by Rabbi Andrea Steinberger, Tiferet Segel (Faculty)
What do 51 Tiferet campers and a canoe trip have in common? At first glance, it may be absolutely nothing. But a further look leads me to understand that it can be an experience with the divine.
I had the pleasure of accompanying the Tiferet unit, the unit of the arts at OSRUI, on a canoe trip the other day. One may wonder why these campers – who have signed up for a summer of indoor activities: dance, drama, music, and visual arts – would waste quality studio time by spending the day away from camp. As summer begins to wind down and the campers are busy preparing for their final presentations and projects, I wondered this very thing.
The morning was beautiful. The sun glistened on glorious Lac La Belle. The water was still and beautiful. Campers were a bit hesitant and unsteady, anxious about the day trip ahead. And yet, once on the water in trios in canoes, some began to sing. Some sang Broadway show tunes, some Hebrew songs and prayers. Some flew a pirate flag. And others spoke only in British accents. Canoe by canoe, the campers began to relax and take in the scenery. The groups came alive. They cooperated with one another, supported each other, and cheered one another on. They observed water lilies that our guide, Rick, explained were over 100 years old, transported from Chicago in 1893 after the world’s fair. At this point, our trip around the lake took on a tone of wonder and appreciation.
The second part of our day consisted of the campers practicing their studio art time outside at a local park. Instead of flooring and walls, outlets and tables, students sat or danced or performed on the ground. The earth was their flooring. I asked Margalit Sha’altiel, the dance specialist, what she could possibly gain by teaching the studio time outside today. “This is an important day,” she said. “The campers change. Their art changes. They are inspired. They open up. Instead of the sounds of a CD and music, they dance to the sounds of the outdoors: the breeze, the movement of the leaves in the trees, the insects buzzing above them. This is the music of the world. And they discover it today.”
Abraham Joshua Heschel spoke about living a life with radical amazement – about meeting the world with wonder and gratitude. He taught that living without gratitude is equal to living a life without meaning. What makes a Jewish art camp unique is how OSRUI not only encourages the talents of budding artists, but nurtures the souls of young Jews. Today I learned that the beauty of the Tiferet arts unit at OSRUI is not only its glory in the arts. It is its glory in appreciating the natural world and our place in it.
Andrea Steinberger is the rabbi at the Hillel at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and is serving as one of the faculty members in Tiferet Bet.