What Does “Welcome Home,” Really Mean?
Home is a place that shapes you as a person. Home is a place that you feel 100% comfortable to be your own unique self, express vulnerability and feel confident in your own skin. Home is a place that whatever the circumstances are you know you can return to year after year and be welcomed with open arms.
Campers and the Corn
Next summer, there will be new corn in the field. But our Harlam community will have returned, wiser and stranger and stronger than we were before, ready to grow and grow and keep growing. To boldly grow where no person has grown before.
Week 1 Round-Ups: 2nd Session 2021
We are so excited to start second session!!! This week we had T’filah Prep so that we could lead a beautiful Saturday morning service. We talked about finding joy at camp and in life. We also had MTV night, where each bunk got to make and perform a dance for the whole camp…we rocked it!
Be Yourself. Try New Things.
The summer of 2021 presents us with an opportunity. A clean slate. Perhaps some of us have an increased awareness or appreciation of what lies ahead because we missed it so deeply last summer. But whether it’s your first or fifth or tenth summer here, I hope each of you can live each day here with purpose, as we build a sacred community in our summer home.
The Jewish Identities We Formed at Camp Harlam
Our time here has created lifelong friendships, unforgettable life experiences, and a connection to our culture and heritage. We are young Jews; our relationships are a representation of our Judaism living on. When the rock-hard relationships we formed at camp exist outside camp, we carry our Jewish identity with pride.
Summer of Firsts
This was a summer of firsts for Carmel. First time at camp, first time away from home, first ever insect night, first Maccabiah, and my first summer as the Carmel unit head. Being in Carmel with all new campers, has reminded me how special this place is to me and how it has shaped who I am.
How Jewish Values Play a Role in Our Daily Camp Life
Outside camp I am known for not being nervous about stuff. But then, in my cabin, for the first time I didn’t know what to expect. I literally spent 15 minutes trying to get down from my top bed. After a couple of days everyone felt so close. Now we are like family.
A Place Where Everyone Learns to be Their Best Self
As a Jewish Life Advisor I come to camp to seek meaning – to learn from campers, staff, and leadership what is important to them, what everyday life is like, and how they are living their Jewish lives. As a person who wants to grow, I come to camp to learn more about myself, to hit reset, and to try to understand who I am at this moment in time.
Camp’s Identity is Created by All of You
Identity forms at camp through the people you connect with and the impact you have on them. I’m so proud of the impact you’ve all had. I’ve watched as you’ve supported each other through hard times, and I’ve watched you laugh with each other in the good times.
Nothing Short of Magical
Being a part of this immersive experience creates bonds like none other. As we like to say, Harlam is where “friends become family.” Your children will have made new friends and also may have struggled at times to connect with others. All of these are valuable opportunities for learning, and we hope the positive relationships they created can be sustained beyond their time at camp.