by Shelly Drucker Friedman, Tiferet Segel (Faculty)
I never went to a Jewish overnight camp as a kid. It wasn’t that I didn’t try other camps; I did, but unfortunately my parents had no idea that the UAHC (that’s what we called ourselves back in the day) even had camping opportunities. And the camps I did try always left me feeling like an outsider~totally disengaged with the community and my connection to it.
And then I came to OSRUI. Oh, not as a kid (I’m 45) but just as wide-eyed and unsure, just as nervous and excited. And now I understand why Jewish camp is so vital to who we are as a people and the values we are trying to impart to our children.
From the moment I came, I was made to feel welcome and an integral part of the whole. Everyone has embraced me with an out-stretched arm and an open heart~even taking me by the hand as I got lost somewhere by the aquatic center. And I am not unique. I watch with astonishment as kids make connections with each other in full embrace~whether sharing a bike ride, splashing in the lake, or praying from the heart. The community here doesn’t notice differences, they instead savor each kid’s uniqueness. They nurture each camper on a journey together exploring developing values and beliefs. The segel (faculty), moomchim (specialists) and madrichim (counselors) are here to guide the exploration; but make no mistake~each kid is growing largely because camp is a safe place to explore the best within them. I understand now how vital this experience is for our next generation~as they connect to that which is sacred within them and around them to fashion a Jewish identity. I am grateful for the opportunities that my children will have, and their children, because OSRUI made a difference in my life-even in the short time I have been here.
I guess it never is too late to enjoy a happy childhood.
Shelly Drucker Friedman serves as the Congregational Cantor at Emanuel Congregation in Chicago and is one of the faculty members in Tiferet Aleph.