Parshat Mishpatim presents a series of civil and ethical laws that emphasize justice, fairness, and how we should treat one another. Just as the Israelites were called to uphold these laws as a community, we are called to embrace similar values within our Capital Camps community. 

There are many aspects of this D’var that resonate with the values we foster at Capital Camps. One in particular resonates with me: when G-d instructs Moses, “You shall not oppress nor do any wrong to strangers, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” This verse deeply reflects my own experience at Capital Camps. 

I first joined the Capital Camps community in the summer of 2018, coming in as a stranger from Georgia, to serve as a songleader and Benjamin Village counselor. I had no idea what to expect, stepping into a well-established community with existing friend groups and circles. Yet, from the moment I arrived, I was met with such warmth and hospitality. People took the time to teach me camp traditions and fill me in on all the little “things to know.” That summer was unforgettable, and it left me eager to return in 2019. Re-joining the community as a full-time team member in 2024 was my greatest pleasure, and I only hope that I can make “strangers” to the community feel as welcome as they did to me, just as G-d expressed to Moses. 

I imagine campers and counselors have the same experience as me when they first set foot in their cabin/tent/village — given that people come back summer after summer after summer. However, there are a few other pieces of G-d’s law that can be seen in the larger camp community. 

• Camp for All: One of the core values we hold at Capital Camps is the idea of “Camp for All,” embodied in our Atzma’im Inclusion program. This program ensures that we welcome campers from all walks of life—regardless of background, denominational affiliation, gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status, including those with diverse intellectual, emotional, and physical abilities. We are committed to providing the support needed for anyone with unique needs, ensuring they have a successful summer. We emphasize the value of inclusion and encourage our community members to welcome everyone into their cabins, tents, or villages, no matter how different they may be. After all, our differences make us stronger. We continue to promote this value, especially during Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). 

• Am Echad (One People): Our theme for the summer 2024 was Am Echad, or “One People.” We take great pride in welcoming Israeli campers and staff into our community, particularly during times of unrest in Israel. Growing up in a camp environment, it’s natural to form tight-knit friend groups that return each year, which can sometimes make it difficult to include newcomers. However, we are incredibly grateful to our community members who have warmly embraced our Israeli campers and counselors, making them feel like they’ve been part of the community all along. 

• Camper Care: Another important teaching from Mishpatim is the law of kindness and consideration for others. Whether it’s helping someone in need or showing empathy to those in difficult circumstances, the Torah calls us to adopt a compassionate approach. Camp is an ideal setting for practicing these values. Whether it’s offering support to a camper feeling homesick, encouraging a teammate who’s struggling, or showing understanding to someone who made a mistake, the teachings of kindness and empathy from Mishpatim play a vital role in creating a positive, nurturing environment at camp. 

Through these examples, we see how the timeless values of Mishpatim continue to guide our community, shaping our relationships and fostering an environment of inclusion, care, and respect for all. 

Warmly,
Maddie Siegel, Communications & Marketing Associate

By Hannah Stoller, Atzma’im Coordinator

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Atzma’im program changes the course of people’s lives. I can’t begin to image how different of a person I would be if I hadn’t accepted a job as an Atzm’aim counselor 10 years ago. Throughout my career as a teacher and now as a school psychologist, I have always grounded myself in the principles of inclusion that I learned and have lived by at camp, and I’m a better practitioner for that. I take immense comfort in knowing how many other members of our community will be better friends, better professionals, better neighbors, better advocates, better allies, from having experienced the magic of a fully inclusive environment. 

A huge part of our mission is to provide a supportive Jewish space for those who may need more support. But our mission goes far beyond that. By creating a community where all are welcome, all are accepted, and all are valued, we establish a standard that our campers and staff will champion outside of camp for years to come. Even when they stop spending their summers at camp, they will remember how much more beautiful life is when we appreciate each other’s differences.

The Atzma’im Program is Tikkun Olam, the Jewish value of repairing the world, in practice. We first create the world we want to see in our Waynesboro summer home, and then we go take those principles out into our communities. I challenge everyone to find a small way that you can do that this month – be the force for inclusion in your own circles. We all have the power to help build the world we want to live in.

By Adina Ginsburg, Community Care Manager 

One sign that we are moving past the years marred by the COVID pandemic is the number of current 2^nd through 5^thgraders clamoring to spending their summers at overnight camp. At Capital Camps, we have record numbers of campers this age applying for spots, with growing waitlists for some programs. At the same time, we are hearing from our current 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade campers that some of their peers have never gone to camp, are reluctant to leave home, and perhaps feel like starting camp “at the right time” is another item on the long list of things that the pandemic deprived them of experiencing. 

Not only is it not too late for middle school students to start attending an overnight camp, but it is also especially this group of young adolescents who can benefit the most from the overnight camp experience. Dr. Deborah Gilboa, a family physician and resilience expert, talks frequently about the power of a Jewish overnight camp experience to help children grow and develop.  She shares how camp makes it fun to gain independence and how living with cool counselors or “near-peer mentors” provides the ideal environment to develop resilience. 

Later middle school and early high school students were in the upper elementary grades when the pandemic closed most camps.  This experience interfered with the opportunity to develop academic and social-emotional skills.  Camps are ideal places to help this age group learn valuable life skills.  For example, Capital Camps is organized around a village structure that is designed to meet the developmental needs of each age group. As the campers get older, they pick more of their activities. Middle schoolers have a choice of an elective, as well as sports and arts blocks. Counselors receive training related to child development, and each village has a mental health professional or experienced educator who works alongside village leadership to address the social-emotional needs of the group.   

Middle schoolers need to put down their phones and spend time outdoors.  They need to swim in the pool, jump in the lake, engage in sports for fun, dance, sing, create art, and eat pizza cooked at the farm.  Middle school age campers are ready for more complex experiences that include problem-solving field games and activities to build trust, communication and teamwork as part of a low and high ropes course program. 

In addition, a Jewish overnight camp like Capital Camps provides the foundation for each camper to take ownership of their own Jewish journey.  This is especially critical during the years right before, during and following campers’ Bar/Bat Mitzvah year. As campers prepare to take the next step in their Jewish adulthood, the best way to spend the summer is in an immersive Jewish experience. From celebrating Shabbat, having Israeli counselors and singing Birkat Hamazon, every part of the Capital Camps experience is steeped in culture + tradition.

Capital Camps’ commitment to supporting campers has a long history and stays at the forefront of who we are. We have a community care team to help support our campers through any hard times. We find that the best “cure” to homesickness is distraction. Our counselors support the campers through a nonjudgmental lens. We truly strive to meet people where they are. 

Some say that Judaism is an open tent, welcome to all. We take that very seriously at Capital Camps. No matter the age, grade or school, Capital Camps is the right place to spend your summer. Speaking of tents, all of our campers eagerly anticipate their 10^th grade year when they get to sleep in them!