Just a “normal” day – July 26th

It was just one of those “normal” days at camp.

Now, you can’t really say “normal,” because it’s camp. Earlier today we were talking about how these kids come here for six weeks, or three weeks, and then spend the other 46 or 49 weeks of the year talking about it. Camp is the best extended-release medicine there is for loneliness, anxiety, or any of those feelings kids carry around. When life gets hard during the year, they have this sanctuary in their minds to return to…memories of a place where they got to be completely themselves.

They didn’t have to worry about the judgment or pressures that come with being a kid, whether they’re 10 years old, a teenager, or even a 20 year old staff member. They were accepted, they were encouraged, they laughed a lot, and they belonged. And it works. Every single time.

There’s this really cool flow that happens on a “normal” day at camp. Kids just know where to go. They know when they need to be at an activity. They know when to head back to their cabin. They know exactly how long it takes to walk from their tzrif to the flag circle, and they make that walk with friends, carrying on joyful conversations the whole way.

Then they scatter across camp. Some head to the waterfront to swim, paddleboard, or water ski. Others climb the rock wall or conquer the high ropes course. Some play pickleball, tennis, volleyball, or World League flag football. Everyone is just…going.

Sometimes I stand right in the middle of camp and just watch.

There’s a word I borrowed from a book called Theo of Golden that I mentioned in an earlier Ted Talk, murmuration. It’s the name for the incredible way thousands of birds move together in perfect harmony, almost as if they’re one living thing. That’s what camp feels like sometimes. A beautiful murmuration of happy campers, all moving with purpose, joy, and somehow without anyone telling them exactly what to do.

Of course, parents, you’ll occasionally get a letter that says, “I’m homesick,” or “I’m sad today,” or “Someone was mean to me.” Those moments are real, and we take them seriously. But I can promise you they’re almost always just moments.

Within minutes, those tougher feelings are replaced by hours of friendship, laughter, accomplishment, and happiness. Along the way, your kids are learning something far more valuable than we often give them credit for, independence. They learn to solve problems, care for themselves, and work through challenges. Sure, sometimes they need a counselor or our Camper Care team, but more often than not, they discover they can do it themselves.

That’s the gift you’ve given them by sending them here. That’s the murmuration at work.

So yes, today was an awesome “normal” day at camp.

Well… right up until dinner.

All of a sudden, the kitchen doors burst open and a crowd of Ozrim came sprinting into the Chadar in full costume, screaming one word at the top of their lungs…

BIKKURIM!!!

That’s right, folks. Game on.

I’ll give you the full play-by-play tomorrow night, but for now this camper has to get some sleep, because tomorrow is going to be perfectly abnormal.

My money’s on the Red Team.

Thank you for sending your kid to Herzl Camp.

All is well. Safely rest.

,לילה טוב

Tommy