By Rabbi Lisa Bellows, Senior Rabbi at Beth Am Congregation in Buffalo Grove IL, and Tiferet Segel
At 7:30 in the morning we welcome Tiferet campers to the outdoor tefillah (prayer) space. The chairs in the Tiferet Beit Tefillah [sanctuary] are tree stumps, and in the ark made of clear Plexiglas, stands the Torah. We pray facing the ark and see our Torah stand amongst the trees. Eitz chaim hee~the Torah is a tree of life, to those who hold on to it. Our sweet prayer-song and a variety of chirping birds, harmonize and we are embraced by the peaceful sounds and sights that surround us as we welcome in this new day.
On this morning, the chanichim, campers, are singing ~ albeit a bit quietly at this early hour, Modeh Ani leifancha…rabbah emunatecha~Thank you God, for returning my soul to me, for this new day! How great is Your faith! I see them with their Madrichim and Moomchim (counselors and specialists) and although Shabbat begins in few hours, it feels like Shabbat has already begun. There is calmness here. There are no grades to work for right now or the need to “get it right”. Competition and criticism are non-existent in this moment. We are not rushing to get somewhere, we don’t need backpacks, or supplies, we just need to…. Be. For now, we are resting in the most precious gift: Singing and prayer for the purpose of connection to oneself, community and the holiness around us. It is a blessing to behold and I am filled with gratitude that our children experience this four-week Shabbat~a break from the pressures and pace of the rest of the year.
At this morning’s service, one of our Hebrew kitot (classes) prepared introductions before several of the prayers and wrote about the meaning of the prayers as it might relate to these last few days of Tiferet and the memories of their time at OSRUI. They then led us, with our song-leaders in worship. With the permission of the authors, I include a sample of their introductions to the prayers here, for they offer a glimpse into the depth and importance of our morning Tefillot (worship).
Ahavah Rabbah~Is a prayer that reminds us of God’s love for us. And how day and night, no matter where we are we should reflect on the laws and commandments of the Torah. I feel that this prayer can also teach us to remember not only the laws, but also the history of the Jewish people. Please join us in this prayer and try to remember a loving moment at camp.
Shema~The Shema is a statement of our Faith. Our art is a statement of us and of who we are. I do visual arts. We do different arts in studio and we each have different statements to make, but we are all one.
Tefillah~The first prayer of the Amidah is about remembering our ancestors. Over the course of the four weeks in Tiferet at camp, we have learned about Sephardic Jews who are the ancestors of some of the people here today. The Amidah also speaks of holiness. Camp is of the holiest places I have. I have never felt so connected to my prayers than I do here in the outdoor Beit Tefillah [sanctuary]. During Silent prayer, take a moment to think of a camp memory you want to always remember.
May the words and the prayers of our children continue to inspire us to work with them in creating a more beautiful, holy and peaceful world. Shabbat Shalom