By Tzofim Segel (faculty) Rabbi Ari Margolis, Congregation Or Shalom in Vernon Hills IL, and Kathy Schwartz, Director of Lifelong Learning, Congregation Har HaShem in Boulder CO.
Cue time warp music…. Imagine an unused swath of land. Then imagine what it would take to fill it with laughter, life-long friendships, spirited activities and meaningful Jewish experiences. That is the journey that our Kibbutz HaTzofim campers are recreating this session. Even though Kibbutz HaTzofim has been in existence since the 1960’s, each summer every madrich (counselor) and chanich (camper) rekindles the camp magic.
Whether new or returning, each member of Kibbutz HaTzofim is working hard to make this summer the best of their lives. Camp is about dreaming of that perfect place and willing it into existence. And even when the journey comes with bumps, they turn out to be powerful learning experiences about yourself and what it means to rely on and support your friends whether helping your tent mates traverse a tent pole suspended off the ground, prepping a meal for the entire eidah (unit) or rooting on a new friend as he tries a new activity for the first time.
In the way that only camp can open people up to one another, the entire eidah discovered unique bonds that they already have with one another. Groups shared statements such as:
• We all have aunts whose names begin with L
• We’ve all eaten bugs, cricket-size or larger (but not necessarily crickets)
• We all prefer milk chocolate over dark chocolate
• We can all roll our tongues (which, of course, followed with a demonstration)
• We’ve all had near death experiences (NOT at camp)
• We all have outie belly buttons and we’ve named them (yes, named before they came to camp)
• We’ve all eaten grass and paper (again, NOT at camp…we think)
As silly as some of these statements might seem, they represent profound encounters that demonstrate the trust and openness that camp magic creates. Such activities enable the campers to realize that this is the foundation upon which Kibbutz HaTzofim is built. Like the original tzofim campers in the 1960’s, the process of getting to know one other and supporting each other through the many new and fun challenges they will encounter away from home, they become the dream. They become Kibbutz HaTzofim. They become camp.
Kathy and Rabbi Margolis