“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Re’eh
23 Menachem Av 5783/August 11, 2023
HOLY JERSEY
Our family has the wonderful opportunity to spend our summers at Camp
Dora Golding in East Stroudsburg, PA.
Among its many outstanding features and qualities, Camp Dora Golding has
an unparalleled learning program that it is immensely proud of. Directed by its
indefatigable learning director, Rabbi Noach Sauber, who is also a personal
rebbe and mentor to our family, there is an unbelievable amount of learning
that takes place here.
A half hour before Mincha on Erev Shabbos, hundreds of campers pack into
the camp Shul to usher in Shabbos with optional Torah learning.
Then on Shabbos itself, well over 75% of our campers and staff, learn in
the camp Shul for 3 hours. It’s a magnificent sight to behold with campers
learning Gemara, Mishna, Chumash, The Little Medrash Says, and books about
Gedolim. (The camp Shul is well stocked with hundreds of donated books geared
for our campers.) They learn alone, with a fellow camper, counselor or other
staff member, or they attend a Shiur offered by one of the Rebbeim. Last
session, during those hours, 185 campers completed a masechta of Mishnayos. It
was celebrated with a unique special Shabbos party for those campers. Most
incredible, is that all the learning is completely optional!
In addition, daily learning groups have almost perfect attendance
throughout the summer.
There are many campers who share that the CDG summer learning program
gave them their first positive connection to Torah learning. They were able to
be “top level learners,” despite struggling in school throughout the year.
What’s the secret to the success of the program?
Campers want to earn “Max Miles”. Aside for a gala barbecue celebration,
there is a prize auction at the end of every camp session with very expensive
and coveted prizes. Every hour or learning group that a camper attends is
counted as a thousand miles into his “account”. Every thousand miles grants him
another ticket at the auction. Only campers who have earned the maximum number
of miles can enter tickets for the top prizes. If they aren’t max miles, they
can enter tickets into the lower tier of prizes. (Those lower tier prizes are
not too shabby either.)
The auction itself is a sight to behold. At the recent auction two weeks
ago, the total value of all prizes awarded exceeded $12k. Most prizes are
donated by staff members and camp alumni, who themselves benefited from the
program when they were campers.
The direct impetus for the optional learning may be because of the
prizes. However, when campers leave camp knowing that they were “max miles”,
that experience leaves a deep impression upon them and gives them a feeling of
positive connection to Torah learning. That alone makes the whole thing worth
it.
The morning before the auction, each camper receives tickets from his
rebbe commensurate with how many hours/miles he earned. After writing his name
and bunk number on each ticket, he drops his tickets in the bucket in front of
the prizes he chooses.
During the auction the entire camp packs into the camp theater to watch
the exciting proceedings. As the winning ticket for each prize is drawn, the
winner is called onto the stage amidst great fanfare and cheering. The prize is
handed to the beaming winner, and a picture is taken of him standing next to
his learning rebbe.
The energy and hype of the auction itself can hardly be captured in words
and it’s one of the main highlights of the summer. Just getting called on stage
is itself a thrill. It should be noted that there are many campers who have
been in camp for many years that have never won a prize. With so many campers
entering so many tickets into each prize, the odds of a camper winning a
top-level prize is pretty low, so each ticket is very previous and winning is a
big deal.
One of the prizes at the recent auction was an autographed jersey of New
York Jets wide-receiver Garrett Wilson. When the winning ticket was picked,
Rabbi Sauber announced that the winner was from bunk 16 and he told all the
campers from bunk 16 to come up on stage.
When Rabbi Sauber announced that the winner was Noah L., Noah was
immediately lifted up by his excited bunkmates who were clapping and cheering
his name.
What happened next blew us all away.
As the entire camp - well over 700 people - watched from the crowd, Rabbi
Sauber asked Noah if he was a Jets fan. It was almost a rhetorical question.
Why would he have entered any of his hard-earned tickets into a prize he didn’t
care for? To everyone’s surprise, Noah emphatically answered that he was not a
Jets fan at all.
Rabbi Sauber looked at him in disbelief and asked him if he wanted to
give the jersey back. When Noah replied that he wanted the jersey, Rabbi Sauber
asked him what he planned to do with it?
The JC of bunk 16 - Nachi - had not been feeling well on Tisha B’Av
afternoon, just a few days earlier. After being examined by the camp doctor,
Nachi left camp to ensure that everything was okay. (Thankfully, he returned to
camp for the second session a week later). Nachi is an avid Jets fan. Noah
announced that he had entered the ticket so that, if he won, he could present
the jersey to his JC, Nachi.
The assistant head-counselor FaceTimed Nachi and, as everyone watched,
was informed about the prize won on his behalf. A picture was taken with Noah,
his rebbe, and the staff members who had donated the prize, one of whom was
holding a phone with Nachi’s smiling face on its screen. It was a very touching
moment.
It should be noted that Nachi himself donated towards one of the prizes
for the auction, albeit not the one he was given.
Winning and receiving is always exciting and it’s always fun to receive
new things. But more gratifying and satisfying than receiving is giving to others,
especially when one gives away what’s personally meaningful and dear.
The final pasuk of Parshas Re’eh states, “Every man, according to the
gifts of his hands…”
Rav Menachem BenZion Sacks noted that the value of a man is ascertained
according to how much he is or is not willing to give. What he gives from and
of himself defines what kind of a person he is.
The autographed jersey of wide-receiver Gerrit Wilson was given as a gift
by 12-year-old ‘wide-giver’ Noah.
It’s not often that an autographed NFL jersey becomes holy.
Shabbat Shalom
& Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum