Summer Activities to Promote Jewish Values

Summer Camp
Camp is a great place for children to learn Jewish values, try new activities, learn new skills, and hopefully make lasting friendships. This piece in Tablet Magazine explores exactly why the friendships children make at summer camp are more likely to last.

Are your kids going to camp for the first time this year? Ori, from the "Sadie and Ori" series by Jamie Korngold, is too! Sadie, Ori, and Nuggles Go to Camp is a great book for children anxious about their first time at sleep-away camp. See the book trailer below!

Camp isn't the only place for children to learn or practice Jewish values and have fun while they're at it. Below we've included a few ideas for an exciting summer whether your kids are at home, at day camp, or at sleep-away camp:

Learn responsibility by caring for animals.
The Jewish value of Tza'ar Ba'alei Chayim stresses kindness to animals. Encourage children to take on more responsibility in caring for their own pets at home, or volunteer at an animal shelter. Animals appreciate the attention and the chance to get outside, and make great friends for a summer afternoon. Taking care of animals also helps children practice responsibility.

Do a tzedakah.
If your child has animal allergies, or volunteering with animals isn't for them, there are plenty other acts of tzadakah they can do over the summer. Check with local food shelves to see if they are running any food drives, or contact your local JCC about any service projects they're currently engaged in. Help out by making posters to raise awareness, or brainstorm ideas for service projects if there aren't any currently running in your community.

Work in the garden.
Gardening is a great productive way to spend time outside, and watching the plants they care for grow is a great way for children to see the results of their hard work. Working in a community garden also teaches children the values of communal responsibility and caring for the environment.

Make recycling fun!
Keep some of those useful scraps out of the trash and use them for art projects instead of buying brand-new materials. Reusing what we can is as valuable to the environment as recycling and is an example of tikkun olam, or repairing the world. Check out Kinderart for a list of neat recycled material art projects!

Start a lemonade stand.
LemonadeDay.org believes that starting a lemonade stand can empower kids and put them on the path to becoming the next generation of entrepreneurs. Learn more on their website.

Learn something new.
Ometz lev means courage, and while we may not realize it, learning a new game, sport, or skill can often be a daunting prospect for children. Teach them about ometz lev by taking a class or joining a new sport. They'll challenge themselves while hopefully meeting new friends and finding new interests.

Summertime Fun with Picnic at Camp Shalom!

In today's guest blog post, author Jacqueline Jules tells us a little bit about her book Picnic at Camp Shalom.

 

Summer camp is an opportunity to make new friends in a busy environment of swimming, boating, and creative activities. It’s also a place where Jewish children can leave behind the isolation they sometimes feel at home. Many Jewish children go to schools where they are a distinct minority. Summer camp can be a place of community and acceptance they do not experience elsewhere.

In Picnic at Camp Shalom, Carly meets Sara—a girl who shares her love of music and her fashion taste. On the first day of camp, they are surprised to see that they are both wearing the same blue bathing suit with white stars. “Twins!” They giggle. At night in their cabin, they talk by flashlight way past “lights out.” But trouble brews when Carly learns that they are far more alike than Sara realizes. They both have endured teasing at home for a last name that appears strange to children with short, plain names like “Jones” or “Walker.” Sara misunderstands Carly’s delight over finding out her new camp friend’s last name is “Frankfurter! Like the hotdog.” When Carly finally reveals her own last name, they discover that they are the perfect pair for Camp Shalom’s Sunday picnic.

 

Click below for a sneak preview of this story of summer camp friendship.

Buy the book here, and visit www.jacquelinejules.com to learn more about the author.