Director's Corner - Saturday, July 20
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Another Saturday Night
Another Saturday night and I ain't got nobody
I've got some money cause I just got paid
Now how I wish I had someone to talk to
I'm in an awful way
At Beber Camp, Shabbat is more than just a day of rest—it's a celebration of our community and a time to reflect on our shared values. As we gather each week to welcome Shabbat, we not only embrace a sacred tradition but also live out the core values that define our camp experience.
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I’d like to take a moment to share our Core Values and how we live them at camp.
1. Sacred Community (Kehillah Kedosha) Shabbat at Beber Camp is the epitome of our kehillah kedosha. We come together on Friday night for a Shabbat dinner, Israeli dance together, sing amazing camp songs. Today, and every Saturday, we also enjoy being together for services. During the summer, the sense of togetherness is so palpable when we have 2 GAs throughout the day and enjoy the warmth of our community. The Havdalah ceremony marks the end of Shabbat, but it also strengthens our bonds as we sing arm and arm under the amazing sky.
2. Leadership (Manhigut) Shabbat provides a space for campers and staff to step into leadership roles. Campers lead prayers and readings during Shabbat services, gaining confidence and honing their public speaking skills. Our counselors guide meaningful discussions during Mikud, encouraging campers to think critically and express their insights. This practice of leadership in a supportive environment helps cultivate future leaders both within and beyond the camp.
3. Courage (Ometz Lev) Shabbat invites us to explore and express our spirituality in ways that may be new or unfamiliar. For some campers, it might be their first time leading a blessing or sharing a personal reflection during Mikud. It takes courage to participate in these moments, and we celebrate each step taken towards personal growth. The supportive environment of Beber ensures that everyone feels encouraged to take these brave steps.
4. Gratitude (Hakarat Hatov) Shabbat is a time to slow down and appreciate the simple joys of camp life. We express gratitude for the delicious meals prepared by our kitchen staff, the beauty of our natural surroundings, and the friendships we’ve formed. Activities like gratitude circles, where campers and staff share what they are thankful for, help us focus on the positive aspects of our week and foster a culture of appreciation.
5. Love of Israel (Ahavat Yisrael) Our connection to Israel is celebrated in many special ways during Shabbat. We sing Israeli songs, learn about Israeli culture, and share stories from our Israeli staff and campers. These activities help deepen our understanding and love for Israel, making the connection more personal and meaningful. Celebrating Shabbat together allows us to reflect on our shared heritage and reinforces our commitment to Ahavat Yisrael.
Shabbat at Beber Camp is a beautiful blend of tradition, reflection, and celebration. It's a time when our core values come to life, creating a powerful and enriching experience for everyone. As we welcome each Shabbat, we are reminded of the importance of community, leadership, courage, gratitude, and our deep love for Israel. Shabbat Shalom!
Our beautiful Shabbat day began with rolling breakfast on the Island and morning open GA, where campers can spend time on lower camp exploring and hanging out with their friends in a leisurely fashion.
We then head to services where campers are eager to participate in the service and we round out the prayers with beautiful and inspiring songs and even a puppet show called Saturday Torah Live. This puppet show performed by our CIT’s puts a fun and creative spin on the Torah portion for the week and is a camper favorite.
After services we have MIkud, which translates to reflection and campers gather as a bunk to reflect on the week and also on the theme of Shabbat. We then head to lunch for a delicious cold cut spread including chicken salad, tuna salad and all of the fixings.
Today our Shabbat programming lends itself to the theme for the weekend which is Love of Israel. Ramot campers participated in Shabboptions, a unique name given to the ability of these campers to choose their activity during their Jewish programming for that period. This week's Shabboptions were basketball, chess, newcomb, vision board/collage, and origami. Kesher did some Mosaic Magic, celebrating Israel in arts and crafts. Makor had a great time in their Electro-Israel program where they created dance moves to popular Israeli songs. They were really fun to watch.
Another rotation that each division has on Shabbat is Maccabi Games. In today's games they played four really cool Israeli based team building games and worked so well together and had a really great time doing it, furthering their connections to their bunks. The last rotation of the day for everyone is time to relax and hang out with friends at free swim in the pool.
Our PIOs volunteered at a rummage sale at the Mukwonago Food Pantry. They ate a picnic lunch there and returned to camp to spend the afternoon at our Challenge Courses allowing them to experience elements on both the old course and the new one.
Our peaceful Shabbat ends with Havdalah which is perhaps one of my most favorite special moments here at camp. We gather back in the amphitheater and sing the prayers, recap the week and announce cabin clean up winners. We end with the song Bless this House which encompasses all that Beber holds dear.
After Havdalah ended, our senior Ramot campers broke Maccabiah to the entire camp by storming the stage with their team flags and donning their team attire. Staff captains were announced to drum rolls and loud cheers and once the theme was announced the campers erupted into roaring cheers for the excitement of being able to represent their team mascot. I will keep the theme a secret for tonight but share all about it tomorrow and the highlights of the day which is set up to be an action packed, super fun and SUNNY day!
P.S. Congratulations to the following who knew that Seals and Croft sang "Summer Breeze!"
Wendy E
Corey P
Franci F
P.S. - Today’s question: Who sang “Another Satruday Night” Email your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a shoutout in tomorrow’s blog!