Pre-Barchu: Ben, Liam, Gabe, AJ, EBY

Ben: Before we say the Barchu, we wanted to share a quick story about how friendships can grow into something bigger. It doesn’t happen all at once. It grows over time, one connection at a time.

Liam: It all started with Ben and me. We’ve been friends since preschool, and back then, we had no idea that a small friendship could eventually become part of something much bigger.

Gabe: Meanwhile, AJ and I met during Carmel, where we were introduced to many others, while EBY started in Galil.

AJ: At the time, we had no idea how much our paths would cross. I got to know Ben and Liam in Arava, and those friendships kept growing from there.

EBY: Then I met Ben and Liam in RAH during their first double session and quickly became part of the group. This year, I also got to know Gabe and AJ, and suddenly, all the pieces started to fit together. Through those new connections, a community began to take shape.

Ben: What started as a few separate friendships, formed over time, eventually came together into one close-knit group.

Liam: Now, the five of us—Ben, Gabe, EBY, AJ, and me—are standing here together.

Gabe: If even one of those connections hadn’t happened, we probably wouldn’t all be standing here together today.

AJ: As we get ready to say the Barchu, we’re reminded that the Jewish community is built in much the same way: through people coming together, one connection at a time.

All: Please rise for the Barchu.

Pre-Yotzer Or: Ron and Matan

Matan: The prayer Yotzer Or is about the renewal of each new day and the creation of light. When my brother and I were preparing for camp, we were nervous about our first double session.

Ron: CIT year would grant us much more Independence than previous years at camp, and we were anxious what new challenges this summer would bring.

Matan: But when we got here, and we got our first Unit assignments, we gained confidence when finding the light in our bunks and our cos.

Ron: When trying out different departments around camp, we found a new appreciation for our staff and for our Leadership Team.

Matan: We both created our own, personal light being in this new position as CITs.

Ron: We found the confidence in ourselves to be independent and leaders across camp.

Both: (be chill about it)

Being independent away from home

With our confidence we say shalom

Finding the light with help from each other

All the CITS… THATS MY BROTHER!!!!!

Please join us in Yotzer Or

Pre-Mi Chamocha: Ava, Izzy, Sadie

I: Gesher summer is our first taste of true freedom at camp. We’re not quite campers anymore, but we’re not staff members either. 

S: Yet as Gesher participants, we still get a taste of the experiences camp gives to our staff.

A: With our new freedom, we get to unlock a new perspective of camp. 

I: At first I feared that the magic of camp may get lost within our new roles, but as the summer has gone on, I’ve realized that there’s something even better than getting to experience the camp magic–it’s getting to make that magic for others.

S: Forming new relationships with our campers have provided us with a new sense of purpose and pride. 

A: As campers, we all had those counselors that gave us purpose and fostered our love for camp.

I: In Gesher, we do the same for our campers and relish in the joy that we’ve helped to foster within our campers.

S: In the Mi Chamocha we pray and give thanks for the help and guidance that g-d has brought us. 

A: When the Red Sea split and our ancestors marched to freedom, they were in awe of their new independence and the gifts that g-d had given them. As CITs, we get to see this within our campers.

I: Camp gives us the miracles that not only shape our lives, but also our campers’. Just as those who came before us once walked through the sea, looking back at all their past experiences, we now cross through that same journey, looking back at the memories that have formed who we are now. 

S: We move forward to the next stage in our camp journey, appreciating all that has gotten us to where we are now.

A: Please join us in the Mi Chamocha as we look forward to what camp has in store for us. 

Opening Reading: Jackson, Milo, Simon, Braden, Conor

Shabbat Shalom!

Jackson: Introduction
As we pass the halfway point in our transition from campers to leaders, it’s a good time to reflect on how camp’s middot have helped guide us throughout this journey. As many of you may know, gesher is the Hebrew word for “bridge.” We can think of the seven middot as the building blocks that help us construct—and then cross—that bridge, supporting our growth from campers into counselors.

Milo: Binah
Binah, or seeking meaning, is found through the things we do at camp. It means embracing camp traditions, like dressing in white for Shabbat and participating in Friday night song sessions, while also creating your own meaningful camp journey.

Simon: Tiferet
Tiferet is about finding inner peace and beauty within ourselves at camp. As simple as it may sound, camp is the perfect place to embody tiferet. The Gesher program has given us the opportunity to step back from our everyday lives and become part of something bigger than ourselves, allowing us to make a meaningful impact on the camp community.

Braden: Rachamim
As CITS we’re often placed in difficult situations where we have to make mature decisions. In these situations we’ve learned to embody the middah of rachamim; acting with your heart. Whether it’s talking to a camper having a hard day, finding new love for a program at camp, or giving a friend the last popsicle. In our Gesher year we’ve learned to model rachamim for all of our campers.

Conor: Achrayut
Achrayut, or thinking about others, is especially important as we transition from campers to counselors. We can no longer focus only on ourselves; instead, we must put our campers’ needs before our own.

Jackson: Bitachon Atzmi
As we step into new roles, we take on greater responsibilities and gain more independence. Bitachon Atzmi, the middah of confidence and independence, is essential to this growth. It means advocating for ourselves and taking ownership of our needs, like managing our own care at the mirpahah. Bitachon Atzmi allows us to trust our own judgment so we can lead our campers with strength, empathy, and confidence.

