Over Labor Day Weekend, we welcomed over 60 participants to Capital Camps & Retreat Center for one of our favorite traditions, Family Camp. Over the course of the weekend, we engaged in many camp activities, including celebrating Shabbat, various sports, Israeli dancing, arts projects, aquatics, farm exploration, and more. Our young campers got the chance to experience camp in a different way than they typically would in the summer – whether that be trying some new activities such as ziplining or playing a new sport. Our adults got to be adults together – experiencing the fun of camp with their families while having plenty of time to kick back and enjoy the beautiful Waynesboro mountain air. The group consisted of a mix of families exploring camp for the first time, as well as seasoned camp families.
I was overjoyed to attend Family Camp as the songleader. In this role, my goal was to unify the community by sharing some of our favorite camp-wide traditions: Shabbat services, Shabbat song session, Shabbat cabin circles, and Havdalah. I am a firm believer that music is an incredibly powerful tool in building an engaged Jewish community. Whether they’ve grown up at camp or this was their first time setting foot into our camp environment, music speaks to each person’s soul. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the feeling of watching people’s faces light up when they recognize a tune, or watching people put their arms around each other when we join together for the Hashkiveinu.
During our time at Family Camp, we received the tragic news that six hostages had been murdered by Hamas. In a time where it can be so difficult to find Jewish joy, when it feels like the entire world is against us, gathering in communal spaces such as camp is so important. At Family Camp, every individual had the opportunity to process in their own space as needed and was also given the gift of being surrounded by a community that so proudly and openly celebrates our Judaism. For me, as well as many others, one of the best ways to get through such tragedies is to embrace the power and beauty of the Jewish community, and that’s exactly what we were able to provide for our participants.
At the end of the weekend, we gathered to reflect on our time together. It was heartwarming to hear several of our current camp families share the impact of spending their weekend at camp and witnessing with their own eyes what it is that brings their kids back summer after summer. Families who have not yet sent their kids to Capital Camps expressed how the camp environment blew them away and they were excited to sign their kids up for their first summer! It was incredibly special to watch people fall in love with the magic of Capital Camps.
L’Shalom,
Maddie Siegel
Communications and Marketing Associate
P.S. We’ve decided to make Family Camp Weekend at Capital Camps a Labor Day Weekend tradition! Save the date – August 29-September 1st!