On Friday night, our unit of S’ganim (entering 9th graders) led our services beautifully at the Beit K’nesset. A group of four boys, Sam, Aaron, Parker and Adam were particularly moving, as they spoke to us together about why they keep coming back to camp, year after year.
Parker: I started camp in Niviim One. There was a lot of things that weren’t at camp that I missed. But when I got home, I realized what I missed more than home was camp. I begged my mom to send me to camp again and I have loved it ever since.
Aaron: With each new unit that we enter at GFC, we are enriched with new experiences. The part I love about camp the most is that you can come back year after year, during the same part of the summer, and get a different experience each time. I have been coming to camp since Bonim One and each year, I come back hungry for more. It’s great to know that no matter what happens during the year, you can come back to GFC to the same friends and get a great versatile camp experience.
Sam: And for me, camp is about the music. The tradition of our songs, from Fudgie the Whale to the Havdallah blessings, brings me such a deep connection the community here. Aaron just said he loved the newness of every session of camp, and I completely feel the same way. But at the same time, the songs we sing, play and pray and so deeply rooted in our camp community and in all of Am Yisrael, the Jewish people. Different but the same. That’s what the music at camp sounds like to me.
Adam: As we all got older, our lives became more diverse and busy. I began to play trumpet and picked tennis as my main sport. Sam started building computers, Parker got into theater and Aaron became an expert pianist. Above it all, we have made it through elementary school and junior high amid increasing schoolwork and activities. This brings me to my favorite part about camp. No matter what happens during the year we can come back to camp and pick up right where we left off, not just as friends, but as brothers.