This is the first installment of what we at Greene Family Camp hope will be a weekly occurrence – a Shabbat communique that will keep all of the Families of GFC in tune with everything that is happening in the Big Wide World of Camp. My part in all of this is to try and tell you a little bit about what I am doing and where some of my projects take me. The next few weeks provide a really good example of the Shabbatot in my life and all of the different “families” with whom I get to spend them.
Last Shabbat, I was in Orlando, Florida at the URJ Biennial. Every two years, all of the synagogues, affiliates, and staff of the Reform Movement get together for what is essentially a huge family reunion. My job at Biennial is to organize and direct the shows in the “Big Room,” called plenary sessions. This Biennial included everything from an appearance by Vice President Joe Biden to fantastic panels with speakers like Michael Douglas to a massive song sessions, which I even got to help song lead! At Biennial, we have a family of 5,000!
This Shabbat I am actually in two places at once. That is really necessary, now that GFC has so many events all year long. We are about to have record breaking attendance in Bruceville for our Camp Retreat for 2nd-5th graders. Congregations from throughout our region are bring people to camp for a great weekend, starring many of our greatest staff members, faculty and advisers from our synagogues. While many of the chilldren coming to the retreat are returning summer campers waiting to see their friends, many have never been here before and are waiting to make new friends and experience that magic of Greene for the first time.
Saturday, I will hop down to Austin for March on Austin, our issues, advocacy and social justice program. Working with the Austin congregations, members of the state government and various non-profits, we have planned a great weekend of learning – finding out how to make our voices heard. Saturday night, there will be a boat ride along the Austin skyline with dinner and music.
In Orlando, Bruceville, and Austin, no matter where we are, we have family – one big camp family & one big Jewish family.
Next Shabbat, I will be in Sydney, Australia. I have been invited to sing with Rabbi Danny Freelander, the President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). We sang together for years (and years ago) in the group Kol B’seder. Max Einsohn, another GFC alum, has spent time before down under, and will also be at the event.
The following Shabbat, after five days of vacation, I will be in Aukland, New Zealand. Sheila and I were invited by Roni and Guy Israeli, the community Shlichim (Israeli fellows) in Aukland. I will be singing and Sheila will be speaking on genetics-related issues. We are both making really good use of our time in the South Pacific. I met the Aukland rabbi at Biennial, as well as people from both Australia and New Zealand.
We are looking forward to experiencing Australia and New Zealand with new and old camp and Jewish family members. We are sure that the down under will feel like one big Reform Jewish home.
You might not realize the connections that all of us have as a reform Jewish community all over the world. Temple Shalom of Dallas just donated a Torah to the congregation in Brisbane, Australia. I am going down under to do music, and the songs that they are singing are our camp songs that they have learned through the years. Wherever you go, there’s always someone Jewish. Thanks, Rabbi Larry Milder, but I would amend: “wherever you go, there’s always Jewish Family”.