My camp career has always been very absolute; camper, staff member. But it was never until now that I saw camp from a purely programming perspective. When I received an email in June, offering me a spot on the Mass Program programming team, I felt both excited and nervous. Excited, because it's a coveted position, but nervous, because it's also a lot of responsibly. The enjoyment of the entire camp rides on your shoulders.
As the programming team worked away for the first week of camp, writing the program, I could tell this was going to be a great experience. Seeing the behind-the-scenes aspect of major camp programs, like Mass Program, was an eye opening experience, not to mention a learning curve. Not only did I learn how to successfully facilitate a large-scale program, but I also learned how to program effectively.
As I watched the program unfold and saw how each team wanted the win so badly, I had an eye-opening realization: no one wins anything. Sure, the winning team gets bragging rights and the satisfaction of hard work, but no one gets canteen, no one gets an extra sleep-in, and no one gets a trophy. It's really just intrinsic -- it's not about a tangible good, it's not about any prize at all. It's just to do it, and to say that you did it, and to know that you earned it -- and that's more valuable than any amount of Israeli canteen.
It wasn't until this realization that I recognized that this is my favorite part of camp. No one is doing anything for a tangible reward, rather we're all just doing it to say that we got after it as best we could -- that we put everything we have into something and worked towed a common goal.
While this was a great experience and the program could not have gone smoother, I'm so happy to be back with my girls in the lovely village of Seneca.
Shabbat Shalom (almost),
-Jilli Underberg, S2 Counselor/Media Representative
