Incredible Camp Stories

Rabbi Ed Gelb shares:

Over the years, as a session is coming to a close, I begin to hear great stories of incredible things that happen at camp that I don’t even know about. Last week, I asked the tzevet (staff) to send me short stories of meaningful, incredible, touching things that have happened.

I’m going to share 10 of them below and then drop a link with many more organized by theme. I think they’re worth a look. Ramah definitely impacts and changes lives. Love to hear your thoughts too!

Here are 10 Awesome Stories – they were sent by staff and I lightly edited them for clarity and to keep them anonymous. Here is a link to many more of these stories – all of them are great!

1. One of our Machon campers is saying Kaddish for a parent. Every morning during tefillot, without being asked, his closest friend gets out of his seat, stands beside him, puts an arm around him, and recites Kaddish with him. It gave the staff chills every time.
2. One of the most meaningful moments of the kayitz was with Ariana. She did not want to participate in the sneakout, so she stayed outside. What was most touching was that she was never alone for even a single minute. One by one, different campers came over to sit with her, hug her, and keep her company. Without anyone asking them to, they made sure she felt included, supported, and loved. It was a beautiful example of the kindness, empathy, and community that makes camp so special.
3. One night, Machon had a peulah at the treehouse that was introduced as a new “Machon tradition,”. The edah gathered around a medurah, learned the song “All I Want,” and shared favorite camp memories. The experience created a real shift in the campers’ energy. By the end of the night, the edah had formed a circle on its own, held each other, sang, and cried together. More than 15 campers later shared how meaningful the peulah was and how much it bonded the edah.
4. At a treehouse sneakout, a camper who had been a bit closed off all summer opened up during a sharing circle. Through tears, he spoke about having a serious medical event earlier in the year, how he had feared he might die, and how grateful he was now to be in his favorite place in the world. Other campers began crying too, and it became a deeply special moment.
5. Starting on the second Shabbat of camp, one counselor began learning Mishnah Shabbat outside the bunk. Slowly, a group of campers joined in, and by the end of that Shabbat they had finished the sixth chapter. They were so excited that, after buying kosher Trader Joe’s snacks on a day off, the group returned to learn the seventh chapter the following Shabbat. They finished that chapter too, while asking thoughtful and insightful questions about Judaism and Shabbat.
6. With Shoafim, campers read letters sent to the Forverts by Jewish immigrants asking for advice. The discussion helped them reflect on where they came from, how America was built by immigrants, how difficult life was in the tenements, and how education could help break the cycle of poverty. While reading a letter from a wealthy young woman worried that her “greenhorn” groom seemed less attractive as he learned English, one camper blurted out, “How come she is worried about this? People around her are having such difficult lives! Children are working and not going to school, people are dying in factories!” The class had a powerful conversation about living inside a bubble, noticing need around us, and how once we see it, we cannot unsee it.
7. In Solelim, campers had been asking big questions about God and tefillah, so madrichim collected their questions for discussion during Friday morning tefillot. The questions ranged from “What do we do during the Amidah if we don’t believe in God?” to “Why do we praise God’s holiness during the Mourner’s Kaddish?” On Friday morning, the questions were woven into tefillot, and Limud staff led discussions. The campers loved hearing their questions addressed and were deeply engaged.
8. One chanichah came to camp with very little Jewish education and no Hebrew speaking ability. During the first few weeks, she struggled because she could not understand many of the announcements or meah milim. Then one day, she ran up excitedly and counted to seven in Hebrew. She was so proud of herself and said she was excited to keep learning.
9. At the start of camp, one camper had no interest in getting up for shira and rikud at meals. A counselor asked her to give just 30 seconds of full participation and promised to do it with her. The counselor never told her when the 30 seconds were up, and she danced through the whole song. Now she gets up and participates in rikud without prompting.
10. At dinner, one counselor told the campers that she wanted to start noticing things she was grateful for throughout the day as a way to stay in a good mood. Now, at every meal, the campers around that counselor go around and share one to five things they are grateful for, and they are always excited to do it together.

I hope you enjoyed these and please check out the link!

Here’s a photo of the treehouse that many of the stories mention: