Izzy K., 17, Camp Louise
Camp is really the only place where I celebrate Shabbat.
I am Jewish, but not the most religious. So coming to camp and seeing Shabbat was a shock to me at first. But as the years went by, I wasn’t as shocked and weirded out, and I started to love it.
At camp, there is always a feeling of togetherness but at Shabbat, it is emphasized and you can visually see it. Listening to prayers, songs and learning about Torah portions take on new lives at camp. Learning about who I am as a member of the Jewish community, surrounded by hundreds of my sisters, has had a huge impact on my 11 summers at camp.
Now, as a CIT, it is the culmination of all those summers of learning. Every summer, the CITs plan a service, including stories about their past summers as well as Shabbat morning prayers. We call it CIT service.
For me, it brought together the place I love with the religion I grew up with because of camp! It has become special to me in a whole new way.
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