Shabbat-O-Gram: 4/25/25
Dear families,
This week, I was reminded that growing up is messy, and sometimes the hardest moments bring the clearest glimpses of who our kids are becoming. I wanted to share a story that started in a difficult place, but unfolded into an unexpected moment of growth.
Last week, I became aware of a situation involving a few campers and Snapchat. A group of girls had been unkind to another—what we define as bullying. It was painful to see, and we took it seriously. Even though the kids aren’t at camp right now, their actions were in clear conflict with our Online Communication Policy in the Camper Code of Conduct. Sadly, schools and camps across the country are confronting these hard situations as teens try to navigate friendships, identity, and empathy in the digital age.
Hard lessons to learn, for sure. I’m grateful every day that I was in middle school in the ’80s! Imagining my own teen years under the microscope of social media is truly terrifying.
Each camper involved responded differently when we spoke with them, but one girl’s response stood out. At first, she reacted the way many teens do—insisting it was a joke, ‘surprised’ that words could hurt. But as we talked more, something shifted. Her tone softened, and she got quiet. She said she didn’t know what to do. That she knew the group hadn’t acted kindly, but she still wanted to be friends with them. She added, “I know that’s not the answer I’m supposed to say, but I want to be honest with you.”
That kind of honesty takes courage. And what struck me most is that if you looked at the situation from the outside, this camper might be labeled a ‘bad one.’ She was, after all, one of the bullies in this story. But in that quiet, vulnerable moment, she wasn’t a villain—she was a kid wanting to belong, tempted by popularity, trying to untangle right from wrong, loyalty from truth, and fear from growth. She was doing the hard, messy work of becoming her own person.
It opened the door for a conversation that went far deeper than right and wrong. We talked about how growing up means learning to live in the gray areas—where people are rarely all-good or all-bad, where friends sometimes disappoint us, and where we have to decide who we want to be, even when the path isn’t clear.
We talked about how real accountability isn’t just about saying sorry, and it’s certainly not a sorry over text. It’s about noticing where your actions left a mark—and then doing the work to repair it.
This situation reminded me why we’re so committed to being a screen-free camp. It’s not just about getting away from Snapchat, although that’s a definite win. It’s about creating a space where real connection can take root. Where genuine trust builds slowly through shared laughs, cabin rituals, and late-night conversations under the stars. Where kids can’t escape into their screens in hard or uncomfortable moments, so they learn to live through them.
That conversation gave me hope—not just for camp, but for the world our kids are stepping into. If we can give them the space, the tools, and the grace to be honest and to grow, they’ll rise to the challenge.
So tonight, as Shabbat begins, I’m holding onto that moment. To the bravery it takes to take accountability when we make mistakes. To the strength it takes to do better. And to the quiet, powerful work of choosing kindness—even when it’s complicated.
With gratitude for the moments that remind us how growth can come from the most unexpected places,
Jodi
P.S. Check out our newest ‘New for 2025!’ Zup Boards! We decided nothing could make Kingswood campers happier than another way to be pulled fast behind a boat! You can lay, kneel, stand, or sit on ZUP boards, and word on the street is it’s the quickest way to stand up on the water.
