Goldman Union Camp Institute

July 22, 2013

Cabin 18: Forks in the Road

OPENING SONG

An invitation. An invitation can be from someone, to you, from you, or even to pray. The Barchu is an invitation to yourself to pray and to get us ready to pray. G-d is deserving of our praise. This is because G-d is behind the scenes influencing our minds to choose the right path. For example, my mother influenced me greatly to come to camp, which of course was the right path. Judaism has influenced my life decisions because of camp. So camp is the base of my Jewish opinion for always – now and forever. – Jake S.

Barchu

Ma’ariv Aravim

In the Ahavat Olam, we promise to immerse ourselves in God’s teachings. I don’t know about you guys, but I would rather not just study Torah all day. I think this prayer isn’t simply telling us to read Torah, but rather to live Torah. We should follow the teachings that are inherent in every person, though of course the Torah can help lead us when we are lost. But to truly immerse ourselves in God’s teachings, we need only to see that God is in our hearts, and listen, so that we go down the right path on the forks in the roads of our lives. – Ben K.

Ahavat Olam

In the Sh’ma, we declare our faith to God. Sometimes it is important for one to have faith when facing a decision. For example, when I chose to come to camp, I had faith that I would enjoy it. And so far I did. So even if you’re making a decision which seems risky and requires a lot from you, if you have faith, you will have the courage to decide. – Naor B.

Sh’ma/V’ahavta

In every person’s life, change is inevitable. And with change, there are almost always decisions to make. All thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs. This is similar to our service theme in that all decisions cause change, but not all changes are caused by our decisions. Changes can either affect our life for better or worse, but our options’ consequences remain the same. How we deal with these situations define who we are. I’m me, and I’ll make a choice which will hopefully be the right one for me. There are some things in life we can’t control, but there are some we can. And those are the changes that are caused by our decisions. – Mitch T.

Mi Chamocha

Many times in our lives, we come across decisions that will change our lives forever. I mean… “forks.” Decisions like to fight or flee, to lead or to follow. But imagine having to do this for other people. For example, on the 5^th of June 1944, 150,000 American, British, and Canadian troops got ready to invade Nazi-occupied Europe. When ordered after years of planning, D-day had come. But there was one problem: a storm made the English Channel choppy, which could cause issues for the invading vessels and armor, a risk that could cost the entire operation. With so much planning, do we postpone it? Invade now, or wait a day? This decision was in the hands of one man, only General Dwight D. Eisenhower. A decision that could change his and 150,000 other men’s lives. He alone made the choice, not Churchill, Patton, or anyone else. Eisenhower only. The decision was made to wait till the sixth. Before the decision was made, General Eisenhower wrote a speech he was prepared to make if the invasion was a failure. In it, he claims full responsibility for the failure, and the only blame should be given to him, and not the men who gave their lives at those beaches, and at Pointe du Hoc, or behind enemy lines in Normandy. The invasion happened, and it was successful. – Carter R.

Hashkiveinu

My prayer, the Amidah, is about God being the God of our ancestors. Abraham made the choice to believe in one God. With Abraham’s decision, the Jewish people were born. We all come to forks in the road in life, but when you come to these forks in the road that is your life, you need to know whether to stay on a trail or go off in a different direction. – Elijah H.

Amidah

Life often has a strange way of throwing things out to you. Sometimes you will be faced with a decision to make, and you may not know what to do. The Shalom Rav talks about peace. There are so many ways to achieve peace; we just need to find the right way to get there. No matter how many wrong or right answers there are, there is always a way. – Gregory D.

Shalom Rav

Forks in the road, or otherwise known as decisions. Whether it is a good decision or a bad decision, whether it affects you a lot or a little, all decisions are important. Just like the silent prayer, the decision is yours and yours alone. It is your decision what path you follow just like it is your decision what you pray about. – Jack Dolin

Silent Prayer

Aleinu

Everyone at some point reaches a fork in the road of life, at which point they must make a decision. When this point is reached, it is important to make a decision that is best for you. This can be chosen by looking at your values. One value that is talked about in the Mourner’s Kaddish is the celebration of life. It is important to make decisions in life that help you to celebrate life and live it to the fullest. So when faced with a fork in the road, try to celebrate life and live it to the fullest. – Josh S.

Kaddish Yatom

Everybody faces obstacles in their life. Perhaps every day. Maybe it’s a simple decision of whether or not to go to services that night, or maybe you’ve encountered a loss. I believe that what is more important is how you react to it; how you deal with the situation. Some people, when faced with a problem, will react badly and freak out, or maybe just run away from it. But I think if you react in the right ways and deal with problems effectively, then forks in the road no longer become as big of an issue. – Jacob Y.

CLOSING SONG