Majorie Ingall’s article fluttering about on Twitter last week reminds us the importance, rather the IMPERATIVE of camp in the age of Facebook, My Space, iphones, pads, touches, and the like. Kids and adults are constantly connected and “plugged” into the world of technology. With the advent of moblile technology – blackberrys, iphones and itouches, each child is connected to the web all day, every day. They are tweeting, streaming, chatting, and texting continuously; there is no pause, no break, and certainly no Shabbat from this fast-paced connectivity.
Enter Jewish Camp. While some might argue day camp doesn’t pack the powerful punch of residential camp, we know that any break from the technology – even if 8 hours a day (imagine, 8 hours away from your phone or computer?) will do our children a world of good. Why Camp? We need to teach our children to laugh, share, and talk face to face. We need to help our children see that fingers can be just as good for art work, digging in the garden, or holding hands in a human knot, as they are for furious texting. We need to facilitate experiences like having our children feel the warm sun on their faces and taste of the salty Pacific Ocean on their lips. These moments help our children connect to each other and to amazing counselors that serve as role model. These moments help our children take a deep breath and a long break from the two dimensional world of technology. Summer Camp for our children is more important now than it has ever been. Give your child the gift of Jewish Camp!
