Shalom! Almost every evening at camp, we have a different cabin lead T’fillot (services). Each camper writes a part and reads it before all of camp in between the prayers we say or sing as a community. This way, every camper gets the opportunity to share something of themselves with the wider camp, and to teach the community something about their values, Judaism, or their connection to our prayers. Our cabin services make each of our T’fillot that much more unique and meaningful. —Jacob Kraus, T’fillah Specialist

GUCI Evening Service

July 31, 2014

Cabin 16: Reaching for the Stars

Opening Song

When I’m with people I don’t know, I try my hardest to do everything right, because I don’t know if I will ever meet them again, and if I do meet them again they could turn out to be really important. That’s a moment when I reach for the stars. – Eric Khmelnitsky

Bar’chu

“The light of life is a finite flame.” Life is the most beautiful thing in the universe. I will reach for the stars by using my life to gain as many skills as I can, to meet many people, and to gain knowledge every day. Reaching for the stars every day will change your life, as it has already changed mine. Live happily, live strong, and live fully. – Robert Wetzler

Maariv Aravim

I am on a volleyball team. The most important thing is to support your friends on the team, because it’s the best way to have a strong and successful team. With this team you can reach for the stars. – Nathan Lootsteen

Ahavat Olam

In order to reach for the stars and be successful, you have to be dedicated to what you like to do, whether it be on a sports team or in the workplace. In the Sh’ma, it talks about our declaration of faith in Judaism, just like you have to be faithful and dedicated to what you like to do. – David Tochtermann

Sh’ma/V’ahavta

GUCI became my holy place as soon as song session began on the first day last year. I immediately saw the connection between everyone at camp. Especially recently, GUCI has made me realize the daily miracles that we all experience. The Mi Chamocha talks about the miraculous event of the splitting of the sea. Even though our daily lives don’t usually consist of miracles as great as the parting of the Red Sea, we should still recognize and appreciate them.  – Alex Neyman

Mi Chamocha

Hashkiveinu talks about God keeping us safe when we go to sleep and when we rise. Every day when I’m playing baseball with my team I try to reach for the stars and do my best to help my team. I always set a goal for myself and try to achieve or over-achieve my goal. After all this I want to go to bed knowing that I am safe and at peace. – Andy Kaufmann

Hashkiveinu

Reach for the stars, a very useful mantra, has unfortunately become somewhat of a cliché. Some phrases, even if they are said a lot, never lose their meaning. Teaching for the stars is one of those. Throughout your entire life, you should never stop reaching for a higher goal, and when you make it there, you should make a new one. – Asher Weinstein

Amidah (Avot V’Imahot, G’vurot, Kedushat Hashem)

In my life, I always try to reach for the stars. I want to not only achieve my goals, but also to push myself a little bit further and go above and beyond. If you reach for the stars, you’ll be glad that you did. – Macey Goldstein

Shalom Rav

Setting high goals is crucial to success, whether it’s sports, academics, or anything else. If you always think you will fail, then you will fail. The key to success is high confidence, so when you are praying silently, think about some goals that you have set but should have been set higher. – Steven Elgowsky

Silent Prayer, Yih’yu L’ratzon

“We must praise the Lord of all, the Maker of heaven and earth, who has set us apart from the other families of earth, giving us a destiny unique among the nations.” The Aleinu thanks God for creating us differently from the other inhabitants of the earth. This prayer can be interpreted very differently from just the text’s bare meaning. Even though we are Jewish, much different that most of the world, we can often group with others, temporarily losing our Jewish ways. Despite this situation we should always “reach for the stars” to be unique and express our Jewish culture. – Max Snyder

Part of the Aleinu is a vision of the future. Even though we should look ahead in our lives, it’s just as important, if not more, to reach for the stars in the present. For example, some people think about how there’s only four more days of camp. But if you live in the moment you get much more out of everything you do, whether it’s thinks like Limud or Free Time. I also relate this prayer to camp in another way. In order to make camp as special as it is, everyone has to take what makes them unique and make the most out of it. So do yourself and everyone around a favor  and reach for the stars in your own way. – Zach Magee

Aleinu L’shabeiach

In the Kaddish Yatom we are celebrating the life of those who have passed away. My great grandmother passed away in March; her last words to me were: “Succeed in your studies and stay strong.” Now, for my grandma I will reach for the stars and try to do my best in my studies and stay strong. – Omer Jaffe

Mourner’s Kaddish

In my life I always try to reach for the stars. To me it doesn’t matter what I am doing, I think I should always do my best and reach for the stars, whether that be school, sports, or any of my hobbies. – Levi Dyson

As some of you know, I have ADHD. What this means for me is that I have dozens of thoughts flitting across my mind at the speed of light. This sometimes drives me crazy. When I climbed the Migdal for the first time ever this year, what spoke to me about it was that my mind was almost totally clear. This seemed to be an unattainable goal, but I reached for the stars and it happened. – Jacob Englander

Closing Song