Herzl's Impact Never Ends
By Zack Zaban
For 11 years, I lived my summers in Webster,WI. I have played many roles at Herzl- camper, ozo, bunk staff, chinuch team member. As time goes on and I get older, one component of camp never dies: my friendships.
During my freshman year at UW-Madison, I found myself overwhelmed with the abundance of new surroundings to investigate and people to meet. My first night of college was shared with my best friends from camp. The individuals whom I climbed The Wall with in Kadimah and danced my heart out with as an Ozo became the people who I would call for homework help, to relax after exams. Ultimately, my camp friends became my best friends.
A connection with a Herzl Camper needs no description. The surreal magic of camp binds past campers and staff together. Recently, I worked on a group project for a journalism course alongside one of my best Herzl friends. We both contacted and networked with past Herzl alumni to gain information for our written assignments without any question of “why would you call me” or “I don’t really know you that well.” The Herzl Camp community extends beyond eight weeks of the summer and truly lives throughout the United States (plus Israel!).
To parents who are thinking about sending their children to Herzl Camp for the first time, I have one message: Herzl’s impact lasts a lifetime. Your kids will learn social skills that will influence their future. They will become the leaders of their jobs, sororities, sports teams and, most importantly, the Jewish communities in which they live. I often tell my own parents that the best decision they made was to send me off to camp instead of placing me in summer sport programs or making me get a job in between school years.
Comments