Fond Memories of Jewish Summer Camp

By Rebecca Goldsteen

To celebrate summer, we're offering 20% off all Kar-Ben summer camp books. Discount taken at check-out.

Jewish summer camp was unlike any other experience in my lifetime. Some parents choose to send their children to secular summer camps, but I think these camps lack some important factors that Jewish summer camps provide and that stick with Jewish kids through adulthood. Many of the activities at Jewish summer camps connect to Judaism or Israel, allowing campers to learn about their Jewish history and culture in fun, active, and engaging ways. Additionally, because most if not all of the campers are Jewish, they share a special bond that is hard to find anyplace else in the outside world. Spending 24 hours a day for 1 to 8 weeks with the same group of people creates bonds that cannot be found going to school, synagogue, or on playdates.

I’ve made some of my best friends through my Jewish summer camp experiences. During my second summer at Camp Chi, an overnight camp near Chicago, the other pre-5^th graders and I were preparing to take our beginning-of-the-summer swim test. I hopped in the water, which reached to my chest and squealed, not wanting to get all the way into the cold swimming pool. I noticed a tall girl standing next to me. She was so tall that the water only reached to her waist. I turned to her and commented on how lucky she was to be so tall so that she didn’t have to get into the chilly water as quickly. She laughed and agreed, saying that this was one of the few things she liked about being taller than everyone else. We immediately became best friends and were bunkmates for the next six summers. Now, ten years later, she is still one of my closest friends.

I think it’s great that Kar-Ben is publishing stories about Jewish summer camps to encourage young children to want to go to camp. Picnic at Camp Shalom shows an important side of camp friendships; bonding, sensitivity, patience, and forgiveness. When kids, especially young campers, spend this much time together, there are bound to be some small problems that need to be worked out. When Carly and Sara arrive to Camp Shalom, they click immediately. One day, Carly laughs at Sara’s last name (Frankfurter), and Sara gets upset with her. Sara ignores Carly’s attempts to apologize, but when she finally has the opportunity to reveal that her own last name is Hamburger, all is forgiven and the girls laugh together.

One of the most exciting parts about Jewish summer camp is having a blast getting dirty during daily activities. Of course the campers take quick showers after painting themselves for Color Wars and before nighttime song sessions, keeping in mind the fun-filled, messy activities that will take place the following day. Because the weeks are spent this way, getting ready for Shabbat at camp is very special. No Baths at Camp illustrates this excitement felt by all young campers. Regardless of whether or not campers celebrate Shabbat at home, it is everyone’s favorite time of the week at camp. Getting ready with all your friends, taking pictures (and lots of them, since everyone only looks this nice once a week!), sitting with your cabin during services with your arms around each other during prayers, having a nice Shabbat dinner, and banging on the tables during Birkat Hamazon. The night ends with a Shabbat song session that brings many of the older campers to tears as they are reminded of their love for camp. 

As important as it is to not segregate ourselves as Jews from the rest of society, it is just as important to embrace our culture among ourselves. Regardless of whether or not children attends public school or a Jewish school, they will learn more about themselves and the joy of being part of the  Jewish community by  attending  Jewish camp than anyplace else. Because Judaism is as much an identity as a religion, it is important for kids to recognize and embrace their Judaism, regardless of the their level of observance, from a young age.

Even through my last summer of camp as a pre-11^th grader, I continued to grow and be engaged with finding myself Jewishly. Now, at age 20, preparing for my senior year of university, I have learned the importance of always keeping Judaism in my life, not only religiously, but also culturally and socially.

Rebecca Goldsteen , a Jewish summer camp enthusiast and student at the University of Illinois, is Kar-Ben’s summer intern.

Helping Young Children Say "I'm Sorry" - Especially on Yom Kipppur

Saying "I'm sorry" can be one of the most difficult lessons to learn. Even as adults, we sometimes struggle with those two simple words, so it's reasonable for this to be just as tough as children, if not more so.

Children should learn to acknowledge when they've done something they shouldn't have or hurt someone, whether it was an accident or on purpose. Yom Kippur is a wonderful time to introduce the idea of saying "I'm sorry" to children; when children are not yet old enough to observe fasting on Yom Kippur, there are still ways to include them in observance of the holiday, such as focusing on the idea of repentance.

Books can be an easy and gentle way to begin a conversation with your child and provide kid-friendly examples of when and how to apologize. These stories explore saying "I'm sorry," and the characters in these books each have a different imeptus for needing to apologize - one is an accident, one comes from misbehaving, and one as a result of thoughtlessly hurting a friend's feelings.

For more about teaching children the importance of a genuine "I'm sorry," see this article from Kveller, which also highlights Tashlich at Turtle Rock.

Tashlich at Turtle Rock

by Susan Schnur and Anna Schnur-Fishman, illustrated by Alex Steele-Morgan

Annie is excited about the Tashlich ceremony on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah, when her family will walk to Turtle Rock Creek and throw crumbs into the water, as symbols of mistakes made the past year. As Annie leads her family through the woods stopping at favorite rocks, bridges, and waterfalls in her family's own Tashlich ritual, they think about the good and bad things that happened during the past year, and make plans for a sweeter new year.

The Hardest Word
by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn

The Ziz, a wonderful bird who lived long ago, is so big and clumsy he can't keep from bumping into things. When a tree he knocks over destroys the children's garden, he seeks God's help to fix things. "Bring me the hardest word," God intructs him, and the Ziz flies off to search. He brings back words like rhinocerous, rock, and Rumplestiltskin, but none is acceptable, until he makes an important discovery.

I'm Sorry, Grover: A Rosh Hashanah Tale
By Tilda Balsley and Ellen Fischer, illustrated by Tom Leigh

Brosh can't find his blue cap, and suspects one of his friends has taken it. When Grover returns the lost item, Brosh is glad that the High Holidays offer him a chance to say "I'm sorry."

Sammy Spider's First Yom Kippur
by Sylvia A. Rouss, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn

When Josh breaks the rules and plays ball indoors, he finds himself apologizing not only to his parents, but to Sammy Spider as well.

Looking for Fun Summer Activities? Kar-Ben has a Few Ideas!

If you're stuck on ideas for what to do with the beautiful weather and extra time that summer offers, take some inspiration from the characters in these books!

Tikkun Olam Ted

 

Ted spends his days working to make the world a better, kinder place by doing good deeds. Taking a lesson from Ted means participating in summer activities that are both fun and helpful!

1. Spend some quality time with your pets, 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.

2. Use recycled materials to create unique new art projects. 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.

3. Work in the garden - if you don't have one, help out a neighbor or volunteer at a community 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.

Thank You, Trees!

Children and adults celebrate Tu B'Shevat in this book, but you don't have to wait until January to try some of the activities they enjoy!

4. Go on a picnic. It can be as simple as taking lunch out into the backyard, or you and your child can plan an outing, complete with baskets and blankets.

5. Have an outdoors sing-a-long or dance with your friends. Children may be familiar with the same songs from school or family, and outside is a perfect place to be loud, dance out some extra energy, and celebrate.

No Baths at Camp

"There are no baths at camp!" says Max when his mother starts filling the tub. But as he recounts his week's activities, he realizes that there were many fun ways he got clean at summer camp. Whether it's at camp or at home, Max and his friends have some great ideas about how to enjoy their summer!

6. Stage an outdoor play. It can be a play, or try finding a reader's theater script for one of your favorite books! Reading a script will also help your child practice their literacy skills during summer break.

7. Build a fire and make s'mores. A campfire is also a fun time to tell stories and spend time relaxing after a long summer day.

8. Have a water balloon fight. Want to cool off, but can't make it to the pool? Have a water balloon fight instead!

9. Go for a nature hike. Find a park nearby - even the neighborhood park you go to all the time can provide interesting new things to observe, if you look hard enough. Try out a state park for even more adventure.

To learn more or to purchase Tikkun Olam Ted, Thank You, Trees! or No Baths at Camp, visit the Kar-Ben website!

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.

Stories Inspired By Real-Life Objects

We've got heavy rain, soaked ground and high humidity here in Minnesota. It is not a day to go outside and play. I imagine kids will be lurking around the house looking for something to do. Create a story challenge. Ask your child to write a story (or if they are too young, to draw you a story) inspired by an object in your home. Teach creative thinking by asking your child to carefully observe each room and its contents and to select three possible items. Then discuss the possibilities of each and help the child be enthusiastic about one item. Then, set them to work at the kitchen table or desk with paper and pencils and wait for genius to arrive. Inside the imagination is a great place to play.

Need a bit of inspiration? Grandma Rose's Magic, the latest book by Linda Elovitz Marshall (who also wrote the charming Talia and the Rude Vegetables and has another book, The Mitzvah Magician, forthcoming this fall) is inspired by a real-life object.

The story focuses on Grandma Rose, a skilled seamstress. She creates garments and goods for her customers, and saves the money she earns to purchase dishes she admires in the big downtown department store. But, when she has earned enough, the dishes are gone! To her surprise, she does receive the beautiful dishes that look just like the ones her grandma had, but not in the way she expected!

Grandma Rose's Magic is special, but even more so when you know it is inspired by a real set of dishes. Here is a picture, courtesy of the author!

What object would you write a story about?