This week’s Torah portion is a double parasha, Matot-Masei. Matot means “tribes, and Masei means “journeys.” The reading mentions 42 different stages in the journey of the new Jewish nation from Egypt to the land of Israel. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote “They set out from X and camped at Y. They set out from Y and camped at Z” – 42 stages in a journey of forty years.” In any journey, setting out, encamping, walking, and resting are all important.
As we head into our final Shabbat of Session 1, we will reflect on the countless adventures we shared together. The days are full of activities from the farm and the lake to the sports courts and drama, singing, rikkud (Israeli dancing) and so much more. Camp is also filled with quiet moments. As two Reich campers share a story while walking up the hill or Benjamin campers watch the sunset together from the beach at the lake after an evening program, unforgettable memories are made. We need these quiet still moments, these “encampments” to refuel and recharge.
Each village’s “Sing Songs” included moments where campers sang out loud while dancing or clapping and more quiet reflective verses sung while sitting with arms around a peer. The winning song created and performed by our CITs beautifully described both this year’s journey while also reflecting on the group’s multi-year journey from Benjamin to Reich, Kaufmann, Macks, LIT, and now CIT. They sang about their trip to Richmond and a competitive game of Capture the Flag against Macks Village. They sang about growing up at camp “from the Macks tents to the Reich hill” and moving from the Yurts to the Leadership Center. They sang about this being “the summer of our lives”.
Shabbat is a time of pause before heading into a whirlwind of activities for our final week of Session 1. Just as God told Moses to mark down all of the places along the path from Egypt to the land of Israel, so should we contemplate our shared journey and encampments. It has been, and continues to be a terrific summer.
Shabbat Shalom,
Lisa Handelman
Camp Director