The Love Is Real at Session 2!

Session 2 campers are taking their adventurous spirits to new heights this week. Whether soaring on the Challenge Course, venturing out on backpacking trips in Yosemite, participating in a new activity or making new friends, campers are expanding their horizons! 

About 75% of Session 2 campers this year are returners, so these Tawongans already know the ropes and are building on their Camp roots; they’re also taking newcomers under their wings with that inclusive spirit that’s in the water.

Seeing bunks form new bonds and rekindle old ones has been a joy over the past couple of days. Making a “big circle with everybody in it” at song sessions, wrapping arms around each other and singing in unison is pure Camp magic, regardless of how long campers have called Tawonga home. 

The love for Camp is real in these enthusiastic campers. We asked a few of them to share with us why that is, and here’s what we heard back:

• “We love Tawonga because you get really close with your bunk.”
  – The bunk of AG-8
• “I love Tawonga because you don’t have to worry about how you act or dress because everyone here is crazy, in the best way!”
  – Kaya in G-5 
• “Camp is really fun, and don’t take it for granted, because it’s only once a year. Enjoy it!”
  – Zach in B-Bet 

The staff, who cultivate our incredibly welcoming and loving culture, are feeling the love too! Elena, who works on our maintenance team, shared, “I love camp because I love the people who come here.” 

Core to our mission is creating a cooperative Jewish community, where staff and campers live in harmony and contribute to taking care of our shared home; most importantly, in this beloved community, all voices are valued, and differences are not just tolerated but celebrated. 

Intentional community building programming strengthens the bonds we share, and this session, there’s no shortage of bonding activities, between bunks, units and our entire Camp community. On Monday night, our gender campfires (now a Tawonga tradition) gave campers the opportunity to meet in community and discuss experiences and challenges regarding their gender identity, and create a space to support, build confidence and foster a strong sense of self-esteem. Specifically, these campfires help campers preemptively address issues like bullying, cliques surrounding identity or other issues that might arise during their time at Camp. Session 2 is here for a whole three weeks, so community belonging and trust are of utmost importance!

Our time with these campers is just beginning, and there is much more programming and bonding on the agenda for the coming weeks. Excited is an understatement!

P.S. If you haven’t subscribed to Tawonga’s blog yet, you can do so here to catch a glimpse of the magic! (In case you missed it, here’s our post on staff training week.) You can expect to see a few blog posts a week this summer. Parents of campers, in addition, can see updates in the Campanion app.

Check out a peek into Camp with the Tawonga Tidbit!