by Rick Abrams, faculty

If you remember last summer’s big Pixar Studios blockbuster, Inside Out, (spoiler alert here if you have not yet seen the film) the main character, Joy, had to go through a complete learning process of her own. She needed to learn that Sadness was needed sometimes to move forward.

Similarly, we Jews know our story of the exodus from Egypt. Not sadness, but fear, must have been in the hearts and minds of our ancestors. Knowing only a life of slavery, had some security. There was no question about what each day would hold for them. It was good, but it was predictable.

So imagine, what it must have been like to leave. To follow “some guy with a lisp” who’s listening to a God they couldn’t see. And, what’s more, after leaving what they knew, they arrived at the edge of the Sea of Reeds, with Pharoah’s army behind them, and the raging waters in front of them. Fear, translated into Hebrew as Yirah was clearly front and center in their minds.

I had the opportunity to teach with and learn from Jewish Rock Musician, Alan Goodis, this summer. He put himself into the shoes of these Israelites when he began to write a brand new song, called “Get to You.” Here are some of his lyrics:

I stood so close to the water

I could not see the other side

There was salt in the breeze

My knees rustled like leaves

There’s no way I’m gonna get to you

But awe and fear will lead me outta here

I’m leaving now to get to you tonight

There was no mistaking; I was escaping

You could not stop me if you tried

The walls were climbing like spirits rising

I’m halfway through

I just might get to you

Music and Lyrics: Alan Goodis ©2016 O Goodis Industries Worldwide (BMI) www.alangoodis.com

So how do we move from Yirah, Fear, to Yirah, Awesome?

I make that transition when I think of being at camp. I’m lucky. For the past 16 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving on the faculty here at CLC. During that time, I know that the first time a child leaves home and goes to camp, yirah /fear is present. Well, I’m here to tell you, that when I see my daughter, Sonya, an Olim counselor and Unit Songleader, and son Micah, in Upper Chaverim this summer, the Yirah turns from fear to AWESOME.  Why can I say this? I don’t know.  Awe doesn’t need words or reasons. It’s just awesome. And when I see the children of Crane Lake Board Member Sarah Fleckner, her oldest, Josh, one of my son’s friends, along with this two sisters, all together here at camp, I get a jolt of AWESOME. The Hermann boys, the Chizner family, the Nachmiyas siblings, the Gellman family, the Resnikoff ladies, the Arnowitz family, and the Reynolds girls (just to “shout out to the families I know)….How nice it is to see families here at camp.  When I see them sitting together at Shabbat or even meeting for a hug in the middle of the lawn, it’s just as awesome as witnessing the sea splitting.

Nice….yes, but in fact…AWESOME! Yirah!

Rick Abrams is the Director of Jewish Family Life at Community Synagogue of Rye. He has been on the teaching faculty at URJ Crane Lake Camp since 2001, a grand total of 16 years!  He has enjoyed having his kids at camp for every single summer.