Camp Alonim has been my happy place since 2012. Throughout my camp journey, I have learned important life lessons, gained experience working with children, and most importantly, made lifelong friends. The friendships that I have created at camp over the years are unlike any others in my life. I have met my best friends at camp and I could not be more grateful.
There’s a saying about camp that I love: “At camp, the days feel like weeks, and the weeks feel like days.” When I was a younger camper, I never really understood what this meant. But as I matured over the summers, I finally realized the true meaning of this common phrase. Camp Alonim is jam-packed with fun activities. From swimming, to rock climbing, to simply sitting on a grass field, there is never a dull moment. When Shabbat rolls around on Friday, I always reflect on the wonderful week I had. And it always feels as if it flew by! As crazy as this sounds, time passes differently at Camp Alonim, and I believe it is because of the friendships we create.
While every summer at Alonim has been so rewarding, this past summer has been the most life-altering journey I’ve had at camp. I am so grateful to have been a part of the Gesher Gan program and counselor at Gan Alonim Day Camp. As a counselor for Arazim (meaning grapes in Hebrew – the group for campers entering 2nd grade), I learned so much about myself, as well as the campers. I learned how to be myself and I learned that it is okay to be silly. We laughed, and danced, and sang ALL the time. My favorite part of being a counselor was meeting all the kids. They are all so different and unique, but I loved each and every one of them. I am so excited to take these newfound experiences and skills into the real world. If it were not for this summer, I would not be the person I am today.
I am so appreciative of the experiences I had this summer and I could not be more grateful to have spent the summer in my happy place. To all the future Alonimers out there – enjoy camp to the fullest, make new friends, and try new things!
— Ella M. (Gesher Gan Internship Program Summer 2021)
