On Sunday we experienced one of the highlights of the summer, the campwide Zimriyah (song festival)! Led by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky, the theme this year matched the theme of the whole summer: Kol Yisrael Arivim Zeh L’zeh, all of Israel is responsible for one another.
“The idea for this year was to try to find a way to frame where we’re at and what this year has been and also find a way to experience and hold onto and feel some radical joy, especially now. So we wanted to find a way to begin from grounding in the songs Acheinu and Chai, to start from a place of quiet and sadness and then move into a space of joy, almost like a tekes maavar (soft transition) into the Zimriyah songs.” -Rabbi Josh Warshawsky
Garinim sang Kol Yisrael (All of Israel) by Miami Boy Choir and Chalutzim sang Am Echad (One People) by Ari Goldwag, having us ask the question, “How can we be one? How can we be unified?”
Solelim sang Bashanah Haba’ah (Next Year) by Nurit Hirsch and Ehud Manor. What will the next year look like?
Shoafim sang Biglal Haruach (Because of Spirit) by Shlomi Shabat, highlighting that it’s not only physical strength that we need but also spiritual strength and resilience.
Bogrim sang Even El Even (Brick by Brick) by Idan Raichel. Everything is built piece by piece, brick by brick. Every one of us matters.
Machon sang Latzeit Midika’on (Coming out of Depression) by Yigal Oshri. How do we exit from sadness? It’s through family, friends, and time together. Even in the hardest moments there’s a light shining that’s guiding us along the way.
Nivonim sang Shayach La’am by Yishai Ribo. Wherever we reside, we’re connected as one people.
We concluded as a camp with the song Chai (Life) by Ofra Haza.
