Director's Corner - Friday, June 28
Friday, June 28, 2024
Happy Together
Me and you, and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together
I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby, the skies'll be blue
For all my life
It's amazing to realize we're already approaching the end of our second week here at camp. Time really flies when you're immersed in so much enjoyment. I feel incredibly fortunate to spend days like today engaging in activities with campers, forging connections with them and their counselors. This community is truly unique.
Last week, I discussed one of my core beliefs at Beber: Pride and Ownership. During staff training, we explored how our counselors can nurture a sense of pride and ownership among our campers for our community. I also spoke with the campers about this concept on their first day, and I'm continually impressed by how many have embraced it. I often witness campers actively picking up trash and tidying areas after participating in their favorite hobbies or activities.
Every morning after breakfast, we have cabin clean-up where campers take an active role in maintaining their living quarters. Each camper has a daily task assigned on their cabin work wheel. Head counselors assess the cleanliness of all bunks during the campers' first hobby session, assigning scores for cabin clean-up. At the end of each week, we announce an overall winner who earns a special ice cream treat for their bunk. The campers take great pride in their scores and strive to improve each week. It makes me wonder how their rooms at home compare!
For the session's overall winner, we have an extra special treat in store.
Tonight marked the beginning of our second Shabbat in the first session. It was a joy to see all our campers dressed in their Friday best, coming together to express gratitude with their bunkmates at Shabbat Schmooze. I am deeply impressed by our Jewish life team and their skillful leadership of the services, engaging our entire community in songs and prayers. Having so many campers interested in leading prayers speaks to the inclusivity of our community and its embrace of all levels of Judaism.
During services, four staff members shared a story with a moral supporting our Shabbat theme of courage. What resonated most with me tonight was the Israeli dancing, where our entire camp community gathered on the basketball courts. It was a wonderful feeling to have everyone united in one place, dancing and having fun. Israeli dancing has always held a special place in my heart from my own days as a camper.
The song session, led by our camp band, was once again a phenomenal experience, with campers and staff singing at full volume and dancing enthusiastically to the music. Our community's unity and spirit were truly uplifting. Despite a little drizzle this evening, we were able to have a separate song session for Makor and Kesher campers, tailored to their age levels, allowing them to dance and sing along with their friends.
Meals:
- Breakfast: Eggs and hash browns
- Lunch: Pizza and Caesar salad
- Dinner: Shabbat chicken dinner with mashed potatoes, chicken noodle soup, broccoli, and challah
One of our second session campers wanted to give back to Beber for her Mitzvah project. She chose to honor the kitchen staff and recognize them for their hard work. Her creation is a wooden board with pictures of the kitchen staff, allowing everyone to learn their names and increasing interactions between campers and the kitchen staff, further connecting our community. We are so grateful for her generous gift, which will be cherished for years to come.
The CITs arrived safely in Colorado this afternoon and celebrated Shabbat at Camp Shwayder, another member of the AIJC (Association of Independent Jewish Camps). They are enjoying the beautiful scenery and looking forward to the start of their internship.
As you can see, we are just “Happy Together” here at Beber, and it will be very difficult to say goodbye to our Rookies on Sunday. But we will continue to revel in all that Beber has to offer this Shabbat!
P.S. Congratulations to those who knew that The Beatles sang “Good Day Sunshine!”
Amy
Christie B
Corey S
Who sang “Happy Together?” Email your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a shoutout in tomorrow’s blog!