By Jeremy Levine, Assistant Machon Director 

When staff, campers, and families picture Opening Day at a summer camp, they picture bright, sunny fields, roofball games interrupted by box trucks, the opening ceremony in our Outdoor Sanctuary, and a whole lot of balloons. Last session, we had an opening day just like that one, and we have the video to prove it. But Mother Nature had a different plan in mind for Second Session.

When we opened the red gates at 9:00, families drove onto a rather soggy campground. The fields were too wet for us to collect everyone’s luggage outside and the rain meant that everyone waiting on the check-in line would have gotten completely drenched, so we had to move our whole unloading and registration process to the Chadar Ochel. Still, our campers didn’t miss a beat. Once they got everything unloaded, they ran down to the bunks to meet up with new and old friends.

Days like today really get to the why of camp. We didn’t have the bright sunny fields. The trucks rolled down the rows without a roofball game in sight. We held the opening ceremony in the Beit Am. But our staff met every camper with a smile because we’re so excited that everyone is here to make new friendships and memories with each other. There’s nothing quite like seeing the face of someone who’s at the very beginning of a lifelong camp journey, and that kind of potential can be celebrated rain or shine. With every rainstorm comes a rainbow, and that’s what the next three weeks will be!

And there were still balloons — they just got a little wet.