by Yiftach Leket, Community Shaliach
I have just returned home after ten days at Tamarack, my first overnight American-Jewish camping experience. I feel that I have returned slightly different than when I entered the Ortonville gates. I tried to observe the life at camp from the four different hats that I wear – as an educator, as a parent, as an Israeli and now, as a member of the Detroit Jewish community.
As an Educator:
At Tamarack, at least for a short period, it feels like one is in some sort of wonderland where time stops, and, just for a while, the world as we know it ceases to exist.
After ten days of many conversations, I think that I am beginning to understand the deep pedagogy that underlines the camp experience. In addition to the almost endless programming and fun, Tamarack is a place where a child can be free.
During the school year, our kids are molded in their modern society and tied to the paradigms, conceptions, psychology, and expectations that their world is teaching them.
It takes a powerful and decisive act of education to unchain those paradigms. Tamarack succeeds in doing just that. The camp experience enables children to feel liberated for a month, where they can get back to the basics by peeling off thick layers of cynicism, lack of trust, and loneliness, to mention just a few feelings that have covered them by serving as self-defense mechanisms from the sometimes difficult realities of growing up.
This does not only happen to American kids. I had the privilege of learning from the Israeli staff, some of whom were ICP campers at Tamarack. For them, being a camper, was a life changing experience.
As educators, we tend to think about education as a long process, which is mostly true. That said, there is also a place for short yet “transformative experiences”, with an effect that changes the course of people’s lives. As I have learned, for some Israeli campers, Tamarack is exactly that.
As a parent:
My daughters Ella and Gili are still too young to be campers at Tamarack, but nevertheless, I had the opportunity to see my oldest, Ella, grow during the camp experience – the most striking was when she started referring to the staff of her group as “her friends”.
As a parent, I had a hard time imagining Ella as a camper, away from us for 24 days, but seeing her flourish while dealing with camp life and enjoying the outdoors, we ended the week looking forward to giving her this gift again.
As an Israeli (Especially focusing on our Michigan-Central Galilee Partnership Region ):
I felt proud to be an Israeli at camp. Israel has a special place in Tamarack; Hatikva is sung every day with the raising of the Israeli flag and more than 30 Israeli staff work at camp, as well as a designated group of educators, led by our amazing Shinshinim Yuval and Noa, who helped create meaningful Israel education programs.
When speaking with American campers, it was clear that there was only one experience that was really missing this year; Israeli campers. They said very loud and clear that they miss their Israeli peers and want them back. Each summer Tamarack brings 90 Israeli campers to camp, who are completely integrated into camp life with their American counterparts for an entire session.
We can talk about Israel education as much as we like, but the most meaningful piece of any form of education is relationships. 24 days together with Israeli campers from the partnership region leaves both sides with a strong, long-term connection.
As a member of Jewish Detroit:
Being at Tamarack makes one feel like they are walking back in time. The cabins, the dirt paths, the trees and the lake all reflect more than a hundred years of tradition. Things have changed, and the Ortonville site itself is not 100 years old, but the sense of tradition and community is there. It’s incredible how many staff members, no matter the age, have been a part of this special community as campers, and some also have parents and grandparents who were campers. The way Tamarack has become a cornerstone in our community is exceptional and inspiring.
Tamarack is a microcosm of the values, the dreams and the sense of belonging that is weaved in our community.
My family and I are so very grateful to have had the opportunity and appreciate the staff for allowing us to experience the magic of Tamarack.