And then, and then, and then… by Beth Warshauer, Director of Youth Engagement

Moses spends an entire book reiterating all his teachings, instructions, and lessons to the Jewish people in the hopes that they remember everything they’ve learned over the last forty years. I recall hearing someone say that for a man who self-identified as ‘slow of speech and slow of tongue’, he certainly found his voice!
Having a rising senior in high school, I can relate to Moses’ sense of urgency. Will my son remember this and that? And, oh gosh, what about this? And then, what about this? And then, and then… It is enough to wear anyone out as evidenced by Moses’ death at the edge of the Promised Land.
I hope Moses found some comfort in remembering that he led the Israelites on a long, long journey. Much the same way all of us as parents and Jewish educators are doing with our children. I was reminded of this during my recent visit to Camp Coleman for the Youth Summit. During the adult portions of the visit, we studied social media, engaging our students through social action, and “out of the box” engagement practices and activities.
During my visit with the campers, I was reminded of the journey our children are making and all the lessons they are learning. The third graders are learning the songs and cheers and how to get a good night’s sleep in a cabin full of friends. The fifth graders are perfecting their water basketball moves, figuring out the best ways to prank their counselors, and writing the most heart wrenching words about what their Judaism means to them to be read during Shabbat services. Our middle school girls are experts at perfectly applied makeup that can withstand the heat and humidity and practicing their Torah portions for Shabbat. And they all are watching and learning from those older than they – whether they are older campers, older counselors, or adults. They are learning along the way from amazing Jewish role models.
These camp experiences will be with our kids for the rest of their lives – memories that will sustain them as they journey toward adulthood, one step at a time. Rather than try to get it all in at the end, I want to help build a path full of activities and experiences that enrich our children and teens’ journeys so that we as parents can feel they have a depth and breadth of Jewish learning that will serve as the foundation for their journey as adults.