My Thoughts on Camp Shomria 2012

After 6 weeks away from the computer in the Catskills Mountain, I returned this past Sunday from a very relaxing, fulfilling summer at Camp Shomria. The past month and a half was a wonderful experience, creating lifelong memories, inside jokes, and friendships with some of the most special people in my world. More than any other year, my time at Camp Shomria went by so much quicker than I wanted.  I left the Tenefly bus stop, and the bus returned there again in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Within that blink though, I experienced so much. Some highlights include visiting our sister camp in Perth, Canada. I met the twenty Canadians who accompany my American kvutzah (age group) for a month long trip to Israel. The border-crossing trip commemorated the start of the 100 year anniversary of Hashomer Hatzair, the youth movement that runs Camp Shomria. The celebration culminated in a concert called Shmutzstock, a night of peace and love with songs revolving around a theme of home. The performances were stupendous. I still feel the excitement in my stomach when I remember hearing a rocking rendition of "Come Together" echo with a full moon and an absolutely gorgeous lake in the background. The night was perfect, definitely a highlight of my tenure with Hashomer Hatzair. Another striking event that comes to mind is when my kvutzah traversed 32 miles of the Delaware River by canoe.  While the Delaware is no thrill ride with white water rapids, the scenery by the banks is gorgeous. I bonded with everyone, floating downriver and soaking up the lesser developed portion of the river. I find it hard to believe that the metropolis of Philadelphia lies at the delta of the same river we canoed. It was one of many unforgettable experiences. Once again, the camp surpassed my already high expectations in what a wonderful summer was in store.

Each summer I come home, I feel like I just finished the best summer of my life, yet the following summer always surpasses its predecessor. Every year seems a little better at Camp Shomria. As part of the oldest kvutzah this year, I took on some new responsibilities this year. Part of our new tafkid (task) meant washing the pots from time to time rather than the regular dish cleaning and painting a recycling center. However, most of it was far more enjoyable than pots. The tzofim gimmel summer focuses around a number of projects the kvutzah completes as a collective. The first of these tasks is constructing a raft out of solely air tanks, twine, and logs. It involves a strong background in lashing. As much of a tradition as it is to build the raft, it is just as common for it to sink at the bottom of the lake. Due to a lack of floatation, our raft failed to carry us cleanly across the lake. Nevertheless, the experience fulfilled us with a sense of accomplishment. During the fourth week, we wrote a play to be performed for the whole camp. Parodying "Ferris Bueler's Day Off", we made the Beit Tarbut (play/culture house) roar with laughter. Hearing congratulations after the final lights closed, I felt so much pride in myself and my kvutzah for our accomplishment. Usually the Hadracha (staff) write and perform these evening plays. We took on the workload, and we really triumphed. Now, we needed to write a daytime activity. Again, a similar feeling of pride rushed over us when we finished not only a daytime activity but an ash laila, a follow-up activity in the middle of the night. The concluding project of the tzofim gimmel summer is the most daunting of them all. Hadracha put us in charge of constructing mifkadesh, a huge sculpture that catches on fire and lights up the night for a formal meeting of the camp.  The construction of mifkadesh involves a lot of perseverance, an intense work ethic, and plenty of devotion. We pulled it off wonderfully, feeling truly ready to enter our stage as kibbutzi (councilors in training) and begin to think about our trip to Israel.  The last two summers, I felt like an outsider just entering an already existing community. Now, my kvutzah took ownership over a place that taught each of us so much about maturity and friendship. When I look at the painted recycling center, I see the eight other people who assisted me in that job. We only began leaving our mark on those hallowed grounds in Liberty, New York, and I look forward to continuing that process.

Returning home is a daunting task at times. When people ask what happened at camp, I just want to tell them so much. If they follow with what the best part of my summer was, I always respond with the same answer. I loved strengthening the friendships I made over the past two summer over the course of the last six weeks, especially with my kvutzah. To think I wandered onto Camp Shomria not knowing anyone but my cousin (who actually missed my very first day of camp for a fourth of July celebration) baffles me. Saying goodbye and hugging all my friends, I felt connected in some way to each member of the Moshava. Last year, I left Mosh, feeling I grew with my kvutzah. Of course, we fought last year. What group of distinctly different fourteen agrees with each other all the time? At the start of this summer, we knew about the tasks ahead of us, and we approached the summer grown and ready. We dedicated ourselves to preserving this idea of kvutzah, the concept that any assortment of Jews going into the same grade can cooperate and work well with each other. I like the idea kvutzah most because it forces me to strive toward friendship with entirely different personalities than I usually bring into my life. I learned how to write a play with people who I fought with constantly only two summers ago. I thank all of hadracha for making this summer as spectacular as it was, especially my madrichim.

Now, I just need to wait 323 days until next year!