22 June 20 • 2019
jn

jews d
in 
the

W

ith the school year end-
ing, many young campers 
will go off to summer 
camp for the first time. Summer 
camp is a place where lasting friend-
ships and lifelong memories are 
created. But it can be frightening, 
leaving your home for weeks at a 
time; no one knows this better than 
the counselors. 
Jessica Norris of West Bloomfield 
never really experienced first-time 
camper jitters because she grew up 
at Camp Tamakwa in 
Algonquin Provincial 
Park, Ontario. Norris’
 
father co-owns the 
camp, so she spent 
her earliest summers 
in the camp nurs-
ery and eventually 
graduated to camp-
er. After spending nine years as a 
camper, this summer will be her 
first as a counselor. She is thrilled 
to help campers have the same 
amazing experiences she has had at 
Tamakwa.
“My counselors had a huge 
impact on me growing up and I 
want to give that same experience to 
my campers,” Norris said. “My best 
advice to first-time campers is don’
t 
be afraid to get out of your comfort 
zone and be silly, that’
s what camp is 
all about. Take advantage of every-
thing camp has to offer.”
Jake Fishkind of West Bloomfield 
was a camper at Camp Tamarack in 
Ortonville for 10 years and a coun-
selor for Tamarack’
s youngest camp-
ers in the summer of 2018. After 
working with these young campers, 
Fishkind is well acquainted with the 
nerves that can come with leaving 
home for the first time.

“It’
s definitely a little scary the 
first time,” Fishkind said. “You just 
have to remember you are going to 
have non-stop fun for a few weeks 
with all your new best friends.”
While it can be scary for young 
campers, older campers may have 
an even harder time, according to 
Jonah Wolf, 19, who will be going 
into his third year as a staff mem-
ber at Camp Ramah in Muskoka, 
Ontario.
“You have to break into the inev-
itable cliques that form 
at camp,” Wolf said. “My 
advice to older campers who 
are going into eighth grade 
is don’
t be nervous to meet 
people. The quicker you get 
out of your comfort zone the 
better.”
Wolf’
s best advice to new 
campers, both young and older, is to 
not be afraid to try new things.
Randi Traison of West Bloomfield 
started attending Camp Ramah in 
2008 and was a camper for six years 
before going with the camp for a 
summer in Israel. Traison is going 
into her fourth year on Ramah’
s 
staff.
“I would tell campers that it’
s 
OK to be homesick, but don’
t miss 
out on an opportunity,” Traison 
said. “There are so many things to 
try and camp is a great place to do 
things for the first time because 
everyone is so supportive.”
So, to all the new campers out 
there, heed this advice: Don’
t be 
afraid to step out of your comfort 
zone, try new things, be silly and 
make new lifelong friends. And, 
don’
t worry, your counselors will 
be there for you every step of the 
way. ■

JESSIE COHEN JN INTERN

TOP: Jessica Norris with a 

camper at Camp Tamakwa 

in Ontario. Norris says her 

counselors had a huge 

impact on her; she hopes to 

do the same as a first-time 

counselor this summer.

C 
OURTESY JESSICA NORRIS

Camp 
Jitters?

Counselors’
 advice to 
fi
 rst-time campers.

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