Monday evening’s Un-Camp Banquet was full of inspiration, unity, and really good food. We were privileged to hear some of our friends share their thoughts on the incredible experiences of the last three weeks.
Sarah K. shared some insights into this week’s Torah portion (pictured below). We learn from Parshas Matos that there are times when we must be unwavering in our strength, unwilling to compromise on core values.
Malka H. from Germany and Betsy R. from Nashville shared their feelings about coming to a Jewish camp and meeting so many other Jewish teens their age, an experience unlike any other they had been able to find in their respective communities.
Then, we heard a story of struggle and triumph from Miriam Y. of Boston. She so openly shared her life experiences with us, explaining her complicated relationship with G-d and how ending up at Un-Camp ultimately helped her see that He was on her side all along.
The words were real and the messages universal. We came away understanding just how fortunate we were to have been put in just the right place at just the right time to find each other and become a part of one another’s life journeys.
Alas, no matter how we tried to push it off, our last Tahigwa sunset indeed arrived. We realized that there was only one way make our last night together worthwhile–
DANCE PARTY! We gathered ’round to shimmy, shake, and sing along to the songs of our summer. Matisyahu blasted until well into the night, and keeping with Un-Camp style, the evening ended off with a round of cereal and milk for all. And maybe a few Twizzlers somewhere in there, too.
A tearful Wednesday was spent in the airport, seeing off our new sisters to their next summer destinations. The sadness was deep, but the love was so real, and reassuring promises of massive Skype sessions helped ease the pain of parting.
We just became family, and now we’re going off to different cities, different states, even different countries…and it just won’t be the same as being in one place together. We came wishing we could go back to the comfort of our own homes, and now, we wish for nothing more than to spend just one more night in our bunks, fighting off spiders and falling asleep with the sunrise.
But Un-Camp has left its indelible impression upon us. We’re going forward, looking at the world from a fresh perspective. As Rabbi Friedman said in our last class together, all that the world’s been missing lately is some goodness, and we now know exactly how to mix that essential ingredient right back in.
Here we come– bags packed with clothes, brains packed with knowledge, and hearts packed with love for Torah, G-d, and each other. We’re on a mission to spread the light, making everything around us as good as we know it has the potential to be.
And we’re absolutely sure we can do it. Because you can take the girl out of Un-Camp, but you can’t take Un-Camp out of her soul.
So just you wait and see as we set this entire, beautiful world aglow.
