Time Magazine posted an article in 2009 called “Mankind’s Greatest Explorations and Adventures,” and it included Charles Lindbergh flying across the Atlantic Ocean alone, Charles Darwin traveling around the world aboard the H.M.S Beagle, and Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Without these Adventures, the world we know would be a very different place. Charles Lindbergh reinvented global travel; Charles Darwin changed the way we view evolution, and Apollo 11 proved that there is nothing too big for humankind to overcome. However, Charles Darwin, Charles Lindbergh, and the crew of Apollo 11 would not have changed the course of humanity had it not been for the help of many people who worked tirelessly to support them.
Two of the Jewish values we are learning about this summer at Jacobs Camp are “Anavah” (humility) and “Bitachon Atzmi” (Self Confidence). The line between being both humble and self-confident is very thin. One of my goals as the Adventure Department Head is to work with the campers in finding a way to make that line clear.
We cannot simply focus on the person climbing our 45-foot Alpine Tower or crossing the High Line rope course. We have to focus on the team that gets them there. In our Talmidim Specialty Camp, we’ve spent the past few days working on low rope elements such as the See-Saw (a giant balanced platform that every camper must get onto without having it drop to one side), the Spider Web (a rope structure that campers must pass through without touching the “web”), and the Giant Jump Rope (an activity where each of the participants must successfully cross from one side of the rope to the other without the rope hitting them). As the Talmidimers complete each of these elements, Adventure Department Staff brings all of the participants together in order to debrief the activity. As they debrief, our campers see the issues of the group, and they discover the solutions on their own. Only then can they develop the teamwork and communication skills necessary to foster trust. With this strong foundation, the Talmidim adventure specialty camp traverses the High Line and Alpine Tower, Jacobs Camp’s high ropes activities, where other campers and Adventure Staff safely belay climbers.
Our Maskilimers enjoy a much different specialty camp than the Talmidimers. By focusing on building fires, pioneering rafts, and orienteering a scavenger hunt on camp, Maskilimers develop self-confidence. To them, their success is personal. For the past few days, they have been broken up into groups where they’ve built fires and are just now beginning to dabble with the other team building and low rope elements. Although the low elements are primarily reserved for Talmidim Specialty Camp, these Maskilimers have easily mastered beginning level team building exercises and are ready to help each other out as they progress through some of the low rope elements.
It is always great to celebrate accomplishment, but it is important to remember the importance of having help and support from others. Without this, we could not accomplish feats as impressive as flying solo across the Atlantic Ocean like Charles Lindberg or even scaling a 45-foot tall tower. In the Adventure Department, our goal is to show our campers that it is perfectly acceptable to ask for help in order to succeed. Humility and self-confidence must work together not only in Adventure, but in life as well. I encourage all of your to find your line between “Anavah” and “Bitachon Atzmi” so that you may succeed the way our campers do!
Go on and find your adventure!
Justin Waldrip
Adventure Department Head
