Summer news from Camp Ramah in California, Week ending July 22, 2010

When the first buses arrived yesterday, the atmosphere in camp underwent a palpable change. The sounds of excited campers filled the air as they met their counselors, saw friends from previous years, and for some, saw the camp for the

first time. For all these campers, four weeks at Camp Ramah is the highlight, not only of their summer, but of their entire year.

One day after arriving, the entire camp will begin to make the transition into Shabbat, a day that for many is the essence of what Camp Ramah is all about. It is fitting, thus, that this week's parshah includes an important passage about the fourth of the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments appear twice in the Torah. First, in the book of Exodus, when the Israelites are encamped at Mount Sinai and God appears to the entire nation collectively. The second time occurs in this week's parshah, Va'Etchanan, as Moses is reviewing the events of the previous forty years and imparting his final messages to the Jewish people. The two versions of the Ten Commandments are mostly the same - except for number four: Shabbat.

In the Exodus version, the fourth commandment begins with the word zakhor- remember. In Deuteronomy, however, the text is changed to shamor- observe. This difference prompts a midrash that claims that two separate commandments were spoken by God and simultaneously heard by the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. Zakhor encompasses the "Thou shalt" aspects of Shabbat - those activities that we add to our lives at the end of every week, such as lighting Shabbat candles, enjoying relaxing meals with family and friends, worshipping with our community, etc. Shamorincludes Shabbat's "Thou shalt not" components - those activities from which we refrain, like shopping, using a cell phone, going to work, etc. Both the "shalt" and "shalt not" aspects of Shabbat are essential to experiencing the fullness of the Day of Rest.

The opening stanza of Lecha Dodi, the beautiful song that we sing at the beginning of Shabbat to welcome the Sabbath Queen, captures this midrash in poetry:

Shamor v'zakhor b'dibur echad,
hishmianu el ha-meyuchad.
"Observe" and "remember" in a single word,
God, the Unique One, made heard.

As five hundred campers gather tonight for their first Shabbat at Camp Ramah, they will experience both the zakhor and shamor aspects of Shabbat. This is what makes Shabbat at Ramah so special. Shabbat will be filled with singing, praying, stories, learning, and relaxing. Campers will experience the ruach of Shabbat in a powerful way that will stick with them for the rest of their lives.

But the truth is, coming to Camp Ramah is like a four-week-long Shabbat in the lives of the campers. Life for twenty-first century American kids is an incredibly busy balance of school, friendships, social networking, extracurricular activities, and more. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to keep so many commitments going. Time at Camp Ramah represents a Shabbat in the busy lives of these campers. They will spend the next four weeks building deep friendships, learning about and living their Jewish heritage, and participating in so many meaningful activities that they are too busy to be involved in during the rest of the year. Just as Shabbat enhances our awareness and appreciation of time for the other six days of the week, a summer at Ramah brings Jewish awareness and meaning to the other eleven months of the year.

May this Shabbat be meaningful and restful for us all. Shabbat Shalom.

Josh Berkenwald has been the Rabbi of Congregation Sinai in San Jose, California, since his graduation from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2007. Both he and his wife, Dr. Dana Romalis, worked as madrichim at Camp Ramah from 1992 through 1994. Rabbi Berkenwald and Dr. Romalis are serving as the Rabbi in Residence and Camp Doctor for the first week of second session.