Since October 7th, as I have been processing so many overwhelming emotions and meditating on what it means to be Jewish, my yearning to be back in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains has intensified. Like so many of our campers and staff, I live “10-for-2.” Viscerally, I feel the longing to be at camp when I am not physically there. Even though I get to live my dream and be “doing camp” 365 days a year; in so many ways, being at camp is the only real thing. Why do so many of us miss camp so acutely when it’s not summer time? And why is Jewish sleepaway camp more important now than ever?
Dr. Sandra Fox, author of The Jews of Summer: Summer Camp and Jewish Culture in Postwar America, contends that “camp-sickness” is very real and just as powerful as “home-sickness.” She posits that the unique nature of summer camp only can be experienced during the summer while at camp. That is, no matter what we do to recreate that “camp vibe” in our homes, schools, synagogues, and communities; it’s not the same thing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/20/opinion/camp-summer-campsickness.html
At the heart of Dr. Fox’s resonant thesis is the intentional choice architecture layered throughout the summer camp experience. Our leadership team, evolving the traditions passed down to our generation starting way back in 1948, creates a structure each summer where our campers essentially get to choose their own adventure. Of course, many of today’s campers are somewhat used to that in virtual worlds (from Tik Tok to gaming); but, it’s actually their real world at camp. Campers choose daily who they are going to talk to, which Blue Star option they are going to try, what original thoughts they might share at Shabbat, and how they are going to live their best life.
Dr. Fox asserts that sleepaway camp is “an opportunity for self-reinvention and an invitation to be messier, weirder and just more myself.” It is no surprise to those of us who are camp professionals that the same camper who is visibly homesick the first week of camp more often than not is the same camper who is crying to leave camp on closing day. Embracing “10-for-2,” as opposed to fighting that feeling, allows for those two months at camp (or one week through seven weeks, depending on the session) to work their magic. After all, Fox continues, “camp is supposed to feel different from — and, frankly, better than — home. That’s what gives camp its life-changing power.”
Lauren’s grandfather and great uncles (Herman, Harry, & Ben) founded Blue Star in 1948 to create a safe haven for Jewish children throughout the South to have a place to be in the summer where they could feel physically and emotionally safe expressing their Jewishness. That founding mission burns brightly today as we embark on our 77th season of Blue Star magic, welcoming campers from across the country and world. This summer campers can feel safe and supported as they proudly wear their Stars of David on their necklaces, talk openly with their best friends and counselors about their personal experiences this school year, and remember what it’s like to belt out their favorite Shabbat songs Friday night while swaying together with their arms around one another. This is a generational moment for us to create space for our kids to fully be Jewish; Jewish sleepaway camp at Blue Star is one such space.
May our light shine extra brightly this Hanukkah! L’Chaim to a safe, hopeful, and peaceful New Year as we already look ahead to next summer 2024!