An important part of growing up is realizing the impact that we have on others and the world. At Newman, we have Hevrah, a special session for 10th and 11th graders that focuses on social justice.
An important part of growing up is realizing the impact that
we have on others and the world. At Newman, we have Hevrah, a special session
for 10th and 11th graders that focuses on social
justice. The eidah is assigned a
social issue and then divides into a variety of task forces that work on
different ways of presenting the issue to others in order to educate them and
spur them into action. This year’s theme is “Food Justice”; they are focusing
on educating themselves and others about the impact large industries have on
the environment and on the business world.
On August 9th, the group traveled to Sacramento
to protest and raise awareness on these issues. Some of the task forces went to
the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services where they volunteered for two
hours to work in the warehouse sorting food or to sort through clothing
donations. Another group of task forces met with speakers from the Food and
Drug Association (FDA) to discuss the process of food packaging and service.
The last group of task forces went to the Capitol to lobby Food Justice for
Senator Steinberg. Later in the day, the entirety of Hevrah met at the Capitol
as a flash mob. The Expression group performed their slam poetry pieces, and
everyone else passed out posters and pamphlets encouraging people to educate
themselves about where their food comes from and how we can eat in ways that
are better for ourselves and for the environment.
After a long day in Sacramento, the group traveled to Full
Belly Farm, a local organic farm, to see how a healthy and eco-friendly farm functions.
There, they helped to pick produce and played with the free-range chickens.
They were served an amazing meal made fresh from the farm and had a camper-led
Tefillah at the farm. Hevrah is a life changing experience; the education and
memories garnered from the summer will stay with these campers when they leave
camp, reminding them to always be conscious of the world around them and the
impact they can have on it.
It’s the halfway point of the summer for those of us who are here for 8 weeks. For Avodah and CITs, that meant a Shabbat visit from their parents.
Shabbat this
week brought us more than 200 guests, which translates to a Beit Tefillah full
to bursting, a Kikar and Mosaic full of tables, and one crowded basketball
court. Among these guests were parents of Avodah and CITs visiting their kids
at the halfway point between the 8 weeks they’ve chosen to spend at camp. It’s
a special experience for these guests and parents. Shabbat at camp is
indescribable, and for many, having their parents come to camp for Shabbat is,
in a way, the best way to show them what makes it so special.
It’s one thing to say “Everyone dresses in white for
Shabbat”; it’s another thing entirely to see all campers and staff parade down
the side of the hill towards the Beit Tefillah, a blinding mob of clean, white
people full of the sacredness of Shabbat. It’s one thing to say “The best meal
of the week is on Friday night”; it’s another thing entirely to see the Chadar
Ochel lined with tables stuffed with children and counselors laughing and
handing each other plates of unique Shabbat food, the picture of family. Parents who are alumni of the camp
system are filled with nostalgia remembering their own Shabbats, and parents
who never got to experience camp stand back and let their children lead them
through the motions, quietly observing and finally understanding what their
children have come to love so much.
CIT parents were also included in another Shabbat tradition.
The CIT shtick theme for the summer is Toy Story, and the parents of the actors
were written into the script as victims of the villainous plots of Zurg
Goldberg. In one of the best-received shticks of the summer, the parents stole
the show, playing off of Jewish parent jokes (“You never call, you never
write!”) and camp parents in jokes (“I look for you on Bunk1 every day…would it
kill you to smile??”). This
special Shabbat was an opportunity for parents to relive their camp days or
experience what their children hold in such a special place in their lives.
A piece about the parade written by 2 Avodahniks
Before attending the Gay Pride Parade Avodah had already experienced what camp life was like and had bonded as a class, but we had not a clue as to how we would participate as well as be affected by the Parade as a whole. With high expectations, we departed camp to begin our day-long journey. But little did we know that what we would encounter in the next few hours would change our outlooks regarding self-expression, freedom of speech, and community beliefs entirely. Upon arriving in San Francisco early before the festivities were to begin, we were treated to extraordinary sights. People dressed in bright colors and costumes alike created a sense of unity among the chaos that was the upbeat music and extravagantly decorated floats. Comparatively, our uniform maroon clothing granted a similar form of identity among the expanse of self-expression. In reaction to observing such a large amount of people entirely proud of their own identities, we began to quickly acclimate to the comforting yet wild nature of the parade. Additionally, we soon began to realize that although the Parade centered around gay rights, we were fully welcome as a religious group. As an Avodah community, we strive to help those who are oppressed and therefore felt not only accepted but also effective through our presence at the Parade. Specifically, as a group we set up a Chuppa and created mock marriages between Avodah-niks. We also played traditional, non-secular, and modern Jewish music during the Parade which were received as only heart--warming and amazing responses from the crowd. For the Avodah class as a whole, the Gay Pride Parade allowed us to bond together as both a class and a community at large.
Jake Speyer & Jeremy Michelson
Our young artists display their 4 weeks' works in an emotional and amazing festival
7/15 Spotlight on: Hagigah
Hagigah is a four-week session with a specific focus on art. While other sessions are signing up for either an art track or a sports track, Hagigah campers are choosing between a major (Yitzirah) and a minor (Hizdamnut). The major is a 2-hour block of time devoted to an art track, and the minor is a 1-hour period. Each class has an artist assigned to it. These artists range from slashers, who are counselors by day and moonlight in another specialty area, to professional artists like Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik, who visited for 2 weeks to teach a paper cutting class. The aim of these classes is to create visual and performing arts pieces to present at the annual Peachy Levy Festival of the Arts.
The festival, held on July 15th, opened with the unveiling of the session mural down at the Hagigah building. Parents and guests were then led up to the Beit Am where the visual arts projects were displayed. The photo groups set up a display of their works, Tallitot hung along the back wall, and ink painting and paper cutting pieces filled the space along the other walls. Then, all of camp filed into the Beit Tefillah and settled in for the performing arts section. The Song Leading Yitzirah got everyone quiet with a rendition of “Hoshiah”. Following an introduction from Ruben and some short thank yous by rashim Ran and Yael, the festival opened with the Drums Yitzriah parading down the Beit Tefillah steps. Throughout the evening, the Creative Writing slam poets took the stage, amazing and amusing the audience with their performances. Song Leading was interspersed throughout, performing both original pieces and old favorites, in solos and ensembles. The Dance group performed two pieces; one, a tribute to last year’s dance males, and the other, an innovative hip hop piece. The Drama class performed three silent sketches. Tallitot’s instructor, Nancy, read the students’ artist statements as they displayed their works in front of the audience. As it had opened, the festival concluded with drums, an energetic and emotional way to wrap up a month of difficult but rewarding work.
Camp’s directors, Ari Vared, Rabbi Erin Mason, and Ruben Arquilevich, concluded the show with a video from the benefactors, Mark and Peachy Levy, whom the festival is named for, because they were unable to attend this year’s festival. Full of adrenaline and emotion, Hagigah celebrated the end with their cheer and a bit from their session song. Their evening concluded with a pool party. The rest of their time at camp will be leisurely, but also intense, because it signifies the end of a long and meaningful session where deep connections were formed and identities through Jewish art were found.
View the video from the festival here: http://vimeo.com/album/260583
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