Something unique and magical begins to happen every Friday afternoon in camp. As the sun begins to go down and the shadows are cast longer through the trees, the light seems as if it is being tuned by a greater hand. The color temperature saturates and the tones are highlighted. The emotional atmosphere calms as campers return to their cabins to shower and dress for Shabbat.
Donned in their best blue and white, the boys and girls mingle on the blacktop prior to entering their respective dining halls. Once settled, candles are lit and blessings are made over the challah as the Sabbath is ushered in. Meals on Friday evenings are respectfully subdued, which is an achievement seeing as they are usually accompanied by a special dessert treat! Once the tables are cleared, boys and girls meander up through Senior Girl Hill, past the Upper Athletic field to the ever present Elmore Solomon Chapel.
The open walls of the chapel accept all faiths and creeds and offer up a breathtaking view. Our first Shabbat introduced our theme for the summer, this years theme being “Dream Big Live Courageously” with Tzedakah. Our Blue Star Family learned that tzedakah comes from the root “tzedek” which means righteousness or justice. The idea being that by giving, we are helping to create a more just world.
This concept is being put into action during Sunday’s carnival where campers will have the opportunity to participate in the Annie Weber Relay for Life as well as walk and swim laps for Juvenile Cancer Research. With this, Blue Star Camp staff and campers will be actively participating in tzedakah by putting justice into action.