Conor: Nitzachon
As CITs, we often rely on nitzachon, or perseverance, as we learn to meet our campers’ needs for the first time. As we step into leadership roles, we must learn to push through difficult situations, even when they take us outside of our comfort zones. Those moments help us grow into stronger counselors and better role models.

Simon: Simcha
Stepping into our roles as members of Gesher means prioritizing simcha, finding joy, not only for ourselves but for our campers as well. For the first time at camp, we’re responsible for making sure others—not just ourselves and our friends—have the best experience possible.

Milo: Conclusion
As we continue in our Gesher program this summer, it’s essential to think about how, while developing each middah matters, just like building a bridge, each block or piece is crucial to its success. Being able to harness and implement all these midot in our daily camp life will aid us in successfully becoming the leaders that our campers look up to.

Pre-Shema: Izzy and Green

Izzy: The Sh’Ma is about coming together as one, one community, one family, one bunk 

Green: Whether we are Chanting the birkat after dinner 

Izzy: screaming Sim Shalom on saturdays

Green: Dancing together at RakDan

Izzy: or connecting with bunkmates during off’s, we connect many different ways at camp 

Green: binah or Seeking meaning connects with the Sh’Ma because I find meaning getting closer with my bunkmates and campers and forming that one mentality

Izzy:  I find meaning in teaching campers old camp traditions I’ve known for a long time. What did the boy say to his mom during silent prayer 

Green: Shhhh Maaaa

Together: Please rise for the Sh’Ma!!!

Pre-Yismechu: Noa, Tali, Molly

Noa: simcha, where can you find it? Is it in the silent cheers after finding out you have canteen? Is it in the banging of hands on the chader tables during song session? or, is it found in a calm day of hanging out in the bunks during bunko?

Tali: I find Simcha and being able to make a stronger impact and form connections with campers and staff now that we are CIT‘s.

Noa; I find Simcha in the confidence I feel in my Judaism and being able to share my special connection with my religion to all my campers, getting them excited to spend shabbat at camp!

molly: I find Simcha when creating new memories with my friends and family and in hope of creating new ones with my campers here at camp.

A way we believe camp finds simcha is through the tradition of hand motions when singing a song.

-ysmechu song “hand motions- an example of camp finding pearly joy and connection

tali: recently as a part of the gesh program all of us crossed a metaphorical bridge, otherwise known as the bridge outside of Ellie‘s house. This bridge signifies the crossing over from finding Simcha as campers and fun activities with friends, to finding simcha as counselors and training and helping in today’s campers, continue to find that same joy and feel supported.

noa: one of these joys we share with our campers is the yismechu, the one we recite to remind us of Shabbat‘s joy and delight, hopefully sleeping that simple hot into their daily camp lives

molly: so where can we find it? Well, we can find Simha within ourselves and our connections to others.

all: what is your name?

unit heads: yismech 

all: yismech- WHO?!?!!!?

all: please join us for the yismechu

Pre-Amidah: Sofia Cohn, Tyler Schwartz, Amy Roth-Epstein, and Linzi Greenfield

All: Nothing at camp lasts forever…except what we pass on!!

Sofia: The Amidah is a prayer that expresses gratitude and asks G-d for peace and guidance. It is also a prayer that acknowledges those who came before us, reflecting on their legacy and the one we hope to leave behind. 

Tyler: To the naked eye, Camp Harlam is just 300 acres and 80 buildings. But to me, every acre of this place is covered in magical memories. The amidah reminds us to appreciate the physical spaces that have transformed our lives. When it is down pouring on your last shabbat as a camper, instead of being dismayed, dance in the rain! If you’ve been to camp then you’ve heard of the phrase “buy in!”. This is such important advice because so much of camp is about perspective. When you chose to embrace every moment, it will make that 300 acre property into a lifelong home. 

Linzi: When I hear the word legacy, I often think about something we leave behind, but I think it’s something we build every day. As Gesher, we’re a bridge between being campers and becoming counselors. The way we treat others, including everyone, and leading by example becomes part of the legacy we leave at Harlam. It’s in the small moments that matter the most, whether it’s inviting someone to eat lunch with you, cheering someone up the tower, or simply making sure campers feel like they belong. These moments may feel small while they are happening, but they shape the environment we make and the memories that carry on after camp ends. 

Amy: As a camper, there were counselors that we distinctly looked up to. Whether it was how they comforted us when we were homesick or how their love for camp shined through, something about these counselors stood out to us. This year, as CITS, our campers now come to us with questions, insight, and advice. When reflecting on my own camper experience, I always think about the counselors and CITS that made an everlasting impact on me. I hope that my legacy will be my campers remembering me as the CIT that was kind, admirable, and the one that made an everlasting impact on their camp experience. 

Sofia:  My dad started his camp journey right here 35 years ago. Growing up, my brother and I were raised on his camp stories. His time at camp ended after his Chavurah summer- but in 2019; my brother and I got to pick up where he left off, keeping his legacy going and bringing all those stories we heard as kids back to life. Being in Gesher has taught me to value balance. I now enjoy the chaos of the packed schedule because I’ve found comfort in the late night talks with my friends at the end of every day night. 

Linzi: Just like the Amidah connects us to the generations that came before us, being a CIT connects the camp magic we inherited to the new legacy we’re all building right now.

Amy: To the current campers, you are the next generation of jewish leaders. You have the power to make a difference and your voice matters. 

Tyler: May we always be grateful for the legacy we inherited, and intentional about the legacy we leave behind.  

All: Please rise for the Amidah