Progress in Aleph – 2nd Session Kadima & B’Yachad July 5th
It was a crazy busy day, as always. Which really isn’t that crazy, because that’s just a normal day here. But tonight I want to focus on one little slice of camp life, Chug Aleph.
As I may have mentioned before, I love walking around during Chugim. It’s one of the best ways to see what’s happening around camp and take the temperature of our campers and staff. And I’m not going to lie, I occasionally jump into a pickleball game, hop on the rock wall, or even find myself in a pop dance class like I did the other day. You’re supposed to enjoy your work, aren’t you?
You all know how much I love this place. But tonight isn’t about me, although I am my favorite subject. It’s about what I saw during a simple 30-minute stroll around camp.
My walk started in the Ulam, where I wandered into the Kadima play rehearsal. They happened to be working on some choreography and blocking for Wicked, this year’s play. I found myself smiling and swaying along as I watched a camper, someone who I doubt ever pictured themselves performing in a musical, learning the dance, correcting their steps, helping a friend remember theirs, laughing at the inevitable clumsy moments, and then jumping right back in. Nobody was worried about looking perfect. They were simply trying, improving, and having fun.
From there I strolled over to Amanut (arts and crafts), where I barely made it through the door before a group of campers rushed over to show me the pillows they were making in sewing chug. Of course, I asked, “Had you ever sewn before?” Most of them hadn’t. But now they know how. It’s one more thing they’ll leave camp knowing that they didn’t know when they arrived.
Next I wandered over to the rock wall, where one camper proudly told me they had just climbed the wall blindfolded using only one arm and one leg, and had beaten their previous time by finishing in one minute and twenty-nine seconds. Let me repeat that, blindfolded…one arm…one leg. I was impressed. I’ve climbed that wall before. Granted, I’m now of a certain age, but man is youth really wasted on the young.
What struck me even more, though, was what was happening next to him. Another camper was coaching a friend up the wall. (Here comes my novelist quoted exchange.)
“Left foot, blue hold!”
“Right hand, yellow hold!”
“Good job!”
This camper had never climbed our rock wall until two weeks ago. Now they were tackling one of the hardest routes while being guided by a camper from a different age group,someone who wasn’t in their cabin or even their program, just a new friend who had their back.
My last stop was World League flag football. I honestly don’t remember which teams were playing, but they were having an absolute blast. Now, it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows. At one point there was the ever-present cry from a 10-year-old boy, “He cheated!” Shocking, I know.
But instead of adults rushing in to solve it, I watched the kids. Teammates from both sides talked it through, defended each other, figured it out, and moved on to the next play. I won’t exactly call it world summit-level conflict resolution, but it was something just as important, kids practicing how to work through a problem together.
And that’s what I kept seeing everywhere today!
Progress! Kids who had never climbed a rock wall…climbing. Kids who had never danced in a play…performing. Kids who had never sewn…making pillows. Kids who maybe had never played an organized sport…diving into flag football. They just do it! Not because they’re fearless, but because they’re in a place where it’s safe to try. Camp gives them the confidence to attempt something new without worrying about whether they’ll get it exactly right the first time.
The same is true when it comes to behavior. I’d love to tell you every camper is on 100% perfect behavior all the time, but if that were true, they’d lose their kid cards. What we strive for here isn’t perfection. We strive for progress. We want our campers to understand that mistakes happen. What matters is learning from them, growing from them, and doing a little better tomorrow than you did today.
Our staff spend countless hours helping kids get there, and they deserve enormous credit. But something even more powerful happens along the way. The campers begin holding each other accountable. Friends encourage friends. Cabin mates model good choices. They celebrate each other’s successes. They help one another get back on track when they stumble. They begin wanting to make each other proud. That’s one of the quiet miracles of camp.
So while we never expect campers to stop being kids, we do get the privilege of watching them grow. We watch confidence replace hesitation. We watch effort replace fear and most of all, we watch friendships become communities. It’s a beautiful process.
And I think you’ll see it when they come home…away from this home.
As always, thank you for sending your kid to Herzl Camp!
All is well. Safely rest.
,לילה טוב
Tommy