Avodah - Working at Camp

A little more than a year ago, a research published about Habonim Dror found that alumni of our camps become leaders in the community in high numbers (read more about it here: http://www.hdcamps.org/#!reviews/c2396 and here: http://www.hdcamps.org/#!news/c16h7).

In order to explain these “results” we could be looking into how theory and practice intertwine at camp. At Gilboa (and other Habonim camps), a significant emphasis is placed on theory – education – and campers engage every day in issues pertaining to society, economy, Jewish identity, and Israel. They learn about their responsibility to making the world a better place.

However, that alone is probably not enough to explain the study results. The added layer is what campers do. At Gilboa, everyone takes responsibility for the function and success of the community. Every morning campers participate in Avodah (work) and maintain the physical site. They wash the morning dishes, prepare salad for lunch, sanitize and clean the bathrooms, tend to the garden and join building projects. By doing so, they develop the understanding that a community does not happen on its own; rather, it needs the intentional investment of each one of its members in order to function.

Through Avodah (and other programming aspects we'll be discussing in future posts - such as group decision making, responsibility for programming and mentorship), campers learn by experience that they have the power to change, influence and build. They become builders of their own community and creators of their own experiences.