The world feels so turbulent and painful. Many of us are traumatised, bewildered, angry, sad all at once. Some beloved members of our community are suffering from the physical and emotional trauma of the attack in Boulder less than 3 weeks ago. Other Bonai members are trapped in Israel retreating to safe rooms and bomb shelters several times a day. It is hard to make sense of any of it sometimes.
I am so grateful to be once again at Ramah of the Rockies summer camp with seventeen excited campers from Bonai Shalom. The natural beauty of this place is met by the exuberant energy of a deeply precious kehillah kedusha, sacred community, getting ready for Shabbat. It lifts my aching spirit to be in this environment, both energizing and exhausting! This morning at 7am we gathered for Mishna and Chocolate Milk, fifteen of the some of the youngest campers sitting together and learning about the different blessings we say for experiencing the world with our senses, blessings over food and beautiful landscapes. It was so joyful to engage in this study with these keen and curious young minds, some of whom are not only thirsting for the reward of the chocolate milk! In spite of the pain and suffering of this world, there are always blessings to be recited and gratitude to be expressed for our lives. I have also assisted on mountain bike rides and taken my dog Baruch on walks to give love and emotional support to some of the campers who miss their own dogs. He loves camp too.
Shabbat here is magical. In a few hours the whole camp will be dressed in white giving and receiving Shabbatograms, dancing in the field and singing along to a beautiful, musical Kabbalat Shabbat as the sun sets over the mountains. Tomorrow I will be leading story time for some of the younger campers, leading an alternative Mussaf meditation and co-facilitating a learning session about the ethics of war with 5 young Israeli staff members who have all served in the IDF and will share their experiences.
There are almost 50 Israeli staff (mishlachat) here this summer, some of whom are deeply traumatized and are now checking in all the time with their families and friends so impacted by the newest war with Iran. They have different political perspectives and opinions about the wars and being in this space, this refuge, is deeply healing for them as they bring such positive energy to their work engaging these young bodies and minds.
The most important thing I am doing this Shabbat is hosting a special kiddush before lunch for the Bonai Shalom kids to connect and eat some good snacks! Mostly healthy ones.
This week’s parsha from the Torah is Shelach L’cha (Numbers 13:1–15:41) and tells the story of the twelve spies sent to scout out the Land of Israel. Ten of them come back with a bad report, saying that the land is full of giants and other obstacles and that we cannot possibly go in there and conquer the place. “We were like grasshoppers in eyes and so we were in their eyes,” they project in their insecurity and loss of hope and faith. Just Caleb and Joshua come back saying “yes we can! We can do this!” There are so many ways to read this story, personally and collectively.
When the negative perceptions and obstacles feel too overwhelming, it is easy to give up and to give in to despair and to see ourselves as powerless, vulnerable grasshoppers. Joshua and Caleb invite us to shift our lenses of perception and see what is good, what is possible and to say yes to life, in spite of it all! To appreciate the daily moments,miracles and wonders and say blessings over this world that we taste, smell, see and touch. Jewish Summer Camp is a setting that enables us to open our eyes and see in a different, more curious, more positive way. It gives me hope for the future being here, even as I struggle as much as any of us with all the pain.
I am blessed to be in this sacred space, and from here I bless us all that we can have the innocent, curious, loving eyes of young halutzim, pioneers preparing for Shabbat, not ignoring nor minimizing the loss, the grief, the fear, but embracing the beauty and the possibility of a promised land of our dreams, Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Marc
Congregation Bonai Shalom 1527 Cherryvale Rd Boulder, CO 80303
