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“I don’t know what I believe, but I believe in love”
My name is Shakked Fainsod. I am 21 years old from Israel and I haven’t been to temple since the six’th grade. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I decided to go to GUCI. I have never been to an overnight camp, definitely not in the the US, and as much as “camp life” was unknown to me, the thing I was dreading the most were services.
The GUCI Connection
What do you think of when you imagine a “home”? For me, I imagine the feeling of security and shelter, the overwhelming flood of love and compassion, and maybe most importantly, the presence of family. Camp has no shortage of all of those things. Every facet of life at GUCI is engulfed by those qualities that create a home for so many people. It feels to me like the air at camp is different than elsewhere.
“I’ve lived two lives at camp”
It’s not everyone that can say “I’ve lived two lives at camp”. Well, I did. The first time in the 70’s, the second time in the 90’s. Two separate experiences and circumstances and each very important and life-changing in very different ways.
Falling in Love at Camp All Over Again
Tu B’Av begins tonight. It’s often described as the Jewish Valentine’s Day because historically this was a day for matchmaking. The Talmud describes young women, dressed in white, dancing in the vineyards looking for a partner. Tu B’Av is a little known holiday and does not require special liturgy or ritual. Recently in Israel, the holiday has been reclaimed as a holiday of love with singing and dancing.
Zionsville to Zion – GUCI connecting to Israel
When campers speak about their favorite parts of camp, Shabbat song session often tops the list. The unbridled ruach that we experience at GUCI week after week, year after year, is evidence of a pure joy unique to this community. As a longtime camper and now as a staff member, I have experienced many Shabbat song sessions. For me, the most memorable part is when the music slows, we take our seats, the lights dim and, our arms linked around one another, and we quietly sing the last few songs.
Becoming A Counselor
I was only 17-years old when I began my job being a camp counselor at GUCI. Fortunately, I was beginning this job in a well-established training program at a camp I fully adored. My first staff-training was filled with so much information to absorb: learning about developmental milestones, communication skills, conflict resolution, incorporation of spirituality. The trainings seamlessly wove into the day-to-day of camp.
Healthy Competition and Being a Captain
Yom Sport is one of the most special days on camp each session. It’s where camp really showcases how much ruach we have. Even throughout the few years that I have been at here, no two Yom Sports are or feel the same.
A Shabbat Message – July 13th 2018
Its’ been a very busy week in Zionsville! A great week! On Sunday, we closed an amazing Kallah Aleph (first session), sending home 237 campers who spent their month learning and living together. Staff had a few hours off, and then we gathered Monday morning to start a marathon day of transition.
GUCI: The Gift that Keeps on Giving
It was the summer of 2002. Vanessa Carlton and Ashanti topped the charts; Tamagotchis, Furbies, and slap bracelets were all the rage. And I was preparing for my first summer at Goldman Union Camp Institute in Zionsville, Indiana.