Greetings from Ramah of the Rockies! It is such a joy and privilege to be here among the staff and campers, including 6 of our wonderful Bonai kids. The blessings of Jewish summer camp are numerous and inspire the best that community can be, where nature, outdoor activity and experiential Judaism all blend together in such special ways. On Wednesday, the day that the first campers of the summer arrived, I was the greeter on the front gate, which was an amazing experience that inspired a poem, pasted at the end of this reflection.
This week's parsha, Be'ha'alotecha, opens with the stunning description of the menorah and its promise of spiritual light ascending. We can all be like one of the lights of that menorah, bringing our unique, illuminating gifts into the world, and I certainly feel that in this environment. Inevitably, however grateful, present and connected we feel, there are going to be times when we want to whine and compalin for what we don't have! The Israelites in our Torah reading yearn with a questionable nostalgia for all of the food, especially meat, that they miss and crave from their days in Egypt. It is so easy in this world to place our attention on what we lack, what we crave, all that is missing, rather than on the abundance of our gifts. I do it. We probably all do from time to time. As we read the shocking story of our desert wandering ancestors eating so much meat, in the form of quail, as a "reward" for their grumblings, that it came out of their nostrils, we get some perspective perhaps on our own cravings and complaints. Sunday is Juneteenth, an important day where we recognize the history of African American slavery and the continuing struggles of liberation. There is still so much work to do and so much for which to feel satidfied, full and grateful. May this Shabbat help inspire us to be grateful for what we have, rather than focus on what we lack; the gifts of abundance and light.
For all of the challenges, there is so much goodness and possibility and hope in our Bonai community and I am incredibly grateful to all amazing volunteers who have given so generously of themselves to sustain and move us through the wilderness towards our Promised Land. I really hope to see you on Sunday at our annual meeting so that you can be part of our future!
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Marc
At the Gate
First Day of Camp, Ramah Rockies, 6/15/22
Open the gate with its summer magic,
Awaiting new dreams to unfold
All contained in the mysteries of mitzvot
Secret codes that unlock this reality
The threshold of enticing, exciting experiences
Ready to greet each young soul
With an ecstatic embrace
And the promise of adventure for bodies and souls
Who have been longing for this return
This reconnection
This reimagination
Of what life can be beyond
The mess and chaos.
Today I am the gatekeeper
The one who holds the memory and knowledge
Of which which numbers to enter
To allow entry into this community of belonging and hope
And limitless possibility
On sacred land
Held in sacred trust of the generations
Ancestors - human, as well as our relatives the rocks
And trees and bubbling brooks and bugs and bears
And butterflies
And dusty trails and wide open skies
And soaring birds, horses, goats
Prayerful spaces
Hidden places
Shiny, dirty faces.
All here, all one, all woven in the threads
Of majestic makom
On the other side of this gate
Eagerly waiting to open to the first arrivals
As the gentle breeze
Enables these fragrant, resilient pines
And whispering, shimmering aspens
To begin their slow and steady welcome dance.
B’ruchim habaim
Welcome home you thirsty souls
To this dry wonderland
And its arid promise of water
For body and spirit
To help us all grow
And spread our green branches
Out to worlds within and without
Where earth and heaven meet
And angels accompany us in all our journeys
Up and down and all around
On feet, on bikes, on horseback
On eagle’s wings
Hineynu.
Here we are.
Seen and heard and held
For who we are
And for who we are yet to become.
