By Lisa David

Have you ever been in an immersive experience where time feels like it’s moving differently? I’ve experienced this on vacations, at conferences, and in all the time I spent at home this past year and a half – never do I feel it more intensely, though, than when I’m at camp.

There’s something about the intensity of camp that accelerates everything. Relationships are formed in what feels like seconds – deep, real, lifelong friendships. Learning and growth happen at lightspeed – we’re constantly trying new things, taking a leap, messing up, and trying again. Emotions are felt more intensely here – we experience boundless joy, that belly-hurting kind of laughter, and, at times, sadness, especially when it’s time to say goodbye to the friends and the place that we love so much.

All of this feels especially poignant this year. After a year without people around, friendships felt frayed, and sometimes felt like hard work. For many, with fewer chances to go out and try new things, growth was stagnated. With less time outside, physical, and mental health deteriorated. With so much time spent in front of screens, people felt burnt out.

What is amazing, though, is how quickly we see people “healing” at camp. We’re constantly surrounded by friends and having new experiences. We’re keeping their bodies and minds active. We’re getting a break from the pressures and losses of the “outside world” and are enjoying being present and living in the moment.

We’ve seen so much of this during Maccabiah (Color War)! The opportunity to mix things up and participate in competition side-by-side with campers and staff from other units allowed kids to build fast friendships. Over just three short but full days, campers, and staff somehow choreographed, taught and learned complex dances for our Rikudiah (dance competition) – and even the shyest campers gave it their all up on the Beit (Rec Hall) stage. Same goes for their songs at Zimriah (Song Competition)! While we still have a week left, there were many tears falling at the end of each Alma Mater, as campers reflected through beautiful lyrics and melodies on the impact camp has already had on them.

We saw amazing team spirit, but what’s been even more incredible, is what happened between teams. Campers supported and encouraged their friends, even when they’re on opposing teams. A custom at Harlam is to ask campers to keep Maccabiah “out of the cabins” – we’re all one family – and campers respected that, enjoying time at the end of each long day reconnecting with their bunkmates.

As we have reached the mid-point of the session, one thing the time together has accelerated is the connections between and among our senior camp campers. Prior to senior camp they spent summers in different bunks, but senior camp brings the entire unit together. The shared experience, living accommodations, sense of independence the program provides and the intentional work of the staff have allowed various friend groups to integrate so beautifully.

One more highlight this past week was seeing the Galil campers complete the 10-mile Appalachian Trail hike. It was something many of the campers thought they weren’t capable of, and a risk they might not have taken in another environment. The risk paid off, though – they all completed it thanks to the support and encouragement of their friends and staff! We are so proud.

All this is to say, our hearts feel incredibly full, and we are so thankful that we can be together in this special place that brings out the best in all of us, and where time feels different. After a year without this, it feels that much sweeter.