JCC Camp Kingswood – Amy Hart
Attempting to summarise my time at Kingswood so far has proven impossible. Condensing 2 months of laughter, tears and hard work into actual words cannot do justice to the gifts that camp has given me and many others.
A particular element of camp that many people do not consider is how much you can learn. Being propelled into a world full of traditions that you are not aware of may be daunting for many, but camp has definitely enabled me to learn to appreciate diversity. Working alongside so many different people has shown me how every person you meet has so much to give and qualities for you to take from them. It’s strange to think that people I have only known for 7 weeks have left such a mark on my life, but it only highlights to me that in our busy day-to-day lives, we don’t always notice how incredible certain people are and camp ensures that we do become aware of these little things that make people who they are.
To say that my time at camp has been special is an understatement. I never thought that I would embark on a journey that would have such an impact on me. The fact that writing this piece has left me in floods of tears is an obvious indicator of how much camp means to me. I’m not sure what can beat the smiles on my campers’ faces, nor will I ever be able to describe the elated feeling of a camper telling me that I made their summer special. I wish I could capture the atmosphere of camp and keep it in a bottle at home for a rainy day. I may never be able to explain in words how wonderful this summer has been, but what I can say is that camp has made me a better person and I will forever be indebted to Jewish camps USA and JCC Camp Kingswood for giving me this opportunity to learn, grow and enjoy the magic of camp.
For anyone considering working at camp, I urge you to do it. It may be tough, tiring and cause you to have regular breakdowns, but as I sit staring at the sunset in Maine, reminiscing about all the lifelong friends I have made and how I have grown as a person, I wouldn’t have it any other way.