Inside Edition: Hakarat HaTov and Tzevet Misrad with Kochavim and Magshimim

Meet Cynthia Kay Hatch Lynch, better known as Cindy, or one of the calm voices on the phone when you dial camp’s summer 413 number. Cindy hails from nearby Monson, MA, and is joining the Ramah team for the first time this summer. She had a fantastic visit with kids from Kochavim and Magshimim this past week, who came to get to know her as a member of the behind the scenes team who makes camp happen for them.  They know to thank their madrichim (counselors), rashei edah and of course their parents for an amazing summer, but who else makes camp happen? Cindy is one of those people!  As part of their appreciative interview, the kids asked Cindy to tell stories about the hardest part of her job. She described herself as a juggler: the kids expected that she might whip out a set of balls and start juggling. Instead, she managed to offer them a full interview and regaled them with stories of her family and her work while answering the phone, helping people entering the office who needed assistance, and other campers, demonstrating her real skills as a juggler!  Cindy came to join the Ramah office staff thanks to her sister Becky, who has been a part of the Ramah team for 5 years, and her daughter works at the Mercaz as well. She has lived all over Massachusetts, growing up down the street from where one of our Magshimim campers lives now (that was a fun connection to watch evolve!) and is the proud mom of 4 children.  This picture here is the story of Cindy explaining what a bear horn is: the kids noticed an air horn on her desk labeled “bear horn,” and Cindy told them about the bear that visited camp in the first month, and the air horn that was provided to the office and grounds staff just in case. They begged her to blow it, but she refused….no bears in sight! Say hello to Cindy the next time you visit the front office. These appreciative interviews were a part of our campers’ encounters with the big idea of hakarat hatov, gratitude and appreciation, and their exploration of the practice of giving appreciation and work to understand what it is like to receive appreciation and gratitude as well.

Do you know Ken Milgram? He’s been a part of the Ramah New England family for four years, since May of 2013, when he joined the year-round team as the Finance Associate. He hails from Philadelphia, and while he gets to spend most of his year working in an air conditioned office (a desirable place on the hottest days of camp), his favorite thing about camp is working with kids and making sure that kids get to come to Ramah. Ken had a fantastic visit with kids from Kochavim and Magshimim this past week, who came to get to know him as a member of the behind the scenes team who makes camp happen for them.  They know to thank their counselors, rashei edah and of course their parents for an amazing summer, but who else makes camp happen? Well, Ken is one of those people who spends the entire year getting ready for the summer. When the campers asked him about something that surprised him about camp, he described how much work it takes all year long to get ready for camp. Ten months to prepare for two! We all wish that camp were longer, but it would take more to prepare, for sure. He reports that it’s hard to be away from his family while at camp, and he wishes that his four grandkids would come to camp, too (that sure would make camp easier). And on Motzai Shabbat, Saturday evenings, if you find Ken, you’ll be able to see what our Kochavim and Magshimim kids already know: Ken’s favorite part of camp is our camp-wide havdallah, which is truly a highlight of every week at camp. Next time you call or email, make sure you introduce yourself to Ken and thank him for making camp possible for our kids!  These appreciative interviews were a part of our campers’ encounters with the big idea of hakarat hatov, gratitude and appreciation, and their exploration of the practice of giving appreciation and work to understand what it is like to receive appreciation and gratitude as well.