There’s something special about the final week of a session. By now, the routines have become second nature, friendships are deeper, and everywhere you turn, it just feels like home. We’ve learned each other’s rhythms, shared countless smiles, and created memories that are hard to put into words. Our cabins become more than just buildings. They become communities. 

At camp, our shared spaces are not just places to sleep; they are reflections of how we live together. This is an idea reflected in our weekly Torah portion, Parshat Balak.  In it, we hear the words: 

“Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael.” 
“How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel.” 

This line offers a powerful reminder that how we live together matters. The way we treat each other, the way we show up for one another, and the community we create all matters. 

This week, we’ve seen the truly expansive nature of our tents here at Capital Camps. Our LITs began their journey through Central Europe, carrying the spirit of camp with them as they travel. We welcomed a new Yalla group of first-time campers who jumped right into the energy of camp life. And we opened our tents even wider as we embraced a cohort of Israeli Legacy Camp participants who are joining us for the final ten days of first session. Our camp community is both rooted and mobile, growing in size and stretching across the world. 

And while after next week most of our campers will no longer be living in a tent or cabin, my hope is that they will all ask themselves the following question: what from this space can I carry into the year ahead? 

Will it be the way friends cheered for one another during Maccabiah?  

Will it be the conversations that fill the moments between programs with meaning and depth? 

Will it be the ruach (spirit) filled energy of Shabbat at camp? 

Mah tovu asks us to make our dwelling places special, wherever we go next. To take the best of what we have built here at camp and find ways to bring it into our schools, homes, and friendships in the months ahead, with the goal of creating a better tent for all.  

Shabbat Shalom,
Josh Micley

Good morning, Capital Camps!

During our staff development week prior to camper arrival, I presented our Atzma’im Inclusion Program to all of our new staff members. I shared that we support campers with a range of disabilities and needs, and I explained the structure by which we do this. As I was creating this program and detailing how different members of our community support our campers receiving Atzma’im support, I was able to remember and see how Atzma’im is truly a collective effort here at Capital Camps. Here are the some of the ways people in various roles support with the Atzma’im Program:

Atzma’im Counselors: These are the dedicated “go-to” counselors for our campers with Atzma’im support. They are extra informed about the campers’ needs and trained to support them day to day. This is the campers’ primary support person.

Cabin Counselors: They work to build an inclusive cabin culture so that all campers feel at home.Cabin counselors in bunks with an Atzma’im counselor seamlessly handle the role of the Atzma’im counselor on their hours off and days off.

Specialists: Sports, ropes, aquatics, and art specialists will get to know campers when they come to their specialty areas. They work side-by-side with the Atzma’im counselors to make sure that the camper can participate appropriately and is provided all necessary accommodations. 

Other counselors in the village: Other staff in the village can step in to hang out with the campers, provide a break for Atzma’im counselors, help to uphold inclusive behavior among peers, and keep campers’ needs in mind when planning programs.

The Leadership Team: I personally work routinely with different members of the Leadership Team to help support our campers. Whether it’s collaborating with a yoetzet to discuss social-emotional dynamics, asking our Ropes Coordinator to accommodate a camper on the zipline, working with our CIT village leader to coordinate CITs shadowing Atzma’im support counselors, there’s helpful work to be done by everyone.

The campers: We have developmentally different expectations for different aged campers regarding supporting their peers with disabilities. In the younger villages, campers may actively find ways to include their peers in programming and down time. In the older villages, campers may also help their peers with some daily tasks or advocate for them when necessary.

Making the Atzmaim Program a reality is truly a team effort involving every member of our camp ecosystem. I am endlessly thankful to be part of a community where everyone is so committed to this culture of inclusion.

Best,

Hannah Stoller

The sense of community at camp can be attributed to a variety of factors. We’re sharing the same physical space, we’re all practicing Judaism, we share the experiences of camp together, and the list could go on and on. However, in my humble and biased opinion, there is no greater community builder at camp than that of music.

We experienced this community building power firsthand last night. Near the end of shira (song session), a buzz flew through camp as fireworks started to go off nearby. Just because there was a distraction didn’t mean that the singing had to stop. It was apparent that we had an opportunity to make this moment even more memorable with a slight pivot. So, we decided to move the energy from our regular indoor space to the outdoor plaza and do our weekly siyum (closing song) ritual on the grass under the light of the stars and sounds of the fireworks.

There is a practice at camp of making ordinary moments extraordinary. Music is just one of the many tools at camp that helps us curate the magic that our campers and staff alike bring with them throughout the year. 

Best,

Nick May

At camp, we begin each morning with Modeh Ani during B’yachad at the flagpole. During this communal moment before the day begins, we stand together and say, “I give thanks.” It’s a simple phrase, but a powerful one. It encourages us to pause and notice the people, places, and moments that sustain us. 

That spirit of noticing is at the heart of this week’s Torah portion, Chukat. In it, we encounter a moment of deep loss: Miriam dies, and almost immediately afterward, the Israelites find themselves without water. Our tradition teaches that a miraculous well had followed the people through the desert in Miriam’s merit. When she passed, the water dried up. 

Miriam wasn’t always front and center, but she was a quiet source of strength and nourishment. Only when she was gone did the people realize just how vital she had been. Her story invites us to ask: what are the “wells” in our own lives? What are the sources of support and care that we might not always recognize? 

During meals this past week, I asked a simple question to campers across villages: what is one thing you’re grateful for at camp? Their answers were a beautiful reflection of what really matters here. Some campers named their counselors, their friends, or the people who make their meals. Others mentioned Shabbat, the lake, the pool, and grilled cheese (of course). 

What struck me most was how many of these answers pointed to relationships and small comforts, the things that might not always make the schedule or get a shoutout, but that shape the camp experience in deep and lasting ways. 

Miriam’s well reminds us that some of the most important contributions are the quiet ones. At camp, so much is held together by small moments of care, by people who show up day after day to support others, and by spaces that give us the chance to be ourselves. 

Gratitude is not just about saying “thank you.” It’s about noticing. It’s about honoring the people who make a difference without needing attention, and about becoming that kind of presence for someone else. 

This week, may we continue to notice the “wells” around us. May we carry Modeh Ani not just at the flagpole, but throughout our day. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Josh Micley

Dear CCRC Community,

My name is Zach Stern, and I’m thrilled to be serving as the Ropes Coordinator this summer. This is my 14th summer at camp and my 4th on staff, and I feel incredibly privileged to lead such a meaningful part of the Capital Camps experience.

Our Challenge Course, often called the ropes course, is much more than a set of high elements. It’s a full-day team-building experience designed to help campers grow both individually and as a group. A day at the ropes course offers campers the chance to take on challenges, strengthen communication, and deepen relationships with one another.

Our staff arrive a week early to develop both the “hard” technical skills required to operate the course safely and the “soft” facilitation skills that bring the experience to life. Our goal is not only to help campers push beyond their comfort zones, but also to guide them in building stronger, more supportive cabin communities.

Each ropes day begins with team-building games that challenge campers to work together and communicate effectively. Our staff are trained to help groups navigate moments of tension and engage in meaningful reflection during structured debriefs. The transformation that can take place in just one day is remarkable. Some of my most meaningful moments on staff have come from watching cabins leave the Challenge Course as a more connected and cohesive group.

Capital Camps is the most important place in the world to me, and I’m honored to help create moments of growth, connection, and confidence for our campers.

Respectfully,

Zach Stern