This week’s Shabbat Services were led by Lower Chaverim on Friday Night and Upper Chaverim on Saturday Morning. The themes celebrated were Sakranut – curiosity and B’chol L’vavcha – with all your heart. Chaverim shared beautiful words, sang great songs and made creative art projects that we would like to share with you.

Friday Evening

Victoria S. and Cara M., Bunk 10
V: Ahavat Olam is about loving the world but what does that really mean?
C: Curiosity stems from that question because there are so many possibilities as to what loving the world does mean.
V: Loving the world could be described as the physical sense, as in composting after a meal or cleaning up litter around camp.
C: Or it could be described as loving and doing good for the people of the world like donating money to a charity—tzedakah.
V: What does loving the world mean to you?
C: As we sing Ahavat Olam, we hope you use your sakranut to answer that question.

Shira K. and Alice T., Bunk 9
A: The theme of this Shabbat is Sakranut, curiosity.
S: There is much curiosity within our friendship.
A: Sometimes it goes like this.
S: Alice why did you mix your punch with your chocolate milk?
A: Shira, how do you lose your water bottle and find it ten minutes later.
S: Alice, how do you manage to get your flip-flop stuck in a tree?
A: Shira, did you really just fit 5 pieces of cake in your mouth at once?
S: Other times, our curiosity is used for comforting each other when we are in need.
A: If Crane Lake had not existed, neither would this relationship.
S: We wouldn’t have had someone to laugh with and to cry with.
Both: At the same time.
A: Modim is about thanksgiving.
S: We are thankful for each other and this place that we can call our home away from home.

Jordana R. and Jenna H., Bunk 10
Jordana: We are all curious about something in our lives. Whether it be a new bunkmate or when Color War will break out, we always want to know more. Being curious and wanting to know more about others helps us form closer relationships.
Jenna: The Mi Chamocha represents freedom. We have the freedom to ask questions about ourselves and the parts of our world that we are unsure of. Our freedom helps us to explore deeper into those questions we are curious about.
Both: As we sing the Mi Chamocha think about how you can use your freedom and curiosity to discover new things in our world and in the people around you.

Micah A., Bunk 23
We are about to sing Shalom Rav, the prayer for peace. But what really is peace? We talk about it and pray for it all the time but to really want something you need to understand what it is. When you first think about it, I thought of the absence of work or responsibility. Although that is one way to look at it there is another. In Hebrew the word for peace is shalom. The root is Shin Lamed Mem. The root means completeness. So peace is not the absence of everything but it’s when everything works together completely.

Saturday Morning

Josh F., Bunk 25
Our opening song is a Nigun. A nigun is a song without words. Usually we repeat lailailai and yaidaidai. Mystics believed that as these songs grew more intense, you used more of your heart. This specific nigun, China Camp Nigun, was written by Dan Nichols. This nigun connects to camp and our theme. Even though we only have 2 weeks left and it seems like a lot of time, I urge you to use all your heart, in the time that we have left, because it will be over before you know it.

Ben S., Bunk 25
Everyday we should give all of our heart to make sure that there is joy and peace in the world around us. Whether it’s on a field, at home, at temple, or anywhere else. The prayer Sim Shalom talks about peace and joy and about how we can all achieve it together. This is ultimately what we all want. When I’m on the baseball field I know that I will do whatever it takes to have my teammates’ back and I know that they have mine. The same goes for camp. You need to be therefore your bunkmates and then you’ll know they’ll be there for you. This is because we are a family and there is a bond between family that can not be broken. Everyone must come together and give it their all in order to create the special bond of peace.

Annie S., Bunk 14
Last Thursday, my bunk and I had ropes. I was very excited because we finally got the opportunity to conquer Jacob’s ladder. On my first try, my friend and I weren’t able to get to the top. We tried hard but just couldn’t do it. We came back down with heavy hearts. Later, we had the chance to try again. Right before we were about to start, my friend told me she believed in me. I could tell she meant it. We were able to get to the place we had been before. I was exhausted and frustrated but knew I could do it. I grabbed my friend’s hand and pulled myself up. Once I sat at the top, I took a deep breath and looked at my friend. She said, “I knew you could do it.” I replied with “me too”. We sat there for a bit, looking out at the trees and nature surrounding us. It all reminded me of the prayer we just said, Yotzer Or. It’s a prayer for nature and creation. So this summer, remember to put all of your heart and energy into whatever obstacles you come across. You can do anything you set your mind to.

Julia H. and Anna F., Bunk 16
J: All morning we have been talking about B’chol L’vavcha —with all your heart. Anna and I just become friends at the beginning of second session.
A: We both opened our hearts and put all of our effort into our friendship and getting to know one another.
J: During the silent prayer, take time to reflect on the friendships that you have made both this past week at camp and those at home.
A: Recognize the effort that it took to open up your hearts to one another and appreciate the friendship that has come out of it.
Both: Please take a moment for silent prayer.

Jed C., Bunk 24
With all your heart… B’chol Levavcha, is putting in 100% effort into anything you put your heart into. The song we chose to end our service with is “Eye of the Tiger”. This song is about having the will to survive and fight like the singer says, “You must fight just to keep them alive.” Whatever it may be, from your goals in life to your dreams your must put all of your heart into doing it.

By Lindsey Blackman, Communications Specialist