By Ethan Glass, Bus 8 Participant
Everyday this year, my assistant P.E. teacher would remind me of the formula for a great day: “lots of energy and lots of focus.” Although it’s a simple phrase, I feel like this perfectly connects to the amazing experience that Harlam in Israel Bus 8 just had in Poland on the first Shabbat of our trip.
It all started with dinner. It felt like we were back at our Camp Harlam home in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania, but with so much more ruach. Everyone was chiming in with their special chants and singing at the top of their lungs. What amazed me was that I had no clue who most of these people were.
Next was the bus ride to the synagogue. We were able to experience a classic Camp Harlam song session with our amazing song leaders, Reece and Schmidty. This energy was unmatched by any bus ride I have ever been on; consisting of moments when you could look at the person next to you and share something special and indescribable that most people don’t get to experience in their entire lives.
Next was the pre-Shabbat gathering outside the of the Polish synagogue. We all joined in song and created a huge mosh pit in the middle of a sidewalk. Kids that we had never met joined in because they wanted to match and be part of our Harlam energy.
Next came the service. A T’fillah unlike any other I’ve ever experienced. A room with people dancing, clapping and joyfully sharing a commonality between one another, even though we were from different camp backgrounds. The only thing that mattered was that we are all Jews joining in enthusiastic prayer.
Last but not least was the chaos after the service. Our family of friends united through special song-session songs and (my absolute favorite part) our chants and cheers. As our counselor Raz shared with me at the end of the night, “This night was special not only because we were in a foreign country that had so much rich Jewish history, but because everybody was able to feel like they were a part of something bigger than themselves. People who weren’t even apart of NFTY wanted to stop and watch the special unity that was taking place. That is why I choose to be a part of this.”
All of this energy turned our family into one complete unit. It is something that we live for as campers and is quite special to see and to experience. I can’t wait to see the progression of our unit and what this trip has in store!
This post was written on July 6, 2019.
