August 9, 2025 – Middah of the Week – Kindness/Chesed

Shabbat Shalom, Camp Louise!

How is it the final Shabbat of camp?  It feels like just yesterday, we were at Staff Orientation welcoming in our staff – preparing for campers, making bunk decorations, setting up the Dining Hall, and teaching the Goodnight Song.  And now we are getting ready for our final Folkdance Festival, packing our duffels, checking Lost & Found at Tilly’s Corner, and tonight we will sing our last Goodnight Song of Summer 2025.  It feels like a lifetime ago, and it also happened in about a minute – all at the same time.

This morning at services, I looked around Solarium trying to take it all in – the 435 campers, the staff from around the world, the Unit A campers with their perfect braids done by their counselors, the STs handing out prayer books, the CAs going to set up for Oneg, the CIT choir, and many of the international counselors who just 8 weeks ago participated in their very first Shabbat service – and now they are singing the prayers loudly and proudly.   The community we have created at Camp Louise is pretty special.  And the memories will now have to keep us warm all winter until we are together again.

Hopefully, we are leaving camp our best selves having focused on this summer’s middot:

• Teamwork/Avodat Tzevet
• Hospitality/Hachnasat Orchim
• Friendship/Yedidut
• Joy/Simcha
• Gratitude/Hakarat Hatov
• Respect/Kavod
• Kindness/Chesed

I was truly so floored by how many nominations I received this week.  Kindness was certainly all around Camp Louise this summer, and I couldn’t be prouder!  Check out the picture of the 17 (WOW!) people who lit candles with me last night.

I am anticipating the tears tonight as we sing the Goodnight Song….

Another day has come to an end

I cherish every hour we spend

And I’m so glad you’re with me, my friend

At Airy & Louise

Tomorrow we will rise with the sun

Another day of camp’s big fun

We’ll make new memories one by one

At Airy & Louise

Goodnight, goodnight – it’s time to say

Lilah Tov, it’s the end of the day

Safe and warm in Sukkot Shalom

At peace in our summer home.

Shabbat Shalom,
Alicia