Tikkun Olam: Project Illumination (Fire Circle Revamp)

The fire circle is the epitome of CSL's closely knit community. Not only are Shabbat services held there, but campfires, mass programs, song sessions, and even sailing lessons. According to Garrett Root, " we are making the fire circle absolutely amazingly beautiful even though it was already beautiful to begin with". Rob West, the Athletic director explained the project further, "Eight inch holes are being dug evenly around the fire circle for lamp posts to be placed. Each post will be painted black to match the back of the wooden Jewish star that would be hung on the front of the memorial sign. The memorial plaque will be moved to the other side of the post so everyone will be able to see the star from wherever they are sitting. We are also hoping to plant some flowers in the planters. Lastly, we are going to mulch this entire fire circle". From the sounds of it, the project seemed like a lot to take on in one day. However, with everyone on board people were making great progress. The younger campers were picking weeds and removing the remaining rocks while the older campers and staff members painted, nailed, and dug holes for the posts. Due to the lack of rain throughout the summer, campers had to bring water to soften the dirt, Tyler Shapiro, waterfront specialist was having fun digging in the mud. Ali Sagerman thought the project was "really cool and the final result would be worth all of the hard work". She planted flowers along with Adam Moyer who believed that "AR created a very positive working environment", and Alex Kinel, " who enjoyed picking weeds for the first time in his life". Oldest Senecan, Julie Shapiro, thought the project to be "good for camp because it is already a special place for so many people, and this project would make the fire circle even more special, not to mention the Jewish star in the center added a very spiritual touch".In the afternoon, the entire fire circle had been mulched. When I asked Rob West about the reasoning behind the mulch as opposed to the stones I assumed it would be because of the reduction in noise. However, to my surprise, it was due to the surplus of mulch in camp because of the fallen trees from a storm. The camp had nothing to do with the extra mulch so they found ways to use them. Perhaps the mulch will indeed muffle sound during services as well, providing another benefit. It took approximately two hours to mulch the entire fire circle according to Garrett Root who was busy hammering a lantern post to a bench. I can't wait to see the new and improved fire circle all lit up!