The Magic of Camp

What is it about summer camp that excites our children in a way that nothing else does and creates the magical memories and relationships that have a lifetime impact? There have been numerous sociological studies done on this topic and I commend them to your reading (see especially Amy Sales and Len Saxe book How Goodly Are Your Tents).  I will not pretend to be a sociologist, but rather want to focus on one particular aspect – the creation of a safe environment.

It was fascinating to watch Opening Day of Second Session.  I saw joyful reunions among returning campers, veteran campers  working to create a welcoming atmosphere for new campers, and college-aged staff (often physically and mentally tired from first session) mustering up the energy and enthusiasm to make sure that every single camper is greeted with the same excitement that happened on the first day of the summer.

When camp works well, this welcoming and safe community is palpable as soon as one enters camp, not only for the campers, but for the faculty and even among the staff kids. I witnessed this yesterday as children as young as three years old, who had never been to camp and who often cling to their parents legs in other situations, instantly felt comfortable and relaxed and able to be far more independent than they are in any other situation. Certainly for my own children, I see that all the time here – Micah, who doesn’t like to be upstairs by himself  at our own home, feels quite comfortable walking all around camp, taking care of Oren and moving about as a fully independent person when he is here. Obviously, children at that age are not aware of why they are acting differently, but to those of us who are, it is clear that something about camp just makes them feel safe.

While this safe atmosphere may seem incidental, I would posit that it is the single most important aspect of what make camps work.  Whether it is conscious or not, feeling safe and comfortable allows children to live apart from their families, to create instant friendships with people they have never met, and to take part in new activites (or even old activities) that they normally would never do. As we learn from Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, after our physiological needs, a sense of safety and security is the next necessary component to establishing relationships, building self-esteem and self-actualization. Simply put, as important as the Jewish education and inculcation of values are, they can only happen when kids feel safe.  And camps that are run well create that feeling of safety instantly.

Certainly, camp does not work for everyone, and even at well-run camps, some people slip through the system. But by and large, I think the thing that camp helps people feel safe in a way that is hard to recreate outside of this setting.

  Please enjoy some pictures below of many of the Ohr Kodesh and JPDS campers and staff who are here – I’m sorry that I don’t think I have everyone pictured yet, but I will continue to post pictures (especially while the camp’s internet is still down – thank God for my MiFi!) as often as I can.

Shabbat shalom,
Marc