How Camp Shaped My Identity

“Why do you keep coming back to camp?” It’s easy to say it’s because it’s fun, the friendships are strong, and there’s a deep love for being Jewish. While all of that is true, the decision to return—especially as an adult staff member—is more meaningful. After ten years as a camper and now entering a fifth year on staff, camp has become central to who I am: as a friend, leader, Jew, and community member.

During the year, I study sociology and work to improve health and safety in my community. Though not directly tied to Jewish education or childcare, the values I learned at camp—especially b’tzelem elohim, the belief that everyone is made in the image of God and deserves love and inclusion—guide everything I do. Camp is where I built confidence, made lifelong friends, and developed leadership skills that now shape my adult life.

As I graduate college and prepare to move across the country, some might think it’s a strange time to return to camp. But I see it as the best time. Adulthood is challenging, and camp is where I’m reminded that I can do hard things—and that I have a community behind me. Even after 15 summers, camp still teaches me new things every year.

Most importantly, I return because I believe in the impact camp staff can have on kids. Camp turned me from an anxious child into a confident, compassionate adult. I want to be the role model I once looked up to, helping kids become kind, self-assured people.

Camp isn’t just about programs and prayers—it’s about filling the small moments with joy and connection. I come back not just for myself, but to give back to the place that shaped me and to help build the next generation of campers.