Shavua Tov, Capital Camps! It’s time to start our third week of 1st Session!
Each summer at camp sparks new programs, new favorite memories, and new practices that become new traditions. This year, one way we’ve embraced the newness has been through the Parsha Project, a multi-year program that launched with the start of the session. The Parsha Project changes how we read, approach, and experience the Torah at camp; rather than sticking to the “traditional” Torah reading calendar, the Capital Camps community will be making its way through the entire Torah, one Shabbat at a time, over the next four summers.
That model doesn’t just live on Shabbat, though. Each week, villages engage in specially-crafted programs that relate directly to the parsha (Torah portion) that will be read on Saturday morning. These programs can happen anywhere & everywhere on camp: in the village, at the farm, high up on the ropes course, in Omanut… the ideas are endless! Just last week, for example, campers at the S.T.E.M. activity built egg-drop containers, launched them off the chadar ochel balcony, and talked about Noah building an ark that would need to withstand (slightly) more treacherous conditions.
Because of the Parsha Project, campers will come home more familiar with the characters, themes, and stories that will be read in synagogue this October & November. I encourage you to make the most of that opportunity for energy & engagement – ask them to teach you something about those portions!
This week, in advance of our third Shabbat of the summer, we’ll focus on Parshat Lech L’cha. Campers will engage with what it means to begin a journey, venture out of what’s familiar, and embrace what’s new. As they’ve learned from their time at camp, there’s so much joy, wonder, and opportunity in the newness.
Warmly,
Ezra Suldan, Family & Community Engagement Manager