blogs/rabbi-avi-taff

Camp might be the best place on earth. Just hear me out. Every morning our campers at Camp VBS are greeted with a warm welcome, a smile, an emphatic “Boker Tov!” They are escorted to their camp rooms where they again are received by warm and caring counselors. Embraced by their fellow campers, they play until it is time for opening circle (my favorite part of the day!).  As soon as all campers are seated, each week begins with Havdallah as we say goodbye to Shabbat and welcome the new week. At the end, we listen closely to see if we can hear the extinguishing of the Havdallah candle or the sound of the kiss we give Shabbat as she leaves us.

The group is then divided in two as we prepare to sing modeh ani: how grateful we are for another day of camp, an additional day of life, how thankful we are to be able to wake up in the morning.  We pause to appreciate all the good in our lives.  We sing a few camp cheers and off we go to our various camp chugim (activities): sports, swimming (huge water slides on Fridays!), arts and crafts, and drama, to name a few.  Although it is summer and most activities revolve around the individual (i.e.  What am I going to do during summer vacation? Am I having fun? etc), at Camp VBS we continuously remind our campers and staff that life is not only about us. We still have a responsibility to continue to look out for those in need.  The activities are fun but it is the bonds created between campers and their peers, counselors and their campers, and the immersion into a community of care that reminds us we have a responsibility to help others and have an everlasting effect on life.

Each summer, during our staff orientation, we charge our staff with a mission to create the ideal community for all of us and our campers. This is a place where every person is respected and loved; a place where everyone is appreciated for his or her uniqueness; a place where we remember the importance of looking out for the other and caring for those in need.  We call it a kehilah kedosha - a truly holy and special community. In the words of the psalmists: “Olam Chesed Yibaneh! If we build this world from love, then God will build this world from love.” It is our hope that our staff and campers internalize all that they have learned and experienced here at camp and share the message with the world. We have the ability to create a world from love.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Avi Taff
Day School Rabbi
Camp VBS Director (Grades K-7)