Our Open Tents: Vayeira and Audacious Hospitality at Camp

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by Sarah “Jewish Life” Lauing, Associate Director

This week’s Torah portion begins with Abraham sitting at the opening of his tent in the heat of the day. When three strangers walk by, Abraham jumps up and runs to greet them, wash their feet, and serve them water and a hearty meal.  This scene is often seen as the paradigm in Jewish tradition for welcoming guests- hachnasat orchim.SONY DSC  Or as the Union for Reform Judaism has been calling it- “audacious hospitality.”  Audacious hospitality is about being boldly welcoming—going above and beyond to bring outsiders into the fold. In the words of Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the URJ, “Audacious hospitality isn’t just a temporary act of kindness so people don’t feel excluded. It’s an ongoing invitation to be part of community—and a way to spiritually transform ourselves in the process.”

I can’t help but think of summer camp when I think about Abraham sitting in front of a tent on a hot day.  What is camp if not sunshine and tents?  Abraham’s tent itself is said to have been open on all sides to allow any potential guests to enter, and we hope that camp too is a place of welcoming.  Opening Day of camp is not unlike the encounter between Abraham and his visitors.  Our counselors sit on the porches of their bunks in the hot sun, possibly exhausted from weeks of training, but beyond eager and enthusiastic to greet that session’s campers with hugs, smiles, and promises of a summer that will last a lifetime.

And hospitality at camp goes beyond Opening Day.  I so often hear campers describe camp as the place where they feel the most like their true selves, whomever that may be.  Our community includes Asian animg_3819d African American campers, gay, straight, and transgender campers, even Yankees, Mets and Red Sox fan campers!  Perhaps even more remarkable is how our non-Jewish staff becomes integrated into the Jewish community at camp, singing our prayers and teaching our values.  In fact, hospitality at camp can hardly be termed “hospitality.”  It’s simply who we are and how we treat one another during our time within camp’s gates.

As the Torah portion continues, Abraham’s guests turn out to be messengers of God, coming to announce the miraculous pregnancy of his wife Sarah.  The portion is called Vayeira, “And God appeared,” demonstrating how God is revealed to Abraham in the form of these visitors.  At camp, I believe we find the spiritual within human beings as well.  Our welcoming, safe, diverse, and inclusive community is made up of individuals who, through their actions, take us all to a higher level.  I look forward to welcoming all of you to our “tent” this summer!

A version of this blog post was originally given as a D’var Torah at Temple Shaaray Tefila of Manhattan.  For more about our diverse community, watch our video, “I Belong to Jewish Camp” featuring staff members from all over the world!