by Brigitte Rosenberg

Added to my kids’ packing lists are books.  This means that the day before we leave for camp, we are shopping for books and shoving them into already stuffed duffels. They are big readers and have told me that they always read during menuchah.  The only problem is that some summers they have finished their books by the beginning of the third week of camp, just after I have left camp (serving on faculty)  so I cannot quickly replenesh their library, which means they either reread their books or don’t read at all the last few weeks.

Last year at camp I noticed one unit head looking for books for a camper in her unit.  This camper was not happy with what could be found on camp, so I suggested that she ask to borrow some books from my son.  This book search had me thinking about how to make books available to campers who would like to read.

Fast forward to this summer.  After reading about individuals who set up borrowing libraries in their front yards for neighbors, similar to a book swap, I suggested this idea for camp.  Very quickly a plastic shelving unit with doors was found and built and after a trip to Half Price Books (it is not an easy thing to shop for such a large reading audience) the GUCI Sefer Spot was created. It was introduced this morning and I hope that it will be used by campers.  I know that many counselors were excited to see it!

The Sefer Spot can be continuously filled with books campers add (if ok with their parents) and from book donations.  In fact there was a box of books on camp that had been donated by a bar mitzvah student and we were thrilled to add them to the library.  While not all of our campers will want to read while at  camp, I am proud and excited that GUCI is giving the Sefer Spot a go and aiding those campers who want to get lost in a book.   We are after all, “people of the book.”

*Thank you to United Hebrew Congregation and Congregation Shaare Emeth, both in St Louis, for the seed money to start this project.

Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg is the senior rabbi at United Hebrew Congregation in St Louis.  This is her 9th summer serving on faculty at GUCI, and her kids are campers in Anaf, Shoresh, and Garin.