CIRCA - Fall 2011 - Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience

Rabbinic
A Magical Summer
By: Rabbi Marshal Klaven
For anyone who has ever
attended a Jewish summer
camp before, we know
well that these are magical
places. In addition to pulling
lasting friendships out of
such temporary summer
moments, these camps
magically transport Judaism
from the periphery of a
child’s life to its centrality,
making Judaism enjoyable
and relevant in every
moment of the day. Though,
for some, this Jewish
centrality often occurs with
photo courtesy of Jacobs Camp
one notable absence: the
child’s rabbi.
However, as long as it is
my blessed task to support
southern congregations
without full-time rabbis,
this absence will vanish
before your very eyes... poof!
Because, for the past two
summers, I have had the
honor of spending a few
days with the campers at the
URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp
in Utica, MS: transmitting
lasting Jewish values
4 The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life CIRCA / Fall 2011
through daily activities,
providing guidance on
relevant “hot” topics, and
sharing meaningful stories
on Shabbat, which further
illuminate the sacredness of
this day of rest.
Besides the personal joy
I received from such funfi
lled and sacred moments
of camp, the campers - from
places like Lake Charles
(LA) and Meridian (MS) -
shared an excitement to see
“their rabbi” there as well.
I suppose, in some small
way, seeing “their rabbi” at
camp connected them to
home as well as it affi rmed
that no matter how small
their congregation may be,
they are still integral to the
overall magical fabric of the
American Jewish South.
In addition to being back at URJ
Camp Jacobs, the ISJL Rabbinic
Department is looking into the
potential of visiting with other
Jewish camps in the South
next summer, including USCJ’s
Ramah Darom in Georgia.