Every time we play an icebreaker at camp, we are asked to say our name and where we are from. For some reason, there are bigger reactions when I say I am from Los Angeles, California than those from England or Israel. I think this is because people think that by being at camp, I am missing out at walking into celebrities on the daily.
I’m going to be honest; I did have a little culture shock when I drove into West Stockbridge, Massachusetts for the first time last year. Not only was it an unfamiliar place, but there were so many unfamiliar faces – everyone to be exact. I came to Crane Lake Camp as a new Machon (counselor in training) and I was thrown into a unit that had been together for years. A question I get asked a lot is, “how did you find Crane Lake?” Well, my mom, a woman with a passion for camp, helped create the health center for the new URJ 6-Points camp. I, a bored 17 year old was looking for something to do. Greg Kellner, the director of 6-Points recommended I apply to Crane Lake camp…so I did.
I was waiting for my skype interview with Debby, biting my nails with anxiety. The screen lit up and Debby started it off by saying “sorry I just had to put my daughter to bed”…I exhaled. It had been one minute and I already felt comfortable at CLC.
I’m not going to lie, the first week for me was pretty hard. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly, but I felt out of place. Then, one the 4th of July, 2014, I woke up, got dressed in my red, white, and blue, and went to the booth I was running for the carnival. As I was laughing and playing with the campers, I was reminded why I was at camp – to be a counselor. The moment I handed out the last prize I had, I was hit with the bitachon – confidence – I needed. From that point on, I changed my perspective and let myself feel included and important.
I am so thankful to all the Machon ’14 for making me feel at home and for the campers enabling me to feel important. I am a general counselor this year and plan on returning for many years to come. I am starting college in the fall and camp has taught me that things may be hard in the beginning, but with confidence and love, you can make it extraordinary.
By Jessie Petrak, General Counselor