"rocking it out on stage on the drums,
Geller said.

"

Bringing Israel To Camp

Rockowitz brings not only Israeli pro-
gramming, but the spirit of Israel from
his home in Jerusalem.
A former American college professor
of economics and Wall Street investment
banker, Rockowitz made aliyah 18 years
ago to become a tour guide in Israel.
"I work showing the land of Israel to
tourists," he said. "I love to show Israel
and get people connected with their
Jewish roots. And that's what I'm doing
here at camp."
He was joined by his wife, Naomi
Rockowitz, a member of the staff of the
Jerusalem-based office of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
And she brought with her a delegation
of 100 Israeli campers.
Both Geller and Eli_ Rockowitz come •
to Tamarack with Zionist camp back-
grounds — Geller as former director of
_Young Judaea's Camp Tel Yehudah in
New York State and Rockowitz as music
and educational director there.
"Some of our counselors are from
Israel -- and in the Israeli army,"
Weberman said. "They offered to take
messages of encouragement and support
[from campers] back to the soldiers in
their units."
Jarrett Gorman learned about Israel
directly from his bunkmates.
"There were two brothers in my bunk
who live here now, but were born in
Israel," he said. "They
talked about Israel and

modernistic line dances that
sometimes the kids just break
into at the flag pole."
Each camp session includes
an Israel Day. "It's a chance for
kids to learn more about Israel,
about the culture, the way of
life, the food, the music and
sights and sounds," Geller said.

The Kotel

'All during first session, we
kept seeing signs and hearing,
`The Wall is coming. The Wall
is coming,' camper Nikki
Braverman said.
Other signage read: "Got
Wall?"
Then during the last week
of the session, a new perma-
nent model of Jerusalem's
Western Wall appeared.
"It's small and symbolic, but
Eve Posen and Eli Rockowitz at the camp's replica of the Western Wall.
it's a replica that's pretty darn
close to the real one," Rockowitz
said of the wooden, weather-
home — and a few articles of their
Rockowitz spoke with the kids about
resistant construction. "We explained
clothing," he said.
the
hope
that
someday
they
would
have
the tradition of people putting notes of
The group was then led to stations,
the
opportunity
to
be
in
Israel
placing
hope or prayer between the stones of the
representing different times in Jewish
notes
in
the
actual
Western
Wall.
real Kotel.
history. At each, station, they unpacked
Campers and staff wrote hundreds of
their possessions and listened to staff
their own messages and slipped them
Shabbat
and
Holiday
Life
members tell a personal story of a fami-
into a slit cut into the "Wall."
ly who could have lived at that time.
While Shabbat has always been a high-
"We periodically removed them and
"Then someone gave the edict
light
of
the
Tamarack
week,
new
initia-
FedExed them in big envelopes to Israel,
expelling them," Rockowitz said
tives
have
made
it
more
relaxing
and
where Detroiters on Federation's 2004
The group packed up their things
more memorable.
Teen Mission put them directly in the
and moved on. "They walked in a
"We
slow
things
down
and
take
a
cracks between the stones of the real
long, silent caravan in the dark, with
break," Geller said.
Kotel in Jerusalem," Rockowitz said.
torches around them," Rockowitz said.
On Shabbat, the business
office is closed. Meals are served "The pain on the faces of our 'actors'
was passed onto the kids, and not a
in a more leisurely, family-style
•
word was spoken."
fashion. A member of each vil-
The final station of the program w
lage is invited to light Shabbat
candles before the blessings and a PowerPoint presentation by Posen,
showing Jewish communities around
Shabbat songs are sung.
the world today, including in Israel.
"On Shabbat, everybody
"This was not `oy vey' Judaism,
sings and gets up and dances,"
where
we sit the kids down and tell
Nikki Braverman said.
them Jews were expelled over and over
"Nikki told me the whole
again," Rockowitz said. "We showed
spiritual togetherness was emo-
them in a fun way that was a learning
tional, but still very upbeat,"
Executive Director Jonah Geller said her mom, Gail.
experience for everyone."
And that's the point. "We want
There are few holidays during
Tamarack to be comfortable and acces-
camp, but Tisha b'Av, a solemn
showed us pictures. It
sible and inclusive of our entire com-
fast day, fell during second ses-
was the first time I saw
sion this summer. While some old-time munity," said Sollish, who, in addition
'Any notes still here after the end of the
real pictures from Israel that weren't in
to being a Fresh Air board member, is a
Teen Mission, either I — or some of our campers remember the days when there
movies or posters at school." From the
•
Tamarack parent.
was
no
specific
policy
in
place
for
those
two dozen Israeli counselors — will take
boys, Jarrett also learned how very long
"Our programming is not intended
who
were
observing
the
holiday,
this
to the Kotel personally."
it takes to fly from Israel to Michigan.
to establish a level of observance. It is
year Rockowitz scripted a program so
Twenty-seven of this year's 91 mission
Naddaff and his musical instruments
intended to give all participants a
everyone
could
commemorate
tragedies
are part of the camp's Israeli culture staff, participants are Tamarack alumni.
chance to gain a better connection with
associated
with
the
Ninth
of
Av.
"It was really exciting to put a message
a first-year program that includes Israeli
their Jewish identity."
"Everyone
met
at
the
flagpole,
bring-
in the 'Wall,"' Nikki Braverman said.
dancers and musicians.
And the goal is to offer it in a setting
ing items that were sentimental to
"It was amazing knowing it would
"The dances they brought are not just
that melds the learning with fun. ❑
them
—
a
teddy
bear,
a
letter
from
end up in the real Kotel in Israel."
traditional horas," Rockowitz said, "but

,

We are defined in thatwe are
a Jewish camp that combines
the other activities with Jewish
values, Jewish learning and
Jewish ethics.

,

8/13
2004

13

