Our Kineret (rising 6th graders) led a beautiful service Friday night about giving thanks and appreciating those around us.
By Joanna, Eliah, Amanda, Sofie
We believe that everyone should be thanked.
Dear leadership team, Thank you for everything you do, and all the effort you put into making camp amazing. We haven’t thanked you enough, but we all want to. Camp would be terrible without you. We all owe you a big thanks.
Dear communications staff: yes, it is fun to pose for a picture or dance to a song playing. Even though people don’t see it, there is so much to the communications staff. Kids climb all the way up the tower, or swim in the deep end for the first time to get their picture taken. Kids who are afraid to come to camp look at the websites you create and see how much fun we have at camp. People get to feel accomplished because of you, even if it’s just learning a new dance move. It is not just magic that makes communications happen; it’s you.
Dear counselors, I think that we campers don’t thank you enough. I can’t speak for all the campers here, but I know that I’m going to try to thank my counselors, and I think you should, too. Campers are not the only ones forgetting to say thank you. Finally, a special shout out for the counselors in KG3 for putting up with us.
Dear kitchen staff, thank you! You may not hear that often enough, but we think it, even though we may not say it. The food is delicious, you provide a clean Chadar Ochel, you make us happy with every meal that goes in our mouths. Camp would never be the same without you.
By Elana S. and Shayna S.
Sometimes, things that play the biggest roles in our lives tend to be left unnoticed and aren’t appreciated. If you think about it, that’s a lot of things here at camp. It is our job to show how much we do appreciate them. All the counselors and specialists work hard every day to make sure we are safe and have fun. The kitchen and Mirpa’ah (health center) staff spend so much time each day to keep us healthy and fed. These people and more are important to keep camp functioning, but we don’t always take the time to thank everyone who contributes to camp.
So, try to show more gratitude for the things that mean a lot to you, as we roll into a new week.
By Remy & Talia
As you know our theme tonight is gratitude, We are both thankful for . . .
Our families
Our K’far buddies
Our friends
Our homes
Food to eat
Our bunkmates
God who gave us the Torah
Jewish history
And we are very thankful for camp and everyone who makes camp possible.
By Evan, Josh, Nate, and Noah
Gratitude means saying thanks to people that deserve it. It is important to say thanks to everyone, because everyone deserves a moment of gratitude. A way that you can show gratitude is not always by saying thank you, but by showing people that you care.Without gratitude people wouldn’t have the chance to respect others. A way you can show you care is by saying thank you to the kitchen staff. Another way to say thank you is to thank your counselors for always being there for you. Without them, we would not be able to get through the struggles of camp. Also, you can be quiet, which is a sign of respect. But most importantly, saying thank you shows that you care and respect what other people do for you.
By BB, Jesse and Justin
This week’s middah is gratitude which can be simcha (finding joy) and bina ( seeking meaning). Mi chamocha is about what you would say after getting out of a frightening situation. Has there ever been a moment in your life when you were frightened? A frightening point in my life, came before I can remember. I got pneumonia and I thankfully got out safe. I remember when I was in Burger King and these crazy people came into the restaurant and started hitting an old lady. I’m glad I got out safe and with a good meal. Mi chamocha is what the Israelites sang after they crossed the Red Sea and were out of danger. Now let’s join together and sing this song of freedom.
By Samara, Samantha, Addie, Phoebe
During the hashkiveinu, we talk about how God “Keeps us safe throughout the night!” But, do we really think about or thank the people who keep us safe other than God? Counselors and security guards work hard to keep you safe while you are at camp. When we are not at camp, our parents keep us safe. Most of us don’t think to thank our parents for this. Also, policemen and firefighters risk their lives everyday to save and protect people. During the hashkiveinu, think about some of the people that keep us safe. You should thank them for everything they do to protect us. They will appreciate your gratitude.
By Lucy, Lily and Aria
This week we are focusing on Gratitude and thanking people. Here at Camp Harlam, we have a lot of thank you moments that make camp the peaceful place it is. Here at camp, there are so many people that help us, sometimes we don’t think about the people behind the scenes. We would like to thank EVERYONE who contributes to everything we have. Thank you! We appreciate everything you all do. Gratitude is the best attitude! We challenge you all to say thank you to someone you wouldn’t usually and I promise you a moment of peace by doing that. This week we’ve been trying to use the midah of gratitude. I have been saying thank you more often as I appreciate what others are doing for me. For example, I said “thank you” more than I naturally would have since I’ve been thinking about gratitude more. I’ve not only learned to say “thank you” more, but I’ve learned to say “thank you” to the different people responsible for what makes up my daily meals; from the farmers to the chefs. I am grateful for my friends and family because they are always there for me. Also, I’d like to say thank you to the pro staff, kitchen staff, and maintenance team.
By Mimi, Leah and Noa
Being thankful and saying “thank you” are two very different things. Everyone says: “it’s the thought that counts,” but I am here to disagree with that statement. Have you ever felt like someone didn’t say “thank you” when they should have? Have you ever accidentally been that person? I know I have. So let me try to make up for that now. Thank you to my friends who always can tell when I’m sad. Thank you to my friends back in Florida who put up with my horrible singing. Thank you to staff and counselors at camp, who make our camp experience possible. Lastly, thank you. You all have helped me in some way; whether it be cleaning up your mess at lunch, or asking me if I’m okay when I am sad, or for just being you.
Everyone in our lives plays a certain role. For example: your counselors protect you and your bunk, but everyone’s role is different. The counselors have certain hopes, dreams, and hobbies. I want you to think of someone, anyone, and what they do for you. So when you can, say, “Thank you.”
Maybe to your friend that helped you with dining hall. Maybe to your counselors who took you to the mirpa’ah. It could even be to your bunkmate for cleaning up their messy area. Try to say thank you when you have the chance and be thankful for the many people who are in our lives.