Hello, Capital Camps!
The LITs have joined camp after their Central Europe trip, and we wanted to share some powerful reflections they’ve offered on Jewish identity and history. You can read more about the trip here:
The Leaders-in-Training (LIT) program for rising 11th graders is a transformative five-week experience that combines three weeks of travel and exploration across historical Jewish sites, followed by two weeks of immersive leadership training at camp.
Over the course of this five week experience, they learn Jewish history, Jewish culture, and gain exposure to diverse experiences. A goal is to return to camp and utilize this experience as they set forward as role models, caring for the younger campers, and planning programs for them. The entirety of the five-week program provides a scope of the whole picture and give them a chance to put their practice into action.
When they arrive back at camp, they dive into into two weeks of leadership training, getting a behind-the-scenes look into camp and what it takes to lead programs, make decisions, and put on a camp experience for others – especially the youngest campers. Everything they learned on the trip – from the diverse cultures, to the rich Jewish history, sets them up for this.
“One day on our trip, we went to a Holocaust Memorial where the Jewish people were pushed into the water and left to float. The very next day, we went to Chabad to proudly and joyfully celebrate Shabbat with other Jewish people from around the world. Experiencing these two events back-to-back, seeing how despite the hardships of the past we did not give up, was very moving and powerful. We sang songs and prayed together, seeing firsthand how Judaism and Shabbat are celebrated and expressed around the world. I am so thankful that camp gives us a place to express our Judaism freely and practice being Jewish however we want to.” – Isaac G., Bethesda, MD.
“One of the most meaningful Jewish historical sites, for me, was visiting the concentration camp Terezin. Our tour guide led us to a dark, hidden room under the dining hall, and shined his flashlight to show us prayers on the walls, where we learned that this was a secret synagogue that the Jewish people would secretly use to pray. It was extremely powerful to learn that despite these living conditions and the horrors surrounding them, they fought to preserve their identity. Heartbreakingly, we were able to draw parallels from this historic site to the living situations the hostages in Israel face today. This whole experience made me even more grateful for camp, where we get to pray as loudly as we want and to be proudly Jewish together. Capital Camps gives me a lot of confidence to safely express my Jewish joy alongside my closest camp friends.” – Tabitha C., Chevy Chase, MD.