Can you believe we already celebrated our third and final Shabbat of First Session? Where has the time gone?
This Shabbat, we welcomed a remarkable group of guests who are deeply committed to the mission and vision of Camp Coleman. Our guests included members of the Camp Coleman Committee, members of our Coleman Chai Society Giving Circle, long-time dedicated donors, alumni, and former Camp Committee chairs — all of whom joined us for our annual Nad’van Shabbat and Camp Committee summer retreat.
Nad’van Shabbat is a special celebration where we have the opportunity to thank our most generous donors, and they have the chance to share Shabbat with our full community and witness the impact of their generosity firsthand.
Our Kabbalat Shabbat rituals were led by our faculty in residence this week. Rabbi Jason Holtz, (Temple Kehillat Chaim – Roswell, GA) and his family lit our candles, Rabbi Samantha Kahn (Congregation B’nai Israel – Boca Raton, FL) and her family led our community in Kiddush, Rabbi Erin Boxt (Temple Beth Shalom – Ocala, FL) and his family offered the blessing over the children, and HaMotzi was led by Rabbi Rachel Jackson (Congregation of Reform Judaism – Orlando, FL) and her family.
After dinner, we took a peaceful Shabbat walk to the Harris Center for tefillah (services). While the weather may have pushed us indoors, it could not dampen our Shabbat spirit. We held a joyful camp-wide service, surrounded by friends, guests, faculty, and lots of ruach.
Following tefillah, campers had the opportunity to celebrate the joy of Shabbat in two ways. Some chose the energy of a traditional song session complete with exciting live music from our song leading team and Israeli dancing, while others opted for Shabbat Shalva — a quieter, more laid-back Shabbat experience we introduced last summer. The campers who attended Shabbat Shalva this week were treated to an extra special experience — two Shabbat stories! First our former Camp Director, Bobby Harris, shared a story about our old friend Touki the Toucan, which brought smiles and a healthy dose of nostalgia – especially for our visiting alumni. Then Rabbi Rachael Jackson told a beautiful Shabbat story of her own. The Israeli staff who joined Shabbat Shalva were hysterical when Rachel Glazer, our Omanut Coordinator, taught the campers an Israeli ice cream jingle as a song! “Artik, Menta, Chocolate, Banana – Artik, Menta, Chocolate Limon!”
The weather threw us a little curveball on Friday night, so we had to hit pause on our usual Friday Night Live (FNL) debut and save it for Saturday morning at breakfast. But no worries — the campers still had an absolute blast! They were cracking up at all the skits, silly moments, and inside jokes, just like always. We’ll be posting it ASAP so you can join the fun from home too!
Saturday morning tefillah was led by our incredible Michlachat (Israeli staff delegation) in the Strauss Chapel, tucked into the woods. With sunlight filtering through the trees, the campers had an opportunity to form an even deeper connection to Israel by hearing about it firsthand from their beloved counselors and specialists. We also had the joy of celebrating the B’nai Mitzvah of two of our incredible Israeli staff members. Each of them read from the Torah for the very first time on Saturday — such a beautiful moment for our community. And of course, we celebrated the sweetest way we know how… by showering them with Starburst!
And yes, Apple Brown Betty is getting better… but she’s still not quite the legend we remember. Maybe next time.
Shavua Tov from Camp Coleman — where even a weather detour can’t dim the light of Shabbat.
