Becoming a Kehillah Kedosha

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Saturday morning the K’Far Noar (rising 9th graders) lead a beautiful service about becoming a kehillah kedosha or sacred community.

By Olivia, Assata, Danielle
This week’s theme is kehillah kedosha. It means “sacred community.” We can always rely on our strong community at camp to be there for us. Last year in Galil we were all separated into different bunks. K’far has brought us together to create one big community. Although a group of crazy girls running around a bunk may be a community, at camp we try to make every moment together special. We do this by gathering together at the end of the night to share our thoughts and feelings within our bunk. Even making that effort at brown time to bond with new people can make your summer and experience here sacred.

By Juliette, Emily, Aspen
We have gone to camp with the same people for years, but sometimes it takes being put into one bunk together to truly become a kehillah kedosha, a sacred community. It has only been a week and a half, but despite all of the challenges we’ve gone through and overcome, we come together and bounce back to become an even stronger community. Being in K’far, we’ve learned to overcome our differences and go from five different bunks who weren’t really connected, to one big kehillah kedosha. Now that we are older, we see this sacred community, this kehillah kedosha in a new light. We appreciate how the chapel brings us together. We appreciate all of the energy coming from song session. And most importantly, we appreciate every person who makes Camp Harlam the kehillah kedosha that it is.

By Mia, Sophie, Allison
As the Israelites had crossed the sea and left Egypt behind, they sang the Song of the Sea, also known as Mi Chamocah. Not only were they thanking God for leading them out of Egypt, they were looking forward to beginning new lives in freedom. They had a fresh start ahead of them, just like we did when we entered senior camp. Although we did not leave slavery behind in Girls camp, we have experienced a new sense of freedom in K’far. Just like the Israelites, we are beginning a new path with our friends beside us. On this path we will experience new things and create long lasting friendships. In the past week and a half these new experiences have brought us together as a stronger kehillah kedosha. Our kehillah kedosha is made up of our new freedoms as K’far Campers.

By Jadyn
Kehillah kedosha. A phrase heard at Camp Harlam every day. A phrase that holds so much meaning yet it is only two words, four syllables, fourteen letters. Even so, when I say the words, kehillah kedosha or sacred community, different images or thoughts will come to different people. All of us come from all sorts of places or backgrounds to create this Camp Harlam community which means that we all imagine sacred community differently.

Being part of the holy community means to take care of one another as well as ourselves. In other words, respecting and caring for others is the foundation of a holy community. Another essential part of this community is helping others heal. Lucky for us, we have an opportunity to do this every Shabbat. By taking part in the Mi Shebeirach, we can take time to pray for those who need healing. Please take the time to think of someone who needs prayers for healing as we prepare to pray together as a Kehillah Kedosha.