Jewish Camp Flashbacks

Many of our parents sent us off to camp—with nametags sewn into everything from underwear to towels—with hopes we’d come back transformed. We would suddenly feel super connected to our religious identity and return with Jewish friends for life. For plenty, including me, the plan pretty much worked. Others, who didn’t feel they fit in at a particular camp for whatever reason, left with questions and even doubts about their religion. One thing is for certain; most women who attended Jewish camp came home with—and held on to—strong reactions. Given that it’s camp season, we asked several women with varied experiences to travel back in time and share how their experience changed their feelings about being Jewish.

Michelle Cove, Editor
mcove@brandeis.edu

In This Issue

• A Place to Be Visible

  Going to a Jewish summer camp meant participating in all the activities I wanted without being tormented.

• The Path Less Travelled

  I learned the hard way that Jewish camp isn’t the only path to a strong Jewish identity.

• Making Shabbat Our Own

  Summer camp happily surprised me by being the exact opposite of Hebrew school.

• “Operation Bagel” Backfires

  How my Jewish-camp friendship nearly landed me in the hospital

• Training Ground for Hooking Up

  Missing out on Jewish sleepaway camp meant missing those first pivotal lessons of sexuality.

• Resources - Vol 7, Issue 4

  A sampling of resources that provide more information on Jewish Camps.