From Seder to Summer Camp: Tawonga's Fifth Question

The Jewish theme this summer at Tawonga is "ahavat ger" which means "love the stranger." This deep and challenging commandment will be read aloud at Seders everywhere this weekend. But how many of us will take the time to think about what this means in terms of our everyday lives?

At Tawonga, it means that every new camper will be welcomed by loving staff members and bunkmates. It means that every child will be treated like a perfect vessel of infinite possibilities. At Tawonga, we welcome strangers and they soon become our friends. 

Our hope is that children will feel inspired to be more empathetic to others and more empowered to DO SOMETHING when they feel a stranger needs loving attention. For them, it could mean standing up for someone who is being bullied. It could be welcoming someone new into their group of friends. Or it might simply be resisting the urge to gossip about someone who looks different.

To get you and your child started, we offer this Fifth Question for the Seder. We hope it stimulates some great conversations.

YOUNGEST CHILD: On all other nights our parents tell us "Don't talk to strangers." Why on this night are we commanded to "love the stranger?"

LEADER: You have asked a very good question. We were once strangers in the land of Egypt, a small minority group. In the beginning we were welcomed, because the Egyptians were very grateful to our ancestor Joseph for saving them from a terrible famine. We had many good years living there. But after a while, our hosts forgot what we had done for them, and they began to think of us as dangerous.

So we know what it feels like to be loved and we know what it feels like to be feared. On Passover, we are reminded that love is better than fear. In Hebrew, the word for "love" is "ahavat" and the word for "stranger" is "ger". Together it's pronounced:

LEADER:   Ask yourself, what can YOU do to fulfill the commandment "ahavat ger" at camp, school, work or home?

J-Serve is the official day of Jewish youth service!  Join over 1000 teens from around the world and over 100 6-12th graders from the East Bay on Sunday, April 22nd to make a difference in our community.  Multiple service sites are available across the East Bay.  Register for your preferred service site by April 11th so we can accommodate your request: http://jewi.sh/j-serveeastbay. 

We welcome you to extend your J-Serve experience at an afternoon celebratory service fair in Palo Alto.  Save your seat on a bus (we only have seats for 100!) here: http://jewi.sh/j-serveeastbay.  Questions? contact Leeba Morse, lmorse@bbyo.org. 

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 High School: The Next Journey

A Free Workshop for Parents of 6th and 7th Graders on Navigating the High School Admissions Process

Tuesday, April 24, 2012 | 7:00-8:30 pm

Jewish Community High School of the Bay
1835 Ellis Street | San Francisco  

Finding the right high school can be an overwhelming process. Hear from our panel of experts on navigating the admissions process and learn more about college advising, athletics, arts, and financial aid.
  
Featuring Keynote Speaker Amanda Mallory
Educational Consultant | McClure, Mallory, Baron & Ross
  
REGISTER TODAY! www.jchsofthebay.org/thenextjourney    

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Expand your child's knowledge of technology. This year, JCCSF Summer Camp is proud to present - for the first time - computer and technology camps using curriculum powered by iD Tech Camps. Interactive camps, including Adventures in Game Design, Adventures in Programming, Game Design & Graphic Arts and Programming in Java appeal to children's creativity, sense of play and natural curiosity. Campers learn the same computer programs and applications currently being used in the technology industry, gaining valuable skills and a leg up on peers. Let their imaginations run wild in these multimedia adventures! For more information contact Hannah Long 415-292-1255 or hlong@jccsf.org. Check out www.jccsf.org/techcamps 

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Camp Kee Tov, voted the best summer day camp in the East Bay, still has limited openings for the 2012 summer! Located in North Berkeley, Camp Kee Tov continues its tradition of 45 years of excellence in day-camping. Camp Kee Tov offers programs for campers entering Kindergarten through 9th grade and has a dynamic staff that brings the summer to life! Many Camp Kee Tov campers spend the other portion of their summer at Camp Tawonga!

Camp dates for 2012:
Session 1: June 25 - July 20
Session 2: July 30 - August 24

For more information, check out Camp Kee Tov's website here. For Camp Kee Tov registration info, please click here.