don’t expect any of you to be entirely fearless – fear can sometimes be helpful in reminding us to be thoughtful and careful. But I hope that with each success, each new thing accomplished, each milestone reached, we can celebrate with one another, and build strength and courage to push ourselves even farther.

Lisa David is serving in her third 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 proud parent of 3 Harlam campers.