OUR COMMUNITY

T

he pandemic has presented significant 
challenges to everyone — seniors, 
children, adults and for us, young 
families. Being transplants into a city with no 
family members or relatives, but surrounded 
by a community of friends, we 
embraced our first child amid 
everything being shut down: Eli 
Levy, born October 2020. 
There certainly were benefits 
for two-career, first-time 
parents being able to work 
remotely during the pandemic 
and being at home 24/7. But 
there was always the underlying challenge of 
creating an environment of social interaction 
for our yeled (child) and making sure that 
he is acclimated to both society and other 
children his age.
The biggest eye-opening experience we 
had was this past April when visiting Israel 
over Pesach and seeing the boy interact 
with his cousins for the first time. The very 
first interaction he had was when my oldest 
brother’s fourth and youngest child, a 2-year-
old, with his little puppy eyes and ponytail 
holding a soccer ball in his right hand, 
identified his cousin from America for the 
first time.
He got out of the car and ran across my 
parents’ yard, to greet his cousin with a 
ringing slap to the face. Albeit hilarious, 
seeing Eli not sure if the gesture meant this 
is a friend or foe was the aha moment we 
needed. 
Eli needed to go to a preschool ASAP. 
Upon our return to the States in early May, 
we stepped up our game in intentionally 
socializing the boy with kids his own age. 

As we attempted to reach out to the various 
learning institutions (still uncertain if you 
call it school, Pre-K, camp, day care, nursery 
school, etc.), we realized that we were seven 
months behind the ball in signing him up 
for school and our options were critically 
limited.
We were, however, timely and fortunate in 
signing him up for summer camp. Contrary 
to myself, I’m sure many are familiar with 
toddler summer camp, but it isn’t the most 
convenient setup. It’s divided into sessions 
that you can sign up for, one to four at a 
time, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. from late June to early 
August.
We were fortunate enough to find an 
exceptional local camp to enroll him in — 
Temple Beth El ECC in Bloomfield Township 
— with exceptional professionals: Tracey 
Katzen (Eli’s amazing teacher No. 1), Shelley 
Swartz (Eli’s amazing teacher No. 2), Michelle 
Kroll (ECC assistant director/camp director) 
and Jen Goren (ECC administrator and so 
much more). This is where the challenge 
(and adventure) began. Each class is given an 
animal as its name. Week 1 of Tiger Camp — 
here we come! 
Through the many forms of 
communication that we received (full 
disclosure — many may have not been 
fully read and prepared for), we began 
our experience as first-time parents of a 
pandemic toddler going to camp. To start 
with, at the end of a workday, we were 
supposed to attend open house. The only 
problem was, we didn’t know we were 
supposed to bring the boy. Yes, we were the 
parents in orientation without a child, trying 
unsuccessfully to dismiss our feelings of 

Toddler’s fi
 rst time at day camp was a 
learning experience — for his parents.

Li’l Eli, 
the Tiger

Shimon G. 
Levy
Special Writer

SHIMON LEVY

Ms. Jen comforts 
Eli on his first 
time apart from 
his parents.

COURTESY BETH EL ECC

Eli’s entrance to 
Tiger Camp on 
Day 1

26 | SEPTEMBER 29 • 2022 
 
 
 
 

