One of the great challenges of summer camp is the degree to which our core experience is, by its very nature, shut off from the outside world. We are not unique in this; the wonders of many powerful educational, religious, and community-centered enterprises are difficult to explain and impossible to export. We are challenged to find ways to share the power of the camp experience with you, our constituents. Visits to camp provide a taste as do the rich stories of campers and alumni.
It is thus with great pride that we direct you back to a special project from this summer, an animated video created by a number of our Bogrim campers with the support and expertise of the dynamic and creative Torah teachers of G-dcast.com. Through a partnership with the iCenter, we had the honor of being the first summer camp to pilot a G-dcast project.
This video, which was developed as part of our inaugural Shavua Sababa specialty week for our Bogrim campers, represents the very best of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. It examines the classic question of biblical interpretation: What was the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that Adam and Eve ate? The campers involved engaged in meaningful text study of the story of the Garden of Eden, which we read this Shabbat as we begin the weekly cycle anew with Parashat B’reishit, and took ownership of that text by using their knowledge to craft a unique, original presentation. They partnered with top-notch professionals to develop their stop-motion animation skills and to learn about G-dcast’s approach to developing Torah insights. They accomplished this project with their peers from across the Midwest and Israel while participating in the richness of a day at camp from shacharit, sports, and swimming, to pe’ulat erev (evening activity) and time with their friends.
This video is a single example – albeit an exceptional one – of the types of opportunities we create for our campers on a daily basis. And, as you’ll see from the video, when we hit on all cylinders the results are magical, nothing less than empowering our children with the ability to artistically and dramatically express their deep knowledge and identity as Jews.
