Shabbat-O-Gram: 7/25/25

Dear Camp Kingswood Families,

One of the most intense moments of this week wasn’t the under-10 basketball victory against Camp Micah (though winning 16–10 was pretty sweet). It also wasn’t the announcement of the Beauty and the Beast cast—though with most of Chalutzim auditioning, that came close. No, the moment I’m talking about happened in the Dining Hall.

Two campers took the mic after breakfast and presented a question that sparked passionate debate:

“Do you wet your toothbrush before or after putting on the toothpaste?”

Camper one made a strong case for after, drawing approving nods. Camper two argued for before, and their logic resonated with most of the room. When it came time to vote, wetting the toothbrush before toothpaste won in a landslide.

Welcome to Kingswood Debates, our newest mealtime tradition, born from a casual menu vote during Session I and now a full-blown camp favorite. It started simply enough when I asked for feedback on lunch one day. The next morning, two campers asked if they could pose a question. Then another. Soon, we had campers lining up to ask the big questions: Is it biscuits or scones? Waterfront or Upper Fields? Sriracha or Cholula? Cereal first or milk? It’s become such a hit we had to instate a one-debate-per-meal rule.

To the kids, it’s a fun, silly moment to take the mic and settle an argument. But something much deeper is happening, too.

They’re learning how to form and share an opinion.

They’re practicing how to disagree—respectfully, with humor and heart.

Most importantly, they’re learning how to move on. Win or lose, they go back to their tables, high-five each other, and finish their eggs.

In a world where disagreement so often feels like division, we’re teaching our campers a better way. Here, a difference of opinion isn’t a threat, it’s a chance to connect. Disagreement, when rooted in curiosity and respect, becomes a doorway to growth, not a wall.

While adults are still figuring this out, our campers are already practicing. They’re discovering that disagreement doesn’t have to mean disconnection, and that caring enough to speak up, even about the order of toothbrushing, matters.

In April 1999, Elie Wiesel spoke at the White House about The Perils of Indifference. He said, “The opposite of love is not hatred. It’s indifference… indifference is not a response. Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end.”

At Kingswood, we teach that caring is everything. Apathy has no place in our community. Whether it’s about a silly debate, a friend’s feelings, a bunk tradition, or the outcome of Color War—we want kids to care, to speak up, to listen, and to engage.

In my earliest days as a camp director, when people asked why I chose this path, I’d say I wanted to raise an army of people who give a sh*t. My language may have softened, but the mission hasn’t changed. If we can raise a generation that truly cares, then we’re doing something right.

As we welcome the first Shabbat of Session II, we’re already seeing that mission in action. Full Summer campers, celebrating their fifth Shabbat, are leading the way with empathy, energy, and warmth, helping new friends feel right at home. Second-session campers are jumping in with open hearts, slowing down tonight for their first Shabbat in our little corner of the world.

Bogrim is leading Shabbat this weekend, and they’ve chosen the theme of courage, one of our camp core values. At services tonight a few campers talked about the courage they’ve shown this week – to climb the tower, to talk to new people, and even to come to camp at all! All week, voices have been rising together, not just to win a debate, but to lift each other up, to talk about what matters with new and old friends, and to shape this community into something extraordinary. 

May this Shabbat remind us all to slow down, speak up, and care deeply – about ourselves, about each other, and about the world our kids are building together.

Shabbat Shalom from Bridgton,
Jodi

Camp Announcements

Trip Money:

If you would like to load money onto your camper’s Trip Money account, you can go to your CampInTouch account under “Trips and Canteen.” Recommended amounts can be found here.

Helpful Links:

Hopefully you already have this loaded on your phone, but in case you don’t, please use the Campanion app! It makes camp so easy. You can send emails and see all their tagged pictures once you upload a photo of your camper for facial recognition. 

Also, check out the parent WhatsApp group! It’s separated by session, and there are some affinity groups created by parents specific to bunks. 

If you want to check a camp policy, visit our Family Handbook, and if you can’t find the answer there, reach out to our camp office at (207) 647-3969.

Transportation:

Some of you recently received an email if you don’t have your camper’s transportation forms in. The rest of you will get an email soon confirming your camper’s transportation home. We appreciate all the timely responses so far! All transportation changes and questions can be emailed to Nicole@campkingswood.org