Hello readers (loyal and new)! Welcome to Camp Modin 2020! This year, we have all three esteemed bloggers from last year back and ready for an amazing summer! Molly Wilson is a General Counselor and Program Specialist in Haven 2, Sarah Wilner is a General and Program Specialist in Haven 1, and Harrison Israel is a General and Spirit Specialist in the Wolves! This is Molly and Sarah’s 11th summer at camp (3rd as a counselor), and Harrison’s 9th summer at camp (2nd as a counselor). We are all filled with enthusiasm and absolutely cannot wait to share our summer with you!
Camp has started out with normal bunk activities (of course with some new Covid precautions) that have allowed everyone to try everything Modin has to offer. Out on the waterfront, campers are singing through their swim tests, learning how to sail, taking their first tube ride of the summer, and are enjoying our beautiful Salmon Lake. Bunks can be seen cheering each other on during friendly games of kickball or ultimate frisbee, sculpting masterpieces during ceramics, or soaring above the camp on our high ropes course and trapeze. While camp is a little different this year— the meals have new precautions to limit touch points and interactions between bunks, everything is undergoing constant sanitation, masks are being worn all around camp, etc.— camp still has the same atmosphere of spirit, love, and energy that makes camp camp.
On Friday Night, we had our first Shabbat services of the summer led by the Apprentice bunk (the oldest campers) and returning Judaic Director Sheera Ben-David! The entire camp gathered (socially distanced, of course) to sing songs, hear the Apprentices share why they loved Camp Modin, and to look out on our lake with a feeling of pure serenity. Shabbat dinner consisted of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, and salad, and was eaten in camp’s new tent on the lacrosse field called Modin Commons (“MoCo” as the kids call it). Due to a little rain in the morning on Saturday, services were also held inside MoCo! For the rest of the day on Saturday, we resumed bunk activities before joining together once again for Havdalah on the infield.
On Sunday evening, after a day of more thrilling bunk activities, we all gathered on the soccer field for our opening campfire! We sat on towels or on the grass with our bunks and watched the sunset as campers performed for the entire camp. There was dancing, singing, gymnastics, jokes, drumming, and more. We even belted out the words to Taylor Swift’s Love Story and John Denver’s Country Roads in some full camp singalongs! The campfire was a wondrous way to officially start the summer and really reinforced how lucky we all are to be together this summer.
Before signing off, we just wanted to take a moment to talk about how grateful we are to have camp this summer. As campers, Modin was our home and our family. Every year we would count down the days until we could once again be with our brothers and sisters at camp again. We are so incredibly thankful that we return to our happy place and we cannot wait to take you along for the ride!
Check back for more updates throughout the summer!
Molly, Sarah, and Harrison
