This week was Crane Lake’s very first Shabbat services with all of camp together. Staff members led Shabbat services on Friday night and the Machon led services Saturday morning. The themes celebrated were bitachon which means confidence, and welcoming. Counselors that have been here for all different amounts of time were able to share how camp gives them confidence and how they feel welcomed. Not only did they share how camp gives them confidence, but they had the confidence to stand in front of a large crowd and speak, so we would like to share their words with you.
Friday Night Shabbat Services
By Sarah V. and Frankie R.F.
Sarah: Shabbat Shalom! The Jewish value of the week is bitachon, meaning confidence. Bitachon can be described as a value a person holds, such as having a positive attitude and being able to point out the good side of life’s experience.
Frankie: As Rabbi Tzi Freeman said, “things will be good, because I believe they are good”. Sarah and I were given the opportunity to be Olim counselors last summer, and with this we needed confidence to be role models and leaders for our Olim campers and all other campers too.
Frankie: No matter the situation, if you display bitachon you will be able to accomplish anything. Shabbat Shalom!
By Jordan P. and Judy F.
A short, partial list of things that we have loved during the first week of camp:
1) Move than 100 voices joined together as Bonim sings our bedtime prayers with the requisite hand motions
2) The sound of 11 and 12 year olds saying “Oh yah” when they agree
3) That feeling after a long day and getting a chance to sit down for the first time and think about how the day went.
4) Evening programs and basketball games and nail polish parties and sing-alongs. Campers and staff filling camp with warmth and life and love and happiness.
5) Happy tears that come to your eyes post bedtime story when as you leave campers share with you that you are their role model.
6) When the names you’ve been learning become faces, and those faces become people, and those people become a bunk and a unit and a camp. Shabbat Shalom
By Sam K. and Matt L.
Matt: When I first came to Crane Lake, I had no friends. I was a stranger to the bubble and I struggled to find my place in the community
Sam: Even though I started a summer before Matt, I still hadn’t found my BFF
Matt: As I drove through the red gates, I was nervous about making friends and what my bunkmates would think of me. When I first entered the bunk, Sam was the first person to approach me, inviting me to play roofball with him
Sam: Even though I thought Matt was a little weird, I knew that unity among my bunkmates was very important.
Matt: Sam gave me the bitachon I needed, encouraging me to be confident and believe in myself and make a lot of new friends that summer
Sam: The camp bubble teaches us that the bonds we make here will last a lifetime. Matt and I have been friends for the last 10 years and to this day we still love playing a cheeky game of roofball together
Matt: In the Shema we talk about unity, and coming together as one. Here at Crane Lake we unite as one community for two months, and it is the strength of that unity that keeps us going for the other 10 months.
Sam: It is safe to say that…
Sam and Matt: We live 10 months for 2. Shabbat Shalom!
Saturday Morning Shabbat Services
By Dan K:
This summer, I returned to camp, met with open arms and welcoming smiles. These friendly gestures guided me into Machon. This welcoming community created an environment for me to build relationships. I “remet” everyone from Olim, finding out about their interests, hobbies and passions. I found people with similar interests in music, politics and current events. These shared interests led to the start of real relationships and these relationships are what make up our community.
By Katie G:
When we pray for peace during Shabbat, we think about peace in Israel, within ourselves, within our home communities, for our friends, and within our lives. Peace for one doesn’t mean peace for all. I’ve always been aware, as I am sure we all are, of the fantastic Crane Lake Community that exists within our bouncy, happy bubble. Many of us feel utterly serene and peaceful while we are here. Yet, my transition from camper to counselor is about noticing those who don’t feel quite as at peace and helping them through their adversity. Becoming a leader requires recognition of the fact that communities, especially fantastic ones, are dynamic. We are not homogenous but rather a conglomeration of people who are at different stages in their peace. It’s that diversity in thought that makes camp an exciting place to be you. During Sim Shalom, I invite you to consider the peace of people who aren’t quite like you and recognize that together we all make this community dynamic.
By Micali & Becky:
In this parsha, we are all donkeys. Balaam is pushing us to do this terrible thing to the Jewish people, but there’s also the angel telling us to turn back. In Judaism, we describe these conflicting feelings as the evil inclination and the inclination to do good. In this parsha, we, or the donkey, make the wrong decision – we listen to Balaam because it was easier to listen to the more forceful influence. As Jews and as human beings, we are constantly confronted with such moral conflicts and it is frequently easier to listen to the Balaam of the situation, creating a curse rather than a blessing. At some point, we will all mistakenly disregard the “angel” stopping us from doing a bad thing, just as the donkey did in the parsha. In the Machon community, we understand that we will make mistakes and may do something that can hurt another member of the community. We therefore have instituted a policy where any “put-down” or a negative comment, must be followed by three “put-ups” or compliments. This Torah portion shows us that we as human beings will not always make the decision that is best for the community. By acknowledging this truth, we can ensure that we have the most positive influence on the community as possible. This summer, we challenge you to join us in making curses into blessings. Each one of you has an effect on this Crane Lake community – make yours a blessing.