Camp Shabbat and the Places We Make Sacred
Last weekend, I was on vacation in southwest Utah with my best friend, which meant I got to welcome Shabbat in my favorite way: by watching the sun melt over the horizon and set the sky ablaze in color as I sat next to someone I deeply know and love. As the rays of the sun lit up the peaks of the mountains, I was taken back to my many (over 150!) Shabbatot at overnight Jewish summer camps, where Friday nights were similarly defined by the majesty of the transition from day to night, and the deep sense of connection to the people I was with. The particular Friday night prayer location varies by camp: growing up at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, we gathered by the lake for Kabbalat Shabbat and Arvit and watched the sun dip toward the treetops; at Camp Ramah in the Rockies, where I spent summers during rabbinical school and continue to visit every summer, we gathered at the foot of a mountain as the late afternoon rays lit up its peak.
Davening outdoors with hundreds of other children, teens, and young adults, while we sang the nature-inspired psalms of Kabbalat Shabbat became my standard for welcoming Shabbat. I learned from a young age that what makes a place holy enough to pray in is not just what it looks like, but who is there with you. It’s one of many things that is so magical about Jewish summer camp: the places that are sacred davening spaces are also the spaces where children learn to swim or practice for a play, and the people we pray with are also the people we sleep and eat alongside, learn and create with, and even shower with.
At camp, children and teens get to experience an immersive Judaism. Outside of the land of Israel, Jewish summer camp is one of the only places where the majority of other people are Jewish. At Jewish summer camp, a child can grow into the fullness of their Jewish identity while also discovering the many other ways they are unique. Judaism is shared in community, and its joyful daily presence helps the prayers, ideas, and values settle deep in childrens’ souls. The campers learn to pray and to play as a community; the counselor who tutors a student for their B-Mitzvah may also be their art teacher, who helps them connect with the concept of God through artistic expression. The friend leading Birkat Hamazon after a meal is also the point guard on their age group’s basketball team. Praying, learning Torah, and living a Jewish life take on a uniquely special dimension at camp because they are shared among a child’s closest friends and most intimate community.
Our BJ community shares this same duality of place and people. At BJ our beautiful Sanctuary is the home of our community Shabbat prayers and weekly Kadima tefilah time—and it is also the home of our Purim carnival, and of lectures, simhas, and our weekly lunch program serving neighbors in need. The walls of our Sanctuary hold so much, reminding us that the sanctity of space is made by all the special moments that happen there. Tonight, our Sanctuary will be filled with camp spirit for Camp Shabbat, where BJ members of all ages—including children, teens, and members of Aviv (our 20s + 30s community)—will lead us in prayer and share about the impact of Jewish summer camp. Together, we will fill our beautiful prayer space with the voices of three generations of BJ members, as we welcome Shabbat amidst our beloved community.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Deena Cowans