Danya’s Shabbat Message – Week 6: Here, Here!

If you’ve spent any significant amount of time with me, you know that I have a mild (major) obsession with anything to do with the Titanic, and especially the 1997 blockbuster movie. I’ve watched it so many times I could perform it from start to finish, on demand (and honestly, I’m just waiting for someone to finally ask).

There is one particular scene that I often quote. Jack Dawson, the handsome but penniless artist who wins his ticket to the Titanic on a lucky hand of poker, is invited to dine with the elite passengers after saving Rose’s life. He gets cleaned up thanks to the unsinkable Molly Brown and walks into the fancy dining room.

During dinner, Jack is asked about his life and how he ended up on the Titanic. He gives a short but eloquent speech ending with “I figure life’s a gift and I don’t intend on wasting it. You don’t know what hand you’re gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you… to make each day count.”
Everyone at the table lifts their glass of champagne and toasts: “To making it count!” And Colonel Gracie enthusiastically shouting, “Here, here!”

If you’ve read enough of these blogs, you might expect me to describe how fast the days come and go at camp and how we have to make the most of each day. That’s certainly true, and is absolutely the case this summer, but that’s not the topic for today.

What I’m going to talk about is one of the most unique parts of camp. The strange, silly, sometimes bizarre, mostly unexpected shared moments that have drawn me to camp since I was a little girl.

We’ve established that I love the movie Titanic, so it should come as no surprise that I try to work it into conversations whenever I possibly can. Early last session, I was chatting with a group of campers. They said something clever, and so, of course, I enthusiastically shouted “Here, here” in my best Colonel Gracie impression – complete with a terrible British accent. They didn’t know whether to laugh or run away. I explained what it meant, sparing no detail, and still received blank stares – apparently no movie fans in Session 2.

Later that day, when I saw two of them, I, of course, had to double down and walk right up to them and said, “Here, here.” This time, it was funny to them, so we all had a chuckle as I scurried off. Next time I saw them, “Here, here!” Until it was all we shouted to each other whenever we happened to be at the same place at the same time. Sometimes we only had seconds, like if I was mid-conversation with someone, or running to a meeting as I passed by.

Now, if that’s not the silliest, weirdest, funniest thing you’ve heard today… That doesn’t happen in school, sports, clubs, or anywhere else. It just doesn’t. And maybe these silly moments are not as impactful as the other gifts that camp provides for campers and staff – like building confidence, developing resiliency, creating strong connections to Judaism and Israel, and BUILDING COMMUNITY – but they certainly play an important part in what we remember from our camp experiences. Like when I was a Kadimah counselor in 1995, there was a term the campers used to describe if something was “cool” or not “cool.” It was a completely made-up word that we loved to say over and over. I still use that word to this day when I’m talking to my camp friends, and I always think about that summer when I do.

I love having our 3rd session campers finally here, and it’s been a busy couple of days! 7 cabins for Amudim and Habonim, each! Wow! Kadimah campers returned from their canoe trip and are about to put on a beautiful Shabbat weekend. B’yachad had a super cool opportunity during intersession to work with a local branch of Habitat for Humanity and had the perfect weather for their float trip. It’s been a busy, wild, fun, and meaningful couple of days. And there is so much to look forward to over the next two and a half weeks!

But for now, wishing you all a peaceful Shabbat and a relaxing weekend.

Shabbat shalom,

-danya

Senior Director of Camp & Culture