MIDDAH OF THE WEEK – FRIENDSHIP/CHAVERUT

How fitting that our final Middah of the Week for Summer 2017 is friendship/chaverut. This is such an easy one to talk about – it’s just a natural part of camp. Some discussion points in The Daily (newsletter) this week included:

• A friend isn’t just someone you like. A friend is someone who makes you a better person. Are you a friend to someone? How do you make her/him a better person?
• The Chasidic master Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitz taught: “Friendship is like a stone. A stone has no value, but when you rub two stones together properly, sparks of fire emerge.” Think about someone whom you consider to be a very special friend. In what ways has that friend helped you to become a better person? In what ways have you helped your friend to grow?
• Friendship has always been essential to human life. Even in the Tanakh (Jewish Bible/Old Testament), we read about Jonathan and David being friends, “Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other…saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.” (I Samuel 20:42) Can you imagine friends who care about each other so much that their children become friends too, and even their grandchildren?

SO many campers were nominated this week to light candles with me, we picked a dozen to represent the three divisions at camp. This week’s candle lighters were nominated for the following reasons:

• She has been such a good friend the past two years to a camper who is not even in her bunk!
• She helps everyone with everything. She is very generous.
• This camper is always helping and sharing with others.
• She helps her friends if they are missing home. She is caring and nice too.
• She showed friendship on an overnight trip by helping her friends with the washing up and making sure everyone was included in the games. She is an absolute star!
• This Unit D camper was new to camp this year. Even though she already knew people at camp, she was put in a completely different bunk with all new people. She quickly made a lot of close friends. She pushes her friends to try new things, is always there to comfort her friends and it feels like she has been here for years!
• She is the best sister and she is always able to stay enthusiastic and positive. She is creative and always willing to offer advice and help to her bunkmates.
• This camper never fails to help anybody! She can make anyone happy and provides support and compliments for others’ success. She is a great bunkmate and an amazing friend!
• She does everything she can to help others. She is always willing to give a hug when you need it. She always knows how to cheer up a friend!
• This ST (rising 10^th grader) encouraged her friend to continue on the Sandy Spring Adventure Park. She waited with her friend for a while, continuing to motivate her until her friend came down.   She is also a very outgoing person who loves all of her friends and is always introducing herself to everyone so she can make even more friends!
• This CA (rising 11th grader) is always helpful and supportive toward her CA sisters.  She cheered on her peers and encouraged them to keep trying on an obstacle of the ropes course.
• This CIT (rising 12^th grader) is always including others. She is selfless and doesn’t put herself first. During CIT Campfire, her best friend was sick and couldn’t be there. Even though this CIT was upset about it, she was a great friend and read it for her. She is such a good friend!

And the best quote about friendship from today’s Daily –

Sometimes me think, “What is friend?” and then me say

“Friend is someone to share the last cookie with.”

-Cookie Monster

What a great way to end the summer with the middah of friendship!

Shabbat Shalom,

Alicia

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Today’s Birthdays

Samantha – Bunk 32

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Today’s Menu

Today’s Weather

High: 81°F | Low: 69°F – Good day with a tiny bit of drizzle, but nothing can dampen our time at camp!