A Message From Tal, the Lower Chaverim Unit Head
Hear a Shabbat reflection from our most recent Saturday morning service.
Jul. 12, 2026
Dear CLC Community,
My name is Tal and I am the Lower Chaverim Unit Head.
This week’s Torah portion is Parashat Matot. Toward the end of the Parshah, the Israelites are standing at an important moment in their journey. After years of traveling through the desert, they are prepari
ng to enter a new chapter. They’re not the same people they were when they began their journey. Every challenge, every success, and every lesson has shaped them into who they became.
At camp every summer begins with excitement, a little uncertainty, and a lot of possibility. Whether it’s your first summer or your tenth, you arrive with one set of expectations, and before you know it, you have made new friends, tried new things, and created memories you will carry with you long after the summer ends.
And that’s true for all of us. Every cheer we learn, every tradition we pass on, every friendship we build, and every act of kindness adds another piece to the story of who we are as a camp.
Today, Lower Chaverim is leading our Shabbat service. This is their first summer in Upper Camp in their Crane Lake journey, and they’ve already embraced new opportunities and new responsibilities. Just like creating their very own fight song.
As we continue through the rest of this summer, I hope we remember that the journey itself matters. The moments that seem ordinary today, the meals we share, the games we play, the songs we sing, the conversations we have, are the moments that shape us. Those are the moments we will remember years from now.
So, wherever you are on your camp journey, whether you are here for the first time, second, third or even preparing for your last summer as a camper or staff, take in these moments. Support one another. Be willing to try something new. Help someone else feel like they belong. Those are the steps that make this community so special.
Let’s continue our journey together with kindness, courage, gratitude, and joy.
Shabbat Shalom.