The Pardes method of studying Torah is structured to bring the learner from the literal plot of a text to its deep symbolism. If we took this approach to pop music, would we find that Taylor Swift has insights into how to be a better person? During this session, we’ll experiment in finding holiness in today’s hottest hits. No prior experience with traditional Jewish learning or Taylor Swift necessary.

The greetings we use to start and mark our day are profound, and when we listen hard, we hear the echos and potential of creation and renewal. Each day we have the capacity to “renew in goodness the creation continually every day” (Shacharit service). Both the expressions Tov – Good and Or – Light are central motifs of the creation story. In this session, we will set intentions for how we make the world slightly better and brighter today and every day.

Waking and starting our day is another way of changing perspectives. Moving from a dream-rest state to a conscious-active state deserves a special Boker Tov (good morning) activity! What is more perspective-changing than changing your altitude by climbing a tree?! Find a tree, ask permission to em’bark’ on a journey with her, plan your route, and safely lift off! Tree climbing may or may not be permissible at your camp, so we will also explore ways to climb a tree without an actual tree, through visioning and imagination, and perhaps a little Torah study on top (one name for the Torah is the “Tree of Life”).

There is no better way to start your day than with sound. We will explore the power that music and sound can have on our mindsets, and how to begin every morning with the right sound for your day ahead. Come prepared to discuss your favorite sounds, songs, and tunes as we dive into the power of music.

During one single day at camp, it is possible to have so many different emotions and types of experiences. A day can start on a low note, move to a medium note, back to a low note, and end feeling on a high note. In this session, we start our days by exploring how to make space for what feels easy, and for what feels hard through discussion and learning tools & frameworks for managing both the highs and lows.

We all wake up a little froggy — get into your voice, breath, and body to awaken the royal baritone inside. We’ll include some gentle movement and breathwork to get things open and flowing, and a combination of singing and vocal work to lift our voices out of the morning muck and into the open air – ready to take in and take on the day! This session is rooted in but not limited to traditional Jewish morning liturgy and ritual. Expect things to feel a little bit familiar and a lot different.

Many of us have that favorite article of clothing that makes us feel like we can do anything when we wear it. In this year of sweatpants, we’ll try on different ways of recapturing that feeling. As we consider what we put on to start our days, we’ll also uncover the non-obvious wisdom behind the design of Jewish prayer garb.

Play. Reach. Find Your Voice. Younger campers offer us particular challenges, joys, and opportunities for growth. When we take the time to reflect on the realities facing younger campers, alongside the Jewish and secular lenses that illuminate their endless potential, we can understand how to best support young people’s liberation. In this session, we will explore the ways we can support younger campers to develop and trust their own mind, play the way they need to play, and celebrate their innate sense of justice, joy, and community. Play-doh, anyone?

 

Nelson Mandela once said, “Sport has the power to change the world.” Sport has the power to change camp, too. At camp, sports evoke a variety of emotions from love to hate, joy to despair; they can create unity or division, delight or devastation. In this track, you will develop skills for creating a positive culture of sport at camp, uncovering what we gain from participation in sports and recognizing that sport can be a powerful tool for teaching Jewish values. We will also explore how to reimagine and redesign sports for this summer’s pandemic reality, while still harnessing the potential for sport to build community, resolve conflict, teach communication, or increase self-esteem.

In this fully participatory elective, we will use the tools and rules of improv to help us improve our community building skills, our understanding of being in partnership with our coworkers and campers, and how the collaborative nature of improv can build our muscles in both self efficacy and community care. Through a series of games and activities, this wholly experiential workshop will help you to bring the principles of improv such as “yes, and,” making and receiving an offering, and supporting your teammates off the stage and into our real lives by remembering, kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, we are all responsible for one another, while having a load of fun in the process.

 

Jam Board