Dear Crane Lake families,

I am beyond thrilled that summer 2014 has started with so much love and happiness filling our bubble. Yesterday we welcomed home our happy session 1 campers. It was incredible to see everyone’s smiling faces finally here together.

Campers moved into bunks, met their wonderful counselors and played games with old friends and welcomed in new friends. Lunch brought the whole camp together on our main lawn and bunks ate in groups to get to know each other and catch up on stories from the school year.

After lunch each unit broke off into groups to meet their unit heads and get to know their counselors and other senior staff members. Campers learned the importance of carrying around water bottles to stay hydrated, using sunscreen everyday (even when it’s cloudy) and other logistical details of camp.

The whole camp united in the outdoor sanctuary for our opening ceremony where we illustrated our mission statement of Hinenu- here we are. This word from our tradition reminds us to be present and enjoy every moment at camp. The word Hineni frames our mission statement, the foundation of everything we do here at Crane Lake Camp.

For the ceremony, each camper and staff wrote what makes them awesome on a wood chip to represent their piece of camp. The Torah was passed l’dor va’dor, from oldest campers to the youngest to symbolize our commitment to building and growing our Jewish identities and spiritualty while at camp. We then joined together the individual woodchips to support our ner tamid, the eternal flame of our camp community. And finally we lit our ner tamid, to show that our eternal light will power our holy community and important work throughout the summer. Together we said the Shehekhianu and Summer 2014 officially began!

The evening brought united us again as we ate for the first time as an entire camp in our new Chadar Ochel. Campers munched on yummy pizza and mozzarella sticks and ate chipwiches for dessert.

As the sun set over the lake, campers created their Brit Kehillah’s, or bunk contracts, to establish rules they want follow for the summer. Everyone settled into their beds to get good night rests before daily activities started.

Now the sun is shining and everyone is busy enjoying all the activities camp has to offer. Crane Lake Camp is back as it should be, filled with happy campers and counselors.

With Love,

Debby