By Darren Schwartz
SAN DIEGO — Summer camp is perhaps the richest experience for teens to explore his or her sense of Jewish identity. Camp provides an experiential space for youth to experiment with who they are and the type of person they want to become.
As a product of both Jewish day camp and resident camps, I know how powerful these experiences can be. For me, the informal programming and activities at Camp Jaycee, the day camp at the Lawrence Family JCC, introduced me to a new part of my Jewish community. However, it wasn’t until I got my first taste of Jewish resident camp that I was exposed to a sense of spirituality, spirit (ruach) and independence that led to a real feeling of empowerment. Resident camp was the first place that I felt I was given the freedom to explore how Judaism and what it meant to me.
For me this journey of Jewish self-exploration started when I was 15 years old at Gindling Hilltop Camp. For the first time I was exposed to the uniqueness of a camp Shabbat, Havdallah under the stars and an incredible feeling of both safety and independence. Camp was the place I felt most comfortable being myself and so I returned for seven additional summers as staff.
The interesting thing is, this experience is not unique to me. By most accounts, my friends, and subsequently teens that I’ve worked with, have shared similar experiences at their camps – Camp Hess Kramer, Camp Newman, Ramah, JCA Shalom, Tawonga and Camp Mountain Chai.
According to the Foundation for Jewish Camps there are over 155 Jewish resident camps in North America. Each summer these camps are providing hundreds of thousands of youth with a formative experience along their Jewish journey.
Last week I was invited to go up to Camp Mountain Chai as a guest of from our San Diego Jewish community. For those who are unaware, since 2006 Camp Mountain Chai has been San Diego’s Jewish resident camp. The camp itself is located in Angelus Oaks near Big Bear Lake and surrounded by a beautiful wilderness of trees and mountains.
When I arrived at camp late on a Thursday evening, I was greeted by a friendly energetic staff. Despite a very long day of planning and activities, a staff of primarily college-aged counselors, were eagerly talking about what had gone on that day and started making preparations for the rest of the week. It is the passion and creativity of these counselors that greatly contributes to the “magic” of camp. They work long hours, deal with complex challenges all while maintaining a level of enthusiasm that is infectious.
The next day I joined the entire camp at their morning flag raising ceremony. Campers came dressed in their red, white, and blues for an early 4th of July celebration. Counselors were setting up a carnival outfitted with a dunk tank, high striker and several other classic games. It appeared that it was going to be another eventful day.
My final interaction before I had to return home was with the oldest campers from the “Atid” unit who are going into their sophomore year of high school. I was able to speak with them about their camp experience and how they were going to keep the camp spirit alive during the school year. I asked them how they keep that spirit alive when they return home from camp. How do they take that excitement and channel it into other opportunities in the Jewish community. After some blank stares, some said they were involved with a few youth groups but nothing compared to camp.
Camp Mountain Chai, like many other camps, does not have a way for its campers to stay involved during the year. It is difficult to sustain year-round programs and even harder to capture the spirit of camp outside its physical confines. However, this year Camp Mountain Chai is partnering with Motiv: Working to Repair the World to coordinate service projects during the school year for camp alum. This will provide an opportunity for campers to see old camp friends, relive some of that camp magic while doing something good for the community.
I was able to speak with the Atid campers about this idea. They gave a whole-hearted endorsement and agreed to help plan the service projects on behalf of their fellow campers. I look forward to our coffee meeting in late August to plan our first service project.
Thank you Camp Mountain Chai for your hospitality and trip down memory lane. I look forward to returning for sessions 2 and 3.
*
Darren Schwartz is the director of the San Diego Jewish Teen Initiative. To contact Darren about opportunities for Jewish teens or in response to this article, please email darren@motivsandiego.org.