Shalom everyone!
What a week it has been! Our Session 2 campers have already been here for over a week and time is flying by. Despite the heat wave that we’ve been experiencing this week, camp has been alive and filled with ruach (spirit) and our campers are having the most unforgettable summer. As the days go past, I see our campers becoming more confident, making new friendships and memories and ultimately becoming better versions of themselves.
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of going to the airport to welcome back our wonderful Gesherim campers who had spent that last four weeks traveling Israel. Even though they had just been traveling for over 20 hours back to Seattle, their faces radiated with joy as the bid farewell to their friends after an amazing trip together. Our Gesherim embarked on a journey where they got to see first-hand and learn about the many different facets that contribute to the land of Israel. The group managed to hit several different cities across the country. They got to explore the urban, metropolitan city of Tel Aviv, learn about the religious diversity of Jerusalem, climb Mount Masada, snorkel in Eilat, spend time with the Bedouin community, meet with charities such as Save a Child’s Heart, a non-profit that supports the quality of pediatric cardiac care in Israel, and so much more. For many, this was their first visit to Israel and this phenomenal experience allowed all of the Gesherim to explore the homeland of the Jewish people and build a love for the State of Israel, which is one of Camp Schechter’s values. I am so excited to see what the Gesherim learned on their trip and how they bring this wealth of knowledge back to their home communities and specially to camp next summer when our Gesherim join us as staff.
I want to give a special shout out to the Gesherim’s Madricha (counselor), Or Chen Worcman who traveled with the group and supported them with their learning and bonding as a community. I hope that our group enjoys catching up on their sleep now that they are home, takes time to reflect on all of the happiness they found on the trip, and starts to get excited about becoming counselors in summer ’23!
Otherwise in camp, we have been having an incredible time. On Wednesday and Thursday, the whole of camp participated in Maccabiah (color war). Our four teams competed for the coveted title of Maccabiah champions, and it was the Miriam/Green team, who were victorious! Mazal Tov (congratulations) to the Miriam/Green team and a big Kol Ha’kavod (well done) to each and every camper for participating and making the most of Maccabiah. We have so much more to come in the next two weeks of camp and I am so excited for everything that is to come. I am so proud of everything that our counselors and staff have been doing to support our campers and I know just how much they are changing their lives for the better.
As we head into Shabbat, I wish you all a Shabbat Shalom and look forward to updating you next week on all of the exciting and fantastic things that will take place in camp next week.
Love from Lake Stampfer,
Adam
