Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to welcome leaders from over 25 community partner organizations that our campers engage with during the year. They came to see what their participants experience each summer here at Capital Camps. A clergy member from a synagogue that many of our campers attend shared an observation that I haven’t stopped thinking about. He said, “You can always tell who the camp kids are. They walk into a room and act like they own the place, in the best possible way.”
He went on to explain that our campers walk with confidence, groundedness, and presence. They know they belong. They are used to being part of something that values them, that sees them.
That comment got me thinking about the power of vision — the ability to see not only what is, but what can be.
This Shabbat is called Shabbat Chazon, the Shabbat of Vision. It always falls just before Tisha B’Av (the 9th of Av), when we reflect on moments of loss in Jewish history, including the destruction of the Temples and times when our communities have felt fractured or disconnected. But even as we acknowledge that pain, Shabbat Chazon asks us to hold on to hope. The name comes from the vision of the prophet Isaiah, a vision not just of where we are, but of where we could go. This Shabbat invites us to step back and really see, to reflect on what we’re building and what kind of people we’re becoming.
I felt that invitation to reflect during the Kaufmann overnight trip which I had the privilege of joining this past week. Out at Ohiopyle State Park, over 100 miles away from our regular camp setting, I watched a group of campers come together in a new way. Embracing outdoor adventure, setting up tents, and sharing laughs around a campfire, it was more than just a fun night. It was a moment when this group began to coalesce in a new way. You could see them starting to trust one another more deeply, take responsibility, and step into a sense of shared identity. It was a glimpse of a group turning into a true village.
And then there was Maccabiah, when camp transformed into a sea of cheering, color, and spirit. But beyond the energy and competition, what stood out to me most was the way the camp community came together across ages. Yalla campers competed side by side with Macks campers, LITs, and CITs. You could see the trajectory of growth across our community, younger campers looking up to older ones, and older campers modeling what leadership and ruach (spirit) look like. It was like watching the future of Capital Camps unfolding in real time.
Each of these moments reminded me that vision does not just belong to prophets. It is something we are called to practice every day. It is in the way we see each other, support each other, and believe in each other’s potential.
May this Shabbat help us see more clearly, and may it strengthen our commitment to building a camp community where everyone is noticed. And may our campers continue to walk into spaces with the confidence of someone who owns the place.