Special edition of the Weekly Versewhile Rabbi Rotenberg is at Camp Ramah Darom
Pics from tefillah this morning!
When one first begins learning the laws of Shabbat, one notices something curious. The instructions for observing Shabbat do not begin with Friday night services or candle lighting. Instead, they begin with a practice for the other six days of the week. Each day leading up to Shabbat, we are meant to think about it, prepare for it, and grow increasingly excited as it draws near.
I know of no place that embodies this practice better than Camp Ramah. By Friday morning, one can already feel that Shabbat is in the air. To help campers and staff prepare spiritually and emotionally for this holy day, campers gather for a special musical service – a prayer experience unlike any other during the week, filled with extra singing, musical accompaniment, and dancing.
Shabbat at camp is the highlight of the week. Campers often return home saying that Shabbat was their favorite part of the entire summer. This Friday morning service takes the joy of Shabbat – the joy that will soon permeate every corner of this mountain campus – and brings it into the week before it arrives. Watching campers sing and dance on a Friday morning, eagerly anticipating a day of rest, and fun, and time with their friends, is truly inspiring.
May we all learn from their example: to look forward to the gift of Shabbat with such anticipation that its joy begins long before it arrives, infusing every day of the week with a taste of its holiness.