by Rabbi Ariana Silverman, Moshavah Segel (Faculty)

I am one of the rabbis in Moshavah and I am still smiling after the trips we took this week. The campers had a great time, challenged themselves, deepened their relationships with each other, and learned about how Judaism teaches us to treasure the natural world. After the trip, during our t’fillot, some of the campers spoke about how they felt before the trip, and how that has changed. Some spoke of how the trip deepened their connection to God. Some told about how challenges they faced allowed them to discover strengths they did not know they had.

On the trip in which I participated, some of the girls had never hiked or camped before. They learned about being in the outdoors and they learned what it means to be dependent on one another. Each of them had to carry some of our “group gear” (food, pots/pans, etc.) and by the end of the trip they were volunteering to take turns carrying the heavier supplies.

We also took turns offering a t’filat haderech (travelers’ prayer) as we began a new leg of our journey. Their prayers were beautiful. They prayed for strength, for an energetic spirit, and that they would continue to intensify their friendships after the trip.

One evening, as we busied ourselves with the routines of cooking and cleaning at the campsite, we forgot to say the birkat hamzon (blessing after meals) after dinner. As I was getting into bed, I heard singing from the next tent. Having realized our omission, the girls had started to sing birkat hamazon. A little late, perhaps, but they had a feeling in their hearts that thanking God is an essential part of what we do at camp.

The trips were a reminder of how effectively OSRUI teaches everyone at camp to live and learn Jewishly, to grow in our relationships with one another, and deepen our connection to the world around us.

Rabbi Ariana Silverman is the Assistant Rabbi at Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield, Michigan and is serving as one of the faculty members in Moshavah Aleph.