Written by Shirah Kraus

Shavua Tov GUCI friends and family. Every week we have been making a havdalah-inspired post. In this service, we bless the sweetness of Shabbat (juice), the fragrant smells (spices), and the light (fire) that we hope to bring with us into the rest of the week. Each week, we have been sharing something sweet about the previous week, a meaningful and insightful piece, and something we are looking forward to in the coming week, each corresponding with the three elements of havdalah.

Juice: Miranda Rubin, the Shoresh unit head, has enjoyed preparing for kallah bet. After kallah aleph, she says, “I feel much more confident as a unit head. My experiences during kallah aleph–preparing for campers to arrive and handling various challenges–has helped me to grow as a supervisor and leader. I now feel like I can handle any issues that might come up this session.”

Spice: Since the start of the summer, Staff has been striving to focus on what is good at camp—with notes of appreciation, sharing positive moments, and personally through journaling. But what about the good within ourselves? In Changing the World From the Inside Out, Rabbi David Jaffe draws from the Hasidic tradition to emphasize the importance of acknowledging the good within each one of us—at minimum recognizing that we are all created in the image of God: Highlighting the good reminds “us of our own essential goodness. Through this we get a deeper sense of connectivity among ourselves, others, and God, which produces a deep feeling of joy. From a Jewish mystical perspective, our goodness is our essential self, which is the manifestation of the divine within us.” If we work to pay attention to the good within ourselves, we become more motivated to act and more empowered to see the good in others and the world around us.

Fire: Our camp director, Jeremy Klotz, is looking forward to Yom Sport, campers enjoying their bunk nights, and dinner with faculty this week. But above all, he is excited to see relationships grow as everyone begins to feel more comfortable and confident at camp.