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.