The Eternal Light of Summer That Shines at Temple Beth El
by Dara Gever, Director of Youth Engagement
The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer. The leaves on the trees are turning to deep magenta and mahogany hues. You may even notice frost on the ground. Despite all of these indicators that fall is once again at our door, summer is making an appearance at Temple Beth El Religious School this week. That’s right—Camp Coleman and Camp Six Points will be bringing summer to Charlotte during our annual URJ camp visits on Monday, October 27th and Wednesday, October 29th from 5:30-6:15 in the Blumenthal Sanctuary.
Every organization has a culture of norms and expectations, and I feel privileged to work for Temple Beth El because of the way that our organization prioritizes Jewish summer experiences for our youth. Temple Beth El is thrilled to have sent 21 campers to URJ Camp Coleman and 24 to URJ Camp Six Points last summer. Luckily for us, our kids participate in URJ camps in North Carolina, Georgia, across the United States, and even in Canada. In summer 2014, families chose to send their children to Camp Kalsman in Arlington, Washington and even to URJ Camp George in Canada. We are so proud to have strong participation in URJ camps both in our region and throughout the rest of the country.
TBE is dedicated to empowering our kids to register for URJ summer camps. We also understand that program costs can be barriers for some families. Limited Financial Assistance for Jewish summer experiences is available upon request. You can email me at Dgever@beth-el.com to apply for summer financial assistance.
For most of the world, summer ends when school starts and the weather begins to change; however, at Temple Beth El the light of summer is never extinguished. Our efforts to engage TBE families in URJ camps are year-round. TBE is committed to helping our kids explore their Jewish identities at URJ camps during the summer, even though our school and our sanctuary feel emptier during the summer while they are away. If you want to learn more about URJ Camp Coleman or URJ Camp Six Points, please attend the camp presentations this Monday and Wednesday. Bring your questions and your eternal summer light.